July 2025 Current Affairs Notes– UPSC, SSC, RRB &Other competitive exams


1. Former Vice President on Digital Colonialism

  • Concern raised about digital colonialism, citing dependence on foreign digital infrastructure as a key sovereignty threat.

  • Meaning: A theoretical framework where Big Tech companies dominate by extracting, analyzing, and owning user data for profit and influence.

  • Includes decentralized data capture (with or without user consent), threatening state and individual autonomy.

India’s Measures to Tackle Digital Colonialism:

2. OTT Platform Ban

  • Ministry of I&B banned public access to several OTT platforms for obscene content under the IT Act 2000 and IT (Intermediary Guidelines & Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules 2021.

  • SC in Ranjit D. Udeshi vs State of Maharashtra (1965): Defined obscenity as a reasonable restriction to free speech under Article 19.

3. National Cooperative Policy 2025

  • Launched by Union Minister of Cooperatives; first such policy after 2002.

  • Vision: Co-operatives as key drivers for Viksit Bharat 2047 through Sahkar-se-Samriddhi.

  • Objective: Bring 50 crore inactive/non-members into active cooperative participation.

4. Devolution of Funds in Panchayati Raj

  • Parliamentary committee flagged partial devolution of 3Fs (Functions, Funds, Functionaries) despite the 73rd Constitutional Amendment.

  • Highlighted financial issues faced by Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs).

5. Ravi & Beas Tribunal Extension

  • Tribunal formed in 1986 got a 1-year extension to resolve water sharing issues among Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan.

  • Centre to form a technical committee for Polavaram–Banakacherta Link Project (PBLP) and other disputes.

  • Odisha & Chhattisgarh expressed willingness to resolve Mahanadi water dispute.

6. ORF Study on Cost of Politics in India

  • Supported by Westminster Foundation for Democracy.

  • Key Findings:

    • Campaign costs rising: LS candidates spend ₹7–10 crores in competitive states.

    • Routine political expenditure: events, constituents, party activities.

    • Social media cheaper than rallies but increasingly vital.

    • Vote-buying pressures continue.

  • Sources of funds: Mostly personal wealth, plus loans/borrowing.

7. Global Voting Age Debate

  • Several countries (Germany, Austria, Malta, Estonia, Argentina, Nicaragua) lowered voting age to 16.

  • UK announced similar plans.

  • In India, a private member’s bill proposed reducing voting age via Article 326 amendment.

8. Motion to Remove Justice Yashwant Varma

  • 145 Lok Sabha MPs + 50 Rajya Sabha MPs signed removal motion.

  • Process:

    1. Motion signed by 100 LS or 50 RS MPs.

    2. 3-member inquiry committee formed (SC judge, HC CJ, jurist).

    3. If guilty → motion passed by special majority in both Houses.

    4. President issues removal order.

9. Bills of Lading Bill 2025

  • Passed by Parliament to modernize shipping document laws.

  • Replaces Bills of Lading Act, 1856.

  • Bill of Lading: Issued by carrier to shipper as proof of shipment.

10. India–UK Comprehensive Economic & Trade Agreement (CETA)

  • Milestone in bilateral ties.

  • Vision 2025 adopted: Cooperation in economy, technology, defence, climate, health, education.

  • Defence Industrial Roadmap: Co-design, co-development & co-production of defence products.

11. China’s Medog Dam on Yarlung Tsangpo (Brahmaputra)

  • Located in Tibet; part of China’s industrialization of Tibet.

  • Projected as renewable energy + carbon neutrality by 2060 initiative.

12–15. PM’s International Honours

16. Australia–UK Geelong Treaty

17. Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project (KMTTP)

  • To be operational by 2027.

  • Links India’s eastern ports to Northeast through Myanmar.

  • Framework signed 2008.

18. US Withdrawal from UNESCO

  • Citing bias and divisive causes.

  • 3rd US exit from UNESCO.

  • Impact:

    • Budgetary → US was ~80% contributor.

    • Geopolitical → Increased China’s influence.

    • Weakens trust in multilateralism.

19. Henley Passport Index 2025

  • India jumped from 85 (2024) to 77 (2025).

  • Visa-free access to 159 destinations.

20. PM Dhan–Dhanya Krishi Yojana (PMDDY)

  • Approved for 6 years, covering 100 low-performing districts.

  • Focus: Agriculture, allied sectors, water scarcity, low yields.

21. RBI Financial Stability Report 2025

  • India’s GDP growth projected at 6.5% (2025–26).

  • NPA ratios at multi-decadal lows (GNPA: 2.3%, NNPA: 0.5%).

  • Inflation: 2.8% (May 2025).

  • Public debt: ~78% of GDP (higher than peer EMs).

22. Employment Linked Incentive (ELI) Scheme

  • Boosts youth employment, skills, job retention.

  • India Skills Report 2025: Employability at 53.4% (male), 46.5% (female).

23. RAT Scheme

  • Union Cabinet approved with ₹21 lakh crore corpus.

24. RBI Financial Inclusion Index

  • Rose by 24.3% since 2021.

25. 10 Years of Digital India

  • Launched in 2015.

  • India 3rd globally in digital economy (20% of GDP by 2030).

  • Mobile data cost dropped from ₹308/GB (2014) to ₹9.34/GB.

  • UPI: 49% of global transactions (2023).

  • BHASHINI AI model: Covers 30 Indian languages.

26. Intellectual Property Growth

  • 44% rise in filings in 5 years; 3800% rise in GIs.

  • Patents granted (2023–24): 1,03,057.

  • India 6th globally in trademark filings (WIPO 2023).

27. Uranium & Thorium Reserves

  • Uranium: Jharkhand (Singhbhum), AP (Cuddapah Basin), Meghalaya (Mahadek), Rajasthan.

  • Thorium: Rich in beach sands of Kerala & Odisha (Monazite).

28. Operation Mahadev

  • Joint counter-terror mission by Army, CRPF, J&K Police.

  • Aim: Eliminate foreign terrorists in Kashmir.

29. Operation Med Max

  • By Narcotics Control Bureau.

  • Target: Illegal pharmaceutical drug trade.

30. Project 17A – INS Udaygiri

  • Second stealth frigate delivered to Indian Navy.

31. Exercise Bold Kurukshetra 2025

  • India–Singapore joint mechanised warfare tabletop exercise.

32. Bharat NCX 2025

  • Conducted by NSCS + Rashtriya Raksha University.

  • Live-fire cyber simulations, defence training.

33. SIMBEX 2025

  • 22nd India–Singapore maritime bilateral exercise.

  • Started in 1994 (Exercise Lion King).

34. Talisman Sabre 2025

  • Australia’s largest multilateral defence exercise.

  • 19+ nations, 35,000 personnel. India participated; Malaysia & Vietnam observers.

35. JIMEX (Japan–India Coast Guard Exercise: “Jaa Mata”)

  • Japanese ship Itsukushima joined in Chennai.

  • Aim: Enhance interoperability, joint ops.

36. Ethanol Blending Target Achieved

  • India achieved 20% ethanol blending in petrol.

  • Types:

    • 1st Gen (food crops),

    • 2nd Gen (agri waste),

    • 3rd Gen (aquatic biomass),

    • 4th Gen (engineered biofuels).

37. NISAR Satellite Launch

  • Joint NASA–ISRO mission.

  • Placed in 743 km Sun Synchronous Orbit via GSLV-F16.

  • Mission life: 5 years.

38. Massive Black Hole Merger Detected

  • Detected by LIGO–Virgo–KAGRA observatories.

  • Black holes of 125x & 100x Sun mass merged into ~225x Sun mass BH.

  • Named GW231123. Largest ever detected.

39. APANET Membership Dispute

  • Digital India Foundation objected to Pakistan AI Centre’s membership application.

40. WHO “3 by 35” Initiative

  • Aim: Raise taxes on tobacco, alcohol, sugary drinks by 50% by 2035.

41. Tamil Nadu – Chola Gangam Lake Revival

  • 1000-year-old Chola-era lake at Gangaikonda Cholapuram to be restored.

42. Divya Deshmukh – FIDE Women’s World Cup 2025

  • Became first Indian woman to win the title.

  • Defeated Koneru Humpy in Batumi, Georgia.

 



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