NATIONAL AFFAIRS

1. India Maritime Week 2025: Over 600 MoUs Signed Worth ₹12 Lakh Crore

The Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways (MoPSW) organized the India Maritime Week (IMW) 2025 at the NESCO Exhibition Centre in Mumbai, Maharashtra. The event concluded with historic investment commitments to boost India's blue economy.

• Massive Financial Commitments: More than 600 Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) valued at over ₹12 lakh crores were signed.
• Sector-Wise Investment Allocation:
  • Port Development & Modernization: 30%
  • Sustainability & Green Initiatives: 20%
  • Shipping & Shipbuilding: 20%
  • Port-led Industrialization: 20%
  • Trade & Business Partnerships: 10%
• VoCPA's Major Share: The V.O. Chidambaranar Port Authority (VoCPA) alone secured MoUs worth ₹1.27 lakh crores, including:
  • A ₹47,000-crore pact with Jindal India Power Limited (JIPL) for a Green Ammonia Plant and storage facility in Tuticorin, Tamil Nadu.
  • A ₹25,400-crore pact with Sembcorp’s subsidiary (GIREFPL) for common Green Ammonia/Hydrogen storage facilities.
• Dredging Corporation of India (DCI): Signed 22 MoUs worth ₹17,645 crores with 16 national and international organizations.

2. Bharat International Rice Conference (BIRC) 2025 Held in New Delhi

Chaired by Union Minister Piyush Goyal, the Bharat International Rice Conference (BIRC 2025) took place at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, drawing stakeholders from over 80 countries.

• AI in Agriculture: India’s first Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based rice sorting system was launched live at the 'AgriTech Pavilion'.
• Investment Inflow: MoUs worth ₹3,000 crore on Day 1 and ₹30,435 crore on Day 2 were signed, signaling immense global trust.
• Research & Innovation: A contract was finalized to establish a new Agricultural Research Centre in New Delhi focusing on climate-resilient and sustainable rice production.
• New Launches: National Cooperative Organics Limited (NCOL) launched the Bharat Organics’ Organic Rice Range and its Direct-to-Consumer (D2C) digital platform.

3. MoPR Launches Nationwide ‘Model Youth Gram Sabha’ Initiative

The Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR), alongside the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Tribal Affairs, introduced the Model Youth Gram Sabha (MYGS) initiative in New Delhi.

• Objective & Alignment: Aligned with NEP 2020 and Viksit Bharat, the program builds leadership skills and democratic understanding among youth.
• Implementation: Phased rollout across over 1,000 schools nationwide, including Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNVs) and Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRSs).
• Funding: Each participating school will receive a one-time financial assistance of ₹20,000 per school to manage mock sabha logistics and arrangements.

4. EPFO Celebrates 73rd Foundation Day; Launches Employee Enrollment Scheme 2025

The Employees’ Provident Fund Organization (EPFO) marked its 73rd Foundation Day at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, overseen by Union Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya.

• Employee Enrollment Scheme 2025: Launched to encourage voluntary declarations and enrollment of eligible workers. Employers are exempted from paying past employee shares if not deducted earlier, facing only a nominal penalty of ₹100 per establishment.
• Digital Upgrade: A completely revamped, user-friendly portal was unveiled at www.epfo.gov.in.
• Bhavishya Nidhi Awards: The Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya National Academy of Social Security (PDUNASS) bagged two awards for excellence in Capacity Building and Reimagining Governance.

5. Sohra Tourism Circuit Project Inaugurated in Meghalaya Under PM-DevINE

Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia and Meghalaya CM Conrad K. Sangma laid the foundation stone for the Integrated Development of the Sohra (Cherrapunji) Tourism Circuit.

• Funding: The total project outlay stands at over ₹650 crore, funded via the Prime Minister’s Development Initiative for North East Region (PM-DevINE) scheme.
• Key Highlights: Includes a ₹115-crore Sohra Experience Centre at Kutmadan (featuring an amphitheater and rain experience park), precinct development of Nohkalikai Falls (₹26 crore), and Mawsmai Eco Park (₹29 crore).

6. WAVES Animation Bazaar & 8th IndiaJoy Expo Kick Off in Hyderabad

Sanjay Jaju, Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB), inaugurated the WAVES Animation Bazaar and IndiaJoy event at the HICC in Hyderabad, Telangana.

• Creative Hub: Announced the setting up of a Regional Centre of the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT) in Hyderabad, which signed an incubation MoU with T-Hub.
• Ease of Business: A brand new multilingual film certification system was introduced to streamline and simplify movie approvals in India.

7. Indian Army Hosts "Veer Yuva" Young Leader Forum

The Indian Army, alongside the Centre for Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS), hosted the Young Leaders Forum (YLF) - VEER YUVA at the Manekshaw Centre, New Delhi, on National Unity Day.

• Strategic Precursor: This forum served as the curtain-raiser for the 3rd Chanakya Defence Dialogue.
• Theme: "Reform to Transform: Sashakt, Surakshit aur Viksit Bharat."

8. ISRO Partners with BCCL and CMPDI to Map Jharia Coal Fires

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) signed a tripartite agreement with Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL) and Central Mine Planning & Design Institute Limited (CMPDI) for the 2025–27 block.

• The Tech: Led by the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), the project will utilize Thermal Infrared (TIR), Short-Wave Infrared (SWIR), and Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data from NISAR and Sentinel-1 satellites to track surface coal fires and land subsidence in Jharia Coalfield, Jharkhand.

BANKING & FINANCE

RBI Launches Critical Household & Consumer Surveys

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) launched its latest rounds of three essential bi-monthly surveys intended to formulate the country's upcoming monetary policy inputs:

1. Inflation Expectations Survey of Households (IESH): Conducted across 19 major cities to understand subjective price and consumption trends.
2. Rural Consumer Confidence Survey (RCCS): Covering rural and semi-urban sentiments across 31 States/UTs.
3. Urban Consumer Confidence Survey (UCCS): Capturing economic, employment, and spending sentiments of urban clusters across 19 cities.

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS

1. Bihar's Gogabeel Lake Becomes India's 94th Ramsar Site

Union Minister Bhupendra Yadav announced that Gogabeel Lake in the Katihar district of Bihar has been designated as a Ramsar Site of International Importance.

• State Count: This marks Bihar's 6th Ramsar site, placing the state third behind Tamil Nadu (20 sites) and Uttar Pradesh (10 sites).
• Global Standing: India now hosts 94 Ramsar sites (covering 13,60,805 hectares), making it the leader in Asia and 3rd globally behind the UK and Mexico.

2. Sunil Kant Munjal Honored with France’s Highest Civilian Award

Sunil Kant Munjal, Chairman of Hero Enterprise and Founder of Serendipity Arts Foundation, was conferred with the Chevalier de l’Ordre national du Mérite (Knight of the National Order of Merit) by the French Ambassador to India, Thierry Mathou, for promoting bilateral cultural and educational ties.

APPOINTMENTS & OBITUARIES

1. Fit India Icons Felicitated

At the National Fitness & Wellness Conclave 2025 in Mumbai, Union Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya honored Bollywood filmmaker Rohit Shetty, cricketer Harbhajan Singh, and badminton star Saina Nehwal as the new Fit India Icons.

2. Obituary: Padma Shri Awardee Ramdarash Mishra Passes Away at 101

Celebrated Hindi and Bhojpuri litterateur, poet, and academic Ramdarash Mishra passed away in New Delhi at the age of 101.

• Major Honors: Conferred the Padma Shri in 2025, Saraswati Samman (2021 for "Main Toh Yahan Hoon"), and Sahitya Akademi Award (2015 for "Agni Ki Hansi").

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

ISRO Launches India's Heaviest Military Satellite ‘CMS-03’

ISRO successfully launched the CMS-03 (also known as GSAT-7R), weighing a massive 4,410 kg, using its premier LVM3-M5 ('Bahubali') rocket from Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.

• Objective: The dedicated multi-band communication satellite will significantly bolster secure communication channels for the Indian Navy across the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
• Operational Lifespan: Designed for a minimum 15-year service life, it replaces the aging GSAT-7 (Rukmini) satellite launched in 2013.

SPORTS

1. Indian Women's Cricket Team Wins Historic Maiden ODI World Cup Title

The Indian Women’s Cricket Team clinched their first-ever ICC Women’s ODI World Cup title by defeating South Africa by 52 runs in the final at the Dr. DY Patil Sports Academy in Navi Mumbai.

• Player of the Match: Shafali Verma (87 runs and 2 wickets).
• Player of the Tournament: Deepti Sharma (215 runs and 22 wickets).
• Top Run Getter (India): Smriti Mandhana with 434 runs.
• Cash Rewards: The team won a tournament prize pool of USD 6.58 million, with an additional ₹51 crore cash reward announced by the BCCI.

2. New Zealand Star Kane Williamson Retires from T20Is

Former Kiwi captain Kane Williamson announced his retirement from T20 International cricket. He will remain available for Test and ODI selection. Williamson steps away as New Zealand's second-highest run-scorer in T20Is (2,575 runs in 93 matches).

3. Indian Oil Mumbai Lifts 42nd Surjit Hockey Trophy

Indian Oil Mumbai captured the 42nd Indian Oil Servo Surjit Hockey Trophy for the 3rd consecutive year (7th time overall) by defeating Indian Railways Delhi 2-1 in Jalandhar, Punjab.

STATE NEWS

Delhi Government Launches ‘Pink Saheli Smart Card’

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta launched the Pink Saheli Smart Card initiative under the National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) framework. The smart card replaces the old paper-ticket system, providing completely free bus transit across DTC and cluster networks for women and transgender individuals aged 12 and above.