Current Affairs - July 19, 2025 Current Affairs

The Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana (PMDDKY) is a major agricultural reform initiative introduced in the Union Budget 2025–26. It consolidates 36 central government schemes under 11 ministries into a unified framework aimed at enhancing productivity, sustainability, and efficiency in farming. This merger addresses issues of overlap and fragmentation in agricultural support programs. By uniting these schemes, PMDDKY promotes decentralised planning, district-specific interventions, and improved coordination, making implementation more impactful. With an annual outlay of ₹24,000 crore over six years, it targets 100 low-performing districts and aims to benefit around 1.7 crore farmers across India.

The Mahila Aarogyam Kaksh was inaugurated at Shastri Bhawan in New Delhi by the Department of Legal Affairs under the Ministry of Law and Justice. Launched on 18th July 2025 by Union Minister of State Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal, this wellness facility marks a significant step toward promoting physical and mental well-being among women employees in government offices. Developed from a repurposed garage, the space includes a fully equipped gym and a private lactation room, reflecting a shift in workplace culture that prioritises inclusivity, health, and self-care. The initiative aligns with the Fit India Movement and Viksit Bharat vision.

INS Nistar is India’s first indigenously designed and built Diving Support Vessel (DSV), commissioned by the Indian Navy at Visakhapatnam. Constructed by Hindustan Shipyard Limited, the vessel significantly enhances India’s underwater capabilities, including saturation diving and submarine rescue features possessed by only a few navies worldwide. With advanced systems like Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) and a Self-Propelled Hyperbaric Life Boat, INS Nistar is built for operations up to 300 metres deep. It supports the Indian Navy’s strategic objective of maritime self-reliance and aligns with the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative, positioning India as a key submarine rescue partner in the region.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched infrastructure projects worth ₹7,200 crore in Bihar, specifically in the city of Motihari, as part of the broader Viksit Bharat Mission. This major investment targets urban renewal, housing development, and improved public utilities across cities such as Patna, Gaya, and Motihari. The project aims to bridge regional development gaps and support Bihar’s transformation into an economic hub. With over three lakh pucca houses already delivered in Motihari, the initiative highlights the NDA government’s commitment to inclusive growth and positions Bihar as a vital component of India’s future development trajectory, leading to 2047.

Dr J Ravishankar, a 2001-batch IAS officer, has been appointed as the new Managing Director of Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL), replacing Maheshwar Rao. His appointment comes during a critical period of metro expansion and public scrutiny following fare hikes and delays in key metro projects. Dr Ravishankar brings extensive administrative experience, having served in various state departments including Agriculture, Housing, and Urban Development. His leadership is expected to improve transparency, stakeholder engagement, and project delivery as BMRCL expands its network to over 220 km by 2029, particularly with the commissioning of the Yellow, Pink, and Blue lines.

The Ministry of Tribal Affairs and Coal India Ltd have signed an MoU to improve tribal education, specifically in Chhattisgarh. This initiative will impact over 28,000 tribal students across 68 Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS). As part of its CSR efforts, Coal India has allocated ₹10 crore to support areas such as digital education, healthcare, and entrepreneurship.

The first campus of the Indian Institute of Creative Technology (IICT) was inaugurated in Mumbai by Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. This initiative aims to strengthen the AVGC-XR (Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics – Extended Reality) ecosystem by offering advanced training aligned with industry demands. IICT is set to play a vital role in building a future-ready workforce for the creative economy. The institute has also partnered with leading global tech companies, including Google, Meta, Microsoft, and Apple, to ensure a high-quality curriculum and exposure for students.

Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh launched the National Standards for Civil Service Training Institutes 2.0 (NSCSTI 2.0) in New Delhi at the Civil Services Officers Institute (CSOI). This initiative, developed by the Capacity Building Commission (CBC), aims to enhance the training framework for civil services by focusing more on outcomes. It reduces the evaluation metrics from 59 to 43, making the system more streamlined and performance-driven. Inputs from over 160 CSTIs, domain experts, and assessors contributed to its creation, and the approach includes hybrid learning to meet future-ready training goals.

Researchers at the S. N. Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences (SNBCBS) have innovated a sustainable method to produce hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) directly from water using sunlight. This process is environmentally friendly, as it results in only water and oxygen as byproducts, offering a cleaner alternative to conventional chemical methods. The key material enabling this method is Mo-DHTA COF, which plays a crucial role in the reaction. This advancement highlights the institute's contribution to green chemistry and sustainable industrial processes.

Union Minister Piyush Goyal inaugurated the IIMUN Conference 2025 in Noida. The event, organised by India’s International Movement to Unite Nations (I.I.M.U.N.), is a three-day conference that brings together adolescents to engage in global issues through an Indian perspective. The initiative emphasises developing glocal citizenship—thinking globally while acting locally. As part of the conference, participants are encouraged to commit to one of three social goals: planting a tree, educating someone, or feeding someone. The focus on Noida as the venue underscores the city’s growing relevance in hosting large-scale educational and youth-oriented events.