CURRENT CONTEXT: QS Quacquarelli Symonds released its 2026 Best Student Cities ranking on 15 July 2025. Four Indian cities have seen strong performance.

 Relevant DATA – Indian Cities:

• Delhi: Ranked 104th globally; named most affordable student city worldwide with a top score of 96.5/100.
• Mumbai: Entered global Top 100, now 98th (up 15 places).
• Bengaluru: Climbed 22 ranks to 108^th.
• Chennai: Also up 12 places to 128^th.

CURRENT CONTEXT:  President Murmu gave the Kalinga Ratna Award to Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan during the 600th birth anniversary of Odia poet Sarala Das in Cuttack.

• The award honours Pradhan for his efforts in promoting Indian languages and educational reform.
• Celebration also honoured Adikabi Sarala Das (15th century), the first Odia poet who authored the Odia version of the Mahabharata.
• The award is presented annually by Sarala Sahitya Sansad to recognize excellence in education, culture, literature, or public service.

Observed on 17 July

• The day commemorates the adoption of the Rome Statute (17 July 1998), which established the International Criminal Court (ICC).
• Recognised since 2010 when ICC member nations (via Kampala Declaration) designated it as International Criminal Justice Day.

CURRENT CONTEXT: India has secured a long-term agreement with Saudi Arabia’s Ma’aden and major Indian PSUs (IPL, KRIBHCO, CIL) to import 3.1 million MT of DAP annually for five years (FY 2025–26 to FY 2029–30), with an option to extend another five years.

 ABOUT DAP FERTILISER:

• Composition & Themes: Contains Nitrogen and Phosphorus—vital for plant growth and protein formation.
• Usage: Most widely used phosphorus fertiliser; highly water-soluble for quick soil nutrient release.
• India’s Position: Largest global consumer; subsidised annually under the Nutrient Based Subsidy (NBS) scheme.
• Other Uses: Beyond agriculture, used in fire retardants and metal finishes.

CURRENT CONTEXT: WHO released its first-ever integrated clinical guidelines for dengue, chikungunya, Zika, and yellow fever—mosquito-borne illnesses with overlapping symptoms and rising spread.

ABOUT ARBOVIRAL DISEASES:

• Transmission: Spread by Aedes
• Diseases Covered: Dengue, chikungunya, Zika, yellow fever.
• Global Risk: Over 6 billion people affected or at risk.

 KEY GUIDELINES:

• Mild Cases:
  • Use oral fluids; treat fever/pain with paracetamol or metamizole; avoid NSAIDs and corticosteroids.
• Severe Cases:
  • Use intravenous crystalloid fluids; monitor capillary refill and shock response; avoid unnecessary platelet transfusions; consider IV N-acetylcysteine for yellow fever; experimental treatments only in research contexts.

CURRENT CONTEXT: English PEN announced Leila Aboulela, a Sudanese-Scottish novelist, as the winner of the prestigious 2025 PEN Pinter Prize for her powerful exploration of faith, migration, and the lives of Muslim women.

 ABOUT LEILA ABOULLELA:

• Background: Born in Khartoum; based in Scotland since 1990; Honorary Professor at the University of
• Notable Works: The Translator (1999), Minaret (2005), River Spirit (2023).
• Recognition: Known for “unflinching” truth in writing; praised as “a balm, a shelter, and an inspiration”.

ABOUT THE PEN PINTER PRIZE:

• Established: 2009, in memory of Nobel laureate Harold Pinter.
• Purpose: Awards writers casting an “unflinching gaze” on society; includes a co-awarded “Writer of Courage.”
• Past Winners: Arundhati Roy (2024), Salman Rushdie (2014), Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (2018) .

CURRENT CONTEXT: The Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), launched on 16 July 2015, has marked its 10th anniversary in 2025.

 ABOUT PMKVY:

• Phases & Components:
• PMKVY 4.0 (current phase), along with PM-NAPS and JSS schemes, form the core skill development initiatives under Skill India.
• Training Modules:
  • Short-Term Training (STT) aligned with NSQF standards
  • Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) — skills certification for existing talent
  • Special Projects — focused on marginalized and remote communities
• KEY ACHIEVEMENTS:
  • 63 crore individuals trained under PMKVY since inception.
  • Nearly 45% women, significant SC/ST/OBC participation
  • Special outreach: Bru‑tribe (Tripura), prison inmates, artisans, and more
  • Integration of modern tech training: AI, IoT, robotics, 5G, drones, green hydrogen

CURRENT CONTEXT: Legendary marathoner Fauja Singh, known worldwide as the Turbaned Tornado, passed away after being hit by a vehicle while walking near his village Beas Pind on 14 July 2025.

ABOUT FAUJA SINGH:

• Date of Birth: 1 April 1911 (claimed), Beas Pind, Punjab
• Running Career:
  • Began at age 89 in London (2000); completed marathons in London, New York, Toronto
  • First centenarian to complete a marathon (Toronto, 2011); personal best 5h 40m (aged ~92)
• Achievements & Recognition:
  • Olympic torchbearer (Athens 2004, London 2012)
  • Honored with British Empire Medal, Ellis Island Medal of Honor.

CURRENT CONTEXT: The four-day Behdienkhlam festival took place from 11–14 July 2025 in Jowai, Meghalaya.

It celebrated traditional rituals aimed at driving away disease while marking the post-sowing season.

 ABOUT THE FESTIVAL:

• Meaning & Timing: “Drive away plague” — a post-sowing ritual to ward off disease and bring blessings for a good harvest.
• Rituals:
  • Young men beat rooftops with bamboo poles—a symbolic exorcism act.
  • Decorative poles (‘Khnong’ and tall ‘Rots’) are paraded, then immersed in the Wah Aitnar pool on the final day.
  • Dolois (priests) perform rites; women offer sacrificial food.

CURRENT CONTEXT: President Droupadi Murmu approved new appointments:  Governor of Haryana, Governor of Goa, and Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh.

 DETAILS:

• Haryana Governor – Prof. Ashim Kumar Ghosh: Academic and former BJP West Bengal chief; steps into the constitutional role from July 2025 .
• Goa Governor – Pusapati Ashok Gajapathi Raju: Former Union Civil Aviation Minister, now Goa’s 20^th governor, representing TDP.
• Ladakh Lt Governor – Kavinder Gupta: Ex-doc from J&K (Deputy CM, Assembly Speaker), appointed to succeed B.D. Mishra in Ladakh’s top post.