Current Affairs One - Liner : 30th July 2025

National:

• On July 29, 2025, the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH) approved India’s first Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based Road Safety Pilot Project in Uttar Pradesh (UP). It uses Big Data Analytics and AI to identify accident-prone areas and create real-time safety dashboards. Developed by Indian Telephone Industries (ITI) Limited and mLogica, the project is budgeted at ₹10 crore and implemented at zero cost.

• On July 30, 2025, the Maharashtra government officially announced that August 7 will be celebrated annually as Sustainable Agriculture Day to honor the birth centenary of Bharat Ratna Dr. M.S. Swaminathan. The announcement was made by State Agriculture Minister Manikrao Kokate, recognizing Dr. Swaminathan’s pivotal role in India’s Green Revolution.
• Under the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP), the central government aims to establish 25,000 Jan Aushadhi Kendras by March 2027 to expand access to affordable generic medicines. As of June 30, 2025, 16,912 Kendras are operational, offering 2,110 medicines and 315 surgical consumables nationwide. This initiative has helped citizens save ₹38,000 crore over the past 11 years by reducing healthcare costs.

MoUs:

• On July 29, 2025, the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Ather Energy at Startup India Headquarters, New Delhi. The aim is to boost Electric Vehicle (EV) manufacturing and India's Clean Mobility Ecosystem. This falls under the Build in Bharat initiative, backed by the Startup Policy Forum (SPF) and programs like Startup Mahakumbh.

Science & Technology:

• On July 16, 2025, astronomers observed the birth of a solar system around baby star HOPS-315 (Herschel Orion Protostar Survey–315). Using JWST (James Webb Space Telescope) and ALMA (Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array), they spotted solid minerals forming in its protoplanetary disc. This marks the first-ever direct evidence of planet-building at its earliest stage.

Sports:

• World Athletics’ new female category rules begin September 1, 2025, with a mandatory SRY gene test for eligibility. Only biological females are allowed; transgender women post-male puberty and athletes on testosterone face restrictions. Athletes with Differences of Sex Development (DSD) must meet testosterone-level criteria to qualify.
• Tejaswin Shankar set a new Indian national record in decathlon with 7826 points on July 27, 2025, at the Wiesław Czapiewski Memorial in Bydgoszcz, Poland. He became the first Indian to cross 7800 points, finishing 4th overall at this World Athletics Combined Events Tour – Gold level meet. His performance included personal bests in 100m, 1500m, and pole vault, and season bests in long jump, discus, and 400m.

Defence:

• On July 28 & 29, 2025, DRDO successfully test-fired the Pralay missile twice from Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Island, Odisha. It's a short-range, surface-to-surface missile with a range of 150–500 km, designed for conventional battlefield use. Both launches achieved precise target hits, validating user trial objectives for minimum and maximum range.

Summits & Conferences:

• The United Nations Food Systems Summit +4 Stocktake (UNFSS+4) 2025 was held from 27–29 July in Ethiopia, co-hosted by Ethiopia and Italy, organized by the UN Food Systems Coordination Hub. Chaired by UN Secretary-General António Guterres, with the theme: “Accelerating Food Systems Transformation to Achieve the SDGs”. Focused on food equity, innovation, climate resilience, and launched the SOFI 2025 Report highlighting hunger trends.

Appointments:

• On 28 July 2025, Shailesh Jejurikar was named Global CEO of Procter & Gamble, effective Jan 1, 2026. He’ll succeed Jon Moeller, who becomes Executive Chairman. Jejurikar is an alumnus of IIM Lucknow, and the first Indian to lead P&G globally. He joined P&G in 1989 and has led key markets across continents.
• Anant Ambani was appointed Executive Director of Reliance Industries for 5 years from May 1, 2025. He previously served as a Non-Executive Director in the company. The board approved the appointment in April 2025, with shareholder nod on July 29, 2025. He will lead initiatives in green energy, sustainability, and philanthropy.

Questions:

Q.1 The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) approved India’s first Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based Road Safety Pilot Project in which state?
a) Maharashtra
b) Uttar Pradesh
c) Gujarat
d) Karnataka

Answer: b) On July 29, 2025, MoRTH approved the AI-powered road safety project in Uttar Pradesh. It uses AI and Big Data Analytics to spot accident-prone zones and build real-time safety dashboards.

Q.2 What milestone did Tejaswin Shankar achieve at the World Athletics Combined Events Tour – Gold meet in Poland, July 2025?
a) First Indian to win gold in decathlon
b) Broke the world record in decathlon
c) First Indian to score over 7800 points in decathlon
d) Set Asian Games record in high jump

Answer: c) Shankar scored 7826 points at the Wiesław Czapiewski Memorial in Bydgoszcz, Poland, setting a national record.