1 Cabinet approves 4 new projects worth Rs 4,600 crore to promote semiconductors
In a Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi , four new semiconductor projects have been approved under the ‘ India Semiconductor Mission ‘ (ISM) . These projects will entail an investment of about Rs 4,600 crore and will provide direct employment to 2,034 skilled professionals, as well as create many indirect jobs in electronic manufacturing. With these four newly approved projects, the total number of projects approved under ISM has increased to 10, with a total investment of Rs 1.60 lakh crore in six states. These projects will set up units of SiCSem Private Limited and 3D Glass Solutions Inc. in Info Valley, Bhubaneswar , Odisha . SiCSem, in collaboration with UK’s Clas-SiC Wafer Fab Ltd. , will set up the country’s first commercial compound semiconductor fab, which will manufacture silicon carbide (SiC) based devices. It will have an annual capacity of 60,000 wafers and 96 million packaged units, which will be used in missiles, defense equipment, electric vehicles, railways, fast chargers, data centers, home appliances and solar inverters. 3D Glass Solutions Inc. will set up an advanced packaging and embedded glass substrate unit in Info Valley , which will bring the world’s most advanced packaging technology to India. It will include technologies such as glass interposers, silicon bridges, and 3D Heterogeneous Integration (3DHI) modules. It will have an annual capacity of 69,600 glass panel substrates, 50 million assembled units and 13,200 3DHI modules. These will be used in defense, high-performance computing, artificial intelligence, automotive, photonics and co-packaged optics. In Andhra Pradesh , Advanced System in Package Technology (ASIP) will set up a semiconductor unit in collaboration with South Korea’s APACT Co. Ltd. , which will have an annual capacity of 96 million units. It will be produced in mobile phones, set-top boxes, automobiles and other electronic products. Continental Device India Ltd. (CDIL) at Mohali in Punjab will expand its existing plant to manufacture high-power discrete semiconductor devices such as MOSFETs, IGBTs, Schottky Bypass Diodes and transistors. The expansion will produce 158.38 million units annually that will be used in automobile electronics, EV charging infrastructure, renewable energy, power conversion, industrial applications and communication infrastructure.
2 Cabinet approves Rs 8,146.21 crore Tato-II hydroelectric project in Arunachal Pradesh
In a meeting chaired by PM Modi , the Cabinet has approved the construction of Tato-II Hydroelectric Project in Shi Yomi district of Arunachal Pradesh. The project will cost a total of Rs 8,146.21 crore and will take about 72 months to complete. The project will have a capacity of 700 MW and will generate about 2,738.06 million units of electricity every year. This will improve power supply in Arunachal Pradesh and also strengthen the National Grid (high voltage system connecting different power plants and substations of the country). The Tato-II project will be built by a joint venture of North Eastern Electric Power Corporation Limited (NEEPCO) and the Government of Arunachal Pradesh. The central government will provide financial assistance of Rs 436.13 crore for the state’s share, as well as additional budgetary support of Rs 458.79 crore for infrastructure such as roads, bridges and power transmission lines. Arunapradesh will also get 12% free electricity and 1% local area development fund from this project.
3 Balochs are not terrorists, they are victims of Pak-sponsored terrorism: Human rights activist
The US has put the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and its front organisation ‘ The Majeed Brigade ‘ on the FTO (Foreign Terrorist Organisation) list . Human rights activist Mir Yar Baloch criticized the decision, saying that the Baloch are not terrorists but they themselves are victims of Pak-sponsored terrorism. Baloch human rights activist Mir Yar Baloch said that Balochistan has suffered 78 years of Pak-sponsored terrorism, economic plunder, radioactive poisoning caused by Pakistan’s nuclear tests, foreign invasion and extremist Pakistan’s “brutal occupation”. He said that the people of Balochistan are becoming victims of IS-Khorasan (IS-K). IS-K is a branch of the terrorist organisation ISIS, which is being allowed to flourish by the country’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
4 Union Health Secretary launches ‘Shrestha’ initiative to enhance drug quality and safety
Union Health Secretary Punya Salila Shrivastava reiterated that the health of all citizens begins with the safety, quality and efficacy of the medicines they take. Launching the State Health Regulatory Excellence Index (SHRESH) initiative in New Delhi , Ms Shrivastava emphasised that ensuring quality of medicines is the Government’s commitment. The SHRESTHA initiative proposed by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) aims to improve the performance of State Drug Regulatory Authorities across India , ensuring that drug safety and quality standards are consistently adhered to. It is a first-of-its-kind national initiative to standardise and strengthen State drug regulatory systems through a transparent and data-driven framework.
India has banned the import of certain jute products and ropes from Bangladesh through all land routes with immediate effect . A notification issued by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) said that items such as jute fabrics, twines, ropes and bags can now enter India only through the Nhava Sheva port in Maharashtra . The move is aimed at ensuring quality control or protection of the domestic industry. The banned products include bleached and unbleached woven fabrics of jute or other textile bast fibres; twines, cords, jute ropes; and jute sacks and bags. Import of these products from Bangladesh will not be permitted through any land port located on the India-Bangladesh border. Earlier on June 27, India had banned the import of jute products and woven fabrics from Bangladesh through all land routes. However, these imports are allowed only through the Nhava Sheva port in Maharashtra.
6 Indian Army launches drone competition ‘Surya Dronnathan 2025’ in Himachal Pradesh
Surya Command of Indian Army , in collaboration with Drone Federation of India , has organized a drone competition ‘ Surya Dronnathan 2025 ‘ at Sumdo , Spiti Valley, Himachal Pradesh . Surya Dronnathan 2025 aims to utilize cutting-edge indigenous technology and foster a strong ecosystem of innovation in the defence sector, in line with the vision of “Atmanirbhar Bharat” and the Indian Army’s pursuit of technological advancement. Participants are facing one of the country’s highest drone obstacle courses located at an altitude of 10,700 feet in Spiti Valley at Sumdo from August 10 to 24. It is a pioneering drone competition that will bring together talented freelancers and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) from across the country. The competition will consist of multiple stages, including obstacle negotiations, endurance races, etc. The competition is to be held in two phases, Phase 1: August 10-15, 2025 and Phase 2: August 20-24, 2025. Category I: Service Team; Category II: Freelancer/Open and Category III: Participation for OEM. The last date for online registration was August 01, 2025.
7 Former Chief Justice DY Chandrachud’s first book, ‘Why the Constitution Matters’
Former Chief Justice of India Justice D.Y. Chandrachud ‘s book ” Why the Constitution Matters” has unveiled the cover, his first book, which is set to be published by Penguin Random House by the end of August. Justice Dhananjay Yashwant Chandrachud retires as the 50th Chief Justice of India in November 2024. The 51st Chief Justice is Sanjay Khanna and the 52nd Chief Justice is Bhushan Ramakrishna Gavai. The book “Why the Constitution Matters” features landmark judgements by the former Chief Justice addressing diverse issues such as the right to privacy, decriminalisation of homosexuality and gender equality in the armed forces. Justice Dhananjay Yashwant Chandrachud replaced 49th CJI Uday Umesh Lalit as the 50th Chief Justice of India (CJI). His tenure was relatively short, two years.
8 Climate change-induced extreme heat has reduced tropical bird populations by up to 38%
A global study has found that extreme heat induced by climate change has wiped out 25-38 percent of tropical bird populations since 1950. According to an analysis released on the website of the University of Queensland, Australia , the study conducted by Australian and European researchers analysed more than 3,000 bird populations and 90,000 observations from 1950 to 2020. The results showed that extreme heat, more than habitat loss or changes in rainfall, is the primary cause of bird declines in the tropics. Birds now face dangerously hot days ten times more often, leading to dehydration, nest abandonment and reduced breeding success. Even untouched tropical forests have been affected. Nearly half of bird species are found in the tropics, and these findings pose a serious threat to global biodiversity.
9 India won 27 medals at Asian Under-19 and Under-22 Boxing Championships 2025; Ritika won gold in women’s 80+ kg category
In boxing , India’s campaign at the Asian Under-19 and Under-22 Boxing Championships 2025 ended on a high note with Ritika winning the gold medal in the women’s 80+ kg category. India ‘s teams won a total of 27 medals across both age groups at the event held in Bangkok. The Under -19 team performed brilliantly and finished second overall with 14 medals including 3 gold, 7 silver and 4 bronze . While the Under-22 team secured 13 medals including 1 gold, 4 silver and 8 bronze, with Ritika being the only gold medalist from this group. Other notable performances included silver medals by Yatri Patel in the women’s 57 kg category, Priya in the 60 kg category, Neeraj in the men’s 75 kg category and Ishan Katariya in the 90+ kg category . The Under-19 team finished slightly behind Uzbekistan in terms of gold medals, while the Under -22 team finished fourth . Earlier this year, India’s youth Under-15 and Under-17 teams won a combined 43 medals at the Asian Championships, with the Under-15 team winning the most 11 gold medals.
10 India Test captain Shubman Gill named ICC Men’s Player of the Month for July
Indian Test captain Shubman Gill has been named the ICC Men’s Player of the Month for July . Gill has won the Player of the Month award, beating England Test captain Ben Stokes and South African all-rounder Wiaan Mulder. This is Gill’s fourth Player of the Month honor, having previously won the honor in February this year and in January and September 2023. The 25-year-old Gill had a stellar July, scoring 567 runs in three Tests at an impressive average of 94.50, including a double century and two centuries in six matches. This was Gill’s first tour as India’s Test captain, and he said it was a great honor for him to receive this honor.
11 Jharkhand women’s hockey team won the 15th Junior National Championship for the second consecutive year
Jharkhand Women Hockey Team became champions for the second consecutive year in the 15th Junior National Women Hockey Championship , defeating Hockey Haryana 2-1 in the final . The championship was held from 1st to 12th August at Kakinanda, Andhra Pradesh. Sweety Dungdung and Shanti Kimari scored two goals for Jharkhand in the 10th and 12th minutes of the match. Sweety Dungdung also became the highest goal scorer in the championship with a total of 5 goals. Jharkhand Women Hockey Team has won the Junior National Championship four times in the year 2018, 2019, 2024 and 2025. Adding another feather to its cap, Jharkhand Women Hockey Team has won the National Championship in all the three categories i.e. Senior, Junior and Sub-Junior this year in 2025.
12 India’s Namrata Batra created history by winning the country’s first medal in Wushu at the World Games in China
India’s Namrata Batra created history yesterday by winning a silver medal in the final of the women’s 52kg event at the 2025 World Games held in Chengdu, China . The 24-year-old Namrata Batra, a silver medallist at last year’s Asian Championships and a four-time national champion , lost 2-0 to local favourite Mengyu Chen in the final. This was India’s first medal in wushu at the World Games and the country’s second podium finish in the ongoing edition after Rishabh Yadav ‘s bronze medal in men’s compound archery. Namrata’s campaign began with a 2-0 win over Lebanon’s Barbara El Rassi in the quarter-finals, followed by a 2-0 victory over Philippines’ Crizan Faith Collado in the semi-finals. India have now won a total of seven medals in the history of the World Games – one gold, two silver and four bronze.
13 World Elephant Day
World Elephant Day is celebrated on August 12. The theme for the year 2025 is “ Uniting the World to Help Elephants ”, which reflects the urgent need for joint international efforts to protect these magnificent creatures.
14 International Youth Day 2025
The youth of any nation is the torchbearer of progress, whose rays of hope spread light to the remotest corners of society. Recognizing their immense potential, various countries of the world invest in youth-focused policies, education and opportunities. International Youth Day, celebrated every year on August 12, provides a platform to discuss global issues related to youth and honors them as active participants in building a sustainable future.