National Affairs

PM Narendra Modi Launches 'PMDDKY' and 'Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses'

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched two massive agricultural schemes—PM Dhan Dhaanya Krishi Yojana (PMDDKY) and the Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses—with a combined layout of ₹35,440 crore. The rollout took place during a special Krishi Programme at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) in New Delhi.

                  ┌────────────────────────────────────────┐
                  │      SPECIAL KRISHI PROGRAM OUTLAY     │
                  │              ₹35,440 CR                │
                  └───────────────────┬────────────────────┘
                                      │
             ┌────────────────────────┴────────────────────────┐
             ▼                                                 ▼
   ┌────────────────────┐                            ┌────────────────────┐
   │      PMDDKY        │                            │ PULSES MISSION     │
   │   ₹24,000 Crore    │                            │   ₹11,440 Crore    │
   └────────────────────┘                            └────────────────────┘

• PM Dhan Dhaanya Krishi Yojana (PMDDKY): Modeled after the Aspirational Districts Programme (ADP), this initiative will channel an annual outlay of ₹24,000 crore over six years (FY2025–26 to FY2030–31). It aims to catalyze growth across 100 agri-districts through the saturation-based convergence of 36 Central schemes spanning 11 Ministries.
• Mission for Atmanirbharta in Pulses (Dalhan Atmanirbharta Mission): Backed by an allocation of ₹11,440 crore, this mission will run until FY2030–31 to achieve self-sufficiency in pulse production, eliminate import dependencies, and boost farm incomes.
• Infrastructure & Certifications: The PM also inaugurated and dedicated multi-sector projects worth ₹5,450 crore (covering agriculture, animal husbandry, fisheries, and food processing) and laid foundation stones for upcoming projects valued at ₹815 crore.
• Ground-level Distribution: Certified farmers under the National Mission for Natural Farming, MAITRI Technicians, and PACS (converted into PMKSKs and CSCs) received official certificates during the event.

Netflix India Partners with IICT and FICCI for the AVGC-XR Sector

Netflix India joined forces with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) and the Indian Institute of Creative Technology (IICT) to build an academic and industrial support system for Indian students in the AVGC-XR (Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics, and Extended Reality) ecosystem.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was finalized at the 25th FICCI FRAMES event in Mumbai, in the presence of Sanjay Jaju, Secretary, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (MIB).

• Financial & Technical Aid: Capitalizing on the Netflix Fund for Creative Equity, Netflix will deliver targeted student scholarships in coordination with IICT.
• Skill Development: Netflix will directly consult on developing industry-driven curricula and conduct specialized masterclasses, workshops, and guest lectures.
• Strategic Advisory: The entertainment platform will hold active seats on IICT's Research and Development (R&D), Academic, and Industry Development Councils.
• Industrial Consortium: With this agreement, Netflix India joins tech giants like Nvidia, Google, Apple, Microsoft, and Adobe in partnering with the IICT.

International Affairs

Defense Minister Rajnath Singh’s Official Visit to Australia

Union Defense Minister Rajnath Singh concluded a high-level, two-day official visit to Australia (October 9 to 10, 2025) at the invitation of Australian Deputy PM and Defense Minister Richard Marles. This marked the first visit by an Indian Defense Minister to Australia since 2014 and coincided with the 5th anniversary of the India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP).

• Head of State Dialogue: Minister Singh met Australian PM Anthony Albanese at Parliament House to align regional security frameworks and democratic collaborations.
• Inaugural Defense Ministers’ Dialogue (DMD): Co-chaired by Singh and Marles, the dialogue prioritized tri-service interoperability, intelligence sharing, and maritime domain awareness across the Indo-Pacific. The meeting concluded with the signing of three significant defense cooperation agreements.
• Defense Industry Business Roundtable: Held in Sydney, the roundtable targeted co-development and joint research programs in critical front-line tech, highlighting Artificial Intelligence (AI), unmanned systems, and defensive space capabilities.

Banking & Finance

Flipkart and Pine Labs Launch 'Flipkart Bharat Yatra Card'

E-commerce marketplace Flipkart teamed up with global fintech company Pine Labs to introduce the Flipkart Bharat Yatra Card. This prepaid transit card relies on the National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) framework to manage cashless ticketing across metros, buses, and public transport networks.

Gurugram Unveils India’s First QR-Based Traffic Fine Kiosk

The Gurugram Police (GP) and the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) launched India's first QR-code-based kiosk for traffic fine payments at Ambience Mall in Gurugram, Haryana.

• Project Structure: Built via a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) alliance linking the Gurugram Traffic Police, Narayana Hospital Trust, and Ambience Mall.
• Road Safety Campaign: The initiative backs the “Challan Nahi, Salah Milegi” safety drive aimed at refining commuter behavior.
• Operational Parameters: The kiosk offers round-the-clock (24/7) fine collection via quick QR scans. However, cases pending for more than 90 days or those already escalated to the judicial court system cannot be settled via the kiosk.

Awards & Recognitions

2025 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences Awarded for Innovation-Driven Growth

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences awarded the 2025 Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel to economic historian Joel Mokyr (American-Israeli), and economists Philippe Aghion (French) and Peter Howitt (Canadian).

• Joel Mokyr (Half Prize): Awarded for establishing historical frameworks for sustained economic growth driven by technological development. His findings prove that self-sustaining innovation demands structured scientific understanding alongside an open social culture.
• Philippe Aghion & Peter Howitt (Joint Half Prize): Recognized for building the macroeconomic theory of sustained growth through the lens of creative destruction.

Prize History (1969–2025): The Economic Sciences Prize has been awarded 57 times to 99 laureates, which includes 3 women. The medals are designed by Swedish artist Gunvor Svensson-Lundqvist.

5 Maharashtra Beaches Receive Blue Flag Certification

Maharashtra’s Women & Child Development (WCD) Minister Aditi Thakre announced that five of the state's beaches have secured the prestigious international Blue Flag Certification for the first time. This raises India’s total tally of certified clean beaches to 18.

• The Certified Beaches: Shrivardhan and Nagaon (Raigad district); Parnaka (Palghar district); Guhagar and Ladghar (Ratnagiri district).
• The Certifying Body: Awarded by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE, Denmark).
• Assessment Metrics: Evaluated across 33 strict criteria split into 4 core buckets: Environmental Education, Water Quality, Environmental Management, and Safety & Services.
• Global Footprint: Globally managed by FEE (established 1981, led by CEO Daniel Schaffer), the Blue Flag program includes 5,195 sites across 51 countries. Final selections are overseen by an international jury featuring members from the UNEP, UNWTO, and IUCN.

DBS Bank Named Asia’s Safest Bank for the 17th Consecutive Year

Global Finance published its 34th edition of the “World’s Safest Banks in Asia 2025” report. Singapore's DBS Bank won the top spot in Asia for the 17th consecutive year (spanning 2009 to 2025).

• Global Rankings: DBS Bank also retained its rank as the second safest commercial bank worldwide.
• Regional Runners-up: Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation (OCBC) secured 2nd place in Asia, followed by United Overseas Bank (UOB) in 3rd.
• Global Top Tier: Germany's KfW Bank captured the absolute top global position, followed by Switzerland’s Zürcher Kantonalbank and the Netherlands' BNG Bank.

Appointments & Resignations

• Sonali Sen Gupta (Executive Director, RBI): Appointed as the new Executive Director of the Reserve Bank of India, effective October 9, 2025. She succeeds Shirish Chandra Murmu (who has been elevated to Deputy Governor). Sen Gupta will handle the Department of Consumer Education and Protection, Financial Inclusion and Development, and Inspections. She previously served as the Regional Director for Karnataka.
• Dan Katz (First Deputy Managing Director, IMF): The IMF Executive Board approved Dan Katz as its First Deputy Managing Director following a proposal by MD Kristalina Georgieva. Katz, a former U.S. Department of the Treasury Chief of Staff and Goldman Sachs investment banker, succeeds Gita Gopinath, who stepped down in August 2025.

Science & Technology

GalaxEye Space to Launch 'Mission Drishti' Multi-Sensor Satellite

Space-tech startup GalaxEye Space announced Mission Drishti, the world's first multi-sensor Earth Observation (EO) satellite, scheduled for launch in the first quarter (Q1) of 2026.

• Technical Payload: A 160 kg satellite integrating Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), high-resolution optical arrays, and infrared sensors. It features a sharp 1.5-meter ground resolution and an operational life expectancy of 5 years.
• Launch Integration: The satellite will launch via a SpaceX rocket, while structural tech alignment maps back to ISRO's PSLV framework.
• All-Weather Performance: Unlike single-sensor payloads, its custom SAR allows the satellite to capture clean data through heavy cloud cover, smoke, fog, and absolute darkness.
• Core Applications: Crop health mapping, urban land-use development, disaster early-warning monitoring, and advanced geological research.

Sports

11th Asian Aquatics Championships (Ahmedabad, Gujarat)

The 11th Asian Aquatics Championships took place at the Veer Savarkar Sports Complex in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. This was the first time India hosted the continental event. Jointly organized by the Swimming Federation of India (SFI) and the Government of Gujarat, the event hosted over 1,100 athletes from 29 nations.

                  ┌────────────────────────────────────────┐
                  │          MEDAL TALLY SNAPSHOT          │
                  └───────────────────┬────────────────────┘
                                      │
             ┌────────────────────────┼────────────────────────┐
             ▼                        ▼                        ▼
       ┌───────────┐            ┌───────────┐            ┌───────────┐
       │   CHINA   │            │KAZAKHSTAN │            │   JAPAN   │
       │ 54 Medals │            │ 23 Medals │            │ 21 Medals │
       └───────────┘            └───────────┘            └───────────┘

• India’s Performance: India put together its most dominant performance in tournament history, clinching 13 medals in swimming and diving events.
• National Relay Record: The Men’s $4 \times 200\text{m}$ Freestyle Relay team (comprising Aneesh Gowda, Sajan Prakash, Shoan Ganguly, and Srihari Nataraj) bagged a silver medal while clocking a new National Record of 7:23.38.
• Individual Feats: Srihari Nataraj secured 7 medals, the highest ever by an Indian athlete at a single edition of this championship. Bhavya Sachdeva won India's first-ever medal in the women’s segment by claiming bronze in the 400m Freestyle.

Rajputana Royals Win Inaugural Archery Premier League (APL) 2025

The Rajputana Royals (Rajasthan) became the champions of the first-ever Archery Premier League (APL). They defeated the Prithviraaj Yodhas (Delhi) in a high-stakes shoot-off following a 4-4 tie across four sets at the Yamuna Sports Complex in New Delhi.

• Tournament Format: A franchise-based sports model intended to scale domestic viewership and give Indian archers exposure to international talent.
• Historic Highlight: The Prithviraaj Yodhas logged the league's first-ever perfect score of 80 during the third set of the finals.

Obituaries

Oscar-Winning Actress Diane Keaton Passes Away at 79

Acclaimed American actress and Hollywood veteran Diane Keaton passed away at the age of 79 in California, USA. Born in Los Angeles in 1946, Keaton built a career spanning over five decades, starting in off-Broadway theater.

• The Oscar Win: She won the 1978 Academy Award for Best Actress for her iconic performance in Annie Hall. She also received three subsequent Oscar nominations for Reds (1981), Marvin’s Room (1996), and Something’s Gotta Give (2003).
• Major Works: The Godfather trilogy, Lovers and Other Strangers, Sleeper, Manhattan, Father of the Bride, and The First Wives Club.
• Other Honors: Won both the Golden Globe and BAFTA Awards for Best Actress in a Leading Role.

Important Days

World Arthritis Day 2025 (October 12)

Marking its 30th anniversary, World Arthritis Day raises international awareness about Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Diseases (RMDs). It was originally established in 1996 by Arthritis and Rheumatism International (ARI).

• 2025 Global Theme: “Achieve Your Dreams”
• 2025 Mobilization Campaign: “It’s in your hands, take action” (promoted via #WADHigh5 hand-pose photo drives by EULAR).
• Key Health Statistics: RMDs span over 200 distinct conditions. Statistically, 1 in 4 adults live with arthritis, with two-thirds managing their pain while active in the workforce.

International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction 2025 (October 13)

Observed annually to promote disaster mitigation and reinforce commitments under the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (2015–2030).

• 2025 Theme: “Fund Resilience, Not Disasters”
• Global Assessment Report (GAR 2025): Titled "Resilience Pays: Financing and Investing for our Future" by the UNDRR (led by Kamal Kishore), the report noted that global disaster-related losses now exceed USD 202 billion annually.
• The Investment Gap: The report highlighted a severe funding mismatch—less than 1% of national public budgets and only 2% of international aid funds are designated for disaster risk reduction.

State News

Assam Launches 'Shraddhanjali' Scheme for Repatriation of Mortal Remains

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma launched the Shraddhanjali Scheme at Lok Sewa Bhawan in Guwahati. The scheme provides financial and administrative backing to ensure the dignified repatriation of Assamese residents who pass away outside the state.

• Financial Coverage: The state covers ₹40,000 to ₹50,000 per repatriation to lift the financial burden off grieving families.
• Target Beneficiaries: Specifically covers students and low-income youth working outside Assam. It excludes wealthy families and individuals who traveled outside the state specifically for medical treatments.
• Nodal Agency: Managed by Assam's Home and Political Department and executed directly by the Special Branch of the Assam Police.
• Access Channels: Families can register requests via the emergency police line (112), the Special Branch control setup (0361-2381511), dedicated WhatsApp (+91 91810-14888), or the Sewa Setu Portal.