1 Cabinet approves Prime Minister Dhan-Dhanya Agriculture Scheme
The central government has approved the Pradhan Mantri Dhan-Dhanya Krishi Yojana , which aims to increase agricultural productivity . This scheme will be implemented in 100 identified districts of the country for the next six years starting from the year 2025-26 . The scheme focuses on crop diversification, promoting sustainable agricultural practices, improving post-harvest storage facilities, improving irrigation facilities and easing the availability of credit. Under this scheme, 100 districts of the country will be identified. These districts will be selected on the basis of three major indicators – low productivity, low crop density and low loan disbursement. The scheme will be implemented through the coordination of 36 existing schemes of 11 departments and other state schemes . 1 crore 70 lakh farmers of the country will benefit from this scheme.
India on Monday (July 15, 2025) received the second GE-F404 engine from the United States for the Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Mark-1A fighter jet program. Public sector company Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has taken delivery of the engine and 12 more GE-F404 engines are expected to be delivered by the end of the current financial year. These engines will be fitted in the LCA Mark 1A fighter aircraft . Their delivery was delayed by over a year due to supply chain disruptions by the US engine manufacturer. The Indian Air Force (IAF) has placed orders for 83 LCA Mark 1A aircraft. In August 2021, HAL had placed an order worth Rs 5,375 crore for 99 F404 engines to GE Aerospace to power the indigenously developed Tejas Mk-1A.
3 Country’s first ‘Tribal Genome Sequencing Project’ launched in Gujarat
Gujarat has become the first state in the country to launch the ‘ Tribal Genome Sequencing Project ‘. The aim of this scheme is to understand the diseases found in tribal communities and provide them better treatment . This information was given by Tribal Development Minister Dr. Kubar Dindor during a meeting in Gandhinagar. This scheme is a major effort to improve the health of tribal communities by combining science and tradition. This ambitious project will be implemented by Gujarat Biotechnology Research Center (GBRC) . Under this, the genome of 2,000 tribal individuals from 17 districts of Gujarat will be sequenced, which will create a comprehensive genetic data base. Through this project, hereditary diseases like sickle cell anemia, thalassemia and cancer will be detected early and treated better. Also, it will be helpful in identifying signs of natural immunity, which will make personalized treatment possible according to the health profile of every person.
4 Hydrocarbon found in Dibrugarh, Assam, Chief Minister Sarma called it a ‘proud moment’
Assam Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma has announced a major milestone towards energy security and economic empowerment for the state . Oil India Limited has discovered the availability of hydrocarbons in the Borhat-1 well of Namrup . The Government of Assam has a significant stake in this well, which makes this discovery even more historic. With this achievement, Assam has become the first state in the country whose government has become a direct oil producer. This discovery not only makes the oil exploration efforts of the state successful, but also empowers Assam with revenue and royalty.
UIDAI has recently launched a new service on myAadhaar portal – “ Death Report of Family Member ” – which is currently available in 24 States and Union Territories . Through this portal, any person can report the death of his/her deceased family member. For this, he/she has to authenticate himself/herself and enter the Aadhaar number, death registration number and other details of the deceased person. After the verification process is completed, the Aadhaar number of the deceased person is deactivated. The work of connecting the remaining States/Union Territories to this portal is in progress. The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) provides a unique 12-digit digital identity i.e. Aadhaar number to the citizens and Non-Resident Indians (NRIs), which is never re-allocated to any other person. It becomes imperative to deactivate the Aadhaar number of a person after his/her death to prevent misuse of his/her identity and fraud.
6 American automotive company ‘Tesla’ entered the Indian market with the launch of Model ‘Y’
American multinational automotive company ‘Tesla’ has entered the Indian market with the launch of its Model ‘ Y ‘ electric vehicle . The company opened its first showroom in Mumbai . Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis attended the inauguration ceremony and invited Tesla to set up R&D and manufacturing plant in Maharashtra . The Chief Minister said that Mumbai is the financial, commercial and entertainment capital of India as well as an enterprise hub.
In view of the increasing obesity in the country , the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has taken a big step. On Tuesday, the CBSE director wrote a letter to all school heads and directed them to install ‘ oil boards ‘ in their schools and promote healthy lifestyle among students. This step is an extension of the circular related to the ‘ sugar board ‘ issued on May 14, 2025. CBSE has taken this decision on the basis of shocking figures of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5), 2019-21 and the Lancet Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Study 2021. According to NFHS-5, one in every five adults in urban India is obese. At the same time, the GBD report, which was published in 2025, states that 18 crore adults in India were obese in 2021 and this figure could increase to 44.9 crore by 2050. According to this estimate, India will become the second largest burden of obesity in the world. Earlier in June 2025, the Union Health Ministry had also proposed to install boards in all schools, offices and institutions showing the amount of oil and sugar present in popular food items like pizza, burger, samosa, vada pav, and kachori.
8 China creates lightest ever brain-controlled device for bees
Chinese scientists have developed a brain controller that can control the flight of bees . It is the lightest such device in the world so far. Developed by a team from the Beijing Institute of Technology , the device turns bees into ‘ cyborgs ‘, semi-mechanical creatures that can be used in military operations or emergency relief operations. This invention opens up new possibilities for using insects in tasks that humans or machines cannot easily do. The device weighs only 74 milligrams — the lightest ever. It is tied to the bee’s back and has three fine needles that enter its brain. The device sends electronic signals to instruct the bee to fly left, right, forward or backward. In tests, the bees flew in the right direction 9 out of 10 times.
9 Himanta Sarma launches India’s first Aqua Tech Park in Assam
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma inaugurated India ‘s first aqua tech park at Sonapur near Guwahati . The park will expose fish farmers to modern techniques such as aquaponics, biofloc and ornamental fish farming. The initiative aims to boost fish production in the state and increase farmers’ income. The park has been set up by NGO Kollong Kopili in collaboration with NABARD, ICAR-CIFA, Selco Foundation and the fisheries department. The park showcases technological methods that make it possible to produce fish faster and healthier in less water. This includes aquaponics, in which fish and plants are reared together, and the biofloc system, which helps in the health and growth of fish.
10 New species of butterfly found in Western Ghats of Kerala
A team of Indian scientists has discovered a new species of butterfly in the Western Ghats of Kerala , named Zographetus mathewi . This butterfly is found in low altitude forests and is found only in this region , making it another rare contribution to India’s rich wildlife diversity. This discovery highlights the importance of protecting and studying global biodiversity hotspots like the Western Ghats . This butterfly was discovered by experts from the Travancore Nature History Society, Institute of Tropical Research, Ecology and Conservation and Zoological Survey of India. Initially scientists thought it to be an already known species called Zographetus ogygia , but after microscopic study of its wing patterns and genital structures, it was confirmed as a new species. This detailed research has been published in a scientific journal called Entomon .
11 Indian women’s hockey team forward Deepika won the Poligras Magic Skill Award 2024-25
Indian women’s hockey team forward Deepika has won the Poligras Magic Skills Award for the year 2024-25 for her brilliant field goal against world’s top team Netherlands in the FIH Hockey Pro League . The award is given for individual skill in hockey , which is decided by a global fan vote. Deepika, in the 35th minute of the match against Netherlands during the Bhubaneswar leg of the Pro League in February , scored a goal from a difficult angle, breaking through the opposition’s defense by dribbling continuously from the left flank, to bring her team to a 2-2 draw. India later won the match in a shootout. Apart from Deepika, Spain’s Patricia Alvarez was nominated for the award for her goal against Australia and for the Australian women’s team scoring a goal in a well-organized manner by giving five quick passes one after the other against England. In the men’s category , Belgium’s Victor Wegnez won the award for scoring a brilliant goal through excellent midfield play in the match against Spain.
12 West Indies all-rounder cricketer Andre Russell announced his retirement from international cricket
West Indies all -rounder cricketer Andre Russell has announced his retirement from international cricket . Russell will now participate in the T20 cricket matches against Australia on 20 and 22 July. Russell has been included in the West Indies team for the first two matches of the five-match T20 cricket series against Australia. Russell has been playing cricket for West Indies for nearly ten years and is known for his explosive batting.