Today’s important current affairs, which are essential for students preparing for government jobs-
NATIONAL 1. Cabinet approves Paper Leak Amendment Bill
- On 24 July, the Paper Leak Amendment Bill was approved at a Cabinet meeting chaired by PM Modi.
- The Bill may be introduced in Parliament on 27 July.
- A day earlier, PM Modi had said that a law would be introduced with provisions for strict punishment for paper leaks and also mentioned the creation of fast-track courts.
- PM Modi also released a video message for students shortly after midnight on Thursday.
- The Bill has been approved in response to the ongoing protest at Jantar Mantar over the alleged NEET-UG paper leak of 3 May.
- The new law will include provisions for up to 10 years’ imprisonment and a fine of ₹10 crore in paper leak cases.
What are the provisions of the law?
- The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024 is already in force in the country.
- The Act received the President’s assent on 12 February 2024 and came into force across the country on 21 June 2024.
- Under the existing law, those found guilty of a paper leak can face three to five years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to ₹10 lakh.
- If an agency is found guilty, it can be fined ₹1 crore, required to bear the entire cost of the examination, and barred from conducting examinations for the next four years.
- Under the Act, the offence is non-bailable and no compromise is permitted. Investigations must be conducted by officers of DSP rank or above.
APPOINTMENT
2. Viswanathan Anand becomes interim President of FIDE
- On 24 July, five-time World Chess Champion Viswanathan Anand was appointed interim President of the International Chess Federation (FIDE).
- Anand’s appointment came after the European Union imposed sanctions on FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich.
- Under FIDE rules, when the President is unable to exercise his authority, the Deputy President assumes the role of interim President.
- Dvorkovich served as Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister from 2012 to 2018 and has been FIDE President since 2018.
- He has suspended the exercise of his powers because he falls under sanctions imposed under EU and Swiss laws and regulations.
- Dvorkovich’s name was included in the EU’s 21st sanctions package.
- Under Article 19.2 of the FIDE Charter, Anand has now assumed the position of interim President.
- Viswanathan Anand became India’s first Grandmaster in 1988.
- He won the World Chess Championship five times — in 2000, 2007, 2008, 2010 and 2012.
- Anand has served as FIDE’s Deputy President since 2022.
International Chess Federation (FIDE)
- FIDE was established in 1924.
- Its headquarters are in Lausanne, Switzerland.
- FIDE organises international chess competitions, sets the rules of the game and maintains global player rankings..
Viswanathan Anand has been the Deputy President of FIDE since 2022.
3. Ashish Kumar Dash to be next CEO of Infosys
- On 24 July, Infosys announced Ashish Kumar Dash as its next Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
- Ashish will assume the roles of CEO and Managing Director (MD) from 1 April 2027.
- He will replace current CEO Salil Parekh, whose tenure will end on 31 March 2027.
- Ashish is currently Infosys’s Global Head of Services, Utilities, Resources, Energy and Sustainability and has more than 30 years of experience with the company.
Infosys
- Infosys was founded on 2 July 1981 by N. R. Narayana Murthy and six co-founders.
- Its headquarters are in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
- Infosys operates in information technology (IT), consulting, digital services and business process management.
- The company provides services such as software development, artificial intelligence (AI), cloud services, cyber security, data analytics and digital transformation.
Ashish has studied engineering from IIT Kharagpur.
4. Naresh Pal becomes new Education Secretary
- On 23 July , the Central Government appointed Naresh Pal Gangwar as the new Education Secretary.
- Naresh is a 1994 batch IAS officer of Rajasthan cadre, he was Secretary in the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying.
- Naresh’s appointment has been made after the paper leak controversy and student protests. He will replace Vineet Joshi.
- Naresh served as Collector in different districts of Rajasthan from 2001 to 2008.
- In 2014, Naresh became Secretary of the School Education Department of Rajasthan Government and played an important role in education administration.
- In December 2020, Naresh was made Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India.
- Appointed as Secretary in the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying in September 2025.
Naresh was first appointed as District Collector of Tonk (Rajasthan) in 2001.
5. DRDO successfully tests LR-SAM ‘Kush’ missile
- On 23 July, DRDO conducted the first successful test of the Long-Range Surface-to-Air Missile (LR-SAM) ‘Kush’ from APJ Abdul Kalam Island in Odisha.
- Kush is an indigenous surface-to-air missile system capable of engaging targets at long ranges.
- The first test was conducted against an electronic target simulating a high-speed, high-altitude aerial threat.
- The Kush missile system can neutralise various aerial threats, including fighter aircraft, missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and large enemy aircraft.
- All components of the weapon system, including the missile, radar, and command-and-control centre, have been developed by DRDO laboratories and industry partners.
- Project Kush is considered India’s equivalent of Russia’s S-400 air defence system, which is designed to intercept long-range aerial threats.
- Kush is expected to be capable of engaging targets at ranges of 350-400 km using its longest-range interceptor missile.
The Kush missile system can track and strike multiple aerial threats simultaneously.
Miscellaneous
6. India’s first Quantum Finance Hub to be built in Andhra Pradesh
- On 23 July, the Andhra Pradesh government and Punjab National Bank (PNB) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish India’s first Quantum Finance Hub.
- The hub will be established in Amaravati Quantum Valley (AQV).
- Its objective is to increase the use of emerging technologies such as quantum computing, artificial intelligence (AI) and cyber security in banking and financial services.
- The hub aims to develop better solutions to tackle financial fraud.
- It also seeks to enhance collaboration among industry, start-ups, educational institutions, research organisations and government agencies.
- It will be India’s first bank-led Quantum Finance Hub and is expected to promote AI, quantum computing and fintech innovation in the banking sector.
- The hub will strengthen cyber security in banking and support the development of advanced systems for the early detection of financial fraud.
Today in History
- In 1978, the world’s first test-tube baby, Louise Brown, was born in Oldham, England.
- In 1984, Soviet cosmonaut Svetlana Savitskaya became the world’s first woman to perform a spacewalk
