Daily Current Affairs 2025  

04/10/2025

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CA-04/10/2025

 
Why in news?
PM-SETU is a newly launched centrally sponsored scheme aiming to modernize 1,000 government ITIs (Industrial Training Institutes) across India to align youth skills with market and global demands.
 
Core Objectives

• The scheme seeks to upgrade ITIs by introducing advanced infrastructure, digital learning systems, and modern trades, strengthening hands-on training and placement services for students.
• PM-SETU is backed by an investment of ?60,000 crore, from the World Bank and Asian Development Bank.
• The goal is to connect India's youth with industry-driven and future-ready skills for improved employability, thus supporting the broader mission of Aatmanirbhar Bharat.

Structure and Implementation

• The initiative follows a “hub-and-spoke” model with 200 hub ITIs and 800 spoke ITIs.
• Hub ITIs will facilitates training-of-trainers, production units, and placement cells, while spoke ITIs will enhance access to quality training in underserved regions.

Key Features

• Modern equipment, curriculum updates, and new market-aligned courses will be rolled out to meet both present and anticipated future industry requirements.
• Strengthened partnerships with industry ensure training is outcome-based and oriented toward actual job market needs.

Significance

• PM-SETU will help skill 2 million youth in the next five years, transforming India's ITI ecosystem to be government-owned but industry-managed.
• It integrates education directly with employment opportunities, strengthening vocational capacity and global competitiveness.

PM-SETU represents a substantial step toward making India’s skilling infrastructure world-class, innovative, and directly responsive to changing industry needs.
 

   
Why in news?
The Indian Army is fast-tracking the emergency acquisition of six mobile AK-630 multi-barrel air defence gun systems to enhance border security, particularly to protect population centers and faith sites near the Pakistan border. 
 
Key Features of AK-630 Gun

• Six-barrel 30mm rotary cannon
• Rate of fire: up to 5,000 rounds per minute (cyclic rate up to 3,000 rounds/min for mobile versions).
• It is designed primarily for defense against aircraft, helicopters, small boats, incoming missiles, and small surface targets.
• Mounted in an automatic turret, radar and optical tracking controlled
• All-weather capability with day and night operation
• Used by Soviet/Russian Navy and Indian Navy/Army
• Mobile version mounted on trailers for flexible rapid deployment

Usage by Indian Forces

• Indian Navy has equipped many vessels, including aircraft carriers, with AK-630 CIWS
• Indian Army procured six mobile AK-630 systems on trailers to deploy against border aerial threats
• Systems use Indian-made ammunition and integrate with Indian air defense command systems.

This gun system will be integrated into the Army's wider air defence architecture called Akashteer and forms a key pillar in the ongoing Mission Sudarshan Chakra—an ambitious national security initiative to develop an indigenous multi-layered air defence shield by 2035.
 
 
   
Why in news?
PM e-Vidya highlights significant steps to promote digital learning through the PM e-Vidya app in schools under the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD).
 
About PM e-Vidya

• PM e-Vidya is a flagship initiative launched by the Ministry of Education, Government of India, on May 17, 2020, as part of the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan.
• It aims to provide multi-mode access to digital education to nearly 25 crore school-going children across the country.

Key Features of PM eVidya:

• Offers education through 200 expanded DTH TV channels under the "One Class, One Channel" initiative covering classes 1 to 12 in multiple Indian languages.
• Utilizes SWAYAM for higher education and school courses via MOOCs with credit transfer provisions and over 10,000 courses.
• Supports inclusive education with content tailored for differently-abled learners, including Indian Sign Language (ISL) channels and accessible e-content.
• Includes interactive e-content and professional development courses for teachers.
• Offers community outreach through educational broadcasts on radio and podcasts (Shiksha Vani).
• Incorporates the Manodarpan initiative for mental health support among students, teachers, and families.

Components of PM eVidya:

• DIKSHA: A one-nation digital platform housing extensive educational content and energized textbooks.
• PM e-Vidya DTH TV Channels: Dedicated TV channels providing syllabus-based lessons in multiple languages for classes 1-12.
• SWAYAM: A MOOC platform offering school and higher education courses with flexible learning options.
• Radio, Community Radio & Shiksha Vani Podcast: Broadcasting educational content to reach wider audiences.
• Digitally Accessible Information System (DAISY): E-content for visually and hearing-impaired students.
• Virtual Labs & Skilling e-Labs: Simulation-based labs to enhance science and skill education.
• e-Content for Teachers: Digital resources and courses for teacher training and development.
• Mental Health Support (Manodarpan): Programs addressing mental well-being through dedicated channels.

PM eVidya aims to bridge the digital divide, support the objectives of the National Education Policy 2020, and ensure that students from rural, remote, and marginalized communities have access to quality educational resources across the country.
 
 
   
Why in news?
Cyclone Shakti was a severe cyclonic storm that formed over the Arabian Sea.
It was a post-monsoon cyclone with wind speeds reaching 130-145 km/h initially, classified as a Severe Cyclonic Storm by the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
 
Key highlights

• The cyclone name "Shakti" was proposed by Sri Lanka as part of the WMO/ESCAP Panel on Tropical Cyclones naming convention.
• WMO/ESCAP Panel consisting of 13 member countries around the North Indian Ocean, maintains a pre-set list of names contributed by these countries.

Formation:

• Cyclone Shakti formed in early October 2025 over the east-central Arabian Sea.
• Favorable sea surface temperature above 27°C provided the latent heat energy necessary for cyclone formation.
• Rising moist air created a low-pressure zone, while the Coriolis effect induced cyclonic rotation.
• A strong upper tropospheric outflow supported the structure of the cyclone.
• Low vertical wind shear and abundant moisture in the Arabian Sea allowed the system to intensify.
• The cyclone developed through stages: Low Pressure Area → Depression → Deep Depression → Cyclonic Storm (named Shakti) → Severe Cyclonic Storm with wind speeds around 120-145 km/h.

Classification of cyclones in India as per the India Meteorological Department (IMD)

IMD Category	Wind Speed (km/h)	Example
Cyclonic Storm	62 - 88	Cyclone Nilam (2012)
Severe Cyclonic Storm	89 - 117	Cyclone Ockhi (2017)
Very Severe Cyclonic Storm	118 - 165	Cyclone Hudhud (2014)
Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm	166 - 220	Cyclone Tauktae (2021)
Super Cyclone	> 221	Odisha Super Cyclone (1999)

 
 













Government Initiatives for Cyclone Management
India has established multiple institutions and policies to improve disaster preparedness and cyclone resilience across coastal states.
 

• National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project (NCRMP): Strengthens early warning, evacuation, and infrastructure along the coast.
• Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM): Promotes sustainable coastal development and environmental conservation.
• Regional Specialized Meteorological Centre (RSMC), IMD: Monitors cyclones, issues forecasts, and provides scientific data.
• Coastal Regulation Zones (CRZ): Established under the Environment Protection Act, 1986. Regulates developmental activities in ecologically sensitive coastal zones.

 
   
Why in news?

• ICGS Akshar is the second vessel in the Adamya-class of Fast Patrol Vessels (FPVs) commissioned into the Indian Coast Guard on October 4, 2025, at Karaikal, Puducherry. 

 
Key features and specifications of ICGS Akshar

• Displacement: Approximately 320 tons
• Maximum speed: 27 knots
• Endurance: 1,500 nautical miles at economical speed
• Armament: 30 mm CRN 91 gun and two 12.7 mm Stabilized Remote-Controlled Guns (SRCGs) integrated with fire-control systems
• Onboard systems: Integrated Bridge System (IBS), Integrated Platform Management System (IPMS), Automated Power Management System (APMS) for enhanced operational efficiency and automation
• Operational role: Maritime zone surveillance, coastal security, anti-smuggling, anti-poaching patrols, search and rescue, and environmental protection
• The 51-metre-long ship is designed and built indigenously by Goa Shipyard Limited with over 60% indigenous content,

The name "Akshar" means "imperishable," symbolizing the Indian Coast Guard's commitment to safe, secure, and clean seas. The vessel strengthens India's coastal security capabilities, contributing to the country's strategic maritime strength and self-reliant defense manufacturing.
 
 
   
Why in news?
Mhaje Ghar Yojana is a landmark housing scheme launched by the Goa government to grant legal ownership rights to residents of houses built on government and community lands.
 
Key Features of Mhaje Ghar Yojana

• Legal regularization of houses built before 2014 on government or community lands.
• Provision of ownership rights through a single unified law addressing multiple legal anomalies.
• Permission for house repairs within 3 days and assured supply of electricity and water.
• Facilitation of loans against houses through mortgage.
• Easy transfer of house ownership within families.
• Coverage extends to around 11 lakh citizens, almost half the population of Goa.
• Aims to secure housing rights and dignity for families long entangled in legal issues.

Benefits and Impact

• Empowers Goans with housing security and legal titles.
• Reduces risk of house demolitions following court orders.
• Supports state development and residents' wellbeing by addressing housing-related legal and infrastructural challenges.
• Contributes to Goa's vision to become a fully developed state by 2037.

 

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