31st July 2025

1. Anant Ambani Appointed Executive Director of Reliance Industries
2. USA Will Explore Pakistan Oil Reserves Amid India Trade Deal
3. This Indian-Origin Techie Taking Over Air New Zealand CEO
4. World Athletics Introduces New Eligibility Regulations for Female Category
5. Sacred Piprahwa Relics of Lord Buddha Return Home: A Historic Repatriation
6. Russia’s Klyuchevskoy Volcano Erupts
7. India Sends Humanitarian Assistance to Syria
8. India and UAE Sign Agreement on Maritime Security and Safety Cooperation
9. Lok Sabha Approves Extension of President’s Rule in Manipur
10. AXISCADES Secured Rs 600 Crore Defence Orders for Indigenous Military Platforms
11. Sanjay Singhal Appointed as New DG of SSB
12. Bharat B Bhatia appointed Vice Chairman and Editorial Chair of Asia-Pacific telecommunity’s WRC-27 preparatory group
13. MS Dhoni Joined ACKO Technology as Strategic Investor and Brand Ambassador
14. ACC approves Robert Ravi’s extension as CMD of BSNL, MTNL for 3 months
15. AIFF Launches ‘Benevolence Funds’ and ‘Pension Funds’ to Support Indian Football Fraternity
16. Padma Bhushan Awardee and Renowned Economist Meghnad Desai Passed Away
17. Padma Shri Awardee, IDBI Chairman, T. N. Manoharan passed away
18. Maharashtra Declared August 7 as Sustainable Agriculture Day, Honouring Dr. M.S. Swaminathan
19. First-ever grassland bird census

National News

1. Return of Piprahwa Relics to India

• What:
  • The Piprahwa relics of Lord Buddha have been returned to India through a public-private partnership between the Government of India and Godrej Industries Group.
• Why:
  • The return aims to preserve India’s cultural and spiritual heritage by bringing back these important artefacts.
• Tell me more:
  • The relics were discovered in 1898 in Piprahwa, Uttar Pradesh, and are associated with Lord Buddha’s mortal remains.
  • They were about to be auctioned in Hong Kong in May 2025 before being secured by the Ministry of Culture.

Source: PIB

State News

1. Extension of President’s Rule in Manipur Approved Until February 2026

• The Lok Sabha approved extending the President’s rule in Manipur for six months starting from 13th August 2025.
• President’s rule was initially imposed on 13th February 2025 due to law and order issues.
• Article 356, under which President’s rule is imposed, is intended for use only in rare and exceptional circumstances.

Source: NOA

2. Maharashtra Declares August 7 as Sustainable Agriculture Day

• What:
  • Maharashtra government announced August 7 will be celebrated every year as “Sustainable Agriculture Day” to honor the birth centenary of Dr. M. S. Swaminathan.
• Tell me more:
  • Dr. Swaminathan’s research improved wheat and rice productivity, helping India achieve food self-sufficiency and economic stability.
  • The Government of India awarded him the Bharat Ratna in 2024.
  • The United Nations recognized him as the father of the economic environment.
  • Dr. M.S. Swaminathan Bio-Happiness Centres will be established in all agricultural universities across Maharashtra to honor his legacy.
  • Dr. M. S. Swaminathan is known as the architect of India’s Green Revolution.

Source: NOA

3. First Grassland Bird Census Conducted at Kaziranga National Park

• What:
  • Assam’s Kaziranga National Park conducted its first-ever grassland bird census from March 18 to May 25 using advanced acoustic monitoring technology.
• Why:
  • The survey aimed to monitor and record the populations of grassland bird species, many of which are rare, shy, and live in shrinking habitats.
• Tell me more:
  • The census prioritized 10 bird species that are globally threatened or unique to the Brahmaputra floodplains, recording a total of 43 species including Critically Endangered, Endangered, and Vulnerable categories.
  • Acoustic recorders placed in tall trees captured birdsongs during the breeding season to identify species without visual spotting.
  • Techniques included sound file analysis, spectrograms, and machine learning tools like Birdnet, covering 29 locations with six recorders.
  • A significant finding was the discovery of a large breeding colony of the endangered Finn’s Weaver with over 85 nests.

Source: IE

International News

1. US and Pakistan Sign Oil Development Deal

• What:
  • The United States and Pakistan have signed a deal to develop Pakistan’s oil reserves and are in the process of selecting an American oil company for this partnership.
• Why:
  • The deal aims to help Pakistan develop its oil resources with US assistance and potentially increase economic cooperation.
• Tell me more:
  • US President Donald Trump announced the agreement and suggested Pakistan could sell oil to India in the future.
  • Pakistani officials have described it as a “historic” deal and expect expanded cooperation with the US.
  • The agreement also reportedly includes the possibility of reciprocal tariff reductions for Pakistani exports to the US.
  • The specific American oil company to lead the partnership is being chosen.
  • Pakistan has proven oil reserves of over 332 million barrels and is ranked 52nd globally for oil reserves.

Source: IE

2. Humanitarian Assistance by India to Syria

• India has sent 5 Metric Tonnes of humanitarian aid including essential life-saving medicines to Syria.
• The aid is sent to support the people of Syria with critical medicines and continue humanitarian assistance.

Source: NOA

Banking and Economy

1. AIFF Launches Benevolence and Pension Funds for Football Community

• What:
  • AIFF decided to create a Benevolence Fund to support football-related individuals with medical grants and a Pension Fund for retired AIFF employees with 20+ years of service.
• Why:
  • This initiative aims to provide financial help to football community members facing serious medical conditions and to support retired employees with pensions.
• Tell me more:
  • AIFF President Shri Kalyan Chaubey and Vice President Shri NA Haris each contributed ₹1,00,001, and AIFF added ₹5,00,000, totalling ₹7,00,002 as the initial Benevolence Fund corpus.
  • A committee with members from Treasurer’s office, Finance, Medical, and Technical Committees will evaluate fund applications case-by-case.
  • The committee also reviewed the 2024-25 financial accounts for audit and proposed a new procurement policy for Executive Committee approval.

Source: AIFF

Defence News

1. Maritime Security Agreement Signed Between India and UAE Coast Guards

• What:
  • The Indian Coast Guard and the United Arab Emirates National Guard Command signed an agreement on Maritime Security and Safety Cooperation in New Delhi.
• Why:
  • The agreement aims to enhance bilateral maritime cooperation and ensure a safe, secure, and sustainable maritime environment in the region.
• Tell me more:
  • This is the 10th such agreement by the Indian Coast Guard with friendly foreign countries.
  • The cooperation covers Maritime Search and Rescue (M-SAR), combating transnational maritime crimes, Maritime Law Enforcement (MLE), Marine Pollution Response (MPR), and joint capacity building.
  • The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed during the 13th Joint Defence Cooperation Committee meeting.

Source: NOA

2. Axiscades Wins ₹600 Crore Defence Space Orders

• What:
  • Axiscades has received new defence space orders worth ₹600 crore for developing and supplying advanced sub-systems.
• Why:
  • The orders support the development of sophisticated indigenous defence platforms for leading agencies like DRDO and Defence PSUs.
• Tell me more:
  • The orders will be executed through Axiscades’ defence subsidiaries over the next 3 to 5 years.
  • The company specializes in radar, sonar, and signal processing electronics used in high-performance defence systems.
  • In June, Axiscades Aerospace and Technologies partnered with European missile major MBDA to set up a defence facility in Karnataka.

Source: BS

Sports

1. World Athletics Introduces Gene Test For Female Athletes

• What:
  • Athletes competing in the female category for world ranking competitions from September must take a one-time gene test for eligibility.
• Why:
  • The rule is introduced to ensure all female competitors in world ranking events are biologically female according to new regulations.
• Tell me more:
  • The new rule starts from 1 September and applies to events like the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo from 13-21 September.
  • The test looks for the SRY gene, which is part of the Y chromosome and develops male characteristics.
  • The test is done once for life, using a cheek swab or blood, and is overseen by member federations.
  • Athletes testing negative for the Y chromosome can compete in the female category; those testing positive can only compete in non-world ranking female events or other categories.

Source: BBC

Appointments

1. Appointment of Anant Ambani as Executive Director of RIL

• Shareholders of Reliance Industries have approved the appointment of Anant Ambani as executive director for five years, starting May 1.

Source: ET

2. Appointment of Nikhil Ravishankar as Air New Zealand CEO

• Air New Zealand has appointed its Chief Digital Officer, Nikhil Ravishankar, as the new Chief Executive, effective 20 October 2025.

Source: AT

3. Sanjay Singhal Appointed New Chief of Sashastra Seema Bal

• The Central Government appointed Sanjay Singhal as the new Director General of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB).
• The appointment is made to take charge from September 1, 2025, following the retirement of the current chief.
• His tenure as SSB chief will last until his retirement on December 31, 2028, or until further orders.

Source: ET

4. Bharat B Bhatia Appointed Vice Chair of Asia-Pacific Telecommunity Group

• What:
  • Bharat B Bhatia, President of ITU-APT Foundation of India, was appointed Vice Chairman and Chair of the Editorial Committee for Asia-Pacific Telecommunity’s APG-27.
• Tell me more:
  • APG-27 coordinates Asia-Pacific regional consensus on spectrum regulations for the WRC-27, including 6G and Direct to Device satellite services.
  • India, through IAFI, submitted 20 detailed contributions on various agenda items for WRC-27 during its National Preparatory Committee meeting.
  • Key issues included IMT spectrum sharing studies, inclusion of 6425-7125 MHz bands under Footnote 5.457D, and opposition to items risking radio altimeter operations.

Source: ANI

5. MS Dhoni Joins Acko as Investor and Brand Ambassador

• MS Dhoni has partnered with Acko as an investor and brand ambassador through his family office, Midas Deals.

Source: ET

6. Robert J Ravi’s Charge Extended as CMD of BSNL and MTNL

• What:
  • Robert J Ravi’s additional charge as Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of BSNL and MTNL has been extended for three months from July 15, 2025, to October 14, 2025.
• Why:
  • The extension is granted to continue ongoing work, including the BharatNet Phase 3 programme.
• Tell me more:
  • Under BharatNet Phase I and II, 2.14 lakh village blocks were made service-ready out of a planned 2.22 lakh.
  • The Public Enterprise Selection Board (PESB) had not recommended any candidate for the CMD post after interviewing shortlisted candidates.

Source: ET

Miscellaneous

1. Klyuchevskoy Volcano Erupts After Major Pacific Earthquake

• The Klyuchevskoy volcano in Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula began erupting following an 8.8 magnitude earthquake in the Pacific.
• Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky is the regional capital near the volcano.

Source: IE

2. Meghnad Desai, Eminent Economist, Dies at 85

• Meghnad Desai, a renowned Indian-born British economist, passed away in Gurugram hospital at the age of 85.
• He authored many economics books, including his last work ‘The Poverty of Political Economy’ (2022) and a Dilip Kumar biography in 2004.

Source: IE

3. T N Manoharan, Former ICAI President and IDBI Chairman, Dies

• T N Manoharan, former ICAI president and IDBI chairman, passed away.

Source: ET

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