India in July 2026: the most important developments in politics
India's politics in July 2026 were dominated by student protests over exam paper leaks. A march by the student movement CJP in Delhi on July 20 met a police crackdown, and opposition leader Rahul Gandhi was briefly detained outside Prime Minister Narendra Modi's residence. On July 23 Modi announced fast-track courts for paper leak cases. On July 25 Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned and Pralhad Joshi took over the ministry, and the CJP ended its NEET protests after the government agreed to three demands. On July 26 Modi named a task force on exam reform led by Nandan Nilekani, and on July 30 he hailed the passage of a stricter anti-paper leak bill. Opposition parties said 21 students died in a police action in Punjab and criticised the use of pellet guns; the Supreme Court ruled that peaceful protest is guaranteed and that police excesses can be examined, but later allowed pellet guns in exceptional cases.
Foreign policy formed the second theme. Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi visited New Delhi on July 2, when over 100 deals were reported signed. Modi received Indonesia's highest state honor on July 7, and India signed agreements with Australia on July 9 covering uranium supply and defence, and 18 pacts with New Zealand on July 11. India and China agreed to resume border trade on August 1. On July 14 India summoned Iran's senior diplomat over the killing of an Indian sailor near the Strait of Hormuz, and on July 21 it summoned a Russian diplomat after four Indian sailors were killed in a Russian strike on a cargo ship in the Black Sea.
Relations with Pakistan were the third. On July 20 India said the Indus Waters Treaty can no longer function in its current form and announced 5,500 MW of new hydroelectric projects in Jammu and Kashmir, and Pakistan accused India of weaponising water.
Other domestic news included defections from Mamata Banerjee's party to the BJP, a hunger strike by activist Sonam Wangchuk, and the US decision to drop the criminal case against businessman Gautam Adani.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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