Current Affairs: July 20, 2025 – Key Developments for Competitive Exams

Here's a concise overview of the latest national and international current affairs on July 20, 2025, curated for competitive exam preparation.

National Developments

  • Government Initiatives:
    • The was launched, merging 36 central government schemes to enhance agricultural productivity and sustainability with an annual outlay of ₹24,000 crore for six years, targeting 1.7 crore farmers in 100 underperforming districts.
    • PM Modi inaugurated infrastructure projects worth ₹7,200 crore in Motihari, Bihar, under the , focusing on urban renewal, connectivity, housing development (3 lakh pucca houses delivered), and employment generation.
    • Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh launched the to upgrade civil services training, standardizing quality across institutes and incorporating hybrid learning and AI tools, aligning with the Karmayogi Competency Model.
    • The government convened an , where the Opposition is expected to raise issues like the special intensive revision of electoral rolls in Bihar and the Pahalgam terror attack.
  • Economy and Banking:
    • India's foreign exchange reserves fell by for the week ended July 11, marking the second consecutive weekly decline.
    • Progress was noted in the between India and the EU, particularly on texts related to digital trade, services, and investment.
    • State-owned Central Bank of India reported a in the first quarter of the current financial year.
    • Union Bank of India logged a during the first quarter of the current financial year.
    • The Parliament received the committee report on the , which is scheduled to be tabled in the Lok Sabha on July 21.
  • Other Notable Events:
    • The kicked off at BHU, Varanasi, led by Union ministers to promote health and youth awareness, building on the ‘Yuva Spiritual Summit’ which began on July 19 with the theme 'Drug-Free Youth for a Developed India'.
    • India reached a key climate milestone, with non-fossil fuel sources accounting for as of June 30, five years ahead of the 2030 target set in the Paris Agreement.

International News

  • Russia claimed to have shot down , including 27 over the Moscow region, disrupting flight operations at major Moscow airports.
  • International Moon Day and International Chess Day were observed on July 20. International Moon Day 2025 celebrates human achievements in lunar exploration under the theme “One Moon, One Vision, One Future”. International Chess Day commemorates the founding of FIDE in 1924, emphasizing chess's role in strategic thinking and cross-cultural unity.
  • Powerful earthquakes, the largest with a magnitude of 7.4, struck off the coast of Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula, prompting a .
  • The death toll in Pakistan due to monsoon rains crossed 200, with .

Sports

  • The World Championship of Legends cricket match between India and Pakistan was cancelled after Indian players boycotted the game due to ongoing geopolitical tensions.
  • Indian chess players Koneru Humpy, D. Harika, Divya Deshmukh, and R. Vaishali advanced to the in Batumi, Georgia.
  • It began at Chelmsford.

This summary highlights the crucial events and developments of July 20, 2025, aiding in your preparation for competitive exams.