Current Affairs - September 21, 2025 Current Affairs

India has added seven new natural sites to UNESCO’s Tentative List, bringing the country’s total Tentative List entries to 69, which includes 49 cultural, 17 natural, and 3 mixed properties. The newly added sites span various states, including Maharashtra, Karnataka, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Andhra Pradesh, and Kerala, and feature significant geological, climatic, and ecological importance. Examples include the Deccan Traps, St. Mary’s Island Cluster, Meghalayan Age Caves, and Varkala Cliffs. Inclusion in the Tentative List is a prerequisite for full UNESCO World Heritage nomination, emphasizing India’s commitment to preserving its natural heritage.

Mohanlal, the legendary Malayalam actor, has been awarded the Dadasaheb Phalke Award 2023, India’s highest honour in cinema. The award will be presented during the 71st National Film Awards ceremony on September 23, 2025. With a career spanning over four decades and more than 400 films, Mohanlal is celebrated for his versatility and contributions across Indian cinema, including Tamil, Hindi, and Telugu films. He has previously received Padma Shri (2001), Padma Bhushan (2019), five National Film Awards, and nine Kerala State Film Awards. This lifetime achievement award recognises his enduring impact on Indian cinema and his role in shaping the industry’s history.

Tamil Nadu became the first state in India to launch ID cards for Women Self-Help Group (SHG) members, a major step toward grassroots women empowerment. The initiative, launched by Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin on September 16, 2025, provides economic and social benefits, including free travel up to 100 km on government buses, discounts on products from state-run enterprises, and easier access to welfare schemes. Over five lakh SHGs in the state are expected to benefit, strengthening financial inclusion and legitimizing women-led economic activity. The program aligns with existing women-centric initiatives like Magalir Vidiyal Payanam and Magalir Urimai Thogai, ensuring streamlined access to benefits.

The European Commission, along with EU High Representative Kaja Kallas, unveiled “A New Strategic EU–India Agenda” in Brussels to strengthen EU–India cooperation across trade, technology, defence, and climate. The initiative aims to elevate India–EU relations while addressing concerns over India’s military exercises with Russia and oil imports from Moscow. It aligns with ongoing FTA negotiations, the EU’s interest in a rules-based international order, and the growing trade volume between the two regions, which has increased nearly 90% over the last decade. The agenda also focuses on climate, technology, and strategic autonomy, balancing economic and geopolitical priorities for both India and the EU.

PhonePe received final approval from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on September 19, 2025, to operate as an online payment aggregator. This authorization allows the fintech platform to provide secure and scalable digital payment solutions, particularly benefiting small and medium enterprises (SMEs) that previously lacked easy access to online payment infrastructure. As a payment aggregator, PhonePe will act as an intermediary between customers, merchants, and banks, ensuring secure transactions, operational transparency, and consumer protection. The move strengthens India’s digital payments ecosystem and supports financial inclusion by enabling seamless digital transactions for a wider range of businesses across urban and rural areas.

Uttarakhand hosted the Asian Cadet Cup India-2025 in Haldwani, marking the first-ever international fencing event held in India. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami inaugurated the tournament on September 19, 2025, at Manaskhand Hall, Indira Gandhi International Sports Stadium. The event attracted over 250 athletes, including 150 Indian competitors and participants from countries like Tajikistan, Syria, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Indonesia. The state government has launched major sports initiatives, including the first sports university and women’s sports college in Haldwani, investments in world-class infrastructure, and a sports quota in government jobs, signaling Uttarakhand’s emergence as a growing hub for athletic excellence.

Kerala is the first state in India to establish the Kerala Urban Policy Commission (KUPC), which provides a 25-year strategic roadmap to manage rapid urbanisation sustainably. The KUPC focuses on climate-sensitive urban planning, real-time urban data systems, green fees, municipal and pooled bonds, and governance reforms such as elected city cabinets. It emphasises place-based urban growth, inclusive planning, and community-driven data integration, aiming to balance development with climate resilience, cultural preservation, and social welfare. Kerala’s model serves as a benchmark for other states, offering lessons in creating climate-aware, financially empowered, and participatory urban ecosystems.

Chabahar Port, located in Iran’s Sistan-Baluchistan region, is India’s only deep-sea port with direct open-ocean access outside the Strait of Hormuz. Developed under the 2016 Chabahar Agreement between India, Iran, and Afghanistan, it offers a vital trade route to Afghanistan and Central Asia, bypassing Pakistan. The port enhances India’s regional connectivity via the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), supports humanitarian aid, and strengthens strategic presence in the Indian Ocean. It also counters China’s Gwadar Port and BRI influence, making it central to India’s economic and geopolitical ambitions despite challenges like US sanctions.

India and Canada agreed to restart bilateral dialogues on trade, defence, energy, and critical minerals following pre-Foreign Office consultations on September 19, 2025. The decision builds on discussions between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney at the G7 Summit earlier that year. The renewed talks aim to enhance market access, revive stalled trade negotiations, strengthen defence and security cooperation, and collaborate on critical minerals and civil nuclear energy. This initiative reflects both countries’ commitment to rebuilding trust, addressing previous diplomatic and consular challenges, and fostering a constructive, long-term strategic partnership.

The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) launched Bima Sugam, a unified digital marketplace for various insurance products including life, health, motor, travel, and general insurance. The platform, operated by the Bima Sugam India Federation (BSIF), will be rolled out in phases, with full transactional functions expected by December 2025. Bima Sugam aims to improve accessibility, transparency, and trust in insurance services, connecting insurers, brokers, agents, banks, and policyholders through a single interface. By streamlining comparison, purchase, renewal, and claim processes, the initiative supports India’s vision of “Insurance for All by 2047” and strengthens the country’s digital public infrastructure.