NATIONAL UPDATES:
1. Cabinet Approves ₹1507
Crore Green Field Airport Project at Kota-Bundi, Rajasthan: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs,
chaired by PM Narendra Modi, approved the Airports Authority of India’s proposal for the development of a Green
Field Airport at Kota-Bundi, Rajasthan, with an estimated cost of ₹1507
crore.The Government of Rajasthan has provided 440.06 hectares of land to AAI
for the project, which will accommodate A-321 type aircraft.The new airport
will feature a 20,000 sqm terminal building with a capacity of handling 1000
peak-hour passengers and 2 million passengers annually, along with a 3200m x
45m runway, 7 aircraft parking bays, taxiways, ATC block, fire station, and car
park.Currently, Kota Airport has limited facilities, including a 1220m runway
suitable for Code ‘B’ aircraft (DO-228) and a terminal building of just 400 sqm
handling only 50 passengers at peak hours.
2. NABL Launches New Medical
Application Portal for ISO 15189:2022 Applicant Laboratories: The National Accreditation
Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL), under the
Quality Council of India (QCI), launched a new Medical Application Portal for ISO 15189:2022 applicant laboratories during
a virtual event titled “GOING LIVE”.The portal is designed to enhance ease,
efficiency, and transparency in the accreditation process, with features like a
restructured application flow, standardized templates, pre-registration
checklist, and intuitive interface.It also provides multi-user access, enabling
labs to assign multiple users with distinct roles, thereby improving data entry
speed, oversight, and accountability throughout the accreditation lifecycle.
3. Press Registrar General Launches
‘Press Sewa’ Portal to Simplify Newspaper, Periodical Registration: Press Registrar General of
India (PRGI) has launched the Press Sewa portal as a single-window digital platform.The portal
will simplify and speed up registration for newspapers and periodicals across
India. It is designed to enhance transparency, reduce approval delays, and
improve ease of doing business for publishers.The initiative will remove
bureaucratic hurdles and provide clarity in the registration process. The
announcement was made during Vartalap, an interaction programme organised by
Press Information Bureau (PIB) Hyderabad under the Ministry of Information and
Broadcasting
4. Passes Bill to Establish
22nd IIM in Guwahati with ₹555 Crore Investment: Rajya Sabha passed the IIM
(Amendment) Bill, 2025, approving the establishment of the 22nd IIM in Guwahati with a government
investment of ₹555 crore; admissions will begin from the current academic year
after Presidential assent.The Bill was passed in the absence of Opposition
members, who boycotted the debate demanding a discussion on Bihar’s Special
Intensive Revision of electoral rolls; the House also witnessed disruptions
during the session.Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan highlighted that
while only 13 IIMs were set up between 1961 and 2014, the Modi government has
added nine more, increasing student intake from 3,500 in 2013-14 to 9,800 in
2024-25, reflecting the government’s commitment to higher education
5. Varanasi Becomes First
City to Install Removable Solar Panels Between Railway Tracks: Varanasi became
the first city in India to install
portable solar panels between railway tracks, as part of Indian
Railways’ mission to achieve net-zero emissions and promote sustainable energy.
Banaras
Locomotive Works (BLW) made history by commissioning the country’s first 70-meter removable solar
panel system (28 panels, 15 kW power) on active tracks, inaugurated
by General Manager Naresh Pal Singh.The panels are installed on sleepers and
support beams under the tracks using an indigenously designed installation
process, ensuring smooth placement without disrupting rail traffic.This pilot
project allows the solar panels to be easily removed during track maintenance,
aligning with Indian Railways’ long-term vision of renewable energy adoption
and climate change mitigation.
6. Bihar Cabinet Cuts BPSC
Preliminary Exam Fee to ₹100: The Bihar state cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar,
has approved reducing the
preliminary examination fee to just ₹100 for BPSC and other government competitive exams,
while no fee will be charged for the mains.The revised fee structure will apply
to exams conducted by BPSC, BSSC, BTSC, BPSSC, and the Central Constable
Selection Board, Bihar, providing major relief to economically weaker
candidates.This decision, first announced by CM Nitish Kumar during the 79th
Independence Day celebrations at Gandhi Maidan, Patna, reduces the preliminary
exam fee by nearly eight times compared to earlier charges.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1. Kalai-II Hydroelectric Project: The Kalai-II
Hydroelectric Project in Arunachal Pradesh is moving forward with recent public
hearings held for environmental clearance. The 1,200 MW project is planned on
the Lohit River in Anjaw district and is developed by THDC India Limited. This
initiative is part of efforts to boost sustainable energy and regional
development in Northeast India. Kalai-II is a run-of-river hydropower project
with pondage. It involves a concrete gravity dam, coffer dams, diversion and
intake tunnels, pressure shafts, an underground powerhouse, surge chamber, and
a tail race tunnel. The reservoir capacity is 318.8 million cubic metres, with
a gross head of 125 metres. The project will have six turbines, each rated at
190 MW.
2. India’s New Online Gaming Bill: The Government of India
introduced Bill No. 110 of 2025, titled The Promotion and Regulation of Online
Gaming Bill, in the Lok Sabha. Passed swiftly, the Bill marks shift from the
earlier Information Technology Intermediary Rules of 2023. It aims to
regulate online
gaming but imposes a blanket
ban on real money gaming formats. This move threatens the future of Indian
online gaming start-ups and foreign direct investment in the sector. The Bill
was introduced amid ongoing confusion over definitions of gambling and betting
by various states. Courts, including high courts and the Supreme Court, have
previously overturned state bans on real money games. Despite this, the Bill
proposes a comprehensive ban on online games involving any form of monetary
stakes. It still encourages e-sports, educational games, and social gaming but
prohibits real money gaming operations.
3. Lipulekh Pass Dispute: India announced the
resumption of border trade with China through the Lipulekh Pass in Uttarakhand.
Nepal objected strongly, claiming the area as its territory. India rejected
Nepal’s objections citing historical evidence and long-standing trade practices
since 1954. The dispute involves the tri-junction region of Kalapani,
Limpiyadhura, and Lipulekh, which Nepal includes in its official map and
constitution. India insists the claims are baseless and invites Nepal for
dialogue to resolve outstanding boundary issues. The India-Nepal border was defined by the 1816
Sugauli Treaty, which set the Kali River as the boundary. Nepal claims the
river’s source lies at Limpiyadhura, placing Kalapani and Lipulekh within its
territory. India argues the river originates further downstream, making these
areas part of Uttarakhand. Both countries rely on British-era maps to support
their claims. The dispute has persisted since the 1960s without final
resolution.
OTHER UPDATES:
DEFENCE
1. Govt approves procurement
of 97 Tejas jets for IAF: The Cabinet Committee on Security
(CCS), chaired by PM Narendra Modi, approved the procurement of 97
Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas Mk-1A and 6 advanced AEW&C
aircraft for the Indian Air Force at a total cost of around ₹85,000
crore.Of the total, the Tejas fighter jet procurement will cost about ₹67,000
crore, while the AEW&C project is estimated at ₹18,000 crore, with
second-hand Airbus-321 planes from Air India being modified for the
surveillance role.The decision comes nearly four years after the February 2021
deal worth ₹48,000 crore for 83 Tejas Mk-1A jets with Hindustan Aeronautics
Limited (HAL).The new procurement aims to strengthen the IAF’s combat fleet, as
it currently has only 31 fighter squadrons against the sanctioned 42, with Tejas
Mk-1A expected to replace the ageing MiG-21 fleet and enhance India’s
indigenous defence capabilities.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
1. IIT Madras licenses
India’s first silicon photonics-based quantum RNG: IIT Madras has
indigenously developed India’s first
silicon photonics-based high-speed Quantum Random Number Generator (QRNG) and
licensed it for commercial deployment to Indrarka Quantum Technologies Pvt Ltd
in a ₹1 crore agreement.The technology, developed at the Centre for
Programmable Photonic Integrated Circuits and Systems (CPPICS), IIT Madras, is
expected to play a key role in strengthening India’s quantum innovation and
security ecosystem.Earlier, a prototype QRNG module was delivered to DRDO’s
DYSL-QT, while an advanced version was successfully deployed at SETS Chennai
for quantum security applications.
BANKING AND FINANCE
1. GST rate rejig to give
₹1.98 trillion consumption boost: SBI report: The Centre has proposed a simplified two-rate GST structure of 5%
(merit goods) and 18% (standard goods), along with a 40% levy on
5–7 demerit goods like pan masala and tobacco, replacing the current multi-slab
system of 5%, 12%, 18% and 28%.SBI
Research estimated that while the reform may cause an annual revenue loss of ₹85,000 crore, it
will boost consumption by ₹1.98 lakh crore, contributing around 0.6% increase
in GDP without triggering inflation.The decline in GST rates on essentials like
food and clothing (from 12% to 5%) could reduce CPI inflation by 20–25 basis
points overall, with a 10–15 bps drop in food inflation and an additional 5–10
bps reduction from services rate rationalisation.With income tax cuts announced
in the Union Budget and GST 2.0 combined, the total consumption expenditure
boost is estimated at ₹5.31 lakh crore (1.6% of GDP), with discussions
scheduled in the GST Council after state finance ministers’ panel review.
2. India Exim Bank signs $40
million credit line deal with Africa’s ECOWAS Bank: India Exim Bank signed
a $40 million commercial credit line
agreement with the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID) to boost bilateral
economic cooperation.The partnership will create opportunities for Indian
companies in African infrastructure projects, leveraging India’s cost-effective
and adaptable goods and services. Exim Bank of India plays a key role in
promoting India’s international trade and investments, while EBID, owned by 15
ECOWAS member states, supports regional development financing.
3. PNB becomes first PSU bank
to migrate to Secure ‘.bank.in’ domain: State-owned Punjab National Bank (PNB) has
successfully migrated its
corporate website to ‘.bank.in’ domain (https://pnb.bank.in), in line with RBI circular and under the guidance of Institute for
Development and Research in Banking Technology (IDRBT).With this move, PNB has become the first public sector bank
in the country to migrate its corporate website to the secure
‘.bank.in’ domain reaffirming its commitment to customer safe and secure
digital banking.The ‘.bank.in’ domain is reserved exclusively for banks,
providing stronger safeguards to combat frauds, strengthen the cybersecurity
framework and enhance public confidence in the digital banking.
AWARDS AND HONOURS
1. Rajasthan’s Manika Vishwakarma Crowned Miss Universe India 2025: Rajasthan’s Manika Vishwakarma was crowned Miss Universe India 2025 in Jaipur, taking over the title from Rhea Singha.Tanya Sharma (UP) was the first runner-up, Mehak Dhingra (Haryana) the second runner-up, and Amishi Kaushik the third runner-up.Manika, originally from Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan and now in Delhi, is a final-year Political Science & Economics student and had earlier won Miss Universe Rajasthan 2024.She will represent India at the 74th Miss Universe pageant in Thailand (November 2025); India’s past winners include Sushmita Sen (1994), Lara Dutta (2000), and Harnaaz Sandhu (2021).
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