NATIONAL AFFAIRS

Union Cabinet Approvals (October 01, 2025)

The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, cleared several major strategic, infrastructural, and educational proposals:

• Biomedical Research Career Programme (BRCP) Phase-III: Approved for implementation over a 6-year period ($2025\text{--}26 \text{ to } 2030\text{--}31$), with an extension window scaling from $2030\text{--}31 \text{ to } 2037\text{--}38$.
• Assam Highway Expansion: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved widening and upgrading the $85.675 \text{ km}$ Kalibor-Numaligarh section of NH-715 into a 4-lane highway. Total financial outlay stands at ₹6,957 crore.
• 57 New Kendriya Vidyalayas: CCEA approved setting up 57 new KVs under the civil sector nationwide, backed by a budget of ₹5,862 crore.
• DA/DR Hike: A 3% hike in Dearness Allowance (DA) for central government employees and Dearness Relief (DR) for pensioners.

Navi Mumbai Airport Renamed After Loknete DB Patil

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced that the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport is officially renamed Loknete Dinkar Balu (DB) Patil Navi Mumbai International Airport.

Legacy Context: The renaming honors D.B. Patil, a prominent leader who fought to secure fair compensation for farmers during Navi Mumbai's land acquisition and development phase.

• Status: The decision has received formal clearance from PM Narendra Modi and both houses of the Maharashtra State Legislature.
• Other State Airport Proposals:
  • Pune Airport $\rightarrow$ Proposed as Jagadguru Sant Tukaram Airport
  • Aurangabad Airport $\rightarrow$ Proposed as Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj Airport

TN Partners with Borussia Dortmund for India's First Sports-Tech Incubator

The Government of Tamil Nadu has teamed up with German football giant Borussia Dortmund to establish the country's first dedicated sports-technology incubation centre.

• Execution: Operated under StartupTN, the partnership will be formally signed by CM M.K. Stalin at the TN Global Startup Summit 2025 in Coimbatore.
• Broader Ecosystem: TN is also establishing a space-tech incubation centre at Anna University (Chennai) and a space-tech startup hub in Thoothukudi.
• Growth Numbers: Registered startups in Tamil Nadu have scaled from ~2,000 in 2021 to over 12,000 in 2025, tracking toward a target of 15,000 by 2027.

Balod (Chhattisgarh) Declared India's First Child Marriage-Free District

Balod district in Chhattisgarh has achieved a historic milestone by becoming the first district in India to be officially declared child marriage-free.

• The Scale: Zero child marriages were recorded across all 436 gram panchayats and 9 urban local bodies over a strict two-year verification period.
• Campaign Roots: Part of the national "Child Marriage-Free India" directive launched by PM Modi on August 27, 2024.
• Technical Partner: UNICEF provided administrative frameworks, monitoring mechanisms, and awareness programs.
• State Goal: Following Balod's framework, Chhattisgarh aims to make all its districts child marriage-free by 2028–29.

Ministry of Tourism Signs 3-Year Feedback MoU with Thomas Cook India

The Ministry of Tourism (MoT) has entered into a three-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Thomas Cook (India) Limited (TCIL) to systematically collect real-time traveler data.

• Objective: Assess and track the destination performance of various Indian tourist hubs.
• Core Parameters Evaluated: Cleanliness, safety, accessibility, service standards, and overall visitor experience.
• Mechanism: TCIL will deploy standardized, co-branded feedback forms across its physical and digital channels. Anonymized data will be channeled back to the Ministry for infrastructure optimization.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

42nd ICAO Assembly Session (Montreal, Canada)

The 42nd Session of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Assembly took place in Montreal, with 192 Member States defining priorities for global aviation. India was represented by Civil Aviation Secretary Ramesh Kumar.

• ICAO Council Elections: India was successfully re-elected to Part II (States making the largest contribution to providing facilities for international civil air navigation) of the 36-member ICAO governing council for a 3-year term.
• Major Award: The African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC) alongside the African Civil Aviation and Flight Safety Foundation (ACVFFI) received the prestigious Edward Warner Award 2025.
• AAI Accord: ICAO partnered with the Airports Authority of India (AAI) to systematically co-develop Indian airports into self-sustaining regional economic hubs.

World Social Security Forum (WSSF) 2025 (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)

Organized by the International Social Security Association (ISSA), the WSSF 2025 convened under the central theme: "Shaping Social Security for a World in Transition".

• India Wins Top Honor: India was conferred the 'ISSA Award 2025 for Outstanding Achievement in Social Security' for its massive scaling of universal safety nets. Union Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya accepted the honor.
• Leadership Updates: Dr. Mohammed Azman (CEO of PERKESO, Malaysia) was re-elected as ISSA President to spearhead Universal Social Protection 2030 goals.
• New Frameworks: Launched the ISSA Guidelines on Administrative Solutions for Long-Term Care Services.

BANKING & FINANCE

RBI Grants SRO Status to Finance Industry Development Council (FIDC)

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) officially designated the FIDC as a Self-Regulatory Organisation (SRO) for asset and loan-financing Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs).

• Framework: Granted under the Omnibus Framework for Recognition of SROs for Regulated Entities (issued March 2024).
• Leadership Shift: Raman Aggarwal has been appointed as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the newly transitioned SRO.
• Existing Financial SROs: FIDC joins Sa-Dhan and MFIN (Microfinance sector) and FACE (Fintech sector) as recognized market supervisors.

Regulatory Penalties Imposed on American Express & HDB Financial Services

The RBI leveraged statutory inspection penalties on two major financial entities for policy non-compliance:

ECONOMY & BUSINESS

Zomato & HDFC Pension Launch NPS Platform for Gig Workers

Marking a massive move for the unorganized sector, Zomato collaborated with HDFC Pension Management to introduce the National Pension System (NPS) Platform Workers Model.

• Regulator: Supervised directly by the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA).
• Milestone: Registered over 30,000 Permanent Retirement Account Numbers (PRANs) within the first 72 hours of launch.
• Target: Onboard more than 1,00,000 delivery partners into the formal retirement system by December 2025.
• Key Design: Integrates instant eKYC, flexible micro-contributions, and full portfolio portability if workers transition across different platforms.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Tripartite MoU Signed for India’s AMCA Stealth Fighter Program

Goodluck India entered into a high-value tripartite MoU with BrahMos Aerospace Thiruvananthapuram Limited (BATL) and Axiscades Technologies Limited to co-develop India's next-gen military aircraft.

• Objective: Jointly respond to the Expression of Interest (EOI) floated by the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), Bengaluru, for the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA)—India's indigenous fifth-generation stealth fighter jet program.
• Manufacturing Expansion: Concurrently, Goodluck Defence & Aerospace Secured an industrial license under the Indian Arms Act, 1959 to manufacture medium-calibre artillery shells ($105\text{--}155 \text{ mm}$).

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Animal Day 2025 (Centenary Edition) — October 4

• Significance: 2025 marks the 100th Anniversary (Centenary Year) of World Animal Day since its inception by cynologist Heinrich Zimmermann in Berlin in 1925.
• Theme 2025: "Save Animals, Save the Planet"
• Historical Note: Officially adopted globally in 1931 at the Florence Congress, Italy. Coordinated globally by the UK-based Naturewatch Foundation.
• Alarming Fact Drop: According to WWF and IUCN data, global wildlife populations have seen a staggering ~69% to 73% decline since 1970, with over 38,500 species currently threatened with imminent extinction.

71st National Wildlife Week — October 2 to 8, 2025

• Theme 2025: "Sewa Parv" (emphasizing service, stewardship, and responsibility toward ecosystems).
• Background: Conceptualized in 1952 alongside the formation of the Indian Board for Wildlife (IBWL). It transitioned from a single "Wildlife Day" (1955) into a dedicated national week in 1957.
• Ministry Info: Managed by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) under Union Minister Bhupendar Yadav.

UN World Space Week 2025 — October 4 to 10

• Theme 2025: "Living in Space"
• Why these dates?
  • October 4, 1957: Launch of Sputnik 1 (first human-made satellite).
  • October 10, 1967: Signing of the Outer Space Treaty (the "Magna Carta of Space").
• Leadership: Directed by the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) and UNOOSA. In India, operations are coordinated under the leadership of SPACE India Chairman Dr. Sachin Bahmba.

STATE NEWS

Maharashtra Launches E-Bond System for Export-Import Logistics

Maharashtra has officially launched the Electronic Bond (E-Bond) system for high-value import and export transactions, replacing the traditional physical ₹500 paper stamp bonds.

• Milestone: With this launch, Maharashtra becomes the 16th state in India to digitize its customs and trade bond ecosystem.
• System Integration: Fully integrated with the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) platform via secure e-signatures and real-time verification networks.
• Strategic Blueprint: Aligns directly with the central government’s 'Ekal Anubandh' digital infrastructure project under the Viksit Bharat corporate framework.