Current Affairs - Places

Gita Gopinath, a renowned Indian-American economist, is set to resign as the First Deputy Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in August 2025. Her tenure at the IMF was marked by pivotal contributions during major global crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine conflict. She joined the IMF in 2019 as Chief Economist and was later promoted to the No. 2 position in 2022. Known for her academic rigor and policy leadership, Gopinath played a key role in global economic discourse, influencing multilateral strategies on fiscal stimulus, debt relief, and climate finance. She will return to Harvard University to continue her work in academia.

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 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.

Vijayawada, located in Andhra Pradesh, earned national recognition by ranking fourth in the Swachh Survekshan 2024-25 and receiving the prestigious 'Super Swachh League City' award. This achievement is especially notable given the city’s resilience in maintaining high cleanliness and sanitation standards despite severe flooding in September 2024. The recognition reflects a combination of strong civic administration, infrastructure, waste management strategies, and active citizen participation. Vijayawada’s consistent progress aligns with India's broader cleanliness initiatives under the Swachh Bharat Mission and supports global sustainability objectives such as the Paris Agreement and Net Zero Emissions goals, reinforcing its status as a model for urban development.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) carried out two successful hot tests of the Gaganyaan Service Module Propulsion System (SMPS) on July 3, 2025, at its Propulsion Complex located in Mahendragiri, Tamil Nadu. This facility is crucial for propulsion-related development and testing. These hot tests simulated real flight conditions to ensure the system's performance and reliability under operational stress. The successful validation at Mahendragiri marked a significant milestone in ISRO’s preparations for India’s first human spaceflight mission under the Gaganyaan programme. The choice of this location reflects its specialised infrastructure for high-precision propulsion experiments.