Current Affairs 22 July to 21st August

- Deep Singha .

RICE EDUCATION

NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lead the 79th Independence Day
celebrations on August 15 from the historic Red Fort in New Delhi.

Theme 2025: “Naya Bharat”.

5 major announcements by PM Modi on Independance Day

1.’Sudarshan Chakra’: India will launch a mission named ‘Sudarshan Chakra’

to “expand, strengthen, and modernise” its national security shield. The
entire modern system should be researched, developed, and manufactured
in India by 2035.

2. GST reforms – A Diwali gift: PM said that the next generation Goods and
Services Tax (GST) reforms will be a Diwali gift for the country. It will
substantially reduce the taxes on items for the common man.

3. Employment scheme: Modi announced the launch of the PM Viksit Bharat

Rozgar Yojana, which aims to create 3.5 crore jobs over the next two years.
Under the ₹1 lakh crore scheme, newly employed youngsters will receive
₹15,000 per month as financial support.
4. High-powered demography mission: PM Modi highlighted the dangers of
demographic imbalance due to infiltration and illegal migration in border
areas. He announced the launch of a high-powered demography mission to
address this national security challenge, ensuring the unity, integrity, and
rights of India’s citizens are safeguarded.

5. Nuclear energy capacity to grow tenfold by 2047: Work is underway on 10

new nuclear reactors as part of India’s mission to increase nuclear power
generation capacity by over ten times in the next two decades.
Less known fact: “Tryst with Destiny” is the famous speech delivered by
Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India, to the Indian Constituent
Assembly on the eve of India’s independence, at midnight on August 14, 1947.

 Union Cabinet approves Rs 8,146-crore investment in Tato-II Hydro

Electric Project in Arunachal Pradesh. The project will be built on the
Siyom river, akey tributary of Brahmaputra.

 India, UK sign historic CETA deal India and the United Kingdom (UK)
signed the historic Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement
(CETA) at Chequers Estate, United Kingdom on 24 July 2025 during the
visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The bilateral trade between the
two countries stand at nearly USD 56 billion, with a joint goal to double
this figure by 2030. CETA secures unprecedented duty-free access for
99% of India’s exports to the UK, covering nearly the entire trade
basket.

 Border Security Force (BSF) launches ‘Operation Alert’ along the

Rajasthan border. and is aimed at strengthening security and
preventing any infiltration attempts ahead of India’s Independence Day.
Director General of BSF: Daljit Singh Chawdhary .

 What is ‘Kalam-1200’?

ISRO, on 08 August 2025, announced that Skyroot Aerospace has

successfully carried out the first static test of its powerful KALAM 1200
solid rocket motor, the first stage of the Vikram-1 launch vehicle, at the
Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC), Sriharikota. Named ‘Kalam-1200’,
after former President and rocket scientist APJ Abdul Kalam, the rocket
stage is the largest monolithic solid rocket motor developed in India’s
space sector.

 Indian Railways launches Asia’s longest 4.5 km long ‘Rudrastra’ freight

train. The Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya Division (DDU) of East Central
Railway achieved a new milestone by successfully operating ‘Rudrastra’ ,
a 4.5 km long freight train. The trial run was conducted from the
Ganjkhwaja railway station in Chandauli to Garhwa in Jharkhand.
 Amit Shah becomes India’s longest serving Union Home Minister. On 5
august 2025, with 2,258 days in office, Shah has now surpassed Advani’s
tenure of 2,256 days as home [Link] Shah and Advani, Sardar
Vallabhbhai Patel, India’s first home minister, served for 1,218 days.

 India set to participate as ‘Guest of Honour’ in Bogota International

Book Fair 2026. Participation in the 38th Bogota International Book Fair
(FILBo) 2026 as a ‘Guest of Honour’ country will mark a new chapter in
the people-to-people connect between India and Columbia.

 Mangalore ranked as the safest city in India .

✓ According to the latest Numbeo Safety Index mid-2025 rankings, Abu

Dhabi, capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), with a safety index
score of 88.8, holds the top spot as the safest city globally for the ninth
consecutive year.

✓Doha (Qatar) and Dubai (United Arab Emirates) secured 2nd and 3rd
spots respectively. India was positioned 67th among the world’s safest
countries in the latest Numbeo Safety Index mid-2025 rankings,
achieving an index score of 55.8.

✓ However, in city-wise safety rankings, Mangalore has been ranked as

the safest city in India (global ranking 49), for its low crime rates and
strong civic infrastructure, with a safety index score of [Link],
Ahmedabad, and Surat ranked 2nd , 3rd and 4th safest cities in India.
New Delhi, along with Noida and Ghaziabad, has been ranked among the
most unsafe Indian cities.

 India’s total milk production in 2023–24 stood at 239.30 million tonnes.

According to data presented in the Lok Sabha by Union Minister of State
for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, S.P. Singh Baghel, India’s
total milk production in 2023–24 stood at 239.30 million tonnes.

✓Uttar Pradesh was the top milk producing state during this period,
followed by Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. India has been the world’s
largest milk producer since 1998, currently accounting for 25% of global
output.
 Republic of Moldova officially joines 107th member of the
International Solar Alliance (ISA).

✓ What is the International Solar Alliance (ISA) ?

The International Solar Alliance (ISA) is a global coalition launched by
India and France in 2015 during the United Nations Climate Change
Conference (COP21) held in Paris. Its aim is to promote the use of solar
energy and develop clean, affordable, and reliable energy systems. ISA
headquarter is located in Gurugram, Haryana, India.

 Donald Trump doubles India tariff to 50% over Russian oil purchase.

✓ What It Means For India?

•The additional tariffs obviously means a much higher cost for Indian
exports in products like auto parts, textile, and electronics.

•The steel, chemical and pharma industries will be affected and may
face a huge setback.

•The trade imbalance between India and the US could widen.

 India becomes world’s 5th biggest aviation market

✓ According to the latest World Air Transport Statistics (WATS) released

by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), India has officially
emerged as the world’s fifth largest aviation market, handling 241
million passengers in 2024.

✓It is a growth of 11.1% over 2023.

✓India is now behind only the US, China, UK, and Spain in the global
rankings.

✓Also, the Mumbai-Delhi air corridor emerged as the 7th busiest airport
pair globally, handling 5.9 million passengers in 2024.
 ✓The Jeju-Seoul (CJU-GMP) route in South Korea topped the list with
13.2 million passengers.

 ‘Pariksha Pe Charcha 2025’ programme sets Guinness record has

achieved a historic milestone by setting a Guinness World Record for
the “Most people registered on a Citizen Engagement Platform in one
month.”

✓ Launched in 2018, Pariksha Pe Charcha has become a global platform

where Prime Minister Modi directly interacts with students, parents,
and teachers. The core idea is to reduce exam-related stress and
promote a joyful and holistic learning experience.

 Russia is set to launch the Venera-D Venus mission.

✓ The Russian space agency is called Roscosmos, officially known as the

State Space Corporation Roscosmos.

✓NASA plans to put a nuclear reactor on the Moon by 2030. In April

2025, China also unveiled plans to build a nuclear power plant on the
Moon by 2035.

 Real Madrid crowned world’s most valuable club. According to Brand

Finance Football 50–2025 report, Spanish Real Madrid club hold a brand
value of €1.921 billon.

 India is hosting 18th International Olympiad on Astronomy and

Astrophysics in Mumbai . 300 young astronomers from 64 countries are
participating in the 18th International Olympiad on Astronomy and
Astrophysics (IOAA) in Mumbai from 11 to 21 August 2025. The event is
being organised by the Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education.

 Zimbabwe hosted the 15th Conference of the Parties (COP15) to the

Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. The theme of the 15th CoP:
“Protecting Wetlands for Our Common Future”

 Dubai launches AI-powered passenger corridor to clear immigration in

seconds without presenting documents. Facial recognition and
pre-registered biometric data confirm identities in as little as 14 seconds,
 removing the need for passport counters, smart gates, or physical
checks.

 India successfully test-fires Agni-5 ballistic missile. On August 20, 2025,

India successfully conducted a test- firing of the Agni-5 Intermediate
Range Ballistic Missile (IRBM) from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) in
Chandipur, Odisha.

 Jagdeep Dhankhar resigns as Vice President of India, citing health

reasons.

 The first-ever BIMSTEC Traditional Music Festival held at Bharat

Mandapam in New Delhi (04 Aug 2025) .

✓External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar inaugurated the event.

✓ 7 BIMSTEC countries participated in the event including India,
Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand.

✓ Festival title: ‘SaptaSur: Seven Nations, One Melody’.

 WHO declares Kenya free of sleeping sickness disease .

✓ The World Health Organization (WHO) recently certified .Kenya as

having eliminated human African trypanosomiasis, also known as
sleeping sickness, as a public health challenge, making it the 10th
country to reach this critical milestone. Human African trypanosomiasis
is a parasitic disease caused by protozoa transmitted through the bite of
an infected tsetse fly.

 Delhi assembly goes 100% paperless and solar-powered ahead of

monsoon session

✓Union Minister of State for Law and Justice, Arjun Ram Meghwal, on
03 August 2025, inaugurated the National e-Vidhan Application (NeVA)
and a 500- kilowatt rooftop solar power plant in the Delhi Assembly
premises. With this, Delhi Legislative Assembly has become the first
legislature in the country to be powered entirely by solar energy.
 ✓ Note: Nagaland was the first state to implement National e-Vidhan
Application (NeVA) in 2022.

 Indian harmonium featured in a Building Blocks science article . The

Indian harmonium was recently featured in a Building Blocks science
article for its unique, non- electronic design and continued relevance in
Indian classical, devotional, and folk music.

✓It belongs to the free-reed aerophone family, related to the European

reed organ.

 Pahalgam mastermind Suleiman Shah killed in Op [Link]

Mahadev was a joint counterterrorism operation by the Indian Army
and J&K Police in Srinagar. Suleiman Shah, the mastermind of the
Pahalgam terror attack, was among the terrorists killed during the
encounter.

 First ISRO-NASA joint Earth observation satellite ‘NISAR’ launched

from Sriharikota. On 30 July 2025, NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar
(NISAR) satellite, aboard ISRO’s Geosynchronous Satellite Launch
Vehicle (GSLV) -F16 rocket, successfully lifted off from the Satish
Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota.

✓ The mission marks the first hardware collaboration between the

Indian and the US space agencies, with each providing a different radar
system for the satellite.

✓ Nisar features S-band (3.2 GHz) radars built by Nasa and L-band radar
(1.25 GHz) by Nasa, making it the world’s first dual-frequency radar
imaging satellite to observe the Earth.

✓ The $1.5 billion Nisar satellite, which has been in the making since a
decade, can help in assessing natural hazards such as earthquakes,
tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, and landslides.

 Replica of Ashoka Pillar unveiled in Waskaduwa, Sri Lanka . Ashokan

Pillar has been erected on the premises of a Buddhist temple in Sri
 Lanka in recognition of the “great service” of Emperor Ashoka to the
island nation.

 L&T to set up India’s largest green hydrogen plant at IOCL Panipat . The
plant will be developed on a build-own-operate (BOO) basis and will
supply 10,000 tonnes of green hydrogen annually to IOCL for 25 years.

 NHAI launches ‘FASTag Annual Pass’ facility @ Rs. 3000/-The National

Highways Authority of India (NHAI), on 79 Independence Day,
implemented the ‘FASTag Annual Pass’ facility at about 1,150 toll plazas
on National Highways and Expressways across the country.

 India’s first-of-its-kind animal stem cell biobank and laboratory open at

NIAB, Hyderabad will focus on regenerative medicine and cellular
therapies for livestock.

 Yogi Adityanath becomes second longest-serving Uttar Pradesh Chief

Minister. Yogi Adityanath has broken the record of Pandit Govind
Ballabh Pant of having the longest continuous term as the Chief Minister
of the State. Govind Ballabh Pant served as the Chief Minister of the
state for a period of 8 years and 127 days .

 Microsoft tops 2025 Global Brands List. The announcement was made
at an international brand festival in China. NVIDIA followed closely in
second place, while Apple—last year’s leader—dropped to third.

 IMF Raises India’s Growth Forecast to 6.4% for 2025 and 2026. The
International Monetary Fund (IMF) has revised its forecast for India’s
economic growth to 6.4 percent for both 2025 and 2026. Earlier in its
April 2025 World Economic Outlook, IMF had projected India’s GDP
growth at 6.2 percent for 2025 and 6.3 percent for 2026.

 India tests first-ever hydrogen train coach in Chennai . Indian Railways

has achieved a major milestone by successfully testing the nation’s first
hydrogen-powered coach at the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Chennai.

 PM Modi releases commemorative coin honouring Rajendra Chola I.

 India became the first country to launch the Traditional Knowledge
Digital Library (TKDL), earning praise from the World Health
Organization (WHO). The platform uses AI to protect and expand
India’straditional medicine systemslike Ayurveda and Unani

 The United States, under President Donald Trump, has withdrawn from
UNESCO for the second time, citing “woke” and anti-Israel biases. This
aligns with the America First policy and mirrors the 2017 decision, later
reversed by Joe [Link]’s recognition of Palestine, alleged
politicization, and ideological conflicts were key reasons. The move has
been welcomed by Israel, criticized by UNESCO officials, and may reduce
US influence in global education and heritage policy while enhancing
China’s role within the agency.

 France will formally recognise the State of Palestine in September

2025, becoming the first G7 nation to do so. This move aims to push for
a ceasefire, rebuild Gaza, and promote a two-state solution. It has been
welcomed by Palestine, condemned by Israel, and rejected by the US.
The recognition carries symbolic and diplomatic weight but faces several
geopolitical challenges.

 Australia has decided to include YouTube in its under-16 social media

ban, reversing an earlier promise to treat the platform as an educational
tool. Backed by alarming findings from the eSafety Commission, the
move aims to reduce children’s exposure to harmful content. While the
law will enforce age verification and impose massive fines for
noncompliance, critics warn of privacy risks and unintended
consequences for young users. YouTube Kids remains unaffected.

 The Swachh Survekshan 2024–25, India’s largest cleanliness survey

conducted by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs under the
Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM), has declared Ahmedabad as the cleanest
city in the category of cities with a population of over 10 lakh.

 Parliament has passed the National Sports Governance Bill, 2025 and
the National Anti-Doping (Amendment) Bill, 2025, ushering in major
reformsin sports administration and anti-doping policy to strengthen
 India’s bid for the 2036 Olympic Games. Introduced by Union Sports
Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, the twin bills aim to ensure ethical
governance, athlete support, and global anti-doping alignment. The
move a step toward justice and fair play, while provisions like a sports
dispute tribunal and Women’s representation in sports bodies promise
to make Indian sports more accountable, inclusive, and athlete-centric.

 Punjab isset to become the first state in India to formally empanel sign
language interpreters, translators, and special educators under the
Juvenile JusticeAct, 2015 and the POCSOAct, 2012. This initiative will
bridge communication gaps and strengthen access to justice and rights
for children by supporting court proceedings with trained professionals.

 The Delhi Legislative Assembly has become the first in India to run
entirely on solar power after commissioning a 500-kilowatt rooftop
solar plant, cutting electricity costs by about Rs 1.75 crore annually.

 Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Kartavya Bhavan, the first

Common Central Secretariat (CCS) building under the Central Vista
Project, aimed at boosting government efficiency by centralizing key
ministries in one modern facility.

 The Kaziranga National Park in Assam has conducted India’s first-ever

Grassland Bird Census (March–May 2025), using acoustic technology to
identify and monitor bird species. Conducted by forest officials,
researchers, and conservationists, the survey recorded 43 species,
including critically endangered and endemic birdslike Finn’s Weaver. The
census marks a breakthrough in biodiversity monitoring, highlighting
both conservation successes and ongoing threats like habitat loss and
climate change.

 Gujarat has become the first state in India to officially align with the
Cruise Bharat Mission, launched on September 30, 2024, by Union
Minister Sarbananda Sonowal. The mission aims to boost cruise tourism
tenfold by 2029.
 India is set to be the first country outside Japan to launch the latest
E10 Shinkansen bullet trains, beginning with the Mumbai-Ahmedabad
High-Speed Rail (MAHSR) in the early 2030s.

 Goa launched India’s first RoRo ferry service on the Mandovi River,
with two high-tech ferries, Gangotri and Dwarka. These vessels, built by
Vijai Marine Shipyards, cut travel time between Chorao and Ribandar to
just 12–13 minutes and can carry passengers and vehicles.

 At the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) 2025, India ranked

7th globally out of 110 countries, winning three golds, two silvers, and
one bronze, while setting a nationalscore record of 193/252.

 Remona Evette Pereira, a 20-year-old Catholic student from

Mangalore, created history by performing Bharatanatyam for 170
hours, entering the Golden Book of World Records.

 Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL), India’s first PPPmodel

airport, is embarking on a major green and digital expansion plan. It
includes setting up the world’s first airport-based green hydrogen plant,
scaling up solar power to 50 MWp, expanding MRO services, and
creating an aerotropolis model with IT parks and lifestyle zones.

 UIDAI Partners with Starlink for Seamless Aadhaar-Based Customer

Verification .Starlink, a satellite-based global internet provider, will now
use Aadhaar-based e-KYC and authentication for onboarding Indian
users. US-based Starlink is a satellite internet constellation, owned by
Elon Musk.

 Rubella eliminated as a public health problem in Nepal by WHO. Before

Nepal, five countries were verified as Rubella free by WHO- Bhutan, DPR
Korea, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Timor-Leste.
[Rubella – which is commonly known as German measles – is a highly contagious
viral infection, and particularly serious for pregnant women as it can lead to
miscarriage, stillbirth or a range of debilitating birth defects.]

 India Records Over 65,000 Crore Digital Transactions Worth Rs 12,000

Lakh Crore From FY20 to FY25.
 Parag Agrawal Launches Parallel Web Systems . Parag Agrawal, former
Twitter CEO, has launched Parallel Web Systems, an AI-focused
startup.

 Sikkim’s Lepcha tribe celebrate ‘Tendong Lho Rum Faat’ festival.

Lepcha Tribe are an indigenous people of eastern Nepal, western
Bhutan, Sikkim state, and the Darjeeling district of West Bengal. The
Lepchas call themselves ‘Rongs’ or ‘Rongkups’.

Appointment
 Shah Rukh Khan joins Zomato as brand ambassador . Zomato was
founded as “Foodiebay” in 2008 by Deepinder Goyal and Pankaj
Chaddah. It rebranded as Zomato in 2010 and expanded into online food
delivery in India in 2015.

 Senior scientist A Rajarajan has been appointed as the new Director of

the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Thiruvananthapuram.

 Khalid Jamil appointed head coach of India men’s football team. Jamil
will succeed Manolo Marquez (Spain) in the role.

 Lt Gen Pushpendra Singh to be next Vice Chief of Army Staff.

 Deepak Bagla takes charge as Director of Atal Innovation Mission

(AIM). Launched in 2016, AIM aims to create and promote an innovation
ecosystem in schools, universities, research institutions, MSMEs, and
industries.

 Sanjay Singhal appointed as Director General of Sashastra Seema Bal

(SSB) . Sanajay Singhal will succeed Amrit Mohan Prasad.

 Utpal Kumar Singh to take over as CEO of Sansad TV . The Lok Sabha
Secretary-General Utpal Kumar Singh, a former IAS officer, has been
given additional charge as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Sansad
TV. In 2021, Sansad TV was formed by merging Lok Sabha TV and Rajya
Sabha TV.
 Indian-American economist Gita Gopinath, currently serving as the
First Deputy Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund
(IMF), will step down in August 2025. She will return to Harvard
University as a professor of economics.

 Uma Kanjilal has been appointed as the Vice Chancellor of the Indira
Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), becoming the first woman
to hold the post since the university’s establishment in 1985.

 Former finance secretary Ajay Seth appointed Insurance Regulatory

and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) chairperson. IRDAI is a
statutory body established under the IRDAI Act, 1999, to regulate,
promote, and ensure the orderly growth of the insurance sector in India.
The IRDAI is headquartered in Hyderabad,Telangana.

 Shashi Bhushan Kumar (SBK) Singh appointed as Police Commissioner

of Delhi

 Vice Admiral Sanjay Vatsayan 47th Vice Chief of the Naval Staff (VCNS)

FIRST IN INDIA AND WORLD

 Rajasthan to carry out India’s first drone-based artificial rain trial.
Cloud seeding technology enhanced with drones and AI is being used for
the first time in India to trigger artificial rain.

✓ What is Cloud seeding?

Cloud seeding is a weather modification technique that aims to increase
precipitation from clouds by introducing substances like silver iodide or
dry ice into them. This process encourages the formation of ice crystals
or larger raindrops, potentially leading to increased rainfall or snowfall.

 India’s first FIFA Talent Academy for Girls to come up in Hyderabad .

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) and the Government of
Telangana signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to launch
India’s first FIFA Talent Academy for girls at the Gachibowli Stadium
Complex in Hyderabad.
 India’s first hornbill conservation centre to come up at Annamalai Tiger
Reserve in Tamil Nadu .

✓ Hornbills, often dubbed the “farmers of the forest” for their critical
role in seed dispersal and forest regeneration, are increasingly under
threat due to deforestation, habitat fragmentation, and climate change.

✓Funded with ₹1 crore under the Endangered Species Conservation

Corpus Fund, the Centre will focus on research, habitat restoration, and
community involvement to safeguard four hornbill species native to the
Western Ghats.

 Varanasi becomes India’s first city to get portable solar panels between
railway tracks. Banaras Locomotive Works (BLW) created history by
installing the country’s first removable solar panel system between
active railway tracks.

 Bihar becomes first state to introduce below 1,200 voters at all polling
stations . As per Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the Bihar voter list
order, the earlier ceiling of 1,500 voters at each polling station had
been revised to 1,200 voters for each polling station.

✓ This remarkable step will reduce overcrowding in the booth, increase

voter convenience, and help in the smooth management of the entire
voting process.

 Jharkhand government to launch India’s first mining tourism project. In

a pioneering initiative, the Jharkhand government is set to launch India’s
first mining tourism project to generate employment and promote the
state’s rich mining legacy.

 Arunachal Pradesh to get India’s first fully indigenous 50 kW

Geothermal Plant. The plant will be set up by the Centre for Earth
Sciences and Himalayan Studies in collaboration with the Shriram
Institute for Industrial Research.

 first, ‘Hindi Medium Medical College’ to come up in Madhya Pradesh.

The medical college teaching in the Hindi medium is to be established at
Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh, starting from 2027-28 academic session.
 SPORTS
 Annu Rani Wins Gold In Women’s Javelin Throw At Indian Open 2025
World Athletics Continental Tour Bronze Meet at the Kalinga Stadium
in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. Annu Rani hails from Uttar Pradesh.

 Namrata Batra wins India’s first ever Wushu medal (silver) in World
Games .The 12th edition of The World Games are taking place in
Chengdu, China from 7th to 17th August 2025. Rishabh Yadav etched his
name into the history books by clinching India’s first individual medal at
the 2025 World Games, securing bronze in the Men’s compound archery
event.

 Magnus Carlsen wins first ever edition of Chess Esports World Cup. The
2025 Esports World Cup (EWC) is taking place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
from 8 July to 24 August 2025 and features 26 events in 25 esports.

 First-ever World Humanoid Robot Games held in Beijing, China.

 Himalayan Kingfisher unveiled as the mascot for the first-ever Khelo

India Water Sports Festival (KIWSF) Khelo India Water Sports Festival is
set to make a splash at Srinagar’s iconic Dal Lake from August 21 to 23,
2025.

 First-ever Armed Forces National Conference ‘SHAPE 2025’ held in New

Delhi.

 England wins UEFA Women’s Championship. England have retained

their crown as champions of Europe after beating Spain on penalties in
the Women’s European Championship Final.

 Abhishek Sharma becomes World No.1 in T20Is. Abhishek became only

the third Indian men’s player to hold the No.1 spot in the ICC rankings
for batters after Virat Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav.

 Divya Deshmukh Becomes First Indian Woman to Win FIDE Women’s

Chess World Cup . Indian chess prodigy Diya Deshmukh defeated fellow
 countrywomen Koneru Humpy to win the FIDE World Cup for women in
Georgia on 28 July 2025.

✓ With this win, Divya is not only crowned the FIDE Women’s World
Cup Champion but also became India’s 88th Sandblaster
(men+women) and only the fourth Indian woman to achieve the
prestigious title. Hailing from Maharashtra, Divya joined Indian players
Humpy, R. Vaishali, and Harika Dronavalli by earning the prestigious
Grandmaster title.

 Anahat Singh scripted history at the World Junior Championships 2025

in Cairo, Egypt, claiming a bronze medal in the women’s singles event,
the country’s first in 15 years. Anahat’s bronze is a monumental
moment for Indian squash, as she becomes the .first Indian girl since
Dipika Pallikal in 2010 to reach the podium at the junior worlds.

 England to host next three WTC finals. The England and Wales Cricket
Board (ECB) has been awarded the hosting rights for the next three ICC
World Test Championship (WTC) Finals—scheduled in 2027, 2029, and
2031.

 India to host FIDE Chess World Cup 2025. India will host chess World
Cup from October 30 to November 27, 2025. The host city for the event
will be named in due course. India last hosted the event in 2002 in
Hyderabad where Viswanathan Anand won the title.

 Australian cricket star David Warner, who retired from international

cricket earlier this year but continues to play in global T20 leagues, has
achieved another significant feat in his career. He has now overtaken
Virat Kohli to become the fifth-highest run-scorer in T20 cricket history.

 Mohamed Salah becomes the first player to win the PFA Player of the
Year award three times, capping a record-breaking season with
Liverpool’s Premier League triumph.
 AWARDS AND HONOURS

 The Bibi Fatima Women’s Self-Help Group (SHG) from Teertha village,
Kundgol taluk, Dharwad district, has made India proud by winning the
Equator Prize 2025 awarded by the United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP). The award is often referred to as the “Nobel Prize
for Biodiversity Conservation”. This recognition celebrates their
pioneering work in eco-friendly farming, community seed banking, millet
promotion, and women-led rural entrepreneurship.

 Rajasthan’s Manika Vishwakarma crowned Miss Universe India 2025.

Manika will now represent India at the 74th Miss Universe pageant in
Thailand in November 2025.

 Suhani Shah becomes first Indian to win ‘Best Magic Creator 2025’
award . In a landmark achievement for India’s performing arts,
mentalist Suhani Shah from Rajasthan has become the first Indian to win
the ‘Best Magic Creator 2025’ award at the Fédération Internationale
des Sociétés Magiques (FISM)—popularly known as the Oscars for
magicians.

 State Bank of India wins ‘World’s Best Consumer Bank’ award for 2025
by Global Finance magazine.

 ISRO chief Dr. V Narayanan honoured with .GP Birla Memorial Award .
ISRO Chairman and Secretary of the Department of Space, Dr V.
Narayanan, has been recently honoured with the prestigious G.P. Birla
Memorial Award in recognition of his contributions to India’s space
programme.

 Inaugural ‘M.S. Swaminathan Award for Food and Peace’ goes to

Professor Ademola Adenle of Nigeria. The award will be jointly
conferred by The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) and the M.S.
Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF).

 Telangana wins national award for maximum number of organ

donations in the country. Telangana reported a significantly higher rate
of 4.88 organ donations per 10 lakh population during 2024.
 Neeraj Ghaywan’s movie ‘Homebound’ wins big awards at the Indian
Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) 2025.

 Geetanjali Shree has been awarded the PEN TranslatesAward 2025 for
her short story collection, Once Elephants Lived Here, in recognition of
its outstanding literary and cultural value.

 India’s Meri Panchayat mobile application has earned global

recognition by winning the WSIS Prizes 2025 Champion Award under
the category Cultural Diversity and Identity, Linguistic Diversity, and
Local Content.

 71st National Film award 2023 :-

OBITUARY

 Dr. Vece Paes, a 1972 Munich Olympics bronze medal-winning hockey

player, passed away at the age of 80 in Kolkata on August 14, 2025. Dr.
Vece Paes was the father of 1996 Olympics bronze medallist tennis great
Leander Paes.
 Nagaland’s sitting Governor La Ganesan passes away at 80 .

 Satya Pal Malik, former Jammu and Kashmir Governor, passes away at
79 in New Delhi Satya Pal Malik also served as the Governor of
Meghalaya, Goa, Odisha and Bihar.

 Kerala’s ‘2 rupee doctor’ A K Rairu Gopal passes away at 80.

 Shibu Soren, Jharkhand ex-Chief Minister and JMM founder, dies at 81

. He was former Jharkhand Chief Minister and founding patron of the
Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) died at a Delhi hospital on 04 August
2025 after a prolonged illness. Soren was a sitting Rajya Sabha MP. He
served as Chief Minister of Jharkhand three times.

✓Soren was popularly known as ‘Dishom Guru’ (leader of the land) and
was one of the most enduring political figures in the country’s tribal and
regional political landscape.

 Veteran actor Achyut Potdar passes away at 90 . Actor Achyut Potdar,

best known for his roles in TV shows and films like Bharat Ek Khoj,
Pradhan Mantri, and 3 Idiots, has died in Mumbai. His brief appearance
as a professor in Rajkumar Hirani’s 3 Idiots (2019), and his dialogue
“Kehna Kya Chahte Ho” became one of the fan favourite moments from
the Aamir Khan-starrer movie.

 Lord Meghnad Desai, a “multifaceted Personality” , eminent

economist, holder of India’s third-highest civilian honour, and a
member of the United Kingdom’s House of Lords, passed away on July
29, 2025, at the age of 85. He received the Padma Bhushan from the
Indian government in 2008.

SCHEME & PORTAL

 West Bengal launches ‘Shramshree’ Scheme for returning migrant
workers. ‘Shramshree’ Scheme has been launched to bring back
Bengali migrant workers who are working in other states and facing
linguistic or regional discrimination. The scheme offers ₹5,000 monthly
aid for up to one year or until the worker secures a new job within the
state.
  A unique project, named ‘Amader Para Amader Somadhan’was
launched by Hon’ble Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on 2ndAugust,
2025 to provide servicesto the people acrossthe state. In this project,
people would identify the problems of their booth areas themselves,
make a list with priority and the government would implement the work
based on that list.

 Government to launch ‘SabhaSaar’ AI tool for gram sabha meetings.

The AI tool, ‘SabhaSaar’ leverages the power of AI to generate
structured minutes of meetings from gram sabha videos and audio
recordings.

 Government launches ‘Apna Ghar’ resting facilities for truck drivers. To

improve the safety, health, and comfort of India’s trucking workforce,
the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has rolled out a pioneering
initiative called ‘Apna Ghar’.

 Ministry of Tribal Affairs officially launches Adi Karmayogi Abhiyan. Adi

Karmayogi Abhiyan is the world’s largest tribal leadership programme,
aimed at mobilizing 20 lakh change leaders in 1 lakh tribal-dominated
villages.

 Sikkim has made history as the first state in India to implement a

Sabbatical Leave Scheme for government employees, offering 365 to
1,080 days of leave with 50% basic pay, while ensuring seniority and
service continuity. The scheme covers both regular and temporary
employees and now includes a decentralized approvalsystem to speed
up decisions, reflecting the State’s commitment to progressive
governance and employee empowerment.

 Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the ‘Gyan Bharatam Mission’

on July 27, 2025, to digitise and preserve over one crore ancient
manuscripts through a National Digital Repository.

BOOKS AND AUTHORS

‘Why the Constitution Matters’ book written by former Chief Justice of India,
Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, is scheduled to be published by Penguin Random
House by the end of August 2025. Justice Dhananjaya Yeshwant
Chandrachud retired in November 2024 as the 50th Chief Justice of India.

 “The Conscience Network” - Sugata Srinivasaraju

 “The Rise of the Hitman”- R. Kaushik

 “M.S. Swaminathan: -The Man Who Fed India” Priyambada Jayakumar

REPORT AND INDEX

 Bengaluru ranked 26th in Global AI City Index, 2025. Singapore topped
the AI City Index 2025 as the world’s leading AI city, followed by Seoul,
Beijing, Dubai and San Francisco in the top five. publisher Hong
Kong-based market research firm Counterpoint Research.

 India jumps to 77th place in the Henley Passport Index 2025 . India has
recorded its highest-ever leap in the recently released Henley Passport
Index 2025, moving up eight spots from 85th to 77th position with
visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 59 countries. The index is compiled
by Henley & Partners, a London-based advisory firm, updated quarterly
using International Air Transport Association (IATA) data.

[Rank 1: Singapore – 193 destinations. Afghanistan remains at the bottom

(106th).]

 Ambani family tops 2025 Hurun India Family Business list with ₹28.2
lakh crore valuation; Birla and Jindal families follow in a record year for
wealth creation.

Defence and Exercise

 The Indian Coast Guard launched the indigenous pollution control
vessel, ‘Samudra Prachet,’ on July 23, 2025, at Goa Shipyard Ltd. (GSL)
in Goa.
 The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)
conducted two consecutive successful flight tests of the Pralay missile
on the 28th and 29th of July from Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the
coast of Odisha. The tests validated the missile’s maximum and
minimum range capability with pinpoint accuracy. Developed by DRDO,
Pralay is an indigenously developed solid propellant quasi-ballistic
missile employing state-of-the-art guidance and navigationto ensure
high precision. The missile is capable of carrying multiple types of
warheads against various targets. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has
complimented DRDO, the Armed Forces, and the industry for the
successful flight tests.

 Turkey has unveiled its most powerful non-nuclear bomb, Gazap, at the
IDEF 2025 defence fair in Istanbul. Weighing 970 kg, it disperses over
10.16 fragments per metre, three times more than standard bombs,
creating a massive kill radius.

 India’s defence production hits record ₹1.51 lakh crore .

✓ India’s defence production reached an unprecedented ₹150,590

crore in the financial year 2024-25, marking an 18 per cent increase
from the previous fiscal’s ₹1.27 lakh crore.

✓ Defence exports reached ₹23,622 crore in FY 2024-25.

✓It was a growth of ₹2,539 crore or 12.04% over the defence exports
figures of FY 2023-24, which were ₹21,083 crore.

✓ Note: India has set an ambitious target of ₹50,000 crore for defence
exports by 2030.

 Army Exercise Bold Kurukshetra between India-Singapore held at

Jodhpur, Rajasthan
SUMMIT & CONFERENCE

 World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) 2025

-Shanghai,China

 Putin-Trump summit -Alaska

 Trade Facilitation Conference 2025- New Delhi

 The first-ever BIMSTEC Traditional Music Festival 2025(Titled

‘SaptaSur: Seven Nations, One Melody) - Bharat Mandapam ,New
Delhi

Deep Singha
8637005722
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