Current Affairs 18 July 2025

Share of clean energy in India’s electricity less than 30%.

• India has reached 50% of its total installed electricity capacity from non-fossil fuel sources, achieving its NDC target five years early.
• However, these sources contribute less than 30% to actual power generation.
• Despite the rise in clean energy, the slower rise utilisation is due to its lower capacity utilisation factor.
• Total installed RE capacity: Reached 220.10 GW as of March 2025.

UN Mandela Prize 2025 Honours Brenda Reynolds & Kennedy Odede.

• The UN Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela Prize was established in 2014.
• The Statute of the Prize was adopted on 2 April 2015.
• The Prize is awarded every five years, starting from 2015.
• It recognizes individuals who have dedicated their lives to humanity, in line with UN principles.
• The 2025 laureates are: Mrs. Brenda Reynolds of Saulteaux First Nation & Canada and Mr. Kennedy Odede of Kenya.

ECI Names Nitu Chandra & Kranti Jha as SVEEP Icons for Bihar.

• The Election Commission of India (ECI) appointed Nitu Chandra and Kranti Prakash Jha as SVEEP icons for Bihar.
• SVEEP stands for Systematic Voters’ Education and Electoral Participation.
• It is a flagship voter awareness campaign by the ECI.
• The programme aims to educate voters and reduce voter apathy in low-turnout areas.

Zepto’s Founders Top In Hurun India U30 List 2025.

• The Hurun India U30 List 2025, released with Avendus Wealth, honors 79 entrepreneurs aged 30 or below.
• It is part of the Uth Series and is the first edition focused solely on under-30 founders.
• Featured entrepreneurs have founded/co-led ventures valued at $25M+ (first-gen) or $50M+ (next-gen).
• Aadit Palicha and Kaivalya Vohra, co-founders of Zepto, top the list.

SEBI Launches VCF Settlement Scheme 2025 for Legacy Compliance.

• SEBI has introduced the VCF Settlement Scheme 2025.
• The scheme targets Venture Capital Funds (VCFs) that haven’t completed winding-up, despite end of their liquidation period.
• It applies to VCFs that migrated to the Alternative Investment Fund (AIF) regime.
• The scheme provides a one-time settlement window to resolve legacy regulatory breaches.