Daily Current Affairs and GK | 29 July 2025

Topic: Sports

1. Seema made history by becoming the first Indian woman to win a medal in the 5000m race at the World University Games.

• She secured the silver medal with a time of 15:35.86.
• Sahil Jadhav won gold in the men’s compound individual archery event.
• His victory added to India’s impressive archery results.
• The Indian archery team finished their campaign with five medals in total.
• Preneet Kaur won silver in a thrilling women’s compound archery final.
• The Indian compound mixed team captured the gold medal.
• The men’s compound team secured silver.The women’s compound team claimed a bronze medal.
• Praveen Chitravel impressed in triple jump with a leap of 16.66 meters. He won the silver medal with that performance.
• India’s total medal count at the World University Games has reached nine.
• The 32nd edition of the Games is being held in six cities across Germany.
• India’s best showing at the Games was in 2023 in Chengdu, China.
• They won 26 medals there and finished in seventh place.

Topic: MoUs and Agreements

2. Australia and the UK signed the 50-year-old Geelong Treaty under AUKUS despite US review.

• A 50-year commitment to the AUKUS defense treaty was signed by Australia and the United Kingdom (UK), despite the ongoing review of the pact by the United States.

• On 27 July, the bilateral Nuclear-Powered Submarine Partnership and Collaboration Treaty (the Geelong Treaty) was signed by Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles and UK Defence Secretary John Healey at their meeting in Geelong, Victoria.
• Marles and Healey said in a joint statement that the Geelong Treaty is a landmark agreement, committing UK-Australian bilateral defense cooperation for the next 50 years under AUKUS Pillar I.
• A comprehensive cooperation on the design, build, operation, sustainment, and disposal of their SSN-AUKUS submarines will be facilitated by the Geelong Treaty.
• The treaty was signed at a time when the United States was hesitant about its role in the AUKUS alliance.
• The review of the trilateral security partnership has been announced by the US Department of Defense to determine whether the agreement aligns with the America First agenda.
• In 2021, the AUKUS agreement agreed by Australia, the UK and the US aims to provide Australia with nuclear-powered attack submarines to counter China's ambitions in the Indo-Pacific from the next decade.

Topic: State News/Bihar

3. Buddha Samyak Darshan Museum & Memorial Stupa Inaugurated in Vaishali, Bihar.

• On 29 July, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar inaugurated the “Buddha Samyak Darshan Museum and Memorial Stupa” in Vaishali district.
• Built at a cost of over ₹550 crore, the monument spans 72 acres and is expected to become a major tourist and spiritual hub.
• Buddhist monks from 15 countries, including Japan, Thailand, and Sri Lanka, attended the inauguration ceremony.
• The Asthi Kalash of Lord Buddha, unearthed during excavations between 1958 and 1962, has been enshrined on the museum's first floor.
• The stupa has been constructed entirely with stone, without using cement or concrete—marking a first in modern Indian history.
• Standing nearly twice the height of the iconic Sanchi Stupa, it consists of 42,000 sandstone blocks assembled using a tongue-and-groove technique without any adhesive material.
• The structure has been designed with advanced earthquake-resistant technology for long-term preservation.
• The grand gateway, inspired by the Sanchi Torana, showcases intricate Buddhist art and architecture.
• Facilities such as a meditation center, library, amphitheater, and solar plant have been integrated into the complex.
• A statue of Lord Buddha crafted by Odishan artisans has been installed as a spiritual and visual highlight of the site.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Sports

4. India won 12 medals at the 2025 FISU World University Games.

• On 27 July, India concluded the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU Games with a tally of 12 medals, including 2 golds, 5 silvers, and 5 bronzes.
• India finished its campaign in the Rhine-Ruhr region of Germany at 20th place in the medal tally.
• Japan topped the list with 34 gold medals, while the People's Republic of China finished second with 30 gold medals, followed by the United States with 28 gold medals.
• On the final day, Ankita Dhyani won silver in the women’s 3000 m steeplechase with a personal best of 9:31.99.
• The women’s 20 km race walk team, comprising Sejal Singh, Munita Prajapati, and Mansi Negi, earned bronze with a collective time of 4:56:06.
• In the men’s 4x100m relay, the Indian team secured bronze after clocking 38.89 seconds.
• Earlier, Seema and Praveen Chithravel claimed silvers in the women’s 5000 m and men’s triple jump, respectively.
• Sahil Rajesh Jadhav and Parneet Kaur brought gold and silver in individual compound archery events.
• India also secured team medals in compound archery: mixed team gold, men’s team silver, and women’s team bronze.
• A historic bronze in mixed team badminton marked India's first-ever medal in the sport at the University Games.
• Vaishnavi Adkar clinched bronze in women’s tennis singles, becoming the first Indian woman to do so in WUG history.
• India’s best performance remains Chengdu 2023 with 26 medals.
• However, shooting events were excluded from 2025’s edition.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: National News

5. Three terrorists killed in Srinagar under 'Operation Mahadev.'

• On 28 July, three terrorists were neutralized on the outskirts of Srinagar by the army’s para commandos under the codename ‘Operation Mahadev.’

• One of the deceased, Sulieman, alias Asif, was identified as the mastermind behind the Pahalgam attack of April 22.
• The other two, Jibran and Hamza Afghani, were also high-value targets, and Jibran had links to the Sonamarg tunnel attack in 2024.
• A cache of arms, including one M4 carbine rifle and two AK rifles, was recovered from the encounter site.
• Additional security forces have also been rushed in as intelligence inputs revealed that another group of militants was present in the area.
• The bodies of the slain terrorists were handed over to local police for formal identification and legal procedures.

Topic: National Appointments

6. Utpal Kumar Singh appointed as the CEO of Sansad TV.

• Utpal Kumar Singh, Secretary-General of Lok Sabha, has been appointed as the new CEO of Sansad TV.

• He will replace Rajit Punhani, a 1991 IAS officer, who served as CEO during former Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar’s tenure.
• The decision was taken by the Governing Council of Sansad TV, as mentioned in an official order issued on July 23, 2025.
• Mr. Singh will assume the charge of Sansad TV with immediate effect, holding dual responsibility until further notice.
• In 2021, Lok Sabha TV and Rajya Sabha TV were merged into one channel, now known as Sansad TV.
• Lok Sabha TV was launched in 2006, while Rajya Sabha TV was launched in 2011.

Topic: Indian Economy

7. India’s industrial output growth, measured by the IIP, slowed to 1.5% in June 2025.

• This was down from a revised 1.9% growth in May.
• In comparison, industrial production had increased by 4.9% in June 2024.
• The manufacturing sector performed better, rising by 3.9% in June.
• This was an improvement from 2.6% growth in the previous month.
• Mining output declined sharply, contracting by 8.7% during June.
• Electricity generation also fell, recording a 2.6% drop.
• Infrastructure and Construction Goods output rose by 7.2% compared to June last year.
• Intermediate goods saw a year-on-year growth of 5.5%.
• Capital goods production increased by 3.5% over the same period.
• Consumer durables output went up by 2.9% year-on-year.
• Primary goods output declined by 3% in June.
• Consumer non-durables saw a minor contraction of 0.4% year-on-year.

Topic: Sports

8. Divya Deshmukh has become the fourth Indian woman to earn the Grandmaster title.

• She also became the first Indian woman to win the FIDE Women’s World Cup.

• Divya defeated veteran player Koneru Humpy in the final.
• The match was held in Batumi, Georgia. It lasted three days and was decided through tiebreaks.
• Divya won with a final score of 2.5 to 1.5. The first two classical games ended in draws. The first rapid tiebreak also resulted in a draw.
• Divya secured victory in the second rapid game. At 19, she was visibly emotional after the win.
• Her opponent, Koneru Humpy, is nearly twice her age.
• Divya now joins Humpy, Dronavalli Harika, and R Vaishali as Indian women Grandmasters.
• She is the 88th player globally to achieve the Grandmaster title.
• Her win qualifies her for the 2026 Candidates Tournament.
• This tournament will decide who challenges Ju Wenjun, the current Women’s World Champion.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Divya on her World Cup win.
• The Prime Minister also acknowledged Koneru Humpy’s strong performance.

Topic: Personality in News

9. Tom Lehrer, a well-known American satirist, musician, and math professor, died at the age of 97.

• He passed away in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
• He often used music to address serious topics like politics, religion, and education.
• Some of his most popular songs include “The Masochism Tango,” “The Vatican Rag,” and “The Elements.”
• In addition to music, Lehrer had a successful academic career in mathematics.
• In 1953, he recorded his first album, “Songs of Tom Lehrer,” for just $40.
• His shows include “An Evening Wasted With Tom Lehrer” and “That Was the Week That Was.”
• His album, “That Was the Year That Was,” became a hit for its sharp political and social commentary.

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

10. National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) has launched the ‘Veer Parivar Sahayata Yojana’ to enhance legal support for armed forces members and their families.

• The announcement was made at the North Zone Regional Conference in Srinagar.
• ‘Reaffirming the Constitutional Vision of Justice for Defence Personnel and Tribals’ was the topic of the conference.
• The conference focused on strengthening constitutional justice for defence personnel and tribal groups.
• Justice Surya Kant, a Supreme Court judge and NALSA’s Executive Chairman, presided over the event.
• The scheme aims to build on existing legal aid clinics by creating a specialized network within Sainik Boards at district, state, and central levels.
• Sainik Boards currently serve as important welfare centers for both active and retired soldiers.
• Under this initiative, these centers will also offer legal assistance to military families.
• The program encourages defence families and veterans to participate as paralegal volunteers.
• Justice Kant noted that service members face common legal issues like property disputes, family conflicts, and questions about entitlements.
• Justice Kant emphasized that soldiers on duty cannot be expected to handle legal matters related to their homes at great distances.