National News
Government Appointments and Policy Updates
R Doraiswamy Appointed as LIC MD & CEO: R Doraiswamy has been appointed as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Life Insurance Corporation of India from 15 July 2025. His term will last until 28 August 2028, when he turns 62. With over 38 years of experience in LIC, he previously served as Executive Director for IT and Software Development
Justice Vibhu Bakhru Appointed as Karnataka High Court Chief Justice: Justice Vibhu Bakhru, Judge of the Delhi High Court, has been appointed as the Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court with effect from the date he assumes charge of the office
Sonali Mishra to Become First Woman to Lead RPF: Senior IPS Officer Sonali Mishra has been appointed to become the first woman to lead the Railway Protection Force
Sanjay Kaul Appointed as MD & CEO of GIFT City: Sanjay Kaul has been appointed as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of GIFT City, Gandhinagar
Karnataka Bank Appoints Interim MD & CEO: Karnataka Bank has appointed Raghavendra Srinivas Bhat as Interim Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer
Infrastructure and Development
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari Inaugurates India’s Second Longest Cable-Stayed Bridge: Union Minister Nitin Gadkari inaugurated the Sigandur Bridge, India’s second longest cable-styled bridge at Sigandur in Shivmogga district, Karnataka. The bridge improves connectivity in the Sharavathi backwaters region
Assam CM Inaugurates India’s First Aqua Tech Park: Assam Chief Minister has inaugurated India’s first Aqua Tech Park to boost the fishery sector, marking a significant milestone in aquaculture development
Coal India Inaugurates First All-Women Operated Dispensary: Coal India Limited has inaugurated India’s first all-women operated dispensary at SECL, Bilaspur, promoting women’s empowerment in the healthcare sector
Economic and Business Updates
RBI Imposes Penalties on HDFC Bank and Shriram Finance: The Reserve Bank of India has imposed penalties on HDFC Bank and Shriram Finance for regulatory non-compliance
Cypriot Shipping Firms Announce Rs 10,000 Crore Investment: Cypriot shipping firms have announced a significant investment of Rs 10,000 crore in the Indian shipping sector
NSE Ranked 4th on Global IPO Offering League Table: According to S&P data, the National Stock Exchange has been ranked 4th on the Global IPO Offering League Table in the first half of calendar year 2025
Retail Inflation Falls to 2.1% in June 2025: Retail inflation dropped to 2.1% in June 2025, marking the lowest level since 2018. Food prices including vegetables declined by 19% and pulses by 12%
Weather and Natural Events
Monsoon Alerts Issued for Multiple States: Heavy rainfall alerts have been issued for Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, and Uttar Pradesh. The India Meteorological Department has forecasted continued heavy rainfall across these regions
Typhoon Nari Makes Landfall in Japan: Typhoon Nari crossed the Hokkaido coast, making it the first landfall by a typhoon on Japan’s northernmost main island since 2016
Education and Sports
Harikrishnan A. Ra. Becomes India’s 87th Chess Grandmaster: Tamil Nadu’s Harikrishnan A. Ra. has achieved the prestigious title of India’s 87th Chess Grandmaster
Chelsea FC Wins Inaugural FIFA Club World Cup 2025: Chelsea Football Club has won the inaugural FIFA Club World Cup 2025, defeating other top clubs in this prestigious tournament
Fauja Singh Passes Away: Veteran marathon runner Fauja Singh, known worldwide as ‘The Turbaned Tornado’, died at 114 after an accident in Punjab
International News
Diplomatic and Political Updates
Trump Announces Trade Deal with Indonesia: US President Donald Trump announced a trade deal with Indonesia, under which Indonesian goods will face a 19% tariff rate. Indonesia has committed to purchasing $15 billion in US Energy, $4.5 billion in American Agricultural Products, and 50 Boeing Jets
China to Hold SCO Summit in Tianjin: Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi announced that China will hold the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Tianjin from August 31 to September 1, with leaders from more than 20 countries expected to attend
New Caledonia to Become State Within French Republic: New Caledonia is set to become a state within the French Republic, marking a significant political development in the Pacific region
Yemen Halts Kerala Nurse’s Execution: Yemen has postponed the execution of Indian nurse Nimisha Priya, providing a lifeline in the ongoing diplomatic efforts
Space and Science
Shubhanshu Shukla Returns from ISS Mission: Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla has safely returned to Earth after completing an 18-day space mission aboard the International Space Station. The Axiom-4 mission splashed down in California waters
Israel Launches Communications Satellite: Israel has successfully launched the communications satellite Dror-1 into space, enhancing its satellite communication capabilities
China Develops World’s Lightest Mind-Controlled ‘Cyborg Bee’: Chinese scientists have developed the world’s lightest mind-controlled ‘cyborg bee’, representing a significant advancement in bio-robotics technology
Global Economic Updates
US Stock Market Performance: The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 400 points due to earnings and inflation concerns, while Nvidia lifted the Nasdaq to record close levels
Global Trade Growth: Global trade grew by $300 billion in the first half of 2025 despite volume slowdown, indicating resilience in international commerce
European Union Trade Negotiations: The European Union announced the prolongation of halt on countermeasures against the US to continue trade negotiations
Banking and Financial Updates
RBI Policies and Regulations
RBI Issues New Prepayment Charges Directions: The Reserve Bank of India has issued new directions on prepayment charges for loans, effective from July 2, 2025. The new rules prohibit levying prepayment charges on floating rate loans for individuals and MSEs
Government Payments Through RBI e-Kuber: From July 16, 2025, major government payments will be processed through the RBI e-Kuber system, enhancing transaction efficiency
Bank Liquidity Surplus Crosses Rs 4 Trillion: Bank liquidity surplus has crossed Rs 4 trillion, indicating strong liquidity position in the banking system
Rs 2000 Notes Worth Rs 6,099 Crore Still in Circulation: According to RBI data, Rs 2000 notes worth Rs 6,099 crore are still in circulation despite the withdrawal announcement
Banking Sector Developments
Taiwan’s CTBC Bank to Open Unit in GIFT City: Taiwan’s CTBC Bank will open a new unit in GIFT City, expanding international banking presence in India’s financial hub
Mashreq Becomes First UAE Bank in GIFT City: Mashreq Bank has become the first UAE bank to enter GIFT City, marking a significant milestone in India-UAE financial cooperation
Public Sector Banks Remove Minimum Balance Charges: Indian Bank and Punjab National Bank have removed minimum balance charges to retain depositors and attract new customers
Slice Launches India’s First UPI-Powered Bank Branch: Slice has launched India’s first UPI-powered bank branch in Bengaluru, showcasing fintech innovation in banking
Stock Market and Investment Updates
Dividend Stocks Trading Ex-Date: Seven companies including TCS, Avadh Sugar & Energy, B&A Packaging India, DJ Mediaprint & Logistics, Piramal Pharma, TCI Express, and Anant Raj will trade ex-dividend on July 16, 2025
Ashok Leyland Announces Bonus Issue: Ashok Leyland has announced a bonus issue in the ratio of 1:1, with July 16, 2025, as the record date for determining eligible shareholders
Equity Mutual Funds Deploy Aggressively: Equity mutual funds deployed nearly Rs 15,000 crore in June 2025, bringing cash levels to a yearly low of 3.09%
Government Schemes and Initiatives
New Schemes Launched
Groww MF Launches Power-Focused ETF: Groww Mutual Fund has launched India’s first power-focused Exchange Traded Fund and Fund of Funds
PM Yasasvi Award Scheme: The Prime Minister Young Achievers Scholarship Award Scheme for Vibrant India has been launched for OBCs, EBCs, and DNTs
Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0: The programme will be launched to provide nutritional support for around 8 crore children and 1 crore lactating mothers
Existing Scheme Updates
Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana Urban 2.0: The scheme has been allocated Rs 3,500 crore for the financial year 2025-26, focusing on urban housing development
National Health Mission: Flexible Pool for RCH & Health System Strengthening has been allocated Rs 30,010 crore for comprehensive healthcare coverage
Ayushman Bharat PMJAY: The scheme has been allocated Rs 9,406 crore for providing health insurance coverage to eligible families
Competitive Exam Updates
SSC Exam Updates
SSC CGL 2025 Exam Schedule: The Staff Selection Commission will conduct the SSC CGL 2025 examination from August 13 to 30, 2025. The notification has been released for 14,582 vacancies
SSC CHSL 2025 Notification: The SSC CHSL 2025 notification has been released with applications available from June 23 to July 18, 2025. The Tier 1 exam will be held from September 8 to 18, 2025
Multi-Tasking Staff Examination: The SSC MTS and Havaldar examination for 2025 will have applications from June 26 to July 24, 2025
Junior Engineer Examination: The SSC JE examination for Civil, Mechanical, and Electrical posts will have applications from June 30 to July 21, 2025
Banking Exam Updates
RBI Grade A & B Recruitment 2025: The Reserve Bank of India has announced recruitment for 28 posts in Grade A and B categories. Online registration began on July 11, 2025, and will continue until July 31, 2025. The examination is scheduled for August 16, 2025
IBPS Exam Calendar: The Institute of Banking Personnel Selection is expected to release the exam calendar for various banking examinations including PO, Clerk, and Specialist Officer positions
UPSC Updates
UPSC Prelims 2025: The Union Public Service Commission will conduct the Civil Services Preliminary Examination on May 25, 2025
UPSC Mains 2025: The Civil Services Main Examination is scheduled to begin from August 22, 2025
UPSC Interview Schedule: The personality test/interview schedule will be announced after the Main Examination results
Sports News
Cricket Updates
India vs England Test Series: England took a 2-1 lead in the Test series against India after a tense 22-run victory at Lord’s. Jasprit Bumrah’s performance was highlighted despite India’s loss
Indian Cricket Team Meets King Charles III: Both men’s and women’s Indian cricket teams met King Charles III at Clarence House in London
Ravindra Jadeja’s Performance: Ravindra Jadeja’s unbeaten knock of 61 runs went in vain as England bowled out India for 170 runs in the second innings of the Lord’s Test
Football Updates
Chelsea vs Paris Saint-Germain Final: Chelsea is set to face Paris Saint-Germain in the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 final, creating excitement among football fans worldwide
England Women’s Euro Success: England stormed into the Women’s Euro quarterfinals, overpowering Wales 6-1 after another resounding win against the Netherlands
Other Sports
Major League Cricket: MI New York claimed the Major League Cricket title, with Rushil Ugarkar successfully defending the final over under extreme pressure
Tennis Tournament Updates: The Hopman Cup features Italy vs Croatia, with various ATP and WTA tournaments ongoing across different venues
Australia vs West Indies: Australia defeated the West Indies in a close T20I series finale, securing the title with a thrilling run chase
Important Days and Observances
World Youth Skills Day 2025
Date: July 15, 2025
Theme: Youth empowerment through artificial intelligence and digital skills
Significance: Celebrated globally to highlight the importance of equipping young people with skills for employment and entrepreneurship
Nagasaki A-bomb Ceremony
Record International Attendance: The mayor of Nagasaki announced that a record 107 countries and regions, along with the European Union, have signaled plans to attend the 80th anniversary ceremony of the US atomic bombing
Technology and Innovation
Artificial Intelligence Developments
Tesla Model Y Launch in India: Tesla has launched the Model Y electric cars in India and opened its first Mumbai showroom, marking the company’s entry into the Indian electric vehicle market
New Solar Cell Technology: Scientists at IIT-Bombay have developed new solar cell technology that could be a game-changer for renewable energy sector
AI in Currency Systems: Artificial intelligence is quietly rewriting the rules of modern banking and currency systems
Space Technology
Axiom-4 Mission Success: The successful completion of the Axiom-4 mission with Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla demonstrates India’s growing capabilities in space exploration
Satellite Communication Advances: Israel’s launch of the Dror-1 communications satellite represents continued advancement in satellite technology
Defense Technology
DRDO Developments: The Defence Research and Development Organisation has handed over six indigenous equipment items to the Indian Navy for enhanced defense capabilities
UAV and CAS Workshop: The Ministry of Defence will organize a special workshop and exhibition for UAV and Close Air Support systems on July 16, focusing on indigenous defense technology
