Daily Current Affairs Quiz2 August, 2025 National Affairs 1. Apna Ghar Initiative Context: The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has launched a national-level initiative titled ‘Apna Ghar’ in 2025, designed to provide dignified resting facilities for truck drivers across highways in India. About Apna Ghar Initiative: Objectives: Key Features: PIB 2. ISRO Identifies Cause of PSLV-C61/EOS-09 Mission Failure Context: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has concluded its investigation into the PSLV-C61/EOS-09 mission failure that occurred on May 18, 2025. ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan confirmed that the Failure Analysis Committee has pinpointed the cause. Key Highlights: Significance TH 3. ISRO to Launch U.S.-Developed BlueBird Satellite Aboard LVM3 Context: ISRO is set to launch the Block 2 BlueBird communication satellite, developed by U.S.-based AST SpaceMobile, in the next 3–4 months, ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan announced on Friday. Key Highlights: TH 4. Govt Expands PM SVANidhi Scheme Context: The Union Government has approved the second phase of the PM Street Vendor’s AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) scheme with enhanced loan limits and the introduction of UPI-linked credit cards to deepen financial inclusion for urban street vendors. Key Highlights: TOI Banking/Finance 1. SEBI Plans Major Reforms for Mega IPOs Context: The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) is considering regulatory reforms to streamline large Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) and improve market efficiency, especially for high-value companies like NSE, Reliance Jio, and Flipkart. Key Highlights: BS 2. RBI’s MuleHunter Platform to Tackle Bank Frauds Gains Traction Context: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is scaling up the deployment of its AI-driven MuleHunter platform across more banks to curb fraud involving mule accounts. Key Highlights: Significance BS 3. UPI’s ‘Free Payments’ Model Under Strain as ICICI Bank Imposes Charges on Payment Aggregators Context: ICICI Bank has begun charging payment aggregators (PAs) for processing UPI transactions, raising concerns over the long-term viability of the zero-cost digital payments ecosystem. Key Highlights: TOI 4. NPCI Introduces Revised UPI Rules Context: The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has introduced new Unified Payments Interface (UPI) rules, effective from August 1, 2025, to enhance system efficiency, user experience, and fraud prevention. Key Highlights: Balance Enquiry Auto Payment Processing Bank Details Access Transaction Status Updates Recipient Details Before Payment Compliance & Penalties About NPCI TOI 5. MCX Relaunches Cardamom Futures Trading Contracts Context: The Multi-Commodity Exchange of India (MCX) has reintroduced cardamom futures contracts, initially launching for August, September, and October 2025. The relaunch comes after a regulatory pause initiated in 2021. Key Highlights: Cardamom Futures Contract Specifications Significance of Relaunch This initiative is expected to benefit the entire cardamom value chain, from farmers to global buyers, aligning with broader goals of agricultural market modernization. BS 6. Finance Ministry Notifies 0.1% Concessional Government Guarantee Fee for NaBFID Context: The Ministry of Finance has set a 0.1% concessional guarantee fee for the National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and Development (NaBFID) to enable access to low-cost foreign capital for infrastructure development. Key Highlights: About NaBFID BL Agriculture 1. AI in Indian Agriculture Context: India’s agriculture sector, which supports over 42% of the population and contributes 18.2% to GDP, faces persistent challenges like low yields, high post-harvest losses (up to 15%), and limited access to irrigation, credit, and market linkage. Emerging digital solutions like artificial intelligence (AI) are now being deployed to address these gaps. AI’s Transformative Impact Challenges in Adoption Policy and Structural Reforms Needed BL Awards 1. 71st National Film Awards 2023 Context: The 71st National Film Awards, recognising excellence in Indian cinema for the year 2023, were announced. The honours celebrated both seasoned actors and emerging talent across multiple languages and genres, reflecting the depth and diversity of Indian filmmaking. Top Awards and Major Highlights Best Feature Film Best Actor (Male) (Shared) Best Actor (Female) Best Director Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment Best Film on National, Social and Environmental Issues Read more>> Facts To Remember 1. Trump to deploy nuclear submarines in response to Medvedev’s comments U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday that he had ordered the deployment of two nuclear submarines in response to “highly provocative” comments by a senior Russian official. 2. SAI felicitates young medal-winning archers Jadhav and Bhardwaj World University Games champion archer Sahil Jadhav said coach Rahul Banerjee’s pep talk helped him clinch the gold medal in the keenly-contested compound men’s individual final in Essen, Germany, recently. 3. Federal Reserve Governor Kugler resigns, giving Trump key vacancy to fill The Federal Reserve announced Friday that governor Adriana Kugler will step down next week, opening up a spot on the central bank’s powerful board that President Donald Trump will be able to fill. 4. 4 astronauts from US, Japan, Russia successfully dock at space station: NASA Four astronauts from the United States, Japan, and Russia have successfully reached the International Space Station (ISS) as part of NASA’s Crew-11 mission.  5. India launches projects under India-UN Global Capacity Building Initiative to aid Global South India launched the first set of four development projects under the “India-UN Global Capacity Building Initiative,” aimed at supporting countries of the Global South in meeting Sustainable Development Goals.