1 World’s new and unique blood group found in a woman from Kolar, Karnataka, identified as CRIB
A 38-year-old woman from Kolar district of Karnataka has been found to have a completely new blood group in the world, which has been named ‘ CRIB ‘. This discovery is being considered a historic achievement in the field of hematology. This case came to light when the woman was admitted to a hospital in Kolar for heart surgery . Her blood group was normally O Rh+ , but when she needed a blood transfusion before surgery, none of the O-positive units available were matching her body. Seeing this, the hospital sent the case to the Advanced Immunohematology Reference Lab of Rotary Bangalore TTK Blood Center . When the lab tested with advanced serological techniques , it was found that the woman’s blood was ” panreactive “, that is, it did not match any normal blood sample. This raised suspicion that it could be a rare or hitherto unknown blood group. For further investigation, the blood samples of the woman and her family were sent to the International Blood Group Reference Laboratory (IBGRL), Bristol, UK . There, after ten months of extensive research and molecular testing, a new blood antigen was discovered , which was named “CRIB”. In the name CRIB, “CR” stands for Cromer (an existing blood group system), and “IB” stands for India-Bangalore , where the discovery began. This new antigen is part of the Cromer blood group system . 35th Regional Congress of the International Society of Blood Transfusion (ISBT) to be held in Milan, Italy in June 2025 This woman is the first person in the world to be found with this new CRIB antigen. Following this discovery, Rotary Bangalore TTK Blood Center has started a “Rare Donor Registry” in collaboration with Karnataka State Blood Transfusion Council and Mumbai-based ICMR’s Indian Institute of Immunohematology (IIH). This initiative has been taken to provide timely and correct blood to patients with rare blood groups.
2 Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan, AVSM, VSM assumes charge as Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command
Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan , AVSM, VSM on July 31, 2025 assumed charge as the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command He succeeds Vice Admiral Sanjay J Singh, PVSM, AVSM, NM, who retires after four decades of distinguished service in the Indian Navy.
3 Indo-Tibetan Border Police Force (ITBPF) and Department of Biotechnology (DBT) sign MoU for collaborative biomedical research and training
The Government of India has taken a historic step towards promoting biomedical research for the welfare of security forces . Indo-Tibetan Border Police Force (ITBPF) and Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Ministry of Science and Technology have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The signing ceremony was attended by Secretary, Department of Biomedical and Director General, Department of Biotechnology at ITBP Headquarters, New Delhi. The objective of this collaboration is to utilize the expertise of specialized medical and paramedical facilities of ITBPF and robust research and innovation ecosystem of Department of Biotechnology to address critical scientific and technological challenges of national importance. ITBPF and DBT will undertake joint research projects focusing on areas such as human adaptability at high altitude, biosafety, biomedical devices, prosthetics and food biotechnology etc. as per the requirement of the forces. This partnership underlines the commitment of ITBPF and DBT to promote innovation, enhance research capabilities and contribute to scientific progress of India, in line with the vision of a developed India by 2047.
4 SBK Singh will be the new Police Commissioner of Delhi
Senior IPS officer SBK Singh has been given additional charge of Delhi Police Commissioner . According to the order of the Union Home Ministry, SBK Singh, a 1988 batch AGMUT cadre officer, will take over as Delhi Police Commissioner from August 1, 2025. The Home Ministry approved this appointment on Thursday. Singh, currently serving as Director General of Delhi Home Guards, has been given this additional responsibility till further orders. Current Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora, a 1988 batch IPS officer of Tamil Nadu cadre, is retiring on July 31, 2025. He took over as Delhi Police Commissioner on August 1, 2022 in place of Rakesh Asthana.
5 DPIIT and Roche India sign MoU to promote innovation and entrepreneurship in healthcare sector
DPIIT, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce and Industry signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Roche Products (India) Private Limited . The MoU is to promote DPIIT-recognised startups working in critical therapeutic areas such as oncology, neuroscience, ophthalmology, haematology and rare diseases. Under the MoU, Roche India will provide guidance from global experts, assist in pilot and validation studies, and provide access to cutting-edge technologies, infrastructure and international platforms to help foster promising innovations.
6 Ladakh declared 12th August as Cleanliness Movement Day for Indus River Conservation
In an effort to prevent water pollution and promote conservation of the Indus River , Ladakh has observed Cleanliness Movement Day for this mighty river on August 12. . On this day, a mass movement will be organised by the Union Territory Government agencies, communities, Indian Army, Indian Air Force, Paramilitary Forces, Border Roads Organisation, social welfare organisations and school students to collectively clean the Indus River and its tributaries in Ladakh. The Cleanliness Movement Day organised exclusively for the Indus River will be the first Government supported clean-up movement for conservation of bio-diversity of the Indus River and is being initiated as a joint significant step of all the stakeholders of Ladakh, be it the Union Territory Administration, Hill Councils, Defence establishment and civil society, to promote Mission Indus Cleanliness Movement, an initiative launched by the Leh Council in June this year for revival of the mighty Indus River.
7 Sikkim becomes the first state to introduce sabbatical leave scheme for government employees
In a pioneering reform that made Sikkim the first state in the country to introduce a formal sabbatical leave scheme , the government has empowered its employees, especially the youth, by providing them a rare opportunity for personal and professional growth . Under the policy, which will come into effect in August 2023 , regular state government employees who have completed at least five years of continuous service are allowed to take leave ranging from 365 days to a maximum of 1,080 days , while they will be entitled to 50% of their basic pay during their absence, official sources said. Importantly, the scheme maintains their seniority, ensures continuity in service, and the government reserves the right to recall the employee with a month’s notice. Hundreds of youths have fulfilled their dreams through this scheme. Many of them launched startup initiatives.
8 Kerala implements pilot project for faceless GST adjudication
In Kerala , the state GST department has implemented a pilot project for faceless adjudication in two districts . Under this project, all the processes related to state GST will be completed through a digital platform and without face-to-face meetings between the taxpayer and the officials. From issuing show cause notices to final orders, the processes will take place only on virtual platforms. The state GST department has claimed that Kerala is the first state to implement faceless adjudication .
9 Indian women wrestlers won 5 medals in Under-17 World Championship
Indian women wrestlers put up a stellar performance at the 2025 Under-17 World Wrestling Championships held in Athens, winning a total of five medals including two gold, two silver and one bronze . The historic campaign started with Rachna , who made headlines by winning the first gold medal for India by defeating China’s Xin Huang 3-0 in the women’s 43 kg freestyle category . Soon after, Ashwini Bishnoi added to the glory by winning another gold medal by defeating Uzbekistan’s Mukhyiyo Rakhimjonova 3-0 in the 65 kg category. In the 57 kg category , Moni won the silver medal after a close 5-6 loss to Kazakhstan’s Madakhia Usmanov . India’s second silver medal was bagged by Kajal, who gave a tough fight in the 73 kg category final but lost to China’s Wenjin Qiu. In the 49 kg category, Komal Verma won the bronze medal by defeating UWW’s Anhelina Burkina 8-3.
10 Cabinet approves an outlay of Rs 6520 crore for Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana
The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday approved an outlay of Rs. 6520 crore including additional outlay of Rs. 1920 crore for the ongoing Central Sector Scheme “Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana ” ( PMKSY ) during the 15th Finance Commission Cycle ( FCC ) (2021-22 to 2025-26). This includes (i) Rs. 1000 crore for setting up of 50 multi-product food irradiation units under the component scheme- Integrated Cold Chain and Value Addition Infrastructure (ICCVAI) and 100 NABL accredited Food Testing Laboratories (FTLs) under the component scheme- Food Safety and Quality Assurance Infrastructure (FSQAI) of Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY) as per Budget announcement and (ii) Rs. 920 crore for sanctioning projects under various component schemes of PMKSY during 15th Finance Commission Cycle. Actually, both ICCVAI and FSQAI are demand-driven component schemes of PMKSY. Expression of Interest (EOI) will be issued to invite proposals from eligible entities across the country. Proposals received under EOI will be approved after due scrutiny as per the eligibility criteria as per the existing scheme guidelines.