This is the current affairs of 15 to 17 July 2025. Here are questions and answers of daily current affairs for better preparation of competitive exams for government jobs.
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1. Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla returned to Earth on 15 July 2025 after staying in space for how many days?
a. 30 days
b. 25 days
c. 20 days
d. 15 days
Answer: c. 20 days
– He returned to Earth on July 15, 2025, after 20 days.
– The spacecraft landed in the Pacific Ocean near the coast of San Diego, California, USA. This is called a “splashdown.”
– Splashdown is a special type of landing method in which a spacecraft is safely brought down into the sea or ocean on Earth.
– Shubhanshu departed for space on June 25, 2025, and reached space on June 26.
Astronauts orbited the Earth 288 times
– After separating from the International Space Station (ISS) on July 14, 2025, it took the spacecraft about 20 hours to reach Earth.
– On the way, the spacecraft made a few more orbits around Earth, giving the astronauts additional opportunities to view Earth from space.
– During their 18-day stay at the International Space Station (ISS), the astronauts completed 288 orbits around Earth.
Who was the first Indian to go to space?
– The first Indian to travel to space was Rakesh Sharma. He flew aboard Soyuz T-11 on April 3, 1984, under the Soviet Intercosmos program. He was an officer in the Indian Air Force. He spent 7 days, 21 hours, and 40 minutes aboard the space station “Salyut 7.”
Second Indian: Shubhanshu Shukla
– Shubhanshu Shukla went to space 41 years after Rakesh Sharma reached space.
– However, if the question is who was the first Indian to reach the International Space Station, the answer would be Shubhanshu Shukla.
– He went to space on June 26, 2025, under the Axiom-4 mission, along with three other astronauts. He carried out research work at the International Space Station.
– For this, the Falcon-9 rocket was used.
– The Axiom-4 mission was launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
– All astronauts flew aboard the Dragon capsule, which is attached to SpaceX’s Falcon-9 rocket.
– The spacecraft docked with the ISS on June 26 at 4:30 PM, after approximately 28.5 hours.
Other pilots of the mission
– Slawosz Uznanski (Poland)
– Peggy Whitson (USA)
– Tibor Kapu (Hungary)
Who is Shubhanshu Shukla?
– Shubhanshu was born in 1986 in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.
– He completed his education at the National Defence Academy (NDA).
– He joined the Indian Air Force in 2006 and has experience flying fighter jets.
– He has also been selected for ISRO’s Gaganyaan mission, which is India’s first human spaceflight mission.
– To become an astronaut, he received special training in Russia and the USA. This included working in microgravity, emergency handling, and learning scientific experiments.
How much did this mission cost India?
– India has spent approximately ₹548 crore on this mission so far.
– This includes the cost of training Shubhanshu and his backup, Group Captain Prashant Nair.
– The amount covers training, equipment, and expenses related to international collaboration.
How important is this mission for India?
– Shubhanshu’s experience will be very helpful for the Gaganyaan mission (planned in 2027).
– The data and experience he brings back will help advance India’s space program.
Is this a private space mission?
– Yes, Axiom Mission 4 is a private spaceflight mission.
– It was carried out in collaboration between American private space company Axiom Space and NASA.
– This is Axiom Space’s fourth mission.
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2. Which scientific research did Shubhanshu Shukla do on the International Space Station (ISS)?
a. Tardigrade studies, Myogenesis studies
b. Germination of fenugreek and mung bean seeds, Cyanobacteria (microorganisms)
c. Human interaction with microalgae, crop seed growing, Voyager display (electronic display)
d. All of the above
Answer: d. All of the above (Tardigrade studies, Myogenesis studies, Germination of fenugreek and mung bean seeds, Cyanobacteria (microorganisms), Microalgae, crop seed growing and Human interaction with Voyager display (electronic display)
– Shubhanshu Shukla successfully completed all seven microgravity experiments and other scheduled activities.
Shubhanshu conducted 7 experiments on the ISS:
1. Tardigrade Study
2. Myogenesis Study
3. Germination of Fenugreek and Moong Seeds
4. Cyanobacteria (Microorganisms)
5. Microalgae
5. Growing Crop Seeds
7. Human Interaction with Voyager Display (Electronic Display)
1. What are Tardigrades or Water Bears?
– These are tiny aquatic microorganisms known for their extraordinary survival abilities.
– They are also called tardigrades, water bears, or piglets.
– A German scientist named Johann Goeze discovered this organism in 1773.
– In Latin, “Tardigrade” means “slow stepper,” referring to their sluggish, bear-like movement. Hence, they are also called “water bears.”
– Tardigrades have eight legs, each ending in tiny claws.
– Their bodies are segmented and covered by a tough outer shell.
– They measure around 0.3 mm to 0.5 mm and require a microscope to be seen.
– Tardigrades are found almost everywhere on Earth — in moss, soil, dry leaves, freshwater, oceans, high mountains, hot springs, deep sea, and even icy polar regions.
– These creatures have existed on Earth for approximately 600 million years.
2. Myogenesis
– This study focuses on a biological process in which muscles are formed and developed. This process can occur from embryonic development and continue throughout life.
– Shubhanshu studied muscle stem cells in microgravity to observe how they behave and regenerate.
– Astronauts often experience muscle loss during long-duration space missions.
– Understanding how muscle stem cells behave in microgravity can help develop strategies to prevent muscle deterioration in space.
3. Seed Germination
– On the ISS (International Space Station), Shubhanshu germinated seeds and observed how they grow in space, where gravity is extremely low.
– This experiment helps us understand how plants can be grown during long space missions to provide astronauts with a sustainable food source.
4. Cyanobacteria (Microorganisms)
– Cyanobacteria are microscopic organisms that can produce oxygen and nutrients.
– Understanding how cyanobacteria grow in microgravity can help in developing bio-regenerative life support systems for space missions.
5. Microalgae
– Microalgae are tiny organisms that are edible and provide essential nutrients for the body.
– Learning how these algae grow in space, where gravity is very low, can assist in creating a sustainable food supply for long-duration space travel.
6. Growing Crop Seeds
– This experiment focused on observing how seeds grow in space, where gravity is extremely low.
– It helps in understanding how food crops can be cultivated during long space journeys to provide sustenance to astronauts.
7. Human Interaction with Voyager Display (Electronic Display)
– This experiment studied how people interact with electronic screens (displays) in microgravity conditions in space.
– It helps us understand how to design user-friendly screens for future spacecraft and missions, so astronauts can operate them easily in space.
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3. Who was appointed as the Lieutenant Governor of the Union Territory ‘Ladakh’ in July 2025?
a. Kavinder Gupta
b. Aseem Kumar Ghosh
c. Gajapati Raju
d. kumar vishwas
Answer: a. Kavinder Gupta
– Kavinder Gupta has replaced Brigadier (Retired) B.D. Mishra, who had resigned from his position.
– Kavinder Gupta is a leader of the BJP from Jammu and Kashmir and has previously served as Deputy Chief Minister.
– His new appointment is significant in the context of a fresh movement by civil society groups in Ladakh, demanding statehood and constitutional safeguards for the region.
– In fact, after Article 370 was abrogated by Parliament on August 5, 2019, which ended Jammu and Kashmir’s special status, civil society groups in Ladakh began protesting, demanding protection of their land, resources, and employment opportunities.
– Meanwhile, a politician has been appointed as the Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh.
– Kavinder Gupta has a good understanding of Ladakh’s politics, culture, and other aspects.
Ladakh
– Capital – Leh
– Lieutenant Governor – Kavinder Gupta
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4. Who has been appointed as the new Governor of Goa in July 2025?
a. Kavinder Gupta
b. Professor Asim Kumar Ghosh
c. Pusapati Ashok Gajapati Raju
d. kumar vishwas
Answer: c. Pusapati Ashok Gajapati Raju
– He has replaced P.S. Sreedharan Pillai.
– He served as Civil Aviation Minister in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government from 2014 to 2018, and has also held ministerial positions in the Andhra Pradesh government.
– Pusapati Ashok Gajapathi Raju has been a leader of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP).
– This is the first time a leader from an ally of the Modi government has been appointed as a Governor.
– Until now, the government’s policy had been to appoint BJP leaders or former military personnel as Governors.
– This is also the first time that a leader from a non-BJP party has been given this opportunity.
Goa
– Capital – Panaji
– Chief Minister – Pramod Sawant
– New Governor – Pusapati Ashok Gajapathi Raju
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5. Name the new Governor of Haryana, who has been appointed in July 2025?
a. Kavinder Gupta
b. Professor Asim Kumar Ghosh
c. Pusapati Ashok Gajapati Raju
d. kumar vishwas
Answer: b. Professor Asim Kumar Ghosh
– He has replaced Bandaru Dattatreya.
– He served as the chief of BJP’s West Bengal unit from 1999 to 2002.
– He joined the BJP in 1991 and was a long-time member of the party’s State Intellectual Cell.
Haryana
– Capital – Chandigarh
– Chief Minister – Nayab Singh Saini
– New Governor – Professor Asim Kumar Ghosh
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6. Which heritage sites of Africa have been removed by the World Heritage Committee from the “World Heritage in Danger” list?
a. Rainforests of Atsinanana, Madagascar
b. Abu Mena, Egypt
c. ‘Old Town’ of Ghadames, Libya
d. All of the above
Answer: d. All of the above (Rainforests of Atsinanana in Madagascar, Abu Mena in Egypt and ‘Old Town’ of Ghadames in Libya) [All three are African Heritage Sites.]
– This decision was made in Paris on July 9, 2025, during the 47th session of the World Heritage Committee.
– The successful efforts to reduce threats and restore the cultural and ecological integrity of these sites were appreciated.
Why were they on the list of endangered sites?
– The Rainforests of Atsinanana were included in the “World Heritage in Danger” list in 2010
because of increasing incidents of illegal logging, rampant deforestation, and threats to endangered species like lemurs.
– These forests are home to plants and animals found nowhere else in the world.
– Abu Mena in Egypt, an ancient Christian pilgrimage site, was added to the list in 2001
because flooding caused by irrigation damaged its foundations and led to the collapse of several sections.
– The Old City of Ghadames in Libya was added to the list in 2016 due to severe damage caused by war, wildfires, and flooding.
What did the UNESCO Director-General say?
– UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay said that the removal of these three sites from the endangered list is a “great victory for the entire world.”
– She also stated that UNESCO is giving special priority to Africa and is working to train local experts and assist countries in heritage preservation.
– Since 2021, sites in three more African countries—DR Congo, Uganda, and Senegal—have also been removed from the endangered list.
“World Heritage in Danger”
– The removal of a site from the “World Heritage in Danger” list indicates that it is now safer than before.
– However, monitoring of these sites will continue.
– These sites can now receive more international cooperation and funding, which will strengthen conservation efforts.
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7. Which player won the title of Wimbledon Men’s Singles 2025?
a. Jannik Sinner
b. Carlos Alcaraz
c. Novak Djokovic
d. Casper Ruud
Answer: a. Jannik Sinner
– World No. 1 Jannik Sinner has won this title for the first time.
– He has become the first Italian player to win the Men’s Singles title at Wimbledon.
– In a match held on July 13 at Centre Court of the All England Club in London, he defeated Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz.
– This is Sinner’s fourth Grand Slam title.
– He has previously won the Australian Open twice (2024, 2025) and the US Open once (2024).
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8. Which player won the Wimbledon Women’s Singles 2025 title?
a. Amanda Anisimova
b. Iga Swiatek
c. Belinda Bencic
d. Aryna Sabalenka
Answer: b. Iga Swiatek
– Poland’s Iga Świątek has won the Wimbledon Women’s Singles title.
– She defeated Amanda Anisimova of the USA in straight sets in the final held on July 12, 2025.
– 24-year-old Iga Świątek is currently ranked World No. 8.
– This is the sixth Grand Slam title of her career.
– She has previously won the French Open four times and the US Open once.
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9. Who became the first British pair to win the Wimbledon Men’s Doubles title?
a. Rinki Hijikata and David Pell
b. David Pell and Lloyd Glasspool
c. Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool
d. Rinki Hijikata and Julian Cash
Answer: c. Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool
– In the match held on July 13, 2025, the British pair of Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool secured victory.
– They defeated Rinky Hijikata of Australia and David Pel of the Netherlands.
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10. Who won the Wimbledon Women’s Doubles 2025 title?
a. Hsieh Su-wei and Jelena Ostapenko
b. Jelena Ostapenko and Elise Mertens
c. Hsieh Su-wei and Veronika Kudermetova
d. Veronika Kudermetova and Elise Mertens
Answer: d. Veronika Kudermetova and Elise Mertens
– The pair of Veronika Kudermetova from Russia and Elise Mertens from Belgium won the title with a score of 3-6, 6-2, 6-4.
– They defeated Su-Wei Hsieh of Taiwan and Latvian tennis player Jelena Ostapenko in the match held on Centre Court.
– Hsieh Su-Wei had already won the Wimbledon doubles title four times with three different partners.
– Veronika Kudermetova became a Grand Slam champion for the first time.
– For Elise Mertens, this was her fifth Grand Slam doubles trophy and her second Wimbledon title.
– Interestingly, Kudermetova and Mertens faced each other in the 2021 final, but this time they teamed up in doubles.
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11. To secure which Yatra, Indian Army launched “Operation Shiva 2025”?
a. Amarnath Yatra
b. Vaishno Devi Yatra
c. Kailash Mansarovar Yatra
d. Kaila Devi Yatra
Answer: a. Amarnath Yatra
– The Indian Army has launched “Operation Shiva” as part of a multi-layered security arrangement to ensure the safety of the Amarnath Yatra.
– This operation is especially significant this year due to the increased threat from Pakistan-backed terrorist groups.
– Under this operation, 8,500 soldiers have been deployed.
– A Counter-Unmanned Aerial System (C-UAS) grid has been installed along both routes leading to the cave shrine.
Yatra Duration
– The 38-day pilgrimage to this 3,880-meter-high sacred site began on July 3, 2025, via two routes in the valley.
– The yatra will conclude on August 9.
Security under Operation Shiva
– High-quality PTZ (Pan-Tilt-Zoom) cameras and live drone feeds are being used to monitor the movement of convoys to detect any threats in real-time.
– Bomb detection squads are on high alert.
– Helicopters have also been deployed for use in emergency situations.
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12. Actress B Saroja Devi passed away on 14th July 2025, she was associated with which language cinema?
a. Kannada and Hindi
b. Tamil
c. Telugu
d. all of the above
Answer: d. All of the above (Kannada, Tamil, Telugu and Hindi)
– Veteran actress B. Saroja Devi, aged 87, was suffering from age-related illness.
– She worked in over 200 films, including Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, and Hindi cinema.
– B. Saroja Devi was born in Karnataka.
– In recognition of her contributions, the Government of India honored her with the Padma Shri in 1969 and the Padma Bhushan in 1992.
– Additionally, she received the Kalaimamani Award and an honorary doctorate from the Government of Tamil Nadu.
– In 2008, she was also awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Government of India.
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13. Which country will host the International Conference on Manuscript Heritage 2025?
a. India
b. Nepal
c. Indonesia
d. Africa
Answer: a. India
– An International Conference on Global Manuscript Heritage will be held from September 11 to 13, 2025, at Bharat Mandapam in Delhi.
– The event is part of the launch of the ‘Gyan Bhartam Mission’, being initiated by the Ministry of Culture.
– The three-day conference will see participation from over 500 delegates from India and abroad, including 75 distinguished scholars and cultural experts.
– The event will be conducted in a hybrid format, enabling participants from across the world to join either online or in person.
– The conference will also commemorate Swami Vivekananda’s Chicago Address delivered on September 11, 1893.
– India possesses over 10 million manuscripts, written in various scripts and languages, encompassing knowledge across philosophy, science, medicine, literature, rituals, and art.
– This conference marks a significant step toward the preservation of these rare texts and aims to make them accessible to the new generation and international researchers.
These Will Also Be Part of the Conference
– The conference will feature an exhibition on Indian manuscripts and script heritage,
– an exhibition of manuscripts inscribed in UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register,
– live demonstrations of preservation and digitization tools,
– hands-on workshops, and
– a dedicated space for startups working in this field.
‘Gyan Bhartam Mission’
– The central government announced the ‘Gyan Bhartam Mission’ (GBM) in the Union Budget 2025–26 to expand upon the vision of the National Manuscript Mission, which was launched in 2003.
– The mission aims to preserve, digitize, and disseminate the knowledge contained in manuscripts.
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14. Operation ‘JA-MATA’, started with the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) and the Coast Guard of which country, concluded?
a. Singapore Coast Guard
b. Japan Coast Guard (JCG)
c. China Coast Guard
d. Malaysia Coast Guard
Answer: b. Japan Coast Guard (JCG)
– The voyage concluded on 12 July 2025 off the coast of Chennai with a joint maritime exercise named “JA-MATA” (which means “See you again” in Japanese).
– The Japan Coast Guard (JCG) training vessel “Etsukushima” completed its week-long port call in Chennai on 12 July, as part of its Global Ocean Voyage Training.
– The Etsukushima is commanded by Captain Naoki Mizoguchi.
– The exercise included boarding operations, station keeping, and firefighting drills.
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15. Who has been appointed as the new Chairman of the National Medical Commission (NMC)?
a. Dr. K.K. Talwar
b. Dr. Suresh Chandra Sharma
c. Abhijat Sheth
d. Suresh Gangadhar
Answer: c. Abhijat Sheth
– The Union Cabinet appointed Abhijat Sheth to this position.
– According to The Hindu newspaper, this information was received on 14 July 2025.
– He will replace Suresh Gangadhar, who stepped down in October 2024 due to health concerns.
– However, due to no new appointment, he continued to hold the position.
– Abhijat Sheth is a cardiothoracic surgeon.
– He is also the President of the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS),
which conducts key medical exams like NEET-PG.
NMC
– The National Medical Commission is the apex body overseeing medical education in India.
– It ensures that the training of doctors and the functioning of medical colleges is fair and of high quality.
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16. Who became the first woman Director General of Railway Protection Force (RPF)?
a. Kanchan Chaudhary
b. Sonali Mishra
c. Rashmi Shukla
d. Idashisha Nongrang
Answer: b. Sonali Mishra
– Sonali Mishra is a 1993 batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of the Madhya Pradesh cadre.
– The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved her appointment to this post.
– Sonali will serve in this position until her retirement on 31 October 2026.
– She will take charge from the current Director General Manoj Yadav, who is set to retire on 31 July.
RPF (Railway Protection Force)
– The RPF was established in 1957 through an Act of Parliament.
– In 1966, the force was empowered to investigate, arrest, and prosecute criminals involved in unlawful possession of railway property.
– On 20 September 1985, it was declared an Armed Force of the Union.
– RPF Headquarters: New Delhi
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