- Five members of a family were killed on suspicion of practising witchcraft in Purnea district of Bihar.
- Superstition and Illiteracy: Especially in tribal and rural belts, unexplained diseases or deaths are attributed to ‘witches’.
- Gender and Patriarchy: Over 75% of victims are women, particularly widows, old, mentally ill, or childless women.
- Land and Property Grab: Accusations are often made to drive women off their property or settle family and community disputes.
- Social Marginalisation: Witch-hunting is more prevalent among Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Castes, who face long-standing social exclusion and lack of legal awareness. Read More
Home / Daily Current Affairs / 08-07-2025
Daily Current Affairs – 8 July, 2025
PDF 
- Recently, the Government of Andhra Pradesh has officially approved the Amaravati Quantum Valley Declaration (AQVD) to transform Amaravati into India’s first Quantum Valley and a global hub for quantum technologies.
- It positions Amaravati as a deep-tech capital aligned with India’s National Quantum Mission.
- It reflects a multi-stakeholder commitment involving the state government, global tech giants like IBM, TCS, and L&T, academia, and startups to build a vibrant quantum innovation ecosystem.
- It will attract $1 billion in investments by January 1, 2029, with $500 million targeted by 2027, focusing on quantum computing, chips, sensing, and communications.
- This fosters the creation of QChipIN, India’s largest open quantum testbed, integrating quantum computers. Read More
Amaravati Quantum Valley Declaration
Context
About the Amaravati Quantum Valley Declaration (AQVD)
- The Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) has granted a five-year operation licence to the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) for two indigenously developed 700 MWe Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs) at the Kakrapar Atomic Power Station (KAPS) in Gujarat.
- It began shortly after Independence with the establishment of the Atomic Energy Commission in 1948.
- In 1956, Asia’s first research reactor, Apsara, was commissioned at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) in Trombay.
- India was the second Asian nation to build a nuclear power plant in 1969 at Tarapur, just after Japan and long before China.
- It also built up an impressive nuclear research and development programme in the 1950s and 1960s with significant assistance from its Western partners. Read More
Atomic Energy Board Grants Operational Licence to Two Home-built 700 MWe Reactors
In News
India’s nuclear journey
- Union Minister of Science & Technology called for a wider public understanding and inclusive participation in India’s biotechnology mission, stating that every Indian is a stakeholder in the country’s bioeconomy.
- India is among the Top 12 destinations for biotechnology worldwide and 3rd largest destination for biotechnology in Asia Pacific.
- India’s bioeconomy has grown sixteen-fold from $10 billion in 2014 to an impressive $165.7 billion in 2024.
- Contributing 4.25% to the national GDP, the sector has demonstrated a robust compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 17.9% over the past four years.
- India’s Biotechnology sector is categorised into Biopharmaceuticals, Bio agriculture, Bio IT and Bio Services. Read More
India Reaffirms its Bioeconomy Target of $300 Billion by 2030
Context
India’s Bioeconomy
- After a century-long ban due to pollution, swimming in Paris's River Seine is now permitted in designated zones.
- Origin: The Seine River originates from the Langres Plateau in northeastern France.
- Length: Approximately 777 kilometers long.
- Major Tributaries: Aube, Marne, Yonne, Oise, and Eure rivers.
- Economic Role: Around 20 million tonnes of goods are transported on it every year, making it France’s second-busiest river and reducing road traffic by an estimated 800,000 truck journeys. Read More
