NEWS 31-07-2025. News For 4th-Aug (Monday) Monthly summary of July *National* 1. PM Narendra Modi has become the second-longest serving PM in Indian history, surpassing Dr. Manmohan Singh. As of July 25, only Jawaharlal Nehru served longer without a break. 2. India successfully tested its first hydrogen-powered train coach at Chennai, signaling a major step forward in green transportation. 3. Vice President Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned unexpectedly. He had assumed office in August 2022, and his tenure was due till 2027. 4. India has recently announced that 10 lakh citizens will be trained in Artificial Intelligence free of cost, mostly from rural backgrounds. 5. The Union Cabinet has approved a 3,706 crore HCL–Foxconn JV to set up a semiconductor plant in Jewar, UP. 6. India has halted the water flow to Pakistan through Baglihar Dam on Chenab River. 7. The Chenab Bridge, world’s tallest railway arch bridge (359m), was inaugurated by the Indian PM. 8. A 25,000 crore Maritime Development Fund has been allocated for shipbuilding in India. 9. 12 forts of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj were included in UNESCO World Heritage List. *DEFENCE* 1. India has developed a powerful conventional bunker-buster missile based on the Agni-V ballistic missile, weighing around 7,500 kg. This missile is designed to penetrate fortified underground targets up to 80 to 100 meters deep. 2. India and Russia are set to revive the BrahMos 2K hypersonic missile project based on Russia’s Zircon missile. The final approval is expected during President Putin’s visit to India in Sep '25. 3. DRDO has conducted two consecutive successful flight tests of the Pralay missile validating the missile’s maximum and minimum range capabilities. 4.India achieved a major milestone by successfully destroying two Aerial High-Speed Unmanned Targets at high altitudes in Ladakh using the *Akash Prime missile system*. 5. The Ministry of Defence has approved a 61,000 crore partnership with France’s Safran to jointly develop a 120kN next-generation jet engine for the AMCA program, with complete transfer of technology & intellectual property. Safran has also proposed a 110kN engine for Tejas Mk2. 6. The DRDO has successfully completed field trials of a 30-kilowatt laser weapon, capable of neutralising drones and low-altitude threats up to 5 km. In addition, work is underway on a more advanced 300-kilowatt Surya Laser Weapon, which will be capable of intercepting aircraft, missiles, and satellites. 7. The IAF is working to integrate the Astra MK2 air-to-air missile into its Mirage 2000 fleet. The new missile will extend the strike range to 160 km, which is double the current 80 km. 8. The Indian Army received its first batch of three Apache attack helicopters on July 22, 2025. 9. Navy has inducted INS Arnala, a new anti-submarine warfare vessel. 10. Some of the French Rafale parts will now be built in India jointly by Dassault company & Tatas in joint venture. 11. India has signed a deal to procure 26 Rafale Marine fighters from France worth 63,000 crore. 12. India has successfully tested Bhargavastra, an indigenous counter-drone system. 13. Anil Ambani’s Reliance Defence has partnered with Germany for the manufacture artillery ammunitions. 14. DRDO has successfully test-fired a 1,500 km hypersonic cruise missile under Project Vishnu, achieving Mach 8+ speed. 15. The Second GE-404 engine has been delivered to HAL. 12 Tejas Mk1A fighter jets are expected to be ready by year end. 16. Russia has offered its Su-57E and S-70 UAV combo with tech transfer for India’s AMCA program. *INTERNATIONAL* 1. PM Modi presided as the chief guest of Maldive's 60th Independence Day Parade. India has extended a Line of Credit worth 4,850 crore to the Maldives. 2. India & UK have signed FTA, which is projected to boost bilateral trade by £25.5 billion annually. 3. France has announced that it will officially recognize the State of Palestine during the upcoming United Nations General Assembly in September. 4. United States has designated The Resistance Front (TRF)—a proxy of the Lashkar-e-Taiba, as a Foreign Terrorist. 5. US-China trade deal has been finalized. While US has imposed 55% tariff on China, China has imposed 10% tariff on American goods. China has agreed to supply rare earth minerals in exchange for academic access for their students. 6. Bangladesh’s chief advisor, Muhammad Yunus, has announced elections in Bangladesh by mid 2026. 7. India has signed a long-term fertilizer agreements with Saudi Arabia during JP Nadda’s Gulf visit. 8. Airbus Spain has delivered the 15th C-295 transport aircraft to the Indian Air Force. *SPORTS* 1. India’s Divya Deshmukh became the first Indian woman to win the FIDE Women’s World Cup title, by defeating fellow Indian Grandmaster Koneru Humpy in the final held at Georgia. 2. India will host the prestigious FIDE World Cup 2025, scheduled from 30 Oct to 27 November. 3. At the 2025 FISU World University Games, held in Germany, India finished 20th in the medal tally, winning 2 gold, 5 silver, & 5 bronze. Japan topped the medal table. 4. India will be hosting the Chess World Cup 2025, which is scheduled to take place from 30th October to 27th Nov 2025. 5.Indian women’s hockey forward Deepika Sehrawat created history by becoming the first-ever Indian player to win the Poligras Magic Skill Award. 6.Neeraj Chopra of India has won gold in javelin throw at the Golden Spike event held in Ostrava. 7.India finished 2nd at Asian Athletics Championship held in South Korea, winning 24 medals (8 Gold, 10 Silver & 6 Bronze). 8.Indian Women’s Ice Hockey Team won bronze at Asia Cup held in UAE. 9. Neeraj Chopra has been conferred with the honorary rank of Lt Col in the Territorial Army. 10. India’s men’s badminton doubles pair Satwiksairaj & Chirag won Singapore Open Super 750. 11. Chess player Harikrishnan A. Ra. from Chennai has become India’s 87th Grandmaster. 12. Indian women's football team has made history by qualifying for the AFC women's Asian cup 2026 for the first time after 23 years. < < Back