GA Notes - 07-August-2025

General Awareness

• Government Initiatives

1. National Handloom Day Celebrations: The Ministry of Textiles in collaboration with National Handloom Development Corporation celebrated the
11th National Handloom Day at Handloom Haat, Janpath, New Delhi. The celebration featured an Exclusive Handloom Expo open till August 10
showcasing 116 unique weaves with live demonstrations, and the launch of "Haat on Wheels" mobile retail initiative targeting Delhi NCR markets,
residential colonies, and art zones to promote vocal for local and direct artisan-consumer linkage.

Electronics Manufacturing Growth (2014-15 to 2024-25)

₹11.3L cr
₹3.27L cr
2024-25
Production 2024-25
Exports

₹1.9L cr ₹38K cr
2014-15
2014-15
Production
Exports

6x 8x
PRODUCTION GROWTH EXPORT GROWTH

2. Mobile Manufacturing Revolution: India's mobile manufacturing sector witnessed extraordinary expansion with manufacturing units growing
from 2 to 300 units while production increased 28 times from ₹18,000 crore to ₹5.45 lakh crore. Mobile phone exports demonstrated remarkable
127% growth reaching ₹2 lakh crore, supported by comprehensive policy framework and foreign direct investment inflows.

Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme Impact

₹13,107 cr ₹8.57L cr
CUMULATIVE INVESTMENT PRODUCTION VALUE

₹4.66L cr 1.35L
TOTAL EXPORTS DIRECT JOBS

Job Multiplier Effect: 1 Direct Job → 3 Indirect Jobs

3. Semiconductor Infrastructure Development: The Semicon India Programme approved six projects for semiconductors and display
manufacturing with estimated investment exceeding ₹1.55 lakh crore and expected creation of over 27,000 direct jobs. The Electronics Components
Manufacturing Scheme allocated ₹22,919 crore to deepen the components ecosystem supporting India's electronics manufacturing ambitions.

• MOUs and Agreements, Partnerships and Alliances

1. India-Philippines Strategic Partnership: Both nations established a comprehensive Strategic Partnership in New Delhi marking 75 years of
diplomatic relations since 1949. The Plan of Action covers the period 2025-2029 encompassing political and diplomatic engagement, defense and
maritime security, economic cooperation with bilateral trade reaching USD 3.3 billion in 2024-25, science and technology innovation, connectivity
enhancement, and multilateral cooperation including UN initiatives, climate change action, counter-terrorism efforts, and Sustainable Development
Goals implementation.

2. SAP-Gati Shakti University Collaboration: Europe's largest software company SAP signed a memorandum of understanding with Gati Shakti
Vishwavidyalaya in Vadodara, Gujarat, to digitally skill logistics professionals. The partnership focuses on employment enablement, curriculum
enhancement, capacity building, and establishing industry linkages for research and development alongside employment opportunities in India's
expanding logistics sector.

• Science and Technology

1. ISRO HOPE Mission Launch: The Indian Space Research Organisation launched the High-altitude Isolation Experiment on August 1, 2025, at
14,000 feet altitude near Tso Kar, Ladakh, for a 10-day duration. The Himalayan Outpost for Planetary Exploration facility, built by Bengaluru-based
Protoplanet and inaugurated by ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan, simulates extreme space-like conditions for Gaganyaan mission preparation and
future interplanetary human spaceflight programs.

HOPE Mission Parameters

14,000 ft 10 Days
ALTITUDE MISSION DURATION

Crew Members:
• Rahul Mogalapalli - PhD student, Purdue University
• Yaman Akot - Planetary Science graduate, University of Aberdeen

• Sports

1. Archery League Launch: The Archery Association of India under President Arjun Munda announced India's first-ever franchise-based Archery
League inspired by IPL format. The inaugural edition will run for 11 days in October 2025 at Yamuna Sports Complex, Delhi, featuring men and
women in recurve and compound categories with support from World Archery, World Archery Asia, and Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.

2. Pan American Hockey Championships: Argentina achieved double gold at the 2025 Pan American Hockey Cup in Montevideo, Uruguay. In the
men's tournament, Argentina secured gold while United States won silver and Canada bronze, with Argentina qualifying for the 2026 World Cup. The
women's tournament saw Argentina claiming gold, United States silver, and Uruguay bronze, with United States qualifying for the 2026 World Cup.
The next FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 will be hosted jointly by Belgium and Netherlands.

Banking and Finance Current Affairs

• RBI Notification/Press Release/Reports

1. 56th Monetary Policy Committee Meeting: RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra chaired the MPC meeting from August 4-6, 2025, maintaining the
repo rate unchanged at 5.5% with supporting rates including SDF Rate at 5.25% and MSF & Bank Rate at 5.75%. The committee includes Dr.
Nagesh Kumar, Saugata Bhattacharya, Prof. Ram Singh, Dr. Poonam Gupta, and Dr. Rajiv Ranjan, with the next meeting scheduled for September
29 to October 1, 2025.

RBI Economic Projections for FY26

Economic Indicator FY26 Projection Quarterly Breakdown

GDP Growth 6.5% Q1: 6.5%, Q2: 6.7%, Q3: 6.6%, Q4: 6.3%

CPI Inflation 3.1% Q2: 2.1%, Q3: 3.1%, Q4: 4.4%

Q1 FY27 Projections GDP: 6.6%, CPI: 4.9% Maintaining growth momentum

✓ June 2025 inflation at 2.1% (77-month low)

• Banking Reforms and Committees

GST Compliance & Evasion Detection (2020-21 to 2024-25)

₹7.08L cr 91,370
TOTAL EVASION DETECTED TOTAL CASES

₹1.29L cr 96.7%
VOLUNTARY DEPOSITS CGST COLLECTION VS RE

Technology Framework: E-invoicing, Advanced Analytics & AI, Project Anveshan (Facial Recognition & E-way Bill Analysis), Risk-based
Audits, System-based Outlier Identification

• Banks & NBFCs News

India Services PMI Performance

60.5
July 2025 PMI Reading

11-month high (from 60.4 in June)

Highest since August 2024

1. Digital Banking Security Innovation: Axis Bank launched the 'Lock FD' feature to prevent online Fixed Deposit fraud by restricting premature
closure via digital platforms including mobile and internet banking. After enabling this feature, customers must visit a physical Axis Bank branch for
closure, introducing an extra identity verification layer that protects against stolen credentials, SIM swap scams, and unauthorized access attempts.

Business Confidence Index Surge (NCAER)

139.3 → 149.4
Previous Quarter Q1 FY 2024-25

Business Sentiment Indicator Percentage Response Sector Outlook

Production Increase 78.7% Manufacturing expansion

Higher Domestic Sales 79.1% Consumption growth

Export Growth 66.5% International competitiveness

Pre-tax Profit Rise 61% Profitability improvement

• Capital Market News

1. Agricultural Finance Infrastructure: NABARD promoted 6,215 Farmer Producer Organizations across various central schemes providing
comprehensive support including formation and registration, capacity building, financial literacy, credit facilitation, and market linkage services. The
organization conducted FPO Melas under the TARANG initiative in partnership with SFAC and ONDC covering 50 locations across 24 States and
Union Territories for product promotion and digital branding.

2. Foreign Investment Exit: Chinese fintech giant Ant Financial, backed by Jack Ma, completed its full exit from One97 Communications, the
parent company of Paytm, by selling its 5.84% stake for approximately ₹3,803 crore through bulk deal transactions on the stock market, marking the
complete withdrawal of the Chinese entity from India's digital payments sector.

Economic and Social Issues

• Government Schemes & Initiatives

1. Punjab Inclusive Justice Initiative: Punjab became the first state to empanel sign language interpreters, translators, and special educators
under the Juvenile Justice Care and Protection of Children Act 2015 and POCSO Act 2012. Dr. Baljit Kaur, Minister for Social Security, Women and
Child Development, under CM Bhagwant Mann's leadership, announced this pioneering initiative to ensure accessible justice for children with hearing
and speech impairments, eliminating communication barriers in court proceedings, education systems, and daily administrative interactions.

• Reports & Indices

Gujarat Export Leadership 2024-25

₹9.83L cr

Gujarat
26.6%
₹5.57L cr

Maharashtra ₹3.63L cr
2nd
Jamnagar
District

Top Export Commodities: Petroleum Products, Gems & Jewellery, Organic Chemicals, Pharmaceuticals, Engineering Goods
Top Destination: United States
Market Advantage: Diversified exports to traditional and emerging markets

• Key Economic & Social Developments

1. Bilateral Trade Expansion: The India-Philippines Strategic Partnership targets enhanced economic cooperation through Preferential Trade
Agreement negotiations and joint ventures in infrastructure, renewable energy, digital technologies, and critical minerals. The partnership strengthens
ASEAN centrality and Indo-Pacific engagement while supporting the 2016 Arbitral Award on the South China Sea and promoting rules-based
international order.

2. International Solar Alliance Growth: Moldova became the 107th member of the International Solar Alliance with the Instrument of Ratification
handed over by Ambassador Ana Taban in New Delhi. The ISA, launched in 2015 at COP21 by India and France, now encompasses 124 countries
that have signed or ratified membership, focusing on agriculture, healthcare, transportation, and power generation applications while working to
unlock global solar energy investments and reduce technology costs.