CURRENT AFFAIRS
24 July, 2025
1. UPI’S POWER: INDIA NOW LEADS THE WORLD IN FAST PAYMENTS –
• India has become the global leader in fast payments, as noted by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in its report “Growing Retail Digital Payments: The Value of Interoperability,” highlighting Unified Payments Interface’s (UPI’s) transformative impact.
Key Highlights of the Report
• Global Leadership in Digital Payments: India’s Unified Payments Interface is also now the world’s number one real-time payment system.
• Massive Transaction Volume: UPI handles more than 640 million transactions every day, compared to Visa’s 639 million.
• Latest Figures (June 2025): UPI processed over 18 billion transactions monthly.
• In June alone, UPI processed transactions worth ₹24.03 lakh crore, a 32% rise in transaction volume compared to the same month last year.
• Dominant Force: UPI now handles a huge 85% of all digital payments in India and nearly half of all real-time digital transactions across the world.
• Massive Reach: The platform now serves 491 million individuals and 65 million merchants.
2. MID-TERM RESIGNATION OF THE VICE-PRESIDENT –
• On the first day of the Monsoon Session of Parliament, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned with immediate effect due to medical reasons, also stepping down as Rajya Sabha Chairman.
• He is only the third Vice-President in Indian history to resign before completing his term.
• Before Dhankhar, only V.V. Giri and R. Venkataraman had resigned mid-term as Vice-President. Both stepped down to contest presidential elections.
Vice-President of India
• He holds the second-highest constitutional office in India.
• He is ranked next to the President in the order of precedence.
• His office is modelled on that of the American Vice-President.
3. PM MODI MAKES HISTORY: BREAKS INDIRA GANDHI’S RECORD AS INDIA’S 2ND LONGEST SERVING PM! –
• On July 25, 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi achieved a major milestone by surpassing Indira Gandhi’s record of 4,077 consecutive days in office. With this, he became India’s second-longest serving Prime Minister in a single uninterrupted term, solidifying his position in India’s political history.
Background
• Indira Gandhi served continuously from January 1966 to March 1977. PM Modi, who first took office on May 26, 2014, crossed this record on July 25, 2025, completing 4,078 days in office. His political journey began in 2001 as Gujarat’s Chief Minister, and he has since led governments at both the state and national levels for nearly 24 years.
Key Achievements
• Modi is the first non-Congress Prime Minister to serve two full terms with a clear majority in the Lok Sabha. He is also the first post-independence born Prime Minister to hold the office and the longest-serving PM from a non-Hindi-speaking state. He led the BJP to three consecutive general election victories, a record only matched by Jawaharlal Nehru before him.
4. DRDO SUCCESSFULLY TEST-FIRES DRONE-LAUNCHED MISSILE ULPGM-V3 –
• India has made a significant leap in indigenous defence capabilities with the successful flight trials of the UAV-Launched Precision Guided Missile (ULPGM)-V3, developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). This marks an important milestone in India’s efforts toward self-reliance in high-end military technology.
Background
• The ULPGM project is part of India’s broader push to integrate advanced missile systems with Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). The recent trial was conducted at the National Open Area Range (NOAR) in Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh. The missile has been developed in collaboration with Indian private sector partners including MSMEs, start-ups, and Defence Capital Procurement Partners (DcPPs).
Significance
• The successful test of ULPGM-V3 highlights India’s growing competence in drone warfare and precision strike technologies. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh hailed the test as proof of Indian industry’s readiness to absorb and produce critical defence technologies, enhancing the vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat.
Key Features
• The ULPGM-V3, also called ULM-ER (Extended Range), is a fire-and-forget air-to-surface missile.
• It weighs 12.5 kg and uses passive homing with an imaging infrared seeker, making it effective both day and night.
• The missile has a dual-thrust solid propulsion unit and a maximum range of 4 km (day) and 2.5 km (night).
• It supports a two-way datalink and offers multiple warhead options for engaging static and moving targets.
• The missile is manufactured in partnership with Adani and Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL), while DRDO leads the design and testing.
5. INDIA RESUMES TOURIST VISAS FOR CHINESE CITIZENS AFTER FIVE YEARS –
• India has officially resumed the issuance of tourist visas to Chinese nationals after a five-year pause, marking a significant diplomatic and people-to-people development. This step reflects a cautious yet positive recalibration in India-China bilateral ties, especially in the realm of tourism, soft diplomacy, and regional engagement.
• The move also coincides with India’s broader efforts to revive inbound tourism and follows the reopening of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, a symbolic spiritual pilgrimage that draws many Chinese-origin followers.
Background
• India had suspended tourist visas for Chinese citizens in 2020 during the global COVID-19 outbreak, and tensions between India and China—particularly after the Galwan Valley clash in 2020—led to a continued freeze. Before COVID, travel between the two nations included tourism, business, academic exchanges, and pilgrimages, including visits to Buddhist and Hindu religious sites.
MCQ QUIZ
Q1. Which of the following statements is/are correct regarding the eligibility criteria to become the Vice President of India ?
1. The candidate must be a citizen of India.
2. The minimum age required is 30 years.
3. The person must be qualified to be elected as a member of the Lok Sabha.
4. The candidate must not hold any office of profit under the Government or public authority.
5. The person must be qualified to be elected as a member of the Rajya Sabha.
a) Only 1, 4, and 5
b) Only 1, 3, and 5
c) Only 1, 2, and 4
d) Only 2, 3, and 4
Q2. The National Broadcasting Day is celebrated annually in India on ____________
a) July 20
b) July 23
c) August 15
d) June 23
Q3. The NISAR satellite is scheduled to be launched on July 30, 2025, by which Indian launch vehicle ?
a) PSLV-C58
b) GSLV-F10
c) LVM3-M6
d) GSLV-F16
Q4. With reference to India’s Tourism Vision 2047, consider the following statements:
1. The goal is to double tourism’s contribution to GDP by 2047.
2. It aims to make India the most visited country by international tourists in Asia by 2047.
3. The initiative was launched by the Ministry of External Affairs and NITI Aayog.
Which of the above statements is/are correct ?
a) 1 only
b) 1 and 2 only
c) 2 and 3 only
d) 1 and 3 only
Explanation-
• Statement 1 is correct: The “India Tourism Vision 2047”, supported by NITI Aayog, aims to double tourism’s contribution to GDP from 5% to 10% by the centenary of India’s independence.
• Statement 2 is incorrect: While enhancing foreign tourist arrivals is a goal, there’s no explicit target to become the most visited country in Asia.
• Statement 3 is incorrect: The initiative involves NITI Aayog and Ministry of Tourism, not the Ministry of External Affairs.
Q5. Consider the following statements regarding the MiG-21 aircraft:
1. The MiG-21 was jointly developed by the Soviet Union’s Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau and India’s Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL).
2. The aircraft was primarily used in a defensive, air-to-air combat role and was not equipped for offensive bombing missions.
3. The entire fleet of MiG-21s is being replaced by the French-made Rafale jets as part of the Indian Air Force’s modernization drive.
How many of the above statements are correct ?
a) Only one
b) Only two
c) All three
d) None
Explanation-
• Statement 1 is incorrect. The MiG-21 was designed and developed exclusively by the Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau in the Soviet Union. Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) was involved later, but only for licensed production of the aircraft in India, not its joint development.
• Statement 2 is incorrect. The MiG-21 was a versatile, multi-role fighter. While it excelled as a supersonic interceptor, it was also capable of ground-attack missions and was equipped to carry not only air-to-air missiles and cannons but also bombs.
• Statement 3 is incorrect. The MiG-21 squadrons are being phased out and are primarily being replaced by the indigenously developed Tejas Mk-1A Light Combat Aircraft (LCA). While the Rafale jets are a crucial part of the IAF’s modernization, they are not the designated replace
Answer Key
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
A | B | D | A | D |