4.5/5
Current Affairs 30 July 2025
1. Oscar Piastri Wins the Belgian Grand Prix 2025
-
First Career Win: Oscar Piastri secured his maiden Formula 1 victory at the 2025 Belgian Grand Prix held at Spa-Francorchamps.
-
Dominant Performance: He started from pole position and maintained a consistent lead throughout the race, showing excellent pace and control.
-
McLaren Milestone: This win marked a major achievement for McLaren, highlighting their return to competitive form in the 2025 season.
-
Podium Finishers: Piastri was joined on the podium by Max Verstappen (2nd) and Charles Leclerc (3rd).
-
Championship Boost: The win gave Piastri a significant boost in the drivers' standings, positioning him as a strong contender for the title race.
2. Indian Army Conducts Divya Drishti Exercise in Sikkim
-
Focus on AI and Surveillance: The exercise primarily aimed to evaluate and integrate advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI) and surveillance technologies into battlefield operations.
-
High-Altitude Testing: Conducted in the high-altitude regions of East Sikkim, the exercise tested these technologies in challenging Himalayan conditions.
-
Integration of Systems: Troops from the Trishakti Corps utilized a mix of ground-based systems and aerial platforms, including Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and drones, to simulate realistic combat scenarios.
-
Enhanced Battlefield Awareness and Decision-Making: A key objective was to improve real-time battlefield awareness, facilitate quick decision-making, and establish a robust "sensor-to-shooter" link, ensuring rapid data flow from surveillance to command centers.
3. Girl from Mangalore Creates World Record with 170-Hour Bharatanatyam Performance
-
New World Record: Remona Evette Pereira, a 20-year-old BA student from St. Aloysius College, Mangaluru, set a new world record by performing Bharatanatyam continuously for 170 hours (over seven days), breaking the previous record of 127 hours.
-
Unprecedented Endurance: The marathon performance, which took place from July 21st to July 28th, 2025, showcased incredible physical and mental endurance, with Remona taking only a 15-minute break every three hours.
-
Spiritual and Cultural Tribute: Her performance was not just a display of stamina but also a profound tribute to the spiritual depth and rich cultural heritage of Bharatanatyam, an ancient Indian classical dance form. She reportedly wore a rosary throughout her performance as a source of strength.
-
Years of Dedication and Training: Remona has been training in Bharatanatyam for 13 years under Guru Sri Vidya and prepared for this record attempt with rigorous daily practice of 5-6 hours.
4. Mastercard Collaborates with Andhra Pradesh Government to Boost Tourism
-
Global Promotion: The primary aim of the collaboration is to enhance Andhra Pradesh's global visibility as a tourist destination by leveraging Mastercard's international customer base and network.
-
Targeted Marketing and Incentives: Mastercard will engage in targeted promotional campaigns for Andhra Pradesh tourism among its global cardholders. This will include offering incentivized travel and booking options through exclusive partnerships.
-
Digital Payment Infrastructure: The partnership will support the expansion of digital payments infrastructure across key tourist destinations in Andhra Pradesh, aiming to provide seamless and cashless travel experiences for visitors.
-
Showcasing Diverse Attractions: The collaboration will focus on promoting Andhra Pradesh's rich cultural heritage, natural landscapes (including coastal areas and historical sites), and modern hospitality sector to attract international travelers.
5. Tejaswin Shankar Sets New National Decathlon Record with 7,826 Points in Poland
-
New National Record: Tejaswin Shankar scored a total of 7,826 points at the Wieslaw Czapiewski Memorial, a World Athletics Combined Events Tour Gold level meet in Bydgoszcz, Poland, on July 27, 2025. This surpassed his previous national record of 7,666 points set at the 2023 Asian Games.
-
First Indian to Cross 7800 Points: With this performance, Shankar became the first Indian athlete to score over 7,800 points in the decathlon, a significant milestone in Indian athletics.
-
Personal Bests in Multiple Events: During the two-day, ten-discipline event, Shankar recorded personal bests in the 100m (11.02s) and the final event, the 1500m (4:31.80). He also equaled his personal best in pole vault and achieved season bests in long jump, 400m, and discus throw.
-
Strong High Jump Performance: As a former national record holder in high jump, Shankar's performance in this event (2.18m) was a key contributor to his overall score, earning him his highest single-event points.
6. Sanjay Singhal appointed as Director General, Sashastra Seema Bal
-
New Leadership for SSB: Sanjay Singhal, a 1993-batch IPS officer of the Uttar Pradesh cadre, will take over as the Director General of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), a central armed police force responsible for guarding India's borders with Nepal and Bhutan.
-
Date of Assumption of Charge: He is set to assume his new role on or after September 1, 2025, succeeding the incumbent DG, Amrit Mohan Prasad, who will superannuate on August 31, 2025.
-
Tenure: Singhal will hold the prestigious position until his superannuation on December 31, 2028, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
-
Previous Role: Prior to this appointment, Sanjay Singhal was serving as the Special Director General (Special DG) of the Border Security Force (BSF).
7. Shailesh Jejurikar appointed as Global CEO of Procter & Gamble (P&G)
-
Effective Date: Shailesh Jejurikar will officially assume the role of President and Chief Executive Officer of P&G on January 1, 2026. He will succeed the current CEO, Jon Moeller, who will transition to Executive Chairman.
-
First Indian-Born CEO: This marks a significant milestone as Jejurikar will be the first Indian-born executive to lead the 187-year-old American consumer goods giant. He joins a growing list of Indian-origin leaders at the helm of global corporations.
-
Long Tenure and Diverse Experience at P&G: Jejurikar, an alumnus of IIM Lucknow, has been with P&G for 36 years, having joined as an assistant brand manager in India in 1989. He has held various senior leadership roles across different categories and regions, including North America, Europe, Asia, and Latin America.
-
Current Role as COO: Prior to this appointment, he has been serving as P&G's Chief Operating Officer (COO) since 2021. In this role, he oversaw the company's "Enterprise Markets" (including Latin America, India, Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa) and led critical business functions like IT, Global Business Services, Sales, and Manufacturing.
8. Sudhakar Dalela appointed as Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs
-
New Role as Secretary (Economic Relations): Sudhakar Dalela, a 1993-batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer, has been appointed as the Secretary (Economic Relations) in the Ministry of External Affairs. He will succeed Dammu Ravi, who is set to superannuate on July 31, 2025.
-
Current Ambassador to Bhutan: Prior to this appointment, Dalela has been serving as India's Ambassador to the Kingdom of Bhutan, a key diplomatic posting.
-
Extensive Diplomatic Experience: Dalela brings a wealth of experience to his new role, having served in various Indian missions abroad, including Tel Aviv, Brasília, Chicago, Geneva, Dhaka, and Washington D.C. He has also held crucial positions within the MEA in New Delhi.
-
Expertise in Trade and Economic Policy: He has significant experience in trade and economic policy, having served as Director (Trade Policy) in the Department of Commerce and twice at the Permanent Mission of India to the WTO, including as India's Deputy Permanent Representative.
-
Approved by Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC): His appointment, along with that of Sibi George as Secretary (West), was approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC).
9. World Day Trafficking observed on 30th July
-
Global Awareness and Action: The day serves as a crucial platform to raise global awareness about the heinous crime of human trafficking, which exploits millions worldwide, and to urge collective action to eradicate it.
-
Theme for 2025: "Human Trafficking is Organized Crime – End the Exploitation": This year's theme highlights the critical link between human trafficking and organized criminal networks. It emphasizes the need to dismantle these sophisticated operations that exploit vulnerable individuals for profit.
-
Focus on Vulnerabilities and Exploitation: The observance draws attention to how traffickers prey on vulnerabilities such as poverty, lack of access to education, displacement, and social inequalities. It covers various forms of trafficking, including forced labor, sexual exploitation, forced criminality, and organ removal.
-
Promoting Victim-Centered Approaches: A key aim is to promote and protect the rights of trafficking victims. This includes ensuring they receive adequate support, protection, and justice, and that responses are human rights-based and sensitive to the specific needs of women and children.
10. Vijai Sharma, Kyoto Protocol architect passed away
-
Vijai Sharma, a distinguished Indian civil servant and former Chief Information Commissioner, who played a pivotal role in shaping India's stance and the very architecture of the Kyoto Protocol, has passed away at the age of 75. He died in the United States on July 18, 2025, after suffering a stroke.
-
Vijai Sharma was a key figure and one of the primary architects of the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, particularly in safeguarding the interests of developing countries like India during international climate negotiations.
-
He served as India's chief negotiator at international climate talks during his first stint as Joint Secretary in the Environment Ministry (1995-2001), significantly influencing the finalization of the Kyoto Protocol.
-
Sharma was a strong advocate for the principle of "common but differentiated responsibilities," ensuring that developed nations bore the primary responsibility for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
0 like |
0 comment
