18 August 2025 Current Affairs (With PDF)

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Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana (PM-VBRY)

Why in News

• Announced by the Prime Minister.
• Implemented by the Ministry of Labour and Employment.
• Aim: Support the creation of over 3.5 crore jobs in two years.

Key Features of the Scheme

1. Part A: Support to First-Time Employees

a. Target Group:

• First-time employees registered with Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO).

b. Incentive:

Equivalent to one month’s EPF wage (up to ₹15,000), paid in two instalments:

• 1st instalment → after 6 months of service.
• 2nd instalment → after 12 months of service + completion of financial literacy programme.

c. Eligibility:

• Employees earning up to ₹1 lakh per month.

d. Savings Push:

• A part of the incentive will be kept in a deposit account for a fixed period.

e. Payment Mechanism:

• Through DBT using Aadhaar-Based Payment System (ABPS).

2. Part B: Incentives for Employers

a. Eligibility:

• Employers hiring new employees with salaries up to ₹1 lakh/month.

b. Incentive Amount:

• Up to ₹3000 per month for 2 years, per additional employee.
• For manufacturing sector → incentives extended to 3rd and 4th year as well.

c. Incentive Mechanism:

• Transferred directly into PAN-linked employer accounts.

Significance

• Encourages formal job creation.
• Boosts manufacturing sector employment.
• Promotes financial literacy and savings habit among young workers.
• Strengthens social security coverage via EPFO.

India’s Historic Deep-Sea Exploration Feat

Why in News

• Two Indian aquanauts successfully reached depths of 4,025 meters and 5,002 meters in the Atlantic Ocean, marking a significant achievement in India’s deep-sea exploration journey. The feat was achieved aboard the French submersible Nautile, in collaboration with IFREMER (France’s Marine Research Institute) and the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), Chennai.
• This milestone sets the stage for India’s ambitious Samudrayaan Mission under the Deep Ocean Mission framework.

Key Highlights

India’s Atlantic Ocean Deep Dive

• Two Indian aquanauts achieved record-setting dives at 4,025 m and 5,002 m depth.
• Conducted using Nautile submersible from France.
• Collaboration between IFREMER (France) and NIOT (India).
• Places India among the select few nations with proven deep-sea exploration capabilities.

Samudrayaan Mission - The Next Frontier

1. Objective:

• To send three aquanauts up to 6,000 meters depth in the indigenous submersible MATSYA-6000 by 2027.

2. MATSYA-6000:

• India’s first-ever scientific submersible.
• Fourth-generation technology.
• Designed for 12 hours of operational endurance and 96 hours of emergency endurance.

Deep Ocean Mission (DOM)

1. Launched:

• 2021 by the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES).

2. Timeline & Budget:

• ₹4,077 crore, spread over 5 years (2021–2026).

3. Objectives:

• Develop technologies for deep-sea mining and exploration.
• Harness deep-ocean resources for a sustainable Blue Economy.
• Study marine biodiversity and address challenges like climate change and ocean pollution.

National Deepwater Exploration Mission

• Recently announced by the Prime Minister.
• Focus: Exploration of oil and gas reserves in deep-sea regions.
• Complements Samudrayaan and Deep Ocean Mission for resource security.

Significance: This achievement not only boosts India’s scientific and technological standing in ocean research but also strengthens its strategic ambitions in sustainable resource utilization, energy security, and Blue Economy development.

S&P Global Ratings Upgrades India’s Sovereign Credit Rating

Why in News

• Standard & Poor’s (S&P) Global Ratings has raised India’s long-term Sovereign Credit Rating from ‘BBB-’ to ‘BBB’ and the short-term rating from ‘A-3’ to ‘A-2’, with a Stable Outlook.
• This is the first upgrade by S&P since 2007, when India was accorded investment-grade status at BBB-.

Key Highlights

Reasons for Upgrade

• Continued fiscal consolidation efforts.
• Better quality of public expenditure, with focus on growth-supportive investments.
• Robust corporate, financial, and external balance sheets strengthening macroeconomic stability.

About Sovereign Credit Ratings (SCR)

1. Definition:

• An independent assessment of a nation’s ability and willingness to meet its debt obligations.
• Helps investors gauge creditworthiness and risk.

2. Major Global Agencies:

• Standard & Poor’s (S&P)
• Fitch Ratings
• Moody’s Investors Service

3. Rating Categories:

• Investment Grade:
  - S&P & Fitch: BBB- to AAA
  - Moody’s: Baa3 to Aaa
• Speculative Grade: Ratings below these thresholds, indicating higher risk of default.

Significance of Sovereign Ratings

1. Positive Impacts:

• Improves a country’s ability to attract foreign investments.
• Facilitates easier access to international capital markets.
• Leads to lower borrowing costs due to reduced perceived risk.

2. Concerns & Criticisms:

• Bias and subjectivity in rating methodologies.
• Conflict of interest issues with rating agencies.
• Rating Ceiling Effect: Companies within a country generally cannot receive ratings higher than their sovereign, potentially limiting the growth of domestic firms.

Mission Sudarshan Chakra

Why in News

The Prime Minister has announced the launch of Mission Sudarshan Chakra, a strategic initiative aimed at securing India’s critical civil and defence infrastructure by the year 2035.

About Mission Sudarshan Chakra

1. Nature of Mission:

• A comprehensive national security programme designed to safeguard India’s vital assets against emerging threats.

2. Key Features:

• Deployment of state-of-the-art technology and advanced weapon systems at crucial national sites by 2035.
• Focus on both defensive and offensive capabilities – neutralizing hostile attacks and enabling impactful counterstrikes.
• Inspired by the mythical Sudarshan Chakra, symbolizing precision, speed, and destructive power.

3. Objectives:

• Strengthen India’s strategic autonomy in defence preparedness.
• Enhance capacity for rapid, precise, and decisive responses to threats.
• Build a resilient shield for critical infrastructure against conventional, cyber, and hybrid warfare challenges.

Alaska (USA)

Why in News

The President of the United States and the President of Russia recently met in Alaska to discuss a potential ceasefire in the Russia–Ukraine conflict.

About Alaska

1. Geographical Location:

A non-contiguous state of the U.S., located at the northwestern tip of the North American continent.

Shares maritime boundaries with:

• North: Beaufort Sea & Arctic Ocean
• South: Gulf of Alaska & Pacific Ocean
• West: Bering Sea
• Northwest: Chukchi Sea

2. Historical Background:

• Purchased by the United States from Russia under the Alaska Treaty of 1867.

3. Unique Features:

• Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) is visible across much of the state.
• Nearly one-third of Alaska lies inside the Arctic Circle.
• Around 85% of the land area is underlain by permafrost.

SLINEX-25

Why in News

Indian Naval Ships INS Rana (Guided Missile Destroyer) and INS Jyoti (Fleet Tanker) are participating in the 12th edition of the Sri Lanka–India Naval Exercise (SLINEX-25) being held in Colombo.

About SLINEX

1. Nature:

• A bilateral naval exercise between India and Sri Lanka, initiated in 2005.

2. Objectives:

• Strengthen interoperability between the two navies.
• Promote maritime cooperation in the Indian Ocean region.
• Facilitate exchange of best practices in naval operations.

3. Strategic Significance:

• Reinforces India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ Policy.
• Supports the vision of MAHASAGAR (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions).
• Enhances regional maritime security and stability.

Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA)

Context

India recently rejected the PCA’s award concerning issues of interpretation under the Indus Waters Treaty.

About PCA

• A treaty-based intergovernmental organization that provides services for arbitration, conciliation, and other dispute resolution processes, particularly between states, state entities, intergovernmental organizations, and private parties.
• Establishment: Created in 1899 by the Convention for the Pacific Settlement of International Disputes at the First Hague Peace Conference.
• Membership: 125 contracting parties (including India).
• Headquarters: Peace Palace, The Hague, Netherlands.

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