Daily Current Affairs – 18-09-2025
International News
India to Launch Pilot Projects in Venezuela
India has decided to start pilot projects in Venezuela in priority sectors such as agriculture, pharmaceuticals, and digital public infrastructure. The announcement came during the India visit of Raul Hernandez, Venezuela’s Vice-Minister for ICT Development, who was on a four-day trip.
Both sides agreed to cooperate in these areas, while also discussing training and capacity building in Artificial Intelligence (AI). Venezuela expressed interest in sending its professionals to India for technical training.
Talks also covered cooperation in space, pharma, and tourism. Mr. Hernandez met P. Kumaran, Secretary (East), MEA, and interacted with institutions like NISG (Smart Governance), UIDAI (Aadhaar), NeGD (DigiLocker), and AI Bhashini.
Meanwhile, India’s Ambassador P.K. Ashok Babu met Venezuela’s Agriculture Minister Julio Leon Heredia to explore collaboration in agriculture and livestock.
As per the MEA, bilateral trade between India and Venezuela in 2024–25 was around $1.8 billion, with $216 million exports from India and $1.6 billion imports.
China Urges U.S., Japan to Withdraw Typhon Missile System
China on Tuesday demanded that the U.S. and Japan withdraw the Typhon mid-range missile system, after it was showcased for the first time during the ongoing “Resolute Dragon” military drills in Japan.
Beijing said the move ignored its security concerns and expressed “strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition.”
Economy News
SBI Divests 13.2% Yes Bank Stake to Sumitomo for ₹8,889 Crore
India’s largest lender, the State Bank of India (SBI), has announced that it has completed the divestment of about 13.18% stake in Yes Bank. The stake has been sold to Japan’s Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC) for a consideration of ₹8,888.97 crore.
According to SBI’s regulatory filing, the bank has already received the funds from SMBC, which is part of the Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group (SMFG) — a leading Japanese multinational financial services company.
Ministry Notifies New Central GST Tax Rates
The Union Finance Ministry has issued a notification announcing the new Central GST (CGST) tax rates, which will come into effect from September 22. Following this, states will now be required to notify the State GST (SGST) rates applicable on goods and services from Monday.
Under the GST framework, revenue is equally shared between the Centre and the States. Beginning Monday, the tax system will shift to a two-tier structure, simplifying the earlier model.
As per the new arrangement:
5% and 18% GST will apply to the majority of goods and services.
Ultra-luxury items will be taxed at 40%.
Tobacco and related products will continue in the 28% slab plus cess category.
Currently, GST is levied under four slabs — 5%, 12%, 18% and 28%. With this reform, the structure will now be reduced to two main slabs, aimed at simplification and greater compliance.
Personalities, Awards and Events
Arutchelvar Translation Awards Announced
The Arutchelvar N. Mahalingam Translation Centre has announced the winners of the annual Arutchelvar Translation Awards for this year.
The selection committee, which met on September 10, included reviewer K. Padmanickam, critic Saravanan Manickavasagam, and translator M. Senthilkumar as judges. They finalized the list of awardees across three categories.
First Prize (₹2 Lakhs shared):
G. Kuppusamy for translating Arundhati Roy’s The God of Small Things into Tamil (Sinna Vishayangalin Kadavul).
Anuradha Krishnaswamy for translating Geetanjali Shree’s Tomb of Sand into Tamil (Manal Samadhi).
Second Prize (₹50,000 each):
Kulinjavalan for translating T.D. Ramakrishnan’s Malayalam novel Maathru African into Tamil.
Kayal for translating Abdul Rasheed Sooranad’s Porozhintha Vaazhvu into Tamil.
Third Prize (₹25,000 each):
Darumi for translating Charles Allen’s historical work Ashoka the Great into Tamil (Perasan Asokan).
Padmaja Narayanan for translating Robin Dattilson’s travelogue into Tamil (Thadangal).
Anuradha Anand for translating a collection of contemporary English short stories into Tamil (Azhikka Mudiyatha Oru Sol).
Isra for translating K.N. Sivaraj Pillai’s English research work into Tamil (Tamil Nilathil Agasthiyar).
Sports News
Speed Skating: India Wins 2 Golds at World Championship
India has scripted history at the Speed Skating World Championship in China, winning two gold medals in different categories.
In the senior men’s 1,000-meter sprint, India’s V. Anandkumar clinched gold with a timing of 1 minute 24.924 seconds, securing India’s first-ever gold medal in this championship. Italy’s Duccio Marsili took silver (1:25.145), while Paraguay’s Julio Mitreña claimed bronze (1:25.466). Anandkumar also bagged a bronze medal in the senior men’s 500-meter sprint, finishing in 42.892 seconds.
In the junior men’s 1,000-meter sprint, India’s Girish Sharma struck gold by finishing in 1 minute 29.296 seconds. China’s Lu Quwenbo won silver (1:30.243), and Chile’s Gabriel Reyes secured bronze (2:30.453).
Varun Chakravarthy Becomes World’s No. 1 T20 Bowler
Indian spinner Varun Chakravarthy has created history by becoming the world’s No.1 T20 bowler in the latest ICC rankings. This is the first time in his career that he has secured the top spot
With this achievement, Varun becomes only the third Indian bowler to hold the No.1 position, after Jasprit Bumrah and Ravi Bishnoi. His rise comes during the ongoing Asia Cup T20 tournament, where he took 1 wicket against Ireland and climbed 3 places to displace New Zealand’s Joshua Little, who had been at the top since March.
Among other Indians, Kuldeep Yadav surged 16 spots to 23rd, Axar Patel moved to 12th, and Jasprit Bumrah rose to 40th. In the all-rounders category, Hardik Pandya remains No.1, while Abhishek Sharma has climbed to 14th.
In the batting rankings, Abhishek Sharma continues as the top-ranked batter. Shubman Gill improved to 39th, Tilak Varma slipped to 4th, and captain Suryakumar Yadav dropped to 7th.
👉 With Varun Chakravarthy’s achievement, India now dominates the ICC T20 rankings in all three categories — batters, bowlers, and all-rounder
Reports and Indices
Top 100 Business Schools Globally: IIM Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Kolkata Recognized
According to the latest rankings released by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), a global higher education analytics firm based in London, 14 Indian institutions have been featured among the world’s top 100 business schools.
Notably, IIM Bangalore, IIM Ahmedabad, and IIM Kolkata have secured strong positions. IIM Bangalore climbed from the 53rd rank last year to the 52nd rank this year, while IIM Ahmedabad moved up two spots to the 56th rank, and IIM Kolkata secured the 64th rank.
The rankings were prepared after evaluating 390 institutions from 80 countries and regions.
Top 10 Business Schools – QS Ranking
Penn (Wharton), USA
Harvard Business School, USA
Stanford Graduate School of Business, USA
London Business School, UK
HEC Paris, France
INSEAD, France
Cambridge Judge Business School, UK
INSEAD (listed again separately in QS list), France
Northwestern Kellogg, USA
Columbia Business School, US
National News
PM MITRA Park in Dhar
On 17 September 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for India’s first Pradhan Mantri Mega Integrated Textile Region and Apparel (PM MITRA) Park in Bhainsola village, Dhar district, Madhya Pradesh.
The park spans 2,158 acres, and is being developed under the PM MITRA scheme by the Ministry of Textiles. It will include world-class infrastructure: a common effluent treatment plant (20 MLD), a solar power unit (10 MVA), reliable water & electricity supply, good roads, plug-and-play units for textile units, worker housing and social amenities.
Investment commitments have already crossed ₹20,000+ crore from dozens of textile companies. It is expected to generate large numbers of jobs (direct + indirect), provide better market access to cotton farmers, and help establish a full textile supply chain within the region.
Suman Sakhi Chatbot
On 17th September 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Suman Sakhi Chatbot during his visit to Dhar, Madhya Pradesh. The initiative was developed under the National Health Mission (NHM) in collaboration with the Madhya Pradesh State Electronics Development Corporation (MPSeDC). This AI-powered digital assistant has been designed to provide round-the-clock guidance on maternal and child healthcare, along with reliable information on government health schemes and welfare services, especially targeting rural women.
The Suman Sakhi Chatbot aims to bridge the gap in access to healthcare information by offering support in local languages, enabling women to quickly obtain verified answers about health facilities, safety measures, and welfare benefits. With its user-friendly interface and AI support, the chatbot will also assist in reporting grievances, connecting with helplines, and ensuring timely help for women and children. The launch is seen as a major step towards empowering women through digital inclusion and technology-driven healthcare services in India.