Daily Current Affairs – 03-10-2025
Tamil Nadu News
Tamil Nadu Government Announces ‘Gandhian Guardian’ Award for 5 Policemen
The Tamil Nadu government has announced the ‘Gandhian Guardian’ award for 2025 for five policemen who demonstrated exceptional performance in enforcing prohibition laws.
Awardees:
P. Nagarajan – Inspector, Central Intelligence Division, Villupuram District
M. Satchidanandan – Sub-Inspector, Auroville Police Station, Villupuram District
S. Manikandan – Sub-Inspector, Chinna Salem Police Station, Kallakurichi District
K. Gunanathan – Sub-Inspector, Puthur Police Station, Cuddalore District
Va. Pe. Kannan – Head Constable, Central Intelligence Division, Salem District
Award Details:
Presentation: By Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Republic Day, January 26, 2026
Cash Prize: ₹40,000 for each recipient
National News
Government Approves 57 New Kendriya Vidyalayas Across 17 States and UTs
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by PM Narendra Modi, has approved the establishment of 57 new Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs) across 17 states and Union Territories.
Key Highlights:
School Distribution:
20 schools in districts without existing KVs
14 schools in aspirational districts selected by NITI Aayog
4 schools in LWE-affected districts
5 schools in the Northeast or hilly regions
Estimated Cost: ₹5,862.55 crore over 9 years (capital + operational expenses)
Student Impact: Each KV expected to accommodate ~1,520 students, benefiting around 86,640 students
Current Numbers: Adds to the existing 1,288 KVs nationwide
Facilities: Pre-primary sections (Balvatikas) included
Cabinet Raises MSP for Six Rabi Crops; Wheat Sees ₹160 Hike
The Union Cabinet announced an increase in Minimum Support Prices (MSPs) for six Rabi crops for the 2026-27 marketing season, with wheat seeing a rise of ₹160 per quintal over the current MSP.
Wheat: MSP increased by ₹160 to support the government’s production target of 119 million tonnes for 2025-26, up 1.26% from last year’s 117.51 million tonnes. Wheat procurement during RMS 2025-26 reached 29.98 million tonnes, benefitting 23.54 lakh farmers with MSP payments totaling ₹71,758 crore.
Barley: MSP set at ₹2,150 per quintal, up ₹170 (8.59%) from last year.
Safflower: Highest increase both in absolute and percentage terms; MSP now ₹6,540 per quintal, up ₹600.
Rapeseed & Mustard: MSP increased by ₹250 to ₹6,200 per quintal.
Lentil (Masur): MSP fixed at ₹7,000 per quintal, up ₹300 from last year.
Gram (Chana): MSP raised by ₹225 to ₹5,875 per quintal.
Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses
In a separate decision, the Union Cabinet approved the Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses, aimed at boosting domestic production and achieving self-sufficiency.
Duration: 2025-26 to 2030-31 (6 years)
Outlay: ₹11,440 crore
Goal: Increase production and reduce dependency on imports for pulses
Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan stated that the MSP hike was announced one day ahead of Dussehra.
Indian-made H125 helicopters to roll out from Kolar in 2027
India’s first private-sector helicopter final assembly line will be set up at Vemagal in Kolar district, Karnataka, by Tata Advanced Systems Ltd (TASL) in collaboration with Airbus.
The facility will produce the Airbus H125 light multi-role helicopters.
The “Made in India” H125 will cater to civil and para-public markets, and also meet the Indian armed forces’ requirements, especially for operations in Himalayan high-altitude regions.
The first delivery of the indigenously assembled H125 helicopter is expected by early 2027.
ANRF launches SARAL to simplify scientific research papers
The Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF), India’s newest science funding body, has unveiled a new AI-powered tool called SARAL (Simplified and Automated Research Amplification and Learning) to make complex research papers more understandable to the general public.
Purpose of SARAL: The tool will generate easy-to-read summaries of technical research, and convert them into videos, podcasts, posters, and presentations for wider outreach.
Focus: According to CEO Shivkumar Kalyanaraman, ANRF aims to leverage deep science and engineering to create deep-tech products and start-ups.
Future Plans: ANRF will also build an AI Science & Engineering Open India Stack, expected to boost fields such as drug and chemical discovery, aerospace design, climate & weather analysis, and advanced materials.
💰 Funding Support
In July, the Union Cabinet approved a ₹1 lakh crore Research Development and Innovation Scheme, offering low-interest, long-tenure loans to private firms for R&D investments.
ANRF will act as a single-window clearance mechanism for research funding in universities and academic institutions.
Around 70% of its funding is expected from private sources.
It has also absorbed many responsibilities of the former Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB).
₹100 Commemorative Coin Featuring Bharat Mata Released
To mark the 100-year journey of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled a ₹100 commemorative coin and a special postage stamp.
The coin features the national emblem on one side and an image of Bharat Mata standing with a lion in Varada mudra, being saluted by RSS volunteers, on the other. This is the first time a coin with Bharat Mata's image has been officially released in independent India.
PM Modi described this as a moment of pride and a tribute to the nation’s cultural spirit.
Sports News
India Tops Junior World Cup Medal Table with 26 Medals
India dominated the Junior World Cup at the Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Range, Tughlakabad, finishing on top of the medal tally with 26 medals – 8 gold, 10 silver, and 8 bronze.
Sports Pistol (Women): Aleksandra Tikhonova (AIN) won gold, defeating India’s Tejaswani 33-30 in a close final. Qualification leader Tejaswani (580) had been tied 26-26 before the last two series of five shots, but Tikhonova clinched the victory with 7 hits in the final 10 shots.
Sports Pistol (Men): Mukesh Nelavalli won gold in the non-Olympic junior men’s event with a score of 585, while Aleksandr Kovalev (AIN) took silver.
Mixed Trap: India narrowly missed a medal in the mixed team trap. Addya Katyal and Arjun scored 136, finishing 5th, just one point short.
Other Highlights:
AIN (Independent Neutral Athletes) finished second with 5 gold, 3 silver, 4 bronze.
Italy secured third with 2 gold, 2 silver, 1 bronze, while Czechia, Croatia, Spain, Finland, Cyprus, and Iran also featured in the medal standings.
Dharambir, Atul Extend India’s Medal Tally at World Para Athletics 2025
India added more medals on the fifth day of the 2025 World Para Athletics Championships, despite heavy monsoon rains affecting events.
Dharambir Nain won a silver medal in the men’s club throw F51, with a final attempt of 29.71m, finishing behind Serbia’s Aleksandar Radisic. Dharambir, 36, had previously won a bronze medal and was India’s flag-bearer at the opening ceremony.
Atul Kaushik contributed a bronze medal in the men’s discus throw F57, throwing 45.61m.
Several Indian athletes narrowly missed medals:
19-year-old Haney finished 4th in men’s discus F37 on his debut.
Dilip Gavit, Asiad gold medallist, came 4th in men’s 400m T47.
Pranav Soorma, Paris Paralympics silver medallist, finished 5th in club throw F51, achieving a season-best 28.19m.
World Records:
Saeid Afrooz (Iran, men’s javelin F34) and Safia Djelal (Algeria, women’s shot put F57) broke their own world records during the morning session.
China Open 2025: Jannik Sinner Wins Title
World No.1 Jannik Sinner clinched the China Open men’s singles title, defeating American Daniil Medvedev 6-2, 6-2 in the final.
This marks Sinner’s 21st career title, having also won here in 2023.
He had earlier finished runner-up to Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open final.
In the history of the tournament, Djokovic has won six titles, while American legend Laver has lifted the trophy three times.
Sinner will now enter next week’s Hong Kong Masters as the defending champion.
62nd National Chess Championship – Guntur, Andhra Pradesh
Champion: GM P. Iniyan (Tamil Nadu) – 9 points (7 wins, 4 draws).
Key Wins:
9th round – beat GM Deepan Chakkravarthy.
10th round – beat GM Sasi Kiran.
Participation: 395 players (including 14 GMs, 30 IMs).
Medal Winners:
Silver – GM Gautham Krishna (Kerala).
Bronze – GM Sasi Kiran (Petroleum Sports Promotion Board).
Personalities, Awards and Events
Elon Musk Becomes First Person to Reach $500 Billion Net Worth
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has become the first individual in history to reach a net worth of nearly $500 billion, according to Forbes.
Musk’s wealth surge is driven by a rebound in Tesla shares and rising valuations of his other tech ventures.
As of September 15, he holds over 12.4% stake in Tesla, which has gained more than 14% in value this year.
Forbes’ Billionaires Index reported his net worth at $500.1 billion marking a historic milestone.
Legendary Thumri Vocalist Pandit Chhannulal Mishra Passes Away
Pandit Chhannulal Mishra, renowned Thumri and semi-classical vocalist, passed away on Thursday due to age-related ailments, leaving behind a rich musical legacy.
Born on August 3, 1936, in Hariharpur, Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Mishra was trained in the Kirana and Benaras Gharanas, blending classical rigor with semi-classical lyrical nuances.
He began singing on the ghats of Varanasi, and his voice became symbolic of the spiritual confluence of Lord Shiva’s damru and the Ganga.
Mishra collaborated with Ustad Bismillah Khan and occasionally performed ghazals, merging poetic lyricism with ragas like Bhairavi and Kafi.
Known for his devotional and accessible music, he elevated classical music for lay listeners and performed in Awadhi, Brijbhasha, Urdu, and Sanskrit, exploring themes of mysticism, longing, and cosmic rhythm.
His repertoire included Khayal, Thumri, Chaiti, Hori, and devotional songs inspired by poets from Tulsidas to Kabir.
Mishra reached younger audiences with film songs, notably singing “Saans Albeli” in Prakash Jha’s Aarakshan (2011).
A recipient of the Padma Vibhushan, he also became a symbol of cultural nationalism in 2014 when he was among the proposers for Narendra Modi’s BJP candidacy from Varanasi.
Reports and Indices
Crimes Against Senior Citizens: Tamil Nadu Ranks 4th (NCRB Report)
📌 NCRB Report 2023
Total crimes in India – 62,41,569 (↑7.2% from 2022).
Crimes Against Senior Citizens – 27,886; Tamil Nadu ranks 4th.
Key Highlights:
Murder Cases (Top 5 States): UP (3,206), Bihar (2,862), Maharashtra (2,208), MP (1,832), Rajasthan (1,804).
Tamil Nadu – 1,681; Puducherry – 28.
Economic Crimes: Highest – Rajasthan (27,675).
Tamil Nadu – 6,661; Puducherry – 94.
Crimes Against Women: Highest – UP (66,381).
Tamil Nadu – 8,943 (including 365 sexual assaults).
Puducherry – 212.
Crimes Against Scheduled Castes: Highest – UP (15,130).
Tamil Nadu – 1,921; Puducherry – 4.
Crimes Against Children: Highest – MP (22,393).
Tamil Nadu – 6,968; Puducherry – 156.
Road Accidents (2023): Total – 4,64,029; Deaths – 1,73,826.
Two-wheeler deaths highest in Tamil Nadu (11,490), followed by UP (8,370).
Family Suicides: Highest in Tamil Nadu – 58; Kerala – 17.
Corruption Crimes: Tamil Nadu – 302; Puducherry – 4.
Exam Pointers:
Tamil Nadu ranks 4th in crimes against senior citizens.
TN leads in family suicides (58) and two-wheeler accident deaths (11,490).
Total crimes in India increased by 7.2% in 2023.
M3M Hurun India Rich List 2025 – Mukesh Ambani Takes Top Spot
Mukesh Ambani, Chairman of Reliance Group, has topped the M3M Hurun India Rich List 2025.
His total net worth stands at ₹9.55 lakh crore, despite a 6% drop from the previous year.
In second place is Gautam Adani, with a net worth of ₹8.14 lakh crore. His wealth had surged in 2023 but was impacted by the Hindenburg report.
At third is Roshni Nadar Malhotra (HCL Chairperson) with ₹2.84 lakh crore, followed by Cyrus Poonawalla (₹2.46 lakh crore) and Kumar Mangalam Birla (₹2.32 lakh crore).
🔸 The list includes 1,687 individuals with wealth over ₹1,000 crore
🔸 148 are new entrants this year
🔸 Aravind Srinivas, 31-year-old founder of Perplexity from Chennai, is the youngest billionaire with ₹21,190 crore
🔹 The total wealth of those on the list is ₹167 lakh crore, equivalent to half of India’s GDP
According to Hurun Research, a new billionaire has emerged every week in India over the past two years. Those on the list collectively generate ₹1,991 crore in wealth per day.
Economy News
GST Collection in September Hits ₹1.89 Lakh Crore — 9.1% Growth
India’s GST collection for September 2025 stood at ₹1.89 lakh crore, marking a 9.1% increase compared to ₹1.73 lakh crore in September 2024, and a 1.5% rise from last month’s ₹1.86 lakh crore.
The spike follows a major GST rate restructuring on September 22, reducing four tax slabs (5%, 12%, 18%, 28%) to two (5% and 18%). Key changes:
99% of goods under 12% moved to 5%
90% of goods under 28% moved to 18%
Daily-use items now largely fall under tax-exempt or 5% category
Impact:
Lower prices for around 375 products, including essentials and automobiles
Officials attribute the boost in collections to increased consumption post-reform
Additional Data:
Domestic GST revenue: ₹1.36 lakh crore (+6.8%)
Import-related GST: ₹52,492 crore (+15.6%)
Refunds issued: ₹28,657 crore (↑40.1% YoY)
Experts say that despite slow demand earlier in the month, a late surge in consumption balanced it out. So far, the monthly average GST revenue for FY 2025–26 is just under ₹2 lakh crore, higher than ₹1.8 lakh crore last year.
April 2025 saw a record collection of ₹2.37 lakh crore, the highest ever.
RBI Keeps Repo Rate Unchanged at 5.5%
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has announced that the repo rate will remain unchanged at 5.5%, following the latest Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting led by Governor Shaktikanta Das. This is the second consecutive time there has been no change in the rate.
As a result, loan EMIs for housing, vehicle, and personal loans, along with bank deposit interest rates, will stay the same.
Key Highlights:
India’s GDP growth forecast revised to 6.8% from 6.5%.
Inflation expected to ease to 2.6%.
No charges to be introduced on UPI transactions.
Blocking mobile numbers of reliable loan payers is still under review.
Loan limit against company shares may increase from ₹20 lakh to ₹1 crore.
If the US 50% tariff impact deepens, rate cuts may be considered.
RBI continues to monitor the rupee's value against US and European currencies.
The next MPC meeting is scheduled from December 3 to 5.
International News
India-China Direct Flights to Resume from October 26
After a five-year gap, direct flights between India and China will resume starting October 26, beginning with IndiGo’s Kolkata–Kunming route.
Flight services were suspended in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and further strained by the Galwan Valley clash between Indian and Chinese troops. Following de-escalation and troop withdrawal, bilateral relations have gradually improved.
Amid increasing global trade tensions, particularly from US tariff actions, India and China are now exploring cooperation in various sectors. Recently, PM Modi attended the SCO summit in China, signaling efforts toward diplomatic engagement.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs confirmed that more flights may be added. Air India is expected to launch additional direct services to China by the end of the year.
Russian President Vladimir Putin to Visit India on December 5
Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit India on December 5 to attend the annual India-Russia summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The visit comes at a time when India-Russia ties are strengthening, especially following Western criticism of India’s continued oil trade with Russia.
Ahead of Putin’s visit, key meetings—such as the Inter-Governmental Commission and Defence & Military-Technical Cooperation Talks—will be held to finalize several bilateral agreements. These agreements are expected to be announced during the Modi-Putin summit.
Amidst the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, Putin’s visit is seen as geopolitically significant, especially with Russia defying pressure from the West. To finalize the visit, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will travel to India next month.
Putin last visited India in 2021, and Modi visited Russia in July 2024. The two leaders also held a private discussion during the SCO Summit in Xi'an, China, earlier this year.