International Relations & Defense

• Joint Military Exercise:

  • India-Nepal joint military exercise "Surya Kiran 19" commenced in Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand.
  • This marks the 19th edition of the exercise.
  • India's Assam Regiment participated.
  • Nepal's capital is Kathmandu, also the headquarters of SAARC.
  • Five Indian states border Nepal: Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, and Sikkim.
  • Disputes with Nepal include territories like Kalapani and Lipulekh in Uttarakhand.
  • The "Janji Protest" occurred in Nepal, leading to the departure of former PM K.P. Sharma Oli, with Sushila Karki currently serving as PM.
  • "Sampriti" and "Bongosagar" are exercises with Bangladesh, and "Mitra Shakti" is with Sri Lanka.
  • Operation Pawan (1987), launched by India under PM Rajiv Gandhi, aimed to establish peace in Sri Lanka and counter the LTTE. After 38 years, the Indian Army will officially honor the approximately 1171 martyrs of this operation.
  • Other Indian military operations:
    • Operation Cactus: Maldivian coup attempt.
    • Operation Trishul: 1971, targeting Karachi Port by the Indian Navy.
    • Operation Brahma: Aid to Myanmar.
    • Operation Sindhu: Evacuation of Indians from Iran.
  • The Indian Army conducted the "Amog Fury Avni" exercise in Rajasthan.
  • India and Greece navies conducted their first bilateral maritime exercise in the Mediterranean Sea.
  • Saudi Arabia entered a NATO-based "attack on one is an attack on all" agreement with Pakistan.

• Space & Technology:

  • Oman launched its first National Communication Satellite, "OmanSat First," in partnership with Airbus, to establish high-speed and secure communication using K-A band technology.
  • NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) was launched using GSLV 6.
  • Jupiter, the world's fourth-fastest supercomputer and Europe's fastest, was launched in Germany.

Economy & Infrastructure

• Blue Port Development: India and FAO agreed to establish world-class Blue Ports for sustainable fisheries at Sojhakau, Banakavara, and Karaikal.
• Strategic Petroleum Reserve: Mega Engineering will establish India's first private sector strategic petroleum reserve in Karnataka.
• Aviation Services: PM Modi inaugurated the Safran Aircraft Engine Services India Facility in Hyderabad, which will provide Maintenance, Repair, and Overall (MRO) services for aircraft engines (LEAP engines) of Airbus and Boeing. Safran is a French aviation company.
• Largest Cruise Terminal: PM Modi inaugurated India's largest cruise terminal in Mumbai.
• Financial Services: The RBI approved PhonePe to operate as an online payment aggregator.
• Insurance Portal: Bima Sugam Portal was launched in Hyderabad, where the IRDAI headquarters is located.
• New Security Regulator: The central government launched CISF as the new security regulator for 250 Indian ports.
• Defence Manufacturing: India's first foreign (outside India) defense manufacturing plant under the "Atmanirbhar Bharat" initiative was established in Morocco.
• Pellet Plant: Union Minister Pralhad Joshi inaugurated a pellet plant in Rewari, Haryana.

Governance & Social Initiatives

• Presidential Address: President Droupadi Murmu will address the Odisha Legislative Assembly for the first time, a historic event as it marks the first time a President addresses any state's Legislative Assembly. (She was previously the first female Governor of Jharkhand and an MLA from Rairangpur, Odisha).
• Namo Garden Yojana: The Maharashtra government launched the "Namo Garden Yojana" on PM Modi's 75th birthday.
• Zero Maternal Mortality: Puducherry became the first Union Territory to achieve a zero maternal mortality rate.
• e-Governance Conference: The 28th National Conference on e-Governance was held in Visakhapatnam.
• Farmers' Scheme: The Andhra Pradesh government launched the "Raithanna Meesam Yojana" to empower farmers by providing irrigation facilities, promoting technology, market-driven crop production, and flexible farming.
• New Districts in Andhra Pradesh: Three new districts – Polavaram, Markapuram, and Madanapalle – were announced in Andhra Pradesh, increasing the total to 29.

Awards & Recognition

• Dadasaheb Phalke Award: Malayalam superstar Mohanlal was chosen for the Dadasaheb Phalke Award.

Sports

• FIDE Chess World Cup 2025:
  • Hosted in Goa, India.
  • Javokhir Sindarov (19, Uzbekistan) won, defeating Wei Yi. This was the 11th edition.
  • Uzbekistan's capital is Tashkent, and the "Dustlik" exercise is held with India. The Aral Sea lies on the border of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.
• ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026:
  • Rohit Sharma was appointed Tournament Ambassador.
  • Co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka (Pakistan's matches will be in Sri Lanka).
  • Scheduled from February 7 to March 8, with the final expected at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad (if Pakistan does not reach the final).
  • Rohit Sharma was a member of India's 2007 T20 World Cup winning team and captained the 2024 winning team.
• ISSF World Championship Rifle/Pistol 2025:
  • Held in Cairo, Egypt (capital of Egypt).
  • Headquarters of ISSF: Munich, Germany (established 1907).
  • China ranked 1st (21 medals), followed by South Korea.
  • India secured 3rd place with 13 medals (3 Gold, 6 Silver, 4 Bronze), with all three gold medals won by male shooters (Samrat Rana, Ravindra Singh, and the Men's 10m Air Pistol team).
• World Speed Skating Championship: Anand Kumaravel Kumar won gold in the 42 km marathon in China.
• T20 Wickets: Arshdeep Singh became the first Indian bowler to take 100 T20 wickets.
• Women's Kabaddi World Cup: The Indian Women's team won the Kabaddi World Cup by defeating Chinese Taipei.
• UK Women's Blitz Championship: Bodhana Sivanandan won the UK Women's Blitz Championship.

Books & Publications

• "Democracy's Heartland": Book by Y.V. Quraishi.
• "Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas": A collection of PM Modi's speeches, launched by C.P. Radhakrishnan (Governor of Jharkhand).

Reports & Indices

• Global Innovation Index: India's rank is 38th.
• Happiest Cities: Copenhagen ranked top among the world's 10 happiest cities in 2025.
• Debt-to-GSDP Ratio: According to CAG's first State Finance 2022-23 report, Punjab has the highest debt-to-GSDP ratio.
• Global Methane Status Report: India ranks third in methane production.
• Global Commitment to Development Index: India's rank is 36th.

Other Events

• World Teak Conference: The first World Teak Conference was held in Kochi.
• Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Science City: Inaugurated in Patna.
• Jubin Garg's Death: Bollywood singer Jubin Garg died in a scuba diving accident in Singapore, with the Assam Government claiming it was a murder.
• International Day of Peace: Celebrated on September 21.
• UN General Assembly: The 80th session of the UN General Assembly commenced.
• ICC Membership Withdrawal: Hungary, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali withdrew their membership from the International Criminal Court.
• National Ayurveda Day: Fixed to be celebrated annually on September 23.
• Volcanic Activity: A low-intensity eruption occurred in India's only active volcano, Barren Island.
• Owl Fly Species: A new species of Owl Fly (Ullu Fly) was discovered in Kerala after 134 years.
• Brazilian President's Sentence: Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was sentenced to 27 years in prison for plotting a military coup and attacking democracy.

National Days

• National Milk Day: Celebrated on November 26, marking the birthday of Verghese Kurien (father of India's White Revolution). World Milk Day is on June 1. India is the largest milk producer globally.
• National Constitution Day: Celebrated on November 26.