Current Affairs 13 August 2025

We are here for you to provide the important Recent and Latest Current Affairs 13 August 2025, which have unique updates of Latest Current Affairs 2025 events from all newspapers such as The Hindu, The Economic Times, PIB, Times of India, PTI, Indian Express, Business Standard and all Government official websites.

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NATIONAL AFFAIRS

Overview of Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana: A Flame that Warms the HeartAs of July 2025, the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) has provided over 10.33 crore Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) connections, empowering rural households with access to clean cooking fuel.

• The union cabinet approved a subsidy of Rs.300 per 14.2 kg cylinder for up to 9 refills per year and Rs.2200 government support per connection for the beneficiaries of the PMUY during Financial Year 2025-26 (FY26), at an expenditure of Rs. 12,000 crore.

About PMUY:
Objective: The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG), introduced the PMUY as a flagship scheme for providing LPG connections to women from Below Poverty Line (BPL) households.

• The scheme was launched on 1st May 2016 in Ballia, Uttar Pradesh (UP).

Ujjwala-Phase 1: This phase aimed to provide 5 crore LPG connections to women from BPL households.

• Subsequently, the target was enhanced to 8 crore connections.
• This scheme initially provided financial support of Rs. 1,600 per connection by the government.

Ujjwala 2.0: This 2nd phase was launched on 10th August 2021 to expand the coverage and reach of the distribution by another 1 crore households.

• It aimed to fill the gaps left by the 1st phase and ensure last-mile delivery of clean cooking fuel.
  >>Read Full News

Union Cabinet Approved 4 New Semiconductor Units for Rs 4,600 Crore in Punjab, Odisha, and APOn August 12 2025, the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi approved the proposal to establish 4 new semiconductor assembly and testing facilities in states: Punjab, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh (AP) under its India Semiconductor Mission (ISM), with a total financial budget of Rs 4,600 crore.

• With this, the total number of approved projects under ISM has now reached to 10, with combined investments of about Rs 1.60 lakh crore in 6 states.
• These newly approved facilities are expected to generate 2,034 skilled jobs which would drive the electronic manufacturing ecosystem resulting in creation of several indirect job opportunities.

Launched: ISM, a flagship programme of Government of India (GoI), was officially launched by the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY) in 2021 with total budget outlay of Rs 76,000 crore (or, around USD 10 billion).
Aim: It aimed to develop a full-stack semiconductor ecosystem locally, from design to manufacturing and testing.
About Ministry of Electronic and IT (MeitY):
Union Minister- Ashwini Vaishnaw (Rajya Sabha member- Odisha)
Minister of State (MoS)- Jitin Prasada(Constituency- Pilibhit, Uttar Pradesh, UP)
>>Read Full News

India’s Defence Production Surged to Record-high Rs 1.51 Lakh Crore in FY25
In August 2025, Union Minister Rajnath Singh, Ministry of Defence (MoD) informed that annual defence production has surged to an all-time high of Rs 1.51 lakh (Rs 1,50,590 crore) in Financial Year 2024-25 (FY25).

• This figure reflects an increase of 18% compared to last fiscal year’s output of Rs 1.27 lakh crore, and also remarkable 90% increase since FY20, when the figure stood at Rs 79,071 crore.

Key Findings:
Share of DPSUs and Private Sector: As per MoD official data, Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs) and other PSUs; and private sector accounted for approximately 77% and 23% of total production.
Increase in Private Sector Share: The data also revealed that the contribution of the private sector has increased from 21% (in FY24) to 23% (in FY25).
Overall Production: The overall production of DPSUs and other PSUs has increased by 16% while the production of private sector has increased by 28%.
Exports: Defence exports touched a record high of Rs.23,622 crore in FY25, marking a 12.04% increase over the previous year.

DPIIT Signs MoU with Zepto to Support Manufacturing Startups through ‘Zepto Nova’ Innovation ChallengeOn August 12, 2025, Department of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoC&I), signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Zepto Private Limited (Zepto) (formerly known as Kiranakart Technologies Private Limited) to launch the “Zepto Nova” Innovation Challenge, with an aim to support the startups at their early stage in the manufacturing sector.

• The MoU was signed by Dr. Sumeet Jarangal, Director, DPIIT, and Kaivalya Vohra, Co-founder, Zepto.

About Zepto Nova Innovation Challenge:
Programme: The MoU aims to discover and mentor startups through a six-month programme, to advance from prototype to market-ready solutions by leveraging the robust delivery network and digital infrastructure of Zepto.
Focus: Under the program, the startups, developing technologies in hardware, Internet of Things (IoT), packaging and sustainable manufacturing are targeted to mentor.
Role of parties: The collaboration will provide support through mentorship and capacity building though expert-led workshops and startup India initiative, with an emphasis on women-led ventures and startups from tier II and tier III cities.

• Zepto will integrate 100 Indian startups to its supply chain, offering direct market exposure and a platform to showcase their innovation.

DPIIT Signs MoU with Hero MotoCorp:

Partnership: DPIIT signed an MoU with Hero MotoCorp Limited (Hero MotoCorp) to support and scale startups and entrepreneurs at their early stage through its innovation accelerator programme “Hero For Startups”.

• The MoU was signed by Dr. Sumeet Jarangal, Director of DPIIT, and Utkarsh Mishra, Global Innovation Portfolio Lead, Hero MotoCorp.

Areas: Under the MoU, DPIIT and Hero MotoCorp will jointly support the startups focused on future mobility, clean technology, and deep technology.
Access: The selected startups will be provided with exclusive access to Hero MotoCorp’s Research and Development (R&D) facilities in Germany and India, the extensive network of dealers, suppliers and partners, and mentorship.
Opportunity: The startups will be provided with opportunities to develop paid Proofs of Concept (PoCs), enabling real-world validation and market exposure.
About Zepto Private Limited (Zepto):
Chief Executive Officer(CEO)Aadit Palicha
Headquarters – Bengaluru, Karnataka
Established – 2021

NLCIL and BARC Signs MoU for Rare Earth Extraction from Fly Ash
In August 2025, NLC India Limited (NLCIL), a Navratna Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE) under the Ministry of Coal, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), for the extraction of Rare Earth Elements (REEs) from fly ash.

About Pilot Project:
Pilot Project: A pilot project will be established at Neyveli, Tamil Nadu(TN) with BARC’s technical support to demonstrate the extraction of REEs from fly ash, a by-product of thermal power generation.
Significance: REEs are essential for healthcare, clean energy, electronics, defence, and research.

• This initiative will reduce dependence on imports, strengthen India’s strategic mineral security, and promote the circular economy.

Applications: REEs are critical for renewable energy systems, medical equipment, electronics, defence systems, and high-tech manufacturing.

India Signs trade cooperation agreement with Zambia
On August 12, 2025, the Government of India (GoI) signed a trade cooperation pact with the Republic of Zambia to enhance trade alliances between cooperatives of both nations.

About the trade cooperation pact:
MoU Signed: India signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Zambia on July 18, 2025.
Objective: To promote cooperatives and create facilities for trade alliances between Indian and Zambian cooperative entities.
Implementation: The Ministry of Cooperation (MoC), GoI is working with Indian Missions abroad to strengthen the cooperative export ecosystem.
Other Collaboration of NCEL: National Cooperative Exports Limited (NCEL) has expanded its international reach by signing MoUs  Government of Senegal and with entities in Indonesia, which includes Sinton Vantage Trading and PT Sinton Surini Nusantara.

• These collaborations aim to facilitate the exchange of goods, services, and technical expertise, boosting Indian cooperatives’ global presence

BANKING & FINANCE

NABARD, APGB & Aqua Exchange Signed MoU to Launch Collateral-Free Shrimp Farming Loans
On August 11, 2025, the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), Andhra Pradesh Grameena Bank (APGB), and Aqua Exchange Agritech Private Limited signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Vijayawada (Andhra Pradesh, AP) to launch a pilot Internet of Things (IoT)-enabled loan model for shrimp farmers.

About Collateral-Free Shrimp Farming Loan Initiative:
Purpose: The initiative aims to integrate shrimp farmers into the formal credit system by offering low-interest, collateral-free crop loans, reducing reliance on informal lending, and encouraging sustainable aquaculture.
Loan Disbursement: Total of Rs. 25 crores in collateral-free loans to be disbursed to around 100 shrimp farmers within 3–6 months, with an initial sanction of Rs. 1.25 crore to 5 farmers.
Future Disbursement Target: Rs. 100 crores in Financial Year (FY) 2025–26(FY26) and Rs. 250 crores in FY27.
Farm Rating Score (FRS): An FRS will be developed to assess farmers’ creditworthiness, acting as a benchmark for the formal finance sector under the Unified Lending Interface (ULI) of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
Technology Integration: IoT devices will be deployed for real-time monitoring of water quality, feed usage, and disease control, thereby improving productivity and reducing risks.

RBL Bank Partnered with CAMSPay to Launch Digital Payment Gateway
On August 12, 2025, Mumbai (Maharashtra) based RBL Bank entered into a strategic partnership with CAMSPay, the payments unit of Computer Age Management Services (CAMS), to launch a new digital payment gateway platform targeting Indian enterprises.

About the Partnership:

RBL Bank’s Role: RBL Bank uses its banking infrastructure to deliver smooth and efficient acquiring settlement services.
CAMSPay’s Contribution: CAMSPay drives payment technology innovation with features such as real-time settlement capabilities, secure card processing, real-time analytics, automated reconciliation, and efficient settlement through Open APIs, delivering a scalable and regulation-ready solution.
Collaboration Benefits: Together, they tackle payment challenges across various industries, support high transaction volumes, and ensure adherence to regulatory requirements.
Note: Managing Director (MD) & Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of RBL Bank is R Subramaniakumar and CEO of CAMSPay is Vasanth Jeyapaul.

ECONOMY & BUSINESS

Tata’s Nelco to Roll Out Eutelsat OneWeb LEO Satellite Services in India
In August 2025, Tata Group’s satellite communications firm, Nelco Limited, has partnered with French satellite service provider Eutelsat to deliver OneWeb Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite connectivity across India.

• This collaboration aims to provide secure, low-latency, and high-speed satellite internet services covering India’s landmass, territorial waters, and remote regions.

Significance:
Coverage: The services will cover a wide range of government and enterprise applications, strengthening India’s digital infrastructure and national security while enhancing connectivity in underserved or remote regions of the country.
Protection: This strategic partnership will provide reliable, secure, and high-speed communication solutions based on LEO services for critical sectors across land, sea and air.
Note: OneWeb, a satellite services company backed by Bharti Enterprises, merged its operations with Eutelsat in 2023. This became the second-largest satellite operator globally, with 669 satellites in orbit.

LTIMindtree Joins India’s First Quantum Valley at Amaravati, AP
On August 11, 2025, LTIMindtree, an Information Technology (IT) services and consulting company, in partnership with its parent group, Larsen & Toubro (L&T), announced a strategic collaboration with Government of Andhra Pradesh (AP) and industry partners to develop India’s first Quantum Valley Tech Park in Amaravati, AP.

Key Collaborations:
Partner: With this move, LTIMindtree and L&T have become the core technology and infrastructure partner in the Quantum Valley Ecosystem.

• Under this partnership, LTIMindtree will establish a Centre of Excellence (CoE) in the Quantum Valley, to spearhead deep-tech research, quantum incubation, and applied Research and Development (R&D).
• L&T will oversee the design, development, and management of the physical infrastructure, utilizing its expertise in large-scale construction projects.

IBM: A key feature of the project is the deployment of the IBM Quantum System Two at the Quantum Computing Centre, a collaboration between International Business Machines (IBM) and the Government of AP, making it India’s largest quantum computer.

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

Odisha Government Appointed Madhuri Dixit as Brand Ambassador of Handloom Industry
In August 2025, Mohan Charan Majhi, Chief Minister (CM) of Odisha formally announced the appointment of Bollywood icon and Padma Shree Awardee, Madhuri Dixit as brand ambassador of the state’s handloom industry.

• The announcement was made during the inauguration ceremony of Exhibition-cum-Knowledge Sharing for Textile Advantage (EKTA), on the occasion of 11th National Handloom Day (August 07, 2025) celebrations held at Janta Maidan, Bhubaneswar, Odisha.
• This EKTA initiative aims to provide market access, training and financial assistance to handloom artisans across Odisha.

About Madhur Dixit:
Profession: Madhuri Dixit is a renowned Indian actress, dancer, and philanthropist. She has starred in over 70 films during a career spanning four decades.
Awards:She was honoured with Padma Shri, India’s 4th highest civilian honour in ‘Arts’ category in 2008.

• In 2023, She was honoured with the Special Recognition to Bharatiya  Cinema Award at 54th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) held in Goa.

SPORTS

India’s U-20 Football Women’s Team Qualifies for AFC Asian Cup 2026 After 20 Year
In August 2025, India’s U-20 women’s football team qualified for Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U-20 Women’s Asian Cup 2026 by defeating Myanmar 1-0 in their final Group-D qualifying match held at the Thuwunna Stadium in Yangon, Myanmar.

• With this, India qualified for the AFC U-20 football tournament for the 1st time in 20 years.

About qualifying match:
Competing Teams: A total of 32 teams are competing for 11 remaining spots at the tournament in the qualifiers. The teams have been divided into 8 groups of 4 each i.e. in Group-A, Group-B, Group-C and Group-D.
Finalists: Host country Thailand; Group winners namely Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Vietnam, Australia, India, China, Japan, Uzbekistan, and the Republic Korea; plus 3 best-runner ups: Jordan, Bangladesh, and Taiwan.
About AFC U-20 Asian Cup 2026:
Host : Thailand will host The AFC U-20 Asian Cup 2026 from April 01 to April 18, 2026.
Format: It will feature an expanded 12-team format and act as a qualifier for the International Federation of Association Football(FIFA)U-20 Women’s World Cup.

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Steelpan Day 2025 – August 11The United Nations (UN’s) World Steelpan Day is observed every year on 11 August to highlight the cultural and historical importance of the Steelpan, the National Musical Instrument of Trinidad and Tobago (T&T), and its role in promoting sustainable development.

• 11 August, 2025 marks the 3rd edition of World Steelpan Day.

About World Steelpan Day:
Proposal : In 2022, the Government of T&T formally approached the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) with a proposal to designate 11 August as World Steelpan Day, to be observed annually from 2023 onward.
Adoption : On 24 July 2023, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted Resolution A/RES/77/316, officially proclaiming 11 August of every year as World Steelpan Day.
Inaugural Celebration: The first-ever World Steelpan Day was observed on 11 August 2023.
PAN Month:
Celebration: Since 1992, Pan Trinbago Inc. T.C., headquartered in Port of Spain(PoS) (T&T), has celebrated Pan Month each August to honor the occasion when the steelpan was officially declared the National Musical Instrument of T&T.
Theme: The 2025 edition is being observed under the theme:“From Roots to Resonance: Echoing Across Generations and Nations.”
>>Read Full News

World Elephant Day 2025- August 12World Elephant Day is an annual international campaign observed across the world on August 12 to raise awareness about the preservation and protection of Elephants (Elephantidae) known as the ‘Gentle Giants’ worldwide.
Theme:
2025 Theme: ‘Bringing the world together to help elephants’.
Focus: The theme emphasizes the importance of global unity and collective action to protect elephants worldwide.
Background:
Conceptualized by: The idea of celebrating World Elephant Day was conceptualized by Canadian filmmakers Patricia Sims and Michael Clarke of Canazwest Pictures and Sivaporn Dardarananda, Secretary General of the Elephant Reintroduction Foundation in Thailand in 2011.
First Observance: The 1st World Elephant Day was observed by Patricia Sims and the Elephant Reintroduction Foundation on August 12, 2012.
2025 Event:
Event:  On August 12, 2025, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), in partnership with the Tamil Nadu (TN) Forest Department organised the 2025 World Elephant Celebration in Coimbatore, TN.
Inaugurated by: The event was inaugurated by the Union Minister Bhupendra Yadav, MoEF&CC.
>>Read Full News

International Youth Day 2025 – August 12The United Nations (UN’s) International Youth Day (IYD) is annually observed across the globe on 12th August, celebrates the role of young people and recognises their contributions to society. The day raises awareness about youth-related issues and promotes their active and equal participation in all areas of life.

• Significance: The 2025 IYD holds special significance as it marks 10 years since the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and coincides with the 30th anniversary of the World Programme of Action for Youth (WPAY).
• 2025 Theme: The theme of IYD 2025 is “Local Youth Actions for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Beyond.”

Background:
Origin: In 1991, the idea for IYD was proposed during the 1st session of the UN System’s World Youth Forum in Vienna, Austria.
Proclamation: In 1998, the 1st session of the World Conference of Ministers Responsible for Youth (WCMRY) adopted a resolution proclaiming 12 August as IYD.
UNGA Endorsement: In 1999, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) at its 54th session endorsed the recommendation in its resolution A/RES/54/120 titled “Policies and Programmes Involving Youth.”
First Observance: The first-ever IYD was observed on 12 August 2000.
>>Read Full News

STATE NEWS

Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis Launches ‘Garuda Drishti’ to Detect Cyber Fraud and Hate Speech
In August, 2025, Chief Minister (CM) of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis launched “Garuda Drishti”, a social media monitoring and cyber-intelligence initiative, at Police Bhavan in Nagpur, Maharashtra.

About Garuda Drishti:
Detection: Garuda Drishti, the Artificial Intelligence (AI)-enabled system, is designed to detect fraudulent cyber activities, including hate speech, fake news, communal misinformation, drug trafficking, and financial scams across social media platforms.
Prevention: It has analyzed around 30,000 social media posts, out of which approximately 650 posts were removed, to prevent tension, communal unrest, and law-and-order.
Development: The system was developed cost-effectively during the Cyber Hack 2025 Competition.
Infrastructure: Nagpur Police launched this initiative alongside a cutting-edge cyber lab equipped with 30 advanced workstations and forensic tools, including Call Data Record (CDR) analysis systems, mobile device examination units, and malware detection modules.

Karnataka Launches KATALYST to Set Up 500 New GCCs by 2029
On August 12, 2025, the Government of Karnataka launched “KATALYST”, a new Ease of Doing Business(EoDB) Cell, to fast-track the establishment of Global Capacity Centres (GCCs), in Bengaluru, Karnataka.

• It was launched ahead of Bengaluru Tech Summit (BTS) 2025 which is scheduled to be held in November2025.

About KATALYST:
Aim: The launch of KATALYST, aligned with GCC Policy 2024-2029 of Karnataka, aims to attract 500 new GCCs by 2029, bringing the total to 1,000 GCCs.

• It also seeks to simplify new investments, accelerate the establishment of GCCs, and strengthen the collaboration between GCCs and the wider innovation ecosystem.

Job Creation: The initiative will create approximately 3.5 lakh new jobs and generate economic output of USD 50 billion.
GCCs: These are offshore units, set up by Multinational Companies (MNCs) to carry out strategic functions such as Information and Technology (IT), Research & Development (R&D), engineering, analytics, finance, and other business operations to support the global operation of the parent company.

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