15th July 2025

1. UAE-India CEPA Council Launches Start-up Series to Accelerate Cross-Border Innovation
2. India Joins Bilateral Military Exercise ‘Talisman Sabre 2025’ in Australia
3. Sudanese-Scottish Author Leila Aboulela Won PEN Pinter Prize 2025
4. DRDO, IAF Conducted Successful Flight-test of ‘Astra BVRAAM’ from Su-30 MKI in Odisha
5. 138th Wimbledon Championships: Jannik Sinner Wins Men’s Singles, Iga Świątek Wins Women’s Singles
6. International Malala Day 2025 – July 12
7. International Day of Combating Sand and Dust Storms 2025 – July 12
8. International Day of Hope 2025 – July 12
9. India-Greece Conduct PASSEX to Boost Naval Cooperation
10. Indian Army Showcases ‘Prachand Shakti’ in Meerut
11. India’s First AI Campus to Open in Andhra Pradesh
12. Raghavendra S Bhat Named Interim CEO of Karnataka Bank
13. Gujarat Leads India in Processed Potato Production
14. President Murmu Appoints New Governors for Haryana, Goa, and Ladakh
15. Legendary Actress B. Saroja Devi Passes Away at 87
16. Veteran Actor Kota Srinivasa Rao Passes Away at 83

National News

1. UAE–India CEPA Start-up Series Launched in New Delhi

• What:
  • The UAE–India CEPA Council, with the UAE Embassy in India, launched the UAE–India CEPA Start-up Series in New Delhi to support Indian start-ups in expanding internationally through the UAE’s innovation ecosystem.
• Why:
  • The initiative aims to connect Indian entrepreneurs with the UAE’s business environment, helping scale their ventures and strengthen economic ties between the two nations.
• Tell me more:
  • The Start-up Series is a result of the UAE–India Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA).
  • Bilateral trade reached USD 83.64 billion in FY 2023–24, with India’s non-oil exports to the UAE growing by over 20% and UAE FDI in India tripling to USD 3.35 billion in FY 2022–23.
  • Key MoUs were signed between UICC and Indian institutions: PRIME Meghalaya, IDEATE Lab at O.P. Jindal Global University, and Jamia Hamdard University to promote innovation and entrepreneurship.
  • The programme ends with a pitch event where five winners get a UAE soft-landing package with incubation, licensing, mentorship, and investor access.

Source: ET

State News

1. BITS Pilani to Build AI-Focused Campus in Amaravati

• What:
  • BITS Pilani will set up a new greenfield campus in Amaravati, Andhra Pradesh, with a major investment to offer world-class education in Artificial Intelligence and emerging technologies.
• Why:
  • The campus is being established to transform higher education and make Andhra Pradesh a leading centre for innovation and technology learning in India.
• Tell me more:
  • The project will involve an investment of around ₹2,000 crore and is designed to accommodate over 7,000 students every year.
  • The Andhra Pradesh government has already allocated land for the institute in Amaravati through APCRDA.
  • The campus will offer advanced programs in AI, data science, robotics, cyber-physical systems, and computational linguistics, and will emphasize industry internships and global exposure.

Source: TH

Source: ET

Defence News

1. India Participates in Largest Australian Military Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025

• What:
  • India, along with 18 other nations, is participating in Talisman Sabre 2025, a major bilateral military drill led by Australia that started on July 13, 2025.
• Tell me more:
  • Talisman Sabre 2025 is the 11th iteration and the largest military exercise ever conducted in Australia, involving more than 35,000 personnel from 19 nations.
  • The exercise will take place across multiple Australian regions including Queensland, Northern Territory, Western Australia, New South Wales, and Christmas Island, and for the first time, activities will also be held in Papua New Guinea.
  • Participating countries include the U.S., Canada, Fiji, France, Germany, Indonesia, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, Thailand, Tonga, and the U.K., while Malaysia and Vietnam are observers.

Source: TH

2. DRDO and IAF Successfully Test Indigenous Astra Missile

• What:
  • DRDO and Indian Air Force conducted a successful flight-test of the indigenous Astra Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile (BVRAAM) with an indigenous Radio Frequency Seeker from a Su-30 Mk-I fighter off Odisha’s coast.
• Why:
  • The test aimed to validate the missile’s accuracy, performance, and the reliability of its fully indigenous seeker technology.
• Tell me more:
  • Two missiles were launched at high-speed unmanned aerial targets at different ranges and conditions, and both hit their targets with pinpoint accuracy.
  • All subsystems, including the new RF seeker, worked as expected during the tests, and the results were verified by test range instruments at Chandipur.
  • Astra BVRAAM has a range of over 100 kilometers and uses advanced guidance and navigation.
  • More than 50 Indian public and private industries, including Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, contributed to the missile’s development.
  • Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and DRDO leadership highlighted the milestone of using an indigenous seeker in the successful test.

Source: HT

3. Indian and Greek Navies Conduct Joint PASSEX off Mumbai

• What:
  • The Indian Navy and Greek Navy carried out a joint Passing Exercise (PASSEX) off the coast of Mumbai on July 10, 2025, to boost maritime interoperability and combat capability.
• Why:
  • The exercise was aimed at strengthening operational readiness, validating communication procedures, and deepening defence cooperation between the two countries.
• Tell me more:
  • The PASSEX involved India’s stealth frigate INS Tarkash and Greece’s HS Psara, with activities such as tactical manoeuvres, replenishment-at-sea, surface firing, cross-deck landings, and a ceremonial steam past.
  • The joint training is seen as part of increasing naval cooperation between India and international partners, stressed during the Greek Prime Minister’s 2024 visit to India.
  • This cooperation supports agreements made to advance defence collaboration, including industrial and innovation partnerships.

Source: IDN

4. Indian Army Demonstrates ‘Prachand Shakti’ with New Technologies

• What:
  • The Indian Army’s Ram Division held the ‘Prachand Shakti’ demonstration at Kharga Corps Field Training Area in Meerut, focusing on the use of disruptive technologies in Strike Corps operations.
• Why:
  • The event aimed to show how new technologies can increase the agility, power, and safety of infantry units in offensive missions.
• Tell me more:
  • The demonstration featured technologies such as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), AI-enabled systems, loitering munitions, and autonomous platforms.
  • This event is part of the Army’s ‘Year of Tech Absorption’ initiative, which supports the use of advanced and Indian-made technology in military roles.
  • The ‘Year of Tech Absorption’ pushes the Army to bring in more advanced technology.

Source: NDTV

Agriculture and Rural Development

1. Gujarat Becomes Top Producer of Processed Potatoes

• What:
  • Gujarat recorded a production of 48.59 lakh tonnes of potatoes in 2024–25 and has become the top producer of processed potatoes in India.
• Why:
  • The state aims to meet the rising demand for processed potatoes used in products like French fries and wafers and support the processed food industry.
• Tell me more:
  • Over 25% of Gujarat’s potato output is used for processing, with about 60% for wafers and 40% for French fries.
  • Banaskantha, Sabarkantha, and Aravalli are the major potato producing districts, contributing 38 lakh tonnes together.
  • The average productivity in these districts is over 32 tonnes per hectare, with Banaskantha being the leading producer.
  • Processing-grade potato varieties grown include Lady Rosetta, Kufri Chipsona, and Santana, which are also exported, mainly to Middle Eastern countries.
  • Cold storage facilities in these northern districts support the supply chain for processed potato products.

Source: TH

Awards

1. Leila Aboulela Wins 2025 PEN Pinter Prize

• What:
  • Sudanese-Scottish author Leila Aboulela has been named the winner of the 2025 PEN Pinter Prize for her powerful storytelling and focus on migration, faith, and the lives of Muslim women.
• Why:
  • The award honours writers who look at the world with honesty and courage, in line with the values of Nobel Laureate Harold Pinter.
• Tell me more:
  • The announcement was made at English PEN’s annual summer party in London, where parts of Aboulela’s work were read by well-known actors.
  • Aboulela’s novels, including The Translator, Minaret, and River Spirit, explore themes like migration, memory, and belonging and have been translated into 15 languages.
  • She is the first winner of the Caine Prize for African Writing and has received the Saltire Fiction Book of the Year Award and the Scottish Book Awards.

Source: IE

Important Days

1. International Malala Day 2025 – July 12

• Theme: “Empower Girls Through Education – The Future Begins Today”

Source: THI

2. International Day of Combating Sand and Dust Storms 2025 – July 12

Source: UN

3. International Day of Hope 2025 – July 12

• UN Focus: A Universal Need in Uncertain Times

Source: UN

Sports

1. 138th Wimbledon Championships 2025

• Jannik Sinner clinched the Men’s Singles title, while Iga Świątek emerged victorious in the Women’s Singles.

Source: TUI

Appointments

1. Karnataka Bank Appoints Interim MD and CEO

• Karnataka Bank has named Chief Operating Officer Raghavendra Srinivas Bhat as interim Managing Director and CEO for three months after the resignation of Srikrishnan Hari Hara Sarma.

Source: ET

2. President Appoints New Governors for Haryana, Goa, and Ladakh

Source: TP

Miscellaneous

1. Veteran Actress B. Saroja Devi Passes Away at 87

• What:
  • Legendary actress B. Saroja Devi, known as “Abhinaya Saraswathi,” passed away at the age of 87.
• Tell me more:
  • Saroja Devi acted in over 200 films across Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, and Hindi languages.
  • Her film journey began at 17 with the Kannada film ‘Mahakavi Kalidasa’ and she gained nationwide fame with the Tamil film ‘Nadodi Mannan.’
  • She was the only Indian actress to play the heroine in over 161 consecutive films between 1955 and 1984.
  • She received honours such as the Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, Kalaimamani Award, and an honorary doctorate from Bangalore University.

Source: TOI

2. Legendary Telugu Actor Kota Srinivasa Rao Passes Away

• Renowned Telugu actor Kota Srinivasa Rao passed away at the age of 83 at his residence in Filmnagar, Hyderabad after battling illness.

Source: TOI

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