📊 Index & Rankings
Shri Akash Tripathi, IAS, Additional Secretary (Power) and DG of the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), launched the State Energy Efficiency Index (SEEI) 2024, developed by BEE in partnership with the Alliance for an Energy Efficient Economy (AEEE).
The index evaluates energy-efficiency performance across 36 States/UTs for FY 2023–24, supporting data-driven oversight, knowledge exchange, and competitive benchmarking. Energy efficiency was highlighted as pivotal to India’s net-zero 2070 pathway.
The sixth edition introduces an implementation-centric framework with 66 indicators spanning Buildings, Industry, Municipal Services, Transport, Agriculture, DISCOMs, and Cross-Sector actions.
- Front Runners – Score >60%
- Achievers – Score 50–60%
- Contenders – Score 30–50%
- Aspirants – Score <30%
| Consumption Group | Top Performer |
|---|---|
| Group 1 (>15 MToE) | Maharashtra |
| Group 2 (5–15 MToE) | Andhra Pradesh |
| Group 3 (1–5 MToE) | Assam |
| Group 4 (<1 MToE) | Tripura |
- 24 states have notified ECBC 2017
- 10 states adopted MSME energy-efficiency policies
- 31 states have electric mobility policies
- 13 states promote solar-powered agri pumps; Kerala reports 74% adoption
- All 36 States/UTs now have State Energy Efficiency Action Plans (SEEAPs)
🇮🇳 National News
Indian Highways Management Company Limited (IHMCL), an NHAI-promoted entity, signed an agreement with ICICI Bank to deploy a full-scale Multi-Lane Free Flow (MLFF) tolling system at the Choryasi Fee Plaza on NH-48 in Gujarat.
The signing took place at NHAI HQ in New Delhi in the presence of NHAI Chairman Shri Santosh Kumar Yadav and senior officials from NHAI, IHMCL, and ICICI Bank.
Choryasi will become India’s first toll plaza to operate without physical barriers.
A parallel agreement has been concluded with ICICI Bank to introduce MLFF at Gharaunda Fee Plaza on NH-44 in Haryana. NHAI intends to expand MLFF-based tolling to 25 National Highway fee plazas within the ongoing financial year.
MLFF Technology: A barrier-less tolling framework that uses FASTag, Vehicle Registration Number (VRN) recognition, high-performance RFID readers, and ANPR cameras to process tolls without halting vehicles.
Expected Benefits: Smoother toll operations, reduced traffic bottlenecks, higher fuel efficiency, lower emissions, and stronger revenue assurance.
Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah opened the Brahmaputra Wing at Raj Bhavan, Guwahati, and remotely inaugurated/laid foundation stones for 8 projects worth ₹322 crore.
The event saw participation from Assam Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya, CM Himanta Biswa Sarma, and Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal.
- Cost: ₹40+ crore
- Area: 3,300 sq. m
- Purpose: Enable constitutional functions, recognise student/artistic achievements, and foster public dialogue
Shri Amit Shah also inaugurated new facilities for CAPF personnel and announced the establishment of the second National Cyber Forensic Laboratory (NCFL) in Guwahati, following the first in Delhi.
Union IT & Electronics Minister Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw inaugurated India’s first tempered glass manufacturing facility for mobile devices in Noida.
Set up by Optiemus Electronics in partnership with Corning Incorporated (USA), the plant will produce premium cover glass under the “Engineered by Corning” brand for domestic and export markets.
- Manufacturing grown 6× in 11 years
- Output: ₹11.5 lakh crore
- Exports: ₹3 lakh+ crore
- Jobs created: ~2.5 million
India targets end-to-end manufacturing of mobile components—including chips, cover glass, and laptop/server parts—with a Made-in-India chip slated soon. An IIT Madras–incubated startup designed the nation’s first microcontroller, and Indian Railways equipment is now exported to Europe.
The two-day RAN SAMWAD-2025 begins August 26, 2025, at the Army War College, Dr Ambedkar Nagar (M.P.).
Organised by HQ IDS and CENJOWS, in collaboration with ARTRAC, it provides a first-of-its-kind platform for serving officers to share frontline operational learnings from modern battlefields.
- Deepen communication, cooperation, and jointness among the Army, Navy, and Air Force
- Share frontline operational learnings from modern battlefields
- Hosted this year by the Indian Army; future editions will rotate to Navy and Air Force
💼 Business & Economy
As per RBI data, India’s foreign exchange reserves fell by $4.386 billion to $690.72 billion for the week ended August 22, 2025. In the preceding week, reserves had risen by $1.488 billion to $695.106 billion.
| Component | Change | Current Value |
|---|---|---|
| Foreign Currency Assets (FCA) | −$3.652 bn | $582.251 bn |
| Gold Reserves | −$665 mn | $85.003 bn |
| Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) | −$46 mn | $18.736 bn |
| Reserve Position with IMF | −$23 mn | $4.731 bn |
Changes in FCA also mirror valuation effects from movements in major currencies such as the euro, pound, and yen.
SBI Card and Flipkart jointly launched the Flipkart SBI Credit Card.
The launch event was attended by SBI Chairman Challa Sreenivasulu Setty and SBI MD Ashwini Kumar Tewari. Salila Pande, MD & CEO of SBI Card, is associated with the initiative.
The card offers tailored cashback benefits aimed at enhancing the shopping experience on Flipkart platform.
After a six-year hiatus, Tata Motors has returned to South Africa to take on Chinese competitors. Tata had exited in 2019 after mixed reception to earlier models like Indica.
- Punch – Compact SUV
- Curvv – Coupe-styled SUV
- Tiago – Hatchback
- Harrier – Premium SUV
Phase 2 will introduce Nexon and Sierra SUVs.
Network Plan: Start with 40 dealerships, expanding to 60 by 2026.
🌐 International News
China has installed Wukong AI, an AI chatbot named after Sun Wukong (Monkey King), aboard the Tiangong Space Station to assist taikonauts.
Commissioned on July 15, 2025, it supported a 6.5-hour spacewalk focused on debris protection and inspections.
- Built on a domestic open-source LLM
- Onboard module – For real-time crew assistance
- Earth module – For deeper analysis
This represents the first LLM deployment within China’s space programme, signalling rising ambitions in space technology.
🔬 Science & Technology
Pixxel Space and Dhruva Space successfully launched satellites aboard SpaceX’s Falcon-9 from Vandenberg SFB, California.
- Orbited three Firefly satellites, completing Phase 1 of its six-satellite hyperspectral Earth Observation constellation
- Each Firefly captures 135+ spectral bands at 5-metre resolution across a ~40 km swath
- Positioned as the most advanced commercial hyperspectral imaging system
- Previously launched three Firefly satellites in January 2025
- Plans Honeybee satellites using the SWIR band
- Launched LEAP-01, its first commercial satellite
- Carrying payloads from Australia’s Akula Tech and Esper Satellites
- Marks Dhruva’s first hosted-payload mission
- Features AI model-optimisation by Akula Tech for efficient geospatial AI/ML in orbit
YouTube has expanded its “Hype” feature to 39 countries, covering the US, UK, Japan, Korea, Indonesia, and India.
Introduced in 2024, Hype is aimed at smaller creators with <5 lakh subscribers.
- Viewers can hype up to 3 videos per week
- Points push videos onto country-level leaderboards
- Bonus points for smaller creators to increase visibility
Roadmap: Category-wise leaderboards (e.g., gaming, style), options for fans to share hypes, and a paid hype variant already piloted in Brazil and Turkey.
📅 Important Days
National Nutrition Week is observed annually from September 1 to 7.
“Eat Right for a Better Life”
The awareness drive is vital as a significant share of India’s population—especially children and women—faces inadequate food access due to poverty, illiteracy, and limited awareness.
Objective: To intensify public awareness on the role of nutrition in health, with downstream impacts on human development, productivity, economic growth, and national progress.
Established in 1975 by the American Dietetic Association (ADA), now the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The week underscores the importance of balanced nutrition alongside an active lifestyle.
📤 Found this useful? Help your friends stay updated too!
