National News
'Pradhan Mantri Dhan-Dhanya Krishi Yojana' Approved
- The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the 'Pradhan Mantri Dhan-Dhanya Krishi Yojana'.
Key Highlights of the 'Pradhan Mantri Dhan-Dhanya Krishi Yojana':
- Approval & Duration: To commence from 2025–26 and will be implemented for a period of six years.
- Budget: ₹24,000 crore allocated annually.
- Objective: Comprehensive development of 100 agricultural districts across the country, especially those with low crop productivity.
- Integration: 36 existing government schemes will be merged and implemented in an integrated manner.
- Beneficiaries: An estimated 1.7 crore farmers will benefit from this scheme each year.
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More Powers to NTPC Limited
- The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has approved granting additional powers to NTPC Limited.
Key Points:
- This move will enable NTPC to invest in NTPC Green Energy Limited (NGEL).
- NGEL will now be able to invest in NTPC Renewable Energy Limited (NREL) and its other joint ventures/subsidiaries beyond the previously approved limit of ₹7,500 crore, up to ₹20,000 crore, for the expansion of renewable energy (RE) capacity.
- This investment will support the goal of achieving 60 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2032.
- India has set a national target to reach 500 GW of non-fossil fuel energy capacity by 2030.
- NTPC aims to contribute 60 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2032.
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Launch of Helpline on the Occasion of NAMASTE Day
- On the occasion of the ‘National Action for Mechanized Sanitation Ecosystem (NAMASTE) Day’ (16th July) program held in Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh, Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, Shri B. L. Verma, inaugurated the helpline (14473) for waste pickers by pressing the launch button.
- NAMASTE Day is a major initiative celebrated by the central government to honor, ensure the safety, and empower sanitation workers and Safai Mitras.
NAMASTE Scheme:
- Full Name: National Action for Mechanized Sanitation Ecosystem
- Objective: Socio-economic empowerment of sewer/septic tank sanitation workers ("Safai Mitras") and their families
- Launch: Implemented from the year 2022–23 for a period of three years (up to 2025–26)
- Implemented by: Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs
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"Notification of Family Member's Death"
- UIDAI has launched a new service on the myAadhaar portal – "Notification of Family Member's Death", which is currently available in 24 States and Union Territories.
- Through this portal, any individual can report the death of a family member.
Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI):
- Formation: January 2009
- Operating Ministry: Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY)
- Headquarters: New Delhi
- Main Function: To issue a unique 12-digit identification number (Aadhaar) to every resident of India.
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Special Concession to NLC India Limited
- The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by the Prime Minister, has granted a special concession to NLC India Limited (NLCIL), a Navratna Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE), by relaxing the existing investment-related guidelines applicable to such enterprises.
- These concessions aim to support NLCIL in achieving its ambitious target of developing 10.11 GW of Renewable Energy (RE) capacity by 2030 and expanding it to 32 GW by 2047.
NLC India Limited :
- Founded : 1956
- Headquarters : Neyveli, Tamil Nadu
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- Ownership : Public Sector Undertaking
- Incorporation : Under Ministry of Coal, Government of India
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"Oil Board" Installation Directive by CBSE
- Taking serious note of the rising problem of obesity and unhealthy eating habits among children in India, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has issued a directive to all affiliated schools to install an "Oil Board".
Main Objectives:
- To raise awareness among students about the quantity of oil used in food.
- To educate them on the harmful effects of consuming fried and excessively oily food.
- To promote balanced diets, healthy lifestyles, and physical activity in schools.
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India's Lightest Active Wheelchair
- IIT Madras launched India’s lightest active wheelchair ‘YD One’ on 16 July 2025.
- This active wheelchair has been entirely developed and manufactured in the country, and it has been designed according to international standards.
Related Facts:
- Launch Organization: IIT Madras
- Product Name: YD One
- Weight: 9 kg
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- Price: ₹75,000 – ₹80,000 (Expected)
- Key Features: Lightweight, Durable, Customisable Design
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2nd India-Argentina Joint Working Group (JWG) Meeting on Agriculture
- The 2nd India-Argentina Joint Working Group (JWG) meeting on agriculture was held in New Delhi.
- On behalf of India, Devesh Chaturvedi, Secretary, Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, co-chaired the meeting virtually, while on behalf of Argentina, Sergio Iraeta, Secretary of Agriculture, Livestock, and Fisheries, co-chaired the meeting.
Argentina :
- Continent: South America
- Location: A large country stretching from the Andes Mountains in the west to the Atlantic Ocean in the east
- Borders: Bolivia, Paraguay in the north; Brazil, Uruguay in the northeast; Chile in the west; Atlantic Ocean in the east
- Second largest country in South America and eighth largest in the world
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- Pampas: Flat plain with the most arable, fertile grasslands in the country (centre of agriculture)
- Patagonia: Southern region; semi-arid and rocky terrain, cold climate
- Northern plains: Chaco, Misiones, rich in forests and biodiversity
- Major Rivers: Parana, Uruguay, Colorado, Limay
- Capital: Buenos Aires
- Currency: Argentine Peso (ARS)
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State Special News
Maharashtra Maritime Summit 2025 Held
- The Maharashtra Maritime Summit 2025 was held on 16th July 2025 in Mumbai.
- The summit was inaugurated by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
Maharashtra :
- Establishment of the state: 1 May 1960 (Maharashtra Day)
- Capital: Mumbai (administrative and financial capital), Nagpur (winter capital)
- Official language: Marathi
- Other major languages: Hindi, Urdu, Gujarati, Konkani, Telugu
- Main rivers: Godavari, Krishna, Tapi, Bhima
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- Major mountain ranges: Sahyadri (Western Ghats)
- Famous Festivals: Ganesh Chaturthi, Dahi Handi, Gudhi Padwa, Navratri
- Famous Dance/Music: Lavani, Tamasha
- Famous Dishes: Puranpoli, Vada Pav, Misal Pav, Pithalam-Bhakri
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Hydrocarbon Discovery: Assam
- Oil India Limited (OIL) has discovered hydrocarbons in the Borhat-1 well located at Namrup in Dibrugarh district of Assam.
Assam :
- A major state of Northeast India
- Capital: Dispur
- Largest city: Guwahati
- State Foundation Day: 26 January 1950 (became part of the Republic of India)
- Folk dance: Bihu dance
- Famous fauna: One-horned rhinoceros, elephant, tiger, golden langur, river dolphin
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- River: Brahmaputra River (Lifeline of the state)
- Largest tea producing state of India
- Kaziranga is world famous for one-horned rhinoceros
- 'Majuli' – the largest river island in the world, is located in Assam
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Launch of Genome Sequencing Project
- Gujarat has become the first state in India to launch a genome sequencing project specifically for tribal communities.
- This project is being implemented by the Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre (GBRC), with the aim of improving the health of tribal populations, identifying genetic disorders, and making their treatment scientifically effective.
Gujarat:
- Date of formation: 1 May 1960
- Chief Minister: Bhupendra Patel
- Governor: Acharya Devvrat
- Major places: Rani ki Vav, Somnath Temple, Lothal (Ahmedabad), Dholavira (Kutch)
- Festivals: Navratri, Kite Festival, Kutch Festival, Modhera Dance Festival
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- Dances, Drama and Music Forms: Dandiya Raas, Garba Dance
- Tippani, Padhar Dance, Bhavi Lok Natak, Hallisaaka, Dangi Nrita
- Islands: Khadir, Pirotan, Nora, Bhaidar, Bet/Piram Bet, Shiyal Bet, Sadhu Bet
- National Parks: Gir, Vansada, Black Buck, Marine National Park
- Biosphere Reserves: Great Flow of Kutch Biosphere Reserve
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Launch of ‘Gram-Urja Model’: Uttar Pradesh
- In July 2025, the Government of Uttar Pradesh launched the ‘Gram-Urja Model’ to promote energy self-reliance and employment generation in rural areas.
- Under this innovative initiative, biogas units are being installed in rural households, aiming to develop clean energy solutions at the local level while also providing economic benefits.
Uttar Pradesh :
- Foundation Day : 24 January
- Lok Sabha seats : 80, Rajya Sabha seats : 31
- State sport : Hockey
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- State animal : Barasingha
- Easternmost district : Ballia
- Westernmost district : Shamli
- Northernmost district : Saharanpur
- Southernmost district : Sonbhadra
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Awards and Honours
PEN Pinter Prize 2025
- Sudanese-Scottish author Leila Aboulela has been declared the winner of the PEN Pinter Prize 2025.
Related Facts:
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Leila Aboulela:
- Born in Cairo (Egypt) and raised in Khartoum, the capital of Sudan.
- Since 1990 she has been living in Aberdeen (Scotland)
- Major Novels: The Translator (1999), Minaret (2005), River Spirit (2023)
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- Her novels have been translated into 15 languages and are taught in universities
- She is the first winner of the Caine Prize for African Writing
PEN Pinter Prize:
- Founded: 2009
- Dedicated: In memory of Nobel Laureate Harold Pinter
- Winner of the year 2025: Arundhati Roy
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Person In News
Virat Kohli achieves historic ICC rating milestone
- Virat Kohli has become the first cricketer in history to score 900+ ICC rating points in all three formats — Test, ODI, and T20 Internationals.
Key Achievements (ICC Rating Points):
- Test: 937 rating points during the England tour (2018) — highest ever by an Indian batsman.
- ODI: Career-best 911 rating points — a rare feat in ODI history.
- T20I: Recent ICC update records 909 rating points — third-highest in T20I history.
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Important Days
International Justice Day
- International Justice Day is observed every year on 17th July.
- The purpose of this day is to promote international criminal justice, honor the global fight against impunity for serious crimes, and emphasize the protection of human rights.
Related Facts:
- Historical Significance: On 17 July 1998, the Rome Statute was adopted in Rome, Italy, under which the International Criminal Court (ICC) was established.
- In 2010, at a conference held in Kampala, Uganda, 17 July was officially declared as International Justice Day.
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World Emoji Day
- World Emoji Day is celebrated every year on 17 July to acknowledge the importance of emojis and their contribution to digital communication.
Related Facts:
- This day was initiated in 2014 by Jeremy Burge, the founder of Emojipedia.
- The first emojis were created in 1999 by Shigetaka Kurita in Japan, which included 176 emojis. Their purpose was to make digital communication more expressive.
- In 2010, emojis received global recognition through the Unicode Consortium, enabling their integration across major platforms like iOS, Android, Windows, etc.
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