Current Affairs Quiz – July 2025

Notes:
The world celebrates June 30 as World Asteroid Day to mark the Tunguska event, a huge asteroid explosion over Siberia, Russia, in 1908. The Tunguska event flattened about 2,000 square kilometres of forest with energy equal to 185 Hiroshima bombs. World Asteroid Day aims to raise awareness about asteroid risks and encourage investment in space science and technology. The United Nations General Assembly passed resolution A/RES/71/90 in 2016 to declare June 30 as International Asteroid Day after a proposal from the Association of Space Explorers, supported by the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS).

Notes:
Recently, Japan successfully launched a climate monitoring satellite on its H-2A rocket, which made its final flight before retiring. The H-2A lifted off from Tanegashima Space Center carrying the Global Observing Satellite for Greenhouse gases and Water cycle (GOSAT-GW) to track carbon, methane, and water cycles. The launch faced delays due to electrical issues but succeeded, marking the 50th mission of H-2A since 2001 with a 98% success rate. GOSAT-GW will soon share high-resolution data globally, including with the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Notes:
The Shakti Bhatt Prize 2025 was awarded to debut author Zara Chowdhary for her memoir The Lucky Ones, about surviving the 2002 Gujarat riots. She will receive a cash prize of Rs 2 lakh with the award. This year marks the final Shakti Bhatt Prize, which started in 2008 to honour debut authors in memory of publisher Shakti Bhatt, who died in 2007. The prize celebrated South Asian literature from countries like India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, remaining independent and free from corporate sponsorship.

Notes:
Recently, the first-ever Ladakh Astro Tourism Festival concluded in Leh, organised by the Tourism Department with the Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bangalore, to boost astro tourism and science tourism. The two-day festival aimed to promote Ladakh as a top destination for astro tourism because of its high altitude, dry weather, low light pollution, and clear skies, perfect for stargazing and observing the Milky Way.

Notes:
A 5,300-year-old Early Harappan settlement and burial was recently discovered in Lakhapar village, Kutch district, Gujarat, by the University of Kerala’s Department of Archaeology. The site dates to around 3300–2600 BCE and builds on previous finds at Juna Khatiya, another Early Harappan cemetery nearby. A human burial was found directly in a pit without markers, using Pre-Prabhas pottery linked to Chalcolithic cultures of Saurashtra like Prabhas Patan and Datrana. Harappan-style sandstone and shale structures show planned construction and social organisation.

Notes:
The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation released the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) National Indicator Framework Progress Report 2025 on the 19th Statistics Day. The report shows India’s progress on 284 indicators across 17 SDG goals. Maternal and child health, education, poverty reduction, and climate change efforts have improved since 2015–16. Social protection coverage rose to 64.3% in 2025 from 22% in 2016. Senior citizen assistance rose to 1,57,000 in 2023–24 from 23,000 in 2015. Gross Value Added (GVA) in agriculture per worker rose to ₹94,110 in 2024–25 from ₹61,247 in 2015–16.

Notes:
After restoring Vaan island, the Tamil Nadu government has started restoring Kariyachalli island, which is located in Tamil Nadu within the Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park, under the Tamil Nadu Sustainably Harnessing Ocean Resource (TNSHORE) initiative. Kariyachalli island near Thoothukudi has shrunk from 20.85 hectares in 1969 to about 3 hectares in 2025 due to erosion and loss of sediment. The ₹50 crore project is funded by the state government and the World Bank.

Notes:
Maharashtra has launched a hedging desk in Pune to help farmers lock in prices, reduce risks, and boost incomes under the SMART Project, which stands for Balasaheb Thackeray Agribusiness and Rural Transformation Project. The desk will first cover cotton, turmeric, and maize crops to protect farmers from market price fluctuations. The initiative will expand to include more crops in the future. It is supported by the National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange and its research wing National Institute of Commodity Research (NICR).

Notes:
With the monsoon season starting, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs under the Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban (SBM-U) launched the ‘Safai Apnao, Bimaari Bhagao’ (SABB) campaign from 1 to 31 July 2025. The campaign aims to reduce health risks from water-borne and vector-borne diseases by promoting hygiene and clean surroundings. Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) will focus on drain cleaning, garbage hotspot reduction, and awareness drives. It partners with Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs), Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), and other ministries to strengthen public health.

Notes:
Recently, the Indian Navy’s Indian Naval Ship Tabar (INS Tabar) acted quickly to rescue crew members after a fire broke out on an oil vessel in the Gulf of Oman. INS Tabar (F44) is the third Talwar-class frigate of the Indian Navy. It was built in Russia. It is one of the earliest stealth frigates of the Indian Navy. It operates under the Western Fleet based in Mumbai within the Western Naval Command.