Current Affairs - July 20, 2025 Current Affairs

In July 2025, the United States officially designated The Resistance Front (TRF) as both a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). This decision followed the group’s involvement in a deadly attack in Pahalgam, which killed 26 civilians. The designation enables the imposition of economic sanctions, travel bans, and asset freezes, while also allowing legal action against any U.S.-based support networks. This move significantly boosts global efforts to curb terrorist financing and operations and reflects deepening counter-terrorism cooperation between India and the U.S., especially concerning Pakistan-backed proxy groups like TRF, which operates under Lashkar-e-Taiba’s influence.

International Moon Day is celebrated every year on July 20 to mark the anniversary of the historic Apollo 11 mission, during which astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to walk on the Moon in 1969. This date was chosen because it symbolises a major milestone in human achievement and space exploration. Declared by the United Nations General Assembly in 2021, the observance serves not only to honour this momentous occasion but also to promote international cooperation and sustainability in lunar exploration. The first celebration of this day occurred on July 20, 2022.

B. Benediction Rohit made history at the FISU World University Games 2025 in Rhine-Ruhr, Germany, by becoming the first Indian male swimmer to complete the 50m butterfly in under 24 seconds. His semifinal timing of 23.96 seconds broke a 7-year-old national record previously held by Virdhawal Khade, who had clocked 24.09 seconds. Rohit also surpassed that same record earlier during the heats, showing consistent and elite-level performance. This milestone is not only a personal achievement for Rohit but also a testament to India’s evolving stature in international swimming, inspiring a new generation of athletes and expanding the country's sporting potential.

The Jai Vakeel Foundation (JVF) partnered with the National Institute for Empowerment of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities (NIEPID) to create a nationwide, uniform education model for children with intellectual disabilities (CwID). Signed on July 18, 2025, this MoU is a major component of the Disha Abhiyan initiative and aims to provide scalable curriculum solutions, digital tools, regional language resources, and professional training for educators. The collaboration addresses long-standing disparities in education access and aligns with Sustainable Development Goals like quality education and reduced inequalities.

IISc Bangalore partnered with Raman Research Institute (RRI) and IISER Kolkata in a groundbreaking study that challenges long-held assumptions about quantum noise. Traditionally considered detrimental, quantum noise was found to sometimes enhance, revive, or even create entanglement—particularly in intraparticle systems. The research highlighted that amplitude damping noise could have constructive effects on entanglement, unlike phase damping or depolarising noise, which generally degrade it. The team also introduced a Global Noise Model and developed analytical tools to predict entanglement behaviour in noisy environments, marking a significant advancement in designing practical and robust quantum technologies.

The Ministry of Minority Affairs launched a project under the Pradhan Mantri Virasat Ka Samvardhan (PM VIKAS) scheme focusing on skill training and women entrepreneurship development. This initiative aims to equip 150 youth with training in Internet of Things (IoT) and 300 women with entrepreneurship training. The broader PM VIKAS scheme integrates prior initiatives to support skilling, education, and leadership development in minority and artisan communities. It emphasises convergence with other ministries and links to credit facilities to promote self-reliance and employment. The initiative also encourages trained women to become 'Biz Sakhis' entrepreneurial mentors within their communities.

The Banni Grasslands, located in Gujarat near the Great Rann of Kutch, are Asia’s largest grassland ecosystem and have been selected as a potential site for cheetah reintroduction under Project Cheetah. These grasslands offer an ideal habitat due to their resemblance to African savannahs, including vast open spaces and a mix of grasslands and scrublands. The Gujarat Forest Department has prepared a 600-hectare enclosure, bolstered the herbivore population, and developed key infrastructure to support the reintroduction effort. This initiative aims to restore cheetahs—declared extinct in India in 1952—and revive ecological balance while also supporting regional biodiversity conservation.

The black hole merger designated as GW231123 is the most massive ever observed by the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA (LVK) collaboration. This cosmic event involved two black holes with masses around 100 and 140 times that of the Sun, resulting in a final black hole weighing approximately 225 solar masses. Unlike most stellar black holes, which are under 60 solar masses, GW231123 stands out due to its exceptional size and rapid spin. Detected in 2025, the gravitational waves from this merger had travelled for billions of years before reaching Earth, offering scientists deeper insight into black hole formation and the dynamics of extreme astrophysical phenomena.

The Swachh Survekshan Awards 2024-25, organised by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), were conferred in New Delhi by the President of India. This 9th edition introduced new changes like the Super Swachh League (SSL) category to ensure consistent top performers, such as Indore, do not dominate the regular rankings, giving a fair chance to emerging cities. Additionally, for the first time, cities were ranked based on population brackets to foster equitable competition among Urban Local Bodies (ULBs). Hosting the awards in New Delhi highlights the national importance of the Swachh Bharat Mission and urban sanitation efforts.

World Chess Day is observed every year on July 20 to honour the founding of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) in 1924. This global celebration recognises chess as more than a game—it is a tool for cognitive development, social inclusion, and international cooperation. The day was proposed by UNESCO in 1966 and continues to be marked worldwide through educational activities, chess tournaments, and cultural events. The observance draws attention to the game's historical roots in ancient India and its journey to becoming a universally respected intellectual sport.