Daily Current Affairs Quiz: July 31, 2025

Answer: C

Current Context : Indian states of Punjab and Haryana observe 31 July every year as Shaheed Udham Singh Martyrdom Day.

 ABOUT SHAHEED UDHAM SINGH KAMBOJ

• Early Life:
• Born Sher Singh in Sunam, Punjab on 26 December 1899. Initially took the revolutionary name Ram Mohammad Singh Azad, symbolizing unity across faiths under Indian freedom.
• Role in Independence Struggle:
• Kamboj was an Indian revolutionary best known for assassinating Michael O’Dwyer in March 1940 to avenge the Jallianwala Bagh massacre
• Martyrdom:
• Tried and sentenced to death by hanging at Pentonville Prison in London on 31 July 1940
• During his trial, he undertook a 42-day hunger strike and made a powerful statement about his fight against colonial rule.
• Legacy:
• Revered as Shaheed‑i‑Azam Udham Singh, meaning “The Great Martyr”.
• India’s Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru later honoured his sacrifice: “I salute Shaheed‑i‑Azam Udham Singh with reverence, who kissed the noose so we may be free.”
• The Udham Singh Nagar district in Uttarakhand is named after him.

Answer: B

Current Context: Union Minister of Communications Jyotiraditya Scindia launched the Sanchar Saathi mobile application in Hindi and 21 regional languages.

 ABOUT SANCHAR SAATHI MOBILE APPLICATION

• The application was first introduced in January 2025 and has already been downloaded more than 46 lakh times.
• Purpose: To protect mobile phone users from cyber fraud in the telecom sector.
• Key Features:
• Users can report suspicious calls and messages that may be fake or fraudulent.
• Facility to trace and block lost or stolen mobile phones so that they cannot be misused.
• Users can check if someone has taken unauthorized mobile connections using their identity documents.

Answer: B

Current Context : Turkey has launched its most powerful non-nuclear bomb called Gazap (meaning Wrath in Turkish) at the International Defence Industry Fair 2025 in Istanbul.

 ABOUT GAZAP BOMB

• Weight and Design:
• The bomb weighs 970 kilograms and uses a special thermobaric (vacuum) explosion technique.
• It can release more than 10 fragments per metre, which is much higher than ordinary bombs.
• Destructive Power:
• When dropped, it creates very high temperatures (up to 3,000 degree Celsius) and powerful shock waves that can melt steel and concrete.
• It can destroy everything within a radius of 1 kilometre.
• Deployment:
• Currently, the bomb can be used from F-16 fighter jets and F-4 Phantom aircraft of the Turkish Air Force.
• Turkey is planning to make it compatible with drones in the future.

Significance:

• The Gazap bomb is considered one of the most dangerous conventional (non-nuclear) weapons in the world and shows Turkey’s growing defence technology capabilities.

Answer: B

Current Context : India performed well at the World University Games 2025 held in Germany and stood at the 20th position.

Performance Details:

• India won a total of 12 medals:
  • 2 Gold medals
  • 5 Silver medals
  • 5 Bronze medals
• Indian athletes won medals in sports such as athletics, archery, tennis, and badminton.

 Highlights:

• On the final day, India won:
  • Silver medal by Ankita Dhyani in the women’s 3,000 metres steeplechase event.
  • Bronze medal in the men’s 4×100 metres relay event.
  • Bronze medal in the women’s race walk team event.

Global Rankings:

• Japan was ranked 1st with 34 gold medals.
• China stood 2nd with 30 gold medals.
• United States of America came 3rd with 28 gold medals.

Answer: D

Current Context The Sundarbans Tiger Reserve (STR) in West Bengal is set to become India’s second-largest tiger sanctuary.

• A proposal to expand the reserve by 1,100 square kilometres is under consideration by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC).
• Once approved, the area will increase from 2,585.89 sq km to 3,629.57 sq km.

 ABOUT THE PROPOSAL

• Forest Ranges to be Added:
• Raidighi
• Matla
• Ramganga (all in South 24-Parganas district of West Bengal)
• Significance: After expansion, the STR will be second followed by Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve in Andhra Pradeshin terms of area.

Answer: B

Current Context : The State of Food and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) Report 2025 highlights that 720 million people (8.2% of the global population) were affected by hunger in 2024.

 ABOUT SOFI REPORT

• Prepared By:
• United Nations (UN) agencies:
  • Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
  • International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)
  • UNICEF (UN Children’s Fund)
  • World Food Programme (WFP)
  • World Health Organization (WHO)
• Purpose: Provides the latest data and analysis on hunger, food security and nutrition worldwide.

 Key Highlights (2025)

• Hunger is still higher than pre-pandemic levels and even higher than in 2015.
• 96 million more people are suffering from chronic hunger compared to 2015.
• 3 billion people were moderately or severely food insecure in 2024.
• Undernourished population by region (2024):
  • Asia: 323 million
  • Africa: 307 million
  • Latin America and the Caribbean: 34 million
• Although hunger levels have declined in Southeast Asia, Southern Asia, and South America, food insecurity is still persistent or increasing in other regions like Africa.

Answer: A

Current Context : The Indian Army conducted Exercise Divya Drishti in the high-altitude regions of East Sikkim to test advanced military technologies.

 ABOUT THE EXERCISE

• Purpose: To test new technologies for battlefield awareness, real-time surveillance, and faster decision-making.
• Participants: Troops from the Trishakti Corps (Headquarters: Sukna, near Siliguri).
• Key Highlights:
• Use of ground-based systems and aerial platforms like drones and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) to simulate realistic battle scenarios.
• Artificial Intelligence (AI)-enabled sensors connected with advanced communication systems were used.
• Created a sensor-to-shooter link for smooth and secure data flow among command centres and soldiers.
• Focused on checking the army’s readiness in using AI and other modern technologies in a real battlefield situation.

Answer: A

Current Context A stampede near Mansa Devi Temple in Haridwar, Uttarakhand, claimed 8 lives and injured 28 others.

 ABOUT Mansa Devi Temple

• Location:
• Situated on Bilwa Parvat (Sivalik Hills), Haridwar, Uttarakhand.
• Also called Bilwa Tirth, one of the Panch Tirth (Five Pilgrimages) in Haridwar.
• Deities:
• Dedicated to Goddess Mansa Devi, a form of Shakti (Goddess Durga).
• Also houses Goddess Chandi Devi.
• History & Features:
• Built between 1811-1815 by Maharaja Gopal Singh of Manimajra.
• Spans over 100 acres and follows the traditional North Indian temple style.
• A key centre of Shakti worship in northern India.