Daily Current Affairs - Week 40, 2025 (29 Sep 2025 - 05 Oct 2025)

The Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, celebrated World Tourism Day 2025 on September 27 with the theme “Tourism and Sustainable Transformation.” The celebration emphasized tourism as a driver of economic growth, cultural exchange, and environmental sustainability, highlighting its central role in India’s vision of Viksit Bharat 2047. On this occasion, the Ministry signed MoUs with Netflix, Atithi Foundation and leading Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) to promote Indian destinations, strengthen research and innovation and enable data-driven policymaking. Key launches included the Project Management Information System (PMIS) for real-time monitoring of tourism projects, the India Tourism Data Compendium 2025, and a booklet titled “Guide to MUDRA Loans for Homestays.” 

Senior journalist Amshi Prasannakumar has been awarded the 'Hombale Sanhita Harinikumar Alumni Krishi Media Award' for the year 2025. This award recognises his outstanding contribution to agricultural journalism and his significant efforts in raising awareness among farmers. Amshi Prasannakumar is a senior journalist from Mysuru and has previously served as the President of the Mysuru District Journalists Association and as a member of the Karnataka Media Academy. The award ceremony will be held on 11th October 2025 at the University of Agricultural Sciences, Veterinary College Campus, Hebbal, Bangalore.

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) was honoured with the “Changemaker of the Year” award by BusinessLine in 2025 for its strategic technologies that played a crucial role in neutralising threats during Operation Sindur and enhancing India’s border security. DRDO has developed advanced indigenous defence systems such as the Akash Missile System, BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, D-4 Anti-Drone System, and Akashtir Automated Air Defence, which significantly strengthened India’s defence capabilities. This recognition highlights DRDO’s efforts to make India self-reliant in high-tech defence equipment and establish the country as a global leader in defence research. Additionally, the Azim Premji Foundation received the “Iconic Changemaker Award” for its extensive work in the education and health sectors.

India defeated Pakistan by five wickets at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, UAE, claiming their ninth Asia Cup title. Tilak Varma played an unbeaten 69-run innings to secure the victory, maintaining India’s 3-0 record against Pakistan in this tournament. Pakistan batted first and scored 146 runs. Kuldeep Yadav took four wickets for India, while Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson, and Shivam Dube contributed crucial partnerships and finishing to ensure the win.

Senior Advocate R. Venkataramani has been reappointed as India’s Attorney General for a period of two years. His new term will be effective from 1 October 2025, while the current three-year tenure was set to end on 30 September 2025. R. Venkataramani became India’s 16th Attorney General on 1 October 2022 and serves as the country’s chief legal officer in this constitutional position. This appointment has been made by the President of India, and he will continue to serve for the next two years.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar recently highlighted India’s deepening engagement with the countries of the Central American Integration System (SICA) during a meeting of foreign ministers from India and SICA countries. The SICA countries include Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, and the Dominican Republic. The meeting prioritized cooperation in areas such as trade, investment, digital payments, agriculture, renewable energy, IT, and pharmaceuticals. India also offered SICA countries to adopt successful digital payment technologies like UPI, aimed at enhancing financial inclusion and transparency in their economies.

The Swachh Shehar Jodi (SSJ) 2025 initiative, launched by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), is a comprehensive urban waste management mentorship program. Under this program, 72 top-performing ‘mentor’ cities are paired with approximately 200 low-performing ‘mentee’ cities to help transfer the best practices of cleanliness and waste management from successful cities to those that are lagging. The initiative aims to enhance experience, best practices, and citizen participation in underperforming cities. As part of this effort, a 100-day action plan has been implemented, covering eight key themes: cleanliness, waste segregation, scientific waste management, sanitation and water/sewer facilities, mechanical cleaning, citizen awareness, and grievance redressal.

Recently, the IUCN World Conservation Congress recognized Tamil Nadu’s dugong conservation model as a “global best practice” and recommended its strategies be adopted by other countries. This success is the result of joint conservation efforts by the Tamil Nadu government, the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), local fishing communities and other stakeholders. Established in 2022, the 448.34 sq km Dugong Conservation Reserve includes 12,250 hectares of seagrass meadows. The conservation efforts include fishermen compensation, seagrass restoration, awareness campaigns, and dugong rescue programs. So far, 16 dugongs have been rescued and safely released.

Recently, the Haryana government launched the ‘Deen Dayal Lado Lakshmi Yojana’ with a budget of ₹5,000 crore to empower women from economically weaker families. The scheme targets around 20–22 lakh women aged 23 to 60 years whose annual family income is ₹1 lakh or less. Under this initiative, each eligible woman will receive ₹2,100 per month directly into her bank account via DBT. The scheme is fully digital, allowing women to apply, verify and resolve grievances through the "Lado Lakshmi" mobile app. There is no limit on the number of beneficiaries per family, ensuring all eligible women are covered. A toll-free helpline is also available for support. The program aims to enhance women’s economic independence, social empowerment, and participation in mainstream development.

Recently, Bihar has been recognized with two new Ramsar Sites as part of its natural heritage — Gokul Reservoir in Buxar district (448 hectares) and Udaipur Lake in West Champaran district (319 hectares). With their inclusion, the total number of Ramsar Sites in the state has increased to five. Gokul Reservoir is a floodplain wetland formed by the Ganga, supporting fisheries, irrigation, and agriculture for local communities, and is home to more than 50 bird species. Udaipur Lake, on the other hand, is a natural oxbow lake surrounded by the Udaipur Wildlife Sanctuary, hosting over 280 plant species and 35 migratory bird species. The main objectives behind including these wetlands in the Ramsar list are biodiversity conservation, sustainable use of water resources, flood control, and livelihood support for local communities. This step will also give a new boost to eco-tourism and environmental protection in Bihar.

Unified Payments Interface (UPI) is now accepted in Qatar, with Qatar Duty Free becoming the first commercial outlet to go live. Launched in partnership with NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) and Qatar National Bank (QNB), this initiative allows Indian tourists to make seamless digital payments at major tourist spots and retail stores, eliminating the need for cash or currency exchange. Qatar becomes the eighth country to adopt UPI globally, strengthening the reach of India’s digital payment system.

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and the Financial Intelligence Unit – India (FIU-IND) signed a historic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The agreement aims to tackle cybercrime and financial fraud while strengthening India’s digital payment ecosystem and security. Under the MoU, measures such as real-time data sharing, identification of suspicious mobile numbers, and transaction monitoring will be implemented. Secure and rapid data exchange will be facilitated through advanced platforms like the Digital Intelligence Platform (DIP) and FinNex 2.0. This collaboration will connect over 700 users, including more than 650 banks, 36 state/UT police departments, SEBI, and NPCI, significantly enhancing fraud prevention capabilities across the country.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Uttar Pradesh International Trade Show (UPITS-2025) at India Expo Mart, with Russia as the country partner. PM Modi emphasized Atmanirbhar Bharat, social justice, and inclusive development as part of the “New India” vision. The five-day event showcases 2,400+ exhibitors and highlights UP’s strengths in manufacturing, textiles, handicrafts, agriculture, electronics and Ayush sectors. PM Modi also praised India’s digital economy and fintech platforms and urged entrepreneurs to support domestic manufacturing under Make in India.

K.J. Yesudas was awarded the M.S. Subbulakshmi Award by the Tamil Nadu government for his outstanding contribution to music. Along with him, artists like Sai Pallavi, Anirudh Ravichander, and S.J. Surya were honored with the Kalaimamani Awards for 2021, 2022, and 2023. The awards recognize exceptional contributions in the field of arts and culture, with the ceremony scheduled in October in Chennai.

The Government of India has extended the tenure of Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan by eight months, now continuing until May 30, 2026, or further orders. Approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC), he will continue to serve concurrently as Defence Secretary. General Chauhan, commissioned in 1981 with the 11 Gorkha Rifles, has led operations like Operation Sindur and holds multiple distinguished service medals. The extension ensures continuity in defence reforms and theatre command implementation.

From 28th September, the complex witnessed the commencement of the 11th Asian Aquatics Championship. Organized under the aegis of Asia Aquatics, the championship was conducted by the Swimming Federation of India with support from the Sports Authority of Gujarat. The premier continental event featured competitions in swimming, diving, artistic swimming, and water polo. Notably, this championship, which ran until 11th October, was held in India for the first time. Ahmedabad, which is aiming to host future Olympic events, welcomed over 900 athletes from 29 countries.

Anand Piramal has been appointed as the Chairman of Piramal Finance, the non-banking financial arm of the Piramal Group. He succeeds his father, Ajay Piramal, following the merger of Piramal Enterprises with Piramal Finance, which was approved by the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT). Anand Piramal, who joined the Piramal Group in 2019, has played a pivotal role in the company's strategic initiatives, including the acquisition of Dewan Housing Finance Corporation (DHFL) and the transformation of Piramal Finance into a leading retail-focused financial services provider. Under his leadership, Piramal Finance aims to achieve a 25% growth in assets under management (AUM) and a profit of ₹1,300–1,500 crore in the fiscal year 2026. 

The Election Commission of India (EC) has rolled out a new e-sign feature on its ECINET portal and mobile app, enabling voters to securely verify their registration, deletion, or correction requests using their Aadhaar-linked mobile number. This step ensures that only authenticated users can submit forms like Form 6, 7, and 8, which reduces fraudulent applications and enhances the credibility of voter data. The process works via OTP verification sent to the mobile number linked with Aadhaar, managed through a secure platform by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (CDAC).

Union Health Minister Shri J.P. Nadda unveiled the logo and brochure of GFRS 2025 on 23 September in New Delhi. Organized by FSSAI at India Expo Mart on 26–27 September, the summit’s theme “Evolving Food Systems - यथा अन्नं तथा मन:” focuses on food quality, health, and innovation. Experts from WHO, Codex, FAO, and EFSA will participate, promoting global collaboration and food safety.

India and the EU launched the "India-EU Ideathon", to promote innovative solutions for marine plastic pollution. The initiative, supported by the PSA, EU Delegation, and India-EU Trade & Technology Council, encourages startups, researchers, and businesses to address plastic tracking, removal, and prevention, with mentorship and technical guidance provided. Applications are open until October 2, 2025.