Daily Current Affairs- 17th September 2025

Daily Current Affairs- 17th September 2025

Amit Shah Inaugurates India’s Largest Sports Complex in Ahmedabad

In the News: On September 16, 2025, Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated the Veer Savarkar Sports Complex at Naranpura, Ahmedabad. The project cost is approximately ₹825 crore, and the complex is described as the largest and one of the most modern sports complexes in India.

Key Points:

• The Veer Savarkar Sports Complex at Naranpura, Ahmedabad, was built for ₹825 crore and was inaugurated by Amit Shah to provide world-class infrastructure for athletes.
• The complex is spread over 1,19,000 square meters, includes athlete housing, medical support, slow motion analysis theatre, facilities for indoor and outdoor sports, hostel for coaches, and is eco-friendly with a 275-kilowatt solar power plant and 60 KLD sewage treatment plant.
• It has modern amenities including multiple entry gates (seven of them), parking for around 900 vehicles, and full medical, nutritional, and coach-accommodation infrastructure to support high performance athletes.
• Amit Shah said that the complex has been named after freedom fighter Veer Savarkar, emphasised that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, India should not settle for second place, and reiterated the government’s goal to make India number one in every field by 2047.
• The sports budget has increased significantly over the last decade: from ₹1,643 crore in 2014-15 to ₹5,300 crore in recent years, funding which has contributed to infrastructure like this complex, athlete support under TOPS, and expansion of schemes like Khelo India.
• Shah claimed that the facility is not just large but among the most modern in the world, and expects it to help Ahmedabad become the “sports capital of India.”

IAF Proposes ₹2 Lakh Crore Rafale Jet Deal

In the News: Recently, the Indian Air Force (IAF) submitted a proposal to the Ministry of Defence to procure 114 Rafale fighter jets in a “Made in India” framework. The deal is valued at approximately ₹2 lakh crore (~ US$22–24 billion) and is under review by the Defence Ministry.

Key Points:

• The proposal calls for 114 Rafale jets to be produced under the “Make in India” initiative, involving collaboration between Dassault Aviation (France) and Indian aerospace companies.
• Of the 114 jets, around 18 will be “fly-away” aircraft, meaning they will be delivered ready to fly from abroad rather than assembled in India.
• The deal is expected to be among India’s largest defence procurement contracts, setting a new benchmark in terms of scale and investment for fighter-jet acquisition.
• Proposed indigenous content under the deal is about 60%, meaning a majority of the components, assembly, and maintenance will happen within India.
• The procurement aims both to plug the IAF’s fighter jet strength shortfall and to bolster domestic defence manufacturing capacity.
• The deal is currently in the review phase: the Ministry of Defence has begun examining the IAF’s proposal; it has not yet been cleared by the Defence Procurement Board.

India Rises to 38th in Global Innovation Index 2025

In the News: On September 17, 2025, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) released the Global Innovation Index (GII) 2025, where India secured the 38th rank out of 139 economies. This is a significant improvement compared to its 81st position in 2015, and India also retained the top position among lower-middle-income countries and the first place in the Central and Southern Asia region.

Key Points:

• India ranked 32nd in Innovation Outputs and 52nd in Innovation Inputs, showing that the country produces relatively stronger results from its innovation investments compared to the resources available.
  Under the seven pillars of the index, India performed the best in Knowledge and Technology Outputs, where it ranked 22nd globally, reflecting its strength in patents, publications, and high-technology exports.
  India ranked 38th in Market Sophistication, indicating robust capital markets, venture capital availability, and trade dynamics that support innovation activity.
• India showed weaker performance in Business Sophistication (64th), Infrastructure (61st), and Institutions (58th), with respective scores of 29.2, 45.2, and 53.5, highlighting structural gaps that need policy attention.
• In the Creative Outputs pillar, India ranked 42nd, reflecting progress in cultural and creative goods and services, though still trailing its technology outputs.
• The report also highlighted India’s presence in the list of the world’s top 100 science and technology clusters, with Bengaluru ranked 21st, Delhi at 26th, Mumbai-Maharashtra at 46th, and Chennai at 84th, underscoring the geographic spread of India’s innovation hubs.
• Globally, Switzerland retained the first position for the 15th consecutive year, followed by Sweden, the United States, the Republic of Korea, and Singapore, while China entered the top 10 for the first time, signaling a shift in global innovation leadership.

India Establishes Satellite Tracking Station Near Diego Garcia

In the News: India and Mauritius have signed a landmark agreement in September 2025 to establish a telemetry, tracking, and telecommunications station (satellite tracking station) in Mauritius, near the strategic US-UK base of Diego Garcia in the Chagos Archipelago. The pact was signed during Mauritian Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam’s visit to India.

Key Points:

• The new station will enable India to track and receive data from satellites and launch vehicles as well as enhance its capabilities in space science and telecommunications.
• India will assist Mauritius in developing the station and related infrastructure under a broader cooperation that includes an economic and security package worth about US$680 million, covering development, security and infrastructure initiatives.
• The location is strategically significant because Diego Garcia is a major military base used by the US and UK, and the new station gives India a vantage point in the Indian Ocean Region amid rising Chinese naval activity.
• With Mauritius reclaiming its sovereignty over the Chagos Islands (while the UK retains a 99-year lease for operations of Diego Garcia), India’s cooperation in setting up this station aligns with new legal and geopolitical arrangements in the region.
• The agreement also includes cooperation in aspects beyond tracking, such as space research, science, and application, maritime surveillance, and telecommunications.

Apollo Tyres Becomes Team India’s New Jersey Sponsor in ₹579 Cr Deal

In the News: On September 16, 2025, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced that Apollo Tyres has won the lead front-of-jersey sponsorship rights for India’s national cricket team under a ₹579 crore deal running until March 2028, replacing Dream11 after its exit.

Key Points:

• Apollo Tyres will be the lead sponsor for both the men’s and women’s national cricket teams, and its logo will appear on jerseys in all formats, under a contract that extends till end-March 2028.
• The deal is valued at ₹579 crore, which represents roughly a 62% increase compared to the previous sponsorship deal by Dream11 (which was valued at about ₹358 crore).
• Under the new agreement, Apollo Tyres will pay approximately ₹4.5 crore per match for bilateral and most international fixtures, which is higher than Dream11’s per-match rate of around ₹4 crore.
• Dream11 exited as sponsor because of regulatory changes — specifically, the passage of the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025, which impacted fantasy gaming companies.
• The new sponsorship was secured via a competitive bidding process, in which brands linked to gaming, betting, crypto and tobacco were excluded from participation, according to BCCI’s criteria.
  This marks Apollo Tyres’ first major sponsorship deal in Indian cricket, strengthening its brand visibility and aligning with the commercial growth of Indian cricket.

2025 FIDE Grand Swiss Titles

In the News: From 3 to 15 September 2025, the FIDE Grand Swiss and FIDE Women’s Grand Swiss tournaments were held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. The events formed part of the qualification cycle for the 2026 World Chess Championship. In the Men’s (Open) section Anish Giri won the title, with Matthias Bluebaum taking second place. In the Women’s section, R Vaishali Rameshbabu defended her Women’s Grand Swiss title, finishing on top via tiebreak over Kateryna Lagno. Both Vaishali and Lagno earned spots in the Women’s Candidates Tournament 2026.

Key Points:

• The Open section of the 2025 FIDE Grand Swiss had 116 players, played over 11 rounds with Swiss-system pairing, and was held at the Silk Road EXPO in Samarkand. Anish Giri scored 8/11 to claim first place by defeating Hans Niemann in the final round.
• Matthias Bluebaum, seeded 32nd, scored 7.5/11 and edged other players via tiebreaks to secure the second qualifying spot for the 2026 Candidates Tournament in the Open section.
• In the Women’s Grand Swiss, 56 players competed, also over 11 rounds. R Vaishali Rameshbabu scored 8/11, tied with Kateryna Lagno, but won the title on tiebreaks, thus defending her Grand Swiss title for a second consecutive time.
• Kateryna Lagno, with 8/11, earned the runner-up position in Women’s Grand Swiss and thereby also qualified for the Women’s Candidates Tournament 2026.
• The total prize fund for the Open Grand Swiss was approximately US$625,000, with the winner’s share being about US$90,000.
• Key stories: World Champion Gukesh Dommaraju had a disappointing tournament, suffering consecutive losses; young players like Abhimanyu Mishra and Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus had notable performances; veterans still showed strength and resilience.

Dr. Sima Bahous Begins Second Term at UN Women

In the News: On 11 September 2025, UN Secretary-General António Guterres reappointed Dr. Sima Sami Bahous for a second term as Executive Director of UN Women (also Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations). Her renewed mandate comes at a moment when global gender equality efforts are facing growing challenges.

Key Points:

• Dr. Sima Sami Bahous is originally from Jordan and has held the Executive Director role at UN Women since 2021; under her leadership, UN Women has pushed for stronger country-level impact and increased emphasis on women’s rights in crisis response.
• Her second term is granted at a critical time, aligned with the newly adopted Strategic Plan for UN Women for 2026-2029, which emphasizes measurable results, stronger accountability, and gender equality in urgent global policies.
• Dr. Bahous has more than 35 years of experience in international development, diplomacy and UN leadership positions, including as Jordan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, roles in UNDP, and work across the Arab States.
• She has committed to focussing in her new term on protecting women and girls in humanitarian emergencies, armed conflict, and climate-related disasters, ensuring that gender equality is central to peace, resilience, and inclusive development.
• Dr. Bahous also intends to deepen partnerships with governments, civil society, youth organisations and the private sector, to ensure global commitments translate into concrete improvements at local and national levels.

World Ozone Day 2025

In the News: World Ozone Day is observed every year on September 16. In 2025, the observance marks the 40th anniversary of the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer (signed in 1985) and highlights ongoing global efforts under the Montreal Protocol to protect and restore the ozone layer. The theme for 2025 is “From science to global action.”

Key Points:

• World Ozone Day was officially proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in 1994 in order to commemorate the signing of the Montreal Protocol on 16 September 1987.
• The Montreal Protocol regulates nearly 100 substances known to deplete the ozone layer; these include chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), halons, and other ozone-depleting substances, and more recently, under the Kigali Amendment, hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) even though they are not themselves ozone depleting but are powerful greenhouse gases.
• The 2025 theme, “From science to global action,” emphasizes that scientific understandings over the decades have led to policies and measures that must be maintained or strengthened in all countries to ensure the healing of the ozone layer.
• According to the World Meteorological Organization, the ozone layer is on track to return to 1980s levels by the middle of the 21st century if current policies are kept in force, though progress is fragile and requires sustained effort.
• The Vienna Convention and the Montreal Protocol are among the most successful environmental treaties; by 2009 they achieved universal ratification by all UN member states.
• The Montreal Protocol has phased out many ozone-depleting chemicals and has prevented large emissions of potent greenhouse gases, thus contributing to both ozone layer recovery and climate change mitigation.
• Key challenges remain including managing banks of banned ozone-depleting substances (in old equipment, foam, etc.), addressing emissions from feedstocks and by-products, controlling nitrous oxide which also impacts ozone, and aligning phasing down of HFCs with broader climate goals.