NATIONAL NEWS

Odisha Emerges as Green Mobility Leader with Electric Bus Expansion

Odisha is emerging as a green mobility leader, ranking 5th in India in terms of electric bus adoption.

The state currently has 450 e-buses in operation and plans to more than double its fleet in the coming years as part of its clean transport initiative.

This move aligns with India’s broader efforts to promote eco-friendly urban transport under central government support schemes.

As per official data, India currently operates 14,329 electric buses.

Top-performing states are Delhi (3,564), Maharashtra (3,296), Karnataka (2,236), Uttar Pradesh (850), and Odisha (450).

Odisha has surpassed its eastern neighbors including West Bengal (391), Andhra Pradesh (238), Chhattisgarh (215), and Jharkhand (46).

These figures highlight Odisha’s leadership in Eastern India on sustainable mobility.

The Capital Region Urban Transport (CRUT) agency has spearheaded Odisha’s e-mobility efforts, currently running e-buses in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, and Puri.

The state now plans to extend services to Sambalpur, Jharsuguda, Keonjhar, Berhampur, and Angul.

Odisha’s target is to expand the fleet beyond 1,000 e-buses, making urban transit cleaner and more efficient.

To support the expanding fleet, the state is installing charging stations at depots and terminals.

Smart ticketing is being introduced, including QR-code payments, National Common Mobility Cards (NCMC), and app-based ticket booking.

National e-Governance Division Enables Pan-India Integration of e-Government Services on DigiLocker and e-District Platforms

The National e-Governance Division (NeGD) under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) achieved a milestone by enabling Pan-India integration of e-Government services on DigiLocker and e-District platforms.

This initiative marks a major leap in the Digital India programme, promoting paperless and mobile governance, and contributing directly to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

DigiLocker has emerged as a robust pillar of digital public infrastructure, solving challenges of interoperability, data security, and multi-stakeholder coordination.

Citizens benefit from ease of access, inclusivity, and trusted services through DigiLocker’s resilient framework.

Maharashtra offers the highest number of services (254), followed by Delhi (123), Karnataka (113), Assam (102), and Uttar Pradesh (86).

Kerala and Jammu & Kashmir provide 77 services each, Andhra Pradesh (76), Gujarat (64), Tamil Nadu & Goa (63 each), Haryana (60), Himachal Pradesh (58).

NeGD plans to further expand by adopting AI-driven technologies, conducting training programmes and workshops at the State level to enhance inclusivity and last-mile service delivery.

This milestone reflects the Government’s commitment to digital empowerment in line with PM Narendra Modi’s vision of a digitally enabled India.

Ministry of Tribal Affairs Launches “Adi Vaani”

The Ministry of Tribal Affairs launched the Beta Version of “Adi Vaani”, India’s first AI-powered translator for tribal languages, developed under Janjatiya Gaurav Varsh.

The initiative aims to empower tribal communities and preserve India’s linguistic diversity.

Adi Vaani is available on the Play Store, a web platform, and will soon be launched on iOS.

It is designed to bridge communication gaps between tribal and non-tribal communities while safeguarding endangered languages using Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Adi Vaani serves as the foundation for a future large language model dedicated to tribal languages, combining AI with community-driven approaches.

India has 461 tribal languages spoken by Scheduled Tribes and 71 distinct mother tongues; among them, 81 are vulnerable and 42 critically endangered (Census 2011).

The project is developed by a national consortium led by IIT Delhi, with BITS Pilani, IIIT Hyderabad, IIIT Nava Raipur, and Tribal Research Institutes (TRIs) in Jharkhand, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Meghalaya.

 

DEFENCE

Indian Navy’s INS Kadmatt Arrives In Port Moresby For Papua New Guinea’s 50th Independence Day Celebrations

INS Kadmatt (ASW Corvette) of the Indian Navy has arrived at Port Moresby, the capital of Papua New Guinea (PNG), to participate in the country's 50th Independence Day celebrations.

The visit includes participation in the Independence Day Parade and cultural events, highlighting the shared democratic values and heritage of both nations.

The PNG Chief of Defence Forces will be hosted aboard INS Kadmatt to showcase the Indian Navy’s ‘Aatma Nirbharta’ (self-reliance) in defence.

This visit reinforces the India–Papua New Guinea maritime partnership and promotes ‘Bridges of Friendship’ through naval diplomacy.

 

RANKS, INDICES & REPORTS

Global Peace Index (GPI) 2025

The Global Peace Index (GPI) is released annually by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP).

It evaluates 163 countries based on 23 indicators across three categories: Societal safety and security,Ongoing domestic and international conflict and Degree of militarisation

Lower GPI scores indicate higher peace levels.

Iceland topped the global list with a score of 1.095, followed by Ireland (2nd) and New Zealand (3rd).

Japan (1.440) and Malaysia (1.469) ranked 2nd and 3rd in Asia after Singapore.

Singapore ranked 6th globally and retained its position as Asia’s safest country with a score of 1.357.

Singapore slipped one spot from 2024 (5th to 6th), but its overall peace score improved (from 1.339 to 1.357).

India ranked 115th (score 2.229) out of 163 countries, with no change from 2024.

 

AWARDS & PRIZES

Ramon Magsaysay Award

Educate Girls (Foundation to Educate Girls Globally) became the first Indian organisation to win the Ramon Magsaysay Award, one of Asia’s most prestigious honours.

The award recognises the NGO’s efforts in transforming education for out-of-school girls in India’s remotest regions.

It was founded in 2007 by Safeena Husain, a London School of Economics graduate, who left her corporate career in San Francisco to work for girls’ education in India.

In 2015, Educate Girls launched the world’s first Development Impact Bond (DIB) in education, linking investor funds to measurable outcomes.

Pragati programme (for 15–29-year-old learners) helps adolescent girls and young women re-enter education. It grew from 300 participants to over 31,500 learners.

It was recognised for addressing cultural stereotyping, liberating girls from illiteracy, and empowering them with skills, courage, and agency.

 

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

T.C.A. Kalyani Takes Over as Controller General of Accounts

T.C.A. Kalyani, a 1991-batch ICAS officer, has taken charge as the 29th Controller General of Accounts (CGA) in the Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance.

She has over 34 years of service with expertise in public financial management, accounting, governance, and administration.

She has served in multiple ministries, including Defence, Telecom, Fertilizers, Finance, Social Justice & Empowerment, Information & Broadcasting, and Home.

She played a key role in the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) scheme for farmers for fertilizer subsidy.

At MTNL, she led digital transformation through online bill payments and payment kiosks.

She contributed to the revival of Fertilizer Corporation of India Limited (FCIL).

Executive Director of International Monetary Fund

The Appointments Committee of Cabinet has appointed former Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Urjit Patel as Executive Director (ED) of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a period of three years or until further orders.

Urjit Patel will replace K V Subramanian, whose tenure was cut short by the government due to alleged impropriety over book promotion.

The IMF Executive Board has 25 directors, and India is part of a four-country constituency along with Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Bhutan.

Urjit Patel had earlier served as the 24th RBI Governor (2016–2018), succeeding Raghuram Rajan, but resigned citing personal reasons.

During his RBI tenure, Patel often clashed with the Government of India over high interest rates despite falling inflation (below 1.5%).

Patel holds a PhD in Economics from Yale University and has served in roles such as Deputy Governor of RBI, Chairman of NIPFP (2020), and Vice President (Investment Operations) at AIIB.

He has also worked with the Ministry of Finance (1998–2001) and in the private sector, including Reliance Industries, IDFC Ltd, MCX Ltd, and Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation.

 

SPORTS

International Cricket Council (ICC) Partners with Google

International Cricket Council (ICC) announced a landmark partnership with Google as its second major women’s-only global partner, after Unilever earlier 2025.

The collaboration aims to leverage Google’s advanced technology and commitment to women’s sports to enhance fan engagement and accessibility.

The partnership comes at a crucial time with two major upcoming events: ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 in India and Sri Lanka and ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 in England.

The partnership will span multiple Google products including: Android, Google Gemini, Google Pay and Google Pixel

This ecosystem will help fans discover match highlights, engage with players, celebrate wins, and enjoy a more dynamic fan journey.

BWF World Championships 2025

India’s Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty won the bronze medal at the 2025 BWF Badminton World Championships after losing in the men’s doubles semifinal to China’s Chen Bo Yang a nd Liu Yi in Paris.

The Indian pair lost the semifinal 19-21, 21-18, 12-21 in a match that lasted 1 hour and 7 minutes at the Adidas Arena.

This was the duo’s second World Championships medal, after winning their first bronze in 2022 (Japan).

This was the second meeting between the pairs; earlier, Satwik-Chirag had defeated the Chinese duo in the 2024 Thailand Open final in straight games.

In the semifinal, the Indians led 11-5 in the first game but the Chinese recovered to win 21-19.

The Indians bounced back to win the second game 21-18, pushing the match into a decider.

In the third game, Satwik-Chirag trailed early, losing 9 consecutive points and went down 12-21.

With this win, the Chinese pair advanced to the final to face South Korea’s Kim Won-ho and Seo Seung-jae.

 

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Coconut Day

World Coconut Day is celebrated on September 2 every year.

World Coconut Day 2025 is celebrated to highlight and raise awareness about the importance and benefits of coconut.

The theme for World Coconut Day 2025 is “Uncovering Coconut's Power, Inspiring Global Action.”

Coconuts are food that humans have found sustenance in for at least 2,000 years. Probably native to Indonesia, the name coconut translates to walnut from India”.

In 1998, the Asian and Pacific Coconut Community declared World Coconut Day to bring awareness to the powerful nutrients and versatility of this superfood.

It is likely that coconuts were introduced to Europeans through the Maritime Silk Road, which connected the East with the West. Marco Polo may have been one of the many travelers and explorers who would have brought coconuts back with them.

World Coconut Day is observed around the World to understand the benefits of the fruit and to raise awareness about how it can be grown and preserved.

 

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