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14 & 15 August
HEAD LINES
India Reaches 100 GW Milestone in Solar PV Module Manufacturing
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India has achieved a landmark milestone of 100 Gigawatt of solar PV module manufacturing capacity listed under the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM), a remarkable leap from just 2.3 GW in 2014.
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It strengthens India’s path towards Atmanirbhar Bharat and the target of 500-Gigawatt non-fossil capacity by 2030.
India will host 2030 Commonwealth Games
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Indian Olympic Association, IOA formally approved India’s bid to host the Commonwealth Games in 2030 in its Special General Meeting in Delhi.
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The year 2030 will mark 20 years to the Commonwealth Games hosted in New Delhi. This was the first and only time that India has hosted the Games.
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The Commonwealth Games is an international multi-sport event involving athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations — a group of countries, most of which were formerly part of the British Empire.
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First Held: 1930, in Hamilton, Canada.
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Frequency: Every 4 years (quadrennial).
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2022: Birmingham, England. [India finished fourth with a total of 61 medals. This included 22 gold, 16 silver, and 23 bronze medals.]
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Next: 2026, Victoria, Australia
Bhu-Neer Portal
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Launched by: Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) in 2024
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Aim: to streamline groundwater regulation across 19 States and Union Territories in India.
Features:
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Facilitates quick and transparent processing of No Objection Certificate (NOC) applications for groundwater extraction.
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Supports sustainable groundwater management aligned with the Ministry of Jal Shakti’s guidelines.
Chief Minister Kisan Kalyan Yojana
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On 14 August 2025, over 83 lakh farmers in Madhya Pradesh will get the second instalment of the Chief Minister Kisan Kalyan Yojana 2025-26.
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Launched: September 2020
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Initial phase (2020–2023): ₹4,000 per year (2 instalments of ₹2000 each)
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From FY 2023–24 onward: Increased to ₹6,000 per year (3 instalments of ₹2000 each)
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Eligibility: Small/marginal MP farmers with land, PM-Kisan registered
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Combined Aid with PM-Kisan Scheme
15 AUGUST 2025
Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana
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Announced during the Prime Minister’s Independence Day speech from the Red Fort on 79th Independence Day of India.
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PM-Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana is a ₹99,446 crore employment-driven initiative.
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It is designed to address youth unemployment, promote formal sector jobs, and bolster India’s economic growth as part of the broader “Viksit Bharat by 2047” vision.
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Launched Date - Announced Aug 15, 2025; effective from Aug 1, 2025
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Duration - Until July 31, 2027
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Job Creation Target - 3.5 crore jobs
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The scheme will be operated in dual Structure model- operates on a two-pronged incentive model targeting both first-time employees and employers.
Part A: Benefits for First-Time Employees
Eligibility:
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First job in private sector
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EPFO registration post August 1, 2025
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Monthly earnings up to ₹1 lakh
Incentive:
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One-month EPF wage up to ₹15,000, disbursed in two installments:
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First: After six months of continuous employment
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Second: After 12 months, upon completion of a financial literacy programme
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Savings Component: A portion of the second installment is kept in a fixed deposit or savings instrument to encourage financial security
Part B: Incentives for Employers
Eligibility:
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EPFO-registered employers
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Must create additional jobs:
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<50 employees: Minimum 2 new hires
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≥50 employees: Minimum 5 new hires
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New hires must earn up to ₹1 lakh/month and remain employed for at least six months
Incentive:
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Up to ₹3,000/month per additional employee, for two years
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In manufacturing, this extends to three and four years
India reached a new milestone in ocean exploration
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Two Indian aquanauts have achieved historic deep-sea records in the North Atlantic Ocean, marking a major leap forward in India’s Deep Ocean Mission.
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On August 5, Raju Ramesh (NIOT scientist) dove 4,025 meters deep aboard the French submersible Nautile.
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On August 6, retired Commander Jatinder Pal Singh reached an astounding 5,002 meters—the deepest human dive ever by an Indian.
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These dives come as crucial preparation for Samudrayaan, India’s first indigenously developed human deep-sea mission using the Matsya-6000 submersible, which aims to carry three aquanauts to a depth of 6,000 meters by 2027.
Importance-
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These missions position India among an elite group of fewer than six nations capable of such deep-sea exploration.
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The operation was conducted in collaboration with IFREMER, France’s premier marine research institute. The aquanauts even planted both the Indian and French flags on the ocean floor—symbolizing international cooperation and India’s growing prowess.
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This landmark dive underscores India’s strides in marine technology, scientific collaboration, and long-term oceanic ambition—all playing a critical role in the nation’s “blue economy.”
India’s Demographic Mission
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On Independence Day, August 15, 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the launch of a “high-powered Demography (or Demographic) Mission” during his speech at the Red Fort.
PM Modi emphasized:
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Infiltrators threatening youth, women, tribals, and their land rights.
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The mission’s imperative to address infiltration in sensitive border areas where demographic shifts could undermine national unity
This move was framed as a response to what he described as a "well-thought-out conspiracy" to alter India's demographic makeup through illegal infiltration—posing threats to national security, border integrity, livelihoods, and vulnerable communities like tribals.
States like Assam have implemented restrictions on land sales.
Ancient Human Presence in Wallacea
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Archaeologists in Sulawesi, Indonesia, have uncovered stone tools indicating that Homo erectus inhabited the Wallacea region around 1.5 million years ago.
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his finding significantly pushes back the timeline of human presence on these islands and suggests that early humans reached the areas between Asia and Australia much earlier than previously thought, challenging established ideas about their migration routes and ability to undertake sea crossings.
Discovery:
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In South Sulawesi’s Soppeng region, archaeologists from Australia and Indonesia discovered small, chipped stone tools that were likely used to cut small animals and shape rocks. These artifacts, unearthed beneath layers of soil, were dated through radioactive techniques to be as old as 1.48 million years. The dating was further confirmed by animal teeth found in the same deposits.
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Previously, it was thought that early humans in Wallacea lived only around 1 million years ago on nearby islands like Flores and Luzon.
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The discovery challenges the belief that early humans could not travel across open seas. It indicates that Homo erectus might have migrated from the Asian mainland to Wallacea islands.
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This opens new discussions on the routes and methods of prehistoric human dispersal towards Australia and the Pacific regions.
About Wallacea-
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A group of islands in Eastern Indonesia
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It includes- Sulawesi, Lombok, Flores, Timor, and Sumbawa
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lies between the large islands of Borneo and Java to the west and Australia and New Guinea to the east.
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named after Alfred Russel Wallace, a naturalist who studied its unique flora and fauna.
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represents a biogeographical zone with a mix of Asian and Australasian species.
Nagaland Governor La Ganesan passes away
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La Ganesan was appointed Governor of Nagaland in February 2023. Earlier, he served as Governor of Manipur and also briefly held additional charge of West Bengal.
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He was politician of Tamil Nadu.
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Ganesan was appointed as the governor of Nagaland since 20 February 2023. He also served as the Governor of West Bengal, in an additional charge role, from July 18, 2022 to November 17, 2022 respectively and Governor of Manipur from 2021 till 2023.
Kargil’s apricots make debut in Saudi Arabia
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Apricots from India’s Kargil district in Ladakh have been introduced to Saudi Arabian consumers for the first time, marking a significant milestone in India-Saudi agricultural trade relations.
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The launch took place at Lulu Hypermarket in Riyadh during India’s 79th Independence Day celebrations.
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These are premium fruit products as part of the government’s One District One Product initiative, which promotes unique regional specialties from across India. The launch ceremony was integrated into the broader “India Utsav” festivities commemorating the nation’s independence.
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