Daily Current Affairs and GK | 5 August 2025

Topic: MoUs/Agreements

1. Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) and Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) have signed an MoU to accelerate the adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies in India.

• This was signed during the "Industry 4.0 Workshop for CPSEs" in Guwahati.
• The event was organized under the aegis of the Ministry of Finance.
• Under the MoU, BSNL and NRL will deploy India’s first 5G Captive Non-Public Network in the refinery sector. This will enhance industrial connectivity.
• The project aims to leverage domestic 5G infrastructure to ensure secure and real-time operations for refineries.
• The Secretary of Department of Public Enterprises (DPE) praised the initiative for its potential to modernize India’s industrial base.
• He highlighted the job opportunities it would create, especially in the North East.

Topic: State News/Telangana

2. Telangana is rising as India’s handloom hub with a ₹10,000 cr mega textile park.

• On 3 August, Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy announced that Telangana is rapidly evolving into a handloom hub, driven by the Kakatiya Mega Textile Park in Warangal.
• The park is expected to attract investments worth ₹10,000 crore and generate employment for around two lakh individuals.
• Under central schemes, 100 electronic jacquard weaving machines have been distributed, and 31 handloom companies established.
• The Centre is reviving traditional crafts like Himroo fabrics, Pithambari sarees, and Armoor silk, enhancing cultural preservation.
• Handloom clusters are being supported in Siddipet, Kamalapur, Dubbak, and Warangal, with 900 weavers trained in modern techniques.
• ₹70 crore worth of Mudra loans have been sanctioned to support handloom weavers’ businesses in Telangana.
• The handloom sector accounts for 2.3% of the country's GDP, 13% of industrial output, and 12% of exports, making India the sixth largest exporter.
• The government is pursuing a 5F strategy like farm to fiber, fabric, fashion, and foreign markets under the Make in India program.
• Handloom exports were valued at ₹3 lakh crore in 2023–24, with a target of reaching ₹9 lakh crore by 2030.
• Handloom weavers are being given a pension of Rs. 8,000 per month, and a scholarship of Rs. 2 lakh is being given to their children wishing to pursue higher education, including textile design.

Topic: Infrastructure and Energy

3. The report on ‘Unlocking a $200 Billion Opportunity: Electric Vehicles in India’ launched by NITI Aayog.

• On 4 July, a major report titled ‘Unlocking a $200 Billion Opportunity: Electric Vehicles in India’ has been launched by NITI Aayog to assess challenges and solutions in India’s electric mobility journey.

• The report was formally unveiled by Shri Rajiv Gauba, Member, NITI Aayog, in the presence of top government officials and stakeholders from the electric vehicle ecosystem.
• India's target to achieve 30% electric vehicle share by 2030 has been reaffirmed as EV sales surged from 50,000 in 2016 to over 2 million in 2024.
• While global EV sales increased from 918,000 in 2016 to 18.78 million in 2024.
• Despite India’s slow start, EV penetration has significantly improved, now reaching over two-fifths of global levels in 2024.
• Extensive consultations involving seven dedicated sessions were conducted by NITI Aayog to finalize the report’s strategic recommendations.
• Immediate action steps for accelerating EV adoption have been laid out clearly in the newly released report.
• The report has been described as a blueprint to drive data-driven decision-making and cross-sector collaboration across India.
• While launching the report, Shri Rajiv Gauba emphasized that India is on the brink of a transformative shift toward sustainable mobility.

(Source: PIB)

Topic: Personality in News

4. Veteran tribal leader Shibu Soren passed away at the age of 81.

• On 4 August, influential tribal leader and three-time Jharkhand Chief Minister Shibu Soren passed away at the age of 81 following a prolonged illness.
• A long political journey that began with the founding of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) in 1973 was led by Soren to advocate for tribal rights.
• Despite serving thrice as Chief Minister, none of his terms could be completed due to political instability in the state.
• His death was announced by his son and current Jharkhand Chief Minister, Hemant Soren, through a heartfelt tribute.
• Born in 1944 in present-day Jharkhand, he emerged as a driving force behind the formation of the state from southern Bihar districts.
• After Jharkhand attained statehood in 2000, Soren became an influential figure in the regional politics.

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

5. Pariksha Pe Charcha created a Guinness record with massive public participation.

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s initiative Pariksha Pe Charcha has achieved a Guinness World Record for maximum registrations on a citizen engagement platform in a single month.
• The eighth edition of the program witnessed over 3.53 crore registrations, reflecting a massive public outreach through the MyGov platform.
• The official certificate from Guinness World Records was presented at a special ceremony held in New Delhi on 4 August.
• Pariksha Pe Charcha is a unique platform conceived and powered by Shri Modi, through which the Prime Minister directly interacts with students, teachers and parents.
• Union Ministers Dharmendra Pradhan and Ashwini Vaishnaw attended the event to acknowledge the significance of this national program.
• Viewership exceeding 21 crore was recorded across platforms during the 2025 edition, showcasing the program’s broad influence.
• The program has been credited for transforming exam stress into a celebration of learning across the country.
• Pariksha Pe Charcha continues to reinforce mental wellness and educational motivation in India's youth under visionary leadership.

Topic: Sports

6. Abdullah Abubakar won gold at Qosanov Memorial 2025.

• On 3 August, Indian triple jumper Abdulla Aboobacker secured the gold medal in the men’s triple jump event at the Qosanov Memorial 2025 meet in Almaty, Kazakhstan.
• Abdullah won with a best jump of 16.08 m, finishing narrowly ahead of the Republic of Korea's Yoo Gumin and Kim Jung-woo.
• The South Korean pair recorded equal best jumps of 16.07 m.
• However, Yoo Gumin was placed second on countback as he recorded the second-best jump of 15.90 m compared to Kim Jang-woo's 15.87 m.
• Abubakar, who equaled his personal best of 17.19 m in Bengaluru earlier this year, remains in the race to qualify for the World Athletics Championships to be held in Tokyo from September 13 to 21.
• Although the automatic qualification mark is 17.22 m, the Indian jumper is currently in line to qualify through the world ranking quota.
• The qualification window closes on August 27.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Indian Economy

7. India’s smartphone exports rose to a record $7.72 billion in the first quarter of FY 2025-26.

• This marked a 58% increase from $4.9 billion in the same period last year.
• Apple led the growth, exporting $6 billion worth of iPhones through its contract manufacturers.
• This represented an 82% jump compared to the previous year.
• Apple alone contributed nearly 78% of the total smartphone exports in the quarter.
• In FY 2021, India’s smartphone exports stood at $3.1 billion. By 2025, this figure had grown to $24.1 billion.
• Apple was responsible for $17.5 billion of the exports in 2025.
• Padget Electronics, a subsidiary of Dixon Technologies, exported smartphones worth $175 million.
• Samsung accounted for 12% of India’s overall smartphone exports.
• The sharp increase in exports is mainly due to the Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme.
• The scheme, launched in 2020, has significantly boosted local manufacturing.

Topic: Defence

8. General Upendra Dwivedi, Chief of the Army Staff, launched the ‘Agnishodh’ research cell at IIT Madras.

• This new centre aims to translate academic innovation into mission-ready defence solutions.
• ‘Agnishodh’ supports the Army’s vision of transformation and promotes indigenous capability under the slogan “Swadeshikaran Se Sashaktikaran.”
• The initiative will work closely with the IIT Madras Research Park and organisations like the Advanced Manufacturing Technology Development Centre (AMTDC) and Pravartak Technologies Foundation.
• Its objective is to turn early-stage research into operational technologies for defence use.
• It will also provide military personnel with training in emerging fields such as 3D printing, cybersecurity, quantum tech, wireless systems, and drone platforms.
• As part of his visit, General Dwivedi also addressed officers at the Officers Training Academy in Chennai.
• He highlighted Operation Sindoor as a key joint-forces mission that forced Pakistan into a ceasefire within 88 hours.
• He also recognized four retired soldiers with the Veteran Achievers Award for their continued service to the nation.
• The awards acknowledged their post-retirement contributions to the welfare of veterans, Veer Naris, youth empowerment, and nation-building.
• Colonel Krishnaswami A (Retd), Captain Tamil Selvan D (Retd), Subedar Major & Honorary Lieutenant S Sugumar (Retd) and Havildar A Rajendran (Retd) got the awards.

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

9. India has partnered with the UN World Food Programme to launch a new initiative focused on rice fortification and improving supply chains in Nepal.

• This initiative is part of the India-UN Global Capacity Building Initiative.
• It was officially launched by the Ministry of External Affairs on August 1, 2025, in New Delhi.
• The project aims to strengthen Nepal’s fortified rice distribution system.
• It will address challenges in procurement, data management, and workforce skills.
• India’s Public Distribution System will serve as a model for knowledge sharing.
• Digital technologies will be highlighted to improve food supply efficiency.
• Key areas of focus include tracking beneficiaries, storage solutions, distribution models, monitoring tools, and grievance handling systems.
• The project will be implemented over 12 months in three distinct phases.
• The first phase involves assessing needs and engaging stakeholders.
• The second phase includes a study tour in India for Nepali officials.
• The final phase will involve drafting a detailed action plan.
• Training will be delivered through the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) Programme.
• The India-UN Global Capacity Building Initiative was first announced in September 2023.
• This announcement was made during the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly.
• India’s External Affairs Ministry and the UN Country Team in India jointly selected four projects.
• These projects are intended to promote South-South cooperation and accelerate progress on Sustainable Development Goals.
• The rice fortification and supply chain initiative in Nepal is one of the four selected projects.
• The project will promote rice fortification with nutrients such as iron, folic acid, and vitamin B12.
• This is expected to address nutritional deficiencies in vulnerable populations and improve public health outcomes.

Topic: Sports

10. India’s Vedika Bhansali claimed the title in the girls 9-year category at the US Kids World Championship held in Pinehurst Village.

• She delivered her best nine-hole performance of the week with a bogey-free 4-under 32, her second clean round in three days.

• Vedika completed the tournament with an impressive 10-under total, recording scores of 33, 33, and 32.
• She edged out Japan’s Emi Minami by one stroke and finished two ahead of Audrey Zhang from the USA.
• Vedika had finished fourth in the same event last year.
• Across all three rounds—each nine holes for her age group—she registered just a single bogey.
• In the girls 11 category, fellow Indian golfer Aida Thimmaiah secured third place with an overall score of 7-under.
• Aida’s standout final round saw her card a 6-under 66.
• Her three-round total included scores of 75, 68, and 66.
• In golf, a hole refers to both the physical hole in the ground where the ball must go and the entire unit of play.
• A standard round of golf consists of 18 holes. In kids' tournaments, each round may consist of 9 holes instead of 18.
• A bogey is when a golfer takes one stroke more than the expected number of strokes to complete a hole.