Daily Current Affairs and GK | 13 August 2025

Topic: Summits/ Conferences/ Meetings

1. Indian Coast Guard (ICG) and the Sri Lanka Coast Guard (SLCG) hold eighth High-Level Meeting in New Delhi on 11 August 2025.

• The meeting was held to boost maritime cooperation.
• Key conversations revolved around bolstering joint efforts in areas like marine pollution control, maritime rescue operations, and enforcement of maritime laws.
• The meeting also spotlighted the importance of advancing training programs and expanding technical support.
• Both nations reaffirmed their shared dedication to tackling evolving maritime issues together.
• Ensuring maritime safety, regional security, and ecological preservation in the surrounding waters was a central theme.
• ICG Director General Paramesh Sivamani represented the Indian side at the meeting.
• Rear Admiral Y.R. Serasinghe, Director General of SLCG, led the Sri Lankan delegation.
• The meeting underscored a strong intent to boost operational synergy and share operational expertise.
• ICG and SLCG reiterated their commitment to enhancing maritime cooperation to support regional peace and stability.

Topic: National News

2. Aadhaar face authentication crossed 200 crore transactions in record time.

• On 10 August 2025, UIDAI achieved 200 crore Aadhaar Face Authentication transactions.
• The pace of adoption of this system is steadily increasing.
• By mid-2024, 50 crore transactions were recorded.
• In January 2025, this number doubled in about five months to 100 crores.
• After this, in less than six months, this figure has doubled again to reach the unprecedented milestone of 200 crore.
• UIDAI CEO Bhuvnesh Kumar stated that the achievement reflects strong trust in Aadhaar’s secure authentication ecosystem.
• By enabling quick, secure and paperless identity verification in every corner of the country, UIDAI is strengthening the backbone of digital governance.
• This growth reflects the core vision of Digital India, transforming the country into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy.

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

3. “SHRESTH” (State Health Regulatory Excellence Index) launched by the Union Health Ministry.

• On 12 August, Union Health Secretary Smt. Punya Salila Srivastava virtually launched the SHRESTH Index in the presence of Dr. Rajeev Singh Raghuvanshi, Drug Controller General of India.

• This first-of-its-kind national initiative will benchmark and strengthen state drug regulatory systems through a transparent, data-driven framework.
• The Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) proposed the initiative to ensure drug safety and quality standards are consistently met.
• Health secretaries and drug controllers from various states and UTs attended the meeting virtually.
• Smt. Srivastava urged center–state collaboration to regulate India’s globally significant pharmaceutical industry.
• States will be ranked in two categories—Manufacturing States and Primarily Distribution States—with separate indices.
• SHREST will have 27 indices for manufacturing states on five key themes: human resources, infrastructure, licensing activities, monitoring activities, and accountability, and 23 indices for primarily distributing states.
• States will submit data on predefined parameters to CDSCO, which will be collected by the 25th of every month.
• These parameters will be evaluated on the 1st of the next month and shared with all states and union territories.
• The index will promote cross-learning of best practices and strengthen regulatory processes nationwide.

Topic: Indian Economy

4. Retail inflation eased to an 8-year low of 1.55% in July.

• Retail inflation fell to 1.55% in July 2025, the lowest since June 2017.
• The rate is below the Reserve Bank of India’s comfort band of 2-6%, led mainly by a contraction in food prices.
• On August 12, 2025, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation showed that inflation in India has been declining for nine consecutive months.
• The food and beverages category registered deflation of -0.8% in July 2025, lower than -0.2% in June and 5.1% in July 2024.
• Vegetable and pulse prices contracted by 21% and 14%, respectively.
• Economists attributed the decline to healthy agricultural activity and a favorable base.
• Core inflation, which excludes the impact of food and fuel prices, also eased to 4.1% in July 2025 from 4.4% in the previous month, almost at par with the RBI's target of 4%.
• Inflation in the housing segment remained steady at 3.2% in July, while inflation in the fuel and light category rose from 2.5% in June to 2.7% in July.
• Experts warned that geopolitical factors, such as restrictions on Russian oil imports, could affect future trends.

Topic: Sports

5. Shubman Gill and Sophia Dunkley win ICC Player of the Month awards for July.

• On 12 August, India’s Test captain Shubman Gill won the ICC Men’s Player of the Month award for July 2025.
• This is Gill’s fourth such honor, having won earlier in February 2025 and in January and September 2023.
• He scored 567 runs at an average of 94.50 in three tests in July, including a double hundred and two centuries.
• Apart from this, England spinner Sophia Dunkley won the ICC Women’s Player of the Month award for the first time.
• Dunkley scored 75 runs in a match-winning knock against India in the T20I series.
• She amassed 144 runs in four T20Is and 126 runs in ODIs during July.
• ICC had introduced the ICC Player of the Month awards in January 2021.
• It recognizes the best performances of both male and female cricketers across all forms of international cricket.

Topic: Miscellaneous

6. India handed over 5 metric tons of cowpea seeds to Fiji.

• On 11 August, in a significant step towards solidarity with its Indo-Pacific partners, five metric tonnes of cowpea seeds were handed over to the Fijian government by the Indian mission.
• The seeds were delivered in Nadi city as humanitarian assistance.
• The initiative is aimed at enhancing farming sustainability and food security in Fiji.
• This was the first tranche of the seeds sent under India’s ‘Act East Policy.’ The seeds left Delhi for Fiji on July 26, 2025.
• Local farmers are expected to benefit through improved yields and greater crop diversity.
• The assistance will strengthen rural livelihoods in Fiji.
• Earlier in July, India and Fiji held the 6th Foreign Office Consultations in Suva.
• It discussed ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation in areas such as agriculture as well as health, education, capacity building, trade, investment, renewable energy, climate change, people-to-people exchanges, and cultural exchanges.
• Fiji is an island country in Melanesia (part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean). It is an archipelago of over 300 islands. Suva is its capital.

Topic: National News

7. The government has sanctioned ₹4,594 crore for setting up four new semiconductor facilities across Odisha, Punjab, and Andhra Pradesh.

• Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the government is working to build a strong base for the semiconductor and electronics industries.
• In the last 11 years, India’s electronics manufacturing sector has grown six times.
• Exports from the sector have increased eightfold.
• There are now over 300 mobile manufacturing units in the country.
• This is a sharp rise from just two units a decade ago.
• Mobile phone exports have surged 127 times. They have now reached ₹2 lakh crore.
• The government is encouraging local companies, startups, and MSMEs to work on chip design.
• Semicon India 2025 will be held in New Delhi. It will begin on the 2nd September.
• Malaysia, Japan, Singapore, and South Korea will join the event as partner countries.
• The Cabinet has also approved Lucknow Metro Phase 1B. It will run from Charbagh to Vasant Kunj.
• The project will cost over ₹5,801 crore. It will include 12 stations and take five years to complete.
• The Tato-II hydroelectric project has also been cleared. It will have a capacity of 700 MW.
• It will be built in the Shi Yomi district of Arunachal Pradesh. The project will take six years to finish.
• It will ensure a steady power supply and boost development in the region.
• India’s fossil fuel-based energy capacity has now crossed 50 percent.
• This marks a major milestone for the energy sector.

Topic: Committees/Commissions/Taskforces   

8. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has appointed a three-member panel to investigate corruption allegations against Justice Yashwant Varma.

• The allegations emerged after burned cash was found at Justice Varma’s residence in New Delhi in March this year.
• The inquiry committee includes Justice Aravind Kumar of the Supreme Court.
• It also includes Justice Maninder Mohan Shrivastava, Chief Justice of the Madras High Court.
• The third member is Senior Advocate B V Acharaya from the Karnataka High Court.
• Speaker Birla said the panel has been asked to submit its report as soon as possible.
• He informed the House that he accepted a removal motion signed by 146 MPs.
• These MPs come from both the ruling and opposition benches.
• The motion for Justice Varma’s removal will remain pending until the panel submits its report.
• Birla noted that the former Chief Justice of India had earlier formed a separate three-member committee.
• This was done due to the serious nature of the accusations.
• That committee submitted its report to the President and the Prime Minister.
• The Chief Justice of India later concluded that the allegations were serious enough to begin removal proceedings against Justice Varma.

Topic: Sports

9. Namrata Batra created history by securing India’s first-ever medal in Wushu at the World Games in China.

• She clinched the silver medal in the women’s 52 kg event at the 2025 World Games held in Chengdu, China.
• The 24-year-old was defeated 2-0 in the final by host nation athlete Mengyue Chen.
• Namrata is a four-time national champion and had also earned a silver at last year’s Asian Championships.
• Her journey to the final began with a dominant 2-0 win over Lebanon’s Barbara El Rassi in the quarter-finals.
• She continued her strong form with another 2-0 victory over the Philippines’ Krizan Faith Collado in the semi-finals.
• It was India’s first-ever medal in Wushu at the World Games.
• This medal was India’s second at the current edition of the World Games, after Rishabh Yadav’s bronze in men’s compound archery.
• With this achievement, India’s overall medal tally in World Games history has risen to seven.
• The country’s total now includes one gold, two silvers, and four bronze medals.
• Wushu is a Chinese martial art.

Topic: Summits/ Conferences/ Meetings

10. India and Australia held the seventh round of disarmament talks in New Delhi on 12 August 2025.

• The seventh round of India-Australia dialogue on Disarmament, Non-Proliferation, and Export Control took place in New Delhi.
• The discussions focused on disarmament, non-proliferation, and export control measures.
• Both sides reviewed issues related to nuclear, chemical, and biological disarmament.
• They also discussed conventional weapons and the role of AI in military applications.
• Multilateral export control regimes were also part of the agenda.
• The dialogue aimed to deepen mutual understanding between the two countries.
• It is expected to strengthen the India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
• India was represented by Ms. Muanpuii Saiawi, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs.
• Australia was represented by Ms. Vanessa Wood, Ambassador for Arms Control and Counter-Proliferation.