National News and Affairs
PM Modi Launches Rs 36,000 Crore Development Projects in Bihar – Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched multiple development projects worth around Rs 36,000 crore in Bihar’s Purnea district and inaugurated a newly developed terminal building at Purnea airport to enhance passenger handling capacity in the region
Supreme Court Stays Certain Provisions of Waqf Amendment Act – The Supreme Court refused to stay all provisions of the recently passed Waqf Amendment Act 2025 but stayed certain provisions to protect the interests of all parties during the pendency of proceedings
India-US Trade Talks Resume in New Delhi – India and the US held their first in-person trade talks since President Donald Trump imposed penal tariffs on New Delhi over purchases of Russian oil effective August 27, with US trade delegation led by Brendan Lynch, assistant US Trade Representative for South and Central Asia
Gujarat High Court Receives Bomb Threat – Gujarat High Court received its third bomb threat since June 2025, which upon police investigation turned out to be a hoax with nothing suspicious found
Income Tax Return Filing Deadline Extended – The Central Board of Direct Taxes extended the due date for filing Income Tax Returns for Assessment Year 2025-26 by one more day till September 16, 2025 due to portal glitches
Andhra Pradesh CM Concerned Over Shrimp Export Impact – Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu expressed concern over American tariffs causing Rs 25,000 crore loss to the state’s shrimp export sector and cancellation of up to 50 percent export orders
Delhi Government Plans Yamuna Floodplain Demarcation – Delhi government announced plans to demarcate Yamuna floodplain from September 15 with official boards to prevent encroachments and enforce buffer zone norms
Punjab Launches Antibiotic Resistance Action Plan – Punjab launched state action plan under “One Health” approach to tackle misuse of antibiotics in humans, animals and agriculture sectors
Banking and Economic News
August Merchandise Trade Deficit Narrows – India’s merchandise trade deficit dropped to $26.49 billion in August 2025, down from $27.35 billion in July, as exports held firm before tariff impact
WPI Inflation Rises to 0.52% – India’s Wholesale Price Index inflation rose to 0.52 percent in August 2025, indicating slight inflationary pressure in the wholesale market
RBI Cash Reserve Ratio Cut Implementation – RBI confirmed that the Cash Reserve Ratio cut from 4 percent to 3 percent of Net Demand and Time Liabilities will begin from September 2025 in four steps of 25 basis points each
Markets Eye RBI October Policy – Financial markets anticipate RBI may deliver a 25-basis-point cut in October meeting taking repo rate down to 5.25 percent, following expected US Federal Reserve rate cut
GST Rate Changes Effective September 22 – New GST rates will take effect from September 22, 2025 with revised compliance requirements for input tax credit rules, import taxes and refund processes
Special Fixed Deposit Deadline September 30 – Several banks including Indian Bank and IDBI Bank have September 30, 2025 as deadline for investing in special FD schemes offering attractive interest rates for 444-day, 555-day and 700-day terms
International News
UK Summons Russian Ambassador – Britain summoned the Russian ambassador following Russia’s violation of NATO airspace, escalating diplomatic tensions between the countries
Russia-Belarus Joint Military Exercises – Russia and Belarus began Zapad military drills amid NATO tensions following recent airspace incursions, sparking concern in Eastern Europe
Nepal Caretaker Government – Nepal President Ramchandra Paudel administered oath of office to three ministers inducted by newly appointed caretaker Prime Minister Sushila Karki into her cabinet
US-China TikTok Negotiations Continue – United States and China progressed in TikTok deal negotiations with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent indicating the countries are close to reaching an agreement on the short-video app
EU Fisheries Subsidies Deal – European Union’s new fisheries subsidies agreement entered force under WTO framework, aimed at curbing overfishing while protecting fishing community livelihoods
US ICE Immigration Policy – Washington moved toward national emergency declaration over foreign worker regulations during ongoing immigration dispute affecting skilled worker policies
Spain Protests Over Israel Sports Participation – Spain witnessed protests as Israel participated in Vuelta a España sports event, creating cultural tensions over sports diplomacy and national identity concerns
Sports News
Mohammed Siraj Wins ICC Men’s Player of the Month – Mohammed Siraj was awarded ICC Men’s Player of the Month for August 2025 for his persistent, match-winning spell against England in The Oval Test
Central Zone Wins Duleep Trophy After 11 Years – Central Zone defeated South Zone by six wickets to clinch the Duleep Trophy after 11 years, with Rajat Patidar leading the team following his RCB success
India Qualifies for Asia Cup Super 4 – Team India became first team to qualify for Super 4 stage of Asia Cup 2025 after UAE’s comprehensive victory over Oman, securing progression even before their final group match
India-Pakistan Handshake Controversy – Asian Cricket Council may take disciplinary action against Indian team for refusing to shake hands with Pakistan players during Asia Cup match, with PCB threatening tournament withdrawal
Anandkumar Velkumar Creates History – India’s Anandkumar Velkumar won country’s first-ever gold medal at Speed Skating World Championships in China, becoming first Indian World Champion in speed skating
FIDE Grand Swiss Results – R Vaishali qualified for Candidates Tournament while Divya Deshmukh secured her spot, making three Indian women qualified for Candidates along with Koneru Humpy
Awards and Honors
AP Honors 2025 Awards Ceremony – September 16 marked the AP Honors 2025 Awards Ceremony recognizing excellence in accounts payable profession with multiple categories for AP teams, individuals and solution providers
National Teachers Awards 2025 – 45 exceptional educators across India were honored with National Teachers Awards 2025 by President Droupadi Murmu, each receiving certificate of merit, cash award of Rs 50,000 and silver medal
Emmy Awards 2025 Winners – 2025 Primetime Emmy Awards recognized outstanding achievements in television with winners including ‘The Studio’ and ‘Adolescence’ sweeping major categories
International Recognition – Various international awards and recognitions were announced across different fields including technology, literature and humanitarian work
Government Schemes and Policies
Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana – PM Modi’s Rs 1 lakh crore employment initiative aimed at creating 3.5 crore new jobs over two years, with Rs 15,000 direct benefit for first-time private sector employees
Tamil Nadu Anbu Karanga Scheme – Chief Minister MK Stalin launched Rs 2,000 monthly aid scheme for orphaned children to provide financial support and welfare
Delhi Welfare Schemes Launch – Delhi government announced plans to launch new welfare schemes daily for 15 consecutive days starting September 17 as gifts to city residents
Special Campaign 5.0 – Government launched Special Campaign 5.0 from October 2 to boost Swachhata and clear administrative backlogs across government departments
Science and Technology
Engineering Commission Proposal – Experts called for establishing engineering commission and service to give technical experts stronger governance voice in policy making and technology leadership
ISEC Global Workshop – Indian Statistical Economic Council launched 5-day global workshop to mark 75 years of statistical and economic research contributions
Digital Transformation – PM Modi shared article highlighting decade of India’s digital transformation showcasing technological advancement and digital governance initiatives
Important Days and Dates
World Ozone Day – September 16 – Observed annually to commemorate Montreal Protocol signing in 1987 and raise awareness about ozone layer depletion and preservation solutions
International Day of Democracy – September 15 – Recently observed to remind people about democratic values and effective realization of human rights
Malaysia Day – September 16 – Celebrated as ‘Hari Malaysia’ commemorating formation of Malaysian Federation in 1963
Appointments and Personnel Changes
L Satya Srinivas Appointed as India’s ED of ADB – Senior bureaucrat appointed as Executive Director representing India at Asian Development Bank
Naval Leadership Changes – Indian Navy commissioned ‘INS Aravali’ at Gurugram, Haryana and received second ASW-SWC ‘Androth’ from GRSE in Kolkata
Corporate Appointments – Multiple corporate leadership changes announced across banking, technology and manufacturing sectors
Educational Updates
Terminal 2 Delhi Airport Reopening – Upgraded Terminal 2 at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport scheduled to reopen on October 26 with enhanced facilities
CBSE Policy Changes – Central Board of Secondary Education scrapped additional subject option for private students from 2026 onwards
Engineering and Technical Education – Various initiatives launched to promote engineering education and technical skill development across the country
Focus Areas for Competitive Exams: Banking sector developments, government scheme launches, international relations updates, sports achievements, awards and recognition, policy changes, economic indicators, and important appointments form crucial components for Bank PO, SSC, Railway, UPSC and other competitive examinations.
