Daily Current-Affairs Notes (06 – 09 July 2025)

06 July 2025

Tamil Nadu Highlights

• Muthupet Mangrove Forest Expansion
  • Area grew by $2{,}057$ ha between $2022$–$2025$; total now $120\;\text{km}^2$ (largest in the State).
  • Shields coast from storms, tsunamis, sea-level rise, erosion; habitat for $100+$ migratory-bird species.
  • Key interventions:
  – “Fishbone” canal network (since $2004$) to improve tidal flow & seed dispersal.
  – $1{,}350$ ha new plantations + $707$ ha restored ($2022$–$2024$).
  – >12 lakh saplings under Green TN Mission; step-type canals on trial.
  • Executed by Forest Dept + fishing communities.
• ‘Ungaludan Stalin’ Door-Step Service Camps
  • Launch: $15$ Jul $2025$, Chidambaram; duration to Nov $2025$.
  • $10{,}000$ camps (rural $6{,}232$; urban $3{,}768$).
  • Urban $43$ services / $13$ departments; Rural $46$ services / $15$ departments + on-site medical aid.
  • $1$ lakh volunteers (from $7$ Jul) to brief households; Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thogai late applicants served; decisions within $45$ days.

National Highlights

• “Tribhuvan Sahkari University” – 1st National Cooperative University
  • Foundation stone: $5$ Jul $2025$, Anand (Gujarat) by HM & Coop Minister Amit Shah.
  • Targets: connect >200 institutions & train $\approx20$ lakh cooperative personnel in $4$ yrs; PhD programmes, R&D council; NEP $2020$ aligned.
• Puducherry & NTEP
  • TB testing ↑ $136\%$ since $2015$; incidence ↓ $59\%$ in decade.
  • $8$ TB-free villages ($2024$) → $40$ planned ($2025$); $100\%$ presumptive cases via CBNAAT/Truenat.

Awards

• “Order of the Republic of Trinidad & Tobago” to PM Modi – highest civilian honour; 1st foreign recipient; cites Global-South advocacy & bilateral ties.

Important Day

• World Zoonoses Day (6 Jul) – marks Louis Pasteur’s $6$ Jul $1885$ rabies vaccine; highlights zoonotic diseases (Plague, Rabies, TB, etc.).

Schemes & Initiatives

• PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan Portal – open student-performance data; set norms per NEP $2020$ (unit of NCERT).
• SAKSHAM-3000 Switch-Router – $25.6$ Tbps; C-DOT; ultra-low latency; runs CROS.

Science & Tech

• 1st 2-D Non-Silicon Computer – Penn State; CMOS built with $WSe<em>2$ (p-type) & $MoS</em>2$ (n-type); promises low-power high-speed chips.

International

• Russia recognises Taliban (3 Jul 2025); Taliban delisted in Apr $2025$; credentials for Ambassador Gul Hassan accepted.

07 July 2025

Tamil Nadu Highlights

• Thagaisal Thamizhar Award 2025 → IUML leader K.M. Khader Mohideen; to be conferred $15$ Aug $2025$.
• ‘Vetri Nichayam’ Job-Training Scheme – free training to 18$–35$-yr drop-outs;$165$courses /$38$sectors via$500+$centres;$₹12{,}000 stipend; hostel & food; “Skill Wallet” app; focus on marginalised groups.

National Highlights

• Kerala Nipah Alert – 2 cases (1 death); fruit-bat transmission; monsoon spike; hygiene/fruit-washing advised.
• IISc BHARAT Study – Biomarkers of Healthy Aging; India’s first ageing database; multi-parametric testing to set “Bharat Baseline”.

Reports & Indices

• SDG Progress 2025 (select): social-protection 22\%\to64.3\%$; agri income$₹61{,}247\to₹94{,}110$; safe-water$99.62\%$; renewable-share$16.02\%\to22.13\%$; plants recycled$9\to3{,}036$; start-ups$453\to34{,}293$; internet$302\text{ mn}\to954\text{ mn}$; emission intensity ↓$36\%$. </li> <li><strong>Thali Index</strong> – vegetarian thali ≈$₹30$; yet$40\% rural & 10\%$urban cannot afford$2$daily thalis; poverty estimates rural$4.86\%$(SBI) /$2.8\%$(WB).</li> </ul> <h5 id="environment">Environment</h5> <ul> <li><strong>CITES @ 50 (1975-2025)</strong> – protects$40{,}900$species;$185$parties; Secretariat UNEP, Geneva; India ratified$1976.

Science & Tech

• Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla (Axiom-4) – mission pilot; ISS ham-radio chat; bone-health, radiation & micro-algae studies.

Important Days

• Sarcoma Cancer Awareness Month (July) – >70$sub-types;$1\%$adult,$15\%$paediatric cancers.</li> </ul> <h5 id="international-1">International</h5> <ul> <li><strong>WHO certifies Suriname Malaria-Free</strong> – 1st Amazon-region country;$47^{th}$worldwide; population$\approx0.6$million.</li> </ul> <hr /> <h4 id="08july2025">08 July 2025</h4> <h5 id="tamilnaduhighlights-2">Tamil Nadu Highlights</h5> <ul> <li><strong>Naan Mudhalvan metrics</strong> –$41.38$lakh students +$1$lakh teachers trained; Uyarvukku Padi$77{,}752$admissions; Kalloori Kanavu$1.87$lakh;$29$Engg colleges get Skill Centres (cost$₹30.17$cr); SCOOT AI/data project$100$students →$13$jobs.</li> <li><strong>Predictive TB-Death Model</strong> – ICMR-NIE; data$56{,}000$patients; TB SEWA app flags$10$–$50\%$ high-risk; covers $2{,}800$ PHCs.
• SPC 4-Report Set – (1) Digital mine database & drone mapping; (2) Child nutrition focus on $1{,}000$-day window/teen girls; (3) Urban heat-action plans; (4) Nature-based flood & groundwater solutions for Tier-2 cities.

Summits/Meetings

• Controllers’ Conf 2025 (7-9 Jul, New Delhi) – theme: digital defence finance; DAD handles $₹26.8$ lakh-cr budget; showcases SAMPURNA, SPARSH, e-Raksha Awaas.
• 17th BRICS Summit (Rio) – PM Modi urges NDB focus on sustainable, critical-mineral chains, Global-South research repository, responsible AI; condemns terror (Pahalgam Apr $2025$).

Reports & Indices

• World Bank “Most Equal Societies” – India 4^{th}, Gini $25.5$ (improved from $28.8$ in $2011$); ahead of China $35.7$, USA $41.8$.

Important Day

• Intl Day of Cooperatives (5 Jul 2025) – Theme: “Cooperatives: Driving Inclusive & Sustainable Solutions for a Better World”; UN declares $2025$ Intl Year of Cooperatives; $3$ mn co-ops globally; top $300$ turnover $\$2.4$ tn.

Defence

• Sub-Lt Aastha Poonia – 1st woman Indian-Navy fighter pilot; receives ‘Wings of Gold’ at INS Dega.

Economy

• $\$32$ Tn GDP target 2047 – announced by Min Piyush Goyal; present $\$4$ Tn; deep-tech & innovation funds $₹10{,}000$ cr each; DST gets zero-interest $₹1$ lakh-cr loan (50 yrs).

Sports

• Asian Para-Archery (Beijing) – Harvinder Singh: 2 gold + 1 silver.
• World Boxing Cup (Astana) – India: $11$ medals (Gold $3$, Silver $5$, Bronze $3$).

International

• PM Modi receives “Key to the City of Buenos Aires” – first standalone Indian PM visit in $57$ yrs; highlights Argentina’s shale & lithium resources.

09 July 2025

Tamil Nadu Highlights

• Tamil Wikki Suran Award 2025 – Veteran epigraphist V. Vedachalam (51 yrs service; unearthed Karur Chera wall; championed Keeladi); authored $25$ books; outreach to $300$ villages.
• AMS Dating of 23 Charcoal Samples – from Keeladi (5), Chennanoor (4), Thulukkarpatti (5), Tirumalapuram, Marungur, Porpanaikkottai, Kongalnagaram; results in $2$ months; Tirumalapuram reveals 1st TN stone-slab-urn burial.

National Highlights

• First Digital Census (2026-27)
  • Phase-1 (Apr $2026$); Phase-2 (Feb $2027$); self-enumeration portal; enumerator Android/iOS apps; English/Hindi/regional languages.
  • Caste data included; boundaries frozen Jan $1$ $2026$–Mar $31$ $2027$; $34$ lakh staff, 3-tier training; faster data for post-$2026$ delimitation.

Appointments

• Sanjog Gupta – CEO ICC (HQ Dubai).
• Sahil Kini – CEO Reserve Bank Innovation Hub (Bengaluru).
• Sukanya Sonowal – Commonwealth Youth Peace Ambassador ($2025$–$2027$); handles CYPAN communications.

Reports & Indices

• North-East District SDG Index 2023-24 – $85\%$ districts improved; Mizoram Sikkim Tripura all “Front Runner”; top scorer Hnahthial (MZ) $81.43$; compiled by NITI Aayog + DONER + UNDP.

Science & Tech

• CRISPR-Enhanced Phosphate Rice – NIPGR Delhi edits japonica rice for superior phosphate uptake; aids sustainable agriculture.

Schemes & Initiatives

• National Overseas Scholarship (NOS) – Central scheme for SC, Denotified, Nomadic, Semi-Nomadic Tribes, Landless agri labourers, traditional artisans; funds Master’s/PhD abroad; ministry seeks higher allocation.

International Highlights

• Jennifer Simons elected 1st Female President of Suriname – NDP $18$ vs PRP $17$ seats; Assembly elects president by $2/3$ majority; assumes office amid forthcoming oil boom.
• Colombia & Uzbekistan join New Development Bank – membership rises to $11$; NDB (HQ Shanghai, est $2015$) has $120+$ approved projects; President Dilma Rousseff.

Handy Facts & Figures

• ICC founded $1909$; HQ Dubai.
• CITES Secretariat – UNEP, Geneva.
• BRICS+ new members ($2024$) – Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, UAE.