National News Headlines – 23.08.2025
Political and Legislative Updates
President Droupadi Murmu granted assent to the Gaming and Information Technology bills, transforming them into official laws
Supreme Court issued fresh directives regarding stray dogs, mandating municipal bodies to sterilize, vaccinate and release them back to original locations rather than confining to shelters
Supreme Court clarified that Bihar voters previously excluded from electoral rolls can now file claims using Aadhaar cards as valid documentation
Election Commission assured the apex court that no eligible voter would be excluded from the electoral process
Jammu & Kashmir government assumed control of educational institutions previously linked to the banned Jamaat organization
Two Pakistani women discovered on Bihar voter rolls, prompting Union Home Ministry and Election Commission to seek detailed reports
Trinamool Congress expressed disagreement with opposition parties regarding participation in Joint Parliamentary Committee examining bills related to removal of Prime Minister and Chief Ministers
Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal indicated that Chinese FDI scrutiny policies may undergo review as geopolitical situations evolve
Prime Minister Modi announced his upcoming visit to China following his Japan trip
Security and Administrative Developments
Parliament witnessed a security breach incident when an unidentified man scaled the boundary wall and entered the premises
NRI business tycoon Lord Swaraj Paul passed away at age 94
OpenAI announced establishment of its first Indian office in New Delhi, scheduled to open later this year
Real money gaming companies Dream11 and My11Circle suspended cash game operations following regulatory pressures
United States President Donald Trump nominated Sergio Gor as the new US Ambassador to India amid ongoing tariff tensions
Maharashtra Police registered an FIR against former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav for allegedly making defamatory remarks against Prime Minister Modi on social media
Economic and Infrastructure Initiatives
PM Modi scheduled to inaugurate the Fourth edition of SEMICON on September 2
New Income Tax law received ratification and will become effective from 2026
India temporarily suspended all postal services to the United States effective August 25
International News Updates – 23.08.2025
Middle East Developments
United Nations-backed report declared famine conditions in Gaza, attributing the humanitarian crisis to Israeli military actions
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office dismissed UN famine declaration as “outright lie” and “modern blood libel”
Israeli Defence Minister stated that if Hamas refuses to disarm and release hostages, Israel will proceed with Gaza City demolition
South Asian Affairs
Former Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe arrested on charges of misusing government funds
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi conducted high-level meetings with Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir to discuss security cooperation and counter-terrorism measures
Pakistan students and visa holders in the United States face growing uncertainty as Trump administration reviews social media activities for anti-American content
Global Incidents and Policies
Ukrainian President Zelensky claimed Russia postponed summit meetings with Putin, stating “agenda not ready”
Italian authorities announced implementation of fines up to Rs 50,000 for tourist misconduct
Magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck South Atlantic region, prompting tsunami advisory for Antarctica
Thailand court cleared influential former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in royal insult case
European aviation incident occurred when passenger attempted to break into EasyJet cockpit, forcing flight return to Lyon
At least 17 people, including police officers, killed in car bombing and helicopter strike in Colombia
Mountain mudslide in northern Pakistan created 7-kilometer lake, raising fears of catastrophic downstream flooding
Iran’s defence minister revealed establishment of weapons production facilities in several countries
Ghislaine Maxwell disclosed details about her relationship with Jeffrey Epstein in recent statements
Economic and Trade Relations
US tariffs implementation pushed India to significant earnings downgrades
Trump administration provided two-week timeline for Russia-Ukraine peace review
US Defence Intelligence Agency Chief terminated after denying Trump’s Iran-related claims
Banking and Financial Sector Updates – 23.08.2025
Reserve Bank of India Policy Decisions
RBI Monetary Policy Committee maintained repo rate at 5.50% during August 2025 meeting under Governor Sanjay Malhotra’s leadership
Policy stance remained “neutral” indicating readiness to move in either direction based on economic conditions
Standing Deposit Facility rate maintained at 5.25%, Marginal Standing Facility rate and Bank Rate kept at 5.75%
Inflation forecast for FY26 revised downward to 3.1% from earlier projection of 3.7%
GDP growth projection for FY26 maintained at 6.5% despite global uncertainties
Cash Reserve Ratio reduction from 4% to 3% scheduled to commence September 2025 in four phases of 25 basis points each
Average daily liquidity remained above Rs 3 lakh crore since June policy review
Banking Sector Reforms and Regulations
Banking Laws Amendment Act 2025 implemented from August 1, introducing 19 amendments across five key legislations
New legislation aims to improve governance standards and enhance depositor protection
Substantial interest threshold redefined from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 2 crore, updating limits unchanged since 1968
Director tenure in cooperative banks aligned with 97th Constitutional Amendment, increasing maximum tenure from 8 to 10 years
Punjab National Bank became first institution to implement fin.in URL standardization for enhanced financial sector security
IDFC First Bank and IndiGo launched dual network credit card offering MasterCard and RuPay benefits
SEBI Regulatory Updates
SEBI proposed increasing minimum block deal order size from Rs 10 crore to Rs 25 crore effective from current Rs 10 crore threshold maintained since 2017
Price band for non-derivative stocks under consideration for expansion to 3% while retaining 1% band for futures and options
Investment Advisers and Research Analysts permitted to meet deposit requirements through liquid mutual funds or overnight mutual funds alongside bank deposits
Implementation timeline for margin obligations pledge system extended from September 1 to October 10, 2025
Algorithmic trading rules implementation postponed to October 1, 2025, following industry representations
Operational efficiency measures introduced for monitoring Non-Resident Indian position limits in derivatives
Financial Market Performance
BSE Sensex closed at 81,306.85, declining 0.85% and ending six-day rally streak
Market sentiment remained cautious ahead of Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s Jackson Hole address
Trading activity affected by upcoming US tariffs on Indian imports scheduled for August 27
Banking stocks including Kotak Bank, HDFC Bank, and SBI declined approximately 1%
Asian Paints, UltraTech Cement, Tata Steel, and ITC emerged as major losers with 2% decline
Weekly performance showed 0.9% gain despite Friday’s decline
Inflation and Economic Indicators
Consumer Price Index inflation rate dropped to 1.55% in July 2025, falling below RBI’s tolerance band for first time since 2019
Food inflation turned negative at -1.76%, marking significant deflation in essential commodities
Rural inflation decreased to 2.59% while urban inflation reduced to 3.07%
Transport and communication inflation moderated to 2.12% from 3.9%
Housing inflation in urban areas increased marginally to 3.17%
Sports Achievements and Updates – 23.08.2025
International Competition Success
Indian compound men’s U-21 archery team clinched their first-ever Junior World title at 2025 World Archery Youth Championships in Canada
Team comprising Kushal Dalal, Mihir Apar, and Ganesh Mani Ratnam defeated Germany in thrilling shootoff after 233-233 tie
Elavenil Valarivan secured gold medal in 10m air rifle event at Asian Shooting Championships in Kazakhstan
Kajal Dochak won gold medal at U-20 World Wrestling Championships, adding to India’s wrestling glory
Kerala triple jumper Karthik achieved remarkable victory at National Inter-State Championship in Chennai, defeating favored competitors
Cricket and Team Sports
BCCI initiated major organizational restructuring with three-time IPL winner set to become national selector
Board parted ways with crucial support staff member ahead of Asia Cup, continuing pre-Gautam Gambhir era changes
Team India faces potential jersey sponsor loss due to Dream11 ban ahead of Asia Cup 2025
Supreme Court directed AIFF and FSDL to reach agreement regarding ISL before next hearing scheduled for August 28
NorthEast United FC secured victory in Durand Cup final against Diamond Harbour FC
India women’s football team defeated Bangladesh 2-0 for second consecutive win at SAFF U17 Women’s Championship
Chess Championships
Grandmasters D Gukesh and R Praggnanandhaa secured draws in third round of prestigious Sinquefield Cup 2025
Both players maintaining strong positions in Grand Chess Tour standings
Viswanathan Anand scheduled to face Garry Kasparov in 12-game Chess960 exhibition match
Administrative Changes in Sports
Bengaluru removed as host city for Women’s World Cup matches, with Navi Mumbai named as replacement venue
Key selection committees across multiple sports due for comprehensive overhaul
Pro Kabaddi League introduced tie-breakers for Season 12 along with revamped playoff structure
Badminton World Federation clarified that shuttlecock shortage not yet reached crisis level
National Space Day Celebration
India celebrated second National Space Day on August 23, 2025, commemorating Chandrayaan-3’s historic lunar landing
Theme for 2025: “Aryabhatta to Gaganyaan: Ancient Wisdom to Infinite Possibilities”
National Meet 2.0 conducted at Bharat Mandapam focusing on “Leveraging Space Technology for Viksit Bharat 2047”
ISRO organized extensive outreach programs including Space on Wheels, robotics challenges, and hackathons
Prime Minister’s video message highlighted India’s space achievements and future ambitions
Government Schemes and Policy Initiatives – 23.08.2025
Employment and Skill Development
Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana (PM-VBRY) launched on August 15, 2025, with Rs 99,446 crore outlay
Scheme targets creation of 3.5 crore jobs over two-year period with 1.92 crore first-time workforce entrants
Employment benefits applicable for jobs created between August 1, 2025, and July 31, 2027
SBI Foundation introduced “SBI Youth for India Fellowship 2025” special recruitment drive
Agriculture and Rural Development
Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana proposed to benefit 1.7 crore farmers across 100 districts
Rural Prosperity and Resilience Programme launched to address agricultural underemployment
Kisan Credit Card loan limit increased from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 5 lakh under Modified Interest Subvention Scheme
Anna Chakra PDS Supply Chain Optimization Tool implemented in 30 states and Union Territories
Chief Minister Kisan Kalyan Yojana second installment distributed to 83 lakh farmers in Madhya Pradesh
Infrastructure and Technology
Special Window for Affordable and Mid-Income Housing Fund 2 established with Rs 15,000 crore allocation
MSME classification limits enhanced with micro enterprises threshold increased from Rs 1 crore to Rs 2.5 crore investment
Modified UDAN scheme announced to connect 120 new destinations and serve 4 crore passengers over decade
National Geospatial Mission launched for foundational data development and infrastructure modernization
Education and Research Initiatives
CBSE announced establishment of new regional offices nationwide
Kerala Education Department clarified uniforms not mandatory during festival celebrations
CBSE partnered with Narcotics Control Bureau for drug abuse awareness in affiliated schools
PM Research Fellowship scheme expanded to provide 10,000 fellowships over five years with enhanced financial support
WBJEE 2025 results declared with Chief Minister acknowledging legal complications causing delays
Healthcare and Social Security
PM Jan Arogya Yojana extended to cover 1 crore gig workers with healthcare benefits
National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation issued 10-point advisory prioritizing women in organ transplants
Special Development Packages approved for Assam and Tripura with comprehensive central funding
MERITE Scheme sanctioned to enhance technical education across 275 government institutions
Digital and Financial Inclusion
e-Shram portal registration and identity cards arranged for online platform gig workers
Union Minister Giriraj Singh inaugurated “The Kunj” textile initiative
Khelo India Water Sports Festival conducted at Dal Lake, Srinagar from August 21-23
Surya Dronathon 2025 organized in Spiti Valley featuring drone obstacle-course competitions
Regional and State-Specific Updates – 23.08.2025
Natural Disasters and Emergency Response
Uttarakhand experienced sudden floods in Tharali, Chamoli district with two people reported missing
Several vehicles buried and shops damaged due to rising water levels in affected areas
Emergency response teams deployed for rescue and rehabilitation operations
Banking Holiday Schedule
Banks remained closed on August 23, 2025, being fourth Saturday of the month
Guwahati branches scheduled for closure on August 25 for Tirubhav Tithi of Srimanta Sankardeva
Ganesh Chaturthi closures planned for August 27 in Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, and Hyderabad
Online banking and ATM services continued normal operations during physical branch closures
This comprehensive current affairs update for 23.08.2025 provides essential information for banking and competitive examination preparation, covering all major national and international developments, policy changes, and sector-specific updates relevant for aspirants across India.
