An Indian Army contingent comprising 120 personnel departed for Irwin Barracks, Perth, Australia, to participate in the fourth edition of the India- Australia joint military Exercise AUSTRAHIND 2025, scheduled to be conducted from 13th to 26th October 2025.
The Indian Army contingent is being led by a Battalion of Gorkha Rifles along with troops from other arms and services.
The annual Exercise AUSTRAHIND 2025 is aimed at enhancing military cooperation, improving interoperability and providing a platform for participating armies to exchange tactics, techniques and,
procedures in the domains of sub conventional warfare in urban/ semi urban terrain.
Participation in Exercise AUSTRAHIND 2025 will further strengthen defence cooperation and foster camaraderie between Indian and Australian Army troops, thereby reinforcing the spirit of collaboration and mutual trust.
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will participate in a special Krishi programme at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute in New Delhi on 11th October 2025 at 10:30 AM. Prime Minister will interact with farmers and, thereafter, participate in a public programme, where he will address the gathering on the occasion.
The programme underscores the Prime Minister’s continued commitment to farmer welfare, agricultural self-reliance, and strengthening rural infrastructure. It will focus on promoting modern agricultural practices, supporting farmers, and celebrating significant milestones in farmer-centric initiatives.
The Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD), Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India, launched the revamped ‘Sugamya Bharat App’ at the Purple Fest in Goa.
Redesigned with a user-first and accessibility-first approach, the Sugamya Bharat App is envisioned as India’s digital accessibility hub—bringing information, schemes,
and services directly to the fingertips of persons with disabilities. Developed with the support of SBI Foundation and in technical partnership with NAB Delhi, ISTEM, and Mission Accessibility, the app offers a seamless, intuitive interface with screen reader compatibility, voice navigation, and multi-language support, ensuring that no user is left behind.
The revamped app is a first-of-its-kind, one-stop digital solution offering a range of features. Its accessibility mapping function allows users to locate and rate public places on accessibility parameters, empowering community-led data collection.
A consolidated directory of government schemes, scholarships, benefits, and employment opportunities is provided at a click, eliminating the need to navigate multiple portals. The app also features curated job and education listings from government and private sectors tailored for persons with disabilities.
Originally launched under the Accessible India Campaign (Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan), the app served as a citizen-led platform to make India’s public spaces more inclusive. With this revamp, it has evolved into a comprehensive, mobile-based accessibility ecosystem that empowers persons with disabilities to not just access information but also shape the accessibility landscape.
In a significant milestone towards operationalization of the transformative Research Development and Innovation (RDI) Fund, launched by the Government to encourage the private sector to scale up research, development, and innovation (RDI) in sunrise domains,
The Executive Council of the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) today approved the establishment of a special purpose fund (SPF) for the RDI scheme and also approved the Implementation Guidelines and governance framework.
ANRF also adopted the Special Financial Rules and Management Team Position and Compensation, as approved by Ministry of Finance.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has appointed Smt. Sonali Sen Gupta as Executive Director (ED) with effect from October 09, 2025.
Prior to being promoted as ED, Smt. Sonali Sen Gupta was serving as Regional Director for Karnataka at Bangalore Regional Office.
Smt. Sonali Sen Gupta has experience of over three decades in the Reserve Bank having worked in areas of Financial Inclusion, Human Resource Management, Banking Regulation and Supervision. She has represented the Reserve Bank in G20 – Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion (GPFI) and OECD – International Network on Financial Education (INFE) and,
has served as a Director on the board of National Centre for Financial Education (NCFE). She has also served as a member of various other internal and external Committees. She is RBI’s Nominee Director on the Board of Indian Overseas Bank.
As Executive Director, Smt. Sonali Sen Gupta will look after Consumer Education and Protection Department, Financial Inclusion and Development Department and Inspection Department.
Smt. Sonali Sen Gupta is a post-graduate with an MBA in Banking and Finance. She is also a Certified Associate of IIBF.
The government has opened top management positions in public sector banks, including the country's largest lender State Bank of India (SBI), to private sector candidates.
Out of four positions of Managing Director in SBI, one position has been opened for private sector candidates and persons working in public sector financial institutions.
So far, all MD and chairman positions have been filled by internal candidates.
As per the revised appointment guidelines, one MD position will now be available to the private sector.
Similarly, the revised guidelines also permitted private sector candidates to appear for the selection process of executive director (ED) in the public sector banks (PSBs).
Monu Ratra, who resigned from IIFL Home Finance in August, is set to join non-bank lender Capri Global Capital as chief executive officer.
Ratra will oversee the company’s overall operations and drive its medium-term growth strategy, Capri Global said. He will report to Rajesh Sharma, managing director and promoter of the company.
Capri Global Capital is a retail focused NBFC with Rs 24,753 crore assets under management. It has a customer base of 0.56 million. It offers secured and collateralized loans across four primary lending segments - MSME Loans, gold loans, construction finance and housing loans. The housing loans are offered through its 100% subsidiary, Capri Global Housing Finance.
Prime Minister launched the Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses (2025–26 to 2030–31) with a budgetary allocation of ₹11,440 crore on October 11, 2025.
It aims to scale up domestic pulses production to 350 lakh tonnes and expand the cultivation area to 310 lakh hectares by 2030–31.
It aims to ensure 100 percent procurement of Tur, Urad, and Masoor at MSP for four years.
A total of 88 lakh free seed kits and 126 lakh quintals of certified seeds will be distributed among farmers.
Nearly 2 crore farmers are expected to gain from guaranteed procurement, quality seed distribution, and enhanced value chain support.
To ensure effective implementation, states will prepare rolling five-year seed production plans, with breeder seed production monitored by ICAR and quality assurance maintained through the SATHI portal.
SATHI - Seed Authentication, Traceability & Holistic Inventory
SATHI is a user-oriented centralized portal. Envisioned and created by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Govt. of India, in partnership with National Informatics Centre (NIC). SATHI provides a holistic approach to encompass the complete seed life cycle over multiple seed generations.
Electronics production increased nearly six-fold from ₹1.9 lakh crore in 2014–15 to ₹11.3 lakh crore in 2024–25. Mobile phone exports rose 127 times from ₹1,500 crore in 2014–15 to ₹2 lakh crore in 2024–25. India is the world’s second-largest mobile phone manufacturer.
Electronics manufacturing created 25 lakh jobs in the last 10 years.
India has rapidly transformed into a major electronics manufacturing hub, marking nearly a six-fold increase in production over the past decade. The sector has not only expanded its industrial base but also created 25 lakh jobs in the last 10 years, underscoring its role as a key driver of employment and economic growth.
Strategic government initiatives and strong policy support have further boosted local manufacturing, expanded exports, and attracted significant global investment. With the ambitious vision of building a $500 billion domestic electronics manufacturing ecosystem by 2030–31
India is poised to emerge as a global technology leader, innovating for the world while creating vast opportunities at home. Electronics production increased from ₹1.9 lakh crore in 2014–15 to ₹11.3 lakh crore in 2024–25, nearly a six-fold rise. Exports grew eight times from ₹38,000 crore to ₹3.27 lakh crore during the same period.
In the last 10 years, electronics manufacturing in India has created 25 lakh jobs.[1]
India has attracted more than USD 4 billion FDI Inflow in the field of electronics manufacturing since FY2020-21.
Top 5 export destinations for Indian electronic goods in FY 2024–25 are the United States, United Arab Emirates, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and Italy.
India and EFTA signed the Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA) on 10 March 2024; it took effect on 1 October 2025, marking India’s first FTA with four developed European nations.· TEPA commits USD 100 billion in investments and 1 million direct jobs over 15 years, the first binding pledge of its kind in any Indian FTA.
· EFTA covers 92.2% of tariff lines (99.6% of India’s exports), while India covers 82.7% (95.3% of EFTA’s exports), protecting key sectors like dairy, soya, coal, and agriculture.
· The pact expands market access, drives manufacturing and innovation, and strengthens cooperation in technology and sustainability.
· Services exports gain through digital delivery, commercial presence, professional mobility, and Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRAs) in fields such as nursing, accountancy, and architecture.
WHAT IS EFTA?
EFTA is the intergovernmental organisation of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.
It was set up in 1960 by its then 7 Member States for promotion of free trade and economic integration between its members. EFTA is 1 important economic block out of the 3 (other 2 - EU & UK) in Europe.The India–European Free Trade Association (EFTA) Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA), signed on 10 March 2024 in New Delhi,
came into force on 1 October 2025, marking a defining moment in India’s external trade policy.
This is India’s first Free Trade Agreement with four developed European nations, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein, and one of the most ambitious in scale and intent.
came into force on 1 October 2025, marking a defining moment in India’s external trade policy.
This is India’s first Free Trade Agreement with four developed European nations, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein, and one of the most ambitious in scale and intent.
It represents a strategic convergence between India’s Atmanirbhar Bharat vision and EFTA’s search for resilient, diversified partnerships.
WHAT IS TEPA?
TEPA (Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement) is a modern and ambitious agreement which, for the first time in any Free Trade Agreement (FTA) signed by India, includes binding commitments on investment and job creation.
It represents a strategic convergence between India’s Atmanirbhar Bharat vision and EFTA’s search for resilient, diversified partnerships.
WHAT IS TEPA?
TEPA (Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement) is a modern and ambitious agreement which, for the first time in any Free Trade Agreement (FTA) signed by India, includes binding commitments on investment and job creation.
Under Article 7.1, the four EFTA states have pledged to increase foreign direct investment (FDI) in India by $50 billion within the first 10 years, followed by an additional $50 billion in the next five years.
Formed in 2000, Jharkhand is a state in eastern India distinguished by its abundant natural resources, robust steel and heavy engineering industries, and vast iron ore reserves. Forests and woodlands occupy over 29% of the state which is amongst the highest in India.
A tribal-dominated state, Jharkhand's economy also draws significant strength from agriculture and allied sectors, which support a large portion of its population.
The recent GST reforms bring substantial rate reductions across major industries and have a transformative impact on Jharkhand’s economic landscape.
Steel and heavy engineering form the backbone of Jharkhand’s industrial development, contributing nearly 20–25% of India’s total steel output. The state hosts major industrial hubs such as Jamshedpur (Tata Steel) and Bokaro (SAIL-Bokaro Steel Plant), alongside an extensive network of metallurgy-based supply chains spread across Singhbhum and Bokaro districts.
This ecosystem sustains a large formal workforce- over 1 lakh people (1,04,309 as of 2022–23 as per the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation), and supports a dense vendor and MSME base engaged in fabrication and services.
The International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction was started in 1989, after a call by the United Nations General Assembly for a day to promote a global culture of risk-awareness and disaster reduction. Held every 13 October, the day celebrates how people and communities around the world are reducing their exposure to disasters and,
raising awareness about the importance of reining in the risks that they face.
In 2015 at the Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction in Sendai, Japan, the international community was reminded that disasters hit hardest at the local level with the potential to cause loss of life and great social and economic upheaval.
