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Daily Current Affairs: 10 & 11 August 2025

Current affairs of 10 & 11 August 2025: PM E-Drive Scheme Extended to 2027-28: Key Details; Khelo India ASMITA Football League 2025-26 Begins in Jalgaon; ISRO to Launch 6,500 kg US BlueBird Satellite on LVM3, and 12 more topics. Key facts for every exam, with a quiz.

Take the quiz (15 questions)August 2025

In this issue: 15 topics

National Affairs

Khelo India ASMITA Football League 2025-26 Begins in Jalgaon

Government Schemes

PM E-Drive Scheme Extended to 2027-28: Key Details
MERITE Scheme: Cabinet Backs Rs 4,200 Crore for Technical Education

Banking & Finance

ICICI Bank New Savings Account Minimum Balance Hike 2025
LIC enters bond FRA market to hedge interest rate risk
RBI Draft Rules: 15-Day Settlement of Deceased Customers’ Claims
NSE and BSE Launch SOP to Speed Up Merger Approvals
SEBI Plans Lighter AIF Category for Accredited Investors
RBI Fines ICICI Bank Rs 75 Lakh Over Compliance Lapses

Economy

Government Stake Cuts in LIC and PSBs Beyond Sebi Norms

Agriculture & Rural

Soil Health and Food Security: India’s Degradation Challenge

Science & Technology

ISRO to Launch 6,500 kg US BlueBird Satellite on LVM3
India’s First Animal Stem Cell Biobank Opens in Hyderabad

Environment & Ecology

World Lion Day 2025 marked at Barda Wildlife Sanctuary

Reports & Indexes

FAO Food Price Index Rises to 130.1 Points in July 2025

National Affairs

Government Schemes

1. Khelo India ASMITA Football League 2025-26 Begins in Jalgaon

The Khelo India ASMITA Football League 2025-26 was launched in Jalgaon, Maharashtra.
ASMITA is an affirmative-action effort within Khelo India to raise women's sports participation.
The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports runs it with SAI, AIFF and WIFA.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Government Schemes

2. PM E-Drive Scheme Extended to 2027-28: Key Details

PM E-Drive was extended by two years, to 31 March 2028 or until funds run out.
Total outlay is ₹10,900 crore, with nearly half still unused.
Subsidies for electric two- and three-wheelers end on 31 March 2026.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Government Schemes

3. MERITE Scheme: Cabinet Backs Rs 4,200 Crore for Technical Education

The Union Cabinet approved MERITE with a total outlay of Rs 4,200 crore for 2025-26 to 2029-30.
Half of the outlay, Rs 2,100 crore, comes as a World Bank loan.
The scheme targets 275 government and government-aided technical institutions and about 7.5 lakh students.
IITs, IIMs, AICTE and NBA are involved in implementation; it supports NEP 2020 reforms.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Banking & Finance

Banking & Finance

4. ICICI Bank New Savings Account Minimum Balance Hike 2025

ICICI Bank raised minimum average balance (MAB) for new savings accounts opened on or after August 1, 2025.
New MAB: ₹50,000 urban (earlier ₹10,000), ₹25,000 semi-urban, ₹10,000 rural unchanged.
RBI said MAB is each bank's call; it does not regulate minimum balances.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

5. LIC enters bond FRA market to hedge interest rate risk

LIC entered the bond Forward Rate Agreement market, dealing with more than 10 domestic and foreign banks.
The aim is to hedge interest rate swings, mainly for its growing non-participating insurance products.
An FRA locks in an interest rate on a notional amount and settles in cash, with no bond delivered.
A bond forward fixes the price of a specific bond and ends in physical delivery; RBI and IRDAI recently allowed it.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Banking & Finance

6. RBI Draft Rules: 15-Day Settlement of Deceased Customers’ Claims

RBI issued a draft Directions on settling claims of deceased bank customers, 2025.
Banks must settle within 15 calendar days of getting complete documents.
Late payment to nominees attracts Bank Rate plus 4% per annum; lockers draw a proposed ₹5,000 per day.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

7. NSE and BSE Launch SOP to Speed Up Merger Approvals

From 1 August 2025 NSE and BSE use a new SOP for mergers and demergers of listed companies.
Complete applications are processed in 7 working days instead of 3-5 months.
After SEBI's approval, the NCLT must still sanction the scheme.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Banking & Finance

8. SEBI Plans Lighter AIF Category for Accredited Investors

SEBI proposed a new class of AIF schemes meant exclusively for accredited investors.
The new category would face a lighter regulatory framework than regular AIFs.
AIFs are privately pooled vehicles investing under a defined policy, in assets other than ordinary stocks or bonds.
SEBI divides AIFs into Category I, II and III.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Banking & Finance

9. RBI Fines ICICI Bank Rs 75 Lakh Over Compliance Lapses

RBI fined ICICI Bank Limited Rs 75 lakh for non-compliance with regulatory guidelines.
Lapses: valuer independence for certain mortgage loans, and current account discipline.
RBI said the penalty does not question customer transactions.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Economy

10. Government Stake Cuts in LIC and PSBs Beyond Sebi Norms

The Government of India planned to cut its stake in LIC and several public sector banks.
The reduction would go further than the requirements set by Sebi.
The goal is to raise capital while keeping majority ownership and control.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Agriculture & Rural

Agriculture & Rural Development

11. Soil Health and Food Security: India’s Degradation Challenge

Over 99.7% of global food depends on soil, yet degradation is eroding productivity, water and nutrition.
About 30% of India's soils, or roughly 147 million ha, are degraded by intensive farming, fertilizer overuse and monocropping.
Organic farming, cover cropping, biofertilizers, crop rotation and building soil organic carbon help restore fertility.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Science & Technology

Science & Technology

12. ISRO to Launch 6,500 kg US BlueBird Satellite on LVM3

ISRO will launch the 6,500 kg US Block-2 BlueBird communication satellite after NISAR (launched 30 July 2025).
Rocket: LVM-3-M5 from Sriharikota.
It beams broadband to phones at up to 12 Mbps.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Agriculture & Rural Development

13. India’s First Animal Stem Cell Biobank Opens in Hyderabad

India's first advanced Animal Stem Cell Biobank and Laboratory was inaugurated by a Union Minister.
The facility sits at the National Institute of Animal Biotechnology (NIAB) in Hyderabad.
It is meant to improve livestock health and farm productivity, and is called a landmark for Indian biotechnology.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Environment & Ecology

Environment & Ecology

14. World Lion Day 2025 marked at Barda Wildlife Sanctuary

The Environment Ministry marked World Lion Day 2025 at Barda Wildlife Sanctuary, Gujarat, on 10 August.
The 16th Lion Census puts Asiatic lions at 891 in 2025, up from 523 in 2015.
Project Lion began on 15 August 2020 and is a 10-year programme.
The International Big Cat Alliance, set up in April 2023, spans 97 big cat range countries.
Asiatic lions are listed under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 and in CITES Appendix I.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Reports & Indexes

15. FAO Food Price Index Rises to 130.1 Points in July 2025

The FAO Food Price Index averaged 130.1 points in July 2025, up 1.6% from June.
It is 18.8% below the March 2022 peak but 7.6% above July 2024.
The Meat Price Index hit an all-time high of 127.3 points.
The Vegetable Oil Price Index jumped 7.1% to 166.8 points, a three-year high; sugar fell for a fifth month.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Test yourself

15 questions from the news of 10 & 11 August 2025, with answers and explanations.