1. PM Narendra Modi Launches Bihar’s Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the ‘Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana’, a flagship initiative of the Government of Bihar, via video conferencing from New Delhi.

During the launch, the PM executed a massive Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) worth ₹7,500 crore, sending ₹10,000 directly into the bank accounts of 75 lakh women across Bihar.

                    ┌────────────────────────────────────────┐
                    │  MUKHYAMANTRI MAHILA ROJGAR YOJANA     │
                    └───────────────────┬────────────────────┘
                                        │
           ┌────────────────────────────┼────────────────────────────┐
           ▼                            ▼                            ▼
     Initial Benefit              Target Group                Ultimate Goal
   ₹10,000 via DBT              75 Lakh Women             Lakhpati Didi Status
 (Up to ₹2 Lakh later)       (1 woman per family)        (Earn > ₹1 Lakh/year)

Key Highlights of the Scheme

• Objective: Empowering one woman from every family in Bihar by promoting self-employment, social upliftment, and financial independence.
• Financial Structure: An initial seed fund of ₹10,000 via DBT, with subsequent performance-linked assistance scaling up to ₹2 lakh in later phases.
• Core Focus Sectors: Agriculture, animal husbandry, tailoring, weaving, poultry farming, handicrafts, and other micro-enterprises.
• Implementation Network: Executed through Self-Help Groups (SHGs), providing skill training, market linkages via Gramin Haat-Bazaars, and financial integration through the Bihar Jeevika Nidhi Credit Cooperative Society.
• Technology Architecture: Aligned with central schemes like Mudra Yojana, Drone Didi, and PM Jan Dhan Yojana, leveraging the Jan Dhan-Aadhaar-Mobile (JAM) Trinity for seamless transfers.

2. India Gets Its 1st Maritime Simulation Centre & Ship Technology Hub

Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal (Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways) inaugurated India’s first-ever Maritime Simulation Centre near Chennai, Tamil Nadu, and virtually inaugurated the Indian Ship Technology Centre (ISTC) in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.

Center Features & Breakthroughs

3. Mega Development: PM Modi Dedicates Projects Worth ₹1.22 Lakh Cr in Rajasthan

During his high-profile visit to Banswara, Rajasthan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid foundation stones and inaugurated massive connectivity, energy, and infrastructure projects crossing ₹1.22 lakh crores.

Major Projects Unveiled

• Mahi Banswara Rajasthan Atomic Power Project (MBRAPP):
  • Cost: ₹42,000 crores.
  • Capacity: 2,800 MW (4 units × 700 MW each), located at Napla village.
  • Developer: ASHVINI—a Joint Venture between Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) and NTPC.
• Renewable Energy Transmission Corridors: Laid foundation stones for major 765 KV transmission networks worth over ₹13,180 crores under the Renewable Energy Zone (REZ) initiative, linking Beawar and Sirohi in Rajasthan to Mandsaur and Khandwa in Madhya Pradesh.
• Feeder Level Solarization (FLS): Virtually launched FLS projects under Component C of the PM-KUSUM scheme, adding 3,517 MW of solar capacity (valued at over ₹16,050 crores) across Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Karnataka.

4. India Discards Paper Arrival Cards for Foreigners

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) announced that the Government of India will completely discontinue physical disembarkation forms (Paper Arrival Cards) for international travelers entering the country.

Effective Date: October 1, 2025

The New Protocol: Foreign travelers must submit a Digital Arrival Card online prior to departure. This ensures a completely paperless, faster, and smoother immigration process at physical airport arrival counters.

With this shift, India joins an elite league of digitally advanced travel hubs like Singapore, the United Kingdom, and Taiwan.

5. Tirumala Temple Launches India’s First AI-Powered Pilgrim Hub

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu inaugurated India’s first Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered pilgrim Integrated Command Control Centre (ICCC) at the Vaikuntam Queue Complex, Tirumala Temple.

Technological Architecture & Capabilities

• Model: Developed under a Pro Bono Public-Private partnership funded entirely by a group of NRI philanthropists.
• Core Tech Stack: Powered by Kloudspot Inc. and NVIDIA’s high-performance computing systems, fully integrating Machine Learning (ML) and Digital Twin Maps.
• Processing Muscle: Connected to over 6,000 AI cameras, the ICCC can process 3.60 lakh payloads per minute, monitor 518 million events daily, and generate 2.5 billion real-time inferences every single day.
• Utility: Provides seamless crowd prediction, optimized queue management, real-time threat detection, and advanced cybersecurity monitoring.

6. Banking & Finance Updates

RBI Revises Nominee Claims Settlement Guidelines

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued the ‘RBI (Settlement of Claims in respect of Deceased Customers of Banks) Directions, 2025’ to ensure hassle-free funds recovery for grieving families.

• Mandatory Turnaround Time: Banks must settle legitimate asset claims within a maximum of 15 calendar days from the receipt of documents.
• Implementation Deadline: No later than March 31, 2026.
• Simplified Threshold Limits: For accounts without nominees, a simplified payout procedure is allowed if the total amount is under ₹5 lakh (for Co-operative banks) or ₹15 lakh (for commercial banks). Above this, a legal heir/succession certificate is required.
• Severe Penalties for Delay: If a bank delays settlement past 15 days, it must pay compensation:
  • For Bank Deposits: Interest at Bank Rate + 4% per annum.
  • For Lockers/Safe Custody: A fixed penalty of ₹5,000 per day of delay.

Bank of Baroda Appointed TCM on India International Bullion Exchange (IIBX)

The International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) has officially approved the Bank of Baroda (BOB) to operate as a Trading-Cum-Clearing Member (TCM) at GIFT City, Gujarat. BOB is only the second Public Sector Bank after SBI to achieve this status, enabling it to trade, clear, and settle gold and silver contracts directly for domestic and global clients.

• BOB & Tata Power Tie-Up: Simultaneously, BOB signed an MoU with Tata Power Renewable Energy Limited (TPREL) to finance MSME solar projects. It offers collateral-free loans up to ₹10 crores (backed by CGTMSE) with flexible tenures up to 10 years at a starting interest rate of 7.75%.

IndiGo and SBI Card Launch Co-Branded Travel Cards

SBI Card teamed up with domestic carrier IndiGo to introduce premium co-branded credit cards: ‘IndiGo SBI Card’ and ‘IndiGo SBI Card ELITE’. Available on Mastercard and RuPay platforms, cardholders earn rewards in the form of IndiGo BluChips, which act as travel currency for flight bookings, seat upgrades, and meals.

RBI Slaps ₹2.7 Lakh Penalty on Muthoot FinCorp

The Reserve Bank of India imposed a monetary penalty of ₹2.70 lakh on Muthoot FinCorp Limited under the RBI Act, 1934. An inspection revealed that the NBFC failed to establish an automated escalation system to route customer complaints (which were partially or fully rejected by its internal grievance redressed team) to its Internal Ombudsman.

7. Defence: IAF Retires the Iconic MiG-21 Fighter Aircraft

The Indian Air Force (IAF) officially bid farewell to the legendary MiG-21 supersonic fighter jets during a grand decommissioning ceremony held at the Chandigarh Air Force Station (12 Wing, AF).

┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                           MiG-21 TIMELINE & LEGACY                        │
├───────────────────────┬───────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Induction Year        │ 1963 (Served for over 62 years)                   │
├───────────────────────┬───────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Total Fleets Procured │ Over 870 aircraft (Majority manufactured by HAL)  │
├───────────────────────┬───────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Historic Wars         │ 1965 & 1971 Indo-Pak Wars, 1999 Kargil, 2019      │
│                       │ Balakot Airstrikes                                │
├───────────────────────┬───────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Final Active Unit     │ No. 23 Squadron "Panthers"                        │
├───────────────────────┬───────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Indigenous Successor  │ LCA Tejas Mk1A                                    │
└───────────────────────┴───────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

• The Final Flight: Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh flew the final sortie under call sign Badal 3. Squadron Leader Priya Sharma made history as the last woman pilot to fly the aircraft before it received a traditional water cannon salute.
• The Transition: The space vacated by the MiG-21 squadrons will be actively replaced by the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas Mk1A.

8. Appointments, Books, and Awards

• Attorney General Extension: The President of India re-appointed Senior Advocate R. Venkataramani (75) as the Attorney General of India (AGI) for two more years, extending his tenure from October 1, 2025, to September 30, 2027.Exam Note: The AGI is appointed under Article 76 of the Constitution. Under Article 88, the AG can speak and participate in both Houses of Parliament but does not possess the right to vote.
• Calcutta HC Acting Chief Justice: President Droupadi Murmu appointed Justice Sujoy Paul as the Acting Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court under Article 223 of the Constitution, following the elevation of Justice Soumen Sen to the Meghalaya High Court.
• National Geoscience Awards 2024: President Droupadi Murmu conferred the National Geoscience Awards on 20 geoscientists at Rashtrapati Bhavan. Out of 12 final awards settled by the Ministry of Mines, 9 were individual honors and 3 were team awards.
• New Book Launch: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan released a new book at Delhi University titled "Living The Vivekananda Way – Practical Spirituality For Modern India", co-authored by Ananya Awasthi and Nikhil Yadav.

9. Important Days & Themes

World Tourism Day 2025 — September 27

• Theme: "Tourism and Sustainable Transformation"
• Key Context: Marks the 45th anniversary of the day instituted by the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) in 1980. The official global host for 2025 is Melaka, Malaysia. India’s Ministry of Tourism celebrated the day aligned with its Viksit Bharat@2047 vision, which aims to build a USD 3 trillion tourism economy by 2047.

World Environmental Health Day 2025 — September 26

• Theme: "Clean Air, Healthy People"
• Organized By: International Federation of Environmental Health (IFEH), headquartered in London.
• Key Environment Pacts Covered: Highlights global frameworks like the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, and India's local green policies like the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) and the Panchamrit Initiative (Net-Zero emissions target by 2070).

Quick State Facts Revision

• Bihar: CM – Nitish Kumar | Governor – Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar | Wildlife Sanctuaries – Rajgir WLS, Udaypur WLS.
• Rajasthan: CM – Bhajan Lal Sharma | Governor – Haribhau Kisanrao Bagde | Tiger Reserves – Ranthambore TR, Sariska TR.