NATIONAL NEWS
Railway Sector Updates
RPF Gets First Woman Director General: Senior IPS officer Sonali Mishra has been appointed as the first woman Director General of Railway Protection Force (RPF), replacing Manoj Yadav who retires on July 31, 2025
Massive Railway Recruitment Drive: Railway Recruitment Boards have issued over 9,000 appointment letters in Q1 FY2025-26, with plans to offer 50,000 jobs throughout the fiscal year
Digital Authentication Success: Aadhaar-based e-KYC authentication achieved 95% success rate in railway recruitment exams, marking a first for large-scale government examinations
CBT Examinations: Over 1.86 crore candidates have appeared for Computer Based Tests across seven notifications covering 55,197 vacancies since November 2024
Space and Technology
ISRO Achievement: Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, ISRO astronaut, is set to return to Earth on July 15, 2025, after spending 18 days at the International Space Station under the Axiom-4 mission
Ayush System Recognition: WHO report acknowledges India’s traditional medicine systems, particularly Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani, and Sowa-Rigpa innovations in artificial intelligence applications
Employment and Recruitment
Rozgar Mela Success: Prime Minister Modi distributed over 51,000 appointment letters to new government recruits through the 16th Rozgar Mela conducted at 47 locations across India
One Nation One Election: Next meeting scheduled for July 30, 2025, to discuss constitutional amendments in the Representation of the People Act
Law and Order
Bihar Crime Update: 50-year-old rural health officer Surendra Kumar was killed by criminals in Patna’s Pipra area
International Arrest: Tajikistani singer and social media influencer Abdu Rozik was arrested at Dubai International Airport on theft charges
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Air India Crash Investigation
Preliminary Report Released: Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) revealed that fuel control switches were moved from ‘RUN’ to ‘CUTOFF’ position, causing dual engine failure
Cockpit Voice Recording: One pilot questioned the other about fuel cutoff, with the second pilot denying the action
Investigation Status: Final report expected by June 2026, with multiple scenarios under investigation including human error, mechanical failure, and potential sabotage
US Military Aid Changes
Ukraine Support Reduction: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed cuts to Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) in 2026 budget, emphasizing diplomatic solutions over military support
NATO Responsibility: European allies expected to take primary responsibility for conventional defense and deterrence of Russia
Budget Implications: Over $66 billion committed to Ukraine since February 2022, with administration seeking fiscal restraint
Brexit Developments
UK-EU Reset Deal: Historic agreement reached on May 19, 2025, easing travel and work restrictions for millions across Europe
Key Provisions: Britons can now use e-gates at European airports, reduced bureaucratic obstacles for food and beverage exports
Fishing Agreement: EU access to UK fishing waters extended until 2038, sparking political debate
Climate and Environment
COP30 Preparation: 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference scheduled for November 10-21, 2025, in Belém, Brazil
Global Climate Action Summit: Premier gathering planned for September 18-19, 2025, in Los Angeles, USA
Asia Climate Summit: Recently concluded in Bangkok, Thailand, focusing on carbon market solutions and climate finance
BANKING AND FINANCIAL SECTOR
RBI Policy Updates
Repo Rate Cut: RBI reduced policy repo rate by 50 basis points to 5.50% in June 2025, shifting stance from accommodative to neutral
CRR Reduction: Cash Reserve Ratio cut expected to release Rs 2.5 lakh crore liquidity to banking system by December 2025
GDP Growth Projection: RBI projects 6.5% GDP growth for 2025-26, maintaining India’s position as fastest-growing major economy
Banking Sector Developments
Public Sector Banks Growth: PSU banks surge to 43% market share in home loans, overtaking private lenders
Minimum Balance Waiver: Bank of Baroda and other public sector banks removing minimum balance penalties to attract deposits
Credit Growth: Banking credit grew 9.5% in June quarter, with deposits growing 10.1% year-on-year
HDFC Bank Penalty: RBI imposed Rs 4.88 lakh penalty on HDFC Bank for foreign investment norm violations
Financial Market Updates
Nifty Performance: Nifty 50 closed at 25,149.85, down 0.81%, with IT stocks leading the decline post-TCS earnings
Banking Stocks: Bank Nifty index closed at 56,754.70, registering 0.49% decline from previous week
Oil Prices: Crude oil prices at $68.75 per barrel, up 3.27% from previous day, with Brent crude at $70.69
GOVERNMENT POLICIES AND SCHEMES
Economic Policies
GDP Growth Forecast: IMF projects India’s economy to grow at 6.2% in 2025 and 6.3% in 2026, maintaining fastest growth among major economies
Tax Relief Measures: Budget 2025 announces significant personal income tax reduction for middle-class demographic
Digital Payment Growth: India’s digital payments sector projected to increase from $3 trillion in 2022 to $10 trillion in 2026
Social Welfare Schemes
Centrally Sponsored Schemes: Government operating 65 centrally sponsored schemes with combined funding of Rs 442,781 crore in 2022
Flagship Programs: 10 flagship schemes allocated Rs 1.5 lakh crore in Union Budget 2021
Implementation Focus: Enhanced evaluation processes by NITI Aayog and improved last-mile implementation mechanisms
SUPREME COURT UPDATES
Key Judgments (June-July 2025)
Narco-Analysis Test: Supreme Court reaffirmed that involuntary narco-analysis tests are unconstitutional, violating Articles 20(3) and 21
Business Closure Rights: Court held that right to close business is protected under Article 19(1)(g) but subject to reasonable restrictions
Tamil Nadu Governor Case: Court declared Governor’s withholding of assent to ten bills as “illegal” and “erroneous”
Lawyer Conviction: Court upheld conviction of lawyer for outraging modesty of female judge during court proceedings
Administrative Updates
New Chief Justice: Justice BR Gavai assumed office as Chief Justice of India with three new appointments to the bench
Working Strength: Supreme Court currently has 33 judges of sanctioned strength of 34
Pending Cases: 84,644 total cases pending before the Supreme Court as per National Judicial Data Grid
SPORTS UPDATES
International Sports
WWE Events: Randy Orton defeated Drew McIntyre at Saturday Night’s Main Event, July 2025
Tennis Championships: Multiple international tournaments scheduled including American Century Championship
Horse Racing: Bangalore Turf Club hosting various racing events with significant prize money
Upcoming Events
MLB Draft: 2025 Major League Baseball draft scheduled for July 13-15 in Atlanta, Georgia
NBA Summer League: Multiple games scheduled in Las Vegas featuring various teams
NASCAR Cup Series: Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway scheduled for July 13
COMPETITIVE EXAM INSIGHTS
Important Topics for Banking Exams
RBI monetary policy changes and their implications
Banking sector consolidation and PSU bank performance
Digital banking initiatives and technological adoption
Credit growth patterns and sectoral analysis
UPSC Preparation Points
India’s space achievements and ISRO missions
International relations and diplomatic developments
Supreme Court constitutional interpretations
Government policy implementation and evaluation
Current Affairs Significance
Air India crash investigation highlights aviation safety protocols
Brexit developments impact on international trade relations
Climate change conferences and global environmental policies
India’s economic growth projections and fiscal policy measures
