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Daily Current Affairs: 20 August 2025

Current affairs of 20 August 2025: Governor’s Assent to Bills: Supreme Court Sets Timelines; Saltwater Crocodile Count Rises in Sundarbans Reserve; One Nation One Election Bill: JPC Review and Legal Concerns, and 13 more topics. Key facts for every exam, with a quiz.

Take the quiz (15 questions)August 2025

In this issue: 16 topics

National Affairs

Governor’s Assent to Bills: Supreme Court Sets Timelines
One Nation One Election Bill: JPC Review and Legal Concerns
Online Gaming Bill 2025: Draft Ban on Real-Money Gaming

Government Schemes

Urban Challenge Fund: ₹1 Lakh Crore Plan and CRGSS Guarantee

Banking & Finance

Nifty Bank index: SEBI eases realignment norms after concentration worry
SEBI Weighs Tighter Intraday Position Limits on Index Derivatives
SEBI Paper to Ease Rules for Investment Advisers, Research Analysts
HDFC ERGO and PhonePe Launch Rs 12-a-Day Health Cover
TaxBuddy AI Tax Filing System: Returns in Three Minutes
PNB First PSU Bank on .bank.in Domain

Economy

RBI Study: Foreign Liabilities of Mutual Funds Up 19.9%

Agriculture & Rural

Urea in Agriculture: Uses, Problems and Policy Measures

Environment & Ecology

Saltwater Crocodile Count Rises in Sundarbans Reserve
Cloudburst Disasters in India: Causes and Policy Gaps

Defence & Security

CCS Clears 97 More Tejas Jets and 6 AEW&C Aircraft

Reports & Indexes

InvITs and REITs: Growth in India’s Trust AUM

National Affairs

Polity & Governance

1. Governor’s Assent to Bills: Supreme Court Sets Timelines

The Supreme Court held Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi's reservation of 10 re-passed bills for the President unconstitutional.
It treated the bills as deemed assented, invoking Article 142.
The Court set time limits of one or three months for Governors acting on bills.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Polity & Governance

2. One Nation One Election Bill: JPC Review and Legal Concerns

A JPC headed by BJP MP P.P. Chaudhary is reviewing the Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill, 2024 on simultaneous elections.
The Bill inserts Article 82A and amends Articles 83 and 172.
Ex-CJI Sanjiv Khanna flagged the EC's 'unfettered discretion' to postpone Assembly polls.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Polity & Governance

3. Online Gaming Bill 2025: Draft Ban on Real-Money Gaming

The Union Government finalised a draft law to ban all forms of online real-money gaming.
The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025 was slated for Lok Sabha introduction.
The rationale is rising gaming addiction among youth.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Government Schemes

4. Urban Challenge Fund: ₹1 Lakh Crore Plan and CRGSS Guarantee

The Urban Challenge Fund (UCF) uses ₹1 lakh crore of central money to trigger about ₹4 lakh crore of urban infrastructure spending.
Central assistance is capped at 25% of project cost to make projects bankable.
Allocation: ₹90,000 crore for projects, ₹5,000 crore for capacity building and ₹5,000 crore for CRGSS.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Banking & Finance

5. Nifty Bank index: SEBI eases realignment norms after concentration worry

SEBI proposed easing index realignment norms, mainly for Nifty Bank.
SEBI's May 2025 norms cap one stock at 20% and the top three at 45%.
Nifty Bank, launched by NSE in 2003, has 12 stocks.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Banking & Finance

6. SEBI Weighs Tighter Intraday Position Limits on Index Derivatives

SEBI was studying tighter intraday position limits on index derivatives amid manipulative trading worries.
These caps restrict open contracts held within one trading day.
Aim: less volatility and manipulation, and safer retail participation.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Banking & Finance

7. SEBI Paper to Ease Rules for Investment Advisers, Research Analysts

SEBI issued a consultation paper to ease compliance for RIAs and Research Analysts.
RIA numbers dropped from about 1,300 to 967.
RIAs fall under the 2013 Regulations; research analysts under the 2014 Regulations.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Banking & Finance

8. HDFC ERGO and PhonePe Launch Rs 12-a-Day Health Cover

HDFC ERGO General Insurance and PhonePe launched affordable health insurance for the missing middle.
Premiums start at Rs 12 per day for Rs 3 lakh cover.
It targets 18 to 30-year-olds and is sold on the PhonePe app.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Banking & Finance

9. TaxBuddy AI Tax Filing System: Returns in Three Minutes

TaxBuddy unveiled an AI-powered system for filing income tax returns.
Returns can be filed in just three minutes, with instant help on queries.
It reflects the wider push for digitisation in financial services.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Banking & Finance

10. PNB First PSU Bank on .bank.in Domain

PNB moved its corporate website to www.pnb.bank.in, replacing www.pnb.co.in, as the first public sector bank to do so.
The move follows the RBI circular of April 22, 2025 on migrating to the '.bank.in' domain.
IDRBT is the exclusive registrar for the domain.
RBI also proposes an exclusive 'fin.in' domain for non-bank financial entities.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Economy

11. RBI Study: Foreign Liabilities of Mutual Funds Up 19.9%

Foreign liabilities of Indian mutual funds rose 19.9% year on year to ₹2.6 lakh crore in FY25.
The previous year's figure was ₹2.1 lakh crore in FY24.
The UAE is the biggest contributor, with about one-fifth of the total.
Australia and Canada grew fastest, with investment up over 40%.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Agriculture & Rural

Government Schemes

12. Urea in Agriculture: Uses, Problems and Policy Measures

Telangana faced a urea shortage, with long queues and a political row.
Urea is 46% nitrogen, the highest among solid nitrogenous fertilizers.
Neem-coated urea was made mandatory in 2015; IFFCO promotes Nano Urea.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Environment & Ecology

Environment & Ecology

13. Saltwater Crocodile Count Rises in Sundarbans Reserve

West Bengal's Forest Department reported more saltwater crocodiles in the Sundarban Biosphere Reserve.
It is the largest of 23 living crocodilian species and has Schedule I status under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
IUCN lists it as Least Concern.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Environment & Ecology

14. Cloudburst Disasters in India: Causes and Policy Gaps

A cloudburst is intense rain exceeding 100 mm per hour over about 30 sq. km.
In 2025, such events struck Northeast India, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and J&K, where over 60 died within a week.
Gaps: sparse IMD monitoring, weak drainage, unregulated Himalayan construction.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Defence & Security

Defence & Security

15. CCS Clears 97 More Tejas Jets and 6 AEW&C Aircraft

India gave final approval for another 97 indigenous Tejas fighter jets.
Six advanced airborne early-warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft were also cleared.
Combined value is around Rs 85,500 crore.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Reports & Indexes

Banking & Finance

16. InvITs and REITs: Growth in India’s Trust AUM

Knight Frank India reported strong five-year growth in InvIT and REIT assets, crossing $94 billion in FY25.
Both are SEBI-regulated under 2014 regulations and must pay out at least 90% of net distributable cash flows.
Units of both trusts are listed on stock exchanges.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Test yourself

15 questions from the news of 20 August 2025, with answers and explanations.