Current Affairs Today: 31 July 2025

1. When will SEBI’s revised Enhanced Surveillance Mechanism (ESM) for small-cap firms take effect?
a) July 26, 2025
b) July 27, 2025
c) July 28, 2025
d) August 1, 2025
e) August 15, 2025
Answer: c) July 28, 2025

2. What is the primary objective of SEBI’s ESM framework for small-cap firms with market capitalization under Rs. 1,000 crore?
a) To promote initial public offerings
b) To strengthen market integrity and investor protection
c) To increase foreign investment in small-cap stocks
d) To reduce listing fees for small-cap companies
e) To encourage mergers among small-cap firms
Answer: b) To strengthen market integrity and investor protection

3. How many companies are expected to benefit from SEBI’s revised ESM framework as of July 2025?
a) 20
b) 25
c) 28
d) 30
e) 35
Answer: c) 28

4. When did SEBI initially extend the ESM framework to companies with market capitalization under Rs. 1,000 crore?
a) July 2022
b) August 2023
c) January 2024
d) March 2024
e) June 2025
Answer: b) August 2023

5. What is the maximum percentage of an AIF scheme’s corpus that all Regulated Entities (REs) together can contribute, as per RBI’s July 2025 guidelines?
a) 10%
b) 15%
c) 20%
d) 25%
e) 30%
Answer: c) 20%

6. What is the maximum investment limit for a single Regulated Entity (RE) in an AIF scheme under RBI’s July 2025 guidelines?
a) 5%
b) 10%
c) 15%
d) 20%
e) 25%
Answer: b) 10%

7. When will the RBI’s new guidelines on AIF investments take effect?
a) August 1, 2025
b) October 1, 2025
c) January 1, 2026
d) March 1, 2026
e) July 1, 2026
Answer: c) January 1, 2026

8. What is required if a Regulated Entity invests over 5% in an AIF that subsequently invests in its debtor companies (excluding equity instruments)?
a) 50% provisioning
b) 75% provisioning
c) 100% provisioning
d) No provisioning required
e) 25% provisioning
Answer: c) 100% provisioning

9. What is the IMF’s GDP growth forecast for India for FY26 and FY27 as per the July 2025 World Economic Outlook?
a) 6.2%
b) 6.3%
c) 6.4%
d) 6.5%
e) 6.7%
Answer: c) 6.4%

10. How does the IMF’s FY26 GDP forecast for India compare to the RBI’s estimate for the same year?
a) Higher than RBI’s estimate
b) Equal to RBI’s estimate
c) Lower than RBI’s estimate
d) No comparison provided
e) Matches the global average
Answer: c) Lower than RBI’s estimate

11. What is the projected global GDP growth for CY25 as per the IMF’s July 2025 WEO update?
a) 2.8%
b) 3.0%
c) 3.1%
d) 3.3%
e) 3.7%
Answer: b) 3.0%

12. What is one of the reasons cited by the IMF for the upward revision of global GDP growth in CY25?
a) Decline in global trade
b) Stronger-than-expected front-loading due to anticipated tariffs
c) Increase in global unemployment
d) Reduction in infrastructure investments
e) Higher inflation rates
Answer: b) Stronger-than-expected front-loading due to anticipated tariffs

13. What is the value of the defence contracts secured by AXISCADES Technologies Limited in July 2025?
a) Rs 400 crore
b) Rs 500 crore
c) Rs 600 crore
d) Rs 700 crore
e) Rs 800 crore
Answer: c) Rs 600 crore

14. Which radar system will AXISCADES develop Digital Beam Forming (DBF) units for?
a) VIRUPAKSHA Radar
b) LRBMR–KUSHA Radar
c) S-Band Radar
d) EHWT Radar
e) Sonar Radar
Answer: b) LRBMR–KUSHA Radar

15. Who was appointed as the Director General of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) in July 2025?
a) Amrit Mohan Prasad
b) Sanjay Singhal
c) P.K. Purwar
d) A. Robert Ravi
e) Bharat B. Bhatia
Answer: b) Sanjay Singhal

16. When will Sanjay Singhal assume charge as the Director General of SSB?
a) August 1, 2025
b) September 1, 2025
c) October 1, 2025
d) December 1, 2025
e) January 1, 2026
Answer: b) September 1, 2025

17. Which organization appointed Bharat B. Bhatia as Vice Chairman and Editorial Committee Chair for the WRC-27 preparatory group?
a) World Economic Forum
b) International Telecommunication Union and Asia Pacific TeleCommunity
c) United Nations
d) World Bank
e) UNESCO
Answer: b) International Telecommunication Union and Asia Pacific TeleCommunity

18. Who joined ACKO Technology as both a strategic investor and brand ambassador in July 2025?
a) Virat Kohli
b) MS Dhoni
c) Sachin Tendulkar
d) Rohit Sharma
e) Yuvraj Singh
Answer: b) MS Dhoni

19. What is the duration of A. Robert Ravi’s extension as CMD of BSNL and MTNL approved in July 2025?
a) 1 month
b) 2 months
c) 3 months
d) 6 months
e) 12 months
Answer: c) 3 months

20. What is the name of the sixth Fast Patrol Vessel launched by Goa Shipyard Limited for the Indian Coast Guard?
a) ICGS Adamya
b) ICGS Akshar
c) ICGS Atal
d) ICGS Amulya
e) ICGS Achal
Answer: c) ICGS Atal

21. What is the maximum speed of the Adamya-class Fast Patrol Vessels like ICGS Atal?
a) 20 knots
b) 23 knots
c) 25 knots
d) 27 knots
e) 30 knots
Answer: d) 27 knots

22. What is the indigenous content percentage of the ICGS Atal vessel?
a) 50%
b) 55%
c) 60%
d) 65%
e) 70%
Answer: c) 60%

23. What is the initial corpus amount for the AIFF’s Benevolence Fund launched in July 2025?
a) Rs 5,00,002
b) Rs 6,00,002
c) Rs 7,00,002
d) Rs 8,00,002
e) Rs 9,00,002
Answer: c) Rs 7,00,002

24. What is the eligibility criterion for the AIFF Pension Fund in terms of minimum years of service?
a) 15 years
b) 20 years
c) 25 years
d) 30 years
e) 35 years
Answer: b) 20 years

25. What was the age of Meghnad Desai when he passed away on July 29, 2025?
a) 80
b) 82
c) 85
d) 87
e) 90
Answer: c) 85

26. Which civilian honor was conferred on Meghnad Desai in 2008?
a) Padma Shri
b) Padma Bhushan
c) Padma Vibhushan
d) Bharat Ratna
e) None of the above
Answer: b) Padma Bhushan

27. Which institute did T.N. Manoharan found in Chennai?
a) Manohar Chowdhry & Associates
b) Satyam Computer Services
c) Lakshmi Vilas Bank
d) Canara Bank
e) IDBI Bank
Answer: a) Manohar Chowdhry & Associates

28. In which year was T.N. Manoharan conferred the Padma Shri?
a) 2005
b) 2007
c) 2009
d) 2010
e) 2012
Answer: d) 2010

29. What is the 2025 theme for the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons?
a) End Human Trafficking Now
b) Human Trafficking is Organised Crime – End the Exploitation
c) Protect Victims, Prevent Trafficking
d) Stop Modern Slavery
e) Unity Against Trafficking
Answer: b) Human Trafficking is Organised Crime – End the Exploitation

30. When was the first World Day Against Trafficking in Persons observed?
a) July 30, 2012
b) July 30, 2013
c) July 30, 2014
d) July 30, 2015
e) July 30, 2016
Answer: c) July 30, 2014

31. In which year was the International Day of Friendship proclaimed by the UNGA?
a) 2009
b) 2010
c) 2011
d) 2012
e) 2013
Answer: c) 2011

32. On which date did Maharashtra declare as Sustainable Agriculture Day in honor of Dr. M.S. Swaminathan?
a) July 29
b) August 1
c) August 7
d) August 15
e) September 1
Answer: c) August 7

33. What is one of the focus areas of the Dr. M.S. Swaminathan Bio-happiness Research Centres in Maharashtra?
a) Space technology
b) Sustainable agriculture
c) Artificial intelligence
d) Renewable energy
e) Urban development
Answer: b) Sustainable agriculture

34. Which festival was celebrated by India Tourism Delhi on July 28, 2025, to promote cultural heritage?
a) Holi
b) Diwali
c) Teej
d) Navratri
e) Raksha Bandhan
Answer: c) Teej

35. Which organization signed an MoU with the Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC) to boost tourism?
a) Visa
b) MasterCard
c) American Express
d) PayPal
e) Stripe
Answer: b) MasterCard

Banking & Finance

SEBI’s Revised Surveillance Framework: The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) and stock exchanges implemented a revised Enhanced Surveillance Mechanism (ESM) for small-cap companies (market capitalization under Rs. 1,000 crores). Effective from July 28, 2025, the new rules aim to curb excessive price volatility and speculative trading in these stocks.
RBI’s AIF Investment Cap: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued new guidelines, effective January 1, 2026, capping investments by banks and Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs) at a maximum of 20% of the corpus of any Alternative Investment Fund (AIF) scheme. Additionally, a single regulated entity cannot invest more than 10% of the total corpus.

Economy & Business

IMF Raises India’s GDP Forecast: The International Monetary Fund (IMF), in its July 2025 World Economic Outlook (WEO) update, raised India’s GDP growth forecast to 6.4% for both FY26 and FY27. This reaffirms India’s position as the world’s fastest-growing major economy.
AXISCADES Secures Defense Contracts: AXISCADES Technologies Limited secured defense contracts worth approximately Rs 600 crore for various indigenous military platforms, including the VIRUPAKSHA Radar Programme and Electric Heavy Weight Torpedoes (EHWT). The contracts will be executed over the next 3 to 5 years.

Appointments & Resignations

Sanjay Singhal Appointed SSB DG: The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) approved the appointment of Sanjay Singhal, a 1993-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, as the new Director General (DG) of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB). He will assume the role on September 1, 2025.
Bharat B. Bhatia Appointed APT Vice Chairman: Bharat B. Bhatia was appointed Vice Chairman and Editorial Committee Chair for the World Radiocommunication Conference 2027 (WRC-27) preparatory group by the Asia Pacific TeleCommunity (APT).
MS Dhoni Joins ACKO: Cricketer MS Dhoni has become a strategic investor and brand ambassador for digital insurer ACKO Technology and Services Private Limited. The partnership aims to leverage technology to simplify the insurance experience for consumers.
Robert Ravi’s Extension: The ACC approved a 3-month extension for A. Robert Jerard Ravi as the Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of BSNL and MTNL.

Science & Technology

GSL Launches ICGS ‘Atal’: Goa Shipment Limited (GSL) launched the ICGS ‘Atal’, the sixth vessel in a series of eight Fast Patrol Vessels (FPVs) for the Indian Coast Guard (ICG). With over 60% indigenous content, the vessel is designed for coastal surveillance, search and rescue, and anti-smuggling operations.

Sports

AIFF Launches Funds: The All India Football Federation (AIFF) established a ‘Benevolence Fund’ to provide one-time medical assistance to retired members of the football community and also proposed a ‘Pension Fund’ for long-serving AIFF employees.

Obituary

Meghnad Desai: Renowned Indian-born British economist and member of the UK House of Lords, Meghnad Desai, passed away at the age of 85. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2008 for his contributions to public affairs.
T.N. Manoharan: T.N. Manoharan, a Padma Shri awardee and former Chairman of IDBI Bank, passed away at 69. He was known for his significant contributions to banking and accounting governance.

Important Days

World Day Against Trafficking in Persons: Observed annually on July 30, the day raises awareness about human trafficking. The theme for 2025 is “Human trafficking is organised crime – End the exploitation.”
International Day of Friendship: Celebrated on July 30 to promote friendship in fostering peace and solidarity across cultures and communities.

State News

Maharashtra Declares Sustainable Agriculture Day: The Government of Maharashtra declared August 7 as Sustainable Agriculture Day in honor of the “Father of India’s Green Revolution,” Dr. M.S. Swaminathan. Agricultural universities in the state will establish research centers to commemorate the day.
Teej Festival in New Delhi: India tourism Delhi organized a grand celebration of the Teej Festival, a celebration of the monsoon season.
MasterCard and Andhra Pradesh Tourism: MasterCard signed an MoU with the Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC) to boost tourism in the state.

Current Affairs Today: 31 July 2025