Daily Current Affairs 2025  

18/09/2025

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CA-18/09/2025

 
Why in news?
European Union unveiled a new comprehensive strategy on Strategic EU-India Agenda on September 16-17, 2025, to significantly strengthen bilateral relations with India. 

The comprehensive plan centered around five key pillars:

• Prosperity and Sustainability: Aims to boost trade and investment, with a high priority on finalizing a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) by the end of 2025, strengthening supply chains, and promoting green transitions including clean energy and climate resilience.
• Technology and Innovation: Enhances cooperation in emerging technologies such as AI, semiconductors, and space tech through initiatives like the EU-India Startup Partnership and Horizon Europe, also supporting digital infrastructure and research.
• Security and Defence: Focuses on maritime security, cyber defense, counterterrorism, crisis management, defense industrial cooperation, and joint strategic consultations, with an emphasis on Indo-Pacific security and addressing hybrid threats.
• Connectivity and Global Issues: Supports regional connectivity projects like India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) and EU’s Global Gateway initiative, while fostering cooperation in multilateral forums on global governance, international law, and climate.
• People-to-People Cooperation: Promotes skills and labor mobility via frameworks like the European Legal Gateway Office along with enhanced engagement with civil society, youth, academia, and business sectors.

Significance for India

• Elevates bilateral relations, facilitating trade, investment, and mobility of skilled professionals.
• Supports India’s innovation and green transition goals through joint research and technology cooperation.
• Enhances security through cooperation in defense, cyber security, crisis management, and maritime security.
• Positions India as a key partner in global governance, multilateral cooperation, and regional stability.
• Promotes regional connectivity through initiatives like the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), improving trade routes and geopolitical ties.
• Provides India access to greater investment and advanced technologies from the EU, aiding goals like Atmanirbhar Bharat and sustainable development.

Significance for EU

• Enhances EU's economic interests by aiming to finalize the largest Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with India by end of 2025, boosting trade, investment, and supply chains.
• Strengthens technology and innovation cooperation through initiatives like the EU-India Startup Partnership and Horizon Europe program.
• Expands security and defense cooperation, including maritime security, cyber defense, counterterrorism, and defense industrial collaboration.
• Promotes multilateral engagement on global governance, international law, and common values boosting the EU’s global strategic position.

Benefits for Businesses and Industry

• Expected finalization of the EU-India Free Trade Agreement (FTA) reduces tariffs and improves market access.
• Cooperation in emerging sectors like digital economy, AI, green hydrogen, pharma, and defense industrial capabilities.
• Encourages investments, joint ventures, and knowledge exchange, boosting innovation ecosystems.

Key Challenges in EU-India Strategic Agenda

• Stalled Free Trade Agreement (FTA) Negotiations: Ongoing talks for over 15 years between the EU and India have been hindered by major differences. The EU demands lower tariffs on automobiles, spirits, and dairy, while India seeks more favorable terms, creating a deadlock.
• India's Military and Energy Ties with Russia: India's continued participation in Russian military exercises and its purchase of Russian oil remain prominent obstacles.
• Regulatory and Policy Differences: Stricter EU intellectual property rights (IPR) rules conflict with India's policies on affordable generic medicines, posing challenges in trade and technological cooperation.
• Visa and Mobility Barriers: Indian students, professionals, and business people face stringent visa and work permit regulations in the EU, limiting people-to-people and business exchanges.
• Differences in Defence and Strategic Priorities: While India depends significantly on Russian defence supply chains, the EU aims to deepen defence cooperation with India.
• Geopolitical and Global Issues: Divergent approaches to international conflicts, especially India's neutral stance on the Russia-Ukraine war versus the EU's strong sanctions regime, also strain the partnership. Additionally, China's role as a major trade partner for both creates complex dynamics in Asia-Europe relations.

 
   
Why in news?
India and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) are set to launch formal negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) starting November 2025. 

About Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU)

• The EAEU is an economic union of five post-Soviet states located in Eurasia: Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia, and Kyrgyzstan.
• It was established by the Treaty on the Eurasian Economic Union signed on May 29, 2014, and came into force on January 1, 2015.
• The union aims to create an integrated single market with free movement of goods, services, capital, and labor among member states.

Significance of EAEU India FTA

• Market Access: The FTA gives India access to the EAEU's large market with a combined GDP of around USD 6.5 trillion, opening new export opportunities in textiles, pharmaceuticals, engineering goods, electronics, and agriculture sectors.
• Trade Diversification: The FTA helps India reduce dependence on traditional markets like the US and EU, especially amid tariff tensions and trade restrictions.
• Support for MSMEs: The agreement is expected to boost Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises by facilitating easier market entry and reducing trade barriers, broadening economic participation.
• Energy Security: EAEU countries, particularly Russia, are key suppliers of energy resources to India (Russia supplies about 35-40% of India’s crude oil imports). The FTA would strengthen long-term energy cooperation and secure stable energy supplies.
• Trade Growth Potential: Bilateral trade between India and the EAEU reached about USD 69 billion in 2024, with potential for significant expansion under the FTA framework.
• Geopolitical and Strategic Importance: The partnership aligns with India’s strategic goals to strengthen ties with Eurasian neighbors and counters geopolitical pressures.
• Connectivity Benefits: The FTA complements infrastructure projects like the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) and Chennai-Vladivostok corridor, which could lower logistics costs and shorten transit times.

The FTA is expected to unlock untapped trade potential, improve market integration, and establish a durable economic partnership between India and the EAEU states.
 
   
Why in news?
Bima Sugam is a newly launched unified digital marketplace for insurance, officially launched on September 17, 2025, by the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI).
 
Key Feature:

• Unified Platform: Bima Sugam will serve as a single online marketplace for all types of insurance, including life, health, motor, and general insurance from various companies.
• End-to-End Digital Experience: The platform will facilitate the entire insurance lifecycle digitally – from purchasing and renewing policies to managing them and settling claims.
• Centralized Policy Repository: All policies will be held in a dematerialized format in an e-insurance account (e-IA), eliminating the need for physical documents and reducing the risk of loss or damage.
• Enhanced Transparency: Policyholders will be able to easily compare different insurance products, their features, benefits, and costs, enabling informed decision-making.
• Part of Bima Trinity: Alongside Bima Vistaar (simplified products for rural India) and Bima Vahak (women-led distribution), aiming for "Insurance for All by 2047" under the Viksit Bharat 2047 vision.
• End-to-End Services: Unlike private distributors, Bima Sugam offers end-to-end policy servicing, including claim settlement, renewal, and management at minimal cost.

Bima Sugam platform aims to bridge the existing gaps in the insurance market and contribute to the vision of "Insurance for all by 2047."
 
 
   
About

• Messor ibericus, commonly known as the Iberian harvester ant, is a species of harvester ant found mostly in the Iberian Peninsula and parts of Europe. 

• Researchers found that queens of Messor ibericus can produce offspring of two different species. 
• They use a reproductive strategy where the queen lays eggs that develop either into pure Messor ibericus males and queens or into males of another species Messor structor, by cloning the sperm DNA of Messor structor and removing their own egg DNA.
• This process allows Messor ibericus colonies to produce hybrid worker ants that are vital for colony survival. The hybrid workers carry DNA from both Messor ibericus and Messor structor.
• This reproductive strategy evolved from sperm parasitism and also allows Messor ibericus to maintain colonies even when Messor structor males are not locally available by cloning Messor structor males.
• Scientists have coined the term "xenoparity" to describe this unique biological phenomenon of producing offspring of another species.

 
   
Why in news?
Sarnath is officially nominated by India for inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List under the 2025–26 nomination cycle. 
 
Historical and Religious Significance:

• The First Sermon: The most crucial aspect of Sarnath is its identity as the location of Buddha's inaugural discourse. Here, he unveiled the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path, the core tenets of Buddhism, to his first five disciples.
• Birth of the Sangha: It was in Sarnath's Deer Park (Mrigadava) that the Buddhist monastic community, or Sangha, was established, marking the formal beginning of the Buddhist faith as an organized religion.
• A Center of Learning: For over 1,500 years, Sarnath flourished as a prominent center for Buddhist art, culture, and learning, attracting scholars and monks from far and wide.
• Sarnath contains archaeological remains from various periods, including Mauryan, Kushana, and Gupta eras. It had flourishing monasteries until around the 12th century CE.

Major Monuments and Structures:

• Dhamek Stupa: This massive cylindrical stupa, standing at a height of 43.6 meters, is the most conspicuous structure at Sarnath. It is believed to mark the exact spot where the Buddha delivered his first sermon.
• Dharmarajika Stupa: Though now in ruins, this stupa is of immense archaeological importance. It was originally built by the Mauryan emperor Ashoka in the 3rd century BCE to enshrine the relics of the Buddha.
• Chaukhandi Stupa: This terraced stupa commemorates the place where the Buddha met his first five disciples. The octagonal tower atop the structure is a later addition by the Mughal emperor Akbar in the 16th century to honor his father, Humayun's visit to the site.
• Ashoka Pillar: The site also includes museums that house ancient artifacts and sculptures, including the original Lion Capital of Ashoka.

Besides Buddhism, Sarnath is also important for Jainism as a pilgrimage site linked to Shreyansanatha, the 11th tirthankara. The site has remnants of various religious influences including Hinduism and Jainism.
 

   
About

• World Patient Safety Day is observed annually on 17 September, established by the World Health Assembly in 2019 to raise global awareness, increase public engagement, and encourage united action to improve patient safety and reduce harm in healthcare.

• The theme for this year is "Safe care for every newborn and every child," with a special focus on children from birth to nine years old.
• The slogan is "Patient safety from the start!" emphasizing the importance of ensuring safe, quality healthcare from early childhood to prevent lifelong harm.
• This day calls for urgent action and global collaboration by parents, caregivers, health practitioners, and communities to prevent avoidable harm in pediatric care, recognizing the specific healthcare needs and vulnerabilities of newborns and young children.
• The goal is to promote safe healthcare systems, better training, family engagement, and research to improve child health outcomes worldwide.

World Patient Safety Day 2025 serves as a global initiative to promote safer healthcare practices, focus on newborn and child safety, advocating action from all healthcare stakeholders to prevent harm and improve outcomes for the most vulnerable patients.
 
 
   
About Blue port

• The term "Blue Port" primarily refers to an initiative led by the Department of Fisheries in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations.
• The initiative is to develop technologically advanced, sustainable, and eco-friendly fishing ports in India.
• It emphasizing environmental sustainability through rainwater harvesting, energy-efficient lighting, electric-powered equipment, and waste management systems.
• This initiative supports economic prosperity, ecological sustainability, and social inclusion for fishing communities.
• Three pilot harbors under this program include Vanakbara (Diu), Karaikal (Puducherry), and Jakhau (Gujarat) with a combined investment of ?369.8 crores.
• The Blue Ports are envisioned as strategic gateways for sustainable fisheries development, supporting national food and nutritional security with integration of cutting-edge technology and environmentally responsible infrastructure management.

Additionally, the broader international Blue Ports Initiative by FAO promotes transformation of marine and coastal areas into socially, economically, and environmentally sustainable zones.
 
 
   
Why in news?
The Central Civil Services (CCS) rules 2025 include major updates related to the implementation of the Unified Pension Scheme (UPS) under the National Pension System (NPS).
 
Key points of the CCS Rules 2025

• CCS (Pension) Amendment Rules, 2025: Introduce conditions for pension payments upon absorption into PSUs, and consequences for dismissal/removal after such absorption, with rules on forfeiture of retirement benefits under government service.
• CCS (Implementation of UPS under NPS) Rules, 2025: Provide enrollment, contributions, switching options between UPS and NPS before retirement, compensation for delayed crediting, and beneficiaries' options for pension benefits in case of death or disability.
• CCS (Payment of Gratuity under NPS) Amendment Rules, 2025: Redefine gratuity scope, clarify service count and eligibility for gratuity, usher in stricter timelines and accountability for delayed payments, and address re-employment impacts.

Key features of the CCS Rules 2025 concerning UPS are:

• Eligible employees can switch from UPS to NPS only once, with no option to revert back to UPS.
• The switch option can be exercised at least one year before superannuation or three months before voluntary retirement.
• The switch option is not allowed in cases of removal, dismissal, or disciplinary proceedings.
• Employees who do not opt for switching continue under UPS.
• The rules provide for assured payouts with options for voluntary retirement after 20 years of service, prorated payouts, and family pension benefits in case of subscriber's death.
• The government contribution differential is credited to the individual's NPS corpus during exit from service.

Besides pension-related rules, the CCS rules also cover classification, control, appeal procedures, and leave rules for central civil servants, including the Central Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, 1965, and the Central Civil Services (Leave) Rules, 1972, which have been updated until recently.
 

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