Daily Current Affairs Quiz
30 August, 2025
National Affairs
1. The National Annual Report and Index on Women’s Safety (NARI 2025)
Source: Mint
Context:
The National Annual Report and Index on Women’s Safety (NARI 2025) has revealed that a significant proportion of women in urban India feel unsafe, highlighting gaps between lived experiences and official crime data.
About NARI 2025 Report:
- A survey-based index covering 31 cities across all states.
- Based on responses from 12,770 women.
- Goes beyond official NCRB data to capture unreported harassment, perceptions of safety, and lived experiences.
Key Findings:
- Overall Perception:
- 40% of urban women feel “unsafe” or “not so safe” in their own cities.
- 60% reported feeling safe, largely during the day in schools and colleges (86%).
- Safety perception declines sharply after dark in public transport, neighbourhood streets, and recreational spaces.
- City Rankings:
- Safest Cities: Mumbai, Kohima, Vishakhapatnam, Bhubaneswar, Aizawl, Gangtok, Itanagar.
- Least Safe Cities: Kolkata, Delhi, Ranchi, Srinagar, Faridabad, Patna, Jaipur.
- Harassment & Reporting:
- Only 1 in 3 women report harassment incidents.
- 2 in 3 cases go unreported, leading to official NCRB crime data underestimating real harassment levels.
Broader Impact:
- Women’s safety is not just a law-and-order issue, but also affects:
- Education (mobility to schools/colleges)
- Employment opportunities
- Health and psychological well-being
- Digital and financial inclusion
Institutional & Social Measures:
- Positive steps: women helplines, CCTV networks, higher women’s police force participation, and female bus drivers.
- But societal attitudes and community responsibility remain equally crucial.
2. Samudrayaan Project
Source: IE
Context:
Two Indian aquanauts recently dived over 5,000 metres in the Atlantic Ocean aboard the French submersible Nautile. The mission was part of training for India’s upcoming Samudrayaan Project under the Deep Ocean Mission (DOM).
About Samudrayaan Project:
- What it is: India’s first manned deep-sea mission, approved in 2021.
- Aim: Explore the ocean up to 6,000 metres depth for resources, biodiversity, and climate studies.
- Nodal Agency: National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), Chennai.
Established in:
- Approved by Union Cabinet in 2021.
- Budget: â‚ą4,077 crore for five years.
Aims and Objectives:
- Develop deep-sea technologies (crewed submersibles, robotic vehicles, mining systems).
- Survey polymetallic nodules rich in manganese, cobalt, nickel, and rare earth elements.
- Create ocean climate advisory models for research.
- Support India’s blue economy policy through sustainable marine resource harnessing.
- Study and conserve deep-sea biodiversity.
3. DBT Biocare Programme
Source: TH
Context:
Nearly five months after being selected, none of the 75 women scientists chosen for the DBT Biocare programme have received their promised research grants or salaries. This has left many of them unable to start projects and financially insecure.
About the Biocare Programme
- Full Form: Biotechnology Career Advancement and Re-orientation Programme (BioCARe)
- Launched in 2011 by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Ministry of Science & Technology.
- Aim: To support unemployed women scientists in their early careers.
- Target Group: Women scientists who are:
- Early in their research career, or
- Seeking to re-enter research after a career break (due to maternity, childcare, family reasons, etc.)
Objectives
- To empower women scientists in Biotechnology and Life Sciences.
- To re-orient and retain trained women scientists in research.
- To provide financial, infrastructural, and mentoring support for independent research.
Banking/Finance
1. Index of Industrial Production (IIP)
Source: BS
Context:
India’s Index of Industrial Production (IIP) registered a 3.5% growth in July, a four-month high. The data came a day after the U.S., India’s largest trading partner, operationalised 25% penalty tariffs on Indian goods, citing continued oil purchases from Russia.
What it is:
- A composite indicator that measures the short-term changes in the volume of production of a basket of industrial goods.
- Serves as a key economic indicator for measuring the level of industrial activity in the country.
Released by:
- National Statistical Office (NSO), Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI).
- Released monthly (with a time lag of 6 weeks).
Base Year:
- 2011-12 (latest base year).
- The base year is the reference period used to measure the current performance of industrial production.Â
Components of IIP:
IIP has two types of classification:
- Sectoral Classification (3 Sectors):
- Manufacturing (77.63% weight)
- Mining (14.37% weight)
- Electricity (7.99% weight)
- Use-Based Classification (6 Categories):
- Primary goods
- Capital goods
- Intermediate goods
- Infrastructure/Construction goods
- Consumer durables
- Consumer non-durables
Weightage:
- Based on Gross Value Added (GVA) of industrial sector.
- IIP covers 8 core industries (coal, crude oil, natural gas, refinery products, fertilizers, steel, cement, electricity) which together have 40.27% weight in IIP.
2. Jio Payments Bank to Launch “Savings Pro” Deposit Account
Source: BL
Context:
At the second Annual General Meeting (AGM) of Jio Financial Services (JFS), MD & CEO Hitesh Sethia announced an upcoming innovative product, Savings Pro, under Jio Payments Bank. This marks a new step in integrating banking with investment products for retail customers.
Key Highlights:
Savings Pro – Innovative Deposit Account
- India’s first savings account that auto-invests idle cash into overnight mutual funds for better returns.
- Aims to combine the liquidity of savings deposits with the yield of short-term mutual funds.
- Product designed to enhance customer returns without compromising daily liquidity.
About Jio Payments Bank
- Launched: April 2018
- Promoters: Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) and State Bank of India (SBI)
- Nature: A Payments Bank licensed by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)
- Objective: Promote digital banking & financial inclusion, especially for unbanked and underbanked Indians.
Agriculture
1. Financial Assistance in Agriculture
Source: BL
Context:
India’s farming communities have long struggled with unpredictable weather, volatile markets, and limited access to formal credit. Many farmers fall into high-interest debt traps with informal lenders, undermining their livelihoods.
Key Highlights:
Importance of Financial Assistance
- Acts as a lifeline for farmers by addressing liquidity issues during sowing, harvesting, and marketing.
- Helps in adopting modern technologies, quality seeds, fertilizers, irrigation, and mechanization.
- Provides a safety net against climate risks like droughts, floods, and pest attacks.
Major Forms of Financial Assistance
- Institutional Credit: Provided through banks, cooperative societies, and NBFCs.
- Subsidies: For seeds, fertilizers, irrigation, power, machinery, and crop diversification.
- Insurance Schemes: PM Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) to protect against crop loss.
- Direct Income Support: PM-Kisan provides â‚ą6,000 annually to eligible farmers.
- Interest Subvention Schemes: Concessional loans for short-term crop credit.
Recent Developments & Policy Push
- Expansion of Kisan Credit Card (KCC) coverage to livestock and fisheries.
- Focus on digital lending platforms for speedy, transparent credit disbursal.
- Push for sustainable agriculture finance (solar irrigation pumps, micro-irrigation, organic farming).
- Use of data analytics and AI for crop risk assessment and credit scoring.
Challenges
- Credit Dependence: Small farmers rely heavily on informal moneylenders.
- Awareness Gap: Limited knowledge of schemes and digital platforms.
- Fragmented Landholdings: Difficult to scale mechanization and access credit.
- Delayed Payments/Claims: Crop insurance settlements often face time lags.
Way Forward
- Strengthen institutional credit penetration in rural areas.
- Ensure timely disbursal of subsidies and insurance claims.
- Promote financial literacy and digital adoption among farmers.
- Encourage value-chain finance by linking farmers with agri-businesses and FPOs.
Facts To Remember
1. Urjit Patel Appointed IMF Executive Director
Former RBI Governor Urjit Patel has been appointed as India’s Executive Director at the IMF for three years. He will represent India and neighboring countries at the global financial body.
2. Agriculture & Allied GVA Growth Q1FY26
Agriculture sector GVA grew 3.7% in Q1FY26 versus 1.5% last year. Growth reflects rabi harvest impact; kharif effects will be seen in Q2/Q3.
3. Rare Dragonfly Rediscovered in Western Ghats
The species Crocothemis erythraea, earlier known from the Himalayas and Europe, has been rediscovered in the southern Western Ghats. This resolves a debate over its Indian distribution.
4. Speaker Om Birla Seeks SC/ST Welfare Committees in States
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla urged all states/UTs to form committees on SC/ST welfare. The move aims to strengthen legislative oversight of marginalized communities.
5. First Tempered Glass Plant Inaugurated in Noida
Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw inaugurated India’s first tempered glass manufacturing plant in Noida, Uttar Pradesh. The facility boosts domestic electronics manufacturing.
6. TRAI Approves Agencies for In-Building Digital Ratings
TRAI approved eight Digital Connectivity Rating Agencies (DCRA) to assess in-building mobile and internet network quality. The initiative aims to improve user experience.
