Current Affairs Today: 26 July 2025

1. What was the title of the conference cum exhibition hosted by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) to celebrate 10 years of Skill India Mission?
a) Skill India Summit 2025
b) Bharat SkillNxt 2025
c) Kaushal Bharat 2025
d) Skill Development Expo 2025
e) IndiaSkills Summit 2025
Answer: b) Bharat SkillNxt 2025

2. Who graced the Bharat SkillNxt 2025 event organized by MSDE in July 2025?
a) Dharmendra Pradhan
b) Jayant Chaudhary
c) Hardeep Singh Puri
d) Piyush Goyal
e) Anurag Thakur
Answer: b) Jayant Chaudhary

3. Which of the following initiatives was launched during the Bharat SkillNxt 2025 event?
a) National Skill Development Policy
b) SOAR (Skilling for Artificial Intelligence Readiness)
c) Digital Skill India Portal
d) Skill India Employment Exchange
e) Kaushal Bharat Yojana
Answer: b) SOAR (Skilling for Artificial Intelligence Readiness)

4. Which country signed a notable MoU with MSDE during the Bharat SkillNxt 2025 event?
a) United States
b) France
c) Germany
d) Japan
e) Australia
Answer: b) France

5. Which organization signed an MoU with NSTI Bengaluru under the DST scheme during the Bharat SkillNxt 2025 event?
a) Microsoft
b) SLN Technology
c) ICICI Foundation
d) Dixon Technologies
e) Apollo MedSkills
Answer: b) SLN Technology

6. Which institution was NOT part of the Flexi MoUs signed under PMKVY’s institutional strengthening strategy during Bharat SkillNxt 2025?
a) IIT Patna
b) IIIT Una
c) IIT Hyderabad
d) NIT Agartala
e) IIT Delhi
Answer: e) IIT Delhi

7. Which initiative was launched by the National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET) during Bharat SkillNxt 2025?
a) Kaushal Verse Digital Enterprise Portal (DEP)
b) IndiaSkills Employment Portal
c) Skill India Digital Hub
d) National Vocational Training Framework
e) AI Skilling Network
Answer: a) Kaushal Verse Digital Enterprise Portal (DEP)

8. Which company signed an MoU with NSTI Mumbai for rural incubation during Bharat SkillNxt 2025?
a) HCL
b) ICICI Foundation
c) Dixon Technologies
d) Apollo MedSkills
e) Microsoft
Answer: b) ICICI Foundation

9. In which year was the original target set for achieving 20% ethanol blending in petrol in India?
a) 2025
b) 2027
c) 2030
d) 2032
e) 2035
Answer: c) 2030

10. By how many times did ethanol blending in petrol increase from 2014 to 2025, as announced by Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri?
a) 10-fold
b) 11-fold
c) 12-fold
d) 13-fold
e) 14-fold
Answer: d) 13-fold

11. How much foreign exchange was saved due to ethanol production in India by June 2025?
a) Rs 1.26 lakh crore
b) Rs 1.36 lakh crore
c) Rs 1.46 lakh crore
d) Rs 1.56 lakh crore
e) Rs 1.66 lakh crore
Answer: b) Rs 1.36 lakh crore

12. How much was paid to farmers directly due to ethanol blending efforts in India by June 2025?
a) Rs 1.6 lakh crore
b) Rs 1.7 lakh crore
c) Rs 1.8 lakh crore
d) Rs 1.9 lakh crore
e) Rs 2.0 lakh crore
Answer: c) Rs 1.8 lakh crore

13. How much reduction in CO2 emissions was achieved through ethanol-blended petrol by June 2025?
a) 598 lakh tonnes
b) 698 lakh tonnes
c) 798 lakh tonnes
d) 898 lakh tonnes
e) 998 lakh tonnes
Answer: b) 698 lakh tonnes

14. Which ministry signed an MoU with Maruti Suzuki India Limited to promote auto and mobility startup innovation?
a) Ministry of Heavy Industries
b) Ministry of Commerce and Industry
c) Ministry of Road Transport and Highways
d) Ministry of Science and Technology
e) Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship
Answer: b) Ministry of Commerce and Industry

15. Which department under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry signed an MoU with Maruti Suzuki for startup innovation?
a) Department of Economic Affairs
b) Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT)
c) Department of Commerce
d) Department of Industrial Policy
e) Department of Foreign Trade
Answer: b) Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT)

16. What is the name of the campaign launched by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) on July 23, 2025?
a) Swachh Bharat Abhiyan
b) Safai Apnao, Bimaari Bhagao (SABB)
c) Clean India Mission
d) Urban Swachhata Yojana
e) Swachh Cities Campaign
Answer: b) Safai Apnao, Bimaari Bhagao (SABB)

17. Under which mission is the Safai Apnao, Bimaari Bhagao (SABB) campaign implemented?
a) Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban (SBM-U) 2.0
b) Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation
c) Smart Cities Mission
d) National Clean Air Programme
e) Urban Development Mission
Answer: a) Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban (SBM-U) 2.0

18. How many Swachhata Mantras are emphasized in the SABB campaign?
a) Four
b) Five
c) Six
d) Seven
e) Eight
Answer: c) Six

19. Which city introduced ‘Manhold Ambulances’ for faster manhole repairs under the SABB campaign?
a) Delhi
b) Patna
c) Navi Mumbai
d) Hyderabad
e) Chennai
Answer: b) Patna

20. How many NCC girl cadets participated in the ‘Pinkathon’ walkathon in Delhi under the SABB campaign?
a) 200
b) 300
c) 400
d) 500
e) 600
Answer: c) 400

21. How many students, teachers, parents, and citizens participated in the Swachhata rally organized by Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation?
a) 400
b) 500
c) 600
d) 700
e) 800
Answer: c) 600

22. Which state undertook desilting of drains and door-to-door awareness drives on waste segregation under the SABB campaign?
a) Maharashtra
b) Bihar
c) Delhi
d) Telangana
e) Karnataka
Answer: d) Telangana

23. What is the value of the defence order secured by BEML Limited for supplying 150 High Mobility Vehicles (HMVs)?
a) Rs 193.81 crore
b) Rs 293.81 crore
c) Rs 393.81 crore
d) Rs 493.81 crore
e) Rs 593.81 crore
Answer: b) Rs 293.81 crore

24. Under which ministry does BEML Limited operate as a Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE)?
a) Ministry of Heavy Industries
b) Ministry of Defence
c) Ministry of Railways
d) Ministry of Road Transport and Highways
e) Ministry of Commerce and Industry
Answer: b) Ministry of Defence

25. Where will the primary manufacturing of the High Mobility Vehicles (HMVs) by BEML Limited take place?
a) Bengaluru and Mysore
b) Palakkad and Mysore
c) Chennai and Hyderabad
d) Kolkata and Pune
e) Delhi and Ahmedabad
Answer: b) Palakkad and Mysore

26. Which feature is NOT included in the High Mobility Vehicles (HMVs) designed by BEML Limited?
a) Independent Suspension System
b) High-Power Air-Cooled Engine
c) Central Tyre Inflation System (CTIS)
d) Anti-lock Braking System (ABS)
e) Satellite Navigation System
Answer: e) Satellite Navigation System

27. What is the total budget allocated for the Krishi Samruddhi scheme by the Government of Maharashtra?
a) Rs 15,000 crore
b) Rs 20,000 crore
c) Rs 25,000 crore
d) Rs 30,000 crore
e) Rs 35,000 crore
Answer: c) Rs 25,000 crore

28. Over how many years will the Krishi Samruddhi scheme be implemented in Maharashtra?
a) 3 years
b) 4 years
c) 5 years
d) 6 years
e) 7 years
Answer: c) 5 years

29. Which department is responsible for implementing the Krishi Samruddhi scheme in Maharashtra?
a) Department of Rural Development
b) Agriculture Department
c) Department of Environment
d) Department of Irrigation
e) Department of Horticulture
Answer: b) Agriculture Department

30. Which of the following is a key objective of the Krishi Samruddhi scheme in Maharashtra?
a) Promoting urban development
b) Empowering farmers through financial assistance
c) Developing industrial corridors
d) Enhancing tourism infrastructure
e) Improving healthcare facilities
Answer: b) Empowering farmers through financial assistance

31. What type of crops does the Krishi Samruddhi scheme in Maharashtra support to lower risk for farmers?
a) Traditional crops
b) High-value crops
c) Seasonal crops
d) Staple crops
e) Low-yield crops
Answer: b) High-value crops

32. Who unveiled the National Cooperative Policy 2025 in New Delhi?
a) Narendra Modi
b) Amit Shah
c) Piyush Goyal
d) Hardeep Singh Puri
e) Jagat Prakash Nadda
Answer: b) Amit Shah

33. What is the vision of the National Cooperative Policy 2025?
a) Digital India by 2030
b) Sahkar Se Samriddhi
c) Atmanirbhar Bharat
d) Viksit Bharat by 2047
e) Both b) and d)
Answer: e) Both b) and d)

34. Who chaired the committee that drafted the National Cooperative Policy 2025?
a) Amit Shah
b) Suresh Prabhu
c) Nirmala Sitharaman
d) Rajnath Singh
e) Nitin Gadkari
Answer: b) Suresh Prabhu

35. By what year does the National Cooperative Policy 2025 aim to triple the cooperative sector’s contribution to India’s GDP?
a) 2027
b) 2030
c) 2034
d) 2040
e) 2045
Answer: c) 2034

36. How many citizens does the National Cooperative Policy 2025 aim to bring into active participation in the cooperative sector?
a) 10 crore
b) 25 crore
c) 50 crore
d) 75 crore
e) 100 crore
Answer: c) 50 crore

37. By what percentage does the National Cooperative Policy 2025 plan to increase the number of cooperative societies from the current 8.3 lakh?
a) 10%
b) 20%
c) 30%
d) 40%
e) 50%
Answer: c) 30%

38. Which of the following sectors is NOT targeted by the National Cooperative Policy 2025 for cooperative expansion?
a) Tourism
b) Taxi services
c) Insurance
d) Green energy
e) Aerospace
Answer: e) Aerospace

39. In which year was India’s first National Cooperative Policy introduced?
a) 1995
b) 2000
c) 2002
d) 2005
e) 2010
Answer: c) 2002

40. Where was the National Cooperative Policy 2025 unveiled?
a) Bharat Mandapam
b) Atal Akshay Urja Bhawan
c) Vigyan Bhawan
d) India Habitat Centre
e) Pragati Maidan
Answer: b) Atal Akshay Urja Bhawan

41. Which ministry oversees the Department of Posts (DoP) that signed an agreement with NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL)?
a) Ministry of Finance
b) Ministry of Commerce and Industry
c) Ministry of Communications
d) Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology
e) Ministry of External Affairs
Answer: c) Ministry of Communications

42. What type of agreement was signed between the Department of Posts (DoP) and NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) on July 24, 2025?
a) Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
b) Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA)
c) Strategic Partnership Agreement
d) Service Level Agreement (SLA)
e) Joint Venture Agreement
Answer: b) Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA)

43. Who signed the Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) on behalf of the Department of Posts (DoP)?
a) Ritesh Shukla
b) L.K. Dash
c) Prabhat Chaturvedi
d) K.V. Mukundan
e) Ajay Seth
Answer: b) L.K. Dash

44. What is the primary objective of the agreement between DoP and NIPL?
a) To promote digital literacy in rural areas
b) To transform inward remittances to India
c) To enhance postal banking services
d) To develop a new payment gateway
e) To expand e-commerce platforms
Answer: b) To transform inward remittances to India

45. Which platform is integrated with UPI in the DoP-NIPL agreement to facilitate remittances?
a) SWIFT Network
b) Universal Postal Union (UPU) Interconnection Platform
c) PayPal World
d) Visa Direct
e) Mastercard Send
Answer: b) Universal Postal Union (UPU) Interconnection Platform

46. How many member countries are part of the Universal Postal Union (UPU)?
a) 150
b) 172
c) 192
d) 200
e) 215
Answer: c) 192

47. Which of the following is a key benefit of the DoP-NIPL agreement for inward remittances?
a) Increased remittance costs
b) Real-time transfers using UPI
c) Limited access to urban areas
d) Single-factor authentication
e) Delayed transaction processing
Answer: b) Real-time transfers using UPI

48. In which countries has the Government of India previously internationalized UPI, as mentioned in the DoP-NIPL agreement context?
a) USA, UK, Canada
b) France, UAE, Bhutan
c) China, Japan, Russia
d) Australia, Germany, Italy
e) Brazil, Mexico, Argentina
Answer: b) France, UAE, Bhutan

49. What security feature is highlighted in the DoP-NIPL agreement for remittances?
a) Blockchain encryption
b) Two-factor authentication
c) Biometric verification
d) QR code scanning
e) PIN-based access
Answer: b) Two-factor authentication

50. Who is the Director General of the Universal Postal Union (UPU)?
a) Audrey Azoulay
b) Masahiko Metoki
c) Prabhat Chaturvedi
d) K.V. Mukundan
e) Ritesh Shukla
Answer: b) Masahiko Metoki

51. What is the primary reason for the extension of President’s Rule in Manipur until February 2026?
a) Economic instability
b) Continued social unrest
c) Lack of political leadership
d) Natural disasters
e) External aggression
Answer: b) Continued social unrest

52. Under which article of the Constitution of India was President’s Rule extended in Manipur?
a) Article 352
b) Article 356
c) Article 360
d) Article 365
e) Article 370
Answer: b) Article 356

53. Who introduced the resolution for the extension of President’s Rule in Manipur in Parliament?
a) Narendra Modi
b) Amit Shah
c) Rajnath Singh
d) Nirmala Sitharaman
e) Jagat Prakash Nadda
Answer: b) Amit Shah

54. When was President’s Rule initially imposed in Manipur?
a) May 2023
b) February 2024
c) February 2025
d) July 2025
e) August 2025
Answer: c) February 2025

55. Who is currently overseeing the administration of Manipur during President’s Rule?
a) N. Biren Singh
b) Ajay Kumar Balla
c) Amit Shah
d) Suresh Prabhu
e) L.K. Dash
Answer: b) Ajay Kumar Balla

56. What was the primary cause of the violence that led to President’s Rule in Manipur?
a) Economic protests
b) Ethnic conflict between Meitei and Kuki-Zo groups
c) Political corruption
d) Border disputes
e) Religious tensions
Answer: b) Ethnic conflict between Meitei and Kuki-Zo groups

57. What is the maximum duration for which President’s Rule can be imposed in a state, subject to parliamentary approval?
a) One year
b) Two years
c) Three years
d) Four years
e) Five years
Answer: c) Three years

NATIONAL AFFAIRS

National Cooperative Policy 2025: The policy, developed by a 40-member committee led by Suresh Prabhu, targets tripling the cooperative sector’s contribution to India’s GDP by 2034. It also aims to bring 50 crore inactive or non-member citizens into active participation and increase the number of cooperative societies by 30% from the current 8.3 lakh.
DoP & NIPL Partnership: The Department of Posts (DoP) and NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) have signed a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) to transform inward remittances to India. The initiative will integrate the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) with the Universal Postal Union (UPU) Interconnection Platform (IP), making remittances more affordable, secure, and accessible, particularly in remote areas.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

India & UK Sign CETA: India and the UK signed a Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) to double bilateral trade from USD 56 billion to USD 112 billion by 2030. The agreement, signed by Union Minister Piyush Goyal and UK’s Jonathan Reynolds, covers 26 chapters and includes tariff reductions on key sectors like textiles, pharmaceuticals, and automobiles. The UK will gain zero-duty access for 99% of its exports to India, while India will benefit from reduced tariffs on 90% of its exports to the UK.
USA Withdraws from UNESCO: The United States has announced it will withdraw from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), effective December 31, 2026. Citing ideological differences over divisive social and cultural issues, this is the third time the US has exited the organization. The US previously contributed over 8% of UNESCO’s total budget.

BANKING & FINANCE

RBI Withdraws CAP on Religare Finvest: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has withdrawn the Corrective Action Plan (CAP) imposed on Religare Finvest Limited (RFL). The CAP was initially placed in 2018 due to fund misappropriation. RFL’s progress, including repaying over Rs 9,000 crore to the banking system, led to the withdrawal.
RBI Cancels Licence of Karwar Urban Co-op Bank: The RBI has cancelled the licence of The Karwar Urban Co-operative Bank due to inadequate capital and earning prospects. In the event of liquidation, each depositor will be entitled to a deposit insurance claim of up to Rs 5 lakh from the Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation (DICGC).
Federal Bank Launches Biometric Authentication: Federal Bank Limited has introduced India’s first biometric authentication solution for e-commerce card transactions. Developed with M2P and MinkasuPay, this solution replaces OTP-based verification with fingerprint or Face ID, reducing transaction time from 30-60 seconds to just 3-4 seconds.

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

Justin Nsengiyumva Appointed as PM of Rwanda: Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame has appointed Justin Nsengiyumva as the new Prime Minister. Nsengiyumva, a former deputy governor of the National Bank of Rwanda, succeeds Edouard Ngirente.
Nirmal Minda Appointed Senior Vice President of ASSOCHAM: Nirmal K. Minda, Executive Chairman of Uno Minda Limited, has been appointed as the Senior Vice President of ASSOCHAM. He is in line to become the next President of the organization, succeeding Sanjay Nayar.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

DRDO Conducts Flight Trials of ULPGM-V3: The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully conducted flight trials of the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)-Launched Precision Guided Missile (ULPGM)-V3 in Andhra Pradesh. The missile weighs 12.5 kg, has a range of up to 4 km, and is equipped with Imaging Infrared (IIR) seekers for day and night targeting.
ISRO-VSSC & NIOT MoU for MATSYA-6000: Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) and the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) have signed an MoU to develop ‘MATSYA-6000’, a three-member submersible vessel for the ‘Samudrayaan project’. The vessel’s spherical personnel capsule is made of a special Titanium alloy and is designed to withstand pressures up to 600 bar.
Turkey Unveils Hypersonic Missile “Tayfun Block-4”: Turkey has unveiled its first indigenous hypersonic ballistic missile, “Tayfun Block-4”, developed by Roketsan. The missile can exceed Mach 5 speed and has a maximum range of 800 km. This makes Turkey the second NATO member, after the USA, to develop an indigenous hypersonic missile.

SPORTS

IOA Appoints Raghuram Iyer as CEO: The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has ratified the appointment of Raghuram Iyer as its full-time CEO. The IOA has also established a new Athletes Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel (AADDP), led by Rohit Rajpal, to address doping cases and ensure compliance with global anti-doping standards.

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Drowning Prevention Day: Observed annually on July 25, World Drowning Prevention Day highlights the global impact of drowning. The theme for 2025 is “Your Story Can Save a Life.”
World In Vitro Fertilization Day: Celebrated annually on July 25, this day commemorates the birth of Louise Brown, the world’s first baby conceived through IVF, in 1978.
International Day for Judicial Well-being: The first-ever International Day for Judicial Well-being was observed on July 25, 2025. The day was established by a UN General Assembly resolution to promote the psychological well-being of judges and magistrates worldwide.

STATE NEWS

President’s Rule Extended in Manipur: The Government of India has extended President’s Rule in Manipur by six months until February 13, 2026. The extension, approved by Parliament under Article 356 of the Constitution, was enacted due to continued social unrest and a lack of a suitable environment for elections.

Current Affairs Today: 26 July 2025