Daily Current Affairs 12th August 2025, Important News Headlines (Daily GK Update)

Nationals News

1. India’s First Drone-AI-Powered Artificial Rain Experiment in Jaipur

• Uses drones & AI for cloud seeding at Ramgarh Dam, Jaipur.

• Aim: revive 129-year-old dam, dry for 20 years.

• Drones spray sodium chloride to induce rain.

• Multi-department coordination; DGCA drone approval.

• Builds on India’s cloud seeding history dating back to 1951.

Agreements News

2. BSNL Signs MoUs with Tech Giants for Advanced 5G & AI Training

• BSNL partners with Ericsson, Qualcomm, Cisco, and Nokia to train workforce in 5G, AI/ML, and networking.

• Training to be conducted at BRBRAITT, Jabalpur, under the TIRTC initiative.

• Ericsson and Nokia to set up 5G Centres of Excellence; Qualcomm to launch an AI training institute.

• Cisco to focus on networking and cybersecurity skills through its Networking Academy.

• Aims to support Digital India, Skill India, and Atmanirbhar Bharat missions.

Defence News

3. Indian Navy to Commission INS Udaygiri and INS Himgiri on the Same Day

• Historic first: Two frontline frigates INS Udaygiri (MDL) and INS Himgiri (GRSE) commissioned together on 26 Aug 2025.

• Part of Project 17A stealth frigates; feature advanced stealth, CODOG propulsion, and IPMS control.

• Equipped with supersonic missiles, SAMs, 76mm main gun, and advanced ASW systems.

• Built with inputs from 200+ MSMEs, creating thousands of jobs.

• Marks 100th warship designed by the Navy’s Warship Design Bureau.

4. BSF Launches ‘Operation Alert’ Along Rajasthan Border Ahead of Independence Day

• BSF launched ‘Operation Alert’ from 11–17 August 2025 along the Rajasthan border to strengthen security ahead of Independence Day.

• Focus on strict border management, SOP review, and intensified patrols to counter possible threats.

• Use of advanced surveillance gadgets for real-time monitoring and intelligence gathering.

• Full deployment of BSF forces on 15 August for heightened vigilance.

• Operation coincides with the Har Ghar Tiranga campaign (2–15 August), encouraging citizens to hoist the National Flag.

• PM Modi lauded the “phenomenal participation” in the campaign, calling it a reflection of India’s unity and pride.

Awards News

5. 10th National Anubhav Awards 2025 to Honour Retired Govt Employees

• Initiative launched in 2015 to preserve memoirs of retiring government officials.

• 2025 ceremony to honour 15 awardees from 11 ministries/departments.

• Over 12,500 memoirs published on the Anubhav Portal since inception.

• Expanded eligibility to PSUs and banks; new marking criteria introduced in 2025.

• SBI and BHEL employees win awards for the first time; one-third of awardees are women.

Sports News

6. David Warner Overtakes Virat Kohli in T20 Cricket Runs

• Warner now 5th-highest T20 run-scorer with 13,545 runs, overtaking Kohli’s 13,543.

• Feat achieved in The Hundred 2025 while playing for London Spirit.

• Warner scored 71 off 51 balls with 12 fours and a six.

• Kohli now 6th, while Chris Gayle still tops the chart with 14,562 runs.

• Warner averages 36.80 with 8 centuries and 113 fifties in T20s.

7. India wins 27 medals at Asian U19 & U22 Boxing Championships 2025

• India secures 27 medals at Asian U19 & U22 Boxing Championships 2025 in Bangkok.

• U19 team wins 14 medals (3 gold, 7 silver, 4 bronze), finishing 2nd overall.

• U22 team bags 13 medals (1 gold, 4 silver, 8 bronze), with Ritika the only gold medalist.

• Silver medals for Yatri Patel (57kg), Priya (60kg), Neeraj (75kg), and Ishan Kataria (90+kg).

• Earlier this year, U15 & U17 teams bagged 43 medals at Asian Championships.

Business News

8. IFC Commits $150 Million to HDFC’s H-DREAM Fund for Affordable Housing

• IFC invests $150M in HDFC Capital’s H-DREAM Fund to boost affordable & mid-income housing.

• Fund aims to develop 25,000 homes with EDGE green building standards.

• Total corpus target: $1 billion (primary $500M + greenshoe $500M).

• Expected to mobilise $850M from institutional investors.

• Addresses India’s 18 million unit housing shortfall in Tier-I & Tier-II cities.

9. Net direct tax collection falls 3.95% to ₹6.64 lakh crore in FY26

• Net direct tax collection in FY26 (till Aug 11) stood at ₹6.64 lakh crore, down 3.95% from last year.

• Gross collections before refunds were ₹7.99 lakh crore, a 1.87% dip year-on-year.

• Corporate tax mop-up reached ₹2.29 lakh crore; non-corporate tax at ₹4.12 lakh crore.

• Refunds surged 10% to ₹1.35 lakh crore, lowering net receipts.

• Government targets ₹25.20 lakh crore direct tax collection in FY26, up 12.7% YoY.

Banking News

10. IDFC FIRST Bank Launches RemitFIRST2India for NRIs

• New remittance service for NRIs with zero transfer fees and competitive forex rates.

• Launched in partnership with SingX, currently covering Singapore & Hong Kong.

• Fully paperless transfers with real-time tracking.

• Welcome bonus: extra forex margin on first 3 transfers.

• Aligns with IDFC FIRST Bank’s ethical banking and digital excellence mission.

11. RBI Unveils 3 Major Measures for Customer Convenience & Inclusion

• Doorstep re-KYC camps from July 1 – Sept 30 at panchayat level.

• Standardised claims process for deceased customers’ accounts and lockers.

• Upgraded Retail Direct platform for govt securities investment planning.

• Aims to make banking simpler, faster, and more inclusive.

• Supports financial inclusion in rural and urban India.

12. Axis Bank Launches ‘Lock FD’ Feature to Combat Digital Fraud

• Prevents premature FD closure via digital channels.

• Closure only possible via in-person branch verification.

• Enhances security against phishing and hacking threats.

• Customers can activate via mobile app or at branches.

• Added security: in-app OTP feature to prevent interception.

Appointments News

13. Zomato Appoints Shah Rukh Khan as Brand Ambassador

• Follows SRK’s appearance in Zomato’s Fuel Your Hustle campaign.

• Campaign celebrates perseverance and hard work, linking it to food as motivation.

• SRK to feature across TV, print, digital, and outdoor ads.

• Zomato aims to inspire ambition through this collaboration.

• Partnership based on shared values of persistence & innovation.

Important Days

14. International Youth Day 2025: Local Youth Actions for the SDGs and Beyond

• Celebrated annually on August 12 to address youth issues and celebrate their role in building a sustainable future.

• Originated in 1991 at the UN’s first World Youth Forum; officially adopted in 1998.

• 2025 theme: “Local Youth Actions for the SDGs and Beyond”, focusing on youth participation in local governance.

• Marks the 30th anniversary of the World Programme of Action for Youth (WPAY).

• Addresses challenges like unemployment, education gaps, mental health issues, and climate change.

15. World Elephant Day 2025: Bringing the World Together to Help Elephants

• Celebrated annually on August 12 to raise awareness about elephant conservation and welfare.

• Founded in 2012 by Patricia Sims and the Elephant Reintroduction Foundation.

• Focuses on habitat preservation, anti-poaching, captive elephant welfare, and stricter conservation laws.

• Elephants in India: Endangered, protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

• Initiatives like Project Elephant, Gaj Yatra, and elephant corridors aim to protect the species.

Miscellaneous News

16. Rare Blue Pinkgill Mushroom Discovered in Telangana

• Blue Pinkgill (Entoloma hochstetteri) found in Kagaznagar forest — native to New Zealand.

• Known for rare azulene pigments giving a sky-blue colour.

• Shuttlecock mushroom recorded for first time in Eastern Ghats.

• Discovery highlights Telangana’s rich fungal biodiversity.

• Monsoon plays key role in fungal emergence and forest ecosystem health.