Daily Current Affairs – 12-07-2025
Personalities, Awards and Events
International Malala Day - July 12
Every year, on July 12, International Malal Day is observed to celebrate the life and legacy of Malala Yousafzai, a Pakistani advocate for girls’ education and the youngest recipient of the Nobel Prize. On Malala Day, which also happens to be Ms Yousafzai’s birthday, the world honours her tireless support of women’s education rights across the globe. This significant day was first observed in 2013, one year after she was shot in the head and neck by a Taliban gunman for her outspokenness in support of girls’ right to education.
The United Nations first celebrated International Malala Day on July 12, 2013. The day marked one year since the Taliban attacked her for opposing their restrictions on female education in Pakistan. Despite the assault, Ms Yousafzai survived and turned into a worldwide champion for education. Therefore, to honour her work, the UN officially announced July 12 as International Malala Day in 2015.
VIT Chancellor Ko. Viswanathan honored with ‘Uyar Thani Semmal Award’ by the Federation of Tamil Sangams of North America
In recognition of his contributions to the development of higher education at the international level, Vellore VIT University Chancellor Ko. Viswanathan was honored with the ‘Uyar Thani Semmal Award’ by the Federation of Tamil Sangams of North America. The Federation of Tamil Sangams of North America (FeTNA) operates from Raleigh, North Carolina, in the United States. With the primary objective of Tamil development, it has been serving for the past 38 years by coordinating over 70 Tamil Sangams in North America for the growth of the Tamil language, culture, heritage, art, literature, and industry. It also conducts an annual conference to foster unity among global Tamils. As part of this, the Federation of Tamil Sangams of North America honored Vellore VIT University’s Chancellor Ko. Viswanathan, who has been rendering excellent service in higher education at an international level, with the ‘Uyar Thani Semmal Award’ at a ceremony held in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Sports News
Siniakova – Vetric pair are champions
In the mixed doubles final of the Wimbledon tournament, the pair of Henri Vetric and Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic defeated the duo of Luisa Stefani of Brazil and Joe Salisbury of Britain in straight sets 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (7/3) to clinch the title.
This is their first championship title in the mixed doubles category. It is noteworthy that this is also the first tournament they have competed in together. While this is the first Grand Slam title for Vetric, Siniakova has already been a champion 10 times in other Grand Slam women’s doubles events. This time at Wimbledon, she was defeated before the women’s doubles semi-finals.
Wimbledon 2025 Results
Women’s Singles Winner: Iga Świątek (Poland) Runner-up: Amanda Anisimova (United States)
Men’s Doubles Winners: Julian Cash & Lloyd Glasspool (United Kingdom) Runners-up: Rinky Hijikata (Australia) & David Pel (Netherlands)
Mixed Doubles Winners: Sem Verbeek (Netherlands) & Kateřina Siniaková (Czech Republic) Runners-up: Joe Salisbury (United Kingdom) & Luisa Stefani (Brazil)
International News
Tesla’s first showroom to open in Mumbai next week
American industrialist Elon Musk’s company Tesla, a leader in electric vehicle manufacturing, is set to open its first showroom in Mumbai on July 15th.
With this, the Tesla company will make its mark in India. The Mumbai Regional Transport Office has granted permission to set up the showroom, display electric cars, conduct road tests, and operate a sales center.
As Tesla’s sales have declined in China and European countries, there is anticipation about how much interest Indians will show in Tesla.
In India, companies including Tata, Mahindra, Hyundai, BMW, and MG are already selling electric vehicles.
The central government is keen on increasing the number of electric vehicles in India to reduce the import of petroleum products. In this context, Tesla is entering India, one of the world’s largest electric vehicle markets.
UNESCO recognition for the military bases of the Maratha Empire
UNESCO announced on Friday that the military bases of the Maratha Empire have been included in the list of World Heritage Sites. This decision was made at the 47th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, which is currently being held in Paris, the capital of France. With this, the number of UNESCO-recognized World Heritage Sites in India has risen to 44.
Facts :
Organization - UNESCO
Headquarters - Paris, France
Director-General Audrey Azoulay
Deputy Director-General Xing Qu
Facts About Maratha in School Books:
Standard: 7th Subject: Social Science (History) Chapter: The Maratha Kingdom and the Peshwas
Facts about Shivaji and his Forts: Early Conquests and Fort Strategy: The textbook highlights that Shivaji’s military career began with the capture of forts. At a young age, he understood that controlling the rugged terrain of the Western Ghats through a network of forts was crucial for guerrilla warfare and for establishing an independent kingdom.
Torna Fort: This was one of the first forts captured by Shivaji, which marked the beginning of his military expansion. The immense treasure he discovered at this fort helped him to raise a larger army and build new forts.
Raigad Fort: The Samacheer Kalvi book emphasizes the significance of Raigad as Shivaji’s capital. After his coronation in 1674, Raigad became the main administrative and military center of the Maratha empire. The choice of this hill fort as his capital showcases his strategic thinking, as its location provided a natural defense against enemies.
Shivneri Fort: The book mentions Shivneri as the birthplace of Shivaji. While it was under the control of the Bijapur Sultanate at the time of his birth, its mention provides a geographical and historical starting point to his life.
Purandar Fort: The Treaty of Purandar is a significant event covered in the textbook. According to the treaty signed between Shivaji and the Mughal general Jai Singh, Shivaji had to surrender 23 of his forts to the Mughals. This event is used to illustrate the political and military pressures Shivaji faced from the powerful Mughal Empire.
Guerilla Warfare: The context provided explains how Shivaji effectively used the forts as bases for his guerrilla warfare tactics. The hilly and forested terrain around these forts allowed his smaller, more mobile army to conduct surprise raids on the larger Mughal and Bijapuri armies.
Administration of Forts: The book touches upon the administrative system of the forts under Shivaji. Each fort was placed under the command of three officers of equal rank to prevent any single officer from betraying him. This system of checks and balances ensured the security and loyalty of his garrisons.
National News
Advanced ‘Astra’ missile that attacks and destroys aerial targets successfully tested
The ‘Astra’ missile, which attacks and destroys aerial targets beyond visual range from an aircraft, was successfully tested on Friday. The Astra missile was tested from a Sukhoi fighter jet off the coast of Odisha. In a press release from the Ministry of Defence, it was stated, ‘The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Indian Air Force jointly conducted a successful test of the indigenously developed ‘Astra’ beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile. During this test, unmanned aerial vehicles were launched as high-speed targets from two different locations. The Astra missile hit both these targets with high precision. All functionalities of the missile, including its radio frequency seeker, performed exceptionally well as expected. Through this, India has reached a new milestone in advanced technology development for the defense sector. The performance of the Astra missile was evaluated using data obtained from the monitoring equipment at the Integrated Test Range in Chandipur, Odisha. It was reported that besides DRDO labs, more than 50 public and private sector companies, including Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, contributed to the development of the Astra missile. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated the DRDO, the Indian Air Force, and other organizations for the successful test of the Astra missile.
Union Home Secretary’s term extended by one year
The Central Government on Friday issued an order extending the tenure of Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan until August 22, 2026. Govind Mohan was appointed to the post after the then Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla retired on August 22 of last year. With his term set to end this August, it has now been extended for one year. The 16th population census, along with a caste-based census, is scheduled to be conducted nationwide in 2027. Similarly, the Union Home Minister has vowed that Naxalism will be completely eradicated from India by March 2026. In this context, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet approved the extension of Govind Mohan’s tenure until August 22, 2026. The order for this was issued by the Union Ministry of Personnel. With this, Govind Mohan will serve as the Union Home Secretary for a period of 2 years. Govind Mohan, a 1989 batch IAS officer of the Sikkim cadre, served as the Union Culture Secretary before taking up the post of Home Secretary.
Central government tries to increase cotton production in India on par with developed nations
Union Minister for Farmers’ Welfare and Agriculture, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, stated that the central government is making efforts to increase cotton production in India to match the productivity levels of developed nations. On Friday, Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Union Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh, and Haryana’s State Agriculture Minister Shyam Singh Rana visited the farmlands at the Central Institute for Cotton Research in P.N. Pudur, Coimbatore. Later, they observed the newly introduced cotton planting scheme and modern tractors, inquiring about their operational plans.
Facts:
The “Cotton Mission” refers to a five-year initiative announced in the Union Budget 2025-26 to enhance cotton production and quality in India. It specifically focuses on boosting the production of extra-long staple (ELS) cotton varieties, aiming to improve farmer incomes and revitalize the textile industry. The mission will leverage science and technology to support farmers and improve cotton yield and quality.
The mission is planned as a five-year program, with a total outlay of Rs. 5272 crore.
Minister of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare - Shivraj Singh Chouhan Hon’ble Minister of State (Agri & Farmers Welfare) - Bhagirath Choudhary
Sharad Pawar holds the record of being the longest-serving minister of agriculture with a tenure of 10 years, 3 days in office.
Priya Nair appointed as MD, CEO of Hindustan Unilever
Hindustan Unilever company manufactures various consumer goods including Lifebuoy, Pears, Dove, Lux, Ponds, Close-up, Pepsodent, Surf Excel, Rin, Vim, Bru coffee, Brooke Bond tea, and beauty products. Rohit Jawa currently holds the position of the company’s Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO). He will be stepping down from the post on the 31st of this month. Following this, Hindustan Unilever has appointed Priya Nair to these positions. With this, Priya Nair achieves the distinction of being the company’s first female MD and CEO. Additionally, she will now be a member of the company’s board and executive leadership team. Currently, Priya Nair is responsible for the sales and marketing of home care, beauty, wellness, and personal care divisions.
States’ News
Smart Cockpit’ scheme
Through the ‘Smart Cockpit’ scheme, if individuals involved in criminal incidents are photographed and registered in the app, their complete details will be available to the police. Through this scheme, the police will carry out security duties in areas such as colleges and schools without any issues.
District Superintendent of Police K. Karthikeyan stated that under the ‘Smart Cockpit’ scheme, individuals involved in criminal incidents can be easily identified through an app.
District Superintendent of Police K. Karthikeyan launched the ‘Smart Cockpit’ scheme on Friday at the PRS campus in Coimbatore.
Work commences at a cost of ₹64 crore to improve sports infrastructure in districts including Madurai, Coimbatore, and Salem
Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin laid the foundation stone for 7 sports infrastructure development projects in districts including Madurai, Coimbatore, and Salem at a cost of ₹64.43 crore. Across Tamil Nadu, various sports development projects are being undertaken, including setting up district sports grounds, establishing indoor stadiums, and creating modern gymnasiums. As part of this initiative, Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin laid the foundation stone yesterday from the Chennai Secretariat via video conference for the construction of a new artificial hockey turf in Madurai district at a cost of ₹9.47 crore, in Tiruvannamalai at a cost of ₹10.15 crore, and in Ariyalur at a cost of ₹10.15 crore. Subsequently, the Deputy Chief Minister also laid the foundation stone for a swimming pool with multi-purpose facilities in Madurai at a cost of ₹12.50 crore, a new swimming pool in Karur at a cost of ₹6.28 crore, and new sports hostels in Coimbatore at a cost of ₹7.95 crore and in Salem at a cost of ₹7.93 crore. Following this, Udhayanidhi Stalin presented a cheque for ₹20 lakh from the Tamil Nadu Champions Foundation fund for the development of sports infrastructure at Queen Mary’s College, Chennai. Furthermore, the Deputy Chief Minister presented mementos to the athletes who won medals for Tamil Nadu in the 52nd National Senior Championship. He also presented a cheque of ₹1.50 lakh each to Tamil Nadu players Karthika, Indumathi, Sandhiya, and Priyadarshini, who are part of the Indian women’s team for the Asian Cup football tournament.