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Daily Current Affairs 18th July 2025 Daily GK Update
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National News
Cabinet Clears ₹7,000 Crore Investment Exemption for NLCIL to Boost Renewable Energy Expansion
- The Union Cabinet has approved an exemption for NLC India Ltd. (NLCIL) from investment restrictions applicable to Navratna CPSEs, allowing it to invest ₹7,000 crore in its subsidiary NLC India Renewables Limited (NIRL) without prior approval.
- NLCIL and NIRL are exempted from the 30% net worth cap on investments in joint ventures and subsidiaries, enabling greater financial and operational flexibility.
- The decision supports NLCIL’s renewable energy goals of achieving 10.11 GW capacity by 2030 and 32 GW by 2047, contributing to India’s clean energy transition.
- The move aligns with India’s climate commitments under COP26, including the goal of building 500 GW of non-fossil fuel energy capacity by 2030 and reaching Net Zero by 2070.
National Conference on Good Governance Practices to Be Held in Bhubaneswar
- The Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG), in collaboration with the Government of Odisha, is organising a two-day National Conference on “Good Governance Practices” in Bhubaneswar.
- The conference will feature 5 plenary sessions, including discussions on Prime Minister’s Awarded Initiatives 2023 & 2024, focusing on Holistic Development of Districts, Aspirational Block Program, and Innovation, chaired by senior DARPG officials like Shri Puneet Yadav and Smt. Sarita Chauhan.
- District Magistrates/Deputy Commissioners from various states will participate and present successful state-level good governance practices for wider sharing and potential replication across the country.
Centre Forms High-Level Panel to Resolve Telangana–Andhra Water Disputes and Polavaram Link Project Issues
- The Central Government has decided to form a high-level technical committee to address concerns related to the Polavaram Banakacherla Link Project (PBLP) and other pending inter-state water disputes between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
- The decision was taken during a high-level meeting chaired by Union Jal Shakti Minister C R Patil with Andhra Pradesh CM N. Chandrababu Naidu and Telangana CM A. Revanth Reddy in New Delhi.
- Both states agreed to install telemetry devices for real-time water flow monitoring in the Krishna Basin, carry out urgent maintenance at Srisailam Dam, and shift the Krishna River Management Board office to Vijayawada/Amravati.
Banking News
NPCI International adds 13 more banks to India-Singapore UPI-PayNow platform
- NPCI International Payments Ltd (NIPL), the international arm of NPCI, has enhanced the UPI–PayNow real-time payment system between India and Singapore by adding 13 more Indian banks, raising the total number of participating Indian banks to 19.
- The 19 Indian banks now part of the network are: Bank of Baroda, Bank of India, Canara Bank, Central Bank of India, Federal Bank, HDFC Bank, IDFC FIRST Bank, IndusInd Bank, Karur Vysya Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Punjab National Bank, South Indian Bank, UCO Bank, Axis Bank, DBS Bank India, ICICI Bank, Indian Bank, Indian Overseas Bank, and State Bank of India.
- Indian users can receive remittances from Singapore into their accounts with these 19 banks using UPI-enabled apps like BHIM, Google Pay, PhonePe, and respective bank apps, while outward remittances to Singapore are supported by seven banks including Canara Bank, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, SBI, etc.
- In Singapore, the service can be accessed via DBS Bank Singapore and Liquid Group, allowing real-time fund transfers between individuals using UPI ID, mobile number, or Virtual Payment Address (VPA) for seamless cross-border transactions.
Appointments
Sanjay Kaul Appointed as MD & CEO of GIFT City for Three-Year Term
- Senior IAS officer Sanjay Kaul has been appointed as the Managing Director and CEO of GIFT City, Gandhinagar, as per a notification from the Gujarat Government’s General Administration Department (GAD).
- He will serve on deputation for three years or until further orders, succeeding Tapan Ray, who previously held the post.
- GIFT City is India’s first operational smart city and international financial services centre, playing a crucial role in shaping the nation’s financial and economic future.
Recent Appointments
- Bowling Coach of Sunrisers Hyderabad for IPL 2026 – Varun Aaron
- CEO of Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages -Hemant Rupani (replace Juan Pablo Rodriguez)
- Governor for Ladakh – Kavinder Gupta (replace Dr. B.D. Mishra)
- Governor of Goa – Pusapati Ashok Gajapathi Raju (replace P.S. Sreedharan Pillai)
- Governor of Haryana – Prof. Ashim Kumar Ghosh (replace Bandaru Dattatreya)
Neetu Chandra Appointed as Icon Face of Bihar Election Commission to Boost Voter Awareness
- Bollywood actress Neetu Chandra has been officially appointed as the Icon Face of the Election Commission of Bihar, chosen to help raise voter awareness and promote electoral participation across the state.
- In this role, Neetu Chandra will be involved in multiple awareness campaigns, including public service messages, outreach events, and social-media engagements aimed at encouraging increased voter turnout.
About Bihar
- Capital – Patna
- Chief Minister – Nitish Kumar (9th time)
- Deputy CM – Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha
- Governor – Arif Mohammed Khan
- Rajya Sabha – 16 seats
- Lok Sabha – 40 seats
Ukraine Appoints Yuliia Svyrydenko as First New Prime Minister Since Russian Invasion
- Ukraine’s Economy Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko has been appointed as the country’s new Prime Minister, becoming the first new head of government since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.
- President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reshuffled the Cabinet, including the replacement of former PM Denys Shmyhal, as part of efforts to revitalise the government, strengthen domestic weapons production, and energise a war-weary nation.
Newly Appointed Prime Minister & President
- 1st woman President Suriname – Jennifer Simons
- President of Poland – Karol Nawrocki
- President of Ecuador – Daniel Noboa
- Chancellor of Germany – Friedrich Merz (10th)
Awards
President Murmu Confers Kalinga Ratna on Dharmendra Pradhan and Sarala Samman on Bijaya Nayak
- Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan was conferred with the prestigious Kalinga Ratna award, while renowned Odiya short story writer Bijaya Nayak received the Sarala Samman, both presented by President Droupadi Murmu in Cuttack, Odisha.
- The awards were presented during President Murmu’s official visit to Odisha, where she participated in key cultural and academic events.
About the Kalinga Ratna Award
- The Kalinga Ratna Award was instituted by the Sarala Sahitya Sansad in 2007.
- The award is given to an eminent person of Odisha who has made an outstanding contribution at the national or international level.
About the Sarala Samman
- Sarala Sahitya Sansad instituted the Sarala Samman to honour literateurs of the Odia language.
- Initially, the award was not given to literateurs who had received national awards, such as the Jnanpith, Saraswati, Murti Devi, and Central Sahitya Akademi Awards.
- Later, it was changed, and now all literateurs of the Odia language are being considered for the conferment of the award.
- This award includes a citation, a shawl, and a cash prize of Rs. 1,05,000.
Defence News
Indian Army Successfully Tests DRDO’s Akash Prime Air Defence System at 15,000 ft in Ladakh
- The Indian Army’s Air Defence unit successfully conducted a user trial of the DRDO-developed Akash Prime air defence system at a high-altitude location in Ladakh at 15,000 feet, demonstrating its effectiveness in extreme conditions.
- Akash Prime is one of the four variants of the Akash air defence system developed by DRDO, the other variants being Akash Mark-1, Akash-1S, and Akash NG (New Generation).
- The Akash air defence system, a surface-to-air missile, is currently in use by both the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force, and is capable of targeting helicopters, aircraft, drones, cruise missiles, and other aerial threats.
- The Akash system, manufactured by Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL), Hyderabad, also played a key role in Operation Sindoor, where it helped neutralise a Pakistani drone attack on India.
Sports
Andre Russell Announces Retirement from International Cricket
- Andre Russell will retire from international cricket after the T20I series against Australia, with his final matches scheduled for July 20 and 22, 2025, at Sabina Park, Jamaica.
- He had a successful limited-overs career, playing 84 T20Is (1,078 runs, 61 wickets), 56 ODIs (70 wickets), and was part of West Indies’ T20 World Cup wins in 2012 and 2016.
Recently Retired Players
- B Sumeeth Reddy (India) – Badminton
- Sharath Kamal – Table Tennis
- Martin Guptill (New Zealand) – International cricket
- Rishi Dhawan (India) – Cricket
- Moeen Ali (England) – International Cricket
Important Days
18 July – International Nelson Mandela Day
- International Nelson Mandela Day is observed every year on 18th July, the birth anniversary of Nelson Mandela, former President of South Africa and an iconic leader in the global fight against apartheid, injustice, and inequality.
- The day was officially declared by the United Nations General Assembly in 2009, to honor Mandela’s legacy in promoting peace, democracy, and social justice.
- He became South Africa’s first democratically elected president from 1994 to 1999. Mandela’s courageous 27-year jail struggle and journey of upholding human rights, standing up for social justice and equality continue to inspire the world.
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