September 2025 Current Affairs

September is observed as Poshan Maah (Nutrition Month) across India under POSHAN Abhiyaan, the Government of India's flagship nutrition programme. Launched in March 2018, it targets malnutrition among children (0–6 years), pregnant women, and lactating mothers. Poshan Maah activities include anganwadi-level campaigns, growth monitoring, distribution of Take-Home Rations, and community mobilisation through Jan Andolans.

PM Vishwakarma Yojana, launched on September 17, 2023 (Vishwakarma Jayanti), completed two years in September 2025. The scheme supports traditional artisans and craftspeople (18 categories including carpenters, blacksmiths, potters, cobblers) with skill training, digital integration, toolkit support, and collateral-free credit up to ₹3 lakh in two tranches. It is a Central Sector Scheme funded 100% by the Centre.

Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) Phase 2 continued extending LPG connections to BPL households in September 2025. Phase 1 (2016–2019) gave 80 million connections; Phase 2 (2021 onwards) added another 10 million connections targeting migrants, homeless, and excluded communities. It includes a first free refill and stove to ensure actual usage. The scheme aims to replace biomass cooking fuel with clean LPG.

India celebrates Teachers' Day on September 5 every year — the birth anniversary of Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan (1888–1975), India's first Vice-President (1952–1962) and second President (1962–1967). He was a philosopher, statesman, and Bharat Ratna awardee (1954). The tradition of honouring teachers on his birthday began after students sought his permission to celebrate his birthday, and he suggested celebrating it as Teachers' Day instead.

Hindi Diwas is observed every year on September 14 to commemorate the Constituent Assembly's adoption of Hindi (written in Devanagari script) as one of the official languages of India in 1949. The decision was taken on September 14, 1949. Hindi Day was first celebrated in 1953. Hindi is the official language under Article 343 of the Constitution. The Government observes Hindi Month (Hindi Maah) throughout September.

India celebrates Engineers' Day on September 15 every year — the birth anniversary of Sir M. Visvesvaraya (Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya, 1861–1962), one of India's greatest civil engineers and statesmen. He was the Diwan of Mysore (1912–1919) and is remembered for the Krishnarajasagara dam on the Cauvery River and designing flood protection for Hyderabad. He was awarded Bharat Ratna in 1955.

The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) holds its annual General Debate every September, where world leaders address the assembly in New York. The General Debate traditionally starts on the 3rd Tuesday of September. Each year a theme is set for the UNGA High-Level General Debate. India uses this platform to raise issues of global importance including terrorism, climate change, reformed multilateralism, and India's bid for permanent UNSC membership.

World Ozone Day (International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer) is observed on September 16 every year — the anniversary of the Montreal Protocol (1987). The Montreal Protocol, signed on September 16, 1987, is the landmark international treaty to phase out ozone-depleting substances (ODS) such as CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons), HCFCs, and Halons. India ratified the protocol and has successfully phased out most ODS.

The International Day of Peace, established by the UN General Assembly in 1981 and observed on September 21 since 2001, is dedicated to world peace and the cessation of war and violence. Each year a theme is set by the UN. A minute of silence is observed globally at noon local time. India, as the land of Mahatma Gandhi and Ahimsa (non-violence), plays an active role in peace diplomacy. The UN uses this day to promote disarmament and conflict resolution.

Goods and Services Tax (GST) collections are reported monthly. GST was implemented from July 1, 2017, replacing a cascade of central and state indirect taxes (Central Excise, Service Tax, VAT, etc.). The GST Council, chaired by the Union Finance Minister with state finance ministers as members, periodically revises rates and addresses compliance. Collections reflect economic activity — high collections signal robust consumption and compliance.

India's external debt management follows the External Commercial Borrowings (ECB) policy regulated by RBI. External debt includes government and non-government components — borrowings in foreign currencies from multilateral agencies (World Bank, ADB, IMF), bilateral creditors, and commercial lenders. India monitors the debt-to-GDP ratio and currency composition to manage exchange rate risk. Forex reserves act as a buffer against external vulnerabilities.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) conducts monetary policy through the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), established under the RBI Act 1934 (amended 2016). The MPC meets 6 times a year to set the policy repo rate, targeting CPI inflation at 4% (+/- 2% band). Food inflation, particularly vegetables and pulses, often drives headline inflation in India. The RBI uses tools like CRR, SLR, repo rate, and open market operations to manage liquidity and inflation.

Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY), launched on August 28, 2014, continued expanding financial inclusion in September 2025. PMJDY provides basic bank accounts (zero balance), RuPay debit cards with ₹2 lakh accident insurance, ₹30,000 life insurance cover (under PMJJBY), and overdraft facility up to ₹10,000 for active account holders. The programme has crossed 50+ crore accounts, predominantly in rural areas.

The Reserve Bank of India's Payments Vision 2025 aimed for a robust digital payments ecosystem in India. UPI (Unified Payments Interface), developed by NPCI and launched in 2016, became the backbone of India's digital payments, processing billions of transactions monthly. UPI 123Pay (for feature phones), UPI Lite (for small offline transactions), and UPI One World (for foreigners) expanded the UPI ecosystem. India's UPI model is being adopted internationally.

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), established under the SEBI Act 1992, continuously updates regulations to protect investors and develop the securities market. SEBI regulates stock exchanges (BSE, NSE), mutual funds, brokers, depositories (NSDL, CDSL), and foreign portfolio investors. In September, SEBI's Investor Awareness Programmes coincide with the start of the festive season when retail investor participation rises.

India's National Quantum Mission (NQM), approved by the Cabinet in April 2023 with a budget of ₹6,003.65 crore over 2023–31, continued Phase 1 activities in September 2025. NQM aims to develop 50–1000 qubit quantum computers, quantum communication networks (2000+ km), quantum sensing/metrology devices, and quantum materials. Four Thematic Hubs (T-Hubs) are being set up at premier research institutions.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) progressed multiple missions in the second half of 2025. Aditya-L1, India's first solar observatory launched September 2, 2023, continued observing the Sun from the Sun-Earth Lagrange Point 1 (L1). The mission studies solar corona, solar wind, and space weather. ISRO's GSAT communication satellites and NavIC (Navigation with Indian Constellation) navigation system also continued operational service.

India's AI governance framework progressed in 2025, with NITI Aayog's National Strategy for AI (2018) evolving into comprehensive policy frameworks. IndiaAI Mission (2024) with ₹10,371.92 crore budget aims to build AI compute infrastructure (10,000+ GPU cluster), develop foundational AI models in Indian languages, enable AI startups, and build responsible AI governance. The mission targets India as an AI powerhouse.

World Heart Day, observed on September 29 every year since 2000, is organized by the World Heart Federation (WHF) to raise awareness about cardiovascular disease (CVD). CVD is the leading cause of death globally, killing approximately 20.5 million people annually. India has one of the highest CVD burdens globally — contributing nearly one-fifth of global CVD deaths. Key risk factors include tobacco use, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, and air pollution.

India's updated NDCs, submitted in 2022, commit to: (1) reducing GDP emissions intensity by 45% by 2030 (from 2005 levels), (2) achieving 50% cumulative electric power from non-fossil fuel sources by 2030, and (3) creating an additional carbon sink of 2.5–3 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalent through forests by 2030. India also aims for net zero emissions by 2070. India ratified the Paris Agreement on October 2, 2016.

The Western Ghats, one of the world's eight "hottest biodiversity hotspots" recognized by UNESCO, span 1,600 km along India's western coast across Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu. The region has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site (natural heritage) since 2012. It is older than the Himalayas and shelters over 5,000 flowering plant species, 139 mammal species, 508 bird species, and 179 amphibian species.

The Agnipath scheme, launched in June 2022, enrolled Agniveers (short-term military personnel) for a 4-year service tenure. The first batch of Agniveers who enrolled in 2022–23 were approaching the end of their initial service period. 25% are retained permanently after 4 years; 75% are discharged with a Seva Nidhi corpus of ₹11.71 lakh (tax-free). Discharged Agniveers receive priority in state government and central paramilitary jobs.

India's defence manufacturing push under Atmanirbhar Bharat aimed to reach a turnover of ₹1.75 lakh crore (including ₹35,000 crore export) by 2025. Two Defence Industrial Corridors were established — in Uttar Pradesh (Lucknow–Kanpur–Agra–Jhansi–Chitrakoot) and Tamil Nadu (Chennai–Hosur–Coimbatore–Salem–Tiruchirappalli). India's defence exports crossed ₹21,000 crore in 2023-24, a 31-fold increase since 2014.

India chairs or participates in anti-terrorism exercises under the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). The SCO-RATS (Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure) coordinates counter-terrorism activities among members. India joined SCO as a full member in June 2017 along with Pakistan. SCO member states include China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India, Pakistan, and Iran (2023). India hosted the SCO Summit in July 2023 virtually as SCO Chair.

Khelo India Youth Games (KIYG) is an annual multi-discipline national youth sports competition started in 2018. It aims to identify grassroots sporting talent and provide them with long-term development support through scholarships of ₹6.4 lakh per year for 8 years. The programme is under the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. States compete for medals in over 30 disciplines. KIYG has produced several Olympians and Commonwealth Games medallists.

India continued producing world-class chess grandmasters in 2025. R Praggnanandhaa, Dommaraju Gukesh (who became World Chess Champion in December 2024 at age 18, the youngest ever), Arjun Erigaisi, and Nihal Sarin represent India's new generation. India has over 85 grandmasters. Gukesh's world championship win in December 2024 was a landmark achievement. India won the Chess Olympiad gold in both open and women's categories in 2024 at Budapest.

Neeraj Chopra, India's javelin throw star, continued inspiring Indian athletics in 2025. He won India's first-ever Olympic gold in athletics at Tokyo 2020 (August 2021) with an 87.58m throw, and a silver at Paris 2024 Olympics with 89.45m (gold went to Arshad Nadeem of Pakistan with 92.97m). He is a World Champion (2023, Budapest) and Diamond League champion. His success launched a "javelin revolution" in India.

Padma Awards — Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Shri — are announced on Republic Day (January 26) every year. They are India's highest civilian honours. Nominations are open to the public (self-nomination allowed since 2017). The Awards Committee recommends names to the Prime Minister's Office; the President confers the awards at Rashtrapati Bhavan. The awards recognise distinguished service to the nation across art, literature, science, public affairs, and social service.

The Sahitya Akademi (National Academy of Letters, established 1954) confers annual awards for outstanding works of Indian literature in 24 recognised languages. The Sahitya Akademi Award carries a plaque and ₹1 lakh cash. The Sahitya Akademi Translation Prize rewards distinguished translations between Indian languages and from English. The Yuva Puraskar rewards writers under 35. The institution promotes literary exchanges through its publications and cultural events.

India's classical dance forms include 8 forms recognised by Sangeet Natak Akademi: Bharatanatyam (Tamil Nadu), Kathak (North India), Kuchipudi (Andhra Pradesh), Odissi (Odisha), Manipuri (Manipur), Mohiniyattam (Kerala), Kathakali (Kerala), and Sattriya (Assam). These forms are grounded in Natya Shastra (Bharata Muni, 2nd century BCE). Kutiyattam Sanskrit Theatre (Kerala) is on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list.

The Right to Information Act (RTI), 2005, came into force on October 12, 2005. It gives citizens the right to request information from public authorities within 30 days (48 hours for life/liberty matters). First Appellate Authority and Central/State Information Commissions handle appeals and complaints. India files over 60 lakh RTI applications annually, making it one of the world's most active RTI regimes. RTI is considered a cornerstone of democratic accountability.

India's bicameral Parliament consists of Lok Sabha (Lower House) and Rajya Sabha (Upper House). At the state level, most states have unicameral legislatures (Vidhan Sabha), while 6 states have bicameral legislatures — Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka — with both Vidhan Sabha (lower) and Vidhan Parishad (upper). The legislative process, money bills, and joint sittings are governed by Articles 107–122 of the Constitution.

The Election Commission of India (ECI), established under Article 324 of the Constitution, is a constitutional body responsible for superintending, directing, and controlling elections to Parliament and State Legislatures and offices of President and Vice President. ECI is currently a three-member body (CEC + 2 Election Commissioners) since the 2023 amendment. The Chief Election Commissioner has security of tenure like a Supreme Court judge.

The Kharif harvest season in India runs from September to November. Kharif crops — sown at the start of the monsoon (June–July) and harvested as the monsoon retreats — include rice, jowar, bajra, maize, cotton, groundnut, soybean, and jute. India's paddy (rice) production is concentrated in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana. Kharif procurement begins September–October at Minimum Support Price (MSP).

Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), launched February 18, 2016, provides comprehensive crop insurance against yield losses due to natural calamities, pests, and diseases. Premium is capped: 2% for Kharif crops, 1.5% for Rabi crops, 5% for commercial/horticultural crops — rest is borne by the Government. Restructured PMFBY (2020) made it voluntary for loanee farmers and allowed state opt-out. Claims are settled based on Crop Cutting Experiments (CCE).

The National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF) was launched in November 2023 as a standalone Centrally Sponsored Scheme to promote chemical-free, cost-effective, and eco-friendly farming. Natural Farming includes practices like Jeevamrit, Bijamrit, Mulching, and Whapasa. The initiative encourages Cow-based farming. Andhra Pradesh's ZBNF (Zero Budget Natural Farming) initiated by Subhash Palekar influenced the national policy. Target: 1 crore farmers by 2025–26.

Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY), the world's largest government-funded health insurance scheme, provides ₹5 lakh annual health cover to approximately 50 crore (12 crore families) from the bottom 40% income population. It covers 1,950+ medical procedures in 1,500+ disease packages across empanelled hospitals. Launched on September 23, 2018 (Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya's birth anniversary), it is a cashless and paperless scheme.

The National Health Mission (NHM), with NHM-Rural (NRHM) and NHM-Urban (NUHM) components, is the Government's flagship programme for health system strengthening. Under NHM, Sub-Centres (SC), Primary Health Centres (PHC), Community Health Centres (CHC), and District Hospitals form the public health system. ASHAs (Accredited Social Health Activists) — community health volunteers — are the backbone of last-mile delivery. India has 1 million+ ASHAs.

Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) — when bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites evolve to resist medicines — is recognised as a global health emergency. India bears a significant AMR burden due to high antibiotic use in human health and livestock. The World Antimicrobial Awareness Week is observed in November 18–24 each year. India's National Action Plan on AMR (2017–2021, now extended) coordinates surveillance, rational antibiotic use, and One Health approach.