📊 Index & Rankings
Assam’s Kaziranga Tiger Reserve, already known for its famed one-horned rhinoceros, has now gained international attention for its rising tiger population.
In 2024, the reserve recorded 148 tigers within its 1,307.49 sq. km expanse.
Tiger population growth:
| Year | Tigers |
|---|---|
| 1997 | 80 |
| 2019 | 121 |
| 2022 | 104 |
| 2024 | 148 |
Kaziranga has tiger density of 18.65 per 100 sq. km, placing it third globally behind Bandipur (19.83) and Corbett (19.56).
🇮🇳 National News
The Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) will organize a two-day national symposium titled “Timeless Texts and Universal Teachings” on July 30–31, 2025, in New Delhi.
The event marks the inclusion of the Bhagavad Gita and Natyashastra in the UNESCO Memory of the World International Register, underscoring their global cultural significance.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the newly constructed terminal at Tuticorin Airport in Tamil Nadu.
Additionally, he laid the foundation stones for development projects valued at ₹4800 crore, focusing on strengthening regional connectivity and boosting infrastructure in the state.
Acclaimed Hindi novelist Geetanjali Shree, known for her Booker Prize-winning work Tomb of Sand, has been honored with the PEN Translates Award 2025 for her latest book, Once Elephants Lived Here.
Key details:
- English translation by Daisy Rockwell
- Among 14 global winners by English PEN
This accolade further reinforces the international recognition of Hindi and regional Indian literature.
The Sansad Ratna Awards 2025 were presented at Maharashtra Sadan, New Delhi, recognizing 17 Members of Parliament for exemplary contributions in Lok Sabha.
Top Individual Winners:
- Supriya Sule – NCP-SP
- Ravi Kishan – BJP
- Nishikant Dubey – BJP
- Arvind Sawant – Shiv Sena (UBT)
Special Jury Recognition (consistent performance across three Lok Sabhas):
- Bhartruhari Mahtab – BJP
- N.K. Premachandran – RSP
- Supriya Sule – NCP-SP
- Shrirang Appa Barne – Shiv Sena
Finance Committee – Led by Bhartruhari Mahtab | Agriculture Committee – Led by Dr. Charanjit Singh Channi (Congress)
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully carried out two back-to-back flight tests of the Pralay missile on July 28 and 29, 2025 from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island in Odisha.
Key features:
- Domestically developed
- Uses solid fuel
- Features advanced guidance and navigation technologies
- Designed to carry variety of warheads to neutralize multiple threats
At the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU World University Games in Duisburg, Germany, India won a total of 12 medals:
- 🥇 2 Gold
- 🥈 5 Silver
- 🥉 5 Bronze
The medals were spread across athletics, archery, badminton, and tennis, showcasing India’s rising talent at the university level.
Tanvi Sharma and Vennala Kalagotla created history at the 2025 Badminton Asia Junior Championships by becoming the first Indian pair to win two medals in women’s singles in the same edition.
Past Indian milestones:
- 2011: PV Sindhu (Bronze), Sameer Verma (Silver)
- 2012: PV Sindhu – India’s first gold
- 2018: Lakshya Sen – India’s second gold
Their performances mark a stepping stone toward future senior-level international success, demonstrating growing depth in Indian women’s junior badminton.
In a major upset at the IBSF World 6-Red Snooker Championship 2025 in Bahrain, 16-year-old Riley Powell (Wales) defeated veteran Indian cueist Pankaj Advani with a final score of 5-4.
Advani, competing on his 40th birthday, missed out on his 29th world title.
Organized by IBSF. Played in 6-Red format emphasizing fast-paced gameplay. Advani entered as a wildcard contender.
💼 Business & Economy
The government has decided to extend Gurdeep Singh’s term as CMD of NTPC until July 31, 2026.
Initially set to retire in July 2025, Singh will now continue heading India’s largest power generation firm under the Ministry of Power for an additional year.
Ravi A Robert Jerard, a senior official from the Department of Telecommunications, has been granted another extension as Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of BSNL and MTNL.
He took over in July 2024 after the previous CMD P.K. Purwar was denied a term extension.
The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has given the go-ahead for Renault Group B.V. and Renault S.A.S. to acquire equity and preference shares in Renault Nissan Automotive India Pvt. Ltd.
The shares are currently held by Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. and Nissan Overseas Investments B.V.
🌐 International News
China has commenced the construction of a colossal $167.8 billion hydropower project on the Brahmaputra River, near its border with Arunachal Pradesh.
Key details:
- Inaugurated by Premier Li Qiang
- Will become the world’s largest dam
- Capacity: 60,000 MW
- Three times that of China’s current largest dam – the Three Gorges Dam
The World Health Organization (WHO) has introduced a global campaign named SPECS 2030, aiming to significantly improve accessibility and affordability of eye care worldwide by 2030.
Endorsed by the World Health Assembly in 2021, seeks to increase effective coverage of refractive error (eREC) by 40 percentage points.
Five main pillars:
- Services – Enhancing availability of refractive services
- Personnel – Strengthening the eye care workforce
- Education – Promoting eye health awareness
- Cost – Lowering the price of eyeglasses
- Surveillance – Boosting research and data collection
England’s win against Spain in the UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 Final captivated the nation, becoming the most-watched TV broadcast in the UK this year.
Managed by Sarina Wiegman, England won in a dramatic penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw.
Viewership stats:
- 12.2 million peak audience across all BBC platforms
- 11.6 million on BBC One alone – 59% of total TV audience
- Simultaneously aired on ITV, boosting accessibility
📅 Important Days
Observed annually on 30th July, this day aims to raise awareness about the plight of human trafficking victims and advocate for their protection.
“Human trafficking is Organized Crime – End the Exploitation”
Background:
- 2010: UN General Assembly adopted the Global Plan of Action
- Established UN Voluntary Trust Fund for victims (especially women and children)
- 2013: Resolution A/RES/68/192 officially designated 30th July
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