First Make-in-India cost-effective advanced Carbon Fibre Foot Prosthesis, indigenously designed and developed by DRDO’s Defence Research & Development Laboratory (DRDL) and AIIMS Bibinagar was unveiled at AIIMS Bibinagar, Telangana on July 14, 2025.
AIIMS Bibinagar – DRDL, DRDO Indigenously Developed Optimised Carbon Foot Prosthesis (ADIDOC), a major breakthrough under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative, was launched by Distinguished Scientist & Director, DRDL Dr GA Srinivasa Murthy and Executive Director, AIIMS Bibinagar Dr Ahanthem Santa Singh.
ADIDOC is biomechanically tested to loads up to 125 kgs with sufficient factor of safety. It has three variants to cater to patients of different weights. This foot is designed with the goal of offering a high-quality and affordable solution accessible to a larger population in need, while delivering performance at par with available international models.
It is expected to reduce the cost significantly to as low as less than Rs 20,000 in production in comparison to the current imported similar products that cost around Rs two lakh. Hence, this innovation is expected to significantly improve accessibility to high-quality prosthetics for low income group amputees in India, reduce dependency on imported technologies etc.
Padma Bhushan recipient and legendary actress B Saroja Devi passed away at the age of 87 on July 14. The acclaimed actress of "Abhinaya Saraswathi" and “Kannadathu Paingili,” had worked in over 200 films. Considered as one of the most successful actresses in Indian cinema, Saroja Devi not only worked in Kannada movies, but also acted in Tamil, Telugu, and Hindi language.
She was honoured with India's fourth highest civilian honour — Padma Shri in 1969 and the third-highest civilian honour — Padma Bhushan in 1992. She also received the Kalaimamani Award from Tamil Nadu. She was honoured with an honorary doctorate from Bangalore University.
Taking a strong step towards women empowerment, Vasant Vihar Dispensary at the SECL Headquarters, Bilaspur, was today formally inaugurated as Coal India’s first dispensary to be operated entirely by women.
This initiative marks a significant stride in promoting women’s leadership within the coal sector.
The Vasant Vihar Dispensary will now be fully operated by a 14-member team of women, comprising of doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and support staff.
The dispensary offers the medical services such as OPD Services, Casualty & Emergency Medical Services, and hosts Dressing and Injection Room, ECG Facilities, Blood Collection Centre for Pathology Tests and OPD Pharmacy.
A high-level virtual meeting of State Labour Ministers and State Industry Ministers was convened under the chairpersonship of the Union Minister of Labour & Employment and Youth Affairs and Sports, Dr Mansukh Mandaviya in New Delhi. The objective of the meeting was to deliberate on the implementation modalities and,
explore collaborative strategies for the effective rollout of the Employment Linked Incentive (ELI) Scheme.
Dr. Mandaviya cited KLEMS data published by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), highlighting that over 17 crore employment opportunities were generated during the last decade.
Union Minister also urged State Ministers to actively promote the scheme through media briefings, television and radio interviews, and other outreach platforms. He emphasized the importance of comprehensive planning and awareness-building at the grassroots level.
Union Minister Shri Nitin Gadkari Ji inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for 9 National Highway projects spanning 88 km, with an investment exceeding ₹2,000 crore, in the presence of Union Minister Shri Pralhad Joshi Ji, former Chief Minister of Karnataka Shri B.S. Yediyurappa Ji, MPs, MLAs, and senior officials today in Sagara Town, Shivamogga, Karnataka.
The newly inaugurated Sharavathi Bridge is poised to significantly improve connectivity between the Malnad and coastal regions, while also facilitating easier access to important pilgrimage centres such as the Sigandur Chowdeshwari and Kollur Mookambika temples.
The widening of the 47-kilometre-long Bidar–Humnabad section of NH-367 will substantially reduce travel time between the districts of Kalaburagi and Bidar. Restoration works undertaken in the Shiradi Ghat stretch of NH-75 are expected to ensure safe and uninterrupted traffic movement during the monsoon season, particularly along the vital Mangaluru–Bengaluru corridor.
The construction of a Road Over Bridge (ROB) at Shahabad and a bridge over the Kagina River on NH-50 will ensure seamless connectivity between Kalaburagi and Raichur. In addition,road safety enhancements on the Bengaluru–Mysuru Access-Controlled Expressway will facilitate faster, safer, and more efficient travel between Karnataka and Kerala, while also reducing Travel time.
Dr. Arvind Virmani, Member of NITI Aayog, released the third edition of the "Trade Watch Quarterly" publication for Quarter 3 of the financial year 2025 (October to December) on Jul 14, 2025, in New Delhi.
In addition to offering a comprehensive analysis of India’s trade position for the quarter,
this edition’s thematic section focuses on recent shifts in US tariff structures, offering critical insights into the realignment of international trade and its implications for India’s export competitiveness.
Former Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has died at the age of 82.
Buhari was the first Nigerian opposition candidate to defeat an incumbent president since the country transitioned to multi-party politics, as per Reuters. He had earned a large following for his anti-corruption measures.
In the 1980s, Buhari first led Africa’s most populous nation as a military ruler following a coup. He was ousted after 20 months. He later called himself a “converted democrat" and switched out his military uniform for prayer caps and kaftans, as per Reuters. In 2015, he managed to win an election after three failed attempts, defeating Johnathan Goodluck.
He won another four-year term in 2019.
During his time in office, Buhari had to deal with Nigeria’s worst economic crisis in decades, influenced in part by a slump in global oil prices. His government also had to tackle the Islamist militant group Boko Haram, the BBC said. While Buhari had promised to defeat the group, it remains a threat in the country.
EximPe, a pioneering fintech startup specialising in cross-border payments, has received the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) Payment Aggregator for Cross-Border (PA-CB) In-Principle licence for both export and import activities. This regulatory approval positions EximPe as one of the first companies to obtain the license without pre-existing payment authorisations,
enabling it to offer fully compliant cross-border pay-in and pay-out services tailored to digital services, e-commerce, and B2B trade across emerging Asian markets.
This licence marks a major advancement for EximPe as it elevates its platform from primarily a payment technology provider to a fully regulated cross-border payments infrastructure player.
The regulatory empowerment is expected to streamline international trade payments, minimise compliance hurdles, and enhance payment efficiency for exporters, SMEs, manufacturers, and service providers operating in the India-Asia corridor.
Arjun Zacharia- Founder and CEO of EximPe
India has achieved a landmark in its energy transition journey by reaching 50% of its installed electricity capacity from non-fossil fuel sources—five years ahead of the target set under its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to the Paris Agreement. This significant milestone underscores the country’s steadfast commitment to climate action and,
sustainable development, and signals that India’s clean energy transition is not only real but also accelerating under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.
Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, Shri Sarbananda Sonowal launched multiple Capacity Building initiatives worth more than ₹276 crores at the Visakhapatnam port here today.
The minister laid foundation stones for six projects with a total investment of more than ₹116 crores with an aim to build new capacity for Visakhapatnam port.
Key initiatives include the construction of a B-Ramp within the port area (₹33.49 crore) and a new finger jetty and wharf in the fishing harbour (₹32.61 crore) to boost cargo handling and support the local fishing community. Further enhancing operational efficiency,
the port will see two additional breasting dolphins at OSTT (₹20.87 crore) and an additional ramp linking the Ambedkar Centenary Flyover to the L-17 corridor (₹8.31 crore). To promote cruise tourism and public engagement, a public promenade near the cruise terminal (₹15.90 crore) will be developed,
alongside the construction of toilet blocks at 15 locations across the port area (₹5.50 crore), improving amenities and accessibility. Together, these projects aim to strengthen Visakhapatnam Port’s role as a modern, inclusive, and globally competitive maritime hub.
The National Education Society for Tribal Students (NESTS), under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, is proud to announce the successful disbursement of ₹62.40 lakh under the President’s Discretionary Grant to 832 meritorious Class XII students from Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRSs) across India.
This special financial assistance has been sanctioned by the Hon’ble President of India with the objective of encouraging academic excellence among tribal students.
Under this initiative, two toppers each from the Science, Commerce, and Humanities streams in every EMRS that appeared for the Class XII Board Examinations (2024–25),
were selected to receive a one-time grant of ₹7,500. The beneficiaries were identified based on their academic performance, and the funds were directly transferred to their or their parents’ bank accounts to ensure transparency and efficiency in disbursal.
In certain cases where multiple students secured identical marks and ranks, such as 20 students from 10 EMRSs,
tie-breaker criteria were applied. Preference was given to girl students, and if a tie still persisted, Class XI markswere considered determining the final awardees.
In 2014, the United Nations General Assembly declared 15 July as World Youth Skills Day, to celebrate the strategic importance of equipping young people with skills for employment, decent work and entrepreneurship.
15 July 2025 marks the 10th anniversary since World Youth Skills Day (WYSD). This year’s theme focuses on Youth empowerment through AI and digital skills.
2025 Theme: Youth empowerment through AI and digital skills.
Education and training are central to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda. The vision of the Incheon Declaration: Education 2030 is fully captured by Sustainable Development Goal 4 “Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all”.
