Daily Current Affairs- 15th September 2025

Daily Current Affairs- 15th September 2025

Tirumala Hills, Erra Matti Dibbalu Enter UNESCO Tentative List

In the News:  The Natural Heritage of Tirumala Hills (Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh) and Erra Matti Dibbalu (Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh) were added to UNESCO’s Tentative List of World Heritage Sites

Key Points:

• What has happened: Tirumala Hills (including features such as the Eparchaean Unconformity and Silathoranam natural arch) and Erra Matti Dibbalu (Red Sand Dunes) have been included in India's UNESCO Tentative List under natural heritage sites.
• Why Tentative List:  This is a mandatory first step before a site can be formally nominated for full World Heritage status.  It indicates state intent to protect and preserve these natural heritage sites. 
• About Erra Matti Dibbalu (Red Sand Dunes):
  • Located along the coast near Visakhapatnam; notified as a National Geo-heritage Monument. Area ~1,500 acres. 
  • Composed of sand, silt, clay, with distinctive reddish hue due to natural oxidation.  Contains sediment layers and dendritic drainage patterns that record sea-level fluctuations and climatic changes in the late Quaternary period.
  •  First documented by British geologist William King in 1886.  Threats: tourism, filming, unregulated construction/encroachment.
• About Tirumala Hills:  Geological features include the Eparchaean Unconformity, marking a boundary between very old (Precambrian, >2.5 billion years) rocks and younger formations (Proterozoic, the Cuddapah Supergroup).  Also includes Silathoranam (Natural Arch), located near Tirumala temple, believed to be ~1.5 billion years old.  Rich biodiversity: part of the Seshachalam Biosphere Reserve & Venkateswara National Park; includes species like red sanders, Cycas beddomei, and Jerdon’s Courser.
• Significance & Justification:
  • Geological: offers insights into Earth’s history, gap in geological record via Eparchaean Unconformity.
  •  Ecological / Biodiversity contributions.  Natural beauty and rare geomorphological formations.Research, education & tourism potential, provided conservation is ensured.
• Official Status and Process:  The sites were officially added to the Tentative List on August 27, 2025.  With this addition, India now has 69 properties on its Tentative List (49 cultural, 17 natural, 3 mixed).
• Conservation Challenges & Next Steps:  Need for regulation: curb unregulated tourism, filming and construction around these areas.   Potential for setting up buffer zones and better protection legislation.  Using the UNE SCO Tentative status to attract global recognition, funding, expertise for conservation.

Delivery of ‘Androth’ – Second ASW Shallow Water Craft to Navy

In the News: Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata, delivered Androth, the second Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW SWC) in the series, to the Indian Navy.

Key Points:

• What is Androth / ASW-SWC series:  Androth is the second ship in a series of eight ASW Shallow Water Crafts being built by GRSE for the Indian Navy.  Purpose: these crafts are designed for anti-submarine warfare in shallow/coastal waters, along with roles such as coastal surveillance, mine-laying, search & attack operations, and working in coordination with naval aircraft.
• Technical / Design Details:
  • Length: ~77 metres. 
  • Propulsion: Diesel engines with water-jet propulsion. It’s among the largest Indian naval warships using the diesel+waterjet combination.
  • Armament & sensors: Equipped with lightweight torpedoes, indigenous ASW rockets, a shallow-water SONAR, combat management system, and a 30 mm naval surface gun (indigenous) among other systems. Indigenous content: Over 80 % (some sources say ~88 %) indigenous content.
• Strategic / Symbolic Aspects: The ship is named Androth, after Androth Island in the Lakshadweep archipelago — underlining India’s commitment to guarding its maritime boundaries and littoral zones.  Supports the vision of “Aatmanirbhar Bharat” (self-reliant India) especially in defence manufacturing.
•  Timeline & Delivery Details: The delivery ceremony took place in Kolkata on 13 September 2025.  This comes about four months after the delivery of the first ASW SWC of the series, Arnala, which was delivered on 8 May 2025 and commissioned on 18 June 2025.
•  Operational Advantages & Features:  Shallow draught (~2.7 meters) allows better manoeuvrability in coastal and littoral waters. Ability to conduct sub-surface surveillance, search & attack in shallow water zones, mine-laying, and coordinate operations with aircraft.

2025 Primetime Emmy Awards

In the News: The 77th Primetime Emmy Awards were held at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. The ceremony honoured the best in U.S. prime-time TV from June 1, 2024 to May 31, 2025.

Key Points:

• Ceremony Details:
  • Host: Nate Bargatze. Date & Location: September 14, 2025, at Peacock Theater, Los Angeles.
  • Broadcast on: CBS and Paramount.
• Top Winners:  The Studio won Outstanding Comedy Series. The Pitt won Outstanding Drama Series. Adolescence won Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series.
  • Notable Individual Wins / Records: Seth Rogen won his first Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy for The Studio.
  • Noah Wyle won his first Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama for The Pitt, 26 years after his last nomination for ER. Cristin Milioti won her first Emmy for Outstanding Actress in a Limited Series or Movie for The Penguin. Owen Cooper became youngest male acting winner (Age 15 years) ever at the Emmys for Actor in a supporting role for the Adolescence.
  • Tramell Tillman made history as the first Black man to win Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for Severance. Jean Smart won her fourth Best Comedy Actress award for Hacks.
• Other Highlights & Moments:
  • The Studio set a record for the most wins for a comedy series in its debut season.
  • Severance had the most nominations across all categories (27).
  • The Studio, in contrast, was the most-nominated first-year comedy (23 nominations).
  • Acceptance speeches were in the spotlight: at least one was censored (Hannah Einbinder).
  • The host introduced a donation-linked mechanism: long acceptance speeches reduced a live donation to Boys & Girls Clubs; by the end of the show about US$350,000 was raised.

India defeats Switzerland 3–1 in Davis Cup World Group

In the News: India secured a 3-1 win over Switzerland in the Davis Cup World Group I tie held in Biel/Bienne. With this result, India has advanced to the 2026 Davis Cup Qualifiers, marking their first away victory against a European team since 1993.

Key Points:  

• Match result & significance: India beat Switzerland 3-1 in the World Group I tie. This win ensures India qualifies for the 2026 Davis Cup Qualifiers.  First time since 1993 that India has beaten a European nation away in Davis Cup. 
• Key players & performances:  Dhakshineshwar Suresh (debutant) defeated Switzerland’s Jerome Kym in straight sets to open the tie. Sumit Nagal made a strong return, winning both his singles matches including the reverse singles against Henry Bernet which sealed the tie. 
  • Doubles match: The Indian pair (N. Sriram Balaji & Rithvik Bollipalli / Rithvik Choudary Bollipalli) lost a tight doubles rubber to Jakub Paul and Dominic Stricker.
  • Venue & context: The tie was played in Biel/Bienne, Switzerland, on indoor hard court.
  • Weather/surface conditions: indoor setting helped with consistency; Swiss had home advantage but India overcame that. (Implicit from match venue info)

Jaismine Lamboria Wins Gold at World Boxing 2025

In the News:  At the World Boxing Championships 2025 held in Liverpool, India’s Jaismine Lamboria won the gold medal in the women’s 57 kg (featherweight) category, defeating Poland’s Olympic silver medallist Julia Szeremeta via a 4-1 split decision. This marked one of India’s standout performances in the tournament

Key Points:

• Who is Jaismine Lamboria / Background:
  • 24 years old, from Bhiwani, Haryana.
  • Part of a family with sporting legacy—trained by her uncles who were national-level boxers.
  • Previous accomplishments include a bronze at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
  • Represented India at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
• The Event & Opponent:
  • Event: World Boxing Championships 2025, Liverpool Arena, England.
  • Final match opponent: Julia Szeremeta from Poland, who is an Olympic silver medallist.
• The Match / Performance:
  •  Jaismine won by split decision, 4-1.
  • She was behind after the first round but turned the match around from the second round onwards, showing improved technique, mental resilience and strong strategy.
• Significance of the Win:
  • It is her first World Championship gold.
  •  India’s performance in the women’s category was among the best overseas showings: multiple medals.
  • Boosts her profile as one of India’s leading boxers in featherweight division.
• Other Indian Medal Winners in Same Tournament:
  • Minakshi Hooda also won gold in 48 kg category. Nupur Sheoran secured silver in the +80 kg category.
  • Pooja Rani won bronze.
• Broader Implications:  Reflects the growing strength of Indian women boxers on the world stage.  Redemption of sorts after her early exit at Paris 2024 Olympics; shows improvement both physically & mentally. Enhances India’s medal tally and prestige in international boxing tournaments.

International Day of Democracy 2025: Theme, History & Significance

In the News: The International Day of Democracy is observed globally on 15 September 2025. This year’s theme, adopted by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and supported by the United Nations, is “Achieving Gender Equality, Action by Action”. The day serves as a reminder for governments and citizens to protect democratic values, promote inclusion, and ensure equal participation.

Key Points:

•  Date & Background:
• The day is observed every year on 15 September.
  • It was established in 2007 by the United Nations General Assembly via resolution “Support by the United Nations system of efforts of Governments to promote and consolidate new or restored democracies.”The first observance was in 2008.
  •  Its roots trace to the Universal Declaration on Democracy adopted by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) on 15 September 1997.
• Theme 2025: “Achieving Gender Equality, Action by Action.”
  • The focus is on concrete measures to advance gender equality in democratic processes.
  • Key areas of action include: Promoting parity in parliaments and political structure Creating gender-sensitive institutions. 
  • Combating gender-based violence and discrimination.
• Purpose & Significance:
  • To reaffirm democracy as a force for dignity, inclusion, peace, human rights and governance.
  • To promote citizen engagement, accountability, transparency and equal participation in democratic processes.
  • Particularly with respect to this year, emphasizing that democracy is not just about voting, but about ensuring that all genders have equal voice and are able to act. 
  • Also a moment to reflect on challenges facing democracies globally such as misinformation, polarization, reduced civic space, under-representation of women, etc.

Amit Shah Opens 5th Rajbhasha Sammelan in Gandhinagar

In the News: Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated the 5th Akhil Bharatiya Rajbhasha Sammelan at the Mahatma Mandir Convention Centre in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. During his address, he urged that Hindi should expand beyond administrative/symbolic use and be adopted in fields like science, technology, law, and policing.

Key Points:

• Main Message:
  • Amit Shah emphasized there is no conflict between Hindi and other Indian languages; they can coexist and complement each other.
  • He called for Hindi to move beyond its traditional roles (spoken language, administration) and be used in scientific, technological, legal, and police contexts.
• On Mother Tongue & Learning: Shah stressed that promoting the mother tongue in early education is important; children think in their mother tongue and translating from a non-native language consumes mental effort (~25-30% of capacity).
• Technological & Institutional Tools:
  • He spoke of “Bahubhashi Anuvad Sarthi,” a multilingual translation tool intended to assist communication across different languages.
  •  Also discussed “Hindi Shabd Sindhu,” a dictionary project which began with ~51,000 words and now has over 700,000 words.
  • The goal is that by 2029, it will become the largest dictionary among all languages. Role of States & Example of Gujarat: Gujarat was cited as a model state where both Gujarati (regional language) and Hindi coexist successfully in education and public life.
  •  Leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Dayananda Saraswati, KM Munshi, Sardar Patel helped establish that balance.
• Broader Vision & Goals:

•  The push is to make Indian languages more relevant in everyday and formal spheres beyond traditional domains—law, policing, science, judiciary etc.
•  Shah indicated that this language policy is part of making communication more accessible to people, strengthening their connection with public institutions.