Bihar won Men’s and Women’s Junior National Rugby 7s Championship 2025

2 India’s millet standard recognised at 88th Codex Executive Committee meeting in Rome

 India’s leadership  in developing a group standard for whole millets accepted during  the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC47)  last year   was appreciated  during  the 88th Session  of the Executive Committee of  the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CCExEC88)  , held from 14 to 18 July 2025 at FAO Headquarters  in  Rome  , Italy   . The Committee reviewed the progress of this work, which is chaired by India and co-chaired by  Mali, Nigeria and Senegal  . The terms of reference for this were finalised at the 11th Session of the Codex Committee on Cereals, Pulses and Legumes (CCCPL11) held in April 2025. CCExEC88 also  took a closer look at the work done under India’s chairmanship on new standards suggested by the 23rd Session of the Codex Committee on Fresh Fruits and Vegetables (CCFFv23)  held in February this year. The Executive Committee appreciated the efforts of CCFFV and India in finalising these standards. It endorsed them for further approval at the 48th session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC48) to be held in November 2025. India  will also act as co-chair in new work proposals to develop standards for fresh turmeric and fresh broccoli .

3 ASI declares Mizoram’s Lungphun Ropui as monument of national importance

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)  has   designated  Lungphun Ropui  in   Mizoram  as  a monument of national importance under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958.  This is the second megalithic age site in the state after  Kawchhua Ropui  in  Wangchia   to be declared as a monument of national importance by the ASI. The ASI will now be responsible for the protection and maintenance of the Lungphun Ropui site. Construction activities and other related activities such as repair, renovation and reconstruction near this monument/site will be regulated. The area up to a limit of 100 metres from the monument or site will be declared a prohibited area for construction and other activities. The area up to 200 metres from the prohibited boundary will now be a regulated area. Any construction activities in the prohibited and regulated areas can be carried out only with the prior permission of the competent authorities on the recommendation of the National Monuments Authority.

4 PM Modi inaugurates Durgapur-Kolkata extension of PM Urja Ganga pipeline

Prime Minister  Narendra Modi  officially inaugurated the Jagdishpur-Haldia and Bokaro-Dhamra pipeline sections  of   the ambitious  Pradhan Mantri Urja Ganga (PMUG) project on 18 July 2025. Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited   Durgapur, West Bengal  on 18 July 2025, where he inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of various development projects related to power, oil and gas, road and rail sectors  . He dedicated the Durgapur to Kolkata section (132 km) of the Durgapur-Haldia Natural Gas Pipeline to the nation. The pipeline will provide natural gas to households, industries and transport sectors in East Bardhaman, Hooghly and Nadia districts of West Bengal. It has been   built at a cost of Rs 1,190 crore .

5 NIEPID and Jai Vakil Foundation sign MoU to launch structured and equitable education for children with intellectual disabilities across India

 In a major step towards bridging the gap of  uniform curriculum  for  children with intellectual disabilities in India  , National Institute for Empowerment of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities (DIV) (NIEPID)  and  Jai Vakil Foundation (JVF)  signed  a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)  in  Mumbai to launch a nationwide structured and uniform education for  children with intellectual disabilities (CWID)  . The MoU was signed in the presence of Shri Rajesh Agarwal, Secretary, Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD), Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.

6 The first indigenously designed Diving Support Vessel, INS Nistar was inducted into the Navy at Visakhapatnam in the presence of Minister of State for Defence

The first indigenously designed Diving Support Vessel, INS Nistar was commissioned into the Indian Navy  on 18 July 2025   in the presence of  Minister of State for Defence Shri Sanjay Seth  at  Visakhapatnam  . The ship  is the first of two Diving Support Vessels to be built by Hindustan Shipyard Limited  . It is designed to undertake deep sea saturation  diving and rescue operations  , a capability possessed by select navies across the world. INS Nistar is fitted with state-of-the-art diving equipment such as remotely operated vehicles, self-propelled hyperbaric lifeboats, diving compression chamber facilities. It can undertake diving and rescue operations up to a depth of 300 metres. It will also function as a deep submergence rescue vessel to rescue and evacuate personnel from a submarine in distress well below the surface.

7 The two-day meeting of G-20 finance ministers and central bank heads concluded in Durban, South Africa

The two-day meeting of G-20 finance ministers and central bank chiefs  has concluded  in  Durban  , South Africa  .  Its aim was to promote global cooperation  . Major global challenges including conflict, trade tensions, supply chain disruptions, debt and climate disasters were discussed in the meeting. It resolved to work together to deal with existing and emerging risks. The ministers agreed to adopt growth-focused economic policies. They also expressed commitment to support the independence of the central bank to create fiscal buffers, promote investment and ensure price stability. The National Treasury of South Africa said that the ministers agreed to enhance long-term growth potential by adopting macroeconomic policies. The World Trade Organization needs some comprehensive reform through innovative approaches to improve all its functions, so that the organization can be made more relevant and responsive to current realities.

8 Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy and Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav flagged off a new express train to Jodhpur from Kacheguda Railway Station

Union Minister for Coal and Mines G. Kishan Reddy  along with Railway Minister  Ashwini Vaishnav  flagged  off  a new express train   from  Hyderabad to Jodhpur from Kacheguda Railway Station . The train will serve passengers travelling through the states of Telangana, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.  Mr Vaishnav appreciated the efforts of Members of Parliament from these states to fulfill the long-standing demand of the people for a direct train service from Hyderabad to Jodhpur.

9 Union Minister Shri Pralhad Joshi flagged off 435 MW solar plant in Rajasthan

Underlining Rajasthan’s transformation from a desert landscape to a global hub of clean energy, Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy,  Shri Pralhad Joshi  inaugurated the  435 MW  Gorbia  Solar Power Project  developed by  Zelestra India  at Bap, Phalodi, Rajasthan  . Built in less than eight months, the Gorbia Solar Power Project  is spread over  1250 acres and has a 25-year power purchase agreement with  Solar Energy Corporation of India   . It  will generate 755 GWh of clean electricity per annum  , powering about 1.28 lakh households and reducing carbon emissions by about 7.05 lakh tonnes per annum. Shri Joshi informed that nearly 70 per cent of Rajasthan’s power capacity now comes from renewable energy, with over 35.4 GW of installed capacity, 29.5 GW from solar and 5.2 GW from wind.

10 Donald Trump signs law to create regulatory framework for US dollar-pegged cryptocurrencies

President Donald Trump  has  signed a law to create a  regulatory system for cryptocurrencies linked to the US dollar . Cryptocurrencies  are also called  stablecoins . The bill, called the Genius Act  , received 308 votes in favor and 122 against. Nearly half of the Democratic members and most Republican members supported the bill. It is being considered a major step towards US leadership in crypto finance. This is a milestone that can pave the way for digital assets to become an everyday way to pay and transfer money. This law allows major financial institutions to issue their own stablecoins. Companies that issue stablecoins will have to disclose every month how much and what kind of reserves they have in reserve. This is the first of two major crypto bills that the President has urged Congress to pass this year.

11 India won three gold, two silver and one bronze medal at IMO 2025 held in Australia

India has  won  three gold, two silver and one bronze medals in  the 66th International Mathematical Olympiad-IMO-2025   held in  Sunshine Coast ,  Australia  .  The names of the winners have been given in a press release issued   by  Homi Bhabha Science Education Center in Mumbai . Among them , Kanav Talwar and Aarav Gupta of Delhi and Aditya Mangudi of Maharashtra have won gold medals ,  Abel George Mathew of Karnataka and Adish Jain of Delhi  have won silver medals. At the same time,  Archit Manas of Delhi  won the bronze medal. A total of 630 students, including 69 female participants, participated in this competition. This is the second time after 1998 that India has won three gold medals in IMO. India created history by winning four gold medals in 2024. India has secured seventh place in the world this year. India has scored the highest ever score of 193 out of 252 marks.

12 Bihar won Men’s and Women’s Junior National Rugby 7s Championship 2025

Bihar  boys  and girls teams  have  won the 10th Junior National Rugby 7s Championship 2025  held in  Dehradun, Uttarakhand  . This was the second time after 2022 that Bihar team has won the boys and girls title together in the Junior National Rugby 7s Championship. The 10th Junior National Rugby 7s Championship 2025 was organized  by  the governing body of the sport,  the Indian Rugby Football Union , in collaboration with the Government of Uttarakhand  and  the Uttarakhand Rugby Association  . The championship  was played   in a seven-player format and boys and girls under the age of 18  participate. All the matches of the championship  were played at  the Ganga Athletics Stadium  of Maharana Pratap Sports University, Dehradun  ,  Uttarakhand  . The girls championship was held on 8 and 9 July 2025. The boys championship was held on 12 and 13 July 2025.