Current Affairs Quiz – July 2025

Notes:
The Winter Fog Experiment (WiFEX) has recently completed 10 successful years of research on North India’s dense winter fog. It was launched in winter 2015 at Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), New Delhi. WiFEX is led by the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) under the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES). It is supported by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and the National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF). WiFEX is one of the few long-term open-field experiments in the world focused exclusively on fog. The network now covers Jewar Airport (Noida) and Hisar (Haryana) along key aviation corridors.

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‘Samudra Prachet’, the second and final indigenous Pollution Control Vessel (PCV) for the Indian Coast Guard (ICG), was launched on July 23, 2025, in Goa by Goa Shipyard Ltd (GSL). The vessel has 72% indigenous content, supporting Aatmanirbhar Bharat, local industry, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), and job creation. It is designed to handle oil spills in India’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) with state-of-the-art Response Equipment. The first Pollution Control Vessel (PCV), Samudra Pratap, was launched earlier on August 29, 2024.

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Recently, the 3rd Empowered Committee (EC) Meeting under Pradhan Mantri Virasat Ka Samvardhan (PM VIKAS) scheme was held on 24th July 2025 in New Delhi. Pradhan Mantri Virasat Ka Samvardhan (PM VIKAS) is a flagship scheme of Ministry of Minority Affairs. It aims to uplift six notified minority communities: Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, and Zoroastrians (Parsis). The scheme merges five earlier schemes: Seekho Aur Kamao, Nai Manzil, Nai Roshni, USTTAD, and Hamari Dharohar. It supports socio-economic development through skilling, education, women leadership, entrepreneurship, and infrastructure development.

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Recently, Union Minister for Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat shared updates on Scheme for Promotion of Culture of Science (SPoCS) in Rajya Sabha. Scheme for Promotion of Culture of Science (SPoCS) is a flagship scheme of the Ministry of Culture, Government of India. It aims to foster scientific temper and awareness among the public and students. National Council of Science Museums (NCSM) is the nodal agency for implementation. SPoCS supports Science Cities, Science Centres, Innovation Hubs, and Digital Planetariums. As of July 2025, 27 Science Centres have been set up across India. These centres offer hands-on exhibits, workshops, and outreach to promote science.

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Recently, State Bank of India (SBI) was named the World’s Best Consumer Bank for 2025 by Global Finance magazine. The recognition was announced on July 18, 2025. SBI is India’s largest public sector bank. The award was based on Global Finance’s research and analysis, along with inputs from corporate finance experts, analysts, and bankers worldwide.

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Indian Navy’s Survey Vessel Large (SVL) INS Sandhayak made its first visit to Port Klang, Malaysia from July 16 to 19, 2025. The visit aimed to enhance hydrographic cooperation between India and Malaysia. Port Klang is located in Malaysia. t serves as Malaysia’s largest and busiest port and is a crucial hub for international trade. It reflects India’s commitment to regional hydrographic capacity building under the Indian Naval Hydrographic Department (INHD) and National Hydrographic Office. INS Sandhayak was commissioned in February 2024 with full coastal and deep-sea survey capacity, ocean data collection, Search and Rescue (SAR), and humanitarian aid functions.

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The World Health Organisation (WHO) recently launched the global initiative ‘Global Specs 2030’ to ensure affordable eye care access for all by the year 2030. The initiative focuses on five key action areas: Services, Personnel, Education, Cost, and Surveillance. Services aim to improve access to refractive eye care. Personnel focuses on training and building the capacity of eye care workers. Education promotes public awareness about eye health. Cost targets reducing prices of eyeglasses and services. Surveillance strengthens data collection and eye care research. The Global SPECS Network supports collective advocacy, experience sharing, and professional collaboration.

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Recently, G P Birla Memorial Award was conferred on V. Narayanan, Chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Secretary of the Department of Space. The award was presented by Nirmala Birla, Chairperson of G P Birla Archaeological Astronomical and Scientific Institute. The award has a prestigious legacy and has earlier been given to 32 Nobel laureates. Past recipients include Nobel Prize winner Venkataraman Ramakrishnan, physicist Jogesh Pati, former President A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, and former ISRO chief Kasturirangan. The award recognises global leaders for their contributions to scientific progress and innovation.

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In July 2025, researchers captured the first-ever photos of the elusive Marbled Cat in Kakoi Reserve Forest, Assam. The Marbled Cat (Pardofelis marmorata) is a small wild cat native to South and Southeast Asia. It resembles a miniature clouded leopard but is unrelated to it. In India, it mainly inhabits forests in the Northeastern states. Marbled Cats are solitary, nocturnal, and feed on small animals and birds. It is listed as Near Threatened on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.

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Recently, India and the United States marked their first space collaboration with the successful launch of NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar) by ISRO’s GSLV-F16 rocket. GSLV (Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle) injected NISAR into the Sun Synchronous Polar Orbit (SSPO) at around 745 km altitude in a 19-minute flight. The NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar) is the world’s first Earth observation satellite mission between the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). It will study land deformation, ice movement, ecosystems, and oceanic regions with high precision.