Current Affairs - July 27, 2025 Current Affairs

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) released a detailed note titled "Growing Retail Digital Payments: The Value of Interoperability", recognising the transformative role of India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) in the digital finance landscape. The IMF highlighted UPI’s ability to scale rapidly, offer real-time secure payments, and foster financial inclusion. UPI’s interoperability — allowing seamless transactions across platforms and banks — was a key point of emphasis, as it enables widespread adoption and innovation. The report also underscores India’s leadership in global digital payment systems, with UPI accounting for a major share of global real-time transactions and being adopted across multiple countries.

The International Day for Women and Girls of African Descent is observed annually on July 25. This day is dedicated to celebrating the achievements, resilience, and leadership of women and girls of African heritage worldwide. It brings attention to the intersecting challenges they face due to racial, gender, and economic discrimination. The observance highlights their role in driving societal progress despite systemic barriers, and aligns with several UN Sustainable Development Goals, including Gender Equality and Reduced Inequalities. By commemorating this date, the global community is reminded of the need for continued advocacy and action toward equity and justice.

Between 1998 and 2022, the coral cover in Lakshadweep dropped from 37.24% to 19.6%, marking an approximate 50% reduction over 24 years. This drastic decline has been primarily driven by repeated mass bleaching events linked to ENSO phenomena and amplified by global climate change. Despite declining coral mortality in successive bleaching events, the slowed recovery rate signals worsening long-term reef health. Coral reefs in Lakshadweep are critical for biodiversity, coastal protection, and local livelihoods. The 50% loss highlights the urgent need for climate adaptation policies, expanded marine protected areas, and improved reef monitoring and restoration efforts.

At the FISU World University Games 2025 held in Rhine-Ruhr, Germany, Parneet Kaur and Kushal Dalal secured India’s first gold medal in the compound mixed team archery event. Their victory, with a final score of 157 against the Republic of Korea’s 154, marked a historic moment for India in university-level international sports. This achievement also signifies the growing prominence of compound archery, which is set to debut at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Their performance has spotlighted the potential of Indian athletes in non-mainstream sports and could pave the way for greater investment in training and resources for compound archery nationwide.

Geetanjali Shree, a prominent Hindi novelist, received the PEN Translates Award 2025 for her book Once Elephants Lived Here, which was translated into English by Daisy Rockwell. This recognition adds to her growing international acclaim, following her International Booker Prize win in 2022 for Tomb of Sand. The PEN Translates Award, presented by English PEN, aims to make world literature more accessible in English and acknowledges both the author and the translator's contributions. This award not only highlights the richness of Hindi literature but also underscores the global importance of regional voices and the translators who carry them across linguistic borders.

World Mangrove Day is observed annually on July 26 to highlight the ecological importance of mangrove forests and the urgent need for their conservation. Officially recognised by UNESCO in 2015, this day commemorates Colombian environmentalist Guillermo Cano Isaza, who died protecting these vital ecosystems. Mangroves play a crucial role in stabilising coastlines, serving as carbon sinks, and supporting rich biodiversity. With nearly half of the world’s mangrove cover lost since 1980 due to urbanisation, aquaculture, and logging, this observance calls for global awareness, local conservation efforts, and sustainable development policies to protect these natural guardians of coastal regions.

Madhya Pradesh has launched a progressive welfare initiative aimed at reducing youth unemployment by offering monthly stipends of ₹6,000 to women and ₹5,000 to men. This scheme supports skill-building through industrial internships and enhances employability among the state’s large youth population. It is also integrated with the Ladli Behna Yojana, extending its benefits under the informal extension ‘Ladli Bhaiyo’. By involving industries in Acharpura and other regions, the scheme not only addresses financial needs but also builds a skilled workforce aligned with economic development. This gender-inclusive approach reflects Madhya Pradesh’s broader commitment to youth and employment welfare.

Bharat NCX 2025 is a cybersecurity exercise aimed at bolstering India's operational cyber readiness. Organised by the National Security Council Secretariat in collaboration with Rashtriya Raksha University, the event simulates real-world cyber threats such as infrastructure breaches, deepfakes, and AI-driven malware. It features initiatives like the Strategic Decision-Making Exercise (STRATEX) for senior leadership and a conclave for Chief Information Security Officers, fostering dialogue on advanced threat mitigation. The cybersecurity startup exhibition highlights indigenous innovations, reinforcing India's digital autonomy. This comprehensive approach makes Bharat NCX a critical step toward improving national cyber resilience in the face of evolving threats.

The World Bank report "Towards Resilient and Prosperous Cities in India" projects that by 2030, Indian cities will contribute to 70% of all new job creation. This emphasises the growing economic role of urban centres in India’s development. However, this urban expansion brings increased vulnerability to climate-related risks such as flooding, extreme heat, and air pollution. With urban populations rising and infrastructure under stress, the need for climate-resilient planning, smart infrastructure investment, and local governance autonomy becomes urgent. The 2030 milestone highlights both an opportunity and a challenge—economic growth must be coupled with sustainable, inclusive, and climate-adaptive urban development.

3I/ATLAS is the third confirmed interstellar object, following 1I/ʻOumuamua (2017) and 2I/Borisov (2019). Detected by the NASA-funded ATLAS telescope in Chile, it travels on a hyperbolic trajectory at speeds between 57 and 68 km/s, confirming its origin from outside the Solar System. Unlike its predecessors, 3I/ATLAS is likely from the Milky Way’s thick disk, a region populated by ancient stars, suggesting it could be over 7 billion years old—predating the Solar System. With spectral evidence of water ice and complex organics, it offers a unique opportunity to study primordial material, planetary formation processes, and possibly the origins of life.