📅 Date: 18th July
2025
📌 Focus: Governance,
Economy, Science, Defence, Sports & Awards
🎯 Useful
for: UPSC, SSC, Banking, Railways, and State PSC exams
🏛️ State News
🧼 Mysuru Joins India’s Super Swachh League, Bengaluru Climbs to
36th 🏙️
In the Swachh Survekshan 2024–25,
Karnataka made notable progress:
·
Bengaluru jumped to 36th position among
Million-Plus Cities (from 125th last year), a massive leap in urban
cleanliness.
·
However, the city still struggled in areas like toilet maintenance and landfill site management.
·
Mysuru proudly entered
the Super
Swachh League, reflecting its sustained excellence in:
·
Sanitation infrastructure 🛁
·
Community involvement 🧍♂️🧍♀️
·
Long-term planning
This showcases Karnataka’s dual narrative—urban innovation vs implementation
gaps—within the Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban.
🏗️ Maharashtra Unveils Vidarbha’s First Integrated Steel Plant 🏭
In a landmark development:
·
Maharashtra launched Vidarbha’s first integrated steel
plant in Gadchiroli, led by
LMEL.
·
Key features:
·
4.5 MnTPA steel
facility
·
5 MnTPA iron ore
grinding plant
·
India’s first 10 MnTPA
slurry pipeline
·
Expected Benefits:
·
Boost in local employment
·
Emergence of Vidarbha as an industrial hub
·
Advancement in green logistics
·
Alignment with Make in India and Green Growth visions
🏦 Banking News
❌ HSBC Exits Net-Zero Banking Alliance 🌍
A bold move in climate finance:
·
HSBC became the first UK-based bank to
withdraw from the Net
Zero Banking Alliance (NZBA).
·
The exit aligns with recent withdrawals by US and Canadian
banks.
·
Key Implications:
·
Raises questions on HSBC’s climate commitments
·
Climate activists and
investors have criticized the move
·
Despite reaffirming its Net Zero 2050 target,
HSBC’s credibility is under scrutiny
·
Reflects growing discord within global climate finance
frameworks
🚘 Business News
⚡ Tesla Opens First Showroom in Mumbai’s BKC 🇮🇳
A major milestone in India's EV journey:
·
Tesla launched its first showroom in India at Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC), Mumbai.
·
Introduced the Model Y starting
at ₹59.89 lakh.
·
Key highlights:
·
EVs imported initially
·
Supercharging infrastructure in pipeline ⚡
·
Global safety and tech standards
·
Despite high import duties,
Tesla aims to:
·
Support EV adoption
·
Create a premium user experience
·
Reinforce Mumbai’s place as an automotive innovation hub
🤝 Agreements News
🛩️ Vimananu-CYGR Tie-up to Boost India’s Drone Industry 🇮🇳
In a strategic defence move:
·
Vimananu Ltd and CYGR signed a
partnership for drone
production in Navi Mumbai.
·
Focus areas:
·
ISR drones (Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance)
·
Nano drones
·
Fixed-wing UAVs
·
Alignment with:
·
Aatmanirbhar Bharat
·
Defence tech
self-reliance
·
Enhancing India’s position in global UAV supply
chains
🏆 Awards &
Achievements News
🌆 Vijayawada Wins Cleanliness Award Despite Floods 🚿
A tale of resilience:
·
Vijayawada emerged as a top 4 cleanest city despite
severe 2024 floods.
·
Achievements include:
·
Seven-star garbage-free
rating
·
Advanced solid waste
processing units
·
Credit goes to:
·
Prompt post-flood recovery
·
Smart waste segregation
·
Strong citizen engagement
·
The city is now seen as a model for sustainable and
disaster-resilient urban governance.
🧪 India Excels at 57th International Chemistry Olympiad 2025 🥇
Science shines on global stage:
·
Indian students bagged:
·
2 Gold Medals
·
2 Silver Medals
·
Held in Dubai, the Olympiad
showcased:
·
India's excellence in STEM education
·
Rigorous training by HBCSE-TIFR
·
Supported by:
·
Department of Atomic Energy (DAE)
·
Ministry of Education (MoE)
·
Department of Science & Technology (DST)
India’s Olympiad success affirms the country’s growing strength in scientific talent
development.
🌊 INCOIS Wins National Geospatial Practitioner Award 🏅
Ocean intelligence gets recognized:
·
INCOIS (Hyderabad) bagged the National Geospatial Practitioner
Award 2025 at IIT Bombay.
·
Honoured for:
·
Using open-source GIS in
ocean forecasting
·
Enhancing disaster alert systems
·
INCOIS applications support:
·
Marine weather prediction 🌊
·
Fishing zones 🎣
·
Coastal planning and disaster mitigation
This award highlights the value of tech-powered marine governance.
🎭 Kerala Honors Classical Arts with State Awards 🥁
Preserving cultural roots:
·
Kerala announced several prestigious classical art awards for
2023:
·
Kathakali Award: Kuroor Vasudevan
Namboothiri
·
Vadya Puraskaram: Sankara Warrier &
Mattannur Sankarankutty Marar
·
Nritta-Natya Puraskaram: Girijadevi
·
Recognizes excellence in:
·
Kathakali, Chenda, Maddalam, Koodiyattam
·
Encourages future generations to pursue and sustain India’s ancient art forms.
🛡️ Defence News
🚀 India Successfully Tests Prithvi-II and Agni-I Ballistic
Missiles 🧪
Strengthening deterrence:
·
India conducted successful tests of:
·
Prithvi-II: Short-range,
surface-to-surface
·
Agni-I: Medium-range
ballistic missile
·
Both developed by DRDO, and tested at Chandipur Range
·
Goals Achieved:
·
Validated operational readiness
·
Reinforced nuclear deterrence
·
Enhanced indigenous defence tech
These successful tests signify India's robust strategic capabilities.
⚓ India Set to Join SIMBEX 2025 Naval Exercise with Singapore 🚢
Maritime diplomacy in action:
·
India to participate in SIMBEX 2025,
enhancing India-Singapore naval ties
·
Will involve:
·
INS Delhi, INS Satpura, and
other key platforms
·
Strategic objectives:
·
Advance the Act East Policy
·
Promote a Free and Open Indo-Pacific
·
Strengthen regional stability under
SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region)
Also paves way for India’s hosting of MILAN 2026 and International Fleet Review.
🏉 Sports News
🏆 Bihar Clinches U18 Boys’ Title in Junior National Rugby 7s
Championship 🎖️
Historic double win:
·
Bihar secured the U18 Boys’ title,
defeating Odisha 17–15.
·
Earlier also won the U18 Girls’ title—a
rare double feat.
·
Star performers:
·
Goldan Kumar
·
Sunny Kumar
·
Other top teams: Maharashtra, Delhi
·
The event acts as a pipeline for India’s national rugby
program, with scouts eyeing future prospects.
🕊️ Obituaries
🪂 Felix Baumgartner Passes Away in Paragliding Crash
A legend remembered:
·
Felix Baumgartner, known for his
record-setting 2012
space jump, died in a paragliding crash in Italy,
aged 56.
·
Achievements:
·
First to break the sound barrier in free fall
·
Holder of multiple skydiving world records
·
Pioneered advancements in aerospace and flight safety
Felix’s legacy continues to inspire the world of extreme adventure and science.
📚 Conclusion
The 18th
July 2025 Current Affairs covers vital developments across urban innovation, defence, education,
business, and environment, offering power-packed insights for
all competitive exam aspirants.
Whether you're prepping for UPSC, SSC, or Banking, stay
informed with this daily digest to improve your GS, Essay, Interview, and Mains
answer-writing!
🔗 Source Links
(Embedded in Title)
·
🌆 Swachh Survekshan Rankings
·
🏭 Vidarbha Steel Plant Inauguration
·
🚘 Tesla India Showroom Launch
·
🎭 Kerala Classical Art Awards
·
⚓ SIMBEX Naval
Exercise 2025
·
🏉 Rugby 7s
Championship Results
·
🪂 Felix Baumgartner Obituary
