NATIONAL AFFAIRS
1. Union Cabinet Approvals
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved major infrastructure railway and highway projects in Bihar:
- Bhagalpur-Dumka-Rampurhat Line Doubling: Approved the doubling of this 177 km single railway line running across Bihar, Jharkhand, and West Bengal. Part of the Pradhan Mantri Gati Shakti – National Master Plan, the project has a budget outlay of ₹3,169 crore and touches 5 districts.
- Mokama-Munger Greenfield Expressway: Approved the construction of an 82.4 km, 4-lane greenfield access-controlled section of the Buxar-Bhagalpur High Speed Corridor. Executed under the Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM) at an estimated cost of ₹4,447.38 crore, it links Mokama, Barahiya, Lakhisarai, Jamalpur, and Munger.
2. MoTA Launches "Adi Sanskriti" Digital Portal for Tribal Art
The Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) rolled out the Beta version of "Adi Sanskriti" at the National Conference on Adi Karmayogi Abhiyan in New Delhi. Envisioned as the world’s first Digital Tribal University, it preserves traditional knowledge and provides livelihoods via three pillars:
- Adi Vishwavidyalaya: A digital art academy currently offering 45 immersive courses on tribal dance, music, painting, and folklore.
- Adi Sampada: A socio-cultural digital repository containing over 5,000 curated historical tribal documents.
- Adi Haat: An online e-marketplace connected with TRIFED to enable tribal artisans to sell products directly to global consumers.
- Note on Context: This follows the August 2025 rollout of "Adi Vaani", India’s first AI-powered translator for tribal languages.
3. HAL Enters Space Launch Market with ISRO’s SSLV Tech Transfer
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) signed a milestone Technology Transfer Agreement (TTA) with ISRO, IN-SPACe, and NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) in Bengaluru for the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV).
- The Transition: The deal enables HAL to transition from a mere component tier-supplier into a full-scale commercial launch service provider.
- SSLV Profile: A 3-stage solid propellant launch vehicle capable of deploying up to 500 kg payloads into Low Earth Orbit (LEO).
- Timeline & Scale: Features a 2-year technology absorption phase followed by a 10-year independent mass production window. This marks the 100th Technology Transfer facilitated by IN-SPACe.
4. NCEL & APEDA Partner to Drive Cooperative Agriculture Exports
The National Co-operative Exports Limited (NCEL) and the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) signed an MoU to globalize India's cooperative-led agrarian trade.
- Objective: To integrate APEDA's global market intelligence and regulatory outreach with NCEL’s vast grassroots cooperative network.
- Execution: Focuses on capacity building, training cooperative societies on global sanitary phytosanitary food standards, export quality compliances, and joint branding across international trade fairs.
5. MoRTH Teams Up with Zomato and Uber for "Sadak Suraksha Abhiyan"
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) joined hands with internet consumer giants Zomato and Uber to mark the 3rd year of the national road safety awareness campaign “Sadak Suraksha Abhiyan” (Theme: “Parwaah Karenge, Surakshit Rahenge”).
- The Target: To halve total road accidents and vehicular fatalities in India by 2030.
- Methodology: Integration of public safety broadcast tips and warnings voiced by Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan directly inside the consumer and delivery partner app interfaces of both companies.
6. ACME Group & Japan's IHI Corporation Sign Mega Green Ammonia JV
Fulfilling a prior 2023 roadmap, ACME Group and Japan's engineering giant IHI Corporation formalized a Joint Venture (JV) to establish India's largest Green Ammonia plant at Gopalpur, Odisha.
- Equity Breakdown: ACME Group holds a 70% majority stake, while IHI Corporation acquires 30% equity in the entity ACME Clean Energy Private Limited.
- Output Metrics: Targeted for commissioning by 2029–30, the plant will yield 0.4 Million Tonnes (MT) of green ammonia annually primarily for export to Japanese power/chemical industrial off-takers, cutting 0.8 MT of $CO_2$ emissions per year.
7. Strategic MoUs: Policy and Bilateral Trade
- ORF & OECD Policy Pact: The Observer Research Foundation (ORF) signed a 5-year global policy MoU with the OECD to feed India's macro perspectives and Global South insights into global trade, economic diplomacy, and digital transition studies.
- India-Mexico Trade Booster: India and Mexico signed an MoU on the sidelines of the FICCI LEADS summit, triggering an initial trade investment of USD 1,200 million. The partnership leverages Mexico's geography as a strategic nearshoring gateway to the USA and Canada under the active NAFTA framework.
🌏 INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
1. 44th SCO-RATS Meeting Convened in Kyrgyzstan
The 44th Council meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation's (SCO) Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) took place in Cholpon-Ata, Kyrgyzstan.
- Highlights: The member nations officially endorsed the Tianjin Declaration. Resolutions were adopted to actively clamp down on cross-border terror finance loops and restrict illicit geographical terrorist movements. Pakistan assumed the next rotational chairmanship of the RATS Council.
2. India Dispatches Troops for 'Zapad 2025' Military Exercise in Russia
India sent a 65-personnel joint defense contingent to participate in the 9th edition of 'Zapad 2025', the quadrennial Russian-Belarusian joint strategic military exercise.
- The Drills: Held at the Mulino Training Ground in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, and selected sites in Belarus. The multi-nation defensive maneuvers incorporate conventional warfare, counter-terror planning, and active integration of tactical weapons training (including Russia's Oreshnik missile system).
- Indian Contingent: Led by a battalion of the Kumaon Regiment, featuring 57 Army personnel, 7 Air Force, and 1 Navy representative. Pakistan attended the event strictly with Observer status.
💰 BANKING & FINANCE
1. World Bank Clears USD 212.64 Million Loan for 'SHORE Project'
The World Bank approved an IBRD loan of USD 212.64 million for Phase 1 of the Strengthening Coastal Resilience and the Economy (SHORE) project targeting the coastal zones of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
- Terms: Borrowed over a 23-year maturity tenure, including a 6.5-year initial payment grace period.
- Implementation: Steered locally by the Tamil Nadu Green Climate Company (TNGCC) and Karnataka Eco Restoration Society (KERS) to implement nature-based infrastructure (restoring 30,000 hectares of mangroves/sand dunes), combat coastal erosion, and train 100,000 locals in eco-tourism.
2. Air India & Air Astana Enter Codeshare Alliance
National carriers Air India and Kazakhstan’s Air Astana upgraded their commercial partnership via a formal codeshare agreement.
- Utility: Air India will append its generic 'AI' designator code on Air Astana-operated flights connecting Almaty to New Delhi and Mumbai, giving Indian travelers single-ticket seamless baggage transfers into wider Central Asian cities (Bishkek, Tashkent, Dushanbe).
3. Israel’s ICL Partners with BioPrime for Precision Bio-Nutrients
Global crop nutrition giant Israel Chemicals Limited (ICL) partnered with Pune-based agritech firm BioPrime AgriSolutions to distribute advanced crop wellness products in India.
- The Tech: Leverages BioPrime's proprietary Bionexus platform (housing 18,000+ unique microbial strains) to break down soil lockups. The initial rollout addresses Phosphorus (P) and Zinc (Zn) deficiency by deploying specialized targeted bio-strains that can solubilize 65%–70% of locked-up environmental Zinc.
🏆 AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS
Dr. Manmohan Singh Posthumously Honored with P.V. Narasimha Rao Award
Renowned economist and former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh was posthumously conferred the prestigious P.V. Narasimha Rao Memorial Award for Economics celebrating his era-defining contributions to India's fiscal landscape.
- Legacy: The award notes his legacy as the Chief Economic Adviser, RBI Governor, and the Finance Minister who spearheaded the historic 1991 Liberalization, Privatization, and Globalization (LPG) reforms under the late PM P.V. Narasimha Rao's administration. His wife, Gursharan Kaur, received the honor in New Delhi.
💼 APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS
- NSE Appoints Injeti Srinivas as Board Chair: SEBI approved the appointment of retired 1983-batch Odisha cadre IAS officer Injeti Srinivas as the Chairperson of the Governing Board of the National Stock Exchange (NSE). Srinivas, the founding chief of the IFSCA and former Corporate Affairs Secretary, fills a critical vacancy that was left open for nearly two years.
- Jonas Gahr Støre Wins Second Term as Norway PM: Following the 2025 national polls, Labour Party leader Jonas Gahr Støre successfully held onto power to claim his second consecutive run as Prime Minister of Norway, holding off coalitions led by the Progress and Conservative parties.
- Abhishek Maheshwari Named MD & CEO of IARC: The International Asset Reconstruction Company (IARC), a premier distressed credit recovery house incorporated under the SARFAESI Act of 2002, appointed former BCG Partner and Encore ARC co-founder Abhishek Maheshwari as its chief executive.
📚 BOOKS & AUTHORS
- "Believer’s Dilemma: Vajpayee and the Hindu Right’s Path to Power (1977–2018)": Authored by Abhishek Choudhary (Published by Picador India). This is the concluding second volume of the detailed political biography of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, tracking his evolution from an RSS ideologue into a moderate coalition architect.
- "M. S. Swaminathan: The Man Who Fed India": Authored by Priyambada Jayakumar (Published by HarperCollins India). Released to commemorate the birth centenary of the icon of the Indian Green Revolution, mapping his scientific collaborations with Norman Borlaug.