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Tuesday, August 26, 2025

Daily GK Update- 26th Aug, 2025

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. India Launches First-Ever Guidelines for Animal Blood Transfusion and Veterinary Blood Banks: The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD) released India’s first-ever Guidelines and SOPs for Blood Transfusion and Blood Banks for Animals, creating a structured framework for veterinary transfusion medicine.The guidelines cover donor selection, blood collection, storage, transfusion procedures, safety measures, and emphasize ethical blood donation, mandatory blood typing, cross-matching, and a Donor Rights Charter.Developed with inputs from the Veterinary Council of India, ICAR institutes, universities, and experts, the framework aligns with global standards, integrates One Health principles, and proposes a National Veterinary Blood Bank Network with digital registries and emergency helplines.The move is seen as a milestone in veterinary healthcare, strengthening clinical care, animal welfare, rural livelihoods, and research, while supporting India’s livestock sector that contributes 5.5% to national GDP and over 30% to agricultural GDP.

 

2. NHAI launches Project Aarohan to support education of toll plaza workers’ families: NHAI launched Project Aarohan to support the educational aspirations of toll plaza employees’ children, focusing on students from economically weaker sections.The scheme will cover 500 students from Class 11 to graduation, each receiving an annual scholarship of ₹12,000 in FY 2025-26.Additionally, 50 meritorious students aspiring for postgraduate and higher studies will receive ₹50,000 scholarships each.Applications will be accepted via an online portal, requiring documents such as academic records, income proof, caste certificate, and ID proof.

 

3. India’s National Designated Authority for Carbon Trading: India has recently established a National Designated Authority (NDA) to manage carbon emissions trading under the 2015 Paris Agreement. This move follows the finalisation of Article 6 at the 29th UN Climate Change Conference of Parties (COP29) held in Baku, Azerbaijan in November 2024. The NDA is important step towards operationalising a carbon market to meet India’s climate commitments. Article 6 of the Paris Agreement outlines the framework for international carbon emissions trading. It enables countries to cooperate in achieving their emission reduction targets through market mechanisms. The article was a contentious issue for years and was only resolved in late 2024. The agreement ensures transparency and credibility in carbon credit generation and trading.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Nepal officially joins India-led International Big Cat Alliance: Nepal has officially become a member of the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA), an India-led global initiative launched in April 2023 for the conservation of seven big cat species — tiger, lion, leopard, snow leopard, cheetah, jaguar, and puma.With snow leopard, tiger, and common leopard in its landscape, Nepal’s participation will strengthen global cooperation in big cat conservation. The IBCA praised Nepal for this ecologically significant step.Nepal has achieved remarkable success in wildlife conservation by tripling its tiger population from 121 in 2009 to 355 in 2022, showcasing its strong commitment to protecting endangered species.

 

2. India-China Collaboration on Global AI Governance: Recent developments in 2025 mark a very important moment in India-China relations. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to China for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin is the first since the Galwan Valley clash. Beyond diplomatic recalibration, this visit aims to encourage cooperation on artificial intelligence (AI) governance. Both nations seek to influence global AI rules, reflecting the interests of the Global South rather than just the Western world. India and China have faced geopolitical tensions, especially after border conflicts. Despite mistrust, both countries recognise the strategic value of working together. The SCO summit offers a platform to prioritise economic ties and emerging technologies over disputes. AI is a key area of focus given its growing global importance.

 

3. Shipki-La Pass: Recent developments indicate a positive shift in India-China border trade relations. China has agreed in principle to reopen the Shipki-La trade route in Himachal Pradesh’s Kinnaur district. This follows diplomatic engagement during Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s visit to India. The route’s reopening is part of broader discussions to resume trade through all three designated border points between the two countries. Shipki-La is a historic trade pass located in the Himalayas. It has served as a traditional link between India and Tibet. The route was officially designated for border trade under the 1994 India-China bilateral agreement. Trade through Shipki-La was suspended in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, halting centuries-old economic and cultural exchanges.

OTHER UPDATES:

DEFENCE

 

1. Indian Navy Commissions Stealth Frigates Udaygiri and Himgiri at Visakhapatnam’: The Indian Navy commissioned two Project 17A stealth frigatesUdaygiri and Himgiri, at Naval Base Visakhapatnam with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh presiding over the ceremony.This marks the first-ever simultaneous commissioning of two frontline warships built at different shipyards — Udaygiri by MDL (Mumbai) and Himgiri by GRSE (Kolkata).Both frigates, designed by the Navy’s Warship Design Bureau (WDB) as advanced variants of the Shivalik-class, feature enhanced stealth, modern sensors, advanced weaponry, and 75% indigenous content, highlighting Aatmanirbhar Bharat.With their induction into the Eastern Fleet, Udaygiri and Himgiri will boost India’s maritime strength in the Indian Ocean Region, symbolizing India’s shipbuilding expertise and inter-yard collaboration.

 

2. India, Japan to Co-Develop Advanced UNICORN Naval Antenna System for Indian Navy Platforms: India and Japan are co-developing the Unified Complex Radio Antenna (UNICORN), also known as Nora-50, for Indian Navy platforms, marking a major boost to bilateral defence collaboration.UNICORN is one of the world’s most advanced weapon-grade composite radar masts, currently deployed on Japan’s Mogami-class frigates, and is designed to house multiple antennas and sensors in a single composite mast for improved stealth and efficiency.Under the Memorandum of Implementation (MoI) signed in November 2024, Japan will provide design and engineering support, while India, through Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), will handle integration, adaptation, and co-production.The project is seen as a milestone in India’s naval indigenisation efforts, with BEL’s existing Advanced Composite Communication System (ACCS) already in use, facilitating smooth incorporation of UNICORN into future Indian naval platforms.

 

3. Sudarshan Chakra Air Defence Mission: The Sudarshan Chakra mission was announced as India’s indigenous multi-layered air defence system. It aims to protect strategic, civilian, and national sites from enemy aerial threats.  The project integrates advanced technologies and a whole-of-nation approach to ensure robust national security. Sudarshan Chakra is designed as India’s equivalent to Israel’s Iron Dome. It combines detection, acquisition, and neutralisation of enemy air vectors. The system uses both soft kills—electronic and cyber measures that disable threats—and hard kills such as missiles and lasers. The goal is to create a shield and sword to defend against missiles, aircraft, and drones.

 

SPORTS

 

1. Mirabai Clinches Gold at Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships 2025: Star Indian weightlifter and Tokyo Olympics silver medallist Mirabai Chanu clinched Gold at the 2025 Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships in Ahmedabad.She lifted a total of 193kg (84kg in snatch & 109kg in clean and jerk), setting new Commonwealth Championship records in all categories.With this victory, Mirabai secured direct qualification for the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.

 

2. Sharvari Somnath Shende Wins U18 Gold at World Youth Archery Championships in Canada: Sharvari Somnath Shende (16-year-old) won the U18 women’s individual recurve gold medal at the 2025 World Youth Archery Championships held in Winnipeg, Canada.She defeated South Korea’s Kim Yewon 6-5 in a thrilling final, clinching the title with a perfect 10 in the shoot-off.Shende became the second Indian woman to win gold in the tournament after Chikitha Taniparthi, who earlier won the U21 women’s compound individual title.

 

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

 

1. Bloom Syndrome: Bloom Syndrome is a rare genetic disorder with fewer than 300 cases reported worldwide. Recently, a 12-year-old girl in Chennai underwent a bone marrow transplant using stem cells from her younger brother, marking medical intervention in India. This disorder affects DNA repair mechanisms, leading to multiple health challenges and a high risk of cancer. Bloom Syndrome is caused by mutations in the BLM gene. This gene produces a protein essential for maintaining DNA structure during replication and repair. When mutated, cells lose the ability to fix damaged DNA, causing abnormal cell growth. The condition is inherited in an autosomal recessive pattern. Both parents must carry the mutation for a child to be affected. It is most common among the Ashkenazi Jewish population but occurs worldwide.

 

2. Integrated Air Drop Test (IADT-1): The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) achieved milestone on 24 August 2025 by successfully conducting its first Integrated Air Drop Test (IADT-1). This test is crucial for the Gaganyaan mission, India’s maiden human spaceflight programme. The trial demonstrated the reliability of the parachute-based deceleration system designed to safely return astronauts to Earth. This achievement marks a key step towards human-rating India’s spaceflight launch and recovery systems. The IADT-1 involved dropping a dummy crew capsule weighing around five tonnes from a Chinook helicopter. The capsule descended several kilometres while its parachutes deployed in a precise sequence. This sequence slowed the capsule to a safe splashdown speed. The test validated the parachute system’s performance under real-world conditions. During actual missions, the parachutes will deploy after atmospheric re-entry and initial deceleration by heat shields and drogue parachutes.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. Fitch Affirms India’s Sovereign Rating at ‘BBB-’ with Stable Outlook, Citing Strong Growth Prospects: Fitch Ratings reaffirmed India’s sovereign rating at ‘BBB-’ with a stable outlook, highlighting robust growth and improving fiscal credibility as key drivers.Fitch projected India’s GDP growth at 6.5% in FY26, unchanged from FY25 and significantly higher than the ‘BBB’ median of 2.5%, supported by strong external finances.Proposed GST reforms with a simplified two-tier structure (5% and 18%) and a 40% rate for select goods could boost consumption and help mitigate growth risks.On August 14, S&P Global Ratings upgraded India’s sovereign rating by a notch to ‘BBB’, from ‘BBB-‘, with a stable outlook — its first upgrade for India in over 18 years.

 

2. IREDA Signs MoU with MNRE, Sets ₹8,200 Crore Revenue Target for FY 2025-26: IREDA signed a performance-based MoU with the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), setting a Revenue from Operations target of ₹8,200 crore for FY 2025-26.In FY 2024-25, IREDA had exceeded its revenue target, achieving ₹6,743.32 crore against the set target of ₹5,957 crore.The MoU outlines key performance parameters including Return on Net Worth, Return on Capital Employed, NPA to Total Loans, Asset Turnover Ratio, and EBTDA.

 

3. Sundaram Home Finance launches special affordable housing finance under ‘Anugraha’ brand: Sundaram Home Finance, a subsidiary of Sundaram Finance Ltd, launched an affordable housing finance product named ‘Anugraha’, targeting lower to mid-income aspiring homeowners.The initiative aims to expand deeper into Tier 2 and Tier 3 towns, promoting inclusivity and accessibility in home ownership alongside small business loans as key growth drivers.The company operates with 50+ branches in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, and disbursed over ₹200 crore in the previous year.

 

4. CCPA slaps ₹3 lakh fine on VLCC for misleading ads on slimming treatments: The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) imposed a fine of ₹3 lakh on VLCC Ltd for publishing misleading advertisements about slimming treatments using the US-FDA-approved CoolSculpting machine.VLCC was found making exaggerated claims such as “Lose up to 600g and 7 cm in 1 session” and “Drop 1 size permanently,” which went far beyond the actual medical approval for the machine.The investigation revealed that CoolSculpting is approved only for localized fat reduction in specific body areas (like arms, thighs, abdomen, back fat, etc.) for individuals with a BMI of 30 or less, not for permanent weight loss. Along with the penalty, CCPA issued advisories to VLCC to ensure future ads and disclaimers strictly adhere to accurate information, avoiding misleading claims.

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