12th JULY CURRENT AFFAIRS

1Malala Day - July 12

Malala Day is observed globally every year on July 12 to champion the right to education for every child, particularly girls.

The day marks the birthday of Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani activist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate.

It serves as a reminder of her courage and as a global call to action for the millions of children currently denied access to formal schooling.

In 2013, on her 16th birthday, Malala delivered an iconic speech at the United Nations (UN) headquarters advocating for universal education. In response, the UN declared July 12 as "Malala Day".

On October 9, 2012, a Taliban gunman shot 15-year-old Malala in the head on her school bus because she vocally opposed their restrictions on girls' education in the Swat Valley.

She survived the attack, and her voice only grew stronger.

Nobel Laureate: In 2014, at the age of 17, Malala became the youngest-ever recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, sharing the honour with Indian child rights activist Kailash Satyarthi.

The Mission Continues: Alongside her father Ziauddin, she established the Malala Fund, an international non-profit dedicated to ensuring girls everywhere receive 12 years of free, safe, and quality education

2. 28 Traditional Products Secure GI tag with NABARD Support; Total Registrations Backed by Lender Rise to 176

Bihar’s Nalanda Bawanbuti Saree and Fabrics, Himachal Wood Carving Craft and Khajuraho Metal Craft from Madhya Pradesh have become the latest products to secure geographical indication (GI) registrations in India.

Examples of the new GI-registered products include Nalanda Bawanbuti Saree and Fabrics and Gaya Pattharkatti Stone Craft from Bihar, Kuchai Silk Saree and Fabrics from Jharkhand, Ba Shilp, also known as Bamboo Craft, and Bihu Pepa from Assam, Himachal Wood Carving Craft, and Khajuraho Metal Craft from Madhya Pradesh.

All three products are among the 28 new products that got support from the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) for securing this intellectual property protection.

3China Lands a Reusable Rocket for the First Time

China has, for the first time, launched and vertically recovered the booster of a reusable rocket, a milestone that directly challenges the American lead in low-cost space access.

The Indian Express reported that the Long March 10B lifted off from the Wenchang Commercial Space Launch Site in Hainan and its booster returned to a floating sea platform, where it was caught by a net.

Before this test, only SpaceX and Blue Origin had demonstrated the ability to launch a rocket and land its booster back for reuse. China’s success makes it the third entity worldwide to prove the technology, sharpening a two-way space race with the United States over satellite constellations and crewed lunar landings.

The Long March 10B can carry up to 16 metric tonnes to low Earth orbit (LEO, the band between 160 km and 2,000 km).

About six minutes after liftoff, the booster separated from the upper stage and began a controlled descent to a floating platform at sea.

Unlike SpaceX and Blue Origin, the Chinese booster used landing hooks to catch a suspended wire net, not hydraulic legs.

The Long March 10 series is central to China’s plan to land astronauts on the Moon by 2030.

Reusability is the single biggest lever on cost per kg to orbit — the metric that now decides who dominates space.

The test lands as the world races to deploy mega satellite constellations and prepare crewed lunar missions.

4Monsoon Session of Parliament to Begin From July 20

The Monsoon Session of the Parliament will commence on 20th of this month. It will continue till 13th of August.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju today informed that President Droupadi Murmu has approved the proposal of the Government to convene the Monsoon Session of Parliament from 20th July.

The session will focus on meaningful debate, discussion and decisions on issues of national importance

Article 85 of the Indian Constitution empowers the President to summon each House at intervals not exceeding six months.

By convention, three sessions of Parliament are held annually in India, namely the Budget Session, the Monsoon Session, and the Winter Session, with the Budget Session being the longest.

Furthermore, these Sessions of Parliament are governed by the Indian Constitution and the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha

Article 85(1): The President shall summon each House of Parliament to meet at such time and place as deemed appropriate, ensuring that no more than six months intervene between the last sitting of one session and the first sitting of the next session.

Article 85(2): It empowers the President to prorogue the Houses or either House of the Parliament and to dissolve the House of the People (Lok Sabha) as needed.