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Current Affairs 12 August 2025
1. Ritika Wins Gold in Women’s in Asian U22 Boxing Championships 2025
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Ritika's Victory: Ritika defeated Kazakhstan's Assel Toktassyn in the women's 80+kg final, showcasing a composed yet aggressive approach to outclass her opponent.
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India's Medal Tally: India concluded its campaign with a total of 27 medals across both the U19 and U22 age groups.
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U22 Medals: The Indian U22 contingent secured 13 medals, including 1 gold, 4 silver, and 8 bronze medals, with Ritika being the lone gold medalist in this category.
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U19 Performance: The U19 team finished second with 14 medals, including 3 gold, 7 silver, and 4 bronze medals.
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Overall Ranking: India finished fourth in the U22 category and second in the U19 category.
2. Marianne de Jong appointed as the new ambassador of the Netherlands to Azerbaijan
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Background: De Jong has held key positions, including Deputy Head of Mission at the Dutch Embassy in Spain and senior roles within the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs in The Hague and the Permanent Representation of the Netherlands to the European Union in Brussels.
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Arrival in Azerbaijan: De Jong officially arrived in Baku on August 12, 2025, marking the beginning of her tenure as Ambassador.
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Predecessor: She succeeds Her Excellency Pauline Eizema, who has represented the Netherlands in Azerbaijan since 2020.
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Objectives: The Dutch Embassy in Baku hopes that De Jong's appointment will contribute to strengthening relations between the Netherlands and Azerbaijan, building on long-standing ties of friendship and cooperation.
3. India’s First Drone-AI Powered Artificial Rain Experiment Launched
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Experiment Details: The experiment, a joint project between the Agriculture Department and GenX AI, involves 60 drone cloud seeding test flights over Ramgarh Dam. State Agriculture Minister Dr. Kirodi Lal Meena inaugurated the project.
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Technology Used: Cloud seeding involves dispersing substances like silver iodide or dry ice into clouds to stimulate rainfall. The drones will spray these chemicals into clouds to attract moisture and form larger water droplets that eventually fall as rain.
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Objective: The primary goal is to induce rain in areas where clouds form but rain doesn't fall, potentially saving crops during dry spells. If successful, this method could be used across Rajasthan.
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Challenges: Cloud seeding requires specific conditions, including moisture-laden clouds and suitable atmospheric instability. The experiment's success depends on these factors, and the outcome may be unpredictable.
4. IDFC FIRST Bank Launches RemitFIRST2India
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Digital Remittance Platform: RemitFIRST2India is a next-generation digital platform that enables Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) to send money to their families in India quickly and securely, with zero transfer fees.
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Partnership with SingX: The platform has been launched in partnership with SingX, a leading remittance provider licensed by the Monetary Authority of Singapore, ensuring a fully compliant and seamless cross-border payment experience.
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Key Features: RemitFIRST2India offers live transaction tracking, competitive exchange rates, and 24/7 support, prioritizing speed, transparency, and easy access.
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Supported Countries: The platform currently supports transfers from Singapore and Hong Kong, with plans to expand to other countries in the near future.
5. Indian Navy to Commission INS Udaygiri and INS Himgiri
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Commissioning Details: The Indian Navy will commission INS Udaygiri and INS Himgiri simultaneously on August 26, 2025, at Visakhapatnam's Eastern Naval Command headquarters. This marks the first time two major surface combatants from different Indian shipyards will be commissioned together.
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Shipbuilders: INS Udaygiri is being built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) in Mumbai, while INS Himgiri is being constructed by Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) in Kolkata.
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Stealth Frigates: Both ships are part of the Project 17A stealth frigate program and feature advanced stealth capabilities, including reduced radar cross-section and enhanced maneuverability.
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Indigenous Design: INS Udaygiri is the 100th ship designed by the Navy's Warship Design Bureau, highlighting India's growing self-reliance in warship design and construction.
6. India’s Namrata Batra Makes History as She Reaches Wushu 52 kg Final
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Historic Achievement: Namrata Batra became the first Indian to reach the women's 52 kg Wushu final at the 2025 World Games in Chengdu, China, on August 11, 2025.
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Assured Medal: By storming into the final, Namrata assured India of its first-ever World Games medal in Wushu, with a guaranteed silver medal and a chance to fight for gold.
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Semifinal Win: Namrata defeated Philippines' Krizan Faith Collado 2-0 in the semifinals, showcasing her impressive skills and paving the way for a potential gold medal.
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Groundbreaking Moment: This achievement marks a significant milestone for Indian Wushu, highlighting the country's growing presence and potential in the sport.
7. India’s Divya defeats China’s Lei Tingjie in Women’s Speed Chess Championship 2025
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Dominant Victory: Divya Deshmukh won convincingly against Lei Tingjie with a score of 10-3, showcasing her exceptional skills in speed chess.
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Quarterfinal Bound: This victory propelled Divya into the quarterfinals of the championship, where she will face World No 1 Hou Yifan.
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Impressive Performance: Divya's win was marked by eight wins, four draws, and only one loss against Lei Tingjie in the online event.
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Recent Success: Divya's victory comes on the back of her impressive performance in the FIDE Women's World Cup, where she became the first Indian to clinch the title, defeating compatriot Koneru Humpy.
8. David Warner Overtakes Virat Kohli to Become Fifth-Highest Run-Getter in T20 Cricket
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New Ranking: David Warner has surpassed Virat Kohli to become the fifth-highest run-scorer in T20 cricket, accumulating 13,545 runs in 419 matches at an average of 36.80 and a strike rate of over 140.
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Record-Breaking Knock: Warner achieved this milestone during a match against Manchester Originals in The Hundred 2025, scoring an impressive 71 runs off 51 balls with 12 fours and a six.
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Warner's Form: In The Hundred 2025, Warner has scored 150 runs in just three innings at an average of 75.00 and a strike rate of 141.50, including two half-centuries.
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Next Target: Warner is now just 16 runs shy of surpassing Shoaib Malik for the fourth spot in the all-time T20 run-scorers list.
9. IAS Vikram Singh Malik appointed as Deputy Secretary, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting
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Appointment Details: Vikram Singh Malik, a 2012-batch IAS officer from the AGMUT cadre, has been appointed as Deputy Secretary in the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting for a period of four years.
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Background: Before this central posting, Malik served as Administrative Secretary in the Union Territory of Ladakh, handling critical departments such as Power, Youth Services & Sports, and Information & Public Relations.
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Responsibilities: In his new role, Malik will oversee key areas including public broadcasting, digital media strategies, media content regulation, and policy coordination across communication platforms.
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Significance: Malik's appointment is notable given the evolving media landscape in India, with challenges such as digital misinformation, content moderation, and broadcast reforms.
10. BSNL Signs MoU with Global Tech Giants to Boost Digital Skills
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Partnership Details: BSNL has signed an MoU with four tech giants - Ericsson India, Qualcomm Technologies, Cisco Systems, and Nokia - to launch industry-led digital skilling courses.
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Training Initiatives: The collaboration will focus on advanced training initiatives in technologies like 5G, AI/ML, networking, and digital technologies at BSNL's premier training institute, Bharat Ratna Bhim Rao Ambedkar Institute of Telecom Training (BRBRAITT) in Jabalpur.
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Key Investments: Ericsson will establish a dedicated 5G Centre of Excellence at BSNL's training headquarters with an initial investment of ₹1 crore, while Nokia will invest ₹2 crore in the first phase.
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