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Current Affairs 22 July 2025
1. Deepak Bagla appointed as Mission Director of Atal Innovation Mission
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Appointment: Dr. Deepak Bagla, former Managing Director of Invest India, has been appointed as the Mission Director of Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) under NITI Aayog.
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Contract Basis: The appointment is on a contract basis for a period of two years, effective from the date of assuming charge or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
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Background: Dr. Bagla has a strong background in fostering innovation and investment promotion in India, having led Invest India in executing key government initiatives like Startup India and the Prime Minister's Science and Technology initiative.
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AIM's Objectives: As Mission Director, Dr. Bagla is expected to promote innovation and entrepreneurship across the country, aligning with AIM's objectives to encourage creativity, facilitate collaboration, and oversee the nation's technological infrastructure.
2. Arjun & Ishaan Dominate MRF F2000 as MRF 2025 Kicks Off at Kari Motor Speedway
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Arjun Chheda's Win: 16-year-old Arjun Chheda from Pune dominated the MRF F2000 category, winning the race with a significant lead. He finished the 12-lap race in 13 minutes and 28.502 seconds.
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Ishaan Madesh's Setback: Ishaan Madesh, a 16-year-old from Bengaluru, had a disappointing start, stalling his car and dropping to sixth position. However, he made a strong comeback to finish second in the race.
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Shivesh Selvarathnam's Third Place: Shivesh Selvarathnam from Bengaluru secured the third spot on the podium, completing the top three finishers in the MRF F2000 category.
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Strong Competition: The MRF F2000 grid featured talented drivers, including veteran Chetan Korada and young guns like Ishaan Madesh, promising an exciting season.
3. FIDE World Cup 2025 to Be Hosted in India
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Qualification Spots: The FIDE World Cup 2025 will provide three qualifying spots for players who finish 1st, 2nd, and 3rd in the tournament, securing their places in the 2026 FIDE Candidates Tournament.
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Number of Players: The World Cup will feature 206 players, with a system of byes used in the first round, followed by a knockout stage from the second round onwards.
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Continental Spots: The allocation of spots has been adjusted based on 2024 ratings, with Asia getting 35 spots in the Open section and 20 spots in the Women's section.Women's World Cup Progress: The 2025 FIDE Women's World Cup has already seen some exciting matches, with Indian GM Vaishali Rameshbabu knocking out IM Carissa Yip in the third round.
4. Shi Yuqi Wins Men’s Singles Title at Japan Open 2025
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Shi Yuqi's Victory: Shi Yuqi defeated France's Alex Lanier in straight sets, 21-17, 21-15, to claim the men's singles title at the Japan Open 2025, ending a 10-year drought for Chinese men's singles in the tournament.
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Dominant Performance: Shi Yuqi played with composure and control, taking the first game with a 4-point streak and maintaining pressure throughout the second game.
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Third Title of 2025: This win marks Shi Yuqi's third title of the 2025 season, following triumphs at the Malaysia Open and All England Open, and is a major milestone in his comeback journey after injuries plagued his career.
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China's Dominance: China emerged as the dominant force at the Japan Open 2025, securing titles in men's singles, women's doubles, and mixed doubles, showcasing the depth and balance of China's national squad.
5. Sanjay Kaul (IAS) appointed as MD & Group CEO of GIFT City
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Appointment: Sanjay Kaul, a 2001-batch IAS officer of the Kerala cadre, has been appointed as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of GIFT City Company Limited in Gandhinagar for a period of three years.
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Background: Kaul has over 20 years of experience in public policy, infrastructure, technology, and finance, having served as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Culture and previously held leadership roles in Gujarat, including Managing Director of Gujarat Informatics Limited and Tourism Corporation of Gujarat Limited.
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Previous Role: Before taking charge at GIFT City, Kaul was working as Joint Secretary in the Union Ministry of Culture, handling portfolios like international cultural relations, UNESCO, and Intangible Cultural Heritage.
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Succeeding Tapan Ray: Kaul succeeds Tapan Ray, a retired IAS officer who led GIFT City since 2019 and played a crucial role in its growth and development.
6. Gita Gopinath Resigns as IMF Deputy Chief
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Resignation: Gita Gopinath, the First Deputy Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), has resigned from her position, effective end-August 2025.
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Return to Harvard: Gopinath will rejoin Harvard University as the inaugural Gregory and Ania Coffey Professor of Economics, returning to her academic roots after nearly seven years at the IMF.
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Tenure at IMF: Gopinath joined the IMF in 2019 as the chief economist, becoming the first woman to hold the position, and was later promoted to First Deputy Managing Director in 2022.
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Praise from IMF Managing Director: Kristalina Georgieva praised Gopinath, saying she was an "exceptional intellectual leader" and a "fabulous manager" who provided practical policy advice during challenging times, including the pandemic and global shocks.
7. LIC Signs MoU with Rural Development Ministry to Promote Bima Sakhi Yojana
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Partnership: LIC has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Rural Development to promote the Bima Sakhi Yojana in rural areas, aiming to empower women through insurance distribution.
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Women's Empowerment: The Bima Sakhi Yojana is designed to help women get a strong foothold in the insurance distribution scheme, providing them with a performance-based agency career and monthly stipends.
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Financial Inclusion: The initiative aligns with the government's broader agenda of promoting financial inclusion, women entrepreneurship and rural livelihood enhancement, bridging the financial inclusion gap in rural areas.
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Stipendiary Benefits: Under the scheme, Bima Sakhi agents receive monthly stipends of ₹7,000 in the first year, ₹6,000 in the second year and ₹5,000 in the third year, subject to certain terms and conditions.
8. Meri Panchayat App Wins WSIS Champion Award 2025 for Digital Governance
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Global Recognition: The Meri Panchayat app has been internationally recognized with the prestigious World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Prizes 2025 Champion Award in the category of Cultural Diversity and Identity, Linguistic Diversity and Local Content.
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Digital Governance: The app is a unified mobile-based governance platform catering to 80 crore rural residents, officials, and stakeholders of Panchayati Raj, facilitating transparency, accountability, and public participation in Panchayat activities.
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Key Features: Meri Panchayat integrates various portals like e-Gram Swaraj, GPDP, MGNREGA, and others, providing citizens with easy access to information about Gram Panchayat operations and initiatives, including details about Gram Sabha meetings, development plans, budgets, and ongoing works.
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Citizen Engagement: The app enables residents to propose and review activities in the GPDP, report on-site issues, and track complaint resolutions, promoting social auditing of development works and real-time monitoring of projects.
9. Pi Approximation Day observed on 22nd July
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Date Significance: Pi Approximation Day is celebrated on July 22nd because the date 22/7 represents the approximate value of Pi, which is a mathematical constant denoting the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter.
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Pi Value: The fraction 22/7 is an approximation of Pi, accurate to two decimal places, and is commonly used in mathematical calculations, particularly in geometry and engineering.
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History: The approximation of Pi dates back to the ancient Greek mathematician Archimedes, who approximated Pi as 3.14 in the 3rd century B.C.
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Celebrations: People celebrate Pi Approximation Day by engaging in activities like baking pies, having pi memorization contests, throwing pi-themed parties, and organizing math-related events and competitions.
10. Oscar-Winning Songwriter Alan Bergman passed away
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The Bergmans are known for iconic songs like "The Way We Were," "How Do You Keep the Music Playing?," "It Might Be You," and "You Don’t Bring Me Flowers."
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Their music was performed by legendary artists such as Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Michael Jackson, and Barbra Streisand.
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The Bergmans won three Academy Awards, two Grammys, and four Emmys. They received 16 Oscar nominations and were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1980.
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The couple worked with famous composers like Marvin Hamlisch, Quincy Jones, Michel Legrand, and Cy Coleman.
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