International Relations & Events

• UN Sanctions on Iran:
  • The United Nations (UNO) has reactivated sanctions against Iran.
  • These sanctions target Iran's nuclear program.
  • The reactivation is based on UN Security Council Resolution 1737.
  • Previous operations targeting Iran: Israel's "Operation Rising Lion" and USA's "Operation Midnight Hammer."
  • Iran's capital is Tehran.
  • Notable features in Iran: Ramser (Ramser Convention site), Dasht-e Kavir and Dasht-e Lut deserts, Damavand volcano.
  • Uranium can be enriched for atomic bombs (destructive) or electricity generation (constructive). Iran is enriching uranium.
• World Heart Day 2025:
  • Celebrated on September 29th.
  • Theme: "एक भी पल ना गवाएं" (Don't waste a single moment).
  • Related Observances:
    • World Rabies Day: September 28th.
    • World River Day: September 28th.
    • World Tourism Day: September 27th.
  • Cardiology Facts:
    • Study of the heart is Cardiology.
    • Human heart has four chambers.
    • Heartbeat originates from the Sinoatrial (SA) node, also called the pacemaker of the heart.
    • Primary function: Pumping blood (Blood Circulation System, discovered by William Harvey).
    • Humans have a double and closed circulatory system.
    • ECG (Electrocardiograph) is used for heart examination.
    • First heart transplant (World): Christian Barnard (South Africa).
    • First heart transplant (India): K. Venugopal.
    • Animal Heart Chambers: Fish (2), Frog (3), Bird (4), Crocodile (4).
• FIFA World Cup 2026:
  • Hosted by USA, Canada, and Mexico (North America).
  • Mascots: Clutch (The Wild Eagle for USA), Maple (The Moose for Canada), Jayu (The Jaguar for Mexico).
  • Previous World Cup (2022, Qatar): Argentina won, defeating France.
  • Scheduled to start on June 11, 2026, with the opening match in Mexico.
  • 48 teams will participate in 104 matches.
  • FIFA headquarters is in Zurich.
• Wetlands and Conferences:
  • Conference of Parties (COP 15) of the Ramser Convention on Wetlands held in Zimbabwe.
• Palestine Recognition:
  • France became the first G7 country to officially recognize the State of Palestine in the UN General Assembly.
• Volcanic Eruptions:
  • Klyuchevskaya Sopka volcano (Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia) erupted after 600 years.
  • Crassynicob volcano (Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia) also erupted.

Sports

• Asia Cup 2025 (Cricket):
  • India won the Asia Cup for the 9th time, defeating Pakistan in the final held in Dubai, UAE.
  • Player of the Match (final): Tilak Varma.
  • Player of the Series: Abhishek Sharma.
  • Most Valuable Player: Kuldeep Yadav.
  • The first Asia Cup in 1984 was also won by India.
  • Organizer: Asian Cricket Council (ACC). ACC Chairman: Mohsin Naqvi.
• V.C. Roy Football Trophy:
  • Manipur won the 2025-26 Dr. V.C. Roy Football Trophy.
• Junior Team Squash Championship:
  • India won a Bronze medal after 13 years in the 2025 World Junior Team Squash Championship.
• Chess E-Sports World Cup 2025:
  • Magnus Carlsen won the first Chess E-Sports World Cup 2025, held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
• US Kids Golf World Championship (Under-9):
  • Vedika Bhansali won.

National Initiatives & Appointments (India)

• Geothermal Power Plant:
  • India's first fully indigenous 50 kW geothermal plant will be established in Arunachal Pradesh. Puga Valley in Ladakh is a significant geothermal energy site.
• Olympic and Paralympic Rewards:
  • Delhi government announced a ₹7 crore cash prize for gold medalists in Olympics and Paralympics.
• Mining Tourism Project:
  • Jharkhand launched India's first mining tourism project.
• MiG-21 Retirement:
  • The Indian Air Force retired its MiG-21 fighter aircraft in September 2025, to be replaced by Tejas Light Combat Aircraft. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh attended the retirement ceremony in Chandigarh.
• Ethanol Blending:
  • India achieved its target of 20% ethanol blending in petrol five years ahead of schedule.
• Trade Agreement:
  • India signed the Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement (CETA) with England.
• Voter List Revision:
  • The Election Commission initiated a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists in Bihar.
• World Seafood Congress 2026:
  • Chennai, Tamil Nadu, will host the World Seafood Congress for the first time. This biennial event aims to promote marine innovation and seafood trade.
• Unmesha (International Literature Festival):
  • The third edition of Unmesha was held in Patna, Bihar, inaugurated by Governor Mohammad Arif.
• Marine Simulation Center:
  • Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal (Minister of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways) inaugurated India's first marine simulation center in Chennai. Its objectives include promoting new technology in shipping, preventing collisions, electronic chart display, and skill development.
• Central Tissue Bank:
  • India's first central tissue bank was established at Maulana Azad Institute of Dental Sciences, New Delhi. The study of tissue is called Histology.
• NCERT Curriculum:
  • NCERT announced the inclusion of Shubhanshu Shukla (from Axiom-4 mission) and "Operation Sindoor" in the school curriculum.
• Hindi Medium MBBS College:
  • Madhya Pradesh announced the start of India's first Hindi medium MBBS college.
• Anti-Terrorism Operations:
  • "Operation Mahadev," "Operation Shiv Shakti," and "Operation Tikka" are anti-terrorism operations by the Indian Army in Jammu & Kashmir.
• Divya Drishti Exercise:
  • The Indian Army conducted the high-altitude technical demonstration exercise "Divya Drishti" in Sikkim.
• Mahi Banswara Nuclear Power Project:
  • Prime Minister Modi laid the foundation stone for the Mahi Banswara Nuclear Power Project in Banswara, Rajasthan.
  • Capacity: 4 units of 700 MW each (total 2800 MW).
  • Reactor type: Pressurized Heavy Water Reactor (PHWR).
  • To be built and operated by Anushakti Vidyut Nigam Limited (ASHVINI) at a cost of ₹42,000 crore for electricity generation.
  • The Mahi River is known for crossing the Tropic of Cancer twice. (Limpopo River crosses the Tropic of Capricorn twice, Congo River crosses the Equator twice).
• RBI Deputy Governor:
  • Shishir Chandra Murmu was appointed as a new Deputy Governor of RBI, replacing Rajeshwar Rao.
  • The RBI comprises one Governor and four Deputy Governors.
  • Current Deputy Governors: Poonam Gupta, T. Rabi Sankar, Swaminathan, and Shishir Chandra Murmu.
  • The Governor is Sanjay Malhotra (26th).
  • The term for a Deputy Governor is 3 years.
  • RBI was established on April 1, 1935, based on the Young Hilton Commission's recommendations. Its headquarters moved from Kolkata to Mumbai in 1937. It was nationalized on January 1, 1949. Its logo features a palm tree and a Royal Bengal Tiger. The RBI Act is from 1934. The first Governor was Osborne Smith, and the first Indian Governor was C.D. Deshmukh.
• BCCI Chairman:
  • Mithun Manhas is the new Chairman of BCCI.
• Attorney General of India:
  • R. Venkataramani is the current Attorney General.
• Botanical Survey of India (BSI) Head:
  • Kanak Das was appointed as the head of BSI.
• Faceless GST Initiative:
  • Kerala launched the pilot project for faceless GST adjudication.
• ISRO's Hope Mission:
  • Launched in Ladakh to simulate Martian conditions for life research.
• Cheetah Reintroduction Project:
  • "Mukhi," born in Kuno National Park, became India's first adult female cheetah born in the country. She is the daughter of "Jwala," a cheetah brought from Namibia.
  • Project Cheetah started on September 17, 2022, bringing 8 cheetahs from Namibia to Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh. In 2023, 12 more cheetahs arrived from South Africa. This was the world's first intercontinental cheetah relocation.
• Change Maker of the Year Awards:
  • Indigenous Technology & Self-Reliance: DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organisation). DRDO was established on January 1, 1958, with headquarters in Delhi and Samir Kamat as its head.
  • Education & Healthcare: Azim Premji Foundation.
  • Digital Transformation: Bhashini App (Indian language translation app).
  • Social Change: Haseena (Meghalaya, for anti-trafficking efforts).
• Lokmanya Tilak Award (43rd):
  • Awarded to Nitin Gadkari.
• Former Chief Minister:
  • Shibu Soren, former Chief Minister of Jharkhand, passed away.
• "Apna Ghar" Initiative:
  • The Ministry of Petroleum launched "Apna Ghar" (Our Home), a welfare initiative for truck drivers.
• "Swachh Shahar Jodi" Initiative:
  • The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) launched a 100-day urban sanitation promotion initiative.
• Natural Gas Discovery:
  • The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas announced the first natural gas discovery in the Andaman Basin.
• UNESCO Biosphere Reserve:
  • The Cold Desert (Himachal Pradesh) was included in UNESCO's World Biosphere Reserve Network.
• Child Marriage Reduction:
  • A "Just Rights for Children" report from New York indicated the highest reduction in child marriages in Assam.
• Ramser Sites in Bihar:
  • Gokul Lake and Udaipur Lake in Bihar were added as new Ramser sites.
• Jal Shakti Abhiyan Award:
  • Bidar District, Karnataka, received the top award for "Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari" under the Jal Shakti Abhiyan.
• FoSCoS Portal:
  • FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) launched the FoSCoS portal.
• UPI Adoption:
  • Qatar became the eighth country to adopt India's UPI (Unified Payments Interface).
• National Mediation Ceremony:
  • Chief Justice B.R. Gavai inaugurated the second National Mediation Ceremony in Bhubaneswar.
• National Film Awards (71st):
  • "12th Fail" received the Best Feature Film award.