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CUET Current Affairs: 26 July 2025

 

First Hydrogen-Powered Rail Coach

News- India Successfully Tests First Hydrogen-Powered Rail Coach.

  • Event – India successfully tested its first hydrogen-powered train coach.
  • Announce– 15 July 2025, at ICF Chennai.
  • Announced By – Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.
  • Train Capacity – 1,200 HP hydrogen-powered train.
  • Scheme – Part of “Hydrogen for Heritage” initiative.
  • Target – To run 35 hydrogen trains on heritage routes.
  • Pilot Project – DEMU retrofit on Jind–Sonipat section.
  • Project Cost – ₹111.83 crore.
  • Significance – Promotes zero carbon emissions and clean energy goals.

India–UK Free Trade Agreement

News- India–UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA) 2025.

  • Event – India and the UK signed a landmark Free Trade Agreement (FTA).
  • Date – 24 July 2025.
  • Occasion – During PM Narendra Modi’s visit to the UK.
  • Leaders Present – PM Narendra Modi and UK PM Keir Starmer.
  • Aim – To double bilateral trade to $120 billion by 2030.
  • Benefits – Boosts exports, employment, and investment opportunities.

ULPGM-V3

News- DRDO conducts successful flight-trials of Advanced ULPGM-V3.

  • Missile Name – ULPGM-V3 (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Launched Precision Guided Missile).
  • Test Location – National Open Area Range (NOAR), Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh.
  • Developer – DRDO (multiple labs including)
  • Version – Upgraded from ULPGM-V2.
  • Features:
    – High-definition dual-channel seeker
    – Day-night capability
    – Two-way data link
    – Modular warheads: Anti-armour, Anti-bunker, Pre-fragmentation
  • Platform – Launched from UAV by Newspace Research Technologies (Bengaluru-based start-up).
  • About DRDO
    • Full Form – Defence Research and Development Organisation.
    • Established – 1958
    • Headquarters – New Delhi.
    • Current Chairman – Dr. Samir V. Kamat (as of 2025).
    • Motto – “Strength’s Origin is in Science.”

Henley Passport Index

News- India’s ranking in Henley Passport Index jumps from 85 to 77.

  • Report – Henley Passport Index 2025
  • India’s Rank – 77th (up from 85th in 2024)
  • Visa-Free Access – 59 countries for Indian passport holders
  • Improvement – Climbed 8 places from previous year
  • Document Type – Passport allows international travel; issued by government.
  • Top countries in Hanley Passport Index2025:
      • Rank 1: Singapore- 193 destinations
      • Rank 2: Japan- 190 destinations
  • Index Compiled by– Hanley and Partners- a London based advisory firm.
  • Upload quarterly using international Air Transport Association (IATA) data.
  • Afghanistan – remains at the bottom (106th).

Bold Kurukshetra 2025

News- India–Singapore Joint Military Exercise ‘Bold Kurukshetra 2025’

  • Exercise Name – Bold Kurukshetra 2025.
  • Participants – Indian Army and Singapore Armed Forces (SAF)
  • Location – Jodhpur, Rajasthan (desert region).
  • Focus Areas – Urban warfare, counter-terrorism, real-time operations.
  • Objective – Enhance combat interoperability.
  • Significance – Reflects growing India–Singapore defence cooperation and battlefield readiness.

Kargil Vijay Diwas

News- Kargil Vijay Diwas 2025.

  • Event – Kargil Vijay Diwas.
  • Date – Observed on 26 July.
  • Significance – Commemorates India’s 1999 victory over Pakistan in the Kargil War.
  • Operation – Conducted under Operation Vijay.
  • Action – Indian forces recaptured strategic peaks in Ladakh without crossing the LoC.

MCQs

Q1. The hydrogen-powered train initiative is part of which scheme?
A) Mission Amrit Rail
B) National Green Mobility Scheme
C) Hydrogen Rail Mission
D) Hydrogen for Heritage

Q2. What are the expected benefits of the India–UK FTA?
A) Only tourism growth
B) Defence procurement
C) Boosts exports, employment, and investment
D) Environmental cooperation

Q3. Where was the ULPGM-V3 missile successfully tested?
A) Pokhran, Rajasthan
B) Balasore, Odisha
C) NOAR, Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh
D) Chandipur, Odisha

Q4. What is India’s rank in the Henley Passport Index 2025?
A) 85
B) 72
C) 77
D) 79

Q5. Kargil Vijay Diwas is observed on which date?
A) 15 August
B) 26 July
C) 2 October
D) 3 December

Q6. What is the name of the joint military exercise conducted between India and Singapore in 2025?
A) SIMBEX
B) Garuda
C) Bold Kurukshetra
D) Vajra Prahar