Current Affairs 16 July 2025

Bombay High Court Flags Misuse of Matrimonial Laws.

• The Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court quashed a criminal case of cruelty, unnatural sex, and dowry harassment, stating that marriage is a sacred institution and should not be turned into prolonged, unproductive legal battles.
• Advisory by Ministry of Home Affairs (2015): Directed state police to avoid automatic arrests under 498A without preliminary inquiry.

Sudanese-Scottish Author Leila Aboulela Wins 2025 PEN Pinter Prize.

• Leila Aboulela, a Sudanese-Scottish writer, wins the 2025 PEN Pinter Prize.
• Award given by English PEN for writing on faith, migration, and Muslim women.
• First winner of the Caine Prize for African Writing.
• Also won the Saltire Fiction Book Award and Scottish Book Awards.
• She is an Honorary Professor at the University of Aberdeen.
• A Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.

Liberty General Insurance, ACKO become Tesla's insurance partners.

• Tesla’s arrival in India has led to new EV insurance offerings.
• Liberty General Insurance and ACKO selected as Tesla partners.
• They provide specialized EV protection plans for Tesla owners.
• Zurich Kotak General Insurance launched EV Protect add-on cover.
• EV Protect offers comprehensive coverage for all electric vehicles.
• The new policies aim to give peace of mind to EV owners.

NCDEX and IMD Join Hands for India’s First Weather Derivatives.

• NCDEX and IMD have partnered to create India’s first weather derivatives.
• These are financial tools to hedge against climate-related risks.
• The products will be based on rainfall data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
• Main beneficiaries: farmers, transporters, and weather-sensitive industries.
• Weather derivatives help minimize losses from unpredictable weather patterns.

Japanese E-10 bullet trains to run on Mumbai-Ahmedabad corridor.

• India will trial Japan’s E5 Shinkansen on the Mumbai–Ahmedabad corridor.
• The E10 Shinkansen, also called Alfa-X, to be used commercially by 2030.
• The 508-km high-speed rail line aims for commercial launch in 2027.
• E10 has a top speed of 400 km/h, faster than E5’s 320 km/h.
• Shinkansen uses Automatic Train Control (ATC) – no trackside signals needed.