Daily Current Affairs – 17-09-2025
International News
Unilever Appoints Srinivas Phatak as New CFO
Consumer goods giant Unilever PLC has officially appointed Srinivas Phatak as its new Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Phatak, who had been serving as acting CFO since March 2025, will also join the company’s board with immediate effect.
The appointment follows the promotion of his predecessor Fernando Fernandez to Chief Executive earlier this year. Unilever recently removed former CEO Hein Schumacher less than two years into his role, signaling the board’s dissatisfaction with the pace of restructuring.
Phatak, a company veteran who joined Unilever in 1999 in India in finance and commercial roles, became Deputy CFO and Controller in 2022 before stepping in as acting CFO.
India-Mauritius
President Droupadi Murmu has emphasized that India’s relations with Mauritius are expanding in the fields of space, energy, and industry.
Mauritian Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth, along with his family, was on an official visit to India from September 9 to 16. On Tuesday, he met President Murmu in Delhi.
🔹 The President noted that Mauritius holds a special place under India’s “Andaman Policy”, and bilateral ties are steadily growing into a strong strategic partnership.
🔹 Special economic initiatives by India have supported the development of hospitals, roads, ports, defense procurement, and infrastructure in Mauritius.
🔹 Both leaders reaffirmed that India-Mauritius friendship is deeply rooted in history, language, and culture.
During his visit, PM Jugnauth also met Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in Delhi, where discussions centered on further strengthening bilateral relations. Rahul Gandhi later shared a photograph, stating he discussed the “deep friendship between the people of both nations.”
Additionally, PM Jugnauth and his wife visited Ayodhya, Tirupati, and Varanasi, highlighting cultural and spiritual ties. Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan also met the Mauritian leader.
Sports News
Kipyegon Creates History with Fourth World 1,500m Title
Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon etched her name in athletics history by winning an unprecedented fourth World Championship gold in the women’s 1,500m. She powered through the final lap to clock 3:52.15 minutes.
This feat equals the legendary record of Morocco’s Hicham El Guerrouj, who won four men’s titles between 1997 and 2003.
Apollo Tyres Named Principal Sponsor of Indian Cricket Team in ₹579 Crore Deal
Apollo Tyres, a global tire manufacturing company headquartered in Gurugram, has been appointed as the principal sponsor of the Indian cricket team.
🔹 As per the BCCI announcement, Apollo Tyres will sponsor both the men’s and women’s teams until March 2028.
🔹 The deal is valued at ₹579 crore, with the company’s logo to appear on team jerseys across formats.
🔹 Under the agreement, the Indian teams are scheduled to play 121 T20 matches and 21 ICC fixtures.
🔹 This marks Apollo Tyres’ first foray into cricket sponsorship.
🔹 The previous sponsor, Dream11, had signed a ₹358 crore deal until 2026 but withdrew midway following the government’s ban on online money-based gaming under the new Online Gaming Regulation Act.
Tamil Nadu News
Tamil Nadu Signs MoU with French Region to Boost Tourism, Culture
The Tamil Nadu government on Tuesday signed an MoU with Centre-Val de Loire, France, to strengthen tourism and cultural exchange. The agreement was signed at the Secretariat in the presence of Chief Minister M.K. Stalin and French Consul-General Etienne Rolland-Piegue.
According to an official release, the MoU will promote artist exchange, sharing best practices in tourism and governance, and cooperation in archaeological conservation and museum maintenance.
Chennai Leads in AC Usage
A study by IFOREST has found that Chennai tops AC usage among seven Indian metros, with households running units for an average of 4.4 hours daily. Nearly 23% of homes own more than two ACs, double the national average.
🔹 Frequent refrigerant refilling, often without fixing leaks, is driving high greenhouse gas emissions, costing families about ₹2,300 annually.
🔹 In 2024 alone, refrigerant leaks contributed to 52 million tonnes of CO₂-equivalent emissions, comparable to millions of cars.
🔹 IFOREST has urged India to adopt a lifecycle refrigerant management system, ensuring mandatory recovery, recycling, technician training, and producer responsibility.
Veteran Actress M.N. Rajam to be Honored with Lifetime Achievement Award
Renowned actress M.N. Rajam will be conferred with the Lifetime Achievement Award by the South Indian Artistes’ Association.
🔹 A leading star between the 1950s and late 1960s, she has acted in over 200 films.
🔹 Her memorable roles include classics like ‘Ratha Kanneer’, ‘Pennin Perumai’, ‘Puthaiyal’, ‘Thanga Pathumai’, ‘Nadodi Mannan’, ‘Pasamalar’, and ‘Alibabavum 40 Thirudargalum’.
🔹 Having recently celebrated her 90th birthday, the award will be presented to her at the Association’s General Body Meeting on September 21 at Kamarajar Arangam, Chennai.
Supreme Court Orders Formation of Expert Panel on Palar River Pollution
The Supreme Court, while hearing a case on pollution in the Palar River, has directed the formation of a technical expert committee to monitor and curb industrial contamination.
🔹 The Palar River, flowing through Vellore, Ranipet, and Tirupattur districts in Tamil Nadu, faces severe pollution from effluents discharged by tanning and chemical industries.
🔹 The Tamil Nadu government has already set up a monitoring committee, which identified six polluting industries during 2023–24 and initiated action against them.
🔹 The bench instructed that legal measures must be taken against industries violating norms and emphasized the need for continuous monitoring.
🔹 The newly formed committee has been ordered to submit audit reports every six months on pollution levels in the river.
🔹 Additionally, the Madras High Court and the Vellore District Judges have been directed to provide six-monthly reports on the progress of pollution control measures.
CM Stalin Lays Foundation for New Industrial Parks – Inaugurates 4 Parks
Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Tuesday inaugurated new industrial parks through video conference from the Secretariat.
🔹 Foundation stone laid for 18 new industrial parks in Tamil Nadu.
🔹 4 newly established industrial parks were inaugurated.
🔹 New parks in Tiruppattur, Tirunelveli, Chengalpattu, and Tiruvarur districts will create around 5,200 job opportunities.
🔹 Common effluent treatment plants and amenity centers were inaugurated in Thirupuvanavasal and Tiruchengode.
🔹 Foundation stones were also laid for infrastructure development projects in Erode, Tiruppuvalai, and other locations to boost industrial growth.
Important Points
Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare – M.R.K. Panneerselvam
Minister for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises – T.M. Anbarasan
Chief Secretary – Na. Muruganandam
Secretary, MSME Department – Aswal Anand
Chairman, Tamil Nadu Small Industries Development Corporation (SIDCO) – R. Karthik
National News
India’s Vegetable Oil Imports Rise by 7% in August
India’s vegetable oil imports (edible & non-edible) rose by 7% in August 2024, despite an overall decline in import activity, according to the Solvent Extractors’ Association of India (SEOA).
🔹 Imports stood at 1.677 million tonnes, up from 1.563 million tonnes in August 2023.
🔹 Edible oil imports increased to 1.621 million tonnes, while palm oil imports sharply dropped from 92,130 tonnes to 8,000 tonnes.
🔹 Non-edible oil imports were recorded at 55,821 tonnes.
🔹 Vegetable oils with sugar content rose from 0.7 million tonnes to 0.979 million tonnes.
🔹 India, the world’s largest importer of edible oils, had 1.865 million tonnes of edible oil stock as of September 1, 2024.
🔹 India’s key suppliers include Indonesia and Malaysia (palm oil), Argentina, Brazil, and Russia (soybean oil), and Russia & Ukraine (sunflower oil).
Karnataka HC Voids Congress MLA’s Win
The Karnataka High Court has annulled the election victory of Congress MLA K.V. Nanjesha Kola from the Mangaluru constituency and ordered a recount of votes within 4 weeks.
🔹 In the 2023 Assembly polls, Nanjesha Kola won with 50,955 votes, defeating BJP’s K.S. Manjunath Kola by a narrow margin of 248 votes.
🔹 Alleging irregularities in counting, Manjunath Kola had filed a petition seeking a recount.
🔹 After two years of hearing, Justice R. Sekaran ruled the victory invalid and directed a fresh recount.
🔹 The court also instructed former Coimbatore District Election Officer Venkataraj to verify the authenticity of CDs provided by a private company relating to vote counting.
🔹 To facilitate an appeal, the order has been suspended for 30 days. If the Supreme Court does not grant an interim stay within this period, the Mangaluru seat will be declared vacant.
Meghalaya Cabinet Reshuffle: 8 New Ministers Sworn In
A major cabinet reshuffle took place in Meghalaya, led by Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma, on Tuesday. Eight ministers resigned and were replaced with new appointees, maintaining the same level of party representation in the coalition government.
🔹 Those who resigned included four from the National People’s Party (NPP), two from the United Democratic Party (UDP), one from the Hill State People’s Democratic Party (HSPDP), and one from the BJP.
🔹 The Governor of Meghalaya, C.H. Viswanatha, accepted their resignations and administered the oath of office and secrecy to the new ministers at the Raj Bhavan in Shillong.
🔹 The new ministers sworn in were Timothy D. Shira, Wailmic G. Sangma, Sosthenes Sangma, Preonis I. Sangma (NPP); Justine V. Tok, Lakmen Rymbui (UDP); Sanbor Callaway (BJP); and Mentodious Dkhar (HSPDP).
🔹 Their respective portfolios were allocated soon after the swearing-in ceremony.
🔹 The reshuffle was carried out based on factors such as regional and community representation and the preferences of coalition partners.
SC Collegium Recommends Two Madras High Court Judges for Permanent Appointment
The Supreme Court Collegium has recommended the names of Justice N. Senthil Kumar and Justice G. Arul Murugan, currently additional judges of the Madras High Court, for appointment as permanent judges.
🔹 The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud along with Justices Sanjiv Khanna and B.R. Gavai.
🔹 Both judges were appointed as additional judges in 2023.
🔹 Recommendations were also made for judicial appointments in the Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, and Tripura High Courts.
Personalities, Awards and Events
Poompuhar State Awards for 2024–25
To uplift the livelihoods of skilled artisans from backward regions, the state government conferred the Poompuhar State Awards for 2024–25.
Award details: Each recipient received a cash prize of ₹50,000, a gold medal, and a certificate. The awards recognized excellence in Panchaloha sculptures, Thanjavur paintings, wood carvings, clay work, palm leaf crafts, natural fiber products, nail art, netty work, and more.
Notable awardees:
J. Venkatraman (Panchaloha sculpture, Thanjavur)
C. Ramesh (Thanjavur painting, Thanjavur)
M. Kuppusamy (Thanjavur painting, Chennai)
C. Gopalakrishnan (Wood carving, Cuddalore)
K. Murugan (Wood carving, Kallakurichi)
Ra. Hari Krishnan (Mineral sculpture, Madurai)
C. Ramesh Meera Beevi (Palm leaf craft, Tirunelveli)
G. Sri Kumari (Natural fiber products, Kanyakumari)
Pa. Mohan (Nail art, Chennai)
Ra. Gokulraj (Netty work, Thanjavur)