4.5/5
Current Affairs 02 July 2025
1. SEBI appoints Sunil Jayawant Kadam as Executive Director
-
Appointment Date: Sunil Jayawant Kadam took charge as
Executive Director (ED) of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) on July 1, 2025. -
Department Oversight: As ED, he will oversee Information Technology (IT), Investor Assistance & Education (IAE), Economic & Policy Analysis (EPA), Board Cell, and Right to Information (RTI) & Parliamentary Queries (PQ) Cell, including NISM-related matters.
-
SEBI Tenure: Kadam has been associated with SEBI since 1996, having worked in key departments such as Market Regulation, Surveillance, Investigation, and Corporation Finance.
-
Regional & Academic Roles: He previously served as Regional Director of SEBI's Northern Regional Office (New Delhi) and as Registrar at the National Institute of Securities Markets (NISM).
Foot notes:
About SEBI-
-
Chairperson: Tuhin Kanta Pandey
-
Headquarters: Mumbai
-
Formed: 1992
2. India ranks 99th in UN Sustainable Development Goals Index 2025
-
Historic Top‑100 Entry: India has, for the first time, entered the UN
SDG Index’s top 100 nations, securing the 99th position out of 167 countries in 2025, marking its best-ever performance -
Score Improvement & Context: India achieved a score of 66.95 (often rounded to 67), reflecting gradual year‑on‑year progress; the country had ranked 109th in 2024 and 112th in 2023
-
Regional & Global Comparison: Among its South Asian neighbours, India now outperforms Bangladesh (114th) and Pakistan (140th), yet trails behind Bhutan (74th), Nepal (85th), Sri Lanka (93rd), and the Maldives (53rd)
-
Drivers of Progress: The improved ranking reflects progress in poverty reduction, clean energy adoption, healthcare access, housing schemes, toilets, piped water, and infrastructure development
3. India, UAE Forge Strategic Partnership in Green Steel & Aluminium Sector
-
High-level Industrial Talks: During a strategic meeting in Dubai,
India’s Steel Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy and UAE’s Economy Minister Abdulla Bin Touq Al Marri strengthened collaboration under the CEPA. They focused on industrial modernization, clean energy integration, and securing raw materials for low-carbon production -
Green Steel & Aluminium Vision: Both nations agreed to explore green steel and aluminium projects by adopting eco-friendly technologies like green hydrogen and energy-efficient production systems in strategic sectors such as automotive and high-end manufacturing
-
Resource Security Cooperation: India expressed interest in securing long-term access to low-silica limestone and critical minerals from UAE sources—particularly Ras Al Khaimah—to support India’s scale-up plans in steel capacity
-
CPSEs Going Global: Public-sector units like SAIL, NMDC, and MECON have now set up international operations in Dubai. These offices aim to coordinate joint ventures, technology exchange, and trade facilitation for sustainable industrial growth
4. Kesavan Ramachandran appointed as RBI’s New Executive Director
-
New Role at RBI: Kesavan Ramachandran has been appointed as
an Executive Director (ED) at the Reserve Bank of India, effective July 1, 2025, marking a major milestone in his central banking career -
Extensive Banking Experience: With over three decades in the RBI, Ramachandran has led functions such as currency management, banking and NBFC supervision, risk monitoring, training, and administration
-
Career Highlights: Previously he served as Principal Chief General Manager in the Risk Monitoring Department, Principal of the RBI Staff College, RBI nominee on Canara Bank’s board for over five years, and a member of ICAI's Auditing & Assurance Standards Board for two years
-
New Responsibilities: In his new capacity, he will head the Department of Regulation (Prudential Regulation Division)—a crucial function ensuring banks' compliance with prudential norms
Foot notes:
About RBI-
-
Governor: Sanjay Malhotra
-
Headquarters: Mumbai
-
Established: 1935
5. India’s Divyanshi clinched gold in the U-15 Girls’ Singles
-
Historic Win: Divyanshi Bhowmick, aged 14, won the U‑15 Girls’
Singles title at the 29th Asian Youth Table Tennis Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan -
Breaking the Drought: Her victory ended a 36-year medal drought for India in this age group at the Asian Youth Championships and marked the first U‑15 girls’ singles gold by an Indian in 21 years
-
Memorable Finals: In the final, she overcame China’s Zhu Qihui 4–2 in a gripping match, showcasing technical skill and mental resilience under pressure
-
Semifinal Triumph: Earlier, she had prevailed 4–3 against another Chinese player, Liu Ziling, in an intense semifinal—demonstrating her endurance and ability to perform in high-stakes, long-format matches
6. 6-year-old Teghbir becomes youngest mountaineer to scale Mount Elbrus
-
World Record Achievement: Teghbir Singh, a 6‑year‑old from
Ropar (Rupnagar), Punjab, climbed Mount Elbrus in Russia—the highest peak in Europe at 5,642 m—setting a world record at 6 years, 9 months, and 4 days, as certified by the Mountaineering Federation of Kabardino‑Balkaria -
Expedition Timeline: He began the expedition on June 20, 2025, and successfully reached the summit on June 28, 2025, enduring sub-zero temperatures (−10 °C) and thin air conditions throughout the climb
-
Record Surpassed: He broke the previous record held by Wagah Kushagra (Maharashtra), who had reached the summit at age 7 years, 3 months, in 2024 .
-
Young Adventurer’s Earlier Feats: Earlier in 2024, Teghbir became the youngest Asian to scale Mt. Kilimanjaro (Africa’s highest peak) and also trekked to Everest Base Camp, earning places in the India and Asia Books of Records .
7. Nandan Nilekani appointed as Chief Mentor for India Energy Stack
-
Official Appointment by Ministry of Power: On June 28, 2025,
the Ministry of Power appointed Infosys co‑founder Nandan Nilekani as the Chief Mentor of a newly launched task force charged with developing the India Energy Stack -
Aiming to Build a Digital Public Infrastructure for Energy: The India Energy Stack (IES) is conceived as a unified digital backbone for India’s power sector, enabling real-time data sharing, better integration of renewables and EVs, and consumer empowerment—mirroring the success of Aadhaar and UPI .
-
Ambitious Pilot Phase Targets: The initiative will begin with a 12‑month pilot in Delhi, Mumbai, and Gujarat, including deployment of the Utility Intelligence Platform for utilities and policymakers .
-
Leveraging Nilekani’s Track Record: Nilekani, the architect of Aadhaar and a key figure behind UPI and India Stack, brings a proven track record in scaling digital public infrastructure—expected to accelerate modernization of India’s power distribution
8. Goyal gets additional charge of CMD of NHPC
-
Appointment Date & Authority: Rajendra Prasad Goyal, currently
NHPC’s Director (Finance), has been assigned the additional charge of Chairman & Managing Director effective July 1, 2025, on directions from the Ministry of Power -
Second Interim Stint: This marks his second stint as interim CMD—he previously held the role from March 1, 2024, to August 7, 2024
-
Predecessor’s Retirement & Successor in Waiting: The charge was assigned following the superannuation of Raj Kumar Chaudhary on June 30, 2025. Meanwhile, Bhupender Gupta (Director, Technical, THDC) has been recommended by PESB for formal CMD appointment
-
Veteran Career & Expertise: With over 36 years at NHPC (joining in 1988), Goyal is a finance specialist, a member of the Institute of Cost Accountants of India, and holds an M.Com from University of Rajasthan
Foot notes:
About NHPC-
-
Chairman & MD: Shri Raj Kumar Chaudhary
-
Headquarters: Faridabad
-
Founded: 1975
9. MIT secures 2nd Place in International Rocket Engineering Competition
-
Institute Clarification: The “MIT” referred to is actually the Manipal
Institute of Technology (MIT Manipal), part of MAHE, not the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. -
Competition & Category Details: MIT Manipal’s team, thrustMIT, earned second place in the SDL Payload Challenge at IREC 2025, held June 9–14 in Midland, Texas.
-
Rocket & Mission Success: Their rocket, Vayu Vega, launched under the 30k COTS category on June 12, 2025, achieving required altitude and successful parachute recovery via GPS tracking.
-
Prize & Recognition: The team received a US $750 cash prize for their second‑place finish in the payload challenge.
Foot notes:
About MIT-
-
President: Sally Kornbluth
-
Established: 1861
-
Location: US
10. Renowned Hypnotist Dr. BV Pattabhiram passed away
-
Date and Cause: Dr. Pattabhiram passed away on Monday night,
June 30, 2025, at his residence in Hyderabad due to a cardiac arrest at the age of 75 -
Academic Credentials: He held postgraduate degrees in psychology and philosophy, a PG Diploma in guidance and counselling, and earned a PhD from Osmania University for his thesis titled “Yoga and Hypnotism – A Pragmatic Approach”.
-
Pioneer in India: He founded India’s first magic school, which was recognised by the Limca Book of Records, and was an acclaimed illusionist, hypnotist, author, and personality development coach.
1 like |
0 comment
