Current Affairs 20 August 2025

We are here for you to provide the important Recent and Latest Current Affairs 20 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

PLFS released Quarterly (April – June 2025) and Monthly Bulletin – July 2025: Unemployment Rate at 5.4% and 5.2%In August 2025, the National Statistics Office (NSO) under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) released the Quarterly bulletin of the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) for April-June 2025 and the Monthly Bulletin of PLFS for July 2025.
Highlights of Quarterly Bulletin April – June 2025:
First Stage Units (FSU): At the all-India level, a total number of 11,274 FSUs (6,213 rural sub- units and 5,061 urban sub-units) have been surveyed during the quarter April – June, 2025.
Unemployment Rate (UR): The UR for both males and females of age 15 years and above was recorded as 5.4% during the quarter April – June 2025.
Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR): The LFPR in CWS for persons aged 15 years and above was 55.0%, with 57.1% in rural areas and 50.6% in urban areas.
Worker Population Ratio (WPR): The WPR in CWS for person aged 15 years and above at the national level stood at 52.0% during the above quarter.
Highlights of Monthly Bulletin July 2025:
The July 2025 Monthly Bulletin is the fourth installment in the series of Monthly Bulletins.
Unemployment Rate (UR): The UR in CWS among persons of age 15 years and above declined to 5.2% in July 2025 from 5.6% in June 2025.
Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR): The LFPR in CWS among persons of age 15 years and above was 54.9% as compared to 54.2% during June 2025.
Worker Population Ratio (WPR): The WPR in CWS in rural areas among persons of age 15 years and above increased to 54.4% from WPR of 53.3% observed in June 2025.
>>Read Full News

GoI Launched Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana PortalOn August 18 2025, the Government of India (GoI) launched a dedicated online portal for the Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana (PM-VBRY), an Employment-Linked Incentive (ELI) scheme.

• This newly launched web portal has now gone live, facilitating registrations to both employees and employers under the scheme.
• Now, eligible employers can complete the one-time registration process for the PM-VBRY scheme through the portal (https://pmvbry.epfindia.gov.in/ or https://pmvbry.labour.gov.in/).

About PM-VBRY:
Background: In July 2025, the Union Cabinet chaired by PM Narendra Modi had approved PM-VBRY with a total budget outlay of Rs 99,446 crore. The scheme was formally rolled out on August 01, 2025.

• PM Narendra Modi announced the launch of scheme during his address to the nation on the occasion of 79th Independence Day (On August 15, 2025) celebrations at Red Fort, New Delhi, Delhi.

Aim: PM-VBRY is a Central Sector Scheme (CSS) aims to boost employment generation, improve employability and social security, across all sectors, with primary focus on the manufacturing sector.
Key Target: The scheme is expected to generate over 3.5 crore new jobs, including 1.92 crore 1st –time employees, over a period of 2 years (starting from August 01, 2025 to July 31, 2027).
Implementing Body: The Ministry of Labour & Employment (MoL&E) will implement the scheme through Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO).
Components: The scheme comprises of two main components i.e. Part-A, provides monthly financial support to 1st –time employees and Part-B, designed to support employers.
>>Read Full News

PM Narendra Modi Inaugurated Two Major NH Projects Worth Rs 11,000 Crore in DelhiIn August 2025, Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi inaugurated two major National Highway (NH) projects worth a combined cost of approximately Rs 11,000 crore at Rohini in Delhi. These infrastructure developments aim to alleviate traffic congestion, enhance connectivity, and reduce pollution in the National Capital Region (NCR) .
Infrastructure Development: The projects, comprising the Delhi section of the Dwarka Expressway and the Urban Extension Road-II (UER-II), have been developed under the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH)’s Rs.50,000 crore comprehensive plan.
About Delhi Section of Dwarka Expressway:
Project Cost: This 10.1 kilometer (km) long expressway has been developed at a cost of Rs 5,360 crore.
Mulit-modal Connectivity: This project is designed to provide multi-modal connectivity to Yashobhoomi, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation(DMRC) Blue line and Orange line, upcoming Bijwasan railway station, and Dwarka cluster Depot.
About Urban Extension Road-II (UER-II):
Project Cost: The UER-II corridor constructed at a cost of nearly Rs.5,580 crore.
Route: The 54.21 km stretch of UER-II runs from Alipur, passing through Bawana, Rohini, Mundka, Bakkarwala, Najafgarh, and Dwarka, before reaching Dichaon Kalan.
>>Read Full News

IIT-M Signed Agreement worth Rs 1 crore to License India’s 1st Silicon Photonics-based QRNG
In August 2025, the Technology Transfer Office (TTO), Indian Institute of Technology-Madras (IIT-M) has signed a licensing agreement worth Rs 1 crore with Indrarka Quantum Technologies Private Limited, to transfer India’s 1st indigenously developed silicon (Si) photonics-based high-speed Quantum Random Number Generator (QRNG) technology to industry for commercial deployment.

• This agreement is expected to play a pivotal role in bolstering India’s quantum innovation ecosystem.

About Silicon Photonics-based QRNG:
Development: This technology was developed at the Centre for Programmable Photonic Integrated Circuits and Systems (CPPICS), IIT-M.
Led by: Bijoy Krishna Ds, Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering at IIT-M and chief investigator at CPPICS, led the project.
Previous Prototypes of QRNG: Previous prototype of QRNG module was delivered to the (DRDO)’s Young Scientist Laboratory-Quantum Technologies (DYSL-QT).

• Later, advanced prototype of QRNG was deployed at the Society for Electronic Transactions and Security (SETS Chennai) in Tamil Nadu (TN), for quantum security applications.

Applications: The QRNG has wide range of applications in various critical sectors like: defence, cryptographic algorithms, scientific simulations, financial transactions, among others.

Assam Rifles Signs MoU with IIIT Manipur to Promote Drone Technology
On August 18, 2025, Assam Rifles has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) Manipur to promote drone technology for defence and security.

About Partnership for Enhanced Defence Capabilities:
Signatories: The MoU was signed by Major General Ravroop Singh, Inspector General(IG) (South) of Assam Rifles and Professor Krishnan Baskar, Director, IIIT Manipur at Mantripukhri in Manipur.
Aim: The MoU aims to enhance the technical and operational readiness of personnel, particularly in areas like surveillance, reconnaissance, and logistics support in challenging terrains.
Course Launch: Under the MoU, an Advanced Drone Training and Refresher course was launched for Assam Rifles personnel, covering drone flight operations, maintenance protocols, and Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)-certified training, aligning with civil aviation standards.

PRGI Announced the Launch of ‘Press Sewa Portal’ to Simplify Publisher Registration
In August 2025, Press Registrar General of India (PRGI) Yogesh Baweja announced the launch of Press Sewa Portal, a single-window solution to simplify registration process for newspapers and periodicals.

• This initiative aims to improve transparency, accelerate approval process, and enhance the ease of doing business for publishers and resolve the issues faced by publishers.

Key Highlights:
Venue: The announcement was made at a workshop titled ‘Vartalap’, organsied by the Press Information Bureau (PIB), Hyderabad under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) in Telangana.
Announcement of Helpline: During the event, Shruti Patil, Additional Director General (ADG) of PIB Hyderabad, announced that with the support of PIB Hyderabad and PRGI, a dedicated helpline will be launched for publishers.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

WHO: Rubella Eliminated as a Public Health Problem in Nepal
In August 2025, the World Health Organisation (WHO)’s South East Asian Region (SEAR) office has officially declared that Rubella has been eliminated as a Public Health Problem in Nepal.

• Following this recognition, Nepal has now become the 6th country in WHO SEAR after Bhutan, Democratic People’s Republic (DPR) Korea, Maldives, Sri Lanka, and Timor-Leste to successfully eliminate rubella.

About Rubella:
Contagious Viral Infection: Rubella, commonly known as German Measles, is a highly contagious viral infections that usually causes mild fever and red rashes on body.
Dangerous for Pregnant Women: It particularly poses serious risks to pregnant women as it can lead to miscarriage, still birth or range of debilitating birth defects.
Congenitial Rubella Syndrome (CRS): This disease has potential to cause CRS in new born babies and can lead to a range of birth defects like: deafness, cardiac defects, cataracts, and neurologic impairment.
Reason for Declaration: Nepal achieved over 95% vaccination coverage, carried out multiple nationwide immunization campaigns, and implemented robust laboratory-based surveillance systems.

BANKING & FINANCE

BoM and SBI Card Launches ‘Bank of Maharashtra SBI Card’ on Rupay and Visa
On August 18, 2025, Bank of Maharashtra (BoM) and SBI Cards & Payment Services Limited (SBICPSL), a subsidiary of the State Bank of India (SBI), jointly launched a co-branded credit card ‘Bank of Maharashtra SBI Card’to offer customers a premium and rewarding shopping experience across diverse segments.

About Bank of Maharashtra SBI Card:
Aim: The partnership aims to provide enhanced value and convenience, fulfilling the needs of customers across India.
Variants: The credit card is available in three variants- ELITE, PRIME, and SimplySAVE, catering to diverse customer needs
Network: The cards support Rupay and Visa payment platforms, ensuring wide domestic and international acceptance.
Benefits: The cards offer benefits, including accelerated reward points, a fuel surcharge waiver, utility bill payments, discounts on travel, dining, and shopping.

SEBI Extended Deadline for New Margin Pledge Framework to October 10, 2025In August 2025, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has extended the timeline for the implementation of framework related to the process of margin obligations through pledge and re-pledge within the depository system to October 10, 2025 instead of its original timeline i.e. September 01, 2025.

• SEBI announced this new timeline through a circular issued in exercise of powers given under Section 11(1) of Chapter IV of SEBI Act, 1992, read with Regulation 30 of Chapter VII of SEBI (Stock Brokers) Regulations, 1992.

About the Framework:
Aim: SEBI introduced this framework originally in June 2025. The new framework has mandated that all margin obligations in the equity and derivatives segment be fulfilled only through the depository system of pledges and re-pledges.
Automated Invocation: Under this framework, SEBI introduced an automated invocation process where clients’ margin-pledged securities, upon invocation, will be blocked for early pay-in within the demat account of the client.

• This move will help in reducing the chances of brokers misusing securities while ensuring a clear transaction trail.

Pledge Release for Pay-in: SEBI has also introduced a unique feature, ‘Pledge Release for Pay-in’ where, the pledge will be released and the pay-in block will be set up immediately in the demat account of the client.

• This single form of instruction eliminates the requirement for multiple instructions or manual intervention.
• Additionally, depositories will enable the required functionality for the “pledge release for pay-in” system to facilitate compliance with the new framework.

Significance: Upon implementation of the framework, the brokers will no longer require separate physical or electronic instructions to process un-pledging and delivery, and the system itself will validate and process the client’s pay-in obligations automatically.
About Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI):
It was initially constituted as a non-statutory body on April 12, 1988 through a resolution of the Government of India (GoI) and was later, established as a statutory body in 1992.
Chairperson- Tuhin Kanta Pandey
Headquarters- Mumbai, Maharashtra

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS

Rajasthan’s Manika Vishwakarma Crowned Miss Universe India 2025On 18th August 2025, Manika Vishwakarma from Sri Ganganagar(Rajasthan), was crowned Miss Universe India 2025 in a grand finale held in Jaipur, Rajasthan. She will represent India at the 74th Miss Universe pageant, scheduled for November 2025 at Thailand.

• The crown was passed on to Manika Vishwakarm by Rhea Singha, Miss Universe India 2024.

Key Details of the Event
Participants: The finale featured 48 contestants from states including Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh(MP), Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Odisha, West Bengal(WB), Jammu and Kashmir(J&K), Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh(UP), Punjab, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, and Delhi.
Judges: Panel included Miss Universe India owner Nikhil Anand, actress Urvashi Rautela (Miss Universe India 2015), and filmmaker Farhad Samji and Founder of Act Now Organisation Rajiv K Shrivastava, among others.
Organizer : The event was organized by the Glamanand Group.
Runners-up: Tanya Sharma (Uttar Pradesh, UP) – 1st Runner-up; Mehak Dhingra (Haryana) – 2nd Runner-up; Amishi Kaushik(Haryana) – 3rd Runner-up.
About Manika Vishwakarma:
Education: 22-year-old, Final-year Political Science and Economics student based in New Delhi, Delhi.
Artistic Recognition: She is a trained classical dancer and recognised by Lalit Kala Academy (New Delhi) and JJ School of Arts (Mumbai, Maharashtra) for her artistic talent
Advocacy: Founder of Neuronova, an initiative promoting neurodivergence awareness, encouraging inclusivity and viewing conditions such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) as cognitive strengths rather than disorders.
Global Representation: Represented India at Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Sewocon , organized by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA)
Previous Achievement: Winner of Miss Universe Rajasthan 2024

TopBrand Union Releases TopBrand 2025 ‘Top 500 Global Brands List’ : Microsoft ToppedThe TopBrand Union released the 4th edition of its “Top 500 Global Brands List” during the 19th China Brand Festival held from August 7 to 11, 2025, in Shenzhen, China. As per the list, Microsoft has ranked first with a brand value of approximately USD 1,062.5 billion.

• The event, held under the theme “AI and Global Expansion”, brought together 10,000 guests to participate in parallel forums, the Brand Expo, and other events.

Global Performance:
Top 5: The brands from the United States of America (USA) have dominated the top 5 spots, by occupying all 5 spots. The brand, Apple, which claimed the top rank since the first edition has slipped to the third spot for the first time.

• Microsoft, which ranked 2nd place in the 2024 list, climbed to the first place in 2025. NVIDIA has shown significant progress by climbing 2 places from 4th in 2024 to 2nd in 2025.
• Amazon has slipped one spot to 4th place in 2025 compared to 3rd in 2024. Google has retained its 5th position.
  >>Read Full News

SPORTS

Bhavina Patel Clinched Top Medals at ITTF World Para Events, Secures World No.1
In August 2025, Ms. Bhavina Patel, Assistant Director at the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC), Regional Office, Ahmedabad, wins top medals at two prestigious international para table tennis events held in Spokane, Washington, United States of America (USA).

About the Achievements:
Silver Medal: Patel won the Silver Medal in the Women’s Singles Class 4–5 category, at the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) World Para Future event, held from 6th to 8th August 2025.
Gold Medal: She clinched the Gold Medal, at the ITTF World Para Elite event (9th to 13th August 2025) in the same category, defeating some of the world’s best para table tennis players.
Global Recognition: With these successive performances, Patel rose to the No. 1 World Ranking in the Women’s Singles Class 1–5 category, marking a historic achievement for Indian para sports.

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Humanitarian Day 2025 – August 19World Humanitarian Day (WHD) is observed globally on 19 August each year to honour humanitarian workers, including those killed or injured while helping the most vulnerable.

• August 19, 2025 marks the 22nd anniversary of the tragic attack on the United Nations (UN) headquarters in Baghdad, Iraq.
• Theme 2025:  “Strengthening global solidarity and empowering local communities”

Background :
Launch of Campaign: In 2010, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) launched the World Humanitarian Day (WHD) campaign.
UN Proclamation: On 11 December 2008, the UN General Assembly (UNGA) adopted Resolution A/RES/63/139, declaring 19 August of every year as WHD.
First Observation: The first WHD was observed on 19 August 2009.
Why August 19? On 19 August 2003, a suicide truck bombing targeted the United Nations (UN) headquarters at the Canal Hotel in Baghdad, killing 22 people, including UN Special Representative Sérgio Vieira de Mello.
>>Read Full News

World Photography Day 2025 – August 19World Photography Day, also known as World Photo Day, is annually observed across the globe on August 19 to celebrate the art, craft, science, and history of photography.

• The day is also observed as a tribute to the invention of the daguerreotype, the first practical photographic process, developed by Louis Daguerre in 1837.
• 2025 Theme: The 2025 theme of World Photography Day is “My Favourite Photo”

About World Photography Day:
Photography: It is an art of capturing light with a camera to create images with cameras, phones, and drones. The word ‘photography’ means ‘drawing with light’ and it was coined by the British scientist Sir John Herschel in 1839.
Background: The invention of Daguerreotype was officially announced by the French Academy of Sciences in 1839. The French government purchased the patent for the invention and declared it a “gift free to the world” on August 19, 2010.

• In 2009, World Photography Day proposed it as an annual celebration to honour this pivotal moment in the history of photography.

Inception: World Photography Day was initially observed on 19th August 2010.
Week observance: World Photography Week 2025 is a two-week global celebration of photography from 12th to 26th August 2025.
>>Read Full News

STATE NEWS

West Bengal Launches ‘Shramshree‘ Scheme to Support Returning Bengali Migrant Workers
In August 2025, West Bengal(WB) Chief Minister (CM) Mamata Banerjee launched the ‘Shramshree’ scheme, aimed at assisting Bengali-migrant workers returning to the state after facing alleged harassment in other parts of India.

• The scheme provides financial aid and support to help these workers reintegrate into society and regain employment opportunities

Key Features of Shramshree Scheme
Financial Aid: Eligible workers will receive Rs. 5,000 per month for up to one year or until they secure employment in WB.
Implementation: Managed by the Labour Department of WB. Returning workers must register on the Shramshree portal to access benefits, including ration cards and Swastha Sathi healthcare cards.
Skill Development: Returning workers will receive free training under the Utkarsh Bangla scheme.
Employment : Migrant workers will be provided with job cards under the Karmashree scheme to facilitate work opportunities.

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