1. PM Modi Launches Youth-Centric Schemes Worth ₹62,000 Crore in Delhi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled a massive series of youth-focused and skill-development initiatives with a total investment exceeding ₹62,000 crore at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.

• The Core Launch (PM-SETU): The cornerstone of this event was the launch of PM-SETU (Pradhan Mantri Skilling and Employability Transformation through Upgraded ITIs). This is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) with an independent budget allocation of ₹60,000 crore.
• Kaushal Deekshant Samaroh: The event hosted a convocation ceremony to felicitate 46 All-India ITI (Industrial Training Institutes) toppers under the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MoSD&E).
• Vocational Skill Labs: The PM inaugurated 1,200 Vocational Skill Labs built across 400 Navodaya Vidyalayas and 200 Eklavya Model Residential Schools spanning 34 States and UTs. These labs focus on 12 high-demand industrial sectors to provide early employability foundations, especially in remote and tribal areas. The program includes specialized training for 1,200 vocational teachers.

2. Historic India-EFTA TEPA Trade Pact Officially Comes into Force

The Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA) signed between India and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) bloc officially took effect during the Prosperity Summit in New Delhi.

What is EFTA? A trade bloc consisting of four developed European nations: Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein. This is India's first-ever Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with developed Western European countries.

Key Trade Metrics & Deadlines

• Investment & Employment: EFTA nations have committed to injecting USD 100 billion in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) into India over the next 15 years, targeting the creation of 1 million direct jobs.
• Negotiation Timeline: The agreement was originally signed on March 10, 2024, finalizing a long-standing process that spanned 21 rounds of negotiations since 2008.
• Market Tariffs Realignment: EFTA is opening up 92.2% of its tariff lines, covering 99.6% of India’s current exports. This includes 100% of non-agricultural products and key concessions on Processed Agricultural Products (PAPs). In return, India has extended access to 82.7% of its tariff lines, covering 95.3% of EFTA’s export footprint.

3. India’s First Cooperative Multi-Feed CBG & Potash Plant Inaugurated in Maharashtra

Union Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah inaugurated India's first-ever cooperative multi-feed Compressed Biogas (CBG) and Potash Granule production facility at the Maharshi Shankarrao Kolhe Sahakari Sakhar Karkhana Limited (a cooperative sugar factory) in Ahilyanagar, Maharashtra.

• Financial & Infrastructure Footprint: Developed with a budget of ₹55 crores backed by the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC). Under this scheme, the Central Government will extend similar modernizations to 15 selected sugar mills.
• Production Logistics: The facility yields 12 tonnes of CBG and 75 tonnes of potash granules per day using multi-feed bio-gasification technology.
• The "Waste to Wealth" Process: It consumes sugar-industry waste by-products (press mud, spent wash, filter cake, and jaggery residues) to extract purified methane gas via anaerobic digestion, transforming the leftover digestate into organic spray-dried bio-potash fertilizer granules.
• Statue Unveiling: Minister Shah also unveiled the statues of cooperative movement icons Padma Shri Dr. Vithalrao Eknathrao Vikhe Patil and Padma Bhushan Balasaheb Vikhe Patil during the visit.

4. HLC Approves ₹4,600+ Crore Disaster Relief & Mitigation Projects Across 9 States

A High-Level Committee (HLC) chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah approved disaster mitigation, recovery, and reconstruction projects valued at ₹4,645.60 crore for nine states (Assam, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, and Andhra Pradesh).

• Funding Source: All sanctioned projects will be strictly financed through the National Disaster Mitigation Fund (NDMF).
• Urban Flood Risk Management Programme (UFRMP) Phase-II: An allocation of ₹2,444.42 crore was cleared for 11 major cities: Bhopal, Indore, Bhubaneswar, Guwahati, Jaipur, Kanpur, Lucknow, Patna, Raipur, Trivandrum, and Vishakhapatnam.
• Assam Wetlands & Flood Management: Approved ₹692.05 crore specifically for restoring and rejuvenating wetlands in Assam, alongside an exclusive ₹200 crore flood mitigation project for Guwahati (with a ₹180 crore central share).
• Direct Historical Recovery Grants: Granted ₹1,270.788 crore to Assam for past flood damages (2022) and ₹260.56 crore to Kerala to assist recovery from the devastating 2024 Wayanad landslides.

5. India-UK Commence Carrier Strike Group Maritime Exercise ‘KONKAN-2025’

The Indian Navy (IN) and the British Royal Navy (RN) initiated their bilateral maritime exercise, KONKAN-2025, off India’s western coast.

• Historical Milestone: This edition marks the first time both nations have deployed their full Carrier Strike Groups (CSGs) for a joint military exercise.
• The Naval Fleet: India deployed its flagship aircraft carrier INS Vikrant alongside its battlegroup assets. The UK was represented by its advanced carrier, HMS Prince of Wales, leading the CSG 2025 fleet. Notably, assets from Norway and Japan joined the exercise for the first time.
• Exercise Layout: Divided into a Harbour Phase (professional and tactical cross-deck exchanges, sports, and cultural meets) and a Sea Phase (combat readiness drills focusing on Anti-Air, Anti-Surface, and Anti-Submarine Warfare).

6. BRO Shatters Records: Builds World’s Highest Motorable Road at 19,400 ft in Ladakh

The Border Roads Organisation (BRO), operating under Project Himank and led by Chief Engineer Brigadier Vishal Srivastava, completed the construction of the world's highest motorable road at Mig La Pass in Ladakh.

• The Record Lift: Situated near the Line of Actual Control (LAC) at a towering altitude of 19,400 feet, the new road breaks BRO's own 2021 Guinness World Record set at Umling La Pass (19,024 feet).
• Strategic Value: The road maps out the Likaru–Mig La–Fukche alignment, connecting the Hanle region directly to Fukche village. This serves as a vital third strategic axis along the Indo-China border to amplify troop mobility and defense logistics.

7. Telecom Engineering Centre (TEC) Signs Next-Gen Tech MoU with IIIT Naya Raipur

The Telecommunication Engineering Centre (TEC), under the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), partnered with the International Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) Naya Raipur to foster localized telecom innovation.

• Core Focus: The alliance targets research, standardization, and framework creation for 5G, 6G, and the Internet of Things (IoT).
• Technical Domains: Development efforts will specifically address Open Radio Access Networks (Open RAN), network disaggregation, cognitive radio systems, and spectrum-sharing optimization models.
• Vision: Aligned with Atmanirbhar Bharat, the joint standardizations seek to provide affordable, vendor-neutral, and interoperable digital network connectivity infrastructure suited to rural and diverse Indian landscapes.

8. FinMin Launches Nationwide ‘Aapki Punji Aapka Adhikar’ Campaign for Unclaimed Assets

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman launched the nationwide ‘Aapki Punji Aapka Adhikar’ campaign from Gandhinagar, Gujarat, to assist citizens in recovering untraceable wealth lying dormant in the financial sector.

• Campaign Scope: Driven by the Department of Financial Services (DFS), the initiative coordinates across top regulators including the RBI, SEBI, IRDAI, PFRDA, and IEPFA along with banking, insurance, and mutual fund institutions.
• Timeline & Access: Running across all States and UTs, the campaign deploys digital helpdesks and tracking demonstrations to help families trace and settle ancestral or forgotten financial claims easily.

9. Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla Appointed Brand Ambassador for Viksit Bharat Buildathon

Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, the historic first Indian astronaut to reach the International Space Station (ISS) via the Axiom-4 commercial space mission (supported by ISRO and NASA), has been appointed as the brand ambassador for the Viksit Bharat Buildathon.

• The Event: Run by the Ministry of Education (MoE), this is touted as the largest-ever school hackathon in the nation.
• Target Audience: It actively engages over 1 crore students from 1.5 lakh schools (Classes 6 to 12) to design functional technology prototypes built across four developmental themes.

10. Defence Upgrades: Indigenous Fast Patrol Vessel ‘ICGS Akshar’ Commissioned in Puducherry

The Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICGS) Akshar was officially commissioned into service at Karaikal, Puducherry, under the administrative operational command of the Coast Guard Region (East), Chennai.

• Build Specification: It stands as the 2nd of 8 Adamya-class Fast Patrol Vessels (FPVs) engineered and manufactured indigenously by Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL).
• Local Manufacturing Focus: Built with over 60% indigenous content under the Make in India initiative.
• Technical Infrastructure: The 51-meter-long vessel displaces 320 tonnes and is powered by twin 3,000 KW diesel engines, achieving top speeds of 27 knots with a 1,500 nautical mile endurance range. It features an Integrated Bridge System (IBS) and advanced automated weapons management systems (including a 30mm CRN-91 gun and dual 12.7mm Stabilized Remote-Controlled Guns).

11. SPORTS EXTRA: Global Championships Highlights

A. ISSF Junior World Cup 2025 (New Delhi)

India hosted its first-ever ISSF Junior World Cup stage at the Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Range, finishing 1st in the overall medal tally with 26 medals (8 Gold, 10 Silver, 8 Bronze).

• Key Stars: Current Junior World Champion Mukesh Nelavalli won individual Gold in the Men's 25m Pistol event. Tejaswani Singh claimed Silver in the Women’s 25m Pistol setup.

B. 12th World Para Athletics Championships 2025 (New Delhi)

India became the first South Asian country to host the event, held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.

• Rankings: Brazil topped the table (44 medals; 15 Gold), with China 2nd. India finished 10th overall, securing 22 medals (6 Gold, 9 Silver, 7 Bronze) while smashing three Championship Records and seven Asian Records.

12. IMPORTANT DAYS & GLOBAL RECOGNITIONS

• Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2025: Jointly awarded to Shimon Sakaguchi (Japan), Mary E. Brunkow (USA), and Fred Ramsdell (USA) for their pioneering work in peripheral immune tolerance, discovering Regulatory T cells (Tregs) and identifying the critical regulatory FOXP3 gene that keeps the immune system from attacking healthy organs.
• NPS Diwas 2025 (October 1): Organized by PFRDA under the theme "Inclusive Pensions, Innovative Solutions: Strengthening Retirement Security in India". Major developments included a strategic rural outreach MoU with NABARD and distributing Permanent Retirement Account Numbers (PRANs) to 60,000 Zomato platform workers.
• World Teachers' Day 2025 (October 5): Observed globally by UNESCO with the theme "Recasting teaching as a collaborative profession". (Note: National Teachers' Day in India is celebrated on September 5).
• World Cerebral Palsy Day 2025 (October 6): Marked globally under the theme "Unique and United" to amplify awareness and structural inclusion for the estimated 18 million people living with CP globally.

13. STATE FOCUS: Goa Launches 'Mhaje Ghar Yojana'

Union Home Minister Amit Shah launched the Goa Government's flagship welfare asset regularisation initiative, ‘Mhaje Ghar Yojana’ (My Home Scheme), at Taleigao, Goa.

• Objective: The scheme aims to simplify real estate legal complexities by consolidating rules across the Goa Land Revenue Code and Forest Rights Act into a single framework. This allows long-time residents who have constructed dwellings on government or community lands to obtain legitimate ownership rights within a fast-tracked 6-month window.
• Infrastructural Additions: The launch was accompanied by the foundational clearance of 21 development infrastructure works worth ₹2,452 crore, the layout of specialized mobile forensic vans, and the rollout of the 1930 Cyber Helpline Cloud Call Centre.

Quick-Reference Summary Table for Quick Revision

For a deeper dive into how the historic India-EFTA trade partnership will shape the economic landscape, you can watch this Analysis of the India-EFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement, which includes a first-hand perspective from global experts on economic and biological developments from the summit.