NATIONAL NEWS

eShram Portal Evolved as One-Stop-Solution for Unorganised Workers' Social Security Access

The Ministry of Labour and Employment launched the eShram portal (eshram.gov.in) on 26th August 2021 to create a comprehensive National Database of Unorganised Workers (NDUW) linked with Aadhaar.

The initiative aims to provide unorganised workers with a Universal Account Number (UAN) based on self-declaration, ensuring streamlined access to social security schemes.

As of 17th July 2025, over 30.94 crore unorganised workers have registered on the eShram portal, including 85.86 lakh workers from Andhra Pradesh.

In line with the Budget 2024-25 vision, the eShram–“One-Stop-Solution” was launched on 21st October 2024 to integrate multiple social security and welfare schemes into a single platform.
This allows registered workers to access various benefits and track entitlements via eShram.

Government Launches Palna Scheme Under Mission Shakti

The Ministry of Women and Child Development rolled out the Palna Scheme on 1 April 2022 under the Samarthya vertical of Umbrella Mission Shakti, offering day-care crèche facilities and child protection services for children aged 6 months to 6 years across all States and UTs.

Rapid growth of women’s workforce participation, urbanisation, migration, and nuclear families has created a childcare gap, deterring many mothers from pursuing gainful employment.

By providing structured crèche services, the scheme recognises childcare as formal work, supporting the “decent work campaign” under SDG 8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth.

Utilises Anganwadi-cum-Crèche Centres (AWCCs)—the world’s largest childcare infrastructure—to deliver whole-day care, ensuring safe, secure, and quality support “till the last mile.”

Open to all mothers, irrespective of employment status, covering both organized and unorganized sectors and all socioeconomic groups.

It offers nutrition, health monitoring, growth tracking, immunization, and cognitive development activities alongside supervision.

It reduces unpaid childcare burden, enabling more mothers to enter or remain in the workforce, thereby boosting female labour participation.

Annual targets for AWCCs are set during Programme Approval Board (PAB) meetings with State and UT administrations.

States/UTs submit proposals and provide matching funds for establishment and operation.

 

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

India Resumes Tourist Visas for Chinese Citizens After Five Years

India has resumed the issuance of tourist visas to Chinese nationals, ending a five-year suspension.

This move signals a positive recalibration in India-China diplomatic ties, focusing on soft power, tourism revival, and religious diplomacy.

It also aligns with India’s broader efforts to boost international tourism post-COVID-19 and reopens avenues for people-to-people exchange.

Tourist visas for Chinese citizens were suspended in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the Galwan Valley clash, straining bilateral relations. Prior to the suspension, travel included tourism, business, academic exchanges, and religious pilgrimages.

The announcement follows the resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra on June 30, 2025, enhancing religious and spiritual connectivity.

 

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

NASA Launches TRACERS Mission

NASA has launched the TRACERS mission (Tandem Reconnection and Cusp Electrodynamics Reconnaissance Satellites) to investigate how Earth’s magnetic field protects the planet from solar storms and space weather.

This mission focuses on understanding magnetic reconnection, a process where the Sun’s magnetic field interacts with Earth’s shield, releasing bursts of energy that can disrupt satellites, power grids, and communications.

TRACERS consists of two small satellites flying just 10 seconds apart, launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 from California’s Vandenberg Space Force Base.

The satellites study the polar cusp region near the North Pole, where Earth’s magnetic field is most vulnerable to solar activity.

The mission aims to observe and measure magnetic reconnection and energy transfer in this region to understand how solar particles enter Earth’s upper atmosphere.

TRACERS will collect over 3,000 measurements within one year, enabling real-time monitoring of space weather impacts on communication systems, GPS navigation, and electrical grids.

The mission holds global importance, especially for countries like India that rely heavily on satellite-based technology, helping protect ISRO’s missions and critical infrastructure.

TRACERS is led by David Miles of the University of Iowa, with collaboration from NASA Goddard, UCLA, UC Berkeley, Southwest Research Institute, U.S. Space Force, Dartmouth College, and Montana State University.

Alibaba Unveils Most Advanced Open-Source AI Coding Model to Date

Alibaba Group launched Qwen3-Coder, an open-source AI model for software development, described as its most advanced coding tool to date.

The launch highlights intensifying global AI competition among Chinese and international tech companies.

Qwen3-Coder is designed for code generation and managing complex coding workflows.

The model excels in agentic AI coding tasks, enabling AI systems to work independently on programming challenges.

Performance data shows Qwen3-Coder outperformed domestic rivals like DeepSeek and Moonshot AI's K2 in key coding capabilities.

Alibaba claims Qwen3-Coder matches or rivals top U.S. AI models such as Anthropic's Claude and OpenAI's GPT-4 in specific areas.   

 

BANKING

TRAI Hosts Joint Regulators Committee to Tackle Spam and Cyber Fraud

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) hosted a Joint Committee of Regulators (JCoR) meeting in New Delhi with representatives from RBI, SEBI, IRDAI, PFRDA, MeitY, DoT, MHA, and NPCI to coordinate actions against spam, cyber fraud, and telecom misuse.

Regulators discussed an urgent transition to the 1600-series for commercial calls specifically for transactional and service calls in the banking, financial services, and insurance (BFSI) sectors, setting timelines for this migration.

A pilot project on Digital Consent Acquisition (DCA) has been launched to enhance consumer control over commercial communications by replacing unverifiable offline consents with a secure digital consent framework.

The new mechanism enables consumers to digitally register, review, and revoke consents through a simple, unified, and tamper-proof interface.

The pilot is coordinated by TRAI and RBI, involving telecom service providers (TSPs) and major banks like SBI, PNB, ICICI, HDFC, Axis Bank, Canara Bank, and Kotak Mahindra Bank.

Due to rising financial fraud linked to mobile transactions and UPI platforms, the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has joined as a special invitee to JCoR, adding a critical payments perspective to the committee’s work.

 

BUSINESS

Export Promotion Mission to Boost Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Exports

The Export Promotion Mission, announced in the Union Budget 2025-26, is a collaborative initiative by the Ministries of Commerce and Industry, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME), and Finance.

Led by the Department of Commerce, the mission aims to enhance export competitiveness by improving access to export credit, enabling cross-border factoring, and helping MSMEs tackle non-tariff barriers in international markets.

The mission focuses on effectively implementing its core objectives to benefit MSMEs nationwide by Improving export credit access, Facilitating cross-border factoring, and Assisting MSMEs in addressing non-tariff trade barriers.

Other government initiatives to support MSME exports include International Cooperation Scheme (Ministry of MSME) provides financial aid for MSMEs to participate in international trade fairs and exhibitions.

 

RANKS, INDICES & REPORTS

Henley Passport Index 2025

India marked a historic achievement in global mobility by registering its biggest-ever jump in the Henley Passport Index 2025, improving its position from 85th to 77th.

This eight-place leap highlights the country's increasing diplomatic reach, growing global stature, and enhanced citizen mobility.

The Henley Passport Index is a globally recognized ranking that measures the power of passports based on visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to other countries.

It is compiled by Henley & Partners, a London-based global citizenship advisory firm.

Data is sourced from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and updated quarterly.

This marks India’s highest annual improvement ever on the index.

It surpasses regional peers such as Pakistan and Bangladesh.

 

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

Chairman of IRDAI

Government of India appointed Ajay Seth, the former Secretary of Finance and Economic Affairs, as the new Chairman of the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI).

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) approved his appointment.

Ajay Seth will serve a term of three years, or until he reaches the age of 65, or until further notice—whichever comes earlier.

Ajay Seth is a 1987-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer from the Karnataka cadre.

He had most recently served as the Union Finance Secretary and retired from service in June 2025.

He replaces Debasish Panda, also a former IAS officer, who completed his three-year term as IRDAI Chairman in March 2025.

The position of Chairman had remained vacant since Panda’s retirement until Ajay Seth's appointment was finalized.

 

IMPORTANT DAYS

Kargil Vijay Diwas

Kargil Vijay Diwas 2025 is observed on July 26 every year in memory of soldiers who sacrificed their lives in the Kargil War.

In this year 2025, it has been 24 years since the Kargil War of 1999.

Kargil Vijay Diwas 2025 celebrates the victory of the Indian Armed Forces over Pakistan during the Kargil War, which took place between May and July 1999

The Kargil War was an armed conflict between India and Pakistan in the Kargil district of Jammu and Kashmir.

The conflict originated when around 5,000 Pakistani troops and militants infiltrated Indian territory to dominate the region with the goal of claiming Siachen Glacier.

It is believed to planned by the then Pakistan Army chief General Pervez Musharraf without the knowledge of then Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and occupied strategic positions in the high-altitude areas along the Line of Control (LOC), which serves as the de facto border between India and Pakistan in the region.

The main aim of Pakistan is to draw international attention to the disagreement so that pressure can be generated on the Indian Army to take away its army from the Siachen Glacier region and force India to negotiate for the Kashmir dispute.