MoU for Coal Transportation

• Coal India Limited (CIL) and IRCON International Limited signed a non-binding MoU to develop rail infrastructure for coal transportation.
• The objective is to enhance the efficiency and speed of moving coal from mining clusters to power plants and industrial centers.
• This collaboration supports India’s integrated logistics framework, aligning with initiatives like PM Gati Shakti and the National Logistics Policy.
• Coal accounts for 55% of India’s total energy and 74% of electricity generation, with rail transport contributing nearly half of Indian Railways’ freight earnings.
• India produced over 1 billion tonnes of coal in FY 2024–25 and aims to reach 1.5 billion tonnes by 2030.

DRDO Releases the Indian Radio Software Architecture

• The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), in collaboration with the Integrated Defence Staff and Tri-Services, has released the Indian Radio Software Architecture (IRSA) 1.0.
• IRSA is India’s first national software framework for military communication, enabling interoperability among Software-Defined Radios (SDRs) across the Army, Navy, and Air Force.
• It standardizes software interfaces and APIs, allowing waveforms to be reused across platforms.
• SDRs use software to manage frequency, modulation, and encryption, enabling flexible and secure communication.
• IRSA supports Atmanirbhar Bharat by providing secure, future-ready, and interoperable defence communication systems.

Expansion of RBI’s Integrated Ombudsman Scheme

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has extended the Reserve Bank – Integrated Ombudsman Scheme (RB-IOS), 2021 to include state and central cooperative banks from November 2025.
• RB-IOS is a free, single-window grievance redressal system under the Alternate Grievance Redressal (AGR) Framework, merging ombudsman schemes for banks, NBFCs, and digital transactions.
• It aims to simplify complaint filing, standardize procedures, and ensure faster, transparent, and fair resolution.
• The scheme covers commercial banks, RRBs, urban cooperative banks, NBFCs (with assets ≥ ₹100 crore), and credit information companies.
• The AGR Framework strengthens dispute resolution across the financial sector.

India to Host the 8th International Solar Alliance Assembly

• India will host the 8th Session of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) Assembly from October 27 to 30, 2025.
• India has achieved 50% of its installed electricity capacity from non-fossil fuels, five years ahead of schedule.
• It ranks third in solar energy production and second in renewable energy market growth and solar module manufacturing.
• The country targets 5 million tonnes of green hydrogen by 2031 and has installed rooftop solar in over 20 lakh households under PM Surya Ghar Muft Yojana.
• The ISA, launched by India and France at COP21 in 2015, is headquartered in Gurugram and has 124 member and signatory countries.

India-Brazil Bilateral Trade Target USD 20 Billion

• India and Brazil aim to increase bilateral trade to USD 20 billion within five years, as agreed during the 7th Trade Monitoring Mechanism (TMM) meeting.
• Both nations discussed visa facilitation, expansion of the India-MERCOSUR Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA), and diversification into healthcare, renewables, and digital services.
• The PTA, in effect since 2009, provides tariff concessions on 450 Indian and 452 MERCOSUR tariff lines.
• Brazil is India’s largest trading partner in Latin America, with bilateral merchandise trade at USD 12.19 billion in FY 2024–25.
• India exports coconuts and mangoes; Brazil supplies cashews and Nelore cattle.

India-UK Bilateral Talks

• UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer visited India with a 125-member business delegation to strengthen trade, investment, and technological cooperation.
• Bilateral talks reaffirmed commitment to the India–UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), signed in July 2025, which eliminates tariffs on 99% of Indian exports.
• Bilateral trade reached £44.1 billion in early 2025, making India the UK’s 11th largest trading partner.
• A 10-year Defence Industrial Roadmap was adopted in 2025 to promote co-design, co-development, and co-production of advanced defence technologies.
• The UK is India’s 6th largest source of FDI, while India is the 2nd largest investor in the UK.

India’s Policy on Recognising the Taliban

• India hosted Afghanistan’s Taliban Foreign Minister with full protocol, signaling cautious movement toward formal engagement, though it has not officially recognized the regime.
• India maintains a technical team at its Kabul embassy since June 2022 and allows Taliban-appointed officials to manage consulates in Mumbai and Hyderabad.
• Non-recognition stems from concerns over human rights, the Taliban’s links with terrorist groups like LeT and JeM, and alignment with Pakistan’s ISI.
• Strategic engagement may help protect Indian investments like the Salma Dam and secure overland access to Central Asia via the Chabahar route.
• India has invested over $3 billion in Afghanistan, including the Afghan Parliament and key infrastructure projects.

Navi Mumbai International Airport Inaugurated

• Prime Minister Modi inaugurated the Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA), a ₹19,650-crore greenfield project designed to handle 90 million passengers annually upon full completion in 2036.
• It is India’s first airport with water taxi connectivity and an Automated People Mover (APM) linking terminals.
• The airport aims to decongest Mumbai’s existing airport, enhance regional air connectivity, and boost national aviation capacity.
• It marks a significant step in modernizing India’s aviation infrastructure and improving multimodal transport integration.

Nesolynx banabitanae Wasp Species

• A new hyperparasitoid wasp species, Nesolynx banabitanae, was discovered in Banabitan Biodiversity Park, Kolkata, West Bengal.
• It belongs to the Eulophidae family and parasitizes larvae and pupae of other parasitoid wasps like Charops aditya.
• The species is named after its discovery site.
• Larvae feed on host pupae, while adults consume nectar and honeydew.
• It inhabits semi-natural environments such as urban parks and agro-ecosystems in the Gangetic plains of West Bengal.

NITI Aayog AI Roadmap for Inclusive Societal Development

• NITI Aayog, in partnership with Deloitte, launched “AI for Inclusive Societal Development” and initiated Mission Digital ShramSetu.
• The mission aims to make AI accessible, affordable, and impactful for India’s 490 million informal workers.
• Digitizing informal work could boost GDP by 1.5–2 percentage points annually, unlocking $400–500 billion in productivity gains by 2047.
• AI interventions aim to raise informal workers’ income from $6,000 to $14,500 per year by 2047 and increase female labor participation from 37% to over 45%.
• AI and blockchain-based digital IDs could formalize 150 million unregistered enterprises, improving access to credit and welfare.

Supermoon

• A supermoon occurs when a full or new moon coincides with the Moon’s closest approach to Earth (perigee), making it appear about 14% larger and 30% brighter than a full moon at apogee.
• The Moon’s elliptical orbit causes its distance from Earth to vary, with perigee at approximately 363,300 km and apogee at 405,500 km.
• Supermoons typically occur three to four times a year and can cause higher-than-normal tides, known as perigean spring tides, due to increased gravitational pull.

Tobacco Free Youth Campaign 3.0

• The Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare jointly launched Tobacco Free Youth Campaign 3.0.
• It is a 60-day initiative to prevent tobacco use among students and promote a tobacco-free lifestyle in schools and higher education institutions.
• India has over 270 million tobacco users, with 8.4% of youth aged 13–15 currently using tobacco.
• Key activities include awareness rallies, pledge ceremonies, enforcement of Tobacco-Free Educational Institutions (ToFEI) guidelines, and counseling sessions.
• The campaign aligns with Viksit Bharat@2047 and builds on existing measures like COTPA 2003, the National Tobacco Control Programme (NTCP), and the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act 2019.

World Cotton Day 2025

• The Ministry of Textiles celebrated World Cotton Day 2025 on October 7 under the theme “Cotton 2040: Technology, Climate & Competitiveness”.
• India aims for USD 100 billion in textile exports and a sector size of USD 350 billion by 2030.
• Despite cultivating 40% of global cotton area, India’s productivity is low at 450 kg/ha compared to a global average of 2,000 kg/ha.
• The Kasturi Cotton Bharat initiative aims to match the global quality standards of Egyptian Giza and American Supima cotton.
• Key schemes include PM MITRA Parks, ATUFS, Samarth, NTTM, and Silk Samagra, aligned with the *5F Vision (Farm, Fibre, Factory, Fashion, Foreign)