National Affairs and Politics
Prime Minister Modi to Visit China for SCO Summit After Seven Years
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 19th August 2025 and delivered invitation from President Xi Jinping for SCO Summit
Modi accepted the invitation to attend Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Tianjin from August 31 to September 1, 2025
This marks Modi’s first visit to China in seven years since June 2018
Both leaders emphasized importance of maintaining peace and tranquility along India-China border
Progress noted in bilateral ties since Modi-Xi meeting in Kazan last year, including resumption of Kailash Manasarovar Yatra
Vice Presidential Election Campaign Intensifies
BJP nominated veteran Tamil leader C P Radhakrishnan as NDA candidate for Vice President election
Opposition INDIA bloc announced former Supreme Court Judge B Sudershan Reddy as their candidate
Election scheduled for September 9, 2025 with opposition calling it ideological battle between regional pride and national unity
Supreme Court Addresses Constitutional Questions
Five-judge Constitution Bench led by CJI BR Gavai examining Presidential reference on Governor and President timelines for State Bills
Court hearing Article 143(1) reference from President Murmu regarding procedures for approving State legislature Bills
Decision expected to clarify constitutional framework for Center-State legislative processes
Parliamentary Activity and Legislative Updates
Rajya Sabha passed Indian Ports Bill 2025, replacing colonial-era Indian Ports Act 1908
Jan Vishwas Bill 2025 introduced in Lok Sabha to decriminalize minor offenses, referred to Select Committee amid parliamentary uproar
Lok Sabha passed IIM Amendment Bill 2025 to establish IIM Guwahati with ₹555 crore funding allocation
State Government Developments
Bihar Cabinet reduced BPSC preliminary exam fees to ₹100 and waived main exam charges under CM Nitish Kumar’s directive
CII report projects Bihar economy to double by 2030, reaching USD 219 billion with long-term growth potential of USD 1.1 trillion by 2046-47
Mumbai declared holiday for schools and colleges due to IMD’s extremely heavy rainfall warning and safety concerns
Banking and Financial Sector
New Banking Laws Implementation
Banking Laws Amendment Act 2025 came into effect from August 1, 2025 with comprehensive governance reforms
Substantial interest threshold increased from ₹5 lakh to ₹2 crore, first revision since 1968
Director tenure in cooperative banks extended from 8 to 10 years aligning with 97th Constitutional Amendment
Enhanced audit quality provisions for public sector banks and improved depositor protection measures
UPI System Modifications
NPCI introduced new usage limits effective August 1, 2025 to improve system performance during peak hours
Balance checks limited to 50 times per day and account view restricted to 25 times daily
Autopay mandates allowed one execution plus three retries, scheduled during non-peak hours
Peak hours defined as 10 AM-1 PM and 5 PM-9:30 PM with no changes to transaction limits
Banking Sector Updates
SBI launched collateral-free ₹4 lakh loan scheme specifically for Agniveers personnel
HDFC Bank comprehensively revised service charges for savings and salary customers effective August 1
ICICI Bank faced public backlash over minimum balance requirement hike but partially rolled back changes
AU Small Finance Bank received RBI approval to transition to universal bank status, becoming first SFB to achieve this milestone
Market and Investment Developments
PSU banks wrote off ₹5.82 lakh crore in bad loans between FY21-FY25 amid ongoing recovery efforts
Government appointed merchant bankers and legal advisors for minority stake sales in LIC and PSBs
UPI achieved record 707 million daily transactions, highlighting India’s digital payments boom continuation
Economic Indicators and Policy
GDP Growth Projections
Finance Ministry projects India needs 8% annual growth for next decade to achieve developed nation status by 2047
Current growth estimates range 6.3%-6.8% for FY26, requiring investment rate increase to 35% of GDP from current 31%
Real GDP for FY25 estimated at ₹1,87,97,000 crore (USD 2.20 trillion) showing 6.5% growth rate
Inflation and Monetary Policy
Consumer Price Index inflation dropped to 2.10% in June 2025, lowest since early 2019
Food inflation turned negative at -1.06%, boosting purchasing power and consumer sentiment
RBI maintained repo rate at 5.5% with neutral stance, supporting credit flows amid global uncertainties
Trade and External Sector
Exports reached ₹37,31,000 crore (USD 436.6 billion) in FY25 led by Engineering Goods, Petroleum Products, and Electronics
FDI inflows increased 15% to ₹4,21,929 crore (USD 49.3 billion) in FY25 showing investor confidence
Current account deficit narrowed to 0.6% of GDP in FY25 from 0.7% in FY24 due to higher service receipts
Infrastructure Investment Plans
Union Budget 2025-26 allocated ₹11.21 lakh crore for infrastructure sector supporting Viksit Bharat vision
Cabinet approved ₹1507 crore Kota-Bundi greenfield airport project with 1000 passenger capacity terminal
National Industrial Corridor Development Corporation overseeing 11 projects with 32+ development nodes nationwide
Sports and Entertainment
Cricket Team Selections
India announced 15-member T20 Asia Cup squad with Suryakumar Yadav as captain and Shubman Gill as vice-captain
Gill returns to T20I format after two-year absence, replacing Axar Patel in leadership role
Notable exclusions include Shreyas Iyer, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sai Sudharsan, KL Rahul, and Washington Sundar
Squad includes Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Hardik Pandya, and rising stars Tilak Varma and Abhishek Sharma
Women’s Cricket World Cup Preparations
Harmanpreet Kaur named captain for ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 with Smriti Mandhana as vice-captain
15-member squad excludes Shafali Verma but includes breakthrough performers Pratika Rawal and Kranti Gaud
Tournament begins September 30 with India opening against Sri Lanka on home soil
Separate squad announced for Australia ODI series as preparation for World Cup campaign
Tennis and Other Sports
Carlos Alcaraz won Cincinnati Open title after Jannik Sinner retired due to illness trailing 0-5 in opening set
Sinner withdrew from US Open mixed doubles competition following health concerns during Cincinnati final
Neeraj Chopra qualified for 2025 Diamond League Final in Zurich with 15 points despite missing Silesia tournament
Various state-level athletic competitions ongoing as qualifying window for World Championships closes August 24
Space and Technology
ISRO Achievements and Future Plans
National Space Day celebrated August 23, 2025 with theme “Aryabhatta to Gaganyaan: Ancient Wisdom to Infinite Possibilities”
ISRO inaugurated Himalayan Outpost for Planetary Exploration (HOPE) analog mission in Tso Kar Valley, Ladakh
Celebrations mark second anniversary of Chandrayaan-3’s historic lunar south pole landing achievement
Gaganyaan programme progressing with ₹20,193 crore financial outlay for India’s first human spaceflight mission
Technology Integration in Education
National Education Policy 2025 emphasizes AI-driven platforms for personalized learning pathways
Implementation of Artificial Intelligence in learning to analyze student performance and address individual gaps
Integration of digital learning platforms with technology-driven educational delivery systems
Focus on developing 21st-century skills through modern pedagogical techniques and technology integration
Weather and Natural Disasters
Monsoon Season Impact
IMD issued red alert for extremely heavy rainfall in Karnataka, Gujarat, Madhya Maharashtra, Konkan, and Goa
All-India monsoon rainfall showing 0% departure from normal with steady distribution across regions
Heavy to very heavy rainfall forecast for Western Ghats, Bengal Basin, Aravalli and Vindhya ranges
Flash floods and transport disruptions expected in northern and central India through August 27
State-wise Weather Conditions
Mumbai facing severe flooding with schools and offices closed, flights delayed due to continuous heavy rains
Himachal Pradesh monsoon death toll reached 261 with ₹2,14,457 lakh worth of property damage
Major highway blockages including NH-05 and NH-305 due to landslides and flash floods affecting connectivity
Over 27,000 animals perished in rain-related incidents with 278 houses completely damaged statewide
Agricultural and Rural Impact
Rice and wheat production increased notably strengthening food security and supporting rural incomes
Rural India showing resilience with 76.6% households reporting increased consumption patterns
Agricultural sector contributing 16% to GDP with above-trend performance levels maintained
Rural inflation declined to 1.72% representing significant 394 basis points year-over-year reduction
International Affairs
Ukraine-Russia Conflict Developments
President Trump assured Ukraine’s Zelenskyy of US support in potential Russia peace deal during White House summit
Russia launched largest August attack on Kyiv coinciding with high-level peace talks in Washington
China pressing for swift Ukraine peace settlement as Trump rules out NATO membership and Crimea’s return
Reports suggest Ukraine offered $100 billion arms and $50 billion drone deal for long-term security guarantees
Middle East Situation
Israel evaluating Hamas response to Gaza ceasefire plan proposing 60-day truce and partial hostage release
Egypt and Qatar mediating indirect talks between parties with UN Security Council debating UNIFIL mandate extension
France proposing one-year UNIFIL extension in Lebanon amid Israeli and US opposition to renewal
US Immigration Policy
United States revoked over 6,000 international student visas for legal violations under Trump administration crackdown
4,000 visas linked to law violations including overstays, assault, DUI, and burglary offenses
Stricter immigration and education policies implemented affecting international student community significantly
Infrastructure and Development
Transportation Projects
Delhi-Mumbai Expressway nearing completion by October 2025, reducing travel time by nearly 50%
1,386 km eight-lane highway connecting India’s economic and political centers with advanced infrastructure
National Highways Authority developing 10,000 km Digital Highways with fiber optic infrastructure for rural connectivity
Bharatmala Pariyojana delivered 19,826 km of national highways with ₹4.72 lakh crore investment in Phase-I
Aviation Sector Expansion
Noida International Airport in Jewar conducting validation flights for end-2025 operational commencement
Navi Mumbai International Airport scheduled for commercial operations beginning August 2025
UDAN scheme operationalized 625 routes connecting 90 airports including water aerodromes and heliports
Airport infrastructure development responding to rising demand from India’s largest urban centers
Industrial Corridor Development
PM Gati Shakti digital platform integrating 44 central ministries and all states for infrastructure coordination
Over 1,650 data layers integrated optimizing road, rail, port, and utility planning nationwide
Smart city projects under NICDC receiving ₹28,602 crore allocation for future-ready urban infrastructure
Industrial corridors designed to reduce logistics costs, accelerate urbanization, and attract manufacturing investment.
