On July 04th, 2025, India & the world witnessed important developments across various sectors. Recent headlines reveal key developments in India's global engagement, economic oversight, and scientific exploration. PM Modi's visit to Ghana strengthens ties with the Global South, while SBI's "fraudulent" classification of RCom's loan account highlights financial accountability. In science, the complete genome sequencing of an ancient Egyptian offers historical insights. 

Awareness regarding daily UPSC current affairs is crucial for cracking the UPSC Prelims, excelling in UPSC Mains. It helps perform well in the UPSC personality test, thus becoming an informed and effective UPSC civil servant.

Below are the current affairs and headlines of the day taken from The Hindu, Indian Express, Press Information Bureau & All India Radio as required for UPSC preparation:

🇮🇳🤝🇬🇭 Indian PM’s Visit to Ghana: Deepening Ties with the Global South

Source: The Hindu

Syllabus: GS Paper II (International Relations)

In News

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent visit to Ghana, the first by an Indian PM in over three decades, signifies India's commitment to strengthening ties with the Global South and fostering a multipolar world order. During the visit, PM Modi was conferred Ghana’s highest state honour, the Officer of the Order of the Star of Ghana.

🎯 Key Outcomes of the Visit

• Elevation of Ties: Bilateral relations were upgraded to a Comprehensive Partnership.
• MoUs Signed: Agreements were signed for a Cultural Exchange Programme, Standardisation and Quality Assurance (between Bureau of Indian Standards and Ghana Standards Authority), and Traditional Medicine Collaboration (between India’s ITRA and Ghana’s Institute of Traditional & Alternative Medicine). A Joint Commission Mechanism was also established for institutionalized bilateral reviews.
• Economic and Trade Cooperation: A target to double bilateral trade (currently ~$3 billion) over the next five years was set. Indian investments in Ghana currently exceed $2 billion across approximately 900 projects.
• Skill Development and Education: Decision to double ITEC and ICCR scholarships, and establishment of a Skill Development Centre for Ghanaian youth.
• Health and Pharma: Proposal to set up Jan Aushadhi Kendras (affordable generic pharmacies) and support for Ghana’s ambition to become Africa’s vaccine production hub.
• Defence and Security Cooperation: Commitment to joint counter-terrorism efforts and support for training, cyber security, maritime cooperation, and defence supplies.
• Energy and Environment: Collaboration under the International Solar Alliance (ISA), invitation to join the Global Biofuels Alliance, and support for clean cooking gas and renewable energy initiatives.

🌟 Significance of Ghana for India

• Geostrategic Location: Ghana, located along the Gulf of Guinea, offers India strategic access to West Africa and the ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States) market of over 400 million people.
• Political Stability: As one of West Africa’s most stable democracies, Ghana is a reliable partner for long-term engagement.
• Critical Minerals: Ghana is rich in essential resources like gold, bauxite, manganese, and lithium, crucial for India's clean energy and electronics sectors.
• People-to-People Ties: A vibrant Indian diaspora actively contributes to Ghana’s healthcare, education, and business sectors, strengthening bilateral bonds.

🌍 Geographical Details related to Ghana

🏦💰 Fraudulent Loan Account: SBI Classifies RCom Account as Fraud

Source: The Indian Express

Syllabus: GS Paper III (Economy)

In News

The State Bank of India (SBI) has classified the loan account of Reliance Communications Ltd. (RCom) as “fraudulent” and has reported former director and chairman of Reliance Group, Anil Ambani, to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). This action follows a prolonged forensic audit and show-cause proceedings. Such a classification may trigger civil/criminal proceedings and investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

🔙 Key Background: RCom and Insolvency

• Reliance Communications was admitted into the Corporate Insolvency Resolution Process (CIRP) in May 2018 under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC), 2016.
• As of March 2025, RCom’s total debt stood at ₹48,216 crore.
• A resolution plan approved by the Committee of Creditors (CoC) awaits clearance from the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), Mumbai Bench.
• While Section 14(1)(a) and Section 32A of the IBC protect the company from legal action for past offenses post-approval of the resolution plan, promoters/directors are not exempt from liability.

🔍 SBI’s Action and Findings

• SBI’s Fraud Identification Committee (FIC) cited several irregularities, including:
  • Fund diversion through related entities.
  • Temporary parking of funds in mutual funds and fixed deposits.
  • Day-to-day cycling of funds to mask irregularities.
• SBI's letter, dated June 23, 2025, concluded that responses to the Show Cause Notice (SCN) were unsatisfactory.
• SBI will report the case and the promoter’s name to the RBI, in line with the RBI’s Master Directions on Frauds (2023).

🧬🇪🇬 Genome Sequencing of Ancient Egyptian: New Insights into Ancient History

Source: The Hindu

Syllabus: GS Paper III (Science & Technology)

In News

Researchers have successfully sequenced the entire genome of an ancient Egyptian individual for the first time, dating back 4,500–4,800 years. The genome was extracted from an adult male buried in a ceramic pot at Nuwayrat, a village 265 km south of Cairo.

📜🔍 Key Details from the Genome Sequencing of Ancient Egyptian (Nuwayrat Individual)

• Context and Preservation: The male individual lived during Egypt’s Old Kingdom (3rd to 4th Dynasty). His burial in a ceramic pot within a rock-cut tomb significantly contributed to the preservation of his body and DNA, which was extracted specifically from tooth root tips, known for their protected and DNA-rich environment.
• Physical Characteristics (Inferred from Genome):
  • Skin pigmentation: Dark to black, with some probability of an intermediate tone.
  • Hair and eyes: Brown.
  • Height: Estimated at 157.4–160.5 cm.
  • Age at death: Estimated between 44 and 64 years.
• Genetic Composition:
  • Approximately 78% of his ancestry was linked to ancient North African populations, particularly Neolithic groups from modern-day Morocco.
  • The remaining 22% of his DNA matched early farmers from Mesopotamia (modern Iraq, Iran, Turkey, Syria).
  • This composition suggests early genetic exchange between the Fertile Crescent and North Africa, likely facilitated by intermediary Levantine populations.

✨ Scientific Significance

• This represents the oldest and most complete genome from Ancient Egypt sequenced to date.
• It provides direct genetic evidence that confirms long-standing interactions and genetic exchange between North Africa and the Middle East, previously hinted at by archaeological findings.
• This breakthrough opens new pathways to study population continuity and changes in genetic makeup across millennia in Egypt, offering unprecedented insights into ancient human migration and cultural diffusion.

🎯 Question No. 1

With reference to the recent visit of the Indian Prime Minister to Ghana, consider the following statements:

1. It marked the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Ghana in over two decades.
2. The bilateral ties between India and Ghana were elevated to a Comprehensive Partnership during the visit.
3. India offered to establish Jan Aushadhi Kendras in Ghana as part of health cooperation.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

✅ Correct Answer: (b)

ℹ️ Explanation:

• Statement 1 is incorrect: The news states it was the first visit in over three decades, not two.
• Statement 2 is correct: The text explicitly mentions, "Bilateral ties upgraded to a Comprehensive Partnership."
• Statement 3 is correct: The text states, "Proposal to set up Jan Aushadhi Kendras (affordable generic pharmacies)."

🎯 Question No. 2

Which of the following factors highlight the geostrategic significance of Ghana for India?

1. Its location along the Gulf of Guinea provides strategic access to West Africa.
2. It is one of West Africa's most stable democracies.
3. It serves as a regional hub for trade with access to the ECOWAS market.
4. Its rich reserves of critical minerals like lithium.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

(a) 1, 2 and 3 only

(b) 2, 3 and 4 only

(c) 1, 3 and 4 only

(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

✅ Correct Answer: (d)

ℹ️ Explanation: All four points are explicitly mentioned in the "Significance of Ghana for India" section:

• "Geostrategic Location: Located along the Gulf of Guinea, Ghana provides India strategic access to West Africa and ECOWAS..."
• "Political Stability: One of West Africa’s most stable democracies..."
• "Gateway to ECOWAS Market: Ghana serves as a regional hub for trade with access to a market of over 400 million people."
• "Critical Minerals: Ghana is rich in resources like gold, bauxite, manganese, and lithium..."

🎯 Question No. 3

With reference to the classification of a loan account as 'fraud' by a bank, consider the following statements:

1. It implies that only financial distress, not intentional wrongdoing, has been detected.
2. The borrower is believed to have deliberately violated loan terms, causing harm to the bank.
3. It may lead to civil/criminal proceedings and investigation by agencies like the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

✅ Correct Answer: (b)

ℹ️ Explanation:

• Statement 1 is incorrect: The text states, "When a bank classifies a borrower’s account as ‘fraud’, it means that intentional wrongdoing... has been detected," explicitly contrasting it with mere financial distress.
• Statement 2 is correct: The text states, "The borrower is no longer just financially distressed (as in a normal NPA) but is believed to have deliberately violated loan terms, causing harm to the bank."
• Statement 3 is correct: The text mentions, "The case may trigger civil/criminal proceedings and investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)."

🎯 Question No. 4

Which of the following protections are available to a company under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC), 2016, once its resolution plan is approved by the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT)?

1. Immunity from legal action for past offenses related to the company.
2. Exemption of promoters/directors from liability for past offenses.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

✅ Correct Answer: (a)

ℹ️ Explanation:

• Statement 1 is correct: The text states, "Under Section 14(1)(a) and Section 32A of the IBC, the company is protected from legal action for past offenses post-approval of the resolution plan."
• Statement 2 is incorrect: The text explicitly clarifies, "but promoters/directors are not exempt from liability."

🎯 Question No. 5

With reference to the recent genome sequencing of an ancient Egyptian individual, consider the following statements:

1. The individual lived during Egypt's New Kingdom period.
2. The genome revealed a significant portion of ancestry linked to early farmers from Mesopotamia.
3. The burial method, a ceramic pot within a rock-cut tomb, aided in DNA preservation.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

✅ Correct Answer: (b)

ℹ️ Explanation:

• Statement 1 is incorrect: The text states, "The male individual lived during Egypt’s Old Kingdom (3rd to 4th Dynasty)."
• Statement 2 is correct: The text states, "22% of DNA matches early farmers from Mesopotamia (modern Iraq, Iran, Turkey, Syria)."
• Statement 3 is correct: The text mentions, "Burial in a ceramic pot within a rock-cut tomb helped preserve the body and prevent DNA degradation."

🎯 Question No. 6

Which of the following is a significant scientific implication of the successful sequencing of the entire genome of an ancient Egyptian individual?

(a) It definitively proves that mummification was a widespread practice from the earliest dynasties.

(b) It disproves any historical interactions between North Africa and the Middle East.

(c) It is the oldest and most complete genome from Ancient Egypt sequenced to date, confirming long-standing interactions between North Africa and the Middle East.

(d) It suggests a complete genetic isolation of ancient Egyptian populations from surrounding regions.

✅ Correct Answer: (c)

ℹ️ Explanation: The "Scientific Significance" section explicitly states: "Oldest and most complete genome from Ancient Egypt sequenced to date. Confirms long-standing interactions between North Africa and the Middle East." Options (a), (b), and (d) contradict the information provided.