Current Affairs is the most important area in all competitive exams. But the difficulty level is very high. That’s why many aspirants get confused, how to select Current Affairs for Preparation of Competitive Examination? In this Post, Daily Current Affairs 16 July 2025, we have tried to cover each and every point and also included all important facts from National/ International news that are useful for upcoming competitive examinations such as UPSC, SSC, Railway, State Govt. etc.

Daily Current Affairs – 16 July 2025

India’s Second Longest Cable-Stayed Bridge Opens in Shivamogga

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari inaugurated the Sigandur Bridge, India’s second-longest cable stayed bridge, on July 16, 2025, at Shivamogga district in Karnataka. This new bridge is 2.44 km long over the Sharavathi backwaters and will better connect road access between Sagara town and Sigandur, where the famous Chowdeshwari Temple is located.

Major Bridge Brings New Hope

The Sigandur Bridge, at 16 meters wide, cost over ₹470 crores. The road connects Sagara with Marakutika, cutting down travel time, as well as better connecting the local villages and religious places. In the 1960s, local areas lost their road links when the Linganamakki dam was made. This bridge will restore that lifetime link that we had in the area.

At the inauguration, Nitin Gadkari named the bridge after Goddess Chowdeshwari Devi and mentioned it will greatly help the local people and pilgrims going to the temple.

Road Development in Karnataka

Gadkari also noted, Karnataka’s total length of National Highways has gone from 6707 km in 2014 to 9424 km in 2025. The minister added that ₹5 lakh crores in road works will be completed in Karnataka by the end of the government’s term.

Some of the major projects include,

1. Belagavi-Hungund-Raichur corridor to be complete by 2027

3. Hassan-Raichur highway by December 2028

4. Tumkuru-Shivamogga road completed by the end of this year

5. Mysuru-Madakeri four lane road and Chitradurga-Shivamogga roads are to be completed by next year

Plans for National Highways

Nationally, Gadkari has provided information on a few major highway projects, namely:

• The Leh-Ladakh road via Zojila tunnel will open next year

• The Surat-Chennai highway will be completed next year, which will pass through six states

• Cutting distance to Bengaluru by 280 km and to Chennai by 320 km

• Bengaluru-Chennai Expressway is to be completed in the next six months and will cut the duration from eight hours to two

South Asia Achieves Highest-Ever Child Immunisation Coverage in 2024

As per new data from UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO), South Asia has achieved its highest overall immunisation coverage for children ever, in the year 2024. Any increase in the coverage is a significant achievement and evidence that millions of children are being protected from life-threatening diseases that are still, unfortunately, preventable and deadly, including diphtheria, measles and rubella. The achievement reflects sustained governments’ commitment, innovation in delivery models, and new and revived global reach efforts to reach every child, including those in isolated locations.

Background & Context

Childhood immunisation has long been a component of public health strategies for South Asia, which continues to be home to a significant share of the world’s population. The application of these services has on occasion been interrupted, and alerts regarding children being missed were raised during this period as routine vaccination services offered by immunisation programmes were disrupted and re-instated during the COVID-19 pandemic. South Asia regaining lost ground, and in some instances exceeding even pre-COVID-19 levels of coverage in 2024, means a full return to public health efforts to support children to survive and continue to develop.

Aim & Objectives

The overarching aim behind the collective push for vaccination by South Asia is that life-saving vaccines for children are made universally accessible, followed by a reduction in disease outbreaks which are preventable, and improved child mortality. Vaccines like DTP (Diphtheria, Tetanus, and Pertussis), and measles, are still primary indicators of how far health benefits are reaching children. The aim is not only high coverage, but also equity, specifically in ensuring zero-dose children are found.

Key Highlights from Data for 2024

In 2024, 92% of infants in South Asia received the DTP third dose (up from 90% in 2023), and the first dose now reached 95%. One of the most impressive changes was the 27% decrease in zero-dose children from 2.5 million in 2023 to 1.8 million in 2024. India had a 43% decrease in zero-dose children from 1.6 million to 0.9 million. The number of zero-dose children in Nepal decreased by 52%.

Pakistan achieved its highest DTP3 coverage ever recorded at 87%, however Afghanistan recorded the lowest DPT3 and a small decrease in performance. For measles immunisation, the region had a total first dose coverage of 93%, and total second dose coverage of 88% which contributed to 39% decrease of measles cases from 90,000 cases to 55,000 cases reported in 2024.

HPV Vaccination

During 2024 social mobilisers achieved an increase in HPV vaccination (preventative of cervical cancer) from 2% in 2023 to 9% coverage in 2024. Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, and Sri Lanka all reported that coverage is on track and see that it can be improved further. Nepal initiated its HPV programme in February 2025 and report that they have reached 1.4 million girls. India and Pakistan expect to launch their HPV vaccination programme by end of 2025.

Government Action and Partnerships

The results across South Asia came from a combination of strong government leadership, funding, and frontline health workers, especially community workers, many of whom are women. Governments used digital tracking methods, focused awareness campaigns, and enhanced data tracking and monitoring systems to ensure children and adolescents were not left behind. Supported by local producers, donor agencies, and global agencies, like UNICEF and WHO, priority actions supported rebuilding trust and resiliency in the health system.

Importance

Despite numbers indicating solid progress, there remains work to be done. There remain over 2.9 million children across the region who are under-vaccinated or unvaccinated. WHO and UNICEF have requested that governments increase domestic financing for vaccination (expanding HPV coverage) and build health workforce capacity to access the hardest-to-reach populations who are often the most marginalised. The 2024 WHO and UNICEF immunization success story indicates, when political will, community trust, and international partnerships are brought together, anything is possible.

Israel Successfully Launches Dror-1 Communication Satellite with SpaceX Falcon 9

On July 13, 2025, Israel put into orbit its most advanced communications satellite, Dror-1, on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, from Cape Canaveral, USA. Dror-1 was developed by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and is expected to give Israel advanced communications capability, serving the country?s needs for the next 15 years. This mission is significant achievement in Israel?s efforts towards developing space technologies and supports their growing needs for improved space infrastructure for national communications.

Background and Development

Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), Israel’s leading aerospace and defense firm, has been the champion of Israel’s space program since Ofek-1 launched in 1988. The Dror-1 project is one of a long series of programs that seeks to provide Israel with assured capability for satellite communication.

Dror-1 was launched on July 13, 2025, from Cape Canaveral, USA, in a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. This mission represents the pinnacle of national and global cooperation in space technology and support the development of Israel’s national communications capability.

Aim and Objectives

The primary aim of Dror-1 is to be Israel’s national communications satellite for the next 15 years. Dror-1’s aim is to deliver secure and effective means of communication for military, government, and civilian purposes. The satellite will provide for Israel’s strategic independence in terms of space-based communications solutions and limit their dependency on relationships with foreign service providers.

Important Features of Dror-1

Dror-1 has lots of useful features. It weighs 4.5 tonnes, has a size of 17.8 meters when the solar panels are completely opened, has two large antennas, which are 2.8 meters wide. These are the largest antennas ever used in an Israeli satellite. These features are a great benefit because these large antennas are able to send and receive significant amounts of data using wide coverage.

Dror-1 will orbit approximately 36,000 kilometers high in a geostationary orbit when it has reached its position on orbit and it will be in position approximately two weeks after launch. In this location, it will carry out a number of functional tests before carrying out its missions.

Recent Developments and Launch Details

The satellite was put in orbit by a Falcon 9 rocket. The Falcon 9 rocket is a two-stage launch vehicle. The Falcon 9 first stage successfully landed back to earth on the autonomous drone ship. The second stage lifted the satellite further into space and opened it in orbit.

IAI confirmed that Dror-1’s initial signals were positive and the satellite is functioning correctly. In the next few weeks, IAI engineers will run all performance tests, then in October will begin Dror-1’s full-time mission.

Boaz Levy, CEO of IAI stated, “Dror-1 is, the most advanced communications satellite ever built in Israel.” This demonstrates the country’s capability to design, develop and deploy space assets that meet national security needs and national development needs.

Chinese Scientists Develop World’s Lightest Brain Controller to Turn Bees into Cyborgs

Researchers in China have created the world’s lightest brain controller, which can have the ability to direct the flight of bees. Made by a team from the Beijing Institute of Technology, this controller is able to connect bees to make them cyborgs. The cyborg bees could be sent on tactical missions for the ‘, for military use or search and rescue work. This makes new opportunities for utilizing the work of insects instead of humans or machines.

How the Bee Brain Controller Works

The brain controller weighs merely 74 milligrams, world’s lightest brain controller. The brain likely controller, strapped to the bee’s back, has three functional sharp thin needles that that punctured through the bee’s brain. This tiny device delivers electronic signals to tell the most complex flying insect to fly in the the prescribed direction: left; right; forwards; backwards. In experimental tests, they able to to follow and complete the signal commands given nine out of tten times.

The controller signals throughout the device and makes the bee feel an illusion of movement; and creates the possibility for the scientist to guide bee to complete for an exact point in space. Statements made by the project lead professor Zhao Jieliang, the insect cyborgs have incredible movability, hidden potential and longer duration compared or above small man like robots.

Use in Military and Emergency Work

Professor Zhao mentioned that these bee cyborgs could be very useful for secret military operations, counter-terrorism initiatives, drug sniffs and even rescue operations in disaster hit areas. Insects like bees, are quick, small, and go places we cannot with drones or people—in addition to urban combat and hot zones such as the typical war zone.

This work was based on previous research in Singapore that controlled beetles and cockroaches in the same manner. But the vehicle for China’s insect research is three times lighter than the first version.

Future Challenges

The most significant challenge ahead is the battery life. The battery now is small so it develops a very quickly drained charge. A larger battery is simply too heavy for the bee to transport, and the device itself will have to be changed to be used on other insects as each reacts to signals differently.

Professor Zhao’s team would like to make the insect’s movement more precise and capable of repeating movements by having the signals smarter and more managed in the future.

Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma Launch India’s First Aqua Tech Park In Assam

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma launched India’s first Aqua Tech Park in Sonapur, near Guwahati, Assam. The park will also support fish farmers learn about technology such as aquaponics, biofloc system, and ornamental fishes breeding. This will help to increase fish production and farmers income in the state.

A Big Step in Fish Farming

The Aqua Tech Park was set up by the NGO Kolong Kopili with the support of NABARD, ICAR-CIFA, Selco Foundation, and Fishery Department and showcases technologies to raise fish in modern ways wherein using less water, faster methods, and new systems. Among others mentioned aquaponics growing both the fish and the plants and the biofloc system which not only improves the fish health but its rapid growth.

CM Himanta Biswa Sarma said, even though there are many rivers in Assam, still the state is dependent on other states such as Andhra Pradesh to meet its fish demand. He stated the Aqua Tech Park will help to change the situation.

Helping Farmers and Youths

Kolong Kopili the NGO promoting the Aqua Tech Park was commended for its work over the last 17 years in training fish farmers and youths.

The Aqua Tech Park will be a boon for fish farmers and create more avenues for fish farmers, particularly by creating additional income and job opportunities.

In addition, Assam increased its fish production from 2.53 lakh metric tonnes in 2019 to 4.99 lakh metric tonnes in 2024 hence making it the fourth highest fish producing state in India.

Government Assistance and Future Plans

The state government is combining traditional farming with modern technology. In the current fiscal year, the state has initiated ten fishery cluster development initiatives at an investment cost of ₹8 crore.

The park will also engage young people to participate in fish farming and assist in bettering the rural economy. The park will train people to create market links and to manage ornamental fish and sell products direct to buyers.

Behdeinkhlam Festival 2025: Jowai in Meghalaya Prays for Prosperity and Good Health

The sacred Behdeinkhlam festival recently took place with exhilaration in Jowai, Meghalaya. This annual event is important to the Pnars, a tribal group from Meghalaya. The festival takes place in July and consists of prayers for a good harvest and the dispelling of diseases and evil from society. It also helps them keep their traditional faith alive.

An Event With Deep Meaning

Behdeinkhlam literally means ‘driving away the plague’, which signifies the importance of the festival in protecting people from illness, especially after the sowing season. For the Pnars, one of the subtribes of the Jaintia community, this festival is not just tradition, but a method of holding onto their old religion, Niamtre.

Rituals and Sacred Events

The festival goes on for three days and during this time men perform dances and rituals while the women prepare and feed the spirits of their ancestors. One of the most important parts of the festival is the rolling of the important wooden post, or Symbud Khnong, around the township and placing it at a certain place to keep away evil spirits.

Unique Game/Activity with Relevant Social Messages

One of the most interesting aspects of the Behdeinkhlam festival is the football-like game called, Dad-lawakor that takes place at Mynthong. Over the years, the festival has also become a platform to issue social messages to avoid drug-use and alcohol abuse; also to highlight awareness on climate change. These events indicate how our traditional ceremonies and events are going along way to get helpful progressive messages out to the community.