NEWS 17-07-2025. News For 25th-Jul (Friday) *National News* 1. The Union Cabinet has approved *Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana*. This scheme is designed to enhance agricultural productivity through better irrigation, post-harvest storage, & credit access. It is expected to benefit around 1.7 crore farmers. 2. Vice President Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned unexpectedly. He had assumed office in August 2022 and his tenure was due till 2027. 3. The Ministry of Railways has approved a Final Location Survey for a new 77.96 km railway line between Jammu and Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra. This move is aimed at improving travel for devotees and boosting infrastructure in the Jammu region. 4. Delhi is preparing for its first-ever cloud seeding operation, which will be carried out between August 30 and September 10. The goal is to reduce air pollution through artificial rainfall. 5. Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw recently announced 10 lakh citizens will be trained in Artificial Intelligence free of cost, with special preference given to Village Level Entrepreneurs to enhance digital capacity in rural India. 6. India has achieved a commendable result at the 66th International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) 2025, held in Australia, securing three gold, two silver, and one bronze medal. *DEFENCE* 1. 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*. 2. On July 17, 2025, India successfully conducted test-firings of both the Prithvi-II and Agni-I short-range ballistic missiles from the Integrated Test Range in Chandipur, Odisha. 3. 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 and intellectual property. Safran has also proposed a 110kN engine for the Tejas Mk2. 4. The Indo-Russian Rifles Private Limited (IRRPL) is now expected to complete the delivery of 6.01 lakh AK-203 rifles nearly 22 months ahead of schedule. The contract, worth ?5,200 crore, was originally slated to end by October 2032. 5. Approval to raise 20 additional CRPF battalions has been granted by the Govt, adding over 20,000 personnel for deployment in Jammu and Kashmir. 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. *INTERNATIONAL* 1. The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) launched strikes on the Syrian regime’s military headquarters in Damascus, citing threats to Druze civilians. 2. United States has designated The Resistance Front (TRF)—a proxy of the Lashkar-e-Taiba, as a Foreign Terrorist. 3. India has expressed readiness to consider reviving the Russia–India–China trilateral dialogue, following renewed interest shown by Russia. 4. PM Modi has gone on a 4 days visit to UK & Maldives from July 23rd to July 27 2025. At UK he is likely to sign FTA and at Maldives, he is going to be the chief guest of Maldives 60th Independence day parade. *SPORTS* 1. India will be hosting the Chess World Cup 2025, which is scheduled to take place from 30th October to 27th Nov 2025. 2. Indian women’s hockey forward Deepika Sehrawat created history by becoming the first-ever Indian player to win the Poligras Magic Skill Award. < < Back