Daily Current Affairs 17th August 2025: Your guide for daily General Knowledge Preparation
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This post contains the daily current affairs 17th August 2025. It includes all National, International, Business & Sports related to Current Affairs 17th August 2025. A brief explanation of every current affair is provided to further enhance your general knowledge. Once you have gone through these Current Affairs, we would recommend you to try 17th August, 2025 Current affairs test.
National News
- India Post Marks 50 Years of Sholay with Special Releases
- To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the legendary film Sholay, the Maharashtra Postal Circle introduced a series of exclusive items on Independence Day 2025.
- The release included:
- Specially designed picture postcards.
- A collector’s presentation pack.
- A golden cancellation stamp.
- The unveiling was carried out by Amitabh Singh, Chief Postmaster General, and presented to the film’s director, Ramesh Sippy.
- NHAI Introduces FASTag Annual Pass for Easier Highway Travel
- From 15th August 2025, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) launched a new FASTag Annual Pass across 1,150 toll plazas nationwide.
- Key features:
- Applicable for non-commercial vehicles.
- Offers unlimited travel for a one-time fee of ₹3,000, valid for either 1 year or 200 toll crossings.
- Initial response:
- Over 1.4 lakh users activated passes on the first day.
- FASTag adoption now stands at 98% penetration nationwide.
- Benefits: Reduces toll-related delays, improves convenience, and promotes the government’s Ease of Living initiative.
- Pass activation is available via the Rajmargyatra App, and a strengthened 1033 helpline has been set up for assistance and grievance redressal.
International News
- Putin-Trump Summit in Alaska Ends Without Breakthrough
- A high-profile meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump took place at the Elmendorf-Richardson military base, Alaska.
- The summit lasted nearly three hours but failed to produce an agreement on the Ukraine conflict.
- Statements made:
- Putin: Emphasized the need to resolve the war by addressing root causes and warned against sabotage.
- Trump: Expressed optimism for future dialogue but noted that the final resolution depends on Ukraine and NATO.
- The brief joint press conference suggested cautious optimism but no immediate resolution.
- India’s Russian Oil Imports Reach Record High in August 2025
- India’s crude oil imports from Russia rose to 2 million barrels per day (bpd) in August, constituting 38% of its total imports (5.2 million bpd).
- Comparison with July:
- Russian imports increased from 1.6 million bpd.
- Imports from Iraq fell from 907,000 bpd to 730,000 bpd.
- Imports from Saudi Arabia dropped from 700,000 bpd to 526,000 bpd.
- The surge reflects India’s economic prioritization in sourcing oil.
Business News
- Centre Proposes Two-Slab GST Overhaul
- The government unveiled a simplified two-rate GST system:
- 5% and 18% rates, with 40% on sin goods (like tobacco and pan masala).
- Major changes:
- Daily-use items shifted from 12% to 5%.
- Aspirational goods (e.g., TVs) moved from 28% to 18%.
- Other reforms include:
- Correction of inverted duty structures.
- Streamlined product classifications.
- Faster GST registrations.
- Automated refund systems.
- Expected rollout: Q3 FY 2025-26.
- The government unveiled a simplified two-rate GST system:
- India’s Forex Reserves Rise to $693.62 Billion
- India’s foreign exchange reserves rose by $4.74 billion, reaching $693.62 billion as of August 8, 2025.
- Breakdown of the rise:
- Foreign currency assets: + $2.37 billion.
- Gold reserves: + $2.16 billion.
- Special drawing rights: + $169 million.
- IMF reserve position: + $45 million.
- Despite being lower than the record $704.885 billion in Sept 2024, the RBI continues to manage reserves to ensure rupee stability.
- Microsoft Tops TopBrand 2025 Global List
- At the 19th China Brand Festival (Shenzhen), the TopBrand 500 Global Brands list (2025) was revealed.
- Top 3 brands by value:
- Microsoft – $1,062.5 billion.
- NVIDIA – $1,046.8 billion.
- Apple – $997.7 billion.
- Other companies in the top 10: Amazon, Alphabet (Google), Saudi Aramco, Walmart, Meta (Facebook), Berkshire Hathaway, and Broadcom.
- Among Chinese brands, PetroChina ranked highest at 14th place.
Agreements News
- NFR & IIT-Guwahati Partner to Promote Biodegradable Alternatives
- The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) signed an MoU with IIT-Guwahati to phase out conventional plastics and introduce eco-friendly alternatives.
- Pilot initiative:
- Eco-friendly green bed-roll bags introduced on trains, replacing plastic linen packaging.
- The bio-plastics developed by IIT-Guwahati’s R&D team are compostable and degrade quickly, marking a major step toward reducing plastic waste in Indian Railways.
Awards News
- Neeraj Ghaywan’s Homebound Wins Big at IFFM 2025
- At the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) 2025, director Neeraj Ghaywan’s film Homebound bagged the Best Film and Best Director awards.
- The film features Ishaan Khatter, Vishal Jetwa, and Janhvi Kapoor in lead roles.
- Theme: Explores belonging, displacement, and the emotional complexity of returning home.
- It has also been selected as the closing film of the festival on August 24, 2025.
Defense News
- Indian Naval Ships Reach Sri Lanka for SLINEX-25
- Indian Navy’s INS Rana and INS Jyoti arrived in Colombo for the 12th edition of SLINEX-25 (14–18 August 2025).
- Aim: Strengthen interoperability, maritime cooperation, and knowledge-sharing between India and Sri Lanka.
- Activities:
- Harbour phase – professional exchanges and cultural programs.
- Sea phase – joint operations such as Visit Board Search & Seizure (VBSS), gunnery firing, and at-sea refueling.
- Participation: Sri Lankan Navy’s SLNS Gajabahu, SLNS Vijayabahu, and Special Forces.
- The exercise aligns with India’s MAHASAGAR policy to enhance regional maritime ties.
Sports News
- Real Madrid Crowned World’s Most Valuable Football Club 2025
- According to Brand Finance Football 50 (2025), Real Madrid retained the title of the world’s most valuable football club.
- Key highlights:
- Brand value: €1.921 billion.
- Brand strength score: 94.9 (near-perfect).
- Fourth consecutive year at the top.
- Factors contributing to success:
- Global fanbase.
- Record revenues.
- Strong sponsorship deals.
- Winning their 15th UEFA Champions League title.
- Other top clubs:
- FC Barcelona – €1.7bn.
- Manchester City – €1.4bn.
- Liverpool – €1.4bn.
- PSG – €1.4bn.
Science & Technology News
- ISRO Opens Space Lab in Remote Arunachal Pradesh
- ISRO inaugurated a modern space science laboratory at Mechuka Government Higher Secondary School in Shi-Yomi district, Arunachal Pradesh.
- The facility was opened by State Education Minister Pasang Dorjee Sona in collaboration with ISRO and Muskaan Foundation.
- Named the Pasang Wangchuk Sona ISRO Space Laboratory (after the minister’s father).
- Purpose: Encourage hands-on learning and foster interest in space sciences among rural students.
Obituaries News
- Nagaland Governor La Ganesan Passes Away at 80
- Nagaland Governor La Ganesan died at age 80 on August 15, 2025, in Chennai after collapsing on August 8.
- Career highlights:
- Former Governor of Manipur.
- Served as a Rajya Sabha MP.
- Remembered for integrity, public service, and promotion of Tamil culture.
- Tributes: Leaders including PM Narendra Modi, Nagaland CM Neiphiu Rio, and Deputy CM Yanthungo Patton expressed condolences, praising him as a principled leader and nationalist.