SPORTS
India Shines at U17 World Wrestling Championships 2025
• India showcased an impressive performance at the U17 World Wrestling Championships held in Athens, Greece from July 28 to August 3, securing a total of six medals – three gold, two silver, and one bronze.
• Rachana created history by becoming the first Indian to win gold in the 43kg women’s freestyle, with a dominant 3-0 victory over China’s Xin Huang.
• In the 65kg women’s freestyle, Ashvini Vishnoi clinched gold, defeating Uzbekistan’s Mukhayyo Rakhimjonova.
• Hardeep earned India its first medal of the tournament by winning gold in the 110kg Greco-Roman category.
• Moni and Kajal bagged silver medals in the 57kg and 73kg women’s freestyle events, respectively.
• Komal Verma rounded off India’s medal tally with a bronze in the 49kg category, overcoming Anhelina Burkina.
AWARDS
Winners of the 71st National Film Awards Celebrated Across Indian Cinema
• The 71st National Film Awards honored excellence in Indian cinema, recognizing outstanding contributions across various categories:
• Best Actor was jointly awarded to Shah Rukh Khan (Jawan) and Vikrant Massey (12th Fail).
• Rani Mukerji took home the Best Actress award for her powerful performance in Mrs Chatterjee Vs Norway.
• 12th Fail earned the title of Best Feature Film, with Piyush Thakur named Best Director.
• The Best Non-Feature Film went to Flowering Man, while God Vulture and Human was awarded Best Documentary.
• Sam Bahadur received special recognition for portraying national and social themes.
• The award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment went to Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani.
• GV Prakash Kumar was honored as Best Music Director for Vaathi, while Shilpa Rao (Jawan) and PVN S Rohit (Baby) won Best Playback Singer awards.
• Technical honors were given to:
o Best Editing – Pookalam (Malayalam)
o Best Cinematography – The Kerala Story
o Best Children’s Film – Naal 2 (Marathi)
• Utpal Dutta was recognized as the Best Film Critic.
GOVERNMENT SCHEMES
India Kicks Off India-UN Global South Capacity Initiative
• On August 1, 2025, India launched its first set of development projects under the India-UN Global South Capacity Initiative, focused on aiding developing nations through skill and tech support.
• The initiative was introduced by EAM S. Jaishankar at UNGA 2023, aiming to strengthen South-South cooperation and progress on SDGs.
• Under the ITEC program, India offers 12,000+ training slots annually in 400+ sectors, benefiting 160+ nations.
• First four projects:
• Nepal: Rice fortification (with WFP)
• Zambia & Laos: Digital health systems (with UNDP)
• Caribbean: Census aid (with UNFPA)
• South Sudan: Vocational training (with UNESCO)
• Training begins September 2025 via ITEC institutions.
NATIONAL NEWS
India Achieves Historic Milestone in Organ Transplants
• India performed a record 18,900 organ transplants in 2024, making it the world’s third-highest in transplant numbers, following the United States and China.
• The milestone was highlighted by Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda during the 15th Indian Organ Donation Day on August 2.
• Since the launch of the Aadhaar-linked NOTTO portal in 2023, over 3.3 lakh people have registered their intent to donate organs, reflecting growing public awareness and participation.
• India has also emerged as a global leader in hand transplant surgeries, showcasing advancements in complex medical procedures.
• The government provides strong financial backing to transplant patients, including:
o Assistance of up to ₹15 lakh via the Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi
o A monthly post-transplant allowance of ₹10,000
o Kidney transplants fully covered under Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY
• States such as Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Puducherry, and Ratna North were recognized for outstanding contributions in organ donation.
• July is observed nationwide as Organ Donation Month under the Angdaan-Jeevan Sanjivani Abhiyan, featuring extensive awareness campaigns and pledge drives.
