NATIONAL NEWS

16th International Railway Equipment Exhibition (IREE 2025)

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw will inaugurate the 16th International Railway Equipment Exhibition (IREE 2025), organized by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).

The event will be held from October 15 to 17, 2025, at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.

The exhibition is organized in partnership with the Ministry of Railways and is recognized as Asia’s largest and the world’s second-largest rail technology exhibition.

Over 450 exhibitors from more than 15 countries will participate in the event.

The exhibition serves as a platform to showcase advanced technologies, solutions, and services for the rail and metro sectors, promoting modernization and international collaboration.

Attendees will witness over 30,000 products, including those related to high-speed rail, electrification, smart signaling, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), and sustainable technologies.

The event underscores India’s engineering excellence and reflects its ambition to emerge as a global leader in rail technology.

Union Home Minister Inaugurates Goa’s ‘Mhaje Ghar Yojana’

Shri Amit Shah, Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for Goa’s “Mhaje Ghar Yojana” and 21 development projects worth ₹2,452 crore.

The event was attended by Goa Chief Minister Dr. Pramod Sawant, Union Minister Shripad Naik, and other dignitaries.

Shri Shah described the “Mhaje Ghar Yojana” as a reflection of the Modi Government’s commitment to governance reform, empowerment, and inclusivity.

The scheme grants ownership rights to lakhs of Goan citizens whose properties were entangled in 11 different types of legal complications.

Under the leadership of Dr. Pramod Sawant, the Goa Government has eliminated anomalies through a single law, ensuring house repair permissions within three days and guaranteed electricity and water supply.

The Home Minister announced that through this single programme, 10 lakh citizens have now been granted ownership rights to their homes.

He noted that Goa’s per capita income rose from ₹1,12,073 in 2014 to ₹3,57,000 in 2023–24, showcasing the state’s rapid progress.

He highlighted that tribal communities in Goa will now receive reservation benefits in the Legislative Assembly under a new Act passed by Parliament on August 5, 2025.

Shri Shah stated that Goa is on track to become India’s first fully developed state, aligning with the Prime Minister’s vision of “Viksit Bharat” by 2047.

The Home Minister also announced that the Goods and Services Tax (GST) on 395 essential items has been reduced to less than one-third, marking the largest tax reduction since Independence, benefiting women and households nationwide.

 

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

RBI Allows Rupee Lending to Residents and Banks in Bhutan, Nepal, and Sri Lanka

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has allowed Indian banks and their overseas branches to lend in Indian Rupees to residents and banks in Bhutan, Nepal, and Sri Lanka to boost regional trade and facilitate cross-border payments.

This measure, announced on October 13, 2025, aims to enhance the use of the rupee in South Asia and reduce dependence on the US dollar for trade settlements.

The decision applies to Authorised Dealer (AD) banks, which can now extend rupee-denominated loans for cross-border trade purposes.

The move is part of amendments to the Foreign Exchange Management (Borrowing and Lending) Regulations, 2018 and the Foreign Exchange Management (Foreign Currency Accounts by a Person Resident in India) Regulations, 2015.

The policy supports its efforts to liberalise external trade and payment systems and strengthen regional financial integration.

The reform is significant for Sri Lanka, which faces foreign exchange shortages, and will also benefit trade relations with Bhutan and Nepal.

The RBI has also extended the repatriation period for unutilised balances in foreign currency accounts maintained in International Financial Services Centres (IFSCs) from one month to three months.

The extended timeline will provide greater flexibility to exporters, allowing them more time to manage foreign currency receipts from export transactions.

The change is expected to encourage exporters to open accounts with IFSC banking units and enhance foreign exchange liquidity within India’s IFSC framework.

Overall, these steps aim to promote rupee internationalisation, support exporters, and strengthen India’s position in regional trade and financial cooperation.

Maldives Becomes World’s First Country to Achieve WHO

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has validated the Maldives for eliminating mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of hepatitis B, while maintaining its earlier validation for HIV and syphilis, making it the first country in the world to achieve “triple elimination.”

WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus praised the Maldives for its strong political will and sustained investment in maternal and child health, calling it a historic milestone in global public health.

Triple elimination signifies the successful and sustained prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, hepatitis B, and syphilis, verified through WHO’s rigorous clinical and statistical criteria.

The achievement reflects the Maldives’ comprehensive healthcare model, providing universal antenatal care, disease screening, and treatment for all pregnant women, including migrants.

Over 95% of pregnant women in the Maldives receive antenatal care and are routinely tested for HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis B, ensuring early detection and treatment.

The country maintains over 95% immunization coverage, with newborns receiving a timely hepatitis B birth dose, preventing lifelong infections.

In 2022 and 2023, no babies were born with HIV or syphilis, while a 2023 national survey confirmed zero hepatitis B prevalence among school-aged children, surpassing WHO elimination targets.

The Maldives’ success is supported by universal health coverage, free antenatal care, vaccines, and diagnostic services, with the nation investing over 10% of GDP in health.

 

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

GalaxEye to Launch World’s First Multi-Sensor Earth Observation Satellite ‘Mission Drishti’ in Early 2026

Indian space-tech startup GalaxEye announced it will launch Mission Drishti, the world’s first multi-sensor Earth Observation (EO) satellite, in the first quarter of 2026.

Mission Drishti is India’s largest privately developed satellite weighing 160 kg and features the country’s highest-resolution imaging sensor.

The satellite integrates Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) and high-resolution optical payloads on a single platform, a global first in satellite technology.

This multi-sensor system allows high-precision Earth imaging day or night and in all weather conditions, overcoming traditional observation limits.

The satellite provides imagery with a 1.5-meter resolution, enabling detailed geospatial data analysis for applications like border surveillance, disaster management, agriculture, urban planning, and environmental studies.

Mission Drishti will help in infrastructure monitoring, maritime surveillance, and financial risk assessment, enhancing data-driven decision-making.

The mission represents a technological breakthrough in India’s private space sector, highlighting the innovation capacity of startups like GalaxEye alongside ISRO.

The mission will unlock actionable space data and place India firmly on the global space map.

 

BANKING

RBI Proposes Simplified Norms for Foreign Entities Setting Up Offices in India

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has proposed to rationalise norms for the establishment of branches or offices in India by entities resident outside India (EROI).

The RBI has released the ‘Draft Foreign Exchange Management (Establishment in India of a Branch or Office) Regulations, 2025’ for public feedback.

No EROI can open a branch or office in India without general or specific RBI permission, unless explicitly permitted under the Act, Rules, or Regulations.

EROIs operating under financial sector regulators must obtain prior approval from the respective regulator before establishing a presence in India.

To open a branch or office, an EROI must submit an application in a specified form to a designated bank, which may grant approval under the proposed regulations.

After approval and opening of an account, the bank must report the establishment to the RBI, which will then issue a Unique Identification Number (UIN) to the branch or office.

Prior approval of the Government of India is required if the EROI is from Pakistan or is a non-profit organisation or owned/controlled by a foreign government.

Additional government permission is needed if the EROI is from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, China, Hong Kong, Macau, or Sri Lanka, and seeks to set up in Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, North-East region, or Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

Government approval is also mandatory if the EROI operates in sensitive sectors such as defence, telecom, private security, information and broadcasting, or any sector under FDI prohibition or approval route.

RBI Launches Scheme To Expedite Payout Of Inoperative Accounts And Unclaimed Deposits

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has launched a ‘Scheme for Facilitating Accelerated Payout – Inoperative Accounts and Unclaimed Deposits’ to encourage activation of inoperative accounts and return of unclaimed deposits.

The initiative supports RBI’s public awareness campaigns urging people to claim unclaimed deposits from banks.

The Scheme aims to reduce existing unclaimed deposits and prevent fresh accumulation of such funds in the Depositor Education and Awareness (DEA) Fund.

The Scheme will be implemented for one year, from October 1, 2025, to September 30, 2026.

It also seeks to motivate banks to actively contact and assist customers/depositors in reactivating dormant accounts and claiming their funds.

 

AWARDS & PRIZES

Israel’s Highest Civilian Honor – The Israeli Presidential Medal of Honor

In a major diplomatic gesture, Israel has announced that former US President Donald Trump will be awarded the Israeli Presidential Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest civilian award.

The honor recognizes Trump’s “instrumental role” in facilitating the recent Gaza ceasefire and aiding the release of Israeli hostages, reaffirming his continued influence in Middle East diplomacy.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog will present the award, praising Trump for his efforts in bringing hostages home and for laying the foundations for a new era of peace and cooperation in the region.

The announcement came after the release of seven Israeli hostages to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), a direct result of the ceasefire negotiations.

Reports indicate that Trump played a behind-the-scenes role in convincing regional actors to support the ceasefire, leveraging his relationships with Israel and Gulf nations.

The ceasefire agreement includes steps for phased release of hostages, humanitarian aid expansion, and de-escalation commitments from both sides.

The Israeli Presidential Medal of Honor, established in 2012, is awarded to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to Israel or humanity.

Past recipients include Barack Obama (2013), several Nobel laureates, and other global leaders recognized for promoting peace, diplomacy, and humanitarian service.

Kenton R. Miller Award for Innovation in Sustainable Protected Area Management

Dr. Sonali Ghosh, Director of Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve, has become the first Indian to receive the Kenton R. Miller Award for innovation in sustainable protected area management.

The award was presented by the World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA), part of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), at a ceremony held in Abu Dhabi.

She shares the honor with Roque Simón Sevilla Larrea of Ecuador, recognizing their transformative efforts in conservation through community engagement and ecological integration.

The Kenton R. Miller Award recognizes exceptional leadership and innovation in managing protected areas, including national parks, wildlife reserves, and biodiversity hotspots.

It is administered by the WCPA, one of IUCN’s six technical commissions, uniting experts and conservationists globally.

Named after noted conservationist Kenton R. Miller, the award honors pioneering models that contribute to the sustainable use of natural resources and global biodiversity protection.

Dr. Ghosh was recognized for her community-driven conservation model that integrates traditional ecological knowledge, modern scientific methods, community participation, and on-ground implementation in sensitive ecosystems like Manas and Kaziranga in Assam.

 

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Students Day

World Students Day is observed on the 15th of October 2025, to honor the birthday of our former president, the late Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam.

In 2010, World Students Day was established by the United Nations.

In honor of former Indian president APJ Abdul Kalam, who was born on the same day in 1931, October 15 of each year is observed as World Students' Day.

The purpose of the day is to honor Kalam's contributions to education and students. Early in his life, Kalam studied science and physics. He was born in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu.

Through his insightful lectures, Kalam devoted his life to teaching and encouraging students to become the best versions of themselves.

As oversaw the creation of India's most important missiles and its civilian space programs, he was also known as the "Missile Man of India." The aerospace expert was elected as the nation's 11th president in 2002.

International Day of Rural Women

International Day of Rural Women 2025 is observed on the 15th of October.

This day serves as a reminder that millions of women in isolated rural communities still require our assistance. There are several methods to reach out and improve the lives of these women, from providing basic necessities to financial aid.

The United Nations (U.N.) has been working to keep the world's nations peaceful and friendly since its founding in 1945.

The United Nations has undertaken a number of humanitarian initiatives and adopted resolutions and laws aimed at protecting the environment.

It was proposed to empower and recognize women in 1995 during the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, China.

In order to recognize the importance of rural women to agriculture, food production, and food safety, it was suggested that October 15 be observed as International Day of Rural Women as October 16 was World Food Day.

October 15 will be recognized yearly as International Day of Rural Women globally, according to a resolution 62/136 passed by the United Nations General Assembly on December 18, 2007.