The past week, from July 14 to July 20, 2025, saw a flurry of significant developments across India and the globe, covering government initiatives, international observances, policy changes, and notable achievements.
National Initiatives and Key Observances
Union Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya inaugurated the ‘Youth Spiritual Summit’ in Varanasi on July 19. The summit’s theme, ‘Nasha Mukt Yuva for Viksit Bharat,’ highlights India’s dedication to a drug-free youth movement.
July 15 was celebrated as World Youth Skills Day, a United Nations designation since 2014. This year’s theme focused on youth empowerment through AI and digital skills, emphasizing their role in building a sustainable future.
International Moon Day was observed on July 20, commemorating the historic first human landing on the Moon by astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on July 20, 1969, as part of NASA’s Apollo 11 mission. The UN General Assembly declared this day in 2021 to recognize international cooperation in outer space.
Cleanliness and Recognitions
The Swachh Survekshan 2024-25 awards were announced in New Delhi, marking the 9th edition of the cleanliness survey under the Swachh Bharat Mission. A new ‘Super Swachh League’ was introduced, classifying cities into five population-based categories for the first time.
Ahmedabad was recognized as the cleanest big city, followed by Bhopal and Lucknow. Prayagraj received the Cleanest Ganga Town Award, and Secunderabad Cantt was honored as the Cleanest Cantonment Board.
In other awards, Union Education Minister Shri Dharmendra Pradhan received the Kalinga Ratna Award-2024 during the President’s visit to Odisha. This esteemed honor recognizes remarkable contributions at national or international levels.
Key Government Policies
The Union Cabinet approved the Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana (PMDDKY), a six-year scheme with an outlay of Rs 24,000 crore annually. It aims to develop 100 agricultural districts by converging 36 schemes from 11 ministries, focusing on health, education, agriculture, financial inclusion, and infrastructure.
Additionally, the National Sports Policy 2025 received cabinet approval, targeting India’s preparation for the 2036 Olympic Games. The policy focuses on making India a sports tourism destination, integrating sports into school curricula, and strengthening athlete support systems.
International Affairs
India responded to NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte’s warning, emphasizing its priority of securing energy needs without “double standards.” NATO, a Western security alliance founded in 1949, currently has 32 member countries, with Sweden being the latest to join in 2024.
The US State Department designated The Resistance Front (TRF), a shadow outfit of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO). TRF had claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam terror attack.
Economic Highlights
The US Senate passed the GENIUS Act, allowing American banks to issue digital dollars, or stablecoins, on public blockchains. These stablecoins are fully backed by US government Treasury Bills, combining government trust with blockchain technology.
Back in India, HDFC Bank announced a bonus issue and special interim dividend for its shareholders. A bonus issue provides additional shares to existing shareholders without cost, increasing market liquidity.
State Bank of India (SBI) launched a Qualified Institutional Placement (QIP) of up to Rs 25,000 crore. QIP allows listed companies to raise funds by issuing equity shares to qualified institutional buyers.
Environmental Regulations
The Union Environment Ministry defended its revised framework for thermal power plants to meet sulphur dioxide (SO2) emission norms. The new guidelines exempt many coal and lignite-based plants from installing flue gas desulphurization (FGD) devices, especially those not near Delhi-NCR or critically polluted areas.
SO2 is a harmful gas emitted when coal is burned and contributes to particulate matter formation. The compliance timelines for SO2 norms were previously categorized based on plant location.
Innovations in Science & Tech
Denmark proposed extending copyright protections to individuals’ facial features, appearance, and voice, a pioneering effort against deepfake content. Deepfakes are synthetic media showing real people doing or saying things they never did, created using “deep learning” and “fake” techniques.
IIT Roorkee developed “MoScNet,” the world’s first AI framework for transliterating the historic Modi script into Devanagari. This tool aims to preserve medieval manuscripts.
Prime Minister Modi commissioned India’s most powerful High-Performance Computing (HPC) systems, Arka and Arunika. Arka, at IITM Pune, has an 11.77 Peta Flop capacity for global weather prediction, while Arunika, at NCMRWF Noida, offers 8.24 Peta Flop capacity for block-level weather forecasts.
Historical Spotlight
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah paid tributes to the 22 people killed by the Dogra regime on July 13, 1931. This date, formerly ‘Martyrs’ Day’ in Kashmir, commemorates the shootings outside Srinagar’s central jail after protests against the Dogra regime.
The incident in 1931, sparked by Abdul Qadeer Khan’s speech against the Dogras, is considered the beginning of the struggle for freedom and the assertion of Muslim identity in J&K.
Notable Personalities
- Sonali Mishra made history as the first woman Director General of the Railway Protection Force (RPF).
- Veteran marathon runner Fauja Singh, aged 114, who completed a full marathon at 100, passed away after a car accident.
- Four eminent individuals – Harsh Vardhan Shringla, Ujjwal Nikam, C Sadanandan Master, and Meenakshi Jain – were nominated to the Rajya Sabha.
- President Droupadi Murmu graced the 600th birth anniversary celebration of Adikabi Sarala Das, the originator of Odia literature, known for epics like Mahabharata and Chandi Purana.
Places in Focus
Bhal Padri in Jammu and Kashmir’s Doda district, locally known as the ‘Valley of Flowers,’ is now accessible by a newly constructed 10-km road. This picturesque meadow is distinct from the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Valley of Flowers, in Uttarakhand.
The United States deported five foreign nationals to Eswatini, a small southern African kingdom formerly known as Swaziland. Eswatini remains Africa’s only absolute monarchy.
Yakten, a village in Sikkim’s Pakyong district, was declared India’s first digital nomad village under the ‘Nomad Sikkim’ initiative. It provides high-speed Wi-Fi and eco-friendly practices for remote professionals seeking a peaceful lifestyle.
