Daily Current Affairs 2025  

20/09/2025

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CA-20/09/2025

 
Why in news?
“Samudra Se Samriddhi” is a visionary programme launched by the Government of India, aimed at leveraging the country’s maritime resources to fuel economic growth, promote self-reliance, and transform India’s coastal and blue economy sectors.
 
Key Highlights

• The initiative was positioned as a nationwide movement to turn India’s vast maritime potential into prosperity through self-reliance (Aatmanirbhar Bharat) and swadeshi (indigenous) practices.
• Programme featured the launch of transformative projects in maritime, LNG infrastructure, renewable energy, highways, healthcare, and urban transport sectors.
• Amajor cruise terminal in Mumbai, new port facilities in Kolkata and Paradip, and a Green Bio-Methanol Plant at Deendayal Port to enhance cargo movement and trade.
• It emphasizes reducing dependence on foreign goods, boosting Indian shipbuilding, improving port infrastructure.
• Coastal communities, modernized ports, and support for cruise tourism and related industries are core components, intended to make India a leading maritime nation.

 Strategic Objectives

• Strengthen port-led development across India, with Gujarat serving as a model due to its efficient handling of national maritime cargo (about 40% via its ports).
• Promote Make in India and local manufacturing, ensuring that what is bought and sold supports Indian industries.
• Empower shipping companies by classifying large vessels as infrastructure, thus easing financing and driving investments into the sector.
• Reduce foreign dependence and achieve self-sufficiency in maritime affairs as a pillar of “Viksit Bharat” (Developed India).

 Recent Reform Measures

• The Coastal Shipping Act 2025 and Indian Ports Act 2025 are being introduced for governance simplification and greater private sector participation.
• India is focusing on green shipping, port-led growth, and investment roadmaps as part of its Maritime AmritKaal Vision 2047, but these are still in early implementation stages with significant hurdles regarding on-ground execution and investment.
• Initiatives are being launched to accelerate fleet expansion, technology upgrades, and port infrastructure.

 Importance for India

• The “Samudra Se Samriddhi” initiative integrates economic, historical, and cultural elements, aiming to turn India’s 7,500+ km coastline and maritime tradition into a source of sustainable prosperity.
• It directly contributes to job creation, indigenous industry boost, logistics efficiency, and heightened status in global maritime trade.

Conclusion
Samudra Se Samriddhi aims to reclaim India's maritime legacy and secure economic prosperity through the blue economy, but must overcome multi-faceted challenges in investment, infrastructure, governance, security, and environmental sustainability to realize its full potential.


   
Why in news?
IPRS 3.0 refers to the third edition of the Industrial Park Rating System, launched by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) with support from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in September 2025. 

Key Features

• Industrial parks are rated and categorized as Leaders, Challengers, and Aspirers based on performance across key parameters.
• The assessment now includes expanded criteria: sustainability, green infrastructure, logistics connectivity, digitalization, skill linkages, and real-time tenant feedback.
• It builds upon the pilot phase (2018) and IPRS 2.0 (2021) and is aligned with the goals of making India more globally competitive and sustainable.

Significance and Benefits

• Provides transparent, credible data to investors, fostering healthy competition among States and Union Territories.
• Identifies infrastructure gaps and best practices for industrial park management, aiming to attract investments, generate employment, and strengthen industrial ecosystems.
• Helps guide policymakers in designing targeted interventions for industrial development.
• Supports creation of world-class, sustainable industrial infrastructure, making India a more attractive and globally competitive investment destination.

IPRS 3.0 is a major step forward in benchmarking and building India’s industrial infrastructure, incorporating modern frameworks like sustainability and digitalization to attract global investments and make India an industrial leader.


   
Why in news?
Logistics Data Bank (LDB) 2.0 is the upgraded, digitally enhanced platform under India's logistics ecosystem, introduced in September 2025 by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

Key Features of LDB 2.0

• High-Seas Container Tracking: Exporters can now track containers even after departure from Indian ports, extending visibility into international waters.
• Multi-Modal Visibility: The platform integrates data across road, rail, and sea transport, using container, truck, trailer numbers, and railway FNRs, through seamless Unified Logistics Interface Platform (ULIP) API integrations.
• Live Container Heatmap: A visual map displays real-time container distribution across India, helping stakeholders and policymakers proactively identify imbalances and bottlenecks.
• Facility and Infrastructure Assessment: Provides insights into the availability of logistics facilities and infrastructure nationwide, supporting better planning and resource allocation.

 Benefits and Strategic Significance

• Improved Export Competitiveness: Real-time tracking and predictive analytics lower logistics costs, enhance reliability, and improve India’s reputation in global supply chains, especially benefiting MSMEs and startups.
• Digital Backbone for ‘Make in India’ and Viksit Bharat: Strengthens India’s digital trade infrastructure, contributes to the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative, and prepares the country for industrial growth up to 2047.
• Policy and Planning Support: Helps government and industry in identifying logistical inefficiencies and enables evidence-based policy intervention.

 Recent Impact and Usage

• The LDB platform has already tracked over 75 million EXIM containers and is well-integrated with India’s port, rail, and industrial logistics networks.
• Monthly, over 45 lakh container searches are made by logistics stakeholders, indicating deep industry adoption and value.

LDB 2.0 marks a strategic leap in India’s effort to create a future-ready, integrated, and efficient logistics ecosystem—significantly aligning with national visions for enhanced competitiveness and industrial growth.

 
   
Why in news?
The Integrated State and City Logistics Plans are new transformative initiatives launched by the Government of India under the SMILE (Strengthening Multimodal and Integrated Logistics Ecosystem) programme, in collaboration with the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
 
Key points include:

• The initiative started with eight cities across eight states as a pilot to assess existing logistics infrastructure, identify gaps, and create a roadmap to improve efficiency and reduce costs.
• The plans aim to strengthen local logistics ecosystems, complement national reforms such as the National Logistics Policy (NLP) and PM GatiShakti National Master Plan, and enhance the competitiveness and resilience of supply chains.
• These logistics plans will enable synchronized planning, identify infrastructure bottlenecks, and support better multimodal connectivity and supply chain integration at the state and city levels.
• The ultimate objective is nationwide replication to ensure smoother movement of goods, optimized logistics operations, and reduced transaction costs for industry.
• The plans align with states' existing logistics policies and reinforce a programmatic approach to city-level logistics planning.
• The partnership with ADB under SMILE provides technical and financial support to ensure comprehensive, sustainable, and efficient logistics ecosystems aligned with global best practices.

Overall, the Integrated State and City Logistics Plans focus on modernizing India's logistics sector by combining state and city-level assessments and actions to drive cost reductions, infrastructure improvements, and supply chain efficiency across the country.

 
   
Why in news?
The maiden bilateral maritime exercise between the Indian Navy and the Hellenic Navy (Greece) concluded on 18 September 2025 in the Mediterranean Sea. 
 
Key points:

• It comprised two phases: a harbour phase (13-17 September 2025) at Salamis Naval Base and a sea phase (17-18 September 2025).
• The Indian Navy was represented by the guided missile stealth frigate INS Trikand.
• Harbour phase activities included cross-deck visits, professional interactions, a pre-sail conference, and cultural exchanges.
• Sea phase drills focused on complex tactical exercises like night Visit, Board, Search and Seizure (VBSS) operations, replenishment-at-sea, joint anti-submarine warfare, coordinated gun firing, and cross-deck helicopter operations.
• The exercise enhanced interoperability, mutual understanding, and operational synergy between the two navies.
• It marked a significant milestone in defense cooperation, highlighting shared interests in maritime security, stability, and freedom of navigation.

The exercise facilitated the sharing of best practices and strengthened professional relations between India and Greece’s navies.
 

   
Why in news?
India has recently secured exclusive rights to explore polymetallic sulphides (PMS) in a 10,000 square kilometer area of the Carlsberg Ridge in the Indian Ocean by signing a 15-year contract with the International Seabed Authority (ISA). 
 
Key points about this achievement

• Polymetallic sulphides are mineral deposits formed by hydrothermal vents, containing economically valuable metals such as copper, zinc, iron, silver, gold, and platinum.
• The Carlsberg Ridge is a key tectonic boundary between the Indian and Arabian plates, known for its hydrothermal vents and rich mineral deposits.
• This milestone aligns with India’s Deep Ocean Mission, which focuses on seabed mineral exploration, mining technology development, and strengthening the Blue Economy initiatives.
• The acquisition expands India’s strategic maritime presence in the Indian Ocean and enhances national capacity for future resource utilization.
• India was already designated as a "Pioneer Investor" for polymetallic nodule exploration in other parts of the Indian Ocean, and this contract further consolidates its leadership in deep-sea resource exploration.

Polymetallic sulphides

• Composition: They contain economically valuable metals such as copper, zinc, lead, iron, silver, gold, and platinum.
• Formation: PMS form when seawater penetrates the oceanic crust, gets heated by magma, dissolves metals, and then releases them through hydrothermal vents where they precipitate as sulphides.
• Location: Commonly found at mid-ocean ridges, back-arc spreading centres, and volcanic margins; these deposits are usually associated with tectonic activity.
• Economic importance: They are rich sources of metals crucial for electronics, construction, and renewable energy industries, increasingly important as terrestrial mineral resources deplete.
• Environmental considerations: Mining these deposits poses challenges such as habitat destruction, toxic substance release, and sea floor disruption, necessitating environmentally responsible mining practices.
• Deposits vary in size from thousands to millions of tonnes, with some deposits still largely undiscovered due to limited exploration of oceanic ridges.

This contract is a significant step for India in asserting its leadership in marine science, technology, and the sustainable utilization of deep-sea mineral resources.
 
 
   
Why in news?
The "Paanch Sutra – Golden 1000 Days" initiative is a recent government nutrition campaign prominently highlighted during the 8th Poshan Maah 2025 campaign launched in Jharkhand on September 18, 2025.
 
Key Aspects of Paanch Sutra - Golden 1000 Days:

• Emphasis on the first 1,000 days from conception to a child's second birthday.
• Focus on optimal nutrition and health for mothers and children.
• Part of larger nutrition programs like Poshan Abhiyan and Poshan Maah.
• Aims to reduce malnutrition, improve growth, and enhance cognitive development.
• Includes community-level awareness through posters and education materials distributed to Anganwadi centers.
• Encourages reduction in harmful food habits like excessive oil and sugar consumption.

The "Golden 1000 Days" period is recognized as crucial for laying the foundation of a child's lifelong health, growth, and brain development, making interventions during this time especially impactful.
 
 

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