Daily Current Affairs – 18-07-2025
Reports and Indices
Domestic Air Passenger Numbers Rise to 1.38 Crore
The number of domestic air passengers in India increased to 1.38 crore last June. This was stated in a report released by the rating agency ICRA.
The report states: The country’s domestic airlines carried 1.38 crore passengers last June. This is a 5.1 percent increase compared to the same month in the previous year, 2024.
The report mentioned that the number of domestic air passengers at that time was 1.32 crore.
Sports News
Chennai Open Women’s Tennis starts on Oct. 27
Chennai Open WTA Women’s 250 tennis tournament will be held at the SDAT Tennis Stadium in Nungambakkam, Chennai from October 27 to November 2.
After a gap of three years, the WTA Women’s 250 tennis tournament is being held again in Chennai. The Nungambakkam Tennis Stadium will be renovated for this purpose. The main pavilion of the stadium has been named after the Indian legend Vijay Amritraj.
It is fitting that the WTA tournament is being held during the centenary celebrations of the Tamil Nadu Tennis Association. Furthermore, the government had allocated ₹1 crore for the ATP Challenger tournament this year. Players ranked in the top 100 of the WTA rankings are expected to participate in the Chennai Open.
Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has ordered the allocation of ₹12 crore to conduct the Chennai Open smoothly.
Personalities, Awards and Events
Indore is the country’s cleanest city! A feat for the 8th consecutive year.
Indore in Madhya Pradesh has been selected as the cleanest city in the country for the 8th consecutive year.
The results of the annual Swachh Survekshan (cleanliness survey) conducted by the central government were announced on Thursday.
This year, a new category called the ‘Super Swachh League’ has been introduced for cities that consistently excel in cleanliness. In this category, Indore, Surat in Gujarat, and Navi Mumbai in Maharashtra have been selected for the top three positions.
In the same category for cities with a population of 3 lakh to 10 lakh, Noida in Uttar Pradesh was chosen as the cleanest city. The union territory of Chandigarh and Mysuru in Karnataka secured the subsequent positions.
In the ‘Swachh Shahar’ category for cities with a population of more than 10 lakh, Ahmedabad in Gujarat has bagged the first place. Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh and Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh have secured the subsequent positions.
International News
Kavikko Abdul Rahman Memorial Research Chair at the University of Malaya
The Rams Mustapha Foundation has donated a sum of ₹1.01 crore (5 lakh Malaysian Ringgit) to establish a memorial research chair in the name of the poet Kavikko Abdul Rahman in the Department of Indian Studies at the University of Malaya in Malaysia.
Following this, Mustapha, the Chairman of the Rams Mustapha Foundation, presented a cheque for ₹1.01 crore (5 lakh Malaysian Ringgit) to the Malaysian Minister of Higher Education, Zambry Abdul Kadir, for setting up the research chair. Subsequently, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was also signed in this regard.
National News
Madras High Court Judge Sasi Kumar Retires
Madras High Court Judge Sasi Kumar Sukumara Kurup retired from service on Thursday.
Following the retirement of Justice Sasi Kumar Sukumara Kurup, the number of judges in the Madras High Court has reduced to 58. There are 17 vacant judge positions.
Akash Prime Missile Test Successful
India has successfully tested the Akash Prime missile, an upgraded version designed to be launched from high-altitude areas to destroy aerial targets.
The Akash series of missiles, designed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and manufactured by Bharat Dynamics Limited and Bharat Electronics Limited, have been in use by the Indian Army since 2009. These missiles are capable of carrying a 60 kg warhead and have a range of up to 45 km.
The recently tested Akash Prime missile, which has been upgraded for launch from locations above 4,500 meters, was test-fired in Ladakh.
The Ministry of Defence announced on Thursday that during the test, the Akash Prime accurately engaged and destroyed two high-speed unmanned aerial targets.[4][5] The Ministry called this a significant milestone.
This test is considered significant as it was conducted near the Chinese border in Ladakh.[7] In light of this, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh extended his congratulations to the Indian Army, DRDO, and associated organizations.
It is noteworthy that indigenously produced Akash missiles were used by India during Operation Sindoor, which was launched in response to a terrorist attack last May, leading to military clashes between the two countries.