15th JULY CURRENT AFFAIRS

1Education Development Day -July 15

The Tamil Nadu government declared this day in 2006 to honor K. Kamaraj’s revolutionary contributions to the state’s school system.

National Movements

He joined the Indian National Congress in 1919 and took part in the Non-Cooperation Movement, Salt Satyagraha, and the Quit India Movement.

Chief Minister of Madras State

CM as 9 years (1954–1963)

Kamarajar’s administration laid the foundation for modern Tamil Nadu with a sharp focus on social justice and rural development.

Educational Revolution:

He is celebrated as Kalvi Thanthai (Father of Education).

He introduced free and compulsory education, abolished the hereditary education system (Kula Kalvi Thittam), and increased school enrollment drastically.

Mid-Day Meal Scheme: Pioneered the brilliant, world-renowned concept of providing free mid-day meals to poor children to eradicate both hunger and illiteracy.

Industrialization

He prioritized infrastructure and economic development. He integrated Tamil Nadu's agriculture and power sectors, constructing major dams like Lower Bhavani, Krishnagiri, and Parambikulam-Aliyar, while setting up key industrial estates (e.g., Guindy).

Rural Electrification: He aggressively expanded electricity to remote villages for agricultural pumpsets.

The Kingmaker: Following Jawaharlal Nehru's death, Kamaraj (as Congress President) skillfully managed the transition of power, enabling Lal Bahadur Shastri and later Indira Gandhi to become Prime Ministers

The Kamaraj Plan (1963)

Kamarajar played a major role in the appointment of early Chief Ministers like P.S. Kumaraswamy Raja.

When he famously stepped down as CM to revitalize the Congress party (known as the Kamaraj Plan), he heavily consulted on and supported his close associate, M. Bhakthavatsalam, to become the next Chief Minister in 1963.

Kamaraj (then Chief Minister of Madras State) resigned from his post in October 1963.

Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru welcomed the proposal, and several high-profile leaders stepped down to do party work.

Resignations: Six Union Ministers (including Lal Bahadur Shastri) and six Chief Ministers resigned from their government positions.

Party Leadership: Following his resignation, Kamaraj was elected as the President of the Indian National Congress

2.World Youth Skills Day 2026-15th July

In December 2014, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution declaring 15th July as World Youth Skills Day.

The goal is to achieve better socio-economic conditions for today’s youth as a means of addressing the challenges of unemployment and under employment.

Theme for 2026 World Youth Skills Day is "Skills for a Shared Future".

1 in 5 individuals aged 15–24 are not in employment, education or training (NEET).

28.2% (nearly 1 in 3) of young women are in NEET, compared to 13.1% of young men.

40% of today’s skillsets no longer match job market needs.

65 million youth were unemployed globally in 2023.

22% of jobs will transform by 2030 due to technological disruption.

Fewer than 1% of poor rural women complete secondary school in many countries.

22% of jobs will transform by 2030 due to technological disruption.

86% of students do not feel prepared for an AI enabled workplace.

SDG target 4.4 calls for a substantial increase in the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills.

3Poet and lyricist Vairamuthu Dedicates Prestigious 60th Jnanpith Award to the Tamil community

Renowned Tamil lyricist and poet Vairamuthu has received the 60th Jnanpith Award for the year 2025 at a grand ceremony held in the national capital.

Presented by former Union Minister Karan Singh, the country's highest literary honor recognizes Vairamuthu's immense contributions to Indian literature.

The Jnanpith Award is India's highest literary honor.

It was established in 1961 by the Bharatiya Jnanpith organization and is given each year to an Indian author for their outstanding lifetime contribution to literature.

The award covers literature in the 22 official languages listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution, plus English.

The honor includes:A cash prize of ₹11 lakhA citation plaqueA bronze statuette of Vagdevi (Saraswati), the Hindu goddess of knowledge and learning

R. Vairamuthu is the third Tamil writer to win the award, following Akilan (1975) and D. Jayakanthan (2002).

Vairamuthu's Contributions

Over his career spanning more than four decades, he has authored over 37 books—including well-known works like Kallikattu Ithikasam, Karuvachi Kaaviyam, and Thanni Desam.

He has also penned over 8,000 film songs and won the National Film Award for Best Lyrics seven times.

He also won the Sahitya Akademi Award (2003) for his novel Kallikattu Ithikasam. He was also awarded the Padma Shri in 2003 and the Padma Bhushan in 2014.

4Centre of Excellence (CoE) on Human-Wildlife Conflict (HWC) has been Established in Coimbatore .

The Centre of Excellence (CoE) on Human-Wildlife Conflict (HWC) has been established at the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) – Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON) in Coimbatore .

This initiative is crucial as it signifies a dedicated, scientific approach to address the escalating HWC across India, a critical challenge for both biodiversity conservation and human well-being, directly impacting sustainable development goals and environmental governance.

Human-wildlife conflict has emerged as a significant environmental and socio-economic concern in India, driven by habitat fragmentation, increasing human population density, and climate change impacts.

The issue gained prominence with the enactment of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, which provided legal protection to wildlife, necessitating strategies for managing interactions.

Constitutional provisions

Article 21 of fundamental rights, protection from environment degradation

Article 48A, a Directive Principle of State Policy, mandate the State to protect and improve the environment and safeguard forests and wildlife

Article 51A(g) places a fundamental duty on citizens to protect and improve the natural environment.

Various government initiatives such as

Project Tiger (1973),

Project Elephant (1992),

The National Wildlife Action Plans (NWAPs)

India, being one of the 17 megadiverse countries, faces unique challenges in balancing development with its rich biodiversity, with HWC incidents reportedly causing hundreds of human deaths and significant economic losses annually.

Centre of Excellence (CoE) on HWC — Established at WII-SACON, Coimbatore, on July, 2026, to provide scientific solutions and policy recommendations for mitigating human-wildlife conflict.

WII-SACON — The Wildlife Institute of India (WII) is headquartered in Dehradun, Uttarakhand;

The Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON) is located in Anaikatti, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu.

5India crush England by 270 runs to win historic first women’s test at Lord’s

In Women’s Cricket, the Indian team led by Harmanpreet Kaur, today recorded a historic win in a one-off Test against hosts England at Lord’s.

India defeated England comfortably by 270 runs in the first-ever Women’s Test held at Lord’s.

Chasing a target of 457 runs, the hosts were all out for 186 in their second innings before lunch on day 4.

For India, Sneh Rana took 4 wickets, while Sayali Satghare, Kranti Gaud and Deepti Sharma bagged two wickets each.

India had declared their second innings at 341 for 7 yesterday at the stroke of tea, giving a target of 457 runs.

Wicketkeeper-batter Yastika Bhatia became the first woman to score a Test century at Lord’s.

India had scored 285 in their first innings, while the hosts were all out for 170. In the first innings, Indian pacer Kranti Gaud claimed 5 wickets