8th JULY CURRENT AFFAIRS

12,000-year-old Gold Ring in Thailand Reveals Shocking Connection to Ancient India

A 2,000-year-old gold ring discovered beside a human skeleton in Thailand has given archaeologists fresh evidence of ancient India's deep connections with Southeast Asia.

The remarkable find, made at the Don Yai Thong archaeological site in Phetchaburi province, features an inscription in the ancient Indian Brahmi script, suggesting that Indian traders or settlers may have travelled to the region nearly two millennia ago.

The discovery was made during an excavation launched after local residents found fragments of ancient bronze drums in a rice field.

The site has since yielded eight human skeletons, pottery, bronze artefacts and gold jewellery, leading experts to believe it may have served as a ceremonial burial ground for wealthy or high-ranking members of society.

Among the latest discoveries are two gold rings found beside one of the skeletons. While one ring is plain, the other has drawn global attention because of its Brahmi inscription.

Pushya is regarded as one of the most auspicious lunar constellations in Indian astronomy and continues to hold religious significance for many Hindus.

2Bridge Man of India' Girish Bharadwaj dies at 76; built 140 low-cost Bridges for Remote Villages

Padma Shri awardee Girish Bharadwaj, the engineer celebrated as a Bridge Man of India" for transforming rural connectivity through low-cost suspension bridges,

Bharadwaj dedicated more than three decades to improving access in some of India's most inaccessible regions.

Over the course of his career, he constructed more than 140 suspension footbridges across Karnataka, Kerala and several other states, helping thousands of people reach schools, hospitals and markets throughout the year.

His journey began in 1989 when he built his first suspension bridge across the Payaswini River.

The success of that project laid the foundation for a mission that would earn him nationwide recognition as the "Bridge Man of India".

In recognition of his contribution to rural connectivity and social service, the Government of India conferred the Padma Shri on Bharadwaj in 2017.

His innovative, low-cost bridge designs continue to stand as a lasting legacy of engineering in service of some of the country's most underserved communities.

3The Tamil Nadu Government Has Officially Renamed The Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare Department as the Social Justice Department.

This change was enacted through an official Government Order issued by the Human Resources Management Department, with subsequent amendments made to the Tamil Nadu Government Business Rules, 1978

The Human Resources Management Department issued a Government Order (G.O. Ms. No. 35) on July 6, 2026, executing the name change.

The Restructuring follows administrative shifts under the Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay-led government.

Vanni Arasu, who serves as the minister for this portfolio, had previously been designated as the Minister of Social Justice ahead of the department's formal renaming.

4Performance Grading Index

Holistic assessment of education system, helps States/UTs to identify specific interventions required to make transformational changes in school education in the light of National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 recommendations and Sustainable Development Goals.

It enables the State Governments to identify key strengths, gaps, and priority areas requiring targeted policy attention. Performance Grading Index

(PGI) has made remarkable progress since its inception in 2017.

PGI 2.0

PGI 2.0 is constructed based on 70 indicators across 2 categories namely Outcomes and Governance and Management, comprising six domains:

Learning Outcomes and Quality, Access, Infrastructure & Facilities, Equity, Governance Processes, and Teachers Education & Training

Only Chandigarh has attained Grade Uttam-3,

Four States/UTs joined Grade Prachesta - 1,

FiveStates/UTs joined Grade Prachesta -2,

Thirteen States/UTs joined Grade Prachesta -3, and

Thirteen States/UTs joined grade Akanshi -1 in PGI 2025-26.

Inter-State Disparity:

The maximum and minimum scores obtained by the States/UTs in 2025–26 are 766.0 and 525.7, respectively.

The score gap of 240.3 points (31.4%), observed in Meghalaya, indicates that additional efforts are required for such States to reach the top grade.