CURRENT AFFAIRS 30 September, 2025

CURRENT AFFAIRS 30 September, 2025

1. WORLD FOOD INDIA 2025 –

• World Food India 2025, India’s flagship food processing event, aims to position India as a ‘Global Food Hub’. The event concluded with the signing of Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) worth over Rs 1 lakh crore, highlighting investments, innovations, and employment generation across multiple states.

World Food India

• WFI, conceptualized by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI), is India’s flagship food processing event. Since its first edition in 2017, followed by the 2nd in 2023, 3rd in 2024, and now the 4th edition in 2025.
• It has grown to showcase India as the “Food Basket of the World,” promoting investment, enhancing farm-to-fork linkages, encouraging sustainable food systems, and highlighting India’s diverse food culture.

What is the Landscape of the Food Processing Sector in India?

• Food Processing: It involves methods to transform raw agricultural, animal, or fish products into edible, commercially valuable finished or semi-finished products, altering their original physical properties.

Levels of Processing:

• Primary processing: Basic cleaning, grading, and packaging of agricultural products.
• Secondary processing: Converting ingredients into edible products (e.g., milling wheat into flour).
• Tertiary processing: Creating ready-to-eat foods (e.g., baking bread from flour).
• Growth of India’s Food Processing Industry: India is largest producer of milk, onions and pulses, Second largest producer of rice, wheat, sugarcane, tea, fruits & vegetables and eggs.

2. NASA-ISRO NISAR SATELLITE SENDS FIRST EARTH IMAGES –

• The NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) satellite has recently transmitted its inaugural images of Earth’s surface. This milestone marks step as the joint mission prepares to enter full science operations later in 2025. The data promises to enhance disaster response, infrastructure monitoring, and agricultural management worldwide.

Overview of NISAR Mission

• NISAR is a collaborative Earth-observing satellite mission by NASA and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). Launched on 30 July 2025, it uses advanced L-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR) technology. The satellite provides detailed radar images regardless of weather or daylight. This capability is crucial for continuous monitoring of Earth’s dynamic surface.

3. INDIA, BHUTAN APPROVE FIRST RAIL LINKS PROJECTS –

• In a transformative step for regional integration, India and Bhutan have approved their first-ever cross-border railway links, aimed at strengthening economic and strategic cooperation. These two new rail lines—Kokrajhar–Gelephu and Banarhat–Samtse—represent a major advancement in bilateral connectivity, with significant potential to reshape trade, mobility, and diplomatic ties between the two Himalayan neighbors.

Project Overview: Bridging Borders

• Kokrajhar–Gelephu Line
• The Kokrajhar–Gelephu route, budgeted at ₹3,456 crore, will link Assam’s Kokrajhar district with Bhutan’s Gelephu in the Sarpang region.
• This 70-kilometer line will include six stations and nearly 100 bridges, traversing the challenging terrain of India’s northeast.
• Gelephu, which Bhutan is developing into a “Mindfulness City”, will now gain vital access to Indian markets and ports.
• Banarhat–Samtse Line
• The second line, Banarhat–Samtse, is a shorter connection stretching from West Bengal’s Banarhat in Jalpaiguri district to Bhutan’s Samtse.
• With an outlay of ₹577 crore, this 20-kilometer route includes two stations and approximately 25 bridges, and is strategically positioned to support Samtse’s growth as an industrial hub.

4. ASHTAMI VS NAVAMI: WHY DIFFERENT PEOPLE CELEBRATE ON DIFFERENT DAYS –

• Navratri is one of the most celebrated Hindu festivals, dedicated to Goddess Durga and her nine divine forms. Each day of Navratri has special importance, but the eighth day (Ashtami) and ninth day (Navami) are considered the most sacred. Interestingly, while some devotees perform the main rituals on Durga Ashtami, others prefer to do them on Maha Navami. This difference often confuses people, but it actually has deep cultural and spiritual roots.

Significance of Ashtami

• Durga Ashtami (eighth day of Navratri) is believed to be the day when Goddess Durga killed the demon Mahishasura, marking the victory of good over evil.
• It is especially important in North India (Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, and Delhi).
• On this day, devotees perform Kanya Pujan (worship of young girls as the form of Devi) and Havan (fire ritual).
• Many families complete their Navratri fasts on this day, considering it the most powerful tithi.

Significance of Navami

• Maha Navami (ninth day of Navratri) is equally important. According to beliefs, Goddess Durga destroyed the demon Raktabija on this day, putting an end to her fierce battle with evil forces.
• It holds special value in West Bengal, Odisha, Bihar, and South India, where Navami is celebrated with grandeur.
• In Bengal’s Durga Puja, Navami is the day of the grand rituals before immersion (Visarjan) on Vijayadashami.
• Many devotees also perform Kanya Pujan and charity on Navami instead of Ashtami.

5. SIXTH SCHEDULE EXPLAINED: WHAT IT IS AND WHY LADAKH DEMANDS INCLUSION –

• Under Article 244 of the Indian Constitution, the Sixth Schedule allows for Autonomous District Councils (ADCs) in certain tribal areas (currently in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, Mizoram). These ADCs get legislative, executive, and judicial powers over local matters such as land, forests, water, village administration, social customs, and minor courts. The idea is to grant self-governance to tribal communities, protecting their culture, resources, and environment.

Why Ladakhers want Sixth Schedule status

Local autonomy & power

• As a Union Territory (UT) without an elected legislature, many decisions in Ladakh are made by the central government and bureaucrats. Residents feel marginalized.

Protection of land & resources

• Under Sixth Schedule, ADCs get authority over land, forests, and resource management. This is important in Ladakh, where environment and ecology are fragile.

Safeguard cultural identity

• Ladakh has a predominantly tribal population (~97%). Sixth Schedule can help preserve distinct languages, customs, and social practices.

Legal/judicial powers

• ADCs under Sixth Schedule can have their own local courts for certain cases among tribal communities.

Fulfill promises & demands

• The demand for Sixth Schedule has been part of political promises in Ladakh. After becoming a UT in 2019, people feel their voice and rights got weaker.

Challenges & constitutional constraints

• The Sixth Schedule is explicitly meant for certain northeastern states. Currently, no non-Northeast region has this status.
• Some officials argue that applying the Sixth Schedule outside the Northeast might conflict with existing constitutional design.
• For Ladakh to get it, the Parliament would need to pass a constitutional amendment or new legislation.

MCQ QUIZ

Q1.  What is the name of India’s first space astronomy observatory which recently completed 10 years of operation ?

1. a) AstroSat
2. b) Chandrayaan
3. c) INSAT-3C
4. d) Vikram

Q2.  Where was the Harbour Phase of Jal Prahar Exercise 2025 conducted ?

1. a) Kolkata
2. b) Visakhapatnam
3. c) Chennai
4. d) Kochi

Q3.  What is the primary objective of the PM E-DRIVE scheme ?

1. a) Develop railway electrification projects
2. b) Accelerate adoption of Electric Vehicles and build EV ecosystem
3. c) Promote solar energy in rural areas
4. d) Increase export of petroleum products

Q4.  Consider the following aspects of the UNESCO Tentative List:

1. Only sites owned by the national government can be included in the list.
2. Countries can modify their Tentative List by adding or removing sites over time.
3. The final decision to include a site on the World Heritage List is taken by UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee.
4. Sites on the Tentative List automatically receive UNESCO funding for conservation.

         Which of the above statements are correct ?

1. a) 2 and 3 only
2. b) 1, 2, and 4 only
3. c) 1, 2, and 4 only
4. d) 1, 2, and 4 only

Explanation-

• The UNESCO Tentative List is an essential step in the process of getting a site inscribed as a World Heritage Site. Each country submits its list of potential sites, which may later be nominated for official recognition.
• Statement 1 is incorrect: A site does not have to be owned by the national government to be included in the Tentative List. It can be privately owned or managed by local or state governments, as long as it holds cultural or natural significance and meets the eligibility criteria.
• Statement 2 is correct: Countries can modify their Tentative List over time by adding or removing sites based on new findings, conservation priorities, or changes in site conditions. This flexibility allows them to refine their nominations.
• Statement 3 is correct: The World Heritage Committee of UNESCO is responsible for evaluating nominations and making the final decision on whether a site gets inscribed as a World Heritage Site.
• Statement 4 is incorrect: Being on the Tentative List does not guarantee UNESCO funding. While inclusion is a prerequisite for nomination, financial assistance for conservation depends on additional approvals, grant applications, and UNESCO’s World Heritage Fund allocations.

Q5.  Which of the following best explains why the National Statistical Office (NSO)’s GDP estimates sometimes differ from the RBI’s projections ?

1. a) NSO does not include services sector performance in GDP calculations, leading to different estimates.
2. b) RBI’s projections are calculated based on business sentiment, whereas NSO directly surveys economic sectors.
3. c) NSO estimates GDP based on real economic activity, whereas RBI projections rely on monetary policy trends.
4. d) NSO’s data is seasonally adjusted, while RBI’s projections consider only annual trends.

Explanation-

• The National Statistical Office (NSO) and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) use different methodologies for estimating GDP, leading to occasional discrepancies in their figures.
• The NSO calculates GDP based on real economic activity, collecting data directly from various sectors, including agriculture, industry, and services. It follows established statistical methodologies, relying on actual output and expenditure figures.
• On the other hand, the RBI’s GDP projections are based on monetary policy indicators, credit growth, inflation trends, and business sentiment. It uses economic modeling, surveys, and high-frequency indicators rather than direct sectoral surveys.
• Since NSO’s estimates reflect real-time economic activity, while RBI’s projections are more forward-looking and influenced by monetary policy trends, their figures can sometimes differ.

Answer Key