DAILY GK 24-25 SEPT 2025

 DAILY GK 24-25 SEPT 2025 

1.       LIVING BRIDGE AWARD 

·         Prime Minister of United Kingdom (UK), Keir Starmer, has been awarded the “Living Bridge Award” by the India Business Group (IBG) in recognition of his significant role in strengthening India-UK relations by advancing the India-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA), during a ceremony at the House of Lords in London, UK.

·         The Living Bridge Awards are presented annually by the IBG to individuals and organizations, who have made significant contributions to strengthening the relationship between India and the UK, particularly in areas such as trade, investment, education, business, cultural, and social ties.

 

2.       ICAO COUNCIL PRESIDENT CERTIFICATE FOR AVIATION SAFETY

·         The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), India’s aviation regulator, has received the ‘International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Council president certificate’ in recognition of its significant progress in establishing an effective aviation safety oversight system.

·         The certificate was presented to Faiz Ahmed Kidwai, Director General(DG) of the DGCA, during the 42nd Session of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Assembly in Montreal, Canada.

 

3.       NATIONAL GEOSCIENCE AWARDS 2024

·         The President of India Droupadi Murmu presented the National Geoscience Awards (NGA) for 2024 of the Ministry of Mines (MoM) on 20 Geoscientists.

·         The awards, instituted in 1966 by the Ministry of Mines, honour innovation and excellence across India’s geoscientific ecosystem.

·         National Geoscience Award for Lifetime Achievement 2024- Prof. Shyam Sundar Rai.

·         National Young Geoscientist Award 2024- Shri Susobhan Neogi.

·         From the 208 nominations received by the MoM based on the categories given below, a total of 12 awards has been finalized, which includes 9 individual and 3 team awards, presented to 20 Geoscientists.

 

4.       TEST LAUNCH OF ‘AGNI-PRIME MISSILE’

·         The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in partnership with the Strategic Forces Command (SFC), the military arm of the Nuclear Command Authority (NCA), successfully conducted the test launch of the next-generation Intermediate Range Agni-Prime (Agni-P) missile from Rail-Based Mobile Launcher (RBML) at the Abdul Kalam Island, off the Odisha coast

·         This marks the 1st–of-its-kind launch carried out using a specially designed platform integrated with the national railway network.

·         RBML is designed to operate across India’s rail network without pre-conditions.

·         It offers quick reaction time, improved mobility, and reduced visibility, significantly enhancing India’s second-strike capability.

·         RBML is equipped with independent launch capabilities features like: state-of-the-art communication systems, and robust protection mechanisms.

·         Agni-P is an indigenously developed two-stage surface-to-surface, canisterised solid propellant ballistic missile.

·         Agni-P has a strike range of maximum 2,000 kilometers (kms).

 

5.       INDIAN AIR FORCE RETIRES MIG-21 FIGHTER AIRCRAFT

·         The Indian Air Force (IAF) officially retired its iconic (Mikoyan-Gurevich) MiG-21 fighter jets in a grand decommissioning ceremony at the Chandigarh Air Force Station (known as 12 Wing, AF), Chandigarh.

·         The Russian-origin supersonic jets, inducted in 1963, served as the backbone of India’s air power for more than six decades (62 years) marking the end of an era in Indian military aviation.

·         Wars Participated: 1965 Indo-Pak War; 1971 India-Pakistan War; 1999 Kargil Conflict; 2019 Balakot airstrikes.

·         Final Sortie: Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh flew the final sortie in call sign Badal 3.

·         Squadron Leader Priya Sharma, one of IAF’s first female fighter pilots, became the last woman to fly the MiG-21.

·         Legacy: Inducted in 1963, the MiG-21 was India’s first supersonic fighter, with its maiden squadron the 28 Squadron at Chandigarh earning the nickname First Supersonics.

·         Over its lifetime, more than 870 MiG-21 aircraft were procured, many built by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).

·         Known as the IAF’s “workhorse”, it also earned the nickname “flying coffin” due to accidents from aging fleets.

·         More than 400 MiG-21s accidents took place.

·         The retired squadrons will be replaced by the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas Mk1A, with No. 23 Squadron being the first to transition.

 

6.       SPEED SKATING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS 

·         The 73rd edition of the Inline Speed Skating World Championships organised by World Skate was held in Beidaihe, China.

This edition witnessed the participation of over 40 nations.

·         Athletes and officials from Russia and Belarus were barred from competing due to the ongoing geopolitical situation.

·         Colombia dominated the Championships, finishing first in the overall medal table with 20 gold, 16 silver, and 8 bronze medals (total 44 medals).

·         Italy is at second position with 6 Gold and total 18 medals.

·         India at 5th position with 3 Gold and 2 bronze anf total 5 medals.

·         Anandkumar Velkumar made history by becoming India's first-ever World Champion in skating, winning 2 Golds in the Senior Men's 1000m Sprint and 42 km marathon.

·         Anandkumar Velkumar also won and a Bronze in 500m Sprint.

·         Krish Sharma won gold in Junior men’s 1000m sprint.

·         Anish Raj  Won Bronze in the Junior Men’s One Lap Sprint.

 

7.       WORLD ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIPS 2025

·         The 20th Edition of the World Athletics (WA) Championships was held in Tokyo, Japan.

·         This event smarked the third time Japan hosted the championships following the 1991 and 2007 editions.

·         2,202 athletes from 198 nations competing across 49 events in athletics.

·         The 2025 World Athletics Relays, held in Guangzhou, China, served to qualify the top 14 relay teams for the Championships.

·         21st World Athletics Championships will be held in Beijing, China in 2027.

·         USA topped the medals tally with 26 medals: 16 gold, 5 silver, and 5 bronze.

·         Kenya finished second with 11 medals: 7 gold, 2 silver, 2 bronze, and Canada to finish third with 3 gold, 1 silver, and 1 bronze medals.

·         The host nation Japan won 2 bronze medals, ranking 40th.

·         Sarvesh Anil Kushare from India finished 6th in men’s high jump final, clearing 2.28m (personal best).

·         He became the first Indian high jumper to reach a final at the World Athletics Championships.

·         Sachin Yadav, making his World Championships debut in javelin, threw 86.27m, and placed 4th, missing a medal by 40cm against Curtis Thompson (86.67m) of USA.

·         India’s Neeraj Chopra, the defending champion in men’s javelin throw, finished 8th with a best throw of 84.03m.

·         India did not secure a medal, marking its first blank campaign in two editions.

 

8.       F1 AZERBAIJAN GP 2025

·         Max Verstappen, a Belgian-Dutch driver  won the 8th Edition of Formula one (F1) Azerbaijan Grand Prix (GP), in Baku, Azerbaijan.

·         He equals the number of Grand Slams with Lewis Hamilton(6) for second position overall, behind only Jim Clark (8).

·         British racing driver George Russell (Mercedes) finished second.

 

9.       LAVER CUP 2025 

·         The 8th Edition of the Laver Cup 2025, a men’s tennis tournament between Team Europe and Team World (Players from outside Europe), held in San Francisco, USA.

·         Team World won 15-9 over Team Europe to clinch the title, marking the team’s third title in four years.

·         USA’s Taylor Fritz (World no. 12) defeated the Carlos Alcaraz (World no. 1) of Spain, and then defeating Germany’s Alexander Zverev (World no. 3) assured the team World’s tournament win.

·         Team World captain Andre Agassi (Former USA player).

·         Yannick Noah (Former French Player) captained the Team Europe.

·         The 2026 Laver Cup is scheduled to take place in London.

 

10.    2026 AFC FUTSAL ASIAN CUP QUALIFIERS

·         The Indian national futsal team made history by recording its first-ever international victory, defeating Mongolia 3‑0 in the Group A matches of the 2026 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Futsal Asian Cup qualifiers held at Ardiya, Kuwait.

·         India lost to Kuwait (1–4) and Australia (1–10) in earlier Group A matches. Thus, with just 3 points India failed to qualify for the 2026 AFC Futsal Asian Cup.

·         The 18th edition of Asia’s premier men’s futsal championship to be held in Indonesia in February 2026.

·         A total of 16 teams qualified, with Indonesia as the automatic host entry and 15 teams through qualification matches.

·         Futsal is a variant of association football played between two teams of five players each on a court smaller than a football pitch.

 

11.    FIFA UNVEILS TRIO OF MASCOTS FOR 2026 WORLD CUP

·         The Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) unveiled three official mascots: ‘Clutch, Zayu and Maple’ for the 23rd FIFA World Cup (2026), with each host country represented by a distinct character.

·         The FIFA World Cup 2026 will be co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada from June 26 to July 19, 2026, marking the first time the tournament is held across three countries.

·         Clutch (Bald Eagle – USA): Plays as a midfielder.

·         Zayu (Jaguar – Mexico): Acts as a striker.

·         Maple (Moose – Canada): Serves as a goalkeeper.

 

12.    MERCEDES-BENZ HURUN INDIA WEALTH REPORT 2025

·         Hurun India in partnership with Mercedes-Benz released its latest ‘Mercedes-Benz Hurun India Wealth Report and Luxury Consumer Survey 2025’. 

·         Maharashtra has consolidated its position as India’s richest state with 1.78 lakh millionaire households.

·         It is followed by Delhi (79,800); Tamil Nadu, TN (72,600); Karnataka (68,800); and Gujarat (68,300) ranked at 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th position, respectively.

·         Cumulatively, the top 10 states in India account for over 79% of the millionaire families.

·         Mumbai has emerged as the ‘Millionaire Capital’ with 1.42 lakh millionaire households, followed by New Delhi, i (68,200) and Bengaluru, (31,600) ranked at 2nd and 3rd position, respectively.

·         As per the latest Luxury Consumer Survey 2025’, HDFC Bank Limited emerged as the most preferred Indian private bank and Citibank was voted as the top international private bank.

 

13.    CAG RELEASES STATES FINANCES 2022-23 REPORT

·         The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India released its report titled “State Finances – 2022-23: A Decadal Analysis,” which noted that in Financial Year 2022-23 (FY23), 16 States recorded a revenue surplus, while 12 States reported a revenue deficit.

·         During FY23, the total revenue receipts of the 28 States was Rs.35,13,095 crore (cr) which was 22.96% of their combined GSDP (Gross State Domestic Product) of Rs.2,59,57,705 cr.

·         The following is the composition of revenue receipts: States’ Own Tax Revenue (SOTR) constituted 48%.

·         Union Taxes constituted 27%., Central grants constituted 17%.,States’ Non-Tax Revenue (SNTR) constituted 7.80%.

·         The total Finance Commission (FC) grants under various categories, including certain grants for health sector, was Rs.1,72,849 cr.

·         The largest share of the total, about 50%, was revenue deficit grants, followed by 26% Panchayati Raj Institution (PRI) grants.

 

14.   INDIAN CELEBRITY BRAND RANKINGS

·        American global financial advisory firm, Kroll released the annual edition of report titled ‘Kroll Celebrity Brand Valuation 2024’. 

·        As per the report, Indian cricketer Virat Kohli has retained the top spot in 2024 with a brand value of USD 231.1 million

·        Indian Actor Ranveer Singh retained 2nd position and Shah Rukh Khan continues to hold 3rd spot for the 2nd consecutive year.

·        Indian actor Alia Bhatt, ranked at 4th spot with total brand valuation of USD 116.4 million, has emerged as the most valued female celebrity in the list.

 

15.    RBI CANCELS REGISTRATION CERTIFICATE OF DATTA FINANCE AND TRADING

·         The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has cancelled the Certification of Registration (CoR) of Datta Finance and Trading Private Limited, a Non-Financial Banking Company (NBFC), due to its irregular lending processes.

·         The company has violated guidelines on code of conduct in outsourcing of financial services in its digital lending operations.

 

16.    BOB LAUNCHES ERUPI P2P DIGITAL GIFTING ON BOB इ(E) PAY UPI

·         BANK of Baroda (BoB) launched an industry-first eRUPI Person-to-Person (P2P) Digital Gifting feature on its bob इ(e) Pay UPI (Unified Payments Interface) application, leveraging the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI)’s eRUPI system.

·         The launch marks a new milestone in India’s digital payments ecosystem by enabling customers to send purpose-specific prepaid digital vouchers.

·         Issued for values ranging from Rs. 1 to Rs. 10,000. Users can issue an unlimited number of vouchers, subject to the prevailing daily UPI transaction limit.

·         Redeemable at UPI-enabled merchants across platforms.

·         It is  Non-transferable and refunded if unredeemed within validity.

·         Limit: Unlimited vouchers subject to daily UPI transaction cap.

·         Initially available for the Food category.

·         This innovation strengthens the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) vision of Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) adoption and expands eRUPI from Business-to-Consumer (B2C) to P2P usage.

 

17.    SEBI RAISED CUSTODIAN NET WORTH REQUIREMENT TO RS 75 CRORE FOR RISK MANAGEMENT

·         The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has raised the minimum net worth requirement for custodians from existing Rs 50 crore to Rs 75 crore, aimed at strengthening risk management systems.

·         Following the amendment, these regulations are now known as ‘SEBI (Custodian) (Amendment) Regulations, 2025.’

·         As per SEBI, the provisions of the new regulations will come into force 6 months from the date of their publication in the official gazette.

·         The existing custodians are required to meet the new capital adequacy requirement within 3 years from the date of new regulations commencement.

·         SEBI has also clarified that new capital adequacy requirement must be maintained separately from other business requirements.

·         SEBI has outlined certain responsibilities for custodians such as: maintaining appropriate governance structure, risk management policies, and scalable infrastructure and appropriate technical capacity.

·         Restrictions on Custodians: The new regulations prohibit the custodian to make any exaggerated statement whether oral or written to the clients either about its qualifications, capabilities or achievements regarding services rendered to clients.

·         As per SEBI’s directions, the custodians are required to implement internal control and financial and operational measures to prevent financial loss due to theft, fraud, professional misconduct, among others.