DAILY GK 15-17 AUG 2025
1.
HINDUSTAN ZINC JOIN THE INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL ON MINING AND
METALS
·
The Hindustan Zinc Limited
(HZL), India’s only and the world’s
largest integrated zinc producer, has become the 1st Indian company to join
the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM).
·
This marks ICMM’s first new member since Boliden, Swedish company joined in 2021.
2.
RBI TO INTRODUCE CONTINUOUS CLEARING AND
SETTLEMENT REALISATION IN CTS
·
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued
a circular for introduction of ‘Continuous Clearing and
Settlement on Realisation in CTS’.
·
As per RBI’s circular, the Cheque Truncation System(CTS) which
currently processess cheques with a clearing cycle of upto two
working days, is set to transition to continuous clearing with ‘on-realisation-settlement’.
·
The new mechanism will be implemented in
two phases i.e. Phase-I will come into effect on October 04,
2025 while Phase-2 is scheduled to commence on January
03, 2026.
·
During
Phase-I, it is mandatory for drawee banks to confirm
(positively/negatively) cheques
presented on them by 7:00 pm on the same day, in failure to do the
confirmation by then, the cheques will be considered as approved for
settlement.
·
During
Phase-2, cheques are required to be confirmed within the 3
hours of presentation time (T+3 hours
clear hours), if no confirmation is received within the specified time
limit, then, the cheque will be considered approved.
3.
BOOK “WHY THE CONSTITUTION MATTERS”
·
Former Chief Justice of India (CJI) Justice
DhananjayaYeshwantChandrachud has authored his debut book
titled ‘Why the Constitution Matters’,
·
The book offers a comprehensive view of
the relevance and transformative power of the Indian
Constitution, portraying it as the foundation of democracy,
justice, equality, and liberty.
·
Publisher Penguin Random House
India, Gurugram, Haryana
·
Justice Chandrachud served as
the 50th Chief Justice of India from 9 November 2022
to 10 November 2024, drawing nearly 25 years of judicial experience to reflect
on constitutional values.
4.
INTERNATIONAL DAY OF THE WORLD’S INDIGENOUS PEOPLES 2025 –
AUGUST 9
·
The United Nations (UN’s) International
Day of the World’s Indigenous People (IDWIP), also known
as World Tribal Day, is annually observed across the
globe on 9th August to raise awareness and promote
the rights, cultures, and identities of Indigenous communities.
·
The
theme of IDWIP 2025 is “Indigenous Peoples and
Artificial Intelligence (AI): Defending Rights, Shaping Futures”.
·
UNDP Headquarters- New
York.
·
Established – 1965.
5.
WORLD SANSKRIT DAY 2025 – AUGUST 9
·
World Sanskrit Day, also known as
International Sanskrit Day/Sanskrit Diwas/VishvaSamskritaDinam, is annually
observed across the globe on Shravana Purnima, the full moon day of the Hindu
month of Shravana (Sawan) to promote Sanskrit, one of India’s oldest languages.
·
In 1969, the Ministry of Education (MoE),
Government of India (GoI), directed that Sanskrit Diwas be celebrated at both
central and state levels across India.
·
Sanskrit is among the world’s oldest
languages and is regarded as the “Mother of All Languages” as
well as the “Language of the Gods.”
·
In 2005, the
GoI declared Sanskrit as a Classical
Language of India and included it in the Eighth Schedule of the
Constitution, which lists 22 languages.
6.
WORLD LION DAY 2025 – AUGUST 10
·
World Lion Day is annually
observed across the globe on 10th August to
raise awareness about Lions (Panthera Leo).
·
World Lion Day was started by Big Cat
Rescue (BCR), a wildlife sanctuary in Florida, USA, dedicated to lion
conservation and co-founded by Dereck and Beverly Joubert.
·
Asiatic (Indian) Lion Status – 2025: Population
Growth increased from 674 (2020) to 891 (2025), a 32.2% rise in 5 years;
over 70% growth in the last decade.
7.
WORLD BIOFUEL DAY – AUGUST 10
·
World Biofuel Day is observed every
year on 10th August worldwide to spread awareness about
the benefits of using non-fossil fuels (green fuels)
instead of traditional fossil fuels. Biofuels are seen as a cleaner and more
sustainable energy option.
·
It also honours Rudolf Christian Karl Diesel, the French-German engineer who
invented the diesel engine (also called the
Compression Ignition engine) in the 19th century.
·
Since 2015, the
Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoP&NG),
Government of India(GoI), has been observing World Biofuel Day.
·
The aim is to promote the use of blended
biofuel in India.
·
India is the third-largest
oil consumer in the world, after the United States and China.
·
Biofuel is a fuel made from biomass, which
includes plant material (like sugarcane, corn, soybeans, and algae),
agricultural residues, or animal waste.
·
Ethanol Production Capacity: Increased
to 1,528 crore litres (2024) from 1,380 crore litres (November 2023); target
1,700 crore litres for 20% blending (E20) by 2025.
8.
WORLD ELEPHANT DAY 2025- AUGUST 12
·
World Elephant Day is an annual
international campaign observed across the world on August 12 to
raise awareness about the preservation and protection of Elephants (Elephantidae) known as the ‘Gentle Giants’ worldwide.
·
2025 Theme: ‘Bringing
the world together to help elephants’.
9.
INTERNATIONAL YOUTH DAY 2025 – AUGUST 12
·
2025 Theme: The theme of IYD
2025 is “Local Youth Actions for the Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs) and Beyond.”
·
In 1998, the 1st session of the World
Conference of Ministers Responsible for Youth (WCMRY) adopted a resolution
proclaiming 12 August as IYD.
·
In 1999, the United
Nations General Assembly (UNGA) at its 54th session
endorsed the recommendation in its resolution A/RES/54/120 titled “Policies
and Programmes Involving Youth.”
10.
WORLD ORGAN DONATION DAY 2025 – AUGUST 13
·
World Organ Donation Day is
annually observed across the globe on August 13 to
commemorate the first successful organ transplant in 1954.
·
2025 Theme: “Answering the Call”.
·
The
world’s first successful living donor kidney transplant
was performed in 1954 by American Surgeon Dr.
Joseph E. Murray at Boston in Massachusetts, USA.
·
Joseph
E. Murray and American physician E. Donnall Thomas were
jointly awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or
Medicine in 1990 for their discoveries concerning organ and cell transplantation
in the treatment of human disease.
11.
PARTITION HORRORS REMEMBRANCE DAY 2025 – AUGUST 14
·
Partition Horrors Remembrance Day (Hindi:
Vibhajan Vibhishika Smriti Diwas) is a national memorial day in
India, observed every year on August 14 to honor the
victims and reflect on the pain and suffering caused by the 1947 Partition of
British India. It also highlights the courage and resilience of the people
affected.
·
Legacy of Partition The division arose
from factors such as the Muslim League’s demands, British divide-and-rule
policies, and Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s communal stance.
·
On June 3, 1947, Lord Mountbatten, the last
Viceroy of India (in office since March 24, 1947), formally announced
Partition; boundaries were drawn by Cyril Radcliffe.
