Current Affairs Today: 18 July 2025

NATIONAL AFFAIRS

1. What is the annual outlay for the Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana (PM-DDKY) approved by the Union Cabinet on July 16, 2025?
A. Rs. 20,000 crore
B. Rs. 22,000 crore
C. Rs. 24,000 crore
D. Rs. 26,000 crore
E. Rs. 28,000 crore
Answer: C. Rs. 24,000 crore

2. How many existing schemes across how many departments are merged under the PM-DDKY?
A. 30 schemes across 10 departments
B. 36 schemes across 11 departments
C. 40 schemes across 12 departments
D. 34 schemes across 10 departments
E. 38 schemes across 12 departments
Answer: B. 36 schemes across 11 departments

3. What is the investment amount exempted for NLCIL to invest in NLC India Renewables Limited (NIRL) as approved by the CCEA?
A. Rs. 5,000 crore
B. Rs. 6,000 crore
C. Rs. 7,000 crore
D. Rs. 8,000 crore
E. Rs. 9,000 crore
Answer: C. Rs. 7,000 crore

4. Which organization’s investment limit was increased to Rs. 20,000 crore for NTPC Green Energy Limited (NGEL) by the CCEA on July 16, 2025?
A. NLC India Limited
B. NTPC Limited
C. Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited
D. Power Grid Corporation of India
E. Solar Energy Corporation of India
Answer: B. NTPC Limited

5. Who was hailed by the Union Cabinet for the successful completion of the Axiom-4 space mission?
A. Group Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair
B. Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla
C. Group Captain Ajit Krishnan
D. Group Captain Rakesh Sharma
E. Group Captain Vikram Batra
Answer: B. Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla

6. What is the duration of the Axiom-4 space mission aboard the International Space Station?
A. 12 days
B. 15 days
C. 18 days
D. 21 days
E. 24 days
Answer: C. 18 days

7. Who launched the helpline number 14473 for waste pickers on NAMASTE Day in Lucknow on July 16, 2025?
A. Dharmendra Pradhan
B. B.L. Verma
C. Sarbananda Sonowal
D. Manohar Lal Khattar
E. Arjun Ram Meghwal
Answer: B. B.L. Verma

8. How many sewer and septic tank workers (SSWs) were profiled under the NAMASTE Yojana as mentioned during the NAMASTE Day event?
A. 75,067
B. 80,067
C. 85,067
D. 90,067
E. 95,067
Answer: C. 85,067

9. What type of training module was launched by Union MoS B.L. Verma during the NAMASTE Day event?
A. Artificial Intelligence Training Module
B. Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality (AR/VR) Training Module
C. Blockchain Training Module
D. Machine Learning Training Module
E. Cyber Security Training Module
Answer: B. Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality (AR/VR) Training Module

10. Where was India’s first Tribal Genome Sequencing Project launched on July 16, 2025?
A. Ahmedabad, Gujarat
B. Gandhinagar, Gujarat
C. Surat, Gujarat
D. Vadodara, Gujarat
E. Rajkot, Gujarat
Answer: B. Gandhinagar, Gujarat

11. Which organization is collaborating with the Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre (GBRC) for the Tribal Genome Sequencing Project?
A. Indian Council of Medical Research
B. Multiple state departments and specialists
C. National Institute of Biomedical Genomics
D. Department of Biotechnology, Government of India
E. All India Institute of Medical Sciences
Answer: B. Multiple state departments and specialists

12. How many individuals from tribal communities in Gujarat will undergo genome sequencing under the Tribal Genome Sequencing Project?
A. 1,000
B. 1,500
C. 2,000
D. 2,500
E. 3,000
Answer: C. 2,000

13. Which tribal community with African ancestry is included in the Tribal Genome Sequencing Project in Gujarat?
A. Bhil
B. Sidi
C. Gond
D. Warli
E. Kukna
Answer: B. Sidi

14. Where was the India campus of the University of Southampton inaugurated on July 16, 2025?
A. New Delhi, Delhi
B. Gurugram, Haryana
C. Bengaluru, Karnataka
D. Pune, Maharashtra
E. Chennai, Tamil Nadu
Answer: B. Gurugram, Haryana

15. How many degree programmes will the University of Southampton’s India campus offer?
A. Four
B. Five
C. Six
D. Seven
E. Eight
Answer: C. Six

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

16. By what percentage was the weekly seat quota increased in the revised India-Kuwait MoU signed in July 2025?
A. 40%
B. 45%
C. 50%
D. 55%
E. 60%
Answer: C. 50%

17. How many weekly flights does Kuwait Airways operate between India and Kuwait as per the revised MoU?
A. 36
B. 40
C. 48
D. 54
E. 60
Answer: D. 54

18. What percentage of global cereal production will be used for biofuel and industrial uses by 2034, according to the OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook 2025-2034?
A. 20%
B. 23%
C. 27%
D. 30%
E. 33%
Answer: C. 27%

19. Which country, along with India, is a key driver of global biofuel demand growth as per the OECD-FAO report?
A. China
B. Brazil
C. Japan
D. Australia
E. South Africa
Answer: B. Brazil

20. Who co-chaired the UN Group of Friends meeting on Accountability for Crimes Against Peacekeepers in July 2025?
A. S Jaishankar
B. Parvathaneni Harish
C. Taranjit Singh Sandhu
D. Vinay Mohan Kwatra
E. Vikram Misri
Answer: B. Parvathaneni Harish

21. How many Indian peacekeepers have sacrificed their lives in UN peacekeeping missions, as mentioned in the GoF meeting?
A. 162
B. 172
C. 182
D. 192
E. 202
Answer: C. 182

BANKING & FINANCE

22. What is the collateral-free loan limit for agricultural and allied activities as per the RBI’s revised rules in July 2025?
A. Rs. 1.6 lakh
B. Rs. 2 lakh
C. Rs. 2.5 lakh
D. Rs. 3 lakh
E. Rs. 3.5 lakh
Answer: B. Rs. 2 lakh

23. What is the Loan-to-Value (LTV) ratio cap for loans up to Rs. 2.5 lakh against gold and silver, as per RBI’s revised guidelines?
A. 75%
B. 80%
C. 85%
D. 90%
E. 95%
Answer: C. 85%

24. How many Indian banks were added to the UPI-PayNow linkage in July 2025, bringing the total to 19?
A. 10
B. 11
C. 12
D. 13
E. 14
Answer: D. 13

25. Which Taiwanese bank proposed to set up an International Banking Unit (IBU) at GIFT City in July 2025?
A. Taipei Fubon Commercial Bank
B. CTBC Bank
C. Cathay United Bank
D. Bank of Taiwan
E. Mega International Commercial Bank
Answer: B. CTBC Bank

26. Who chairs the IRDAI panel that recommended a ban on mergers between insurers and non-insurers?
A. Ravneet Kaur
B. Dinesh Kumar Khara
C. T Rabi Sankar
D. Anas Rahman Junaid
E. Akash Tripathi
Answer: B. Dinesh Kumar Khara

ECONOMY & BUSINESS

27. Where was NABARD’s 44th Foundation Day celebrated on July 12, 2025?
A. New Delhi, Delhi
B. Mumbai, Maharashtra
C. Chennai, Tamil Nadu
D. Bengaluru, Karnataka
E. Hyderabad, Telangana
Answer: C. Chennai, Tamil Nadu

28. What is the purpose of NABARD’s NIVARAN initiative launched on its 44th Foundation Day?
A. Rural technology development
B. Internal Grievance Redressal System for rural Co-operative Banks
C. Financial inclusion for tribal communities
D. Agricultural loan disbursement platform
E. Rural infrastructure funding
Answer: B. Internal Grievance Redressal System for rural Co-operative Banks

29. Where did NABARD inaugurate its sub-office on July 12, 2025?
A. Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir
B. Leh, Ladakh
C. Imphal, Manipur
D. Gangtok, Sikkim
E. Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh
Answer: B. Leh, Ladakh

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS

30. Who topped the Avendus Wealth–Hurun India U30 Entrepreneurs List 2025?
A. Devika Gholap and Ananyashree Birla
B. Aadit Palicha and Kaivalya Vohra
C. Anas Rahman Junaid and Ritesh Agarwal
D. Bhavish Aggarwal and Kunal Shah
E. Vijay Shekhar Sharma and Deepinder Goyal
Answer: B. Aadit Palicha and Kaivalya Vohra

31. Which institute contributed the most alumni to the Avendus Wealth–Hurun India U30 List 2025?
A. IIT Delhi
B. IIT Roorkee
C. BITS Pilani
D. IIM Ahmedabad
E. NIT Trichy
Answer: C. BITS Pilani

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

32. Who was appointed as the co-owner and brand ambassador of the Indian Golf Premier League in July 2025?
A. Virat Kohli
B. Yuvraj Singh
C. Sachin Tendulkar
D. MS Dhoni
E. Rohit Sharma
Answer: B. Yuvraj Singh

33. Until when was Gurdeep Singh’s tenure as CMD of NTPC Limited extended in July 2025?
A. July 31, 2025
B. July 31, 2026
C. December 31, 2025
D. December 31, 2026
E. March 31, 2026
Answer: B. July 31, 2026

34. Who was appointed as the Chief Secretary of Manipur on July 16, 2025?
A. Prashant Kumar Singh
B. Puneet Kumar Goel
C. Gurdeep Singh
D. Akash Tripathi
E. Nitin Gupta
Answer: B. Puneet Kumar Goel

35. What is the cadre of Dr. Puneet Kumar Goel, the newly appointed Chief Secretary of Manipur?
A. Manipur Cadre
B. Assam-Meghalaya Cadre
C. Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram-Union Territories (AGMUT) Cadre
D. Uttar Pradesh Cadre
E. Tamil Nadu Cadre
Answer: C. Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram-Union Territories (AGMUT) Cadre

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

36. How many Kuiper broadband internet satellites were launched by SpaceX for Amazon on July 16, 2025?
A. 20
B. 22
C. 24
D. 26
E. 28
Answer: C. 24

37. What is the planned total number of satellites for Amazon’s Project Kuiper constellation?
A. Over 2,000
B. Over 2,500
C. Over 3,000
D. Over 3,200
E. Over 3,500
Answer: D. Over 3,200

IMPORTANT DAYS

38. What is the theme of World Snake Day 2025?
A. Snakes: Nature’s Protectors
B. Respect, Don’t Fear: Protecting Nature’s Silent Guardians
C. Conserving Snakes for a Better Future
D. Understanding Snakes: Myths and Facts
E. Snakes and Biodiversity
Answer: B. Respect, Don’t Fear: Protecting Nature’s Silent Guardians

39. Which organization organized a public awareness programme on World Snake Day 2025 in New Delhi?
A. Bannerghatta Biological Park
B. National Zoological Park
C. Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre
D. Indian Golf Union
E. Wildlife Institute of India
Answer: B. National Zoological Park

40. What significant event does the Day of International Criminal Justice commemorate?
A. Adoption of the UN Charter
B. Establishment of the United Nations
C. Adoption of the Rome Statute of the ICC
D. Formation of the UN Security Council
E. Signing of the Geneva Conventions
Answer: C. Adoption of the Rome Statute of the ICC

Current Affairs Today: 18 July 2025

NATIONAL AFFAIRS

• Cabinet Approvals: On July 16, 2025, the Union Cabinet, chaired by PM Narendra Modi, approved several key initiatives:¹
  • The Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana (PM-DDKY), a six-year scheme with an annual outlay of Rs.² 24,000 crores, was approved to merge 36 existing schemes across 11 departments.³
  • The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) granted investment exemptions to NLCIL and NTPC Limited.⁴ This allows NLCIL to invest Rs. 7,000 crores and NTPC to invest Rs. 20,000 crores in their respective green energy subsidiaries without prior government approval.⁵
  • The Cabinet passed a resolution commending Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla for the successful completion of the Axiom-4 space mission.⁶
• Waste Pickers Helpline: On ‘NAMASTE Day’, Union Minister of State B.L. Verma launched a dedicated helpline number, 14473, for waste pickers in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. The initiative also included the distribution of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) kits and Ayushman cards to waste pickers and sanitation workers.⁷ An Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality (AR/VR) training module was also launched for occupational safety.
• India’s First Tribal Genome Sequencing Project: The Government of Gujarat launched India’s first-ever Tribal Genome Sequencing Project (TGSP).⁸ The project, led by the Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre (GBRC), aims to create a comprehensive genetic database of 2,000 individuals from over 20 tribal communities to understand and tackle inherited diseases like sickle cell anemia.
• University of Southampton Campus in India: Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan inaugurated the India campus of the UK-based University of Southampton (UoS) in Gurugram, Haryana.⁹ UoS is the first fully foreign university to open a campus in India under the new UGC regulations. It will offer six degree programs, including four undergraduate and two postgraduate courses.
• India-Kuwait Flight Capacity Boost: India and Kuwait signed a revised Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to increase their weekly flight capacity by 50%, from 12,000 to 18,000 seats for each side.¹⁰ This is the first capacity increase since 2006.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

• OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook 2025-2034: A joint report by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) projects that by 2034, 27% of global cereal production will be used for biofuel and industrial uses, driven by policy support in countries like India, Brazil, and Indonesia.¹¹
• Accountability for Crimes Against Peacekeepers: India co-chaired a high-level meeting of the Group of Friends (GoF) for Accountability for Crimes Against Peacekeepers at the United Nations Headquarters.¹² The meeting, co-chaired by India’s Permanent Representative Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish, reaffirmed the global commitment to ensure justice for crimes against UN peacekeepers.

BANKING & FINANCE

• RBI’s Revised Rules on Gold and Silver Loans: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued new rules allowing the voluntary pledge of gold and silver as collateral for agriculture and MSME loans.¹³ This move aims to enhance financial inclusion and does not breach existing collateral-free loan limits.
• NIPL Adds Banks to UPI-PayNow: NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) has added 13 new Indian banks to the UPI-PayNow linkage between India and Singapore, bringing the total to 19 banks. This will significantly ease cross-border remittances.
• Taiwan’s CTBC Bank at GIFT City: Taiwanese commercial bank CTBC Bank has proposed to set up an International Financial Services Centre (IFSC)¹⁴ Banking Unit (IBU) at GIFT City, Gandhinagar, Gujarat. This will make it the second Taiwanese bank to establish an IBU there.
• IRDAI Panel’s Recommendation: An IRDAI committee, led by SBI Chairman Dinesh Kumar Khara, has recommended banning mergers between insurance and non-insurance companies to protect policyholders and ensure sector stability.¹⁵

ECONOMY & BUSINESS

• NABARD’s New Initiatives: The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) launched several initiatives on its 44th Foundation Day, including NIVARAN, a grievance redressal system for rural cooperative banks, and RuralTech CoLab, an open digital innovation platform for rural-centric technologies.¹⁶
• U30 Entrepreneurs List 2025: The inaugural Avendus Wealth–Hurun India U30 List 2025 was released, recognizing 79 young entrepreneurs.¹⁷ Aadit Palicha and Kaivalya Vohra, co-founders of Zepto, topped the list as the youngest entrepreneurs.¹⁸

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

• Yuvraj Singh Joins IGPL: Former Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh has been appointed as the co-owner and brand ambassador of the newly launched Indian Golf Premier League (IGPL).¹⁹
• Gurdeep Singh’s Tenure Extended: The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved a one-year extension for Gurdeep Singh as the Chairman and Managing Director (CMD)²⁰ of NTPC Ltd., until July 31, 2026.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

• SpaceX Launches Amazon Satellites: SpaceX successfully launched 24 Amazon Kuiper internet satellites using its Falcon 9 rocket under the KF-01 mission. This brings the total number of deployed Kuiper satellites to 78, part of a planned constellation of over 3,200 low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites.

IMPORTANT DAYS

• Day of International Criminal Justice: Observed annually on July 17, this day commemorates the adoption of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in 1998, which promotes accountability for genocide and war crimes.²¹
• World Snake Day: Celebrated annually on July 16, World Snake Day aims to raise awareness about snake species and their ecological importance.²² The 2025 theme is ‘Respect, Don’t Fear: Protecting Nature’s Silent Guardians’.

STATE NEWS

• Dr. Puneet Kumar Goel as Manipur Chief Secretary: The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment of Dr. Puneet Kumar Goel as the new Chief Secretary of Manipur.²³ He will serve until his superannuation on August 31, 2025.
• TN Appoints IAS Officers as Spokespersons: The Tamil Nadu government has appointed four senior Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers, including J Radhakrishnan and Gagandeep Singh Bedi, as official spokespersons to professionalize public communication.²⁴