Daily Current Affairs and GK | 12 July 2025

Topic: Important Days

1. World Paper Bag Day: 12 July

• World Paper Bag Day is celebrated every year on 12 July.
• This day is celebrated to promote the use of paper bags as an eco-friendly alternative to plastic bags.
• This day also commemorates the invention of the first paper bag machine by Francis Wolle in 1852.
• This was a significant step in the mass production of paper bags.
• Paper bags are inexpensive and safe for the environment.
• Paper bags require less time and energy to manufacture as compared to plastics.

Topic: Awards and Prizes

2. Sarankumar Limbale selected for the 2025 Chinta Ravindran Award.

• Marathi author and critic Sarankumar Limbale has been selected for the 2025 Chintha Raveendran Award.
• The award will be presented at the Chintha Raveendran commemoration event on July 26 in Kozhikode.
• The honor includes a cash prize of ₹50,000, a citation, and a memento.
• Sharankumar Limbale, a renowned Marathi author, poet, and literary critic, has authored over 40 books.
• Former MP Subhashini Ali will deliver the keynote lecture at the event.
• The topic of the lecture will be "Manuvadi Hindutva: When culture, history, and equal rights are being deconstructed."
• The session will be presided over by writer N.S. Madhavan.

Topic: Art and Culture

3. India’s Maratha Military Landscapes inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

• India’s official nomination for 2024–25, the Maratha Military Landscapes of India, has been inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List during the 47th session of the World Heritage Committee in Paris.
• With this recognition, it became India’s 44th entry on the prestigious list, celebrating the nation’s military architecture and cultural resilience.
• The selected twelve forts, spread across Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu, reflect the Maratha Empire’s military strategies and architectural genius from the 17th to 19th centuries.
• The nomination was forwarded in January 2024 and was finalized after an 18-month-long rigorous assessment by advisory bodies and on-site missions.
• Spread across the states of Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu, the selected sites include Salher, Shivneri, Lohgad, Khanderi, Raigad, Rajgad, Pratapgad, Suvarnadurg, Panhala, Vijaydurg, and Sindhudurg in Maharashtra, as well as Gingee Fort in Tamil Nadu.
• Shivneri Fort, Lohagad, Raigad, Suvarnadurg, Panhala Fort, Vijaydurg, Sindhudurg, and Gingee Fort are protected under the Archaeological Survey of India.
• While Salher Fort, Rajgad, Khanderi Fort, and Pratapgad are protected by the Directorate of Archaeology and Museums, Government of Maharashtra.
• These forts are located across various terrains—including coastal, island, forest, and plateau regions—and collectively represent a cohesive and strategic military landscape.
• During the committee meeting, 18 out of 20 states parties supported India's proposal to include this important site in the list.
• The sites are included under criteria (iv) and (vi), recognizing their exceptional evidence of a living cultural tradition, their architectural and technological significance, and their deep association with historical events and traditions.
• India currently ranks sixth globally and second in the Asia-Pacific region for the most number of World Heritage Sites.
• India also has 62 sites on the Tentative List of World Heritage, which is a mandatory threshold for any site to be considered as a World Heritage property in the future.

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

4. India plans a ₹1,345 crore scheme to boost rare earth magnet manufacturing.

• A ₹1,345-crore incentive scheme is being finalized by the Government of India to support domestic production of rare earth magnets amid global supply concerns.
• Inter-ministerial consultations are underway, and eligible manufacturers will be chosen to begin immediate production once approvals are secured.
• The scheme is aimed at reducing India’s heavy reliance on magnet imports from China.
• The subsidy will facilitate investments by companies to set up processing facilities to convert rare earth oxides into magnets.
• Last month, Heavy Industries Minister HD Kumaraswamy had said that if the total incentive amount exceeds Rs 1,000 crore, the scheme will be sent to the Union Cabinet for approval.
• In 2024–25, India sourced more than 80% of its magnet imports of about 540 tonnes from China.
• China is the world's leading exporter of rare earth magnets, controlling over 70% of global rare earth element (REE) production and over 90% of refining capacity.
• China’s imposition of stricter export controls in April 2025 has made sourcing magnets more challenging, especially for defense-related uses.
• Rare earth magnets play a vital role in electric vehicles and electronics, being key to Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motors (PMSMs).
• Elements like Neodymium, Praseodymium, Dysprosium, and Terbium are essential for high-performance applications in EVs and hybrid systems.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: State News/Uttarakhand

5. Uttarakhand aims to set a new record with the tree plantation drive on the Harela festival.

• Over 5 lakh saplings will be planted across Uttarakhand on July 16 as part of the Harela festival, aiming to set a new environmental record.
• Of the total, 3 lakh saplings will be planted in the Garhwal region and 2 lakh in the Kumaon region during the state-wide plantation drive.
• The themes “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam” and “Dharti Maa Ka Rin Chukao” have been adopted to inspire public participation.
• The campaign is being organized with direction from Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, encouraging active involvement from all stakeholders.
• Government departments, students, and local villagers are being mobilized to participate in the plantation activities.
• Saplings will be planted in diverse locations, including public parks, forest areas, riversides, schools, and residential premises.
• The previous record of planting 2 lakh saplings in a single day, achieved in July 2016, is expected to be surpassed this year.

Topic: Awards and Prizes

6. Telangana received national recognition for battery manufacturing excellence.

• Telangana has been honored with the India Energy Storage Alliance (IESA) Industry Excellence Award 2025 under the category of State Leadership—Battery Manufacturing.

• The honor reflects the state’s pioneering efforts in promoting a strong ecosystem for battery manufacturing and new energy technologies in India.
• The award was presented during the 11th India Energy Storage Week (IESW) 2025 in New Delhi.
• The award was received by Director S.K. Sharma on behalf of the state at the event held in New Delhi.
• Over the past few years, Telangana has emerged as a hub for advanced energy manufacturing due to proactive industrial policies, strategic infrastructure development, and strong support for innovation.
• These developments are being driven by progressive policies such as the Telangana EV and Energy Storage Policy and the Telangana Renewable Energy Policy, as well as the creation of dedicated industrial clusters.
• This makes Telangana an attractive investment in the battery and cell manufacturing value chain, EV assembly, and component supply.

Topic: Defence

7. DRDO and the Indian Air Force conducted a successful flight-test of the Astra Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile on July 11, 2025.

• The test took place over the Bay of Bengal, near the coast of Odisha.
• The missile was launched from a Su-30 Mk-I fighter aircraft.
• Two separate firings were carried out during the test.
• Each missile targeted a high-speed unmanned aerial vehicle.
• The launches were performed under different conditions and at varying ranges.
• Both missiles successfully hit their targets with high accuracy.
• The Astra missile featured a Radio Frequency seeker developed entirely in India.
• This RF seeker was designed and built by DRDO.
• All subsystems on the missile worked flawlessly during the test.
• Flight performance was tracked and confirmed by the Integrated Test Range in Chandipur.
• The Astra missile has a range of over 100 kilometers.
• It is equipped with modern guidance and navigation systems.
• More than 50 Indian companies contributed to the missile’s development.
• Hindustan Aeronautics Limited was one of the key industry partners.
• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh called the test a major step in building critical defence capabilities.

Topic: National News

8. The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) carried out a successful rescue mission for the American sailing yacht Sea Angel.

• The vessel was stranded southeast of Indira Point in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
• It became inoperative around 52 nautical miles offshore.
• The yacht was disabled due to a damaged sail and a jammed propeller. Severe weather conditions added to the difficulty.
• Two crew members were on board at the time of the incident.
• On 10 July 2025, MRCC Port Blair received the distress alert from Sea Angel yacht carrying two crew members.
• It activated emergency response protocols immediately. Nearby merchant vessels were also informed.
• The ICG deployed its ship Rajveer for the operation.
• The crew of Rajveer established communication with the stranded vessel.
• They conducted an on-site assessment of the situation. Both crew members were found unharmed.
• The Sea Angel was safely towed by the ICG vessel. It was escorted to Campbell Bay Harbour on 11 July.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Summits/ Conferences/ Meetings

9. Union Minister of State for Finance, Shri Pankaj Chaudhary, inaugurated the Trade Facilitation Conference 2025 in New Delhi.

• The event was held at the C. Subramaniam Auditorium in the ICAR National Agricultural Science Complex, Pusa Campus.
• The theme of the conference was “Scientific Excellence for Seamless Trade.”
• It was organized by the Central Revenues Control Laboratory (CRCL) under the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC).
• A documentary titled “Science at the Border: The Story of Indian Customs Laboratories” was screened.
• The film highlighted the history and contributions of CRCL and its regional laboratories.
• More than 400 delegates participated in the conference.
• Attendees included officials from CBIC, the Department of Revenue, partner government agencies, trade organizations, and research institutions.
• Key takeaways from the event included a focus on reducing testing time and upgrading lab infrastructure.
• CRCL originated from the Imperial Customs Laboratory established in Calcutta in 1912.
• It was formally established in New Delhi in 1939 under Dr. H. B. Dunnicliff.
• Today, CRCL plays a central scientific role in India’s customs and tax systems.
• It ensures accurate classification, fair trade enforcement, and transparency in customs operations.

Topic: Science and Technology

10. Microsoft has launched a new AI system called Biomolecular Emulator-1, or BioEmu-1.

• The system is designed to study protein movement and speed up the drug discovery process.

• BioEmu-1 is a deep learning model. It can generate thousands of protein structures every hour using a single graphics processing unit (GPU).
• Proteins play a crucial role in nearly all biological functions.
• They are involved in processes like muscle development and disease defense.
• In recent years, scientists have made progress in understanding protein structures.
• However, predicting a protein's shape from its amino acid sequence remained a major challenge.
• BioEmu-1 helps overcome this barrier. It allows researchers to explore how proteins behave in much greater detail.
• This understanding is essential for creating more effective medicines.
• One of BioEmu-1’s key strengths is detecting small, hard-to-spot changes in protein structures.
• It can identify hidden features known as cryptic binding pockets.
• These pockets are concealed areas on proteins that may be used as new drug targets.
• BioEmu-1 could revolutionize several fields, including drug design, disease research, and synthetic biology.
• It may significantly cut down the time needed to find and test new treatments.