Daily Current Affairs 13th August 2025, Important News Headlines (Daily GK Update)

National News

Cabinet Approves ₹4,600 Crore Semiconductor Manufacturing Projects in Odisha, Punjab, and Andhra Pradesh

• The Union Cabinet has approved Rs. 4,600 crore for four new semiconductor projects in Odisha, Punjab, and Andhra Pradesh under the India Semiconductor Mission (ISM), bringing the total to 10 projects with Rs. 1.6 lakh crore investment across six states.
• The projects by SiCSem, CDIL, 3D Glass Solutions Inc., and ASIP Technologies aim to strengthen India’s semiconductor ecosystem, boost employment, and support sectors like defence, EVs, AI, and consumer electronics, while enhancing chip manufacturing, advanced packaging, and glass substrate capabilities.

SHRESTH: India’s First State Health Regulatory Excellence Index

• The Union Health Ministry has launched SHRESTH – the State Health Regulatory Excellence Index, a first-of-its-kind national initiative to benchmark and strengthen state drug regulatory systems through a transparent, data-driven framework.
• Developed by CDSCO, SHRESTH acts as a virtual gap assessment tool to guide states toward maturity certification by evaluating key areas like human resources, infrastructure, licensing, surveillance, and responsiveness.
• States will be categorized as Manufacturing or Distribution-focused, with monthly data submissions leading to continuous improvement.
• The initiative aims to ensure drug safety, quality, and efficacy nationwide, reinforcing India’s status as the “Pharmacy of the World.”

UPSC to Celebrate 100 Years of Service: Centenary Year to Begin October 2025

• The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) will launch its Centenary Year celebrations on 1st October 2025, marking 100 years of commitment to merit and public service, with events running till October 2026.
• Established in 1926 under the Government of India Act, 1919, and later renamed under the Constitution in 1950, UPSC has upheld principles of transparency, fairness, and meritocracy in selecting top civil servants.
• Chairman Ajay Kumar announced plans for a special logo, tagline, and new reforms, framing the milestone as a moment for reflection, pride, and a future roadmap for national service.

Indian Ports Bill, 2025: Modernizing India’s Maritime Future Passed By Loksabha

• The Lok Sabha has passed the Indian Ports Bill, 2025, marking a major reform in India’s maritime sector by replacing the colonial-era Indian Ports Act of 1908 with a modern, future-ready framework.
• The bill promotes efficiency, sustainability, and cooperative federalism, establishing the Maritime State Development Council (MSDC) and enhancing state-level governance through State Maritime Boards.
• Key features include digitized operations, green port initiatives, transparent tariffs, and support for PPP and foreign investment.

Parliament Passes Twin Sports Reform Bills: Governance and Anti-Doping Overhaul for India’s Olympic Ambitions

• Parliament has passed the National Sports Governance Bill, 2025 and the National Anti-Doping (Amendment) Bill, 2025, ushering in major reforms in sports administration and anti-doping policy to strengthen India’s bid for the 2036 Olympic Games.
• Introduced by Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, the twin bills aim to ensure ethical governance, athlete support, and global anti-doping alignment.
• The move a step toward justice and fair play, while provisions like a sports dispute tribunal and women’s representation in sports bodies promise to make Indian sports more accountable, inclusive, and athlete-centric.

India Sends 5 Tonnes of Cowpea Seeds to Fiji as Humanitarian Aid

• India has sent 5 tonnes of cowpea seeds to Fiji as humanitarian aid, marking the first batch to support Fiji’s agricultural resilience and food security.
• The seeds were handed over by the Indian High Commission in Suva at Sabeto, Nadi, as part of India’s Act East Policy to strengthen ties with its Indo-Pacific partners.
• The shipment left Delhi on July 26, aiming to empower local growers and bolster agricultural production in Fiji.

State News

Cabinet Approves ₹8,146 Crore Tato-II Hydro Electric Project in Arunachal Pradesh

• The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved the ₹8,146.21 crore Tato-II Hydro Electric Project (700 MW) in Shi Yomi district, Arunachal Pradesh, with a completion target of 72 months.
• The project, a joint venture between NEEPCO and the Arunachal Pradesh Government, will generate 2,738.06 MU of clean energy annually, boost power supply, and balance the national grid.
• The Centre will provide ₹458.79 crore for infrastructure and ₹436.13 crore as financial assistance for state equity.
• Arunachal Pradesh will receive 12% free power and 1% for local development, while the project promotes employment, MSME growth, and 32.88 km of road infrastructure.

Mumbai Hosts Largest-Ever International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics (IOAA) 2025

• Mumbai is hosting the largest-ever 18th International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics, with around 300 students from 64 countries—including 12 first-time participants—competing in a 10-day event organized by the Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education.
• The Olympiad promotes global friendship and learning in astronomy, featuring exams, team challenges, and sky observations, while welcoming war-affected nations and achieving a record number of women participants.

International News

Australia to Recognise Palestinian State at UN in September

• Australia will formally recognise the State of Palestine at the UN General Assembly in September, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced, aiming to support a two-state solution, promote a ceasefire in Gaza, and isolate Hamas.
• The decision follows similar moves by France, Britain, and Canada, and responds to Israel’s actions in Gaza and expansion of illegal settlements.
• Albanese emphasized that recognition depends on Palestinian Authority reforms and Hamas’s exclusion from future governance, signaling growing international pressure on Israel for a political resolution.

Nepal Offers Free Climbing on 97 Himalayan Peaks to Boost Tourism

• Nepal is offering climbers the chance to scale 97 Himalayan peaks free of charge for the next two years to boost tourism in its lesser-known and underdeveloped regions of Karnali and Sudurpaschim provinces.
• These peaks, ranging from 5,970 to 7,132 meters, aim to attract visitors and promote the country’s unexplored mountain destinations, supporting local economies through mountaineering tourism.

Economy News

India Signs Trade Cooperation Pact with Zambia to Boost Cooperative Exports

• India and Zambia have signed a trade cooperation agreement to strengthen alliances between their cooperatives, announced Cooperation Minister Amit Shah.
• This pact aims to boost India’s cooperative export network with support from Indian missions abroad.
• Additionally, India’s National Cooperative Exports Ltd (NCEL) has signed MoUs with companies in Senegal and Indonesia to expand trade opportunities, further enhancing India’s global cooperative trade footprint.

Karnataka GST Evasion Cases Jump Fivefold to ₹39,577 Crore in FY25

• Karnataka’s GST evasion surged to ₹39,577 crore in FY25, over five times higher than the previous year, with 1,254 cases and 9 arrests. Voluntary tax payments totaled ₹1,623 crore.
• Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman clarified that CGST authorities did not issue notices based solely on UPI transactions, which were sent by state GST offices affecting mainly small traders.
• This marks a sharp rise in tax evasion detection compared to ₹7,202 crore in FY24 and ₹25,839 crore in FY23, highlighting increased efforts to curb evasion while addressing traders’ concerns.

India’s Soyoil Imports to Hit Record High in 2024–25, Palm Oil at Five-Year Low

• India’s soyoil imports are set to rise by 60% in 2024/25 to a record 5.5 million tons, driven by cheaper prices compared to palm oil.
• Meanwhile, palm oil imports are expected to drop 13.5% to a five-year low of 7.8 million tons, and sunflower oil imports may fall 20% to 2.8 million tons.
• This shift will increase India’s total edible oil imports by about 1% to 16.1 million tons, impacting global vegetable oil markets by boosting soyoil prices while pressuring palm oil futures.

Agreements News

UIDAI Partners with ISI for 5-Year R&D Pact to Fortify Aadhaar with Advanced Data-Driven Innovations

• The UIDAI has signed a 5-year R&D agreement with the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) to enhance Aadhaar’s security, robustness, and reliability through data-driven innovations.
• The collaboration will focus on developing advanced biometric liveness detection tools, improving matching algorithms, and detecting fraud and anomalies.
• The partnership leverages ISI’s expertise in statistics, data science, and technology, aiming to build more secure, citizen-centric systems for Aadhaar operations.

Awards News

Bibi Fatima Women’s SHG Wins UNDP Equator Prize 2025 for Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Farming

• The Bibi Fatima Women’s Self-Help Group (SHG) from Teertha village, Kundgol taluk, Dharwad district has won the prestigious Equator Initiative Award 2025 by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) — often called the Nobel Prize for Biodiversity Conservation.
• They are the only Indian group among the 10 global winners, selected from around 700 nominees across 103 countries.

Defense News

Two More Defence Industrial Corridors to Boost India’s Self-Reliance in Defence

• The Indian government is set to establish two new defence industrial corridors in Maharashtra and Assam, adding to the existing ones in Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh, to boost self-reliance (Atmanirbharta) in defence manufacturing.
• This move follows a record Rs 1.5 lakh crore in defence production in FY 2024-25—a 90% increase since 2019-20.
• The new corridors aim to strengthen the defence industrial base, promote indigenous production, encourage innovation, and expand the private sector’s role, while also enhancing employment and export potential.

Schemes News

Government Approves ₹4,200 Crore MERITE Scheme to Boost Technical Education and Research

• The Union Cabinet has approved the MERITE scheme (Multidisciplinary Education and Research Improvement in Technical Education), with a ₹4,200 crore outlay over five years, to enhance quality and employability in 175 engineering and 100 polytechnic institutes.
• Co-funded by the World Bank, MERITE aims to boost research, innovation, digitalisation, and multidisciplinary programmes, especially aligned with NEP 2020.
• The scheme also focuses on female faculty leadership, faculty development, internships, and industry-linked curricula, with IITs, IIMs, AICTE, and NBA playing key implementation roles.

Current Affairs Today | 13 August Current Affairs 2025 | Daily Current Affairs By Ashish Gautam