1 Satellite ‘NISAR’ will be launched from Sriharikota on July 30: ISRO
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and NASA ‘s joint mission ‘ NISAR ‘ satellite will be launched from Sriharikota on July 30 at 5:40 pm. This $1.5 billion mission will be helpful in monitoring the earth’s surface . The NISAR satellite will scan the earth’s land and icy surfaces every 12 days and will help in monitoring natural disasters . This mission will be helpful in many important applications including monitoring sea ice, detecting ships, monitoring storms, changes in soil moisture, surface water mapping and disaster response. It is capable of taking and transmitting accurate photographs up to one centimeter level . It has been fitted with L-band radar developed by NASA and S-band radar developed by ISRO , which are considered to be the most advanced in the world.
The Indian Army ‘s combat capabilities have received a major boost. On Tuesday, the Army inducted the first batch of Apache AH-64E v6 attack helicopters purchased from the US into its aviation fleet. With the deployment of these state-of-the-art and deadly helicopters, the army will now be able to take action against enemy targets with greater speed and accuracy than ever before. These helicopters arrived at Hindon Airbase, which the Army has described as a “historic moment”. It is worth noting that the Indian Air Force already has 22 Apache helicopters, which have been deployed in Ladakh and western sectors. The Indian Air Force has purchased Apache helicopters in consultation with the US government and Boeing. in 2015. Now the Indian Army will also use these new state-of-the-art helicopters for its operations. These helicopters are capable of carrying weapons like air-to-ground Hellfire missiles, 70 mm Hydra rockets and air-to-air Stinger missiles. Apart from this, it has a 30 mm chain gun with 1200 rounds of ammunition. Apache AH-64E Version 6 (v6) is the most modern version of this helicopter, designed for Multi-Domain Operations (MDO). This helicopter is equipped with features like 360 degree coverage fire control radar, nose mounted target acquisition and night vision system.
3 Nagaland University selected as one of the four incubation centres in the North Eastern region under the Central Government initiative
Nagaland University has been selected as one of the four incubation centres in the North Eastern Region under the Central Government ‘s initiative to promote entrepreneurship . ‘ Establishment, development and management of Entrepreneurship Development Centres and Incubation Centres in academic institutions of North Eastern Region ’ is being sponsored by the North Eastern Council and implemented by the Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship. In the first batch, the Kohima Campus of Nagaland University will support 44 beneficiaries in the early stage of business. These include 16 from Arunachal Pradesh, 6 from Assam, 4 from Manipur and the remaining 18 from Nagaland. A total of 145 beneficiaries have been selected under the initiative across the region, out of which 50 top performers will receive startup seed funding of up to Rs 5 lakh each.
4 Centre of excellence to be set up for hornbill conservation in Tamil Nadu
The Tamil Nadu government has approved the setting up of a Centre of Excellence for Hornbill Conservation at Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR) in Coimbatore . The decision was taken following a proposal by the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Chief Wildlife Warden. The initiative will be funded by an amount of ₹1 crore from the Endangered Species Conservation Corpus Fund . It aims to protect four species of Guzar birds found in a biodiversity-rich region like the Western Ghats . The Western Ghats are home to four major Guzar species— the Great Hornbill, the Malabar Grey Hornbill, the Malabar Pied Hornbill and the Indian Grey Hornbill . These birds play an important ecological role as seed dispersers and help maintain tropical forest ecosystems.
5 NSDL Payments Bank added to RBI’s 2nd Schedule
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has officially included NSDL Payments Bank Limited in the Second Schedule of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934. This inclusion, notified on June 19, 2025 and published in the Gazette of India on July 10, 2025, provides NSDL Payments Bank with the status of a scheduled bank, giving it access to RBI facilities and reflecting its growing importance in India’s regulated financial structure. Scheduled banks are banks listed in the Second Schedule of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934. Such banks have to follow rules related to capital adequacy, good governance, and public interest.
Bima Sakhi Yojana , which was officially launched on 9 December 2024 , is a flagship initiative of the Government of India aimed at empowering rural women by providing them opportunities to build a sustainable career in the life insurance sector . The scheme is implemented through the Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) and helps empower women, called Bima Sakhis , by appointing them as Mahila Career Agents (MCAs) and increasing insurance penetration in backward areas. Bima Sakhis are appointed by LIC as Mahila Career Agents (MCAs). LIC provides a performance-based stipend in the first three years, starting from ₹7,000/month in the first year and falling to ₹5,000/month in the third year. In addition to the stipend, Bima Sakhis also earn commission-based income. Currently, 2,05,896 women have been enrolled under the scheme. Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Rural Development to promote its ‘Bima Sakhi Yojana’ in rural areas . The MoU was signed during the National Conference on Financial Inclusion ‘Anubhuti’ held on July 8-10 in Goa.
India will host the FIDE World Cup 2025 , one of the most prestigious international chess tournaments, from 30 October to 27 November 2025. This edition will see 206 top players compete in a knockout format, and the tournament will also be an important platform to qualify for the FIDE Candidates Tournament 2026. The FIDE World Cup is a biennial chess championship organised by the Fédération Internationale des Açıs (FIDE) . The competition is known for its tough and competitive format and is considered the main route to qualify for the FIDE World Chess Championship cycle.
8 England will host the final of the World Test Championship by 2031
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has handed over the hosting rights of the World Test Championship (WTC) final to England till 2031. The ICC said on 20 July 2025 that the hosting of the next three editions will remain with the England and Wales Cricket Board. A release issued by the ICC said that the board has confirmed the hosting rights of the ICC World Test Championship final for the 2027, 2029 and 2031 editions to the England and Wales Cricket Board after its successful track record in hosting the recent finals. The World Test Championship was started by the International Cricket Council (ICC) with the aim of reviving Test cricket and giving it a solid reference.
9 Union Minister Raksha Khadse felicitated the Special Olympics India football team for winning the Gothia Special Olympics Trophy for the second consecutive time
Union Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports Raksha Khadse felicitated Special Olympics Bharat-SOB Football Team in New Delhi for winning the Gothia Special Olympics Trophy for the second consecutive time in Gothenburg , Sweden . Mr Khadse said that this victory is a testimony to the power of collaboration between the government, corporate and sports federations. In the Gothia Cup, the Special Olympics Bharat team defeated Poland 3-1 in the final .
10 FIDE Women’s World Cup Chess-2025: India’s Grand Master Divya Deshmukh reaches the semi-finals
Grand Master Divya Deshmukh of India has reached the semi-finals of the FIDE Women’s World Cup Chess – 2025 in Batumi , Georgia . Divya defeated compatriot Harika Dronavalli 2-0 in the rapid tie-break. India’s Koneru Humpy has also reached the last four. In the semi-finals, Divya will face Tan Zhongyi of China, while Koneru Humpy will face Lei Tingjie of China. The top three players among these will qualify for the Women’s Candidates Tournament.