Daily GK Update- 27th Sept, 2025

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Kiran Desai Returns to Booker Prize 2025 Shortlist with “The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny”: Kiran Desai, Booker Prize-winning author, returned to the Booker Prize 2025 shortlist with her novel “The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny”, described as a “vast and immersive” story about two young Indians in America.The 53-year-old Delhi-born author, who previously won the Booker Prize in 2006 for “The Inheritance of Loss”, spent nearly 20 years writing her latest 667-page novel published by Hamish Hamilton.If Desai wins, she would become the fifth double winner in the prize’s 56-year history, and India would achieve a clean sweep of 2025 Booker Prizes, following the International Booker win of Banu Mushtaq and translator Deepa Bhasthi.The Booker Prize 2025 winner will be announced on November 10, 2025, at Old Billingsgate in London, with the winner receiving GBP 50,000 and each shortlisted author awarded GBP 2,500 plus a specially bound edition of their book.

 

2. 29th COCSSO 2025 Inaugurated in Chandigarh to Strengthen Local Level Governance: The 29th Conference of Central and State Statistical Organizations (COCSSO) 2025 was inaugurated in Chandigarh on 25–26 September, organized by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI).The conference, themed “Strengthening Local Level Governance”, aims to enhance Centre–State coordination for producing reliable, timely, and credible statistics to support evidence-based decision-making.Around 350 participants from 30+ States/UTs, Central Ministries, ISI, IASRI, ICAR, World Bank, UN agencies, and other stakeholders attended to deliberate on strengthening statistical systems for Viksit Bharat.

 

3. RCPL Signs Rs 40,000-Crore MoU with Food Processing Ministry to Establish Integrated Food Manufacturing Facilities Across India: Reliance Consumer Products Ltd (RCPL) signed a Rs 40,000-crore MoU with the Ministry of Food Processing Industries at the World Food India 2025 event to establish integrated food manufacturing facilities across India.RCPL will invest over Rs 1,500 crore to set up state-of-the-art production units in Katol, Nagpur (Maharashtra) and Kurnool (Andhra Pradesh), incorporating AI-driven automation, robotics, and sustainable technologies.Since becoming a direct subsidiary of Reliance Industries, RCPL has grown rapidly into one of India’s fastest-growing FMCG companies, generating revenue of over Rs 11,000 crore in just three years.RCPL has expanded its brand portfolio by acquiring Tagz Foods and launching house brands like Campa, Independence, Alan’s, Enzo, and Ravalgaon, while aiming to achieve Rs 1 lakh crore revenue in five years and build a global presence.

 

4. Tata Motors Appoints Shailesh Chandra as MD & CEO for Three-Year Term: Tata Motors appointed Shailesh Chandra as Additional Director, MD & CEO for a three-year term effective October 1, 2025; he will also continue to lead Tata Passenger Electric Mobility.The appointment follows the resignation of P B Balaji as Group CEO; Balaji will assume charge as CEO of JLR Automotive in the UK from the same date.Tata Motors announced restructuring: its commercial vehicles business will be housed in one entity, while passenger vehicles, EVs, JLR, and related investments will form another.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy Sentenced to 5 Years: Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy (2007–2012) was sentenced to five years in prison for criminal conspiracy linked to alleged Libyan financing of his 2007 campaign, making him the first post-war French president to face imprisonment.Sarkozy, who called the verdict “scandalous” and maintains his innocence, was acquitted of corruption and illegal campaign financing, but the Paris court ruled he allowed aides to seek funds from Libya under Muammar Gaddafi’s regime between 2005–2007.The prison sentence is enforceable immediately; Sarkozy is expected to be summoned by October 13 to begin serving his term, possibly at Paris’s La Santé prison.

 

2. 26 September – International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons: International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons is observed every year on 26 September, highlighting global efforts toward a world free of nuclear arms.The United Nations General Assembly established the day in 2013 (Resolution 68/32) to promote awareness and education on nuclear disarmament.The day emphasizes the urgent need to implement treaties like the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW).

 

3. 27 September – World Tourism Day: World Tourism Day is observed annually on 27 September to highlight the importance of tourism and its contributions to society, culture, and the economy.Theme 2025 – Tourism and Sustainable TransformationThe day emphasizes tourism’s role in job creation, cultural exchange, environmental conservation, and economic growth.

OTHER UPDATES:

 

DEFENCE

 

1. Saudi-Pakistan Defence Pact Alters Regional Security Dynamics: Recent developments in 2025 have seen Saudi Arabia Pakistan formalise a Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement. This pact states that any aggression against one will be treated as aggression against both. The deal has caused concern in New Delhi, given India’s tense relations with Pakistan. The agreement emerges amid heightened military and diplomatic tensions in South Asia and shifting alliances in West Asia. The pact was signed after a major terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir in April 2025, which led to intense military exchanges between India and Pakistan. India sought global support to isolate Pakistan but faced limitations. The Saudi-Pakistan deal strengthens Islamabad’s position internationally. It also comes as India and Saudi Arabia maintain a complex diplomatic relationship, with recent high-level meetings attempting to manage rising tensions. The pact reflects broader shifts in West Asia, especially after the 2023 Hamas-Israel conflict. Saudi Arabia’s strategic calculations now focus on autonomy and multipolarity. Riyadh is realigning away from reliance on the United States and revisiting traditional alliances. Pakistan’s nuclear capability and military expertise remain valuable to Saudi security concerns, especially amid regional conflicts like Yemen and tensions with Iran.

 

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

 

1. India’s First Dugong Conservation Reserve Recognised Globally: India’s Dugong Conservation Reserve in Palk Bay has received formal recognition from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The motion was adopted at the IUCN World Conservation Congress 2025 held in Abu Dhabi. This marks global endorsement of India’s marine conservation efforts. The resolution received overwhelming support from governments, NGOs, and research bodies worldwide. Tamil Nadu’s initiative is now seen as a model for dugong protection and marine ecosystem restoration. The Dugong Conservation Reserve was established by the Tamil Nadu government on 21 September 2022. It covers 448.34 square kilometres in northern Palk Bay. The area includes over 12,250 hectares of seagrass meadows. These meadows are critical feeding grounds for dugongs (Dugong dugon), a species classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. The reserve is vital not only for dugongs but also for many other marine species dependent on seagrass habitats.

 

2. Sovereign Mobility Cloud: A Sovereign Mobility Cloud is a cloud-based infrastructure tailored specifically for mobility, autonomous transport, and intelligent transportation systems (ITS), designed to ensure that data and operations remain under the the jurisdictional control of a sovereign state (i.e. a nation). Such a cloud environment combines mobility-oriented services (such as mapping, telematics, traffic management, digital twins, fleet operations) with the principles of data sovereignty, regulatory compliance, and secure local operations. With the rise of autonomous vehicles, connected mobility, smart cities, and large-scale transportation digitisation, massive volumes of mobility data are generated (sensor data, vehicle telemetry, mapping updates, etc.). Many governments seek to avoid the risks of foreign control or cross-border data dependencies. Thus, a Sovereign Mobility Cloud attempts to strike a balance: it enables innovation in mobility and autonomous systems while keeping critical infrastructure, data residency, and regulatory oversight within national boundaries.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. IndiGo, SBI Card Launch Co-Branded Premium Credit Card to Reward Frequent Flyers: IndiGo, in collaboration with SBI Card, launched a co-branded premium credit card under the IndiGo BluChip loyalty program, available in two variants: IndiGo SBI Card and IndiGo SBI Card ELITE.The card offers rewards on all spends within IndiGo’s ecosystem, as well as on hotel and travel bookings, aiming to enhance travel experiences for frequent flyers.SBI Card and IndiGo executives highlighted that the card is designed to provide value, convenience, and rewarding experiences, catering to tech-savvy customers with growing disposable incomes seeking holistic travel benefits.

 

2. Standard Chartered, CCIL & IFSCA to Launch Dollar Clearing Facility at GIFT City: Standard Chartered Bank, in collaboration with Clearing Corporation of India Ltd (CCIL) and International Financial Services Centre Authority (IFSCA), will launch a dollar clearing facility at GIFT City on October 7, 2025, allowing both Indian and foreign banks to participate.CEO P.D. Singh highlighted that the bank is focusing on multi-product relationships with clients, offering direct credit, syndication facilities, and private banking, rather than single-product relationships, to drive business growth.Standard Chartered is also working on settlements in Indian rupees, particularly targeting transactions along the Middle Eastern corridor, while noting sector-specific corporate loan slowdowns and moderate trade reduction effects.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. Diljit Dosanjh Bags International Emmy 2025 Nomination for Amar Singh Chamkila: Diljit Dosanjh earned a nomination at the International Emmy Awards 2025 in the Best Performance by an Actor category for his role in Imtiaz Ali’s biopic “Amar Singh Chamkila”.The film also received a nomination in the TV Movie/Mini-Series category, making it the only Indian entry at the awards.Dosanjh will compete with David Mitchell (UK), Oriol Pla (Spain), and Diego Vasquez (Colombia), while the film will compete with entries from Germany, the UK, and Chile.The 53rd International Emmy Awards gala will be held in New York City on November 24, 2025, featuring 64 nominees across 16 categories from 26 countries.