Current Affairs - October 12, 2025 Current Affairs

The 90th Foundation Day of the National Sugar Institute (NSI) was celebrated in Kanpur, with Union Minister Prahlad Joshi attending as the chief guest. During the event, the minister announced the introduction of regular B.Tech and M.Tech programs related to the sugar industry. These courses will be offered by NSI in collaboration with IIT Kanpur, aiming to enhance technical expertise, research, and innovation in the sugar sector. Holding the event in Kanpur highlights the city’s longstanding association with sugar education and industry development in India.

India partnered with the United Kingdom to establish the India-UK Connectivity & Innovation Centre, focusing on 6G technology, network security, and inclusive connectivity. Both governments committed £24 million over four years to support the initiative. The centre will be implemented jointly by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and India’s Department of Telecommunications (DoT). This collaboration strengthens technological ties, promotes innovation in next-generation telecommunications, and ensures secure, accessible digital infrastructure. It demonstrates the growing role of international partnerships in advancing research, connectivity, and technological development globally.

The National Agriculture Market (e-NAM) platform expanded its coverage by adding 9 new agricultural commodities, increasing the total tradable items to 247. The newly added commodities include Green Tea, Tea, Aswagandha Dry Roots, Mustard Oil, Lavender Oil, Mentha Oil, Virgin Olive Oil, Lavender Dried Flower, and Broken Rice. This expansion strengthens India’s digital agriculture ecosystem by providing farmers and traders greater access to markets, ensuring quality-based pricing, and reducing dependency on intermediaries. The Directorate of Marketing and Inspection (DMI) has set standardized quality parameters for these commodities, promoting transparency and fair trade across the platform.

Nishad Kumar and Simran Sharma won gold medals at the 2025 World Para Athletics Championships in New Delhi. Nishad Kumar secured gold in the Men’s High Jump T47 with a leap of 2.14 meters, breaking his own Asian record, while Simran Sharma triumphed in the Women’s 100 meters T12 with a personal best of 11.95 seconds. Their victories were part of a historic day for India, which also won two bronze medals, highlighting the nation’s growing prominence in global para athletics and the exceptional talent of its athletes.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched ‘Mumbai One’, India’s first unified mobility app, to integrate ticketing across 11 public transport services in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). The app allows commuters to book a single digital ticket for metro, buses, suburban trains, monorail, and taxis, supporting a trilingual interface in Marathi, Hindi, and English. It provides real-time journey planning, QR-based cashless payments, and safety features like emergency support. Hosted on Google Cloud Platform using Kubernetes Engine, the app is designed to handle up to 50 lakh transactions daily, significantly enhancing convenience, accessibility, and efficiency for Mumbai’s public transport users.

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), in collaboration with the Integrated Defence Staff and Tri-Services, launched IRSA 1.0, India’s first standardized software framework for Software Defined Radios (SDRs). IRSA 1.0 enables interoperability across military communication systems, allowing radios from different vendors to work together efficiently. It adopts the NATO SCA 4.1 standard, tailored for Indian needs, and supports multiple hardware environments like GPPs, DSPs, and FPGAs. This initiative strengthens indigenous defence technology, aligns with Atmanirbhar Bharat, and positions India for potential export of IRSA-compliant systems, enhancing secure, network-centric military operations.

US-based pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly announced a $1 billion investment in Telangana, specifically Hyderabad, to expand manufacturing and global supply of medicines for diabetes, cancer, Alzheimer’s, and other conditions. The state was chosen for its strong life sciences ecosystem, skilled workforce, robust infrastructure, and industry-friendly policies. This investment builds on the company’s existing Global Capability Centre in Hyderabad and is expected to enhance India’s role in the global pharmaceutical value chain. Additionally, it will generate thousands of jobs, promote skill development, and strengthen academic-industry collaboration, boosting Telangana’s reputation as a pharmaceutical hub.

The fourth edition of the SPARK (Studentship Program for Ayurveda Research Ken) program has been launched to encourage scientific curiosity and research skills among undergraduate Ayurveda students. Specifically, the program targets 300 BAMS (Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery) students from colleges recognized by the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (NCISM). Each selected student will receive a studentship of ₹50,000 to support their research initiatives. By focusing on Ayurveda students, the initiative aims to strengthen evidence-based research in traditional medicine and nurture the next generation of scholars in India’s ancient healthcare system.

The Manipur Global Buyers and Sellers Summit 2025 was inaugurated at the City Convention Centre in Imphal by Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla. The summit, organized under the theme “Bridging Business Sans Borders,” is part of the Raising and Accelerating MSME Performance (RAMP) initiative by the Ministry of MSME, Government of India. It aims to promote trade, investment, and collaboration among small and medium enterprises (SMEs) by providing a platform for global buyers and sellers to connect. Hosting the summit in Imphal emphasizes the government’s focus on regional economic development and boosting MSME growth in North-East India.

The Philippines has pioneered Southeast Asia’s first Coral Larvae Cryobank, aimed at preserving coral genetic diversity and safeguarding vital reef ecosystems. Using advanced cryopreservation techniques, coral larvae are frozen at ultra-low temperatures to halt biological activity, allowing future revival for reef restoration and research. The initiative is part of a multinational collaboration across the Coral Triangle region, which holds over 75% of the world’s coral species and nearly a third of reef fish species. This effort addresses threats from climate change, bleaching events, and human activities, contributing to marine biodiversity conservation and the resilience of coastal ecosystems.