Daily Current Affairs 9th August 2025, Important News Headlines (Daily GK Update)

National News

Indian Railways Conducts Trial Run of Asia’s Longest Freight Train ‘Rudrastra’

• Indian Railways successfully conducted a trial run of Asia’s longest freight train, ‘Rudrastra’, spanning 4.5 km.
• The trial covered 209 km from Ganjkhwaja (Uttar Pradesh) to Garhwa (Jharkhand) in 5 hours 10 minutes at an average speed of 40.5 km/h.
• Comprising 345 wagons and 7 engines, Rudrastra was formed by linking three long-haul racks, effectively aligning five goods trains.
• Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw hailed it as Bharat’s longest freight train, aimed at enhancing transport efficiency, saving time and resources, and accelerating freight movement from DDU to Dhanbad Division.

Aadhaar Face Authentication Hits Record 19.36 Crore Transactions in July 2025

• Aadhaar face authentication recorded a historic 19.36 crore transactions in July 2025, up from 5.77 crore in July 2024, showing rapid adoption across banking, telecom, oil, and government services.
• The month saw a 22% increase over June and a record 1.22 crore transactions on 1 July alone. Over 150 entities now use the AI-driven technology for secure, contactless verification, including integration with NSAP, NMC medical colleges, and recruitment bodies like SSC and RRB.
• Overall, Aadhaar authentication reached 221 crore transactions, with e-KYC at 39.56 crore, reflecting its growing impact on welfare delivery and digital governance.

GeM Marks 9th Anniversary, Achieves ₹5.4 Lakh Crore GMV in FY 2024–25

• The Government e Marketplace (GeM) celebrated its 9th anniversary in 2025, achieving a remarkable Rs 5.4 trillion Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) in FY 2024–25.
• Since its launch in 2016, GeM has onboarded 1.5 lakh women-led enterprises, startups, self-help groups (SHGs), artisans, and micro and small enterprises (MSEs), promoting transparent, inclusive, and efficient public procurement.
• Recent reforms include the removal of caution money, rationalization of vendor fees, and transaction charge reductions, benefiting 97% of orders.

PM’s Mann Ki Baat Programme Earns Over ₹34 Crore Since 2014: Government

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s radio programme ‘Mann ki Baat’ has generated ₹34.13 crore in revenue since its launch on October 3, 2014, according to Union Minister L Murugan.
• Produced by Akashvani using in-house resources without extra expenditure, the programme is broadcast across radio, Doordarshan, digital platforms, and social media, including YouTube, Facebook, X, and Instagram.
• It reaches a wide audience, including vernacular, rural, and global listeners, with regional language versions and availability on platforms like DD Free Dish, WAVES OTT, and the NewsOnAIR app, enhancing engagement and accessibility.

Over 29,000 Deaths in National Highway Accidents in First Half of 2025: Government Data

• In the first six months of 2025, over 29,000 deaths occurred on India’s national highways, already surpassing 50% of last year’s fatalities, highlighting the high risk despite highways covering only 2% of the road network but accounting for 30% of accident deaths.
• The government is tackling this with improved road engineering, Advanced Traffic Management Systems (ATMS), and stricter consultant selection for project designs, aiming to halve road fatalities by 2030.

Indian Railways Launches 20% Return Fare Rebate for Round Trip Festival Package

To manage festival rush and improve train utilization, Indian Railways has launched an experimental Round Trip Package offering a 20% rebate on the base fare of the return journey for passengers booking confirmed round-trip tickets between 13th–26th October (onward) and 17th November–1st December 2025 (return). Bookings open from 14th August 2025, and both journeys must involve the same passengers, class, and route (O-D pair). The offer is valid across all classes and trains (except Flexi fare trains), but no modifications, refunds, or additional discounts will be allowed.

International News

Azerbaijan and Armenia Sign Historic Peace Deal at White House Summit

• In a historic peace deal brokered at the White House, Azerbaijan and Armenia officially agreed to end decades of conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, with President Donald Trump hosting the summit.
• The agreement includes reopening transport routes, establishing diplomatic and business ties, and constructing a new Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity linking Azerbaijan to its Nakhchivan exclave.

Thailand and Cambodia Finalize Ceasefire Details, Pledge to Maintain Troop Levels

• Cambodia and Thailand have reached a consensus on ceasefire details and signed an agreement during the General Border Committee meeting in Kuala Lumpur, with third-party observers from the US, China, and Malaysia.
• Both countries pledged to cease all types of firing, maintain current troop levels without reinforcements along the border, and ensure humane treatment of captured soldiers as per international humanitarian law.

Ranks & Reports News

India’s Top 10 Safest Cities 2025: Check If Your City Made the List

• According to the Numbeo Safety Index 2025, Mangalore has been ranked the safest city in India, placing 49th globally, thanks to its clean streets and disciplined civic systems.
• Following Mangalore are Vadodara, Ahmedabad, and Surat, making Gujarat a standout state with three cities in the top 10.
• Other safe cities include Jaipur, Navi Mumbai, Thiruvananthapuram, Chennai, Pune, and Chandigarh.
• In contrast, Delhi, Noida, and Ghaziabad rank among the least safe. Globally, Abu Dhabi remains the world’s safest city for the ninth consecutive year.

Sports News

India’s Annu Rani Wins Gold at International Wiesław Maniak Memorial

• India’s Annu Rani clinched the gold medal in women’s javelin throw at the International Wiesław Maniak Memorial in Poland with a season-best throw of 62.59 meters.
• The 32-year-old Asian Games champion secured the win early with a 60.96m first attempt and followed it up with her best in the second.
• Turkey’s Eda Tugsuz and Australia’s Lianna Davidson won silver and bronze, respectively.
• Annu now ranks among the top 15 javelin throwers globally this season and is targeting the 64m qualification mark for the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.

Schemes News

Over 72.22 Lakh Pregnant Women Registered Under Mission Poshan 2.0

• As of July 2025, over 72.22 lakh pregnant women have been registered under Mission Poshan 2.0, and more than 4.05 crore women have received maternity benefits through the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY) since its launch in 2017.
• The government, through programs like SUMAN, JSSK, and PMSMA, is enhancing maternal healthcare and reducing anaemia and low birth weight.
• Under Poshan 2.0, Take-Home Ration (THR) is provided for 300 days to pregnant women and adolescent girls.

Science & Technology News

IndiaAI and National Cancer Grid Launch Program to Boost AI Innovation in Cancer Care

• IndiaAI and the National Cancer Grid (NCG) have launched the CATCH Grant Program to support innovative AI solutions in cancer screening, diagnosis, and treatment across India.
• The program offers pilot grants up to ₹50 lakh and potential scale-up funding up to ₹1 crore for up to 10 selected projects.
• Startups, health tech firms, academia, and hospitals can apply by September 2, 2025.
• The initiative emphasizes responsible AI development, clinical validation, and deployment readiness within the NCG network, aiming to boost healthcare operations and patient outcomes through advanced technology.

Current Affairs Today | 9 August Current Affairs 2025 | Daily Current Affairs By Ashish Gautam