Daily Current Affairs (DCA) 12 July, 2025

Daily Current Affairs Quiz
12 July, 2025

National Affairs

1. Global Gender Gap Report 2025 by World Economic Forum (WEF)

Report Published By: World Economic Forum (WEF)
India’s Rank: 131 out of 148 countries
Global Gender Gap Closed: 68.8% (123 years to full parity at current pace)

Report Objective & Framework

The Global Gender Gap Report measures gender parity across four core dimensions:

• Economic Participation and Opportunity
• Educational Attainment
• Health and Survival
• Political Empowerment

Despite some educational progress, India continues to rank among the lowest globally, especially in economic inclusion and health outcomes for women.

Key Findings for India

Economic Participation & Opportunity (Rank: 143rd)

• Female Labour Force Participation (FLFP): Below 25%
• Gender Pay Gap: Women earn less than one-third of what men earn
• Underrepresentation: Women remain marginal in formal jobs, leadership roles, and entrepreneurship
• Lost Opportunity: McKinsey (2015) estimated $770 billion potential GDP gain by closing gender gaps

Health & Survival

• Skewed Sex Ratio at Birth: Reflects persistent son preference
• High Anaemia Prevalence: NFHS-5: 57% of women aged 15–49 are anaemic — impacting work, learning, and maternal health
• Lower Healthy Life Expectancy for Women than Men

Unpaid Care Work

• Time Use Survey: Women perform 7 times more unpaid domestic work than men
• This labour remains invisible in GDP accounting and is underfunded in public policy

Policy and Leadership Gaps

• Minimal presence of women in:
  • Legislatures
  • Corporate boardrooms
  • Budget committees and judiciary
• Care economy infrastructure — childcare, elder care, maternity benefits — remains severely underdeveloped

Consequences of Gender Inequality

• Economic Underutilisation
  • Wasting over 50% of India’s human capital
  • Drags GDP growth, productivity, and innovation
• Demographic and Fiscal Strain
  • With rising elderly population (20% by 2050) and falling fertility, low FLFP increases the dependency ratio, threatening fiscal sustainability
• Health-Linked Productivity Deficit
  • Poor reproductive and nutritional health among women weakens:
    • Labour productivity
    • Educational attainment
    • Intergenerational health outcomes

• Policy Blind Spots
  • Low female participation in policymaking leads to:
    • Underinvestment in care infrastructure
    • Poor gender targeting in welfare schemes

• Intergenerational Inequality Trap
  • Girls in low-parity environments face poorer nutrition, education, and economic mobility, locking communities in poverty cycles

Way Forward

• Invest in Women’s Health
  • Scale up public health funding focused on:
  • Reproductive health
  • Anaemia reduction
  • Nutrition and preventive care

• Build the Care Economy
  • Public investment in:
  • Childcare centres
  • Elderly care facilities
  • Paid maternity support
  • Best Practice: Uruguay’s National Care System

• Boost Female Labour Participation
  • Skill training for emerging sectors
  • Flexible work arrangements
  • Enforce equal pay and workplace protections

• Institutional Reforms
  • Make Time Use Surveys regular
  • Expand gender-responsive budgeting
  • Mainstream gender-disaggregated data in state and central planning

• Social Norms Shift
  • National campaigns to:
  • Dismantle patriarchal stereotypes
  • Promote positive representation of working women
  • Educate families on the value of daughters

TH

2. MeitY Launches Whitepaper on Quantum Cyber Readiness

Released by: Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY), CERT-In, and SISA
Title: Transitioning to Quantum Cyber Readiness
Purpose: To guide India’s public and private institutions in adapting to quantum-resilient cybersecurity frameworks.

What is Quantum Cyber Readiness?

Quantum cyber readiness refers to a nation’s preparedness to secure its digital infrastructure against threats posed by quantum computers, which are capable of breaking current encryption standards such as RSA and ECC.

Key Highlights of the Whitepaper

Risk Assessment of Quantum Threats

• Warns that quantum computing could render existing cryptographic algorithms obsolete, especially RSA and ECC.
• Urges immediate planning to counter “harvest now, decrypt later” attacks, where encrypted data is collected today for decryption when quantum computers become viable.

Migration Roadmap to Quantum-Resilient Encryption

• Step-by-step guidance for adopting post-quantum cryptography (PQC).
• Encourages the integration of NIST-approved quantum-safe algorithms.
• Suggests inventory audits of current cryptographic assets and vulnerability assessments.

Sector-Specific Strategies

• Offers tailored frameworks for high-impact sectors:
  • Banking, Financial Services and Insurance (BFSI)
  • Healthcare
  • Defence
  • Critical Infrastructure
• Prioritises early adoption of quantum-safe solutions in regulatory-sensitive and data-heavy environments.

Quantum Cyber Resilience Framework

• Proposes a proactive defence approach for national digital infrastructure.
• Encourages deployment of hybrid cryptographic models during transition phases.
• Recommends continuous monitoring, threat intelligence sharing, and periodic testing of quantum readiness.

Public-Private Collaboration

• Calls for a coordinated effort between government, tech providers, academia, and industry stakeholders.
• Emphasises capacity building, skill development, and indigenous R&D in quantum-safe technologies.

Why It Matters for India

• As India advances in digital public infrastructure (DPI), securing citizen data and services is paramount.
• The whitepaper ensures that India does not fall behind in the global race toward post-quantum cybersecurity.
• Aligns with India’s Cyber Security Policy Vision and global standards under discussion by NIST, ISO, and ITU.

PIB

3. India’s 44th World Heritage Site

Context:

In a remarkable decision taken at the 47^th Session of the World Heritage Committee, India’s official nomination for 2024-25 cycle, ‘Maratha Military Landscapes of India’ got inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, becoming India’s 44th property to receive this recognition.

What is the Maratha Military Landscapes of India?

• A network of 12 strategically located forts built between the 17th and 19th centuries CE.
• Demonstrates the military vision and architectural ingenuity of the Maratha Empire, especially under Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
• These forts show adaptive use of diverse terrains, highlighting self-reliant defence planning.

India’s World Heritage Status

• Total Sites (as of July 2025): 44
  • Cultural: 36
  • Natural: 7
  • Mixed: 1
• India’s Global Rank:
  • 6th globally
  • 2nd in Asia-Pacific (after China)
• Tentative List Entries: 62
• Governing Authority: Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)
• UNESCO Committee Membership: 2021–2025

PIB

4. Sanchar Mitra Scheme

Launched by: Ministry of Communications, Department of Telecommunications (DoT)

Context:

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has expanded the Sanchar Mitra Scheme into a nationwide programme to build digital literacy and enhance cyber safety awareness among citizens through a volunteer-based outreach programme.

What is the Sanchar Mitra Scheme?

A volunteer-based digital outreach programme that engages university students to educate citizens about:

• Safe telecom usage
• Cyber fraud prevention
• Responsible digital behavior

Objectives

• Promote digital literacy and cyber hygiene
• Bridge the awareness gap between citizens and telecom regulations/services
• Empower youth to become telecom ambassadors in their communities

Key Features:

• Volunteer Engagement:
  • Students from telecom, electronics, computer science, and cybersecurity backgrounds serve as “Sanchar Mitras”

• Specialized Training:
  • Volunteers trained by National Communications Academy–Technology (NCA-T) and DoT Media Wing
  • Modules include 5G, 6G, AI, cybersecurity, and EMF radiation safety

• Community Outreach:
  • Volunteers conduct awareness drives, partner with NGOs, and host workshops for general public and schools

• Incentives & Recognition:
  • Top performers may get:
    • Internship opportunities
    • Invitations to India Mobile Congress
    • Access to ITU global forums

• Nationwide Rollout:
  • Already operational in Assam in collaboration with IITs, IIITs, NITs
  • Now expanding pan-India

PIB

5. Assam Initiates Genetic Analysis of Rhino Horns for RhoDIS

Context:

The Assam Forest Department, in collaboration with the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), has begun DNA analysis of 2,573 rhino horn samples retained before their destruction in 2021.

Objective:

To build the Rhino DNA Index System (RhoDIS) – a forensic database to aid in conservation, individual identification, and anti-poaching enforcement.

About Rhino Horns

• Composition: Made of keratin, not bone (same protein as hair and nails).
• Structure:
  • Solid and layered, unlike antlers (which are bony and shed annually).
  • Contains melanin and calcium to enhance UV resistance and toughness.
• Forensic Use: Unique keratin patterns help with genetic fingerprinting in wildlife crime investigations.
• Poaching Threat: Targeted due to false medicinal beliefs and high black-market demand.

About Greater One-Horned Rhinoceros (Indian Rhino)

• Scientific Name: Rhinoceros unicornis
• Status: Vulnerable (IUCN Red List)
• Geographic Range:
  • India: Assam (Kaziranga, Orang, Pobitora), West Bengal (Jaldapara, Gorumara)
  • Nepal: Chitwan National Park

Significance of RhoDIS (Rhino DNA Index System)

• Purpose: Provides individual DNA profiles of rhinos using horn samples.
• Benefits:
  • Strengthens anti-poaching law enforcement.
  • Enhances genetic monitoring and population management.
  • Supports international cooperation under CITES and other treaties.

TH

Banking/Finance

1. RBI Clarifies Collateral Rules for MSE and Agri Loans Involving Gold/Silver Pledge

Context:

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) clarified that loans sanctioned by banks against the voluntary pledge of gold and silver as collateral—up to the collateral-free limit—will not be considered a violation of the central bank’s guidelines on collateral.

Key RBI Clarification

Voluntary Pledge of Gold/Silver:

• If borrowers voluntarily offer gold or silver as collateral for loans, such loans will not be treated as violating the RBI’s collateral-free guidelines.
• Applies even when the loan amount is within the prescribed collateral-free limit.

Collateral-Free Loan Norms (As per RBI Guidelines)

Sector/Programme	Collateral-Free Loan Limit	Additional Notes
Micro and Small Enterprises (MSE)	₹10 lakh	Mandatory no-collateral up to ₹10 lakh
PM Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP)	₹10 lakh	All PMEGP loans up to ₹10 lakh must be collateral-free
MSEs with Good Track Record	Up to ₹25 lakh	Can be extended with proper approvals
Agricultural & Allied Loans	₹2 lakh per borrower	Collateral & margin requirement must be waived

Significance for Banks and Borrowers

• Provides regulatory clarity on classification under PSL norms.
• Allows borrowers flexibility to offer gold/silver to secure better terms.
• Ensures banks can classify such loans as PSL and meet the 40% target for PSL lending.

About Priority Sector Lending (PSL)

Priority sector lending is lending to those sectors of the economy which may not otherwise receive timely and adequate credit. This role is assigned by the Reserve Bank of India to the banks for providing a specified portion of the bank lending to few specific sectors like agriculture and allied activities, micro- and small enterprises, education, housing for the poor, and other low-income groups and weaker sections. 

• Mandatory Lending Targets:
  • 40% of total loans for domestic commercial banks.
• Covered Sectors:
  • Agriculture
  • MSMEs
  • Export credit
  • Education
  • Housing
  • Social infrastructure
  • Renewable energy, etc.

BS

2. RBI Imposes Penalties on HDFC Bank and Shriram Finance for Regulatory Non-Compliance

Context:

On July 12, 2025, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) imposed monetary penalties on HDFC Bank and Shriram Finance Ltd. for violations of regulatory norms under respective RBI directions.

Details of Penalty Imposed

HDFC Bank

• Violation: Contravention of ‘Master Direction – Foreign Investment in India’
• Nature of Offence:
  • Granted a term loan to a client, violating RBI norms relating to foreign investment.
• RBI Observation:
  • Found non-compliance after reviewing HDFC Bank’s response.
  • Penalty warranted due to established contravention.

Shriram Finance Ltd.

• Violation:
  • Loan repayments were routed through third-party accounts rather than directly by borrowers into the company’s account.
• Nature of Concern:
  • Violation of fair practices code and regulatory transparency.
• RBI Clarification:
  • The penalty pertains solely to compliance deficiencies, not the validity of transactions.

Significance and Implications

• Reinforces RBI’s commitment to enforcing compliance under various Master Directions.
• Encourages adherence to direct lending practices, especially regarding foreign investment and NBFC operations.
• Such penalties serve as deterrents and stress the importance of internal regulatory audits.

BL

3. Asia Index Launches BSE Insurance Index to Track Insurance Sector Performance

Context:

On 12th July 2025, Asia Index Pvt Ltd, a joint venture between BSE Ltd and S&P Dow Jones Indices, launched the BSE Insurance Index to track the performance of India’s insurance sector.

Key Highlights of BSE Insurance Index

• Launched by: Asia Index (subsidiary of BSE)
• Constituents:
  • Drawn from the BSE 1000 Index, specifically companies classified under the insurance industry.
• Purpose:
  • Acts as a sectoral benchmark to track performance of listed insurance companies.
  • Facilitates passive investment strategies, including ETFs and Index Funds.
  • Useful for benchmarking PMS strategies, mutual fund schemes, and insurance fund portfolios.
• Reconstitution:
  • Semi-annually, in June and December.
  • Ensures relevance and alignment with market developments.
• Stock Weighting Rule:
  • Weight of any individual stock capped at 25% to prevent concentration risk.

Significance

• Enhances transparency and visibility of the insurance sector on Indian stock markets.
• Promotes sector-specific investment vehicles, expanding India’s passive investment landscape.
• Aligns with global trends of sectoral indices supporting thematic investment strategies.

BS

Agriculture

1. Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) in India

Context:

India’s agricultural ecosystem is dominated by 100 million small and marginal farmers (SMFs). They face low productivity, inadequate market linkages, and vulnerability to shocks, leading to unstable livelihoods. To overcome structural challenges, FPOs have emerged as pivotal institutions transforming household-level subsistence farming into market-oriented agriculture.

Evolution and Role of FPOs

• FPOs as Economic Collectives:
  • Introduced in early 2000s to enhance farmer incomes, improve market access, and build bargaining power by consolidating SMFs into producer enterprises.
• Current Scale and Reach:
  • Over 33,000 registered FPOs in India.
  • 66% are less than 4 years old, earning ₹700–800 per member annually.
  • Supported by the Central Sector Scheme (CSS) to promote 10,000 FPOs.
• Key Contributions:
  • Livelihood development, food security, and social mobilisation.
  • Transition to market-linked, diversified and climate-resilient agriculture.
  • Strengthening backward-forward linkages via Producer Groups (PGs) and Agricultural Production Clusters (APCs).
  • Empowerment through women-led FPOs (e.g., 84 all-women FPOs supported by PRADAN across 7 states).

Institutional Support and Innovations

• Centre of Excellence (FPORC) by PRADAN:
  Supports FPOs in business planning, governance, financial linkages, and compliance.
  • Aligns grassroots efforts with national policies under the CSS for 10,000 FPOs.
• Strategic Shifts in FPO Functioning:
  • Acting as input-output managers, value chain facilitators, and community-based planners.
  • Bridging systemic gaps in rural markets and enabling climate-smart and sustainable agriculture.

Persistent Challenges Faced by FPOs

Domain	Challenges
Revenue & Scale	Most plateau at ₹25–45 lakh annual revenue; 20–30% member engagement
Business Model	Lack of innovation, unclear profitability strategies
Finance & Investment	Weak share capital mobilisation, low credit access, thin margins
Workforce	Low-skilled or underpaid CEOs/Managers; capacity constraints
Institutional Maturity	Fragmented support across states, compliance burden

Recommendations and Way Forward

1. Financial Deepening:
   • Enable low-cost instruments: Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF), carbon credit markets, social stock exchanges, blended finance.
2. Capacity Building:
   • Invest in CEO/managerial training, handholding support from resource institutions, mentoring from successful FPOs.
3. Technology Integration:
   • Promote digital tools, traceability, and market intelligence systems.
4. Private Sector Partnership:
   • Corporate India must partner in input procurement, aggregation, warehousing, value addition, and retail partnerships.
5. Women Empowerment:
   • Expand women-led FPOs with tailored capacity building, leadership training, and linkages to health and nutrition initiatives.
6. State-Level Ecosystem Development:
   • Encourage state governments to create dedicated FPO cells, integrate FPOs with state agri-policies, and support onboarding into eNAM and MSP procurement.

BL

2. Smart Agriculture

Context:

While India’s agriculture is rapidly modernising through AI, digital platforms, and targeted subsidies, the author argues for a compassionate, culturally rooted model of transformation that respects the spiritual, emotional, and ecological ties farmers have with the land.

Key Takeaways:

Agriculture: More Than Economics

• Indian agriculture is deeply intertwined with culture, spirituality, and tradition.
• Each acre and harvest reflects generational continuity, hope, and resilience, not just output.

Beyond Subsidies: Toward Regenerative Systems

• Schemes like PM-Kisan, PMKSY, and Soil Health Cards have improved productivity.
• But the future must go beyond transactional support toward regenerative, inclusive systems that respect farmers’ emotional and ecological context.

India vs China: Different Models

• China integrates tech via centralised, top-down models.
• India must blend AI, IT, and grassroots traditions for a pluralistic, bottom-up approach.
• Reforms like Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF) and Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) represent India’s alignment of ancient wisdom with sustainability.

Emotional Ecology and Water Ethics

• Water is viewed not just as utility, but a sacred entity, especially in smallholder communities.
• India’s water conservation efforts (e.g. Jal Shakti Abhiyan) must integrate both infrastructure and cultural reverence.

Climate Adaptation with Dignity

• ICAR’s climate-resilient seeds and AI-based forecasting offer resilience.
• India’s strength lies in humanising climate adaptation, empowering communities rather than just protecting them.

Technology with a Human Touch

• Platforms like e-NAM, remote sensing, and AI-powered irrigation must be empathetically designed to suit the smallholder farmer.
• Tech should empower, not alienate.

Ecological Sovereignty over GM Push

• India resists GM crops to protect biodiversity and traditional knowledge.
• Agroforestry, carbon sequestration, and organic farming are preferred to safeguard ecological and cultural heritage.

Agriculture as Dharma

• Sustainable agriculture is dharma—a duty to:
  • Future generations
  • The environment
  • The food providers
• Policy must integrate intelligence with compassion, technology with tradition, and data with dignity.

BL

Facts To Remember

1. Former CJIs Flag Unchecked Powers to EC in Simultaneous Elections Bill

Two former Chief Justices of India, D.Y. Chandrachud and J.S. Khehar, appeared before the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) reviewing the Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill, 2024 and Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024, which propose the conduct of simultaneous elections for Parliament and State Assemblies.

2. Centre earmarks ₹500 crore for e-truck purchases under PM E-Drive scheme

The Centre on Friday unveiled a scheme to provide financial incentives for purchase of electric trucks under the PM E-Drive initiative, where a sum of ₹500 crore has been set aside for 5,600 electric trucks. Of this financial outlay, a fifth is dedicated for vehicles registered in Delhi.

3. Joint Parliamentary Committee on ‘One Nation One Election’ held meeting at Parliament House 

The Joint Parliamentary Committee on ‘One Nation One Election’ today held a meeting at Parliament House in New Delhi. 

4. MEA’s Annual Report: India strengthens global counter-terrorism cooperation, engaging 26 countries through Joint Working Groups

In a firm display of its commitment to global peace and security, India has deepened its cooperation on counter-terrorism efforts by engaging 26 countries through Joint Working Groups on Counter Terrorism.