Daily GK Update- 9th Oct, 2025

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia Inaugurates Satcom Summit at IMC 2025: Union Minister Jyotiraditya M. Scindia inaugurated the Satcom Summit at India Mobile Congress 2025, highlighting satellite communication as a tool for digital inclusion and empowerment of farmers, students, doctors, and remote communities.The government aims to connect 38,260 remote villages under the Universal Service Obligation Fund and Digital Bharat Nidhi, with around 29,000 villages already connected, and announced major policy reforms including GMPCS licenses to OneWeb and Jio, and a Letter of Intent to Starlink.India’s SATCOM sector, valued at $4.3 billion in 2024 and projected to reach $14.8 billion by 2033, will get a ₹900 crore National SATCOM Monitoring Facility, reinforcing the country’s role as a global hub in satellite communications and space innovation.

 

2. India’s Solar Capacity Hits 125 GW, Becomes Third-Largest Producer Ahead of 8th ISA Assembly: India’s solar power capacity has reached 125 GW, making the country the third-largest solar energy producer globally, according to Union Renewable Energy Minister Pralhad Joshi.The 8th session of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) Assembly is scheduled from October 27 to 30 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, with ISA membership now at 124 countries.The ISA, a collaborative initiative between India and France, aims to combat climate change by promoting solar energy, targeting USD 1 trillion in solar investments by 2030 and reducing technology and financing costs.Initiatives like PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana have already enabled over 20 lakh households to benefit from rooftop solar installations, highlighting India’s efforts to translate national ambition into local impact.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. 9 October – World Postal Day: World Postal Day is observed annually on 9 October to celebrate the role of postal services in connecting people and facilitating communication globally.Theme 2025 – #Post for People: Local ServiceThe day commemorates the establishment of the Universal Postal Union (UPU) in 1874, which standardised and improved international mail delivery.World Postal Day aims to raise awareness about the importance of postal networks in social and economic development, especially in remote and rural areas.

 

2. 10 October 2025 – World Sight Day: World Sight Day is observed this year on 10 October 2025 (second Thursday of October) to raise global awareness about eye health and vision care.Theme 2025 – #LoveYourEyesThe day emphasizes the importance of preventing blindness, improving access to eye care services, and promoting early detection of eye conditions.

 

3. NPCI Partners with PayPal to Integrate UPI with PayPal World for Seamless Global Payments: NPCI and PayPal announced a collaboration to integrate India’s UPI with PayPal World, making India’s instant payments platform the first to launch on the global digital payments network.The collaboration aims to create a seamless, interoperable platform for consumers and merchants, enabling frictionless interactions between domestic wallets and global payment systems.PayPal CEO Alex Chriss emphasised that the move focuses on connecting India to the world, rather than competing with UPI, reflecting India’s growing importance in the global payments ecosystem.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

DEFENCE

 

1. Centre approves ₹903 crore for fire services in Haryana, MP, and Rajasthan under NDRF: The Centre has approved over 903 crore rupees to Haryana, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan under the National Disaster Response Fund for the expansion and modernisation of fire services.A High-Level Committee, under the Chairmanship of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, has approved the assistance. Out of the total amount, more than 117 crore rupees have been approved for Haryana, 397 crore for Madhya Pradesh and over 388 crore rupees for Rajasthan.The committee has also approved over 707 crore rupees of additional Central assistance to Assam and Gujarat from NDRF, affected by floods and landslides during 2024.During the current financial year, the Central Government has released 13 thousand 603 crore rupees to 27 States under the State Disaster Response Fund and over two thousand crore rupees under NDRF to 12 States.

 

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

 

1. Government Unveils Logo for India-AI Impact Summit 2026: The Government of India unveiled the logo for the India-AI Impact Summit 2026, scheduled on February 19–20, 2026, at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi; the winning design by Shri Ajith P. Suresh was chosen from 599 entries submitted via the MyGov platform.The logo symbolizes India’s vision of ethical and responsible AI, featuring the Ashoka Chakra for governance and justice, and neural network flares representing AI’s transformative and inclusive power across sectors and geographies.The vibrant gradient and modern typography in the logo reflect innovation, diversity, and clarity, merging tradition with modernity to portray India’s leadership in shaping the global AI movement through the MeitY-hosted summit.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana Crosses ₹10,907 Crore in Loans, Empowering Over 5.79 Lakh Households with Rooftop Solar Energy: The PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana has achieved a major milestone with Public Sector Banks sanctioning over 5.79 lakh loan applications worth ₹10,907 crore as of September 2025, promoting household solar energy adoption.The scheme encourages rooftop solar installations with collateral-free loans up to ₹2 lakh, offered at competitive interest rates, featuring simplified documentation and longer repayment periods linked to electricity cost savings.All loan applications are processed digitally via the JanSamarth Portal, which is integrated with the National Portal (pmsuryaghar.gov.in), ensuring seamless, transparent, and data-driven loan disbursal.Recent improvements include allowing co-applicants, removing capacity-based restrictions, and simplifying documentation, based on feedback from both beneficiaries and banks.

 

2. ICICI Bank and Visa Launch Corporate Sapphiro Forex Card with Premium Benefits for International Business Travelers: ICICI Bank and Visa launched the Corporate Sapphiro Forex Card, the first prepaid card in Asia powered by Visa Infinite, targeting entrepreneurs and corporate leaders traveling internationally.The card allows transactions in 15 currencies with zero cross-currency markup, offering benefits like airport lounge access, meet-and-assist services, a complimentary international eSIM, and ATM fee waivers.Customers can apply and load the card digitally via ICICI Bank’s InstaBIZ app, with plans to expand to large corporate employees through Corporate Internet Banking, supporting seamless international business travel.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson, and Omar Yaghi Win 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for Metal–Organic Frameworks

 : The 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry has been awarded to Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson, and Omar M. Yaghi for the development of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), announced by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.Metal–organic frameworks are molecular constructions with large spaces that allow gases and chemicals to flow, enabling applications such as harvesting water from desert air, capturing carbon dioxide, storing toxic gases, and catalyzing chemical reactions.In 1989, Richard Robson pioneered combining positively charged copper ions with a four-armed molecule, laying the initial concept of MOFs, although the structure was unstable. Susumu Kitagawa and Omar Yaghi enhanced Robson’s concept by creating stable and flexible MOFs with rational design, demonstrating their ability to be modified for new and useful properties.