Daily Current Affairs 29th July 2025, Important News Headlines (Daily GK Update)

National News

PM Modi Launches ‘Gyan Bharatam Mission’ to Digitise Ancient Manuscripts

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the ‘Gyan Bharatam Mission’ on July 27, 2025, to digitise and preserve over one crore ancient manuscripts through a National Digital Repository.
• With enhanced funding of ₹60 crore, the mission aims to make India’s civilisational knowledge accessible to students and researchers globally.
• PM Modi called the manuscripts “Chapters of India’s soul”, aligning the initiative with the ‘Viksit Bharat’ vision.
• He also hailed UNESCO’s recognition of 12 Maratha forts as World Heritage Sites, further highlighting India’s cultural richness.

Girl from Mangalore Creates World Record with 170-Hour Bharatanatyam Performance

• Remona Evette Pereira, a 20-year-old Catholic student from Mangalore, created history by performing Bharatanatyam for 170 hours, entering the Golden Book of World Records.
• Her seven-day marathon, completed on July 28, 2025, broke the previous record of 127 hours.
• Trained under Guru Sri Vidya for 13 years, she combined spiritual devotion with cultural artistry, wearing a rosary throughout the performance.
• Supported by St. Aloysius University and blessed by church leaders, her feat was hailed as a tribute to India’s classical dance heritage and a symbol of cultural unity.

PM Modi Releases Commemorative Coin Honouring Rajendra Chola I

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi celebrated the Aadi Thiruvathirai festival at Gangaikonda Cholapuram, Tamil Nadu, marking the birth anniversary of Emperor Rajendra Chola I.
• He released a commemorative coin in the king’s honour, performed rituals at the Cholisvaram temple, and admired its Chola-era architecture.
• The event also celebrated the millennial anniversary of Rajendra Chola’s naval expedition to Southeast Asia, with cultural highlights including hymns by odhuvars and a performance by Ilaiyaraaja.
• The Prime Minister lauded Rajendra Chola I’s maritime legacy, architectural brilliance, and cultural contributions, calling the Chola dynasty a golden chapter in Indian history.

State News

Bihar CM Announces Formation of State Sanitation Workers Commission

• Bihar CM Nitish Kumar has announced the formation of the Bihar Rajya Safai Karmachari Ayog to protect the rights, welfare, and social upliftment of sanitation workers.
• The commission, consisting of a Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, five members, and a woman or transgender representative, will focus on rehabilitation, grievance redressal, and welfare scheme monitoring.
• The move aims to bring sanitation workers into the social and economic mainstream and improve their living conditions.

Odisha Signs 33 MoUs for $902 Million Investment in Textile Sector

• Odisha signed 33 MoUs worth $902 million under its Apparel & Technical Textile Policy 2022 during Odisha-TEX 2025, aiming to create over 1 lakh jobs by 2030 and establish textile clusters in six districts.
• The state enhanced employment subsidies, with ₹6,000 for men and ₹7,000 for women, to attract investors and strengthen workforce participation, positioning Odisha as the textile hub of eastern India.

Mastercard Collaborates with Andhra Pradesh Government to Boost Tourism

• The Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC) has partnered with Mastercard to enhance the state’s global tourism profile.
• Following a commitment made at Davos, the partnership aims to attract international tourists by integrating Mastercard’s global user base into Andhra Pradesh’s tourism circuit.
• Plans include targeted promotions, digital payment support, and increased visibility for hotels and resorts, with a focus on both coastal destinations and cultural heritage sites.
• This collaboration is expected to position Andhra Pradesh as a premium global travel destination.

India’s First Hindi-Medium MBBS College to Open

• Madhya Pradesh’s Jabalpur will host India’s first Hindi-medium MBBS college from the 2027–28 academic session, offering 50 MBBS seats initially.
• Approved by the Madhya Pradesh Medical University’s executive council, the college will use already translated Hindi textbooks and provide clinical training at the existing government hospital.
• With plans to expand to MD and MS courses in Hindi, this pioneering step aims to break language barriers in medical education, making healthcare studies more inclusive and accessible.

International News

What Is Truce Agreement Which Takes Place Between Thailand And Cambodia?

• A ceasefire agreement between Thailand and Cambodia took effect on July 28, 2025, ending a five-day border conflict that killed at least 38 people, mostly civilians, and displaced over 300,000 residents.
• The truce, mediated in Putrajaya, Malaysia by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, with crucial support from the United States, Donald Trump, and China, halted one of the deadliest clashes in a decade.
• The deal includes direct communications and a monitoring mechanism, bringing relief to devastated border communities affected by artillery strikes, mass displacement, and destruction of homes.

Turkey Unveils Gazap: The World’s Most Powerful Non-Nuclear Bomb

• Turkey has unveiled its most powerful non-nuclear bomb, Gazap, at the IDEF 2025 defence fair in Istanbul.
• Weighing 970 kg, it disperses over 10.16 fragments per metre, three times more than standard bombs, creating a massive kill radius.
• With thermobaric properties reaching 3,000°C, it is compatible with F-16s and F-4s and could soon be drone-deployable.
• Alongside Gazap, Turkey also revealed the NEB-2 Ghost, a deep-penetration bunker-buster capable of piercing 7 metres of reinforced concrete.
• Both weapons showcase Turkey’s growing defence ambitions and near-nuclear conventional capability.

China Calls for Global Consensus on Balancing AI Development and Security

• At the World Artificial Intelligence Conference 2025 in Shanghai, Chinese Premier Li Qiang urged the world to build a global consensus on balancing AI development and security risks.
• He stressed the importance of open-source AI, warning against technological monopolies.
• This comes as the US, under President Trump, pursues a low-regulation strategy to cement its AI dominance, while continuing to restrict chip exports to China.
• The conference also heard warnings from experts like Geoffrey Hinton and calls from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for stronger international cooperation, underscoring the growing urgency of ethical and safe AI governance.

EU and US Seal Landmark Trade Deal with 15% Tariffs

• The US and EU have reached a historic trade deal, setting a 15% tariff on EU exports to America, down from the threatened 30%.
• The deal includes $600 billion EU investment in the US and $750 billion in American energy imports, aiming to cut reliance on Russian power sources.
• While hailed as a major win for the US, the EU views it as a stabilizing yet unbalanced agreement.
• The move averts a damaging trade war and reshapes global trade dynamics.

Banking News

SEBI and Stock Exchanges Revise Surveillance Framework for Small-Cap Firms

• The SEBI and stock exchanges have revised the Enhanced Surveillance Mechanism (ESM) for firms with a market cap below ₹1,000 crore, effective July 28, 2025.
• The changes include monitoring based on a three-month positive price trend and a PE ratio limit of twice the Nifty 500 index.
• Companies under Stage 1 face 100% margin requirements, a trade-for-trade system, and tight price bands.
• Covering 28 firms, the move aims to reduce speculative trading, enhance market integrity, and safeguard retail investors.

Economy News

India Adds 17 Crore Jobs Since 2017-18: Boost in Employment and Female Participation

• India’s workforce expanded by 17 crore jobs between 2017-18 and 2023-24, taking total employment to 64.33 crore, as per RBI’s KLEMS database.
• The Labour Force Participation Rate rose to 60.1%, the unemployment rate fell to 3.2%, and youth unemployment dropped to 10.2%, below the global average.
• Notably, female participation surged to 40.3%, highlighting a significant shift towards inclusive employment growth, according to the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS).

Unclaimed Bank Deposits in India Reach ₹67,003 Crore

• As of June 2025, unclaimed deposits in Indian banks stood at ₹67,003 crore, with SBI (₹19,329.92 crore) and ICICI Bank (₹2,063.45 crore) topping the list.
• To tackle this, the RBI launched the UDGAM portal for tracing deposits.
• The government ruled out ETFs for Virtual Digital Assets, citing RBI warnings about crypto risks. Meanwhile, the Bima Sakhi Yojana has enrolled 1.48 lakh women, with 60% of premiums from rural areas, boosting financial inclusion across India.

Books & Authors News

Uttarakhand CM Releases Book on Student Wellness, Stresses Mental Health and Life Challenges

• Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami launched the book “Sustainable Wellness of Students: A Collective Responsibility in Higher Education” on July 26, 2025, stressing the need for mental health support and welfare initiatives in universities.
• Edited by Prof. Lata Pandey and Dr. Ramanand, the book outlines strategies to tackle student life challenges and highlights the role of stakeholders in ensuring student wellness.
• The CM linked the effort to the New National Education Policy, making Uttarakhand a pioneer in holistic higher education.

Sports News

Divyanshi Bhowmick Creates History at Asian Youth Table Tennis Championships

• Divyanshi Bhowmick, a 14-year-old Indian paddler, created history by winning the U-15 Girls’ Singles gold at the Asian Youth Table Tennis Championships in Tashkent, becoming the first Indian in 36 years to do so.
• Defeating three Chinese players, including Zhu Qihi in the final, she also secured a berth at the World Youth Championships.
• Trained under the Dani Sports Foundation and Ultimate Table Tennis programs, Divyanshi’s triumph marked a historic resurgence for India in youth table tennis.

100 Years of Indian Hockey: HI Announces Enhanced Grants and Nationwide Festival

• On its 100th anniversary, Hockey India announced a significant hike in financial grants — ₹70 lakh each for senior nationals, ₹30 lakh each for junior and sub-junior nationals, and ₹25 lakh per state for local competitions.
• To celebrate the milestone, a nationwide festival on November 7, 2025 will feature 1,000 matches across districts, involving over 36,000 players.
• HI President Dilip Tirkey called this initiative a tribute to hockey’s golden legacy and an investment in India’s future champions.

World University Games 2025: India Secures 20th Spot with 12-Medal Haul

• India finished 20th at the FISU World University Games 2025 in Germany, winning 12 medals — 2 gold, 5 silver, and 5 bronze.
• Key highlights included victories in compound archery (with Sahil Rajesh Jadhav and Parneet Kaur leading the charge), strong showings in athletics, a historic bronze in badminton, and a tennis bronze by Vaishnavi Adkar, India’s first since 1979.
• While the tally was lower than the 2023 record in Chengdu, the 2025 performance reinforced India’s growing strength in global university sports.

Important Day News

Global Tiger Day 2025: Date, Theme, History and Significance

• Global Tiger Day 2025, observed on July 29, highlights the urgent need to protect the world’s rapidly declining tiger population, now reduced to around 4,000 from 100,000 a century ago.
• Established at the 2010 Saint Petersburg Tiger Summit, the day promotes conservation under initiatives like the Tx2 Program, which aimed to double the global tiger count by 2022.
• While the theme for 2025 is yet to be declared, the observance underscores threats such as poaching, habitat loss, and human-wildlife conflict, while urging collective action.

Hepatitis Awareness Week Dates, History and Importance

• Hepatitis Awareness Week (July 26–August 1) highlights the urgent need to combat viral hepatitis, which causes millions of infections worldwide each year and contributes to 80% of liver cancer cases.
• With the discovery of five hepatitis viruses between 1963 and 1989, the development of the Hepatitis B vaccine in 1981, and growing public awareness, this week emphasizes prevention, early diagnosis, and treatment.
• It also commemorates Dr. Baruch Blumberg, who discovered Hepatitis B, on National Hepatitis Day (July 28).

Current Affairs Today | 29 July Current Affairs 2025 | Daily Current Affairs By Ashish Gautam