Current Affairs 18th July, 2025

National News

Shubhanshu Shukla Successfully Returns After Axiom-4 Space Mission

1. Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, an Indian Air Force officer, returned to Earth on July 15, 2025.
2. He was part of the Axiom-4 mission, an international human spaceflight initiative.
3. Shukla spent 18 days aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
4. During the mission, he completed 288 orbits around the Earth.
5. He conducted a study on microalgae for producing food and oxygen in space.
6. Another key experiment was on Myogenesis to understand muscle cell behaviour in microgravity.
7. He studied the sprouting of methi and moong seeds to explore space farming.
8. He also investigated an Indian strain of Tardigrades to understand their survival genes.
9. His mission is a significant milestone for India’s human spaceflight program.
10. The international crew included members from the USA, Poland, and Hungary.

Google Offers Free Gemini AI Pro for Indian Students

1. Google has launched a special offer for Indian college and university students.
2. Eligible students will get free access to Gemini AI Pro for one year.
3. The service is powered by Google’s advanced Gemini 2.5 Pro model.
4. The offer aims to support students in their academic and research work.
5. Key features include 2TB of cloud storage across Google services.
6. Students get access to Gemini Live and Gemini integration in Gmail, Docs, and Sheets.
7. The initiative also provides access to Deep Research tools and NotebookLM with higher limits.
8. Students can verify their eligibility using their institutional email or student ID card.

IIM Kozhikode Launches ‘Gyanodaya’ Centre for Innovation

1. The Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode (IIMK) launched the ‘Gyanodaya’ centre.
2. Gyanodaya is a Centre for Pedagogical Innovation and Publishing.
3. The initiative is a part of IIMK’s Vision 2047 and aligns with the National Education Policy.
4. Its primary goal is to reform management education through innovative teaching.
5. The centre will develop and publish academic content like case studies and books.
6. It aims to integrate Indian traditional knowledge with global education practices.
7. The centre will operate through its own manuscript platform called ‘Pandulipi’.
8. The initiative seeks to promote collaboration between learners, authors, and institutions.

Union Government Notifies Transfer of 18 High Court Judges

1. The Union Government has ordered the transfer and repatriation of 18 High Court judges across various states.
2. The move follows recommendations from the Supreme Court Collegium, the body responsible for judicial appointments.
3. Transfers of judges are governed by Article 222 of the Constitution.
4. The primary aim is to ensure judicial impartiality, efficiency, and integrity by rotating judges.
5. This practice helps in sharing legal expertise and promoting a pan-Indian judicial culture.
6. Key transfers include judges moving between the High Courts of Delhi, Bombay, Madras, and Karnataka.

India Receives GE-F404 Engine for Tejas Mk 1A Fighter Jets

1. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) received the second GE F404 engine from GE Aerospace.
2. These engines are critical for powering India’s indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas Mk 1A.
3. In 2021, HAL signed a deal for 99 F404 engines worth over ₹5,375 crore.
4. The Indian Air Force (IAF) is inducting the Tejas Mk 1A to replace its ageing MiG-21 squadrons.
5. The upgraded aircraft features an AESA Radar and Beyond Visual Range (BVR) missile capabilities.
6. HAL aims to deliver 12 aircraft by December 2025, with engine supply being a critical factor.

World Snake Day Celebrated with Conservation Awareness in Bengaluru

1. World Snake Day was celebrated at Bannerghatta Biological Park in Bengaluru to promote conservation.
2. The event was a collaboration between India Post, the Kalinga Foundation, and the Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre (WRRC).
3. The main objective was to reduce human-snake encounters and dispel myths about snakes.
4. A key feature was a philatelic engagement, with the release of special snake-themed postcards.
5. Over 500 students participated in interactive sessions on snake ecology and safe coexistence.

State News

Bihar Government Announces Free Electricity up to 125 Units

1. The Bihar government has announced free electricity for domestic consumers.
2. The scheme provides up to 125 units of free electricity per month.
3. This policy will be effective from August 1, 2025.
4. It is expected to benefit over 16.7 million households across the state.
5. The decision was announced ahead of the Bihar Assembly Elections 2025.
6. The policy also aims to promote renewable energy, particularly solar power.
7. The Kutir Jyoti scheme will fund solar panel installations for very poor families.
8. This move is part of the state’s vision for energy affordability and access for all.

Maharashtra Grants Agricultural Status to Livestock and Poultry Farming 🐄

1. Maharashtra has become the first state in India to grant agricultural status to livestock and poultry farming.
2. This historic decision aims to bring animal husbandry farmers on par with crop cultivators.
3. It will benefit over 37 million farmers by giving them access to subsidies and lower tariffs.
4. Farmers will now qualify for agricultural electricity tariffs, which are cheaper than commercial rates.
5. The move makes them eligible for institutional credit like the Kisan Credit Card (KCC) and other loan benefits.
6. The policy covers the dairy, poultry, fisheries, and small ruminant farming sectors.

Gujarat Launches India’s First Tribal Genome Sequencing Project 🧬

1. Gujarat has become the first Indian state to launch a Tribal Genome Sequencing Project.
2. The project aims to improve healthcare for tribal communities through genetic research.
3. It will focus on the early detection of hereditary diseases like sickle cell anaemia and thalassemia.
4. The Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre (GBRC) is the implementing agency for this initiative.
5. The goal is to sequence the genomes of 2,000 tribal individuals and create a reference database.
6. This will enable the development of personalised medicine and targeted treatments for tribal populations.

ECI Appoints Nitu Chandra and Kranti Prakash Jha as SVEEP Icons for Bihar 🗳️

1. The Election Commission of India (ECI) has appointed actors Nitu Chandra and Kranti Prakash Jha as SVEEP icons for Bihar.
2. The initiative is part of the Systematic Voters’ Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) program.
3. The primary goal is to boost voter turnout in the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections.
4. The actors, who have regional roots in Patna and Bhagalpur, will help promote voter awareness.
5. This follows the ECI’s strategy of using influential local figures, like folk singer Maithili Thakur in 2023.

Appointments News

Ajay Kumar Shrivastava Appointed Director (Engineering & R&D) at HAL

1. Ajay Kumar Shrivastava has been appointed as the new Director (Engineering and R&D) of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
2. He is an aerospace veteran with 37 years of experience in aircraft design and development.
3. He previously headed the Aircraft Research & Design Centre (ARDC) at HAL.
4. Shrivastava played a key role in the DGCA certification of the Hindustan-228, India’s first civil-certified transport aircraft.
5. His appointment is seen as a major boost to India’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat mission in the defence sector.

Banking News

EximPe Gets RBI Nod for Cross-Border Payment Aggregator License

1. Fintech firm EximPe has received in-principle approval from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
2. The approval allows it to operate as a Payment Aggregator – Cross Border (PA-CB).
3. This license will help streamline cross-border transactions for international e-commerce and trade.
4. The company aims to simplify payment processes for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).
5. EximPe plans to expand its services in the India-Asia trade corridor and grow its transaction volume significantly.

Government Launches ₹1,000 Crore ADEETIE Scheme for MSMEs

1. The Union Government has launched the ADEETIE scheme with a budget of ₹1,000 crore.
2. ADEETIE stands for Assistance for Deployment of Energy Efficient Technologies in Industrial Establishments.
3. The scheme aims to boost energy efficiency, particularly in Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).
4. It will be implemented by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE).
5. The scheme provides financial support through interest subvention on loans for adopting green technology.
6. It is expected to reduce the operational costs and carbon emissions of industrial units.

SEBI Introduces VCF Settlement Scheme 2025

1. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has introduced the VCF Settlement Scheme 2025.
2. The scheme offers a one-time window to resolve compliance issues related to the winding-up of old funds.
3. It applies to Venture Capital Funds (VCFs) that have migrated to the Alternative Investment Fund (AIF) regime but haven’t liquidated their investments.
4. The scheme opens on July 21, 2025, and closes on January 19, 2026.
5. It aims to protect the interests of investors whose funds are stuck in long-pending schemes.

Sports News

West Indies All-Rounder Andre Russell Announces Retirement

1. Veteran West Indies all-rounder Andre Russell has announced his retirement from international cricket.
2. Known for his explosive power-hitting, he was a key figure in T20 cricket.
3. Russell was a member of the West Indies teams that won the T20 World Cup in 2012 and 2016.
4. He will play his final international matches against Australia in Jamaica on July 20 and 22, 2025.
5. His retirement marks the end of an era for Caribbean cricket.

Deepika Sehrawat Wins Prestigious Poligras Magic Skill Award

1. Indian women’s hockey player Deepika Sehrawat has won the Poligras Magic Skill Award.
2. She is the first-ever Indian player (male or female) to receive this prestigious international award.
3. The award recognized her brilliant solo goal against the Netherlands during the FIH Hockey Pro League.
4. Hailing from Hisar, Haryana, Deepika is a rising star in Indian hockey.
5. The award is fan-voted and celebrates the most creative and skilful play of the season.

Important Days

India Observes AI Appreciation Day on July 16

1. India observes AI Appreciation Day on July 16 every year.
2. The day celebrates the nation’s progress in the field of Artificial Intelligence.
3. It highlights AI’s role in sectors like healthcare, education, agriculture, and governance.
4. The observance reflects the government’s vision of ‘AI for All’ for inclusive growth.
5. India’s AI journey includes the KBCS project (1986) and the National AI Strategy (2018).
6. The day aims to promote skill development and employment in AI.
7. Key government initiatives include the Skill India AI Portal and AI Youth Bootcamps.
8. It also focuses on ensuring the ethical and responsible use of AI technology.

World Day for International Justice: July 17

1. World Day for International Justice is observed globally on July 17.
2. The day marks the anniversary of the adoption of the Rome Statute in 1998.
3. The Rome Statute is the treaty that established the International Criminal Court (ICC).
4. The ICC, located in The Hague, prosecutes individuals for genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.
5. This day aims to promote international justice and fight against impunity for the most serious crimes.