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Daily Current Affairs 21st August 2025 Daily GK Update
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National News
Cabinet Approves ₹1507 Crore Green Field Airport Project at Kota-Bundi, Rajasthan
- The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by PM Narendra Modi, approved the Airports Authority of India’s proposal for the development of a Green Field Airport at Kota-Bundi, Rajasthan, with an estimated cost of ₹1507 crore.
- The Government of Rajasthan has provided 440.06 hectares of land to AAI for the project, which will accommodate A-321 type aircraft.
- The new airport will feature a 20,000 sqm terminal building with a capacity of handling 1000 peak-hour passengers and 2 million passengers annually, along with a 3200m x 45m runway, 7 aircraft parking bays, taxiways, ATC block, fire station, and car park.
- Currently, Kota Airport has limited facilities, including a 1220m runway suitable for Code ‘B’ aircraft (DO-228) and a terminal building of just 400 sqm handling only 50 passengers at peak hours.
NABL Launches New Medical Application Portal for ISO 15189:2022 Applicant Laboratories
- The National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL), under the Quality Council of India (QCI), launched a new Medical Application Portal for ISO 15189:2022 applicant laboratories during a virtual event titled “GOING LIVE”.
- The portal is designed to enhance ease, efficiency, and transparency in the accreditation process, with features like a restructured application flow, standardized templates, pre-registration checklist, and intuitive interface.
- It also provides multi-user access, enabling labs to assign multiple users with distinct roles, thereby improving data entry speed, oversight, and accountability throughout the accreditation lifecycle.
Press Registrar General Launches ‘Press Sewa’ Portal to Simplify Newspaper, Periodical Registration
- Press Registrar General of India (PRGI) has launched the Press Sewa portal as a single-window digital platform.
- The portal will simplify and speed up registration for newspapers and periodicals across India. It is designed to enhance transparency, reduce approval delays, and improve ease of doing business for publishers.
- The initiative will remove bureaucratic hurdles and provide clarity in the registration process. The announcement was made during Vartalap, an interaction programme organised by Press Information Bureau (PIB) Hyderabad under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting
IIT Madras licenses India’s first silicon photonics-based quantum RNG
- IIT Madras has indigenously developed India’s first silicon photonics-based high-speed Quantum Random Number Generator (QRNG) and licensed it for commercial deployment to Indrarka Quantum Technologies Pvt Ltd in a ₹1 crore agreement.
- The technology, developed at the Centre for Programmable Photonic Integrated Circuits and Systems (CPPICS), IIT Madras, is expected to play a key role in strengthening India’s quantum innovation and security ecosystem.
- Earlier, a prototype QRNG module was delivered to DRDO’s DYSL-QT, while an advanced version was successfully deployed at SETS Chennai for quantum security applications.
Passes Bill to Establish 22nd IIM in Guwahati with ₹555 Crore Investment
- Rajya Sabha passed the IIM (Amendment) Bill, 2025, approving the establishment of the 22nd IIM in Guwahati with a government investment of ₹555 crore; admissions will begin from the current academic year after Presidential assent.
- The Bill was passed in the absence of Opposition members, who boycotted the debate demanding a discussion on Bihar’s Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls; the House also witnessed disruptions during the session.
- Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan highlighted that while only 13 IIMs were set up between 1961 and 2014, the Modi government has added nine more, increasing student intake from 3,500 in 2013-14 to 9,800 in 2024-25, reflecting the government’s commitment to higher education
Varanasi Becomes First City to Install Removable Solar Panels Between Railway Tracks
- Varanasi became the first city in India to install portable solar panels between railway tracks, as part of Indian Railways’ mission to achieve net-zero emissions and promote sustainable energy.
- Banaras Locomotive Works (BLW) made history by commissioning the country’s first 70-meter removable solar panel system (28 panels, 15 kW power) on active tracks, inaugurated by General Manager Naresh Pal Singh.
- The panels are installed on sleepers and support beams under the tracks using an indigenously designed installation process, ensuring smooth placement without disrupting rail traffic.
- This pilot project allows the solar panels to be easily removed during track maintenance, aligning with Indian Railways’ long-term vision of renewable energy adoption and climate change mitigation.
Bihar Cabinet Cuts BPSC Preliminary Exam Fee to ₹100
- The Bihar state cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, has approved reducing the preliminary examination fee to just ₹100 for BPSC and other government competitive exams, while no fee will be charged for the mains.
- The revised fee structure will apply to exams conducted by BPSC, BSSC, BTSC, BPSSC, and the Central Constable Selection Board, Bihar, providing major relief to economically weaker candidates.
- This decision, first announced by CM Nitish Kumar during the 79th Independence Day celebrations at Gandhi Maidan, Patna, reduces the preliminary exam fee by nearly eight times compared to earlier charges.
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
Banking and Financial
GST rate rejig to give ₹1.98 trillion consumption boost: SBI report
- The Centre has proposed a simplified two-rate GST structure of 5% (merit goods) and 18% (standard goods), along with a 40% levy on 5–7 demerit goods like pan masala and tobacco, replacing the current multi-slab system of 5%, 12%, 18% and 28%.
- SBI Research estimated that while the reform may cause an annual revenue loss of ₹85,000 crore, it will boost consumption by ₹1.98 lakh crore, contributing around 0.6% increase in GDP without triggering inflation.
- The decline in GST rates on essentials like food and clothing (from 12% to 5%) could reduce CPI inflation by 20–25 basis points overall, with a 10–15 bps drop in food inflation and an additional 5–10 bps reduction from services rate rationalisation.
- With income tax cuts announced in the Union Budget and GST 2.0 combined, the total consumption expenditure boost is estimated at ₹5.31 lakh crore (1.6% of GDP), with discussions scheduled in the GST Council after state finance ministers’ panel review.
India Exim Bank signs $40 million credit line deal with Africa’s ECOWAS Bank
- India Exim Bank signed a $40 million commercial credit line agreement with the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID) to boost bilateral economic cooperation.
- The partnership will create opportunities for Indian companies in African infrastructure projects, leveraging India’s cost-effective and adaptable goods and services.
- Exim Bank of India plays a key role in promoting India’s international trade and investments, while EBID, owned by 15 ECOWAS member states, supports regional development financing.
Recent MoUs Signed in Banking Sector
- Indian Overseas Bank Partners with Mumbai Metro One to Launch Smart Ticketing Solutio
- HDFC ERGO Partners with PhonePe to Launch Affordable Health Insurance for Young Adults
- PhonePe Partners with SBI Card to Launch PURPLE and SELECT BLACK Co-Branded Credit Cards
- Shriram Life Partners with ESAF Small Finance Bank to Boost Insurance Access for Rural and Low-Income Families
- AU Small Finance Bank partnered with LIC to distribute LIC’s life insurance products across its extensive network
PNB becomes first PSU bank to migrate to Secure ‘.bank.in’ domain
- State-owned Punjab National Bank (PNB) has successfully migrated its corporate website to ‘.bank.in’ domain (https://pnb.bank.in), in line with RBI circular and under the guidance of Institute for Development and Research in Banking Technology (IDRBT).
- With this move, PNB has become the first public sector bank in the country to migrate its corporate website to the secure ‘.bank.in’ domain reaffirming its commitment to customer safe and secure digital banking.
- The ‘.bank.in’ domain is reserved exclusively for banks, providing stronger safeguards to combat frauds, strengthen the cybersecurity framework and enhance public confidence in the digital banking.
About Punjab National Bank (PNB)
- Founded – 12 April 1894
- Founder – Dyal Singh Majithia and Lala Lajpat Rai
- Headquarters – New Delhi
- Tagline – The Name You can Bank Upon
Bank of Maharashtra and SBI Card Launch Co-Branded Credit Card in Three Variants=
- Bank of Maharashtra (BoM) and SBI Card have jointly launched a co-branded credit card, available on RuPay and VISA platforms, in three variants – ELITE, PRIME, and SimplySAVE.
- The card offers benefits like accelerated reward points, fuel surcharge waiver, bill payments, travel, dining, and shopping discounts, along with contactless payment facilities.
- The collaboration aims to provide a world-class credit card platform backed by the strong brand value of both organizations, enhancing customer engagement and convenience.
Awards
Rajasthan’s Manika Vishwakarma Crowned Miss Universe India 2025
- Rajasthan’s Manika Vishwakarma was crowned Miss Universe India 2025 in Jaipur, taking over the title from Rhea Singha.
- Tanya Sharma (UP) was the first runner-up, Mehak Dhingra (Haryana) the second runner-up, and Amishi Kaushik the third runner-up.
- Manika, originally from Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan and now in Delhi, is a final-year Political Science & Economics student and had earlier won Miss Universe Rajasthan 2024.
- She will represent India at the 74th Miss Universe pageant in Thailand (November 2025); India’s past winners include Sushmita Sen (1994), Lara Dutta (2000), and Harnaaz Sandhu (2021).
Defence
Govt approves procurement of 97 Tejas jets for IAF
- The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), chaired by PM Narendra Modi, approved the procurement of 97 Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas Mk-1A and 6 advanced AEW&C aircraft for the Indian Air Force at a total cost of around ₹85,000 crore.
- Of the total, the Tejas fighter jet procurement will cost about ₹67,000 crore, while the AEW&C project is estimated at ₹18,000 crore, with second-hand Airbus-321 planes from Air India being modified for the surveillance role.
- The decision comes nearly four years after the February 2021 deal worth ₹48,000 crore for 83 Tejas Mk-1A jets with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
- The new procurement aims to strengthen the IAF’s combat fleet, as it currently has only 31 fighter squadrons against the sanctioned 42, with Tejas Mk-1A expected to replace the ageing MiG-21 fleet and enhance India’s indigenous defence capabilities.
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