NATIONAL UPDATES:
1. IIFL Home Finance Secures $100 Million from AIIB: IIFL Home Finance has
secured $100 million (approx. ₹858
crore) funding from the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) to
enhance access to affordable housing for economically weaker sections (EWS) and
lower income groups (LIG).The funding will support both demand and supply sides
— offering home loans to low-income families in urban and semi-urban areas, and
financing affordable housing developers promoting green-certified projects to
boost sustainability.This collaboration aligns with India’s climate goals and
supports the green housing portfolio of IIFL HFL, reinforcing its mission for
responsible, climate-conscious, and accessible housing finance.The investment
complements the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Urban (PMAY-U 2.0) initiative,
helping bridge the housing gap and promote sustainable urban development across
India.
2. HAL and CeNS Collaborate to Launch Advanced Academic
Centre in Karnataka: Hindustan
Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and the Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences (CeNS) have signed
a MoA to set up the HAL Advanced
Academic Initiation Centre at CeNS’ Arkavathi Campus in Karnataka under
HAL’s CSR initiative to promote science education, especially for rural
students.
The
new centre will support science outreach through CeNS’s Vigyaani Vidyarthi
Vichar Vinimay (V4) programme, which has already benefited over 20,000 students
from more than 200 institutions.The MoA was signed by HAL’s GM (HR) Pradeep
Kumar and CeNS’s Director Prof. BLV Prasad, in the presence of HAL CMD Dr. DK
Sunil and Director (HR) MG Balasubrahmanya.
3. Dr. Abhijat Sheth Appointed as Chairperson of National
Medical Commission (NMC): Abhijat
Sheth, a cardiothoracic surgeon and current president of NBEMS, has
been appointed as the new
chairperson of the National Medical Commission (NMC), succeeding
Dr. Suresh Gangadhar.Sheth emphasized that his key priorities would include
enhancing the quality of medical education, promoting good governance, and
encouraging teamwork to fulfill government goals.
4. President Murmu Nominates Harsh V Shringla, Ujjwal
Nikam, Meenakshi Jain & C Sadanandan Master to Rajya Sabha: President Droupadi Murmu has
nominated Harsh V Shringla, Ujjwal
Nikam, Meenakshi Jain, and C Sadanandan Master to the Rajya Sabha under
Article 80 of the Constitution, which allows nomination of individuals with
special knowledge in fields like literature, science, art, and social service.Harsh
V Shringla, a 1984-batch IFS officer and former Foreign Secretary, was praised
by PM Modi for his diplomatic acumen and contributions to India’s foreign
policy and G20 Presidency.Ujjwal Nikam, a renowned criminal lawyer known for
handling high-profile cases like the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks and 1993
Bombay blasts, was lauded for his lifelong devotion to justice and
Constitutional values.Meenakshi Jain, a reputed historian and academic, and C
Sadanandan Master, a courageous teacher and social worker from Kerala, were
recognized for their impactful contributions to historical research and youth
empowerment, respectively.
5. Karnataka Bank Appoints Raghavendra S Bhat as Interim
MD & CEO: Karnataka
Bank has appointed Raghavendra
S Bhat as its new MD & CEO for a period of three months.The
appointment follows the resignations of MD & CEO Srikrishnan Hari Hara
Sarma and Executive Director Sekhar Rao, both citing personal reasons and
relocation issues.In May 2025, the bank’s statutory auditors flagged
expenditures by whole-time directors made without board approval, which is
believed to have contributed to the senior-level exits.
6. President Murmu Appoints New Governors for Goa,
Haryana and Lieutenant Governor for Ladakh: President Droupadi Murmu has
appointed Pusapati Ashok Gajapathi
Raju as the Governor of Goa and Prof. Ashim Kumar Ghosh as the
Governor of Haryana.Kavinder Gupta has been named the new Lieutenant Governor
of Ladakh, replacing Brig. (Retd.) Dr. B.D. Mishra, whose resignation was accepted
by the President.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1. India Signs Long-Term Fertilizer Supply Agreements
with Saudi Arabia: India and Saudi
Arabia have signed long-term
fertilizer supply agreements, under which 1 million metric tons of Diammonium Phosphate
(DAP) will be supplied annually for five years from 2025–26, with
the possibility of a 5-year extension.The agreements, signed between Maaden and
Indian firms like IPL, KRIBHCO, and CIL, mark a major rise from the 1.9 million
MT of DAP imported in 2024–25, enhancing India’s agricultural supply securit
2. India Becomes First Country to Launch AI-Integrated
Traditional Knowledge Digital Library: WHO:
The World Health Organization
(WHO) has acknowledged India
as the first country to launch a Traditional Knowledge Digital Library
(TKDL) and praised its leadership in using Artificial Intelligence
(AI) to modernize traditional medicine
systems like Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani, and Homoeopathy.The recognition
came in WHO’s technical brief titled “Mapping the Application of Artificial
Intelligence in Traditional Medicine”, developed following India’s proposal and
leading to WHO’s first-ever AI roadmap for traditional medicine.The WHO report
highlights AI-driven tools such as diagnosis support systems that blend
traditional techniques like pulse reading, tongue analysis, and Prakriti
assessment with machine learning and deep neural networks.A key highlight is
Ayurgenomics, an emerging field that combines genomics and Ayurveda to detect
disease markers and deliver personalized health advice by analyzing a person’s
Ayurvedic constitution using AI.
3. NSE Ranks 4th Globally in IPO Fundraising in H1 2025,
Raises $5.51 Billion: The National Stock Exchange (NSE) ranked 4th globally in IPO fundraising during the first half
of 2025, raising $5.51 billion, which accounted for 8.9% of the total global
IPO proceeds of $61.95 billion, as per S&P Global Market Intelligence.The
top three global exchanges for IPO fundraising during the same period were the
Nasdaq Global Market, New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), and Nasdaq Global Select
Market, which together raised $28.95 billion.This performance boosts momentum
for the much-anticipated public listing of NSE itself, signaling a potential
landmark development in India’s capital markets.
4. 15 July – World Youth Skills Day: World Youth Skills Day is
observed every year on 15th July to
raise awareness about the importance of equipping young people with skills for
employment, decent work, and entrepreneurship.Theme 2025 – Youth Empowerment Through AI and Digital
SkillsThe United Nations General Assembly, through a resolution
initiated by Sri Lanka and supported by several countries, declared July 15 as
World Youth Skills Day on November 11, 2014. The first celebration took place
on July 15, 2015, aligning with the launch of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development, which emphasises quality education and decent work for all.
OTHER UPDATES:
DEFENCE
1. Sonali Mishra Appointed First Woman Director General
of Railway Protection Force (RPF): Sonali Mishra, a
1993-batch IPS officer from the Madhya Pradesh cadre, has been appointed as
the first woman Director General
(DG) of the Railway Protection Force (RPF). Her tenure will last till
October 31, 2026, succeeding Manoj
Yadava.She is currently posted as Additional Director General
(Selection) in Madhya Pradesh Police, and has previously served as Inspector
General in Kashmir, BSF Intelligence Wing Head, and first woman commander of a
BSF formation along the India-Pakistan border in Punjab.The Railway Protection
Force (RPF), constituted in 1957 by an Act of Parliament, was empowered in 1966
to enquire, arrest, and prosecute for crimes involving railway property, and was
designated as an armed force of the Union in 1985.Sonali Mishra has been
honored with both the President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service
(PPMDS) and the Police Medal for Meritorious Service (PMMS) for her exemplary
contributions in policing and national security.
2. India Receives Second GE-F404 Engine for
LCA Tejas: India recently received the
second GE-F404 engine from the United States for its Light Combat Aircraft
(LCA) Mark-1A programme. This marks a key step in the ongoing effort to strengthen
the Indian Air Force (IAF) with indigenous fighter jets. Despite delays caused
by supply chain disruptions, deliveries of these engines are now underway. The
public sector company Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is responsible for
integrating these engines into the LCA
Tejas Mk-1A jets. HAL took
delivery of the second GE-F404 engine in July 2025. A total of 12 engines are
expected by the end of the financial year. HAL had placed a ₹5,375 crore order
for 99 engines with GE Aerospace in August 2021. The IAF has ordered 83 LCA
Mk-1A jets and plans to procure an additional 97 aircraft. The Defence Ministry
has given clearance for this expanded order, worth about ₹67,000 crore.
SPORTS
1. Jannik Sinner Creates History as First Italian Man to
Win Wimbledon: World No.1 Jannik
Sinner clinched his first
Wimbledon title by defeating defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in a thrilling four-set
final (4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4) at the All England Club, becoming the first Italian
man in history to win Wimbledon. Just weeks after losing to Alcaraz in the French
Open final, Sinner made a powerful comeback at Wimbledon, snapping a five-match
losing streak against the Spaniard and ending Alcaraz’s unbeaten 5–0 record in
Grand Slam finals. With this win, Sinner now holds four Grand Slam titles and
is only one title away (Roland Garros) from completing a career Grand Slam,
while also strengthening his lead in the PIF ATP Rankings by 3,430 points. Poland’s Iga Świątek secured
her triumph with an emphatic
victory over American Amanda Anisimova.
2. Chelsea Clinch Historic FIFA Club World Cup Title with
3–0 Win Over PSG: Chelsea
FC created history by winning
the first-ever 32-team FIFA Club World Cup, defeating Paris
Saint-Germain (PSG) 3–0 in the final held at MetLife Stadium, New Jersey. Cole
Palmer emerged as the star of the final, scoring two quick goals and assisting
Joao Pedro for the third just before halftime. Chelsea ended the tournament as
the top-scoring team with 17 goals, edging past PSG, Manchester City, and
Bayern, who scored 16 each. A red card to Joao Neves for pulling Marc
Cucurella’s hair added to PSG’s frustration, as Chelsea’s solid defense ensured
a clean sheet and a dominant victory.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
1. Challenges in Controlling AI Chatbot
Behaviour: Recent events
have brought into light the difficulties in managing AI chatbot outputs. Elon
Musk’s company xAI issued an apology after its chatbot Grok posted antisemitic and abusive content on the social
media platform X. Despite efforts to fix the issue, Grok’s behaviour remains
unpredictable, raising broader concerns about the control and alignment of
large language models (LLMs) with human values. Grok was integrated into X in
2023 as an AI chatbot designed to interact with users. It has repeatedly
generated harmful content, including antisemitic remarks and misogynistic
slurs. These incidents have drawn public criticism and regulatory attention.
The root cause was traced to a deprecated code update, but the underlying LLM
remains unchanged. Grok’s issues are part of a wider pattern of AI chatbots
producing inconsistent or offensive outputs.
BANKING AND FINANCE
1. CPI inflation at 2.10% in June 2025: India’s retail inflation fell to 2.10% in June 2025, the lowest in over six years, with rural inflation at 1.72% and urban at 2.56%, offering relief to households under long-standing cost pressures. Food inflation remained negative for the second consecutive month, with the Combined Consumer Food Price Index (CFPI) showing a deflation of 1.06%, mainly due to falling prices of vegetables, pulses, milk, fish, and spices. Despite easing headline inflation, core sectors like health (4.43%), education (4.37%), and housing (3.24%) continued to witness a moderate rise, highlighting the need for policy vigilance. The Ministry of Statistics collected data from over 1,100 urban markets and 1,181 villages, ensuring nearly complete nationwide coverage, and confirmed that inflation remains within the RBI’s target range of 2–6%, supporting a more growth-focused monetary approach.
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