Good morning students, It’s Thursday, July 16, and we are covering some important current affairs and updates related national, international, sports, and more, which might help you crack government exams.
National News
1. Historic Machilipatnam Port Set for Revival:
The ₹5,155 crore Machilipatnam Greenfield Port in Andhra Pradesh reaches 48% completion. The operations planned by the end of 2026, expected to handle 36 million tonnes of cargo annually.
2. Meghalaya Celebrates Sacred Behdeinkhlam Festival:
The traditional Behdeinkhlam Festival was celebrated in Jowai, Meghalaya in July 2025, featuring rituals important to the Pnars community and promoting drug-free living awareness.
3. India’s First RoRo Ferry Service:
CM Pramod Sawant launched India’s first RoRo ferry service on Mandovi River with two high-tech ferries reducing travel time between Chorao and Ribandar to 12-13 minutes.
4. Second Longest Cable-Stayed Bridge Opens:
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari inaugurated the 2.44 km long Sigandur bridge in Karnataka, built over Sharavathi backwaters at a cost of over ₹470 crore.
5. India’s First Aqua Tech Park in Assam:
CM Himanta Biswa Sarma inaugurated India’s first Aqua Tech Park in Sonapur near Guwahati, featuring biofloc, aquaponics, and ornamental fish breeding technologies.
6. Himachal Launches My Deed NGDRS Pilot Project:
CM Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu launched the ‘My Deed’ NGDRS pilot project to digitize land registration across 10 tehsils in 10 districts.
Internation news
7. Highest-Ever Child Immunisation Coverage:
South Asia reached record-high childhood immunisation in 2024 with 92% DTP3 vaccine coverage and 27% drop in zero-dose children, as reported by UNICEF and WHO.
Banking news
8. UPI-PayNow Expanded to 13 More Banks:
NPCI International expanded UPI-PayNow linkage on July 17, 2025, now including 19 Indian banks to boost real-time cross-border remittances between India and Singapore.
Award news
9. Kalinga Ratna Award 2024 to Dharmendra Pradhan:
President Droupadi Murmu awarded Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan with Kalinga Ratna Award-2024 on July 16, 2025, in Cuttack, Odisha.
Appointment news
10. Sanjay Kaul Appointed CEO of GIFT City:
Sanjay Kaul, a 2001-batch IAS officer of Kerala cadre, has been named the new MD and CEO of GIFT City, Gandhinagar, on July 15, 2025, for a three-year deputation.
11. Sabyasachi Couture Appoints Manish Chopra as CEO:
Sabyasachi Couture appointed Manish Chopra, former Shein India and Meta executive, as its new CEO, marking a strategic move amid India’s luxury market revival.
Rank & Report news
12. Delhi Ranked World’s Most Affordable Student City:
In QS Best Student Cities Rankings 2026, Delhi was named the world’s most affordable student city, while Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Chennai also improved their ranks.
Schemes news
13. Cabinet Clears PM Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana 2024-31:
The Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana, approved on July 16, 2025, is a six-year plan with ₹24,000 crore yearly budget aimed at enhancing agriculture in 100 low-performing districts.
science and technology news
14. China Creates Lightest Mind-Control Device for Bees:
Chinese scientists at Beijing Institute of Technology created the world’s lightest mind-controller weighing 74 milligrams to control bees as cyborgs for military missions and disaster rescue.
15. Israel’s Most Advanced Communications Satellite Dror-1 Launched:
Israel successfully launched its Dror-1 communications satellite on July 13, 2025, using SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, weighing 4.5 tons and designed to serve communication needs for 15 years.
Obituary news
16. Celebrated Queer Poet Andrea Gibson Passes Away at 49:
Celebrated queer poet Andrea Gibson, known for their work on gender identity, love, and cancer survival, passed away on July 14, 2025, at age 49 after battling ovarian cancer diagnosed in 2021.