Daily Current Affairs 2025  

27/09/2025

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CA-27/09/20225

Several events dedicated to hydrogen energy were held in India during 2025, reflecting the country's growing focus on its National Green Hydrogen Mission. Notable events included the World Hydrogen India Summit and the International Conference on Green Hydrogen (ICGH-2025). 

World Hydrogen India Summit 2025

This event took place from September 25–26, 2025, in New Delhi. 

• Organizers: S&P Global Commodity Insights and World Hydrogen Leaders organized this inaugural summit.
• Key focus: The summit brought together senior executives, policymakers, and investors to discuss India's transition to a hydrogen economy and align with the national Green Hydrogen Mission.
• Participants: Attendees included high-level government officials, industry leaders, and investors who explored strategies for advancing hydrogen technology in India. 

International Conference on Green Hydrogen (ICGH-2025)

This government-organized conference was held from November 6–7, 2025, at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. 

• Organizers: The Government of India hosted the conference to explore advancements across the green hydrogen value chain.
• Key discussions: It featured sessions on green financing, workforce development, and start-up innovation, and aimed to bring together scientists, industry experts, and policymakers. 

Other notable events

• 1st Green Hydrogen R&D Conference 2025: Organized by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) on September 11–12, 2025, this conference highlighted research and development in the green hydrogen sector.
• Hydrogen India Summit 2025: TUV SUD, a testing and certification company, announced its participation in this event, which focused on advancements in hydrogen technology. 

 
First hydrogen highway

India has launched its first hydrogen highways as part of a major initiative to promote clean transport and reduce dependence on crude oil.

• The Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, announced the launch of large-scale hydrogen truck trials with a budget allocation of Rs 500 crore.
• These trials span ten key freight routes connecting major industrial hubs, ports, and cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad, Kochi, Visakhapatnam, and Thiruvananthapuram.
• The project includes setting up nine hydrogen refueling stations to support the corridors, which will create India's first hydrogen highways aimed at enabling clean, long-haul mobility.
• The trials involve 37 hydrogen-powered vehicles and are supported by industry partners like Tata Motors, Ashok Leyland, Volvo, BPCL, IOCL, NTPC, and Reliance.
• The initiative aligns with India's goal to produce 5 million tonnes of green hydrogen annually by 2030, which is expected to generate around 6 lakh jobs and attract investments of Rs 8 lakh crore.

This shift to hydrogen is projected to reduce India's fossil fuel imports by Rs 1 lakh crore per year and cut carbon emissions by 3.6 gigatons by 2050, demonstrating a strong push toward sustainable energy and climate leadership.
  Bihar Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana is a recently launched scheme by the Bihar government aimed at empowering women through self-employment and livelihood opportunities. Under this scheme, one woman from each family in Bihar is provided financial assistance to start an enterprise or livelihood activity of her choice.
Key Features of the Scheme

• Launched on 29 August 2025, with a major event officiated by PM Narendra Modi and CM Nitish Kumar.
• Initially, 75 lakh women beneficiaries received Rs. 10,000 each directly into their bank accounts via direct benefit transfer (DBT), totaling Rs. 7,500 crore.
• Additional financial support of up to Rs. 2 lakh can be provided later based on the success and needs of the beneficiary's enterprise.
• The scheme targets women aged 18-60 years who are permanent residents of Bihar, married, and members of Jeevika Self Help Groups (SHGs).
• The assistance is a grant and does not require repayment.
• The financial support can be used for various livelihood options such as agriculture, animal husbandry, handicrafts, tailoring, weaving, and small businesses.
• The application can be done online at the official portal mmry.brlps.in or through rural SHG networks.
• The scheme is implemented by the Rural Development Department for rural areas and the Urban Development Department for urban areas.
• Follow-up assistance and evaluation happen six months after the initial grant to support further business expansion.

Additional Details

• Women who did not receive the initial installment have been assured that the remaining payments will be made on October 3, 2025.
• Eligibility criteria include that the woman or her husband should not be government employees, and the family should not be an income tax payer.
• The scheme aims at not only economic empowerment but also social empowerment of women, strengthening families, and contributing to the state's economy.

This initiative marks a significant move towards women's economic independence in Bihar, complementing central government campaigns like the "Lakhpati Didi" campaign and building on existing schemes like Jeevika Nidhi Credit Cooperative Society. Recently, the Delhi-NCR region has seen a sharp rise in H3N2 cases, noted for its intense symptoms and prolonged recovery period compared to normal flu strains. 

• The H3N2 flu is a subtype of the Influenza A virus, known for causing seasonal influenza outbreaks in humans.
• It shares symptoms similar to regular flu, including high fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, body aches, fatigue, and headaches. However, H3N2 often leads to more intense and prolonged symptoms compared to typical seasonal flu, with recovery sometimes taking over a week and a lingering cough lasting for weeks.
• This flu strain is notable for its higher complication risks, especially in vulnerable groups such as children under five, the elderly, and people with chronic illnesses or weakened immune systems.
• H3N2 spreads via droplets from coughs or sneezes and through contact with contaminated surfaces, making it highly contagious. Diagnosis typically involves lab tests like RT-PCR.
• Treatment focuses on symptom relief, hydration, and rest, with antiviral medications potentially prescribed if started early. Vaccination remains the most effective preventive measure, although it doesn't guarantee total immunity but reduces severity and duration of illness.

Distinguish H3N2 from COVID-19

The key symptoms that help distinguish H3N2 flu from COVID-19 are as follows:

• Loss of taste or smell is a hallmark symptom of COVID-19 and is not typically seen with H3N2 flu.
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing tends to be more common and appears earlier in COVID-19 than in H3N2 flu.
• Gastrointestinal symptoms like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea are more frequently observed with H3N2, especially in children, whereas they can occur in COVID-19 but are less common.
• Both illnesses share symptoms such as fever, cough, sore throat, fatigue, body aches, headache, and runny or stuffy nose, making clinical distinction challenging without testing.
• The incubation period also differs: flu symptoms usually manifest 1 to 4 days after infection, while COVID-19 symptoms may appear 2 to 5 days or even up to 14 days post-infection.

In summary, loss of taste or smell and earlier breathing difficulties are more characteristic of COVID-19, whereas gastrointestinal symptoms and higher fever with extreme weakness are more typical of H3N2 flu. Laboratory tests remain essential for accurate diagnosis between these two respiratory infections.
 
  Multiple Eastern European Union (EU) nations have agreed to develop a "drone wall" to fortify the bloc's eastern border against Russian incursions.
The decision follows a series of drone and aircraft violations in recent weeks that prompted urgent talks among member states. The initiative, also referred to as "Eastern Flank Watch," aims to create a comprehensive, multi-layered defense system. 

Participating countries

EU Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius convened a virtual meeting with defense ministers from ten countries to move discussions toward "concrete actions". 

• Eastern Flank: Bulgaria, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Romania.
• Other participants: Denmark, Hungary, and Slovakia.
• Ukraine and NATO: Representatives from Ukraine and NATO also participated, with Ukraine offering expertise from its counter-drone experience. 

Key defense capabilities

The drone wall will combine various technologies to detect, track, and neutralize drones. 

• Detection: A network of radars, acoustic sensors, and other technologies will be used to detect incoming threats, including low-flying drones.
• Interception: Capabilities to fight back against drones include:
  • Electronic warfare (EW), such as jammers
  • Interceptor drones
  • Classic anti-aircraft artillery
  • Future-looking laser systems 

Funding and development

• Increased urgency: While some Baltic states and Poland were already pursuing similar projects, recent incursions prompted the EU to increase the initiative's urgency. An earlier funding request from Estonia and Lithuania was rejected by the European Commission, but its position has since changed.
• Funding discussions: An EU official told Reuters that funding discussions are expected to be "intensive" during EU heads of state and government meetings in October 2025. The EU has also allocated €6 billion for a drone alliance with Ukraine.
• Ukrainian expertise: EU officials have cited Ukraine's ingenuity and experience in fighting Russia's drones as a blueprint for the European system. 

Context for the initiative

• Airspace violations: The decision follows multiple incidents, including dozens of drones breaching Polish airspace and fighter jets entering Estonian airspace, along with drone activity near Danish airports.
• Cost asymmetry: Officials have noted the high cost of using expensive missiles to shoot down relatively cheap drones. The new system is intended to provide a more cost-effective defense. 

Project timeline

• EU Defense Commissioner Kubilius said the drone shield could take a year to build, though he cautioned that the estimate was optimistic.
• The first priority is to develop an "effective detection system". 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi officially launched BSNL's indigenous 4G network, or "Swadeshi" 4G, on September 27, 2025. The network was built using an integrated technology stack developed entirely within India, positioning the country among a small group of nations that manufacture their own telecom equipment. 

Network rollout

• Massive tower installation: Over 97,500 new 4G towers have been installed nationwide, with more than 92,600 of these sites utilizing the new indigenous technology.
• Pan-India expansion: The rollout has covered multiple states, including Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Assam, Bihar, and Odisha, where the launch was inaugurated.
• Focus on underserved areas: A significant portion of the rollout is targeting 26,700 previously unconnected villages in remote, border, and left-wing extremism-affected areas, bringing digital connectivity to an estimated two million new users.
• Sustainable infrastructure: Many of the new towers are solar-powered, creating what BSNL says is India's largest cluster of green telecom sites. 

Key technology partners

The "Bharat Telecom Stack," a fully homegrown telecommunications solution, was developed through a collaboration between several Indian entities: 

• Tata Consultancy Services (TCS): Served as the system integrator, responsible for orchestrating the large-scale deployment and integration of the various network components.
• Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT): Developed the core network application (EPC Core) that forms the central intelligence of the 4G network.
• Tejas Networks: Provided the radio access network (RAN), including the base stations and radio infrastructure. 

Performance and future outlook

• 5G ready: The indigenous 4G network stack was built with an upgradable architecture, allowing it to be seamlessly converted to 5G via a software upgrade. BSNL's Kerala circle, for example, has announced plans for a 5G rollout by December 2025.
• Competitive pricing: BSNL's 4G recharge plans are reported to be 30–40% cheaper than those offered by private competitors, which could attract a larger customer base.
• Improved financial health: The network's launch has been cited as a contributing factor to BSNL's improved financial performance, which included consecutive profitable quarters after 17 years of fiscal losses.
• Global recognition: The technology has garnered international interest, with 18 nations reportedly expressing interest in adopting it after it was showcased at the G20 Summit.
• Mixed speed reviews: While initial speed tests have shown varying results depending on the location, the performance is expected to improve with the full-scale rollout. In some tests, BSNL's 4G has outperformed competitors in specific areas.

 

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