Daily Current Affairs- 25th September 2026

Daily Current Affairs- 25th September 2026

National

India-Netherlands Sign MoUs to Advance Gujarat’s Kalpasar Project

In the News: India and the Netherlands signed two tripartite Memoranda of Understanding on September 24, 2026, to strengthen technical cooperation and capacity building for Gujarat’s Kalpasar Project. The agreements were signed during the 9th India International Water Week 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. The collaboration brings together Indian water-sector institutions and leading Dutch technical institutions.

Key Points:

• Parties to the MoUs: The agreements involve the Central Water Commission, the Kalpasar Department of the Government of Gujarat, and Dutch institutions Deltares and Delft University of Technology (TU Delft). The cooperation focuses on sharing Dutch expertise in advanced water and coastal engineering.
• About Kalpasar Project: The Kalpasar Project envisages creating a large freshwater reservoir across the Gulf of Khambhat in Gujarat. It is designed to utilise runoff from the Sabarmati, Mahi and Dhadhar rivers, supplemented by water conveyed from the Narmada River.
• Areas of Cooperation: The partnership covers hydraulic and hydrological modelling, coastal and structural engineering, climate resilience, technical reviews, capacity building and digital applications. Ecological considerations such as fish migration are also part of the cooperation framework.
• India-Netherlands Water Partnership: The Kalpasar Project was discussed during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the Netherlands in May 2026. A Letter of Intent for technical cooperation on the project was signed on May 16, 2026.
• Dutch Afsluitdijk Model: The Kalpasar concept has parallels with the Netherlands’ Afsluitdijk, a major dam and causeway used for flood protection and freshwater management. The Dutch experience in dyke technologies, sluice systems and coastal infrastructure is expected to support the Gujarat project.

Indian Coast Guard Joins QUAD-at-Sea Ship Observer Mission

In the News: Indian Coast Guard Ship Shaunak sailed from Chennai for Perth, Australia, on September 25, 2026, under the QUAD-at-Sea Ship Observer Mission. The initiative brings together maritime personnel from India, Australia, Japan and the United States. It aims to improve professional cooperation, coordination and interoperability among the four Quad countries.

Key Points:

• ICGS Shaunak Mission: ICG Ship Shaunak is carrying personnel participating in professional shipboard exchanges during its voyage to Perth. The mission represents an important maritime engagement involving the coast guard and related services of the Quad partners.
• Sea Riders Participation: Six Sea Riders are participating in the mission, comprising two officers each from India and Japan and one officer each from Australia and the United States. They will take part in operational activities and professional exchanges aboard the vessel.
• QUAD Membership: The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue consists of India, Australia, Japan and the United States. Its cooperation covers areas such as maritime security, disaster response, critical technologies, infrastructure, health and Indo-Pacific connectivity.
• May 2026 Joint Statement: The observer mission is aligned with the Quad Foreign Ministers’ Joint Statement of May 26, 2026. The initiative supports cooperation for a free, open, inclusive and rules-based maritime order in the Indo-Pacific region.
• MAHASAGAR Vision: The mission also reflects India’s MAHASAGAR vision, which stands for “Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions.” It expands India’s earlier SAGAR approach towards wider regional maritime cooperation.

Roxy Mathew Koll and Neelima Satyam Receive AGU 2026 Honours

In the News: Indian scientists Roxy Mathew Koll and Neelima Satyam have been selected for major honours of the American Geophysical Union for 2026. Koll will receive the Pavel S. Molchanov Climate Communications Prize, while Satyam has been selected for the Devendra Lal Memorial Medal. The honourees will be recognised during AGU26 in San Francisco in December 2026.

Key Points:

• Roxy Mathew Koll: Koll is a climate scientist at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology and works extensively on the Indian Ocean, monsoon variability and climate extremes. He has been selected for the Pavel S. Molchanov Climate Communications Prize for communicating climate science to wider audiences.
• Neelima Satyam: Prof. Neelima Satyam is associated with the Department of Civil Engineering at IIT Indore and specialises in geotechnical engineering and natural hazards. She has been selected for the 2026 Devendra Lal Memorial Medal for contributions to Earth and space sciences.
• About AGU: The American Geophysical Union is an international scientific organisation devoted to Earth and space sciences. Its work spans atmospheric sciences, oceans, hydrology, seismology, natural hazards, planetary science and related interdisciplinary fields.
• AGU26 Meeting: The 2026 AGU honourees will be celebrated at AGU26 in San Francisco, California, in December. The theme of the 2026 annual meeting is “Where Science Connects.”
• Devendra Lal Connection: The Devendra Lal Memorial Medal is named after renowned Indian geophysicist Devendra Lal. It recognises outstanding research contributions by scientists working in developing countries in areas connected with Earth and space sciences.

Mandeep K Bhandari Appointed New CBSE Chairperson

In the News: Senior IAS officer Mandeep K. Bhandari was appointed Chairperson of the Central Board of Secondary Education on September 25, 2026. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet approved his appointment as part of a wider senior-level administrative reshuffle. He will hold the post in the rank and pay of an Additional Secretary to the Government of India.

Key Points:

• Administrative Background: Mandeep K. Bhandari is a 2001-batch Indian Administrative Service officer of the AGMUT cadre. Before his new appointment, he served as Principal Secretary to the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir.
• Appointment Authority: His appointment was approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet. The CBSE Chairperson’s post has been temporarily upgraded to the rank and pay of Additional Secretary to the Government of India.
• About CBSE: The Central Board of Secondary Education is a national-level school education board functioning under the Ministry of Education. It conducts major public examinations for Classes X and XII and affiliates schools in India and abroad.
• Recent Leadership Changes: Bhandari succeeds the arrangement under which Lokhande Prashant Sitaram had been handling responsibilities after earlier changes in CBSE leadership. The board witnessed multiple leadership changes during 2026.
• Key Institutional Areas: CBSE’s responsibilities include school affiliation, curriculum implementation, examination administration, assessment reforms and academic standards. The board has also been expanding the use of digital systems in examination and evaluation processes.

Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya Birth Anniversary 2026

In the News: India observed the 110th birth anniversary of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya on September 25, 2026. The Prime Minister and Vice-President paid tributes to him and recalled his ideas of Antyodaya and Integral Humanism. He was born on September 25, 1916, and was an influential political thinker and organiser in post-independence India.

Key Points:

• Life and Background: Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya was born on September 25, 1916, and died on February 11, 1968. He was a writer, organiser and political thinker associated prominently with the Bharatiya Jana Sangh.
• Integral Humanism: Upadhyaya is associated with the philosophy of “Integral Humanism” or Ekatma Manav Darshan. The philosophy sought to view human development through an integrated relationship between the individual, society, economy and wider social institutions.
• Concept of Antyodaya: Antyodaya refers to the upliftment and welfare of the person at the lowest or most disadvantaged level of society. The concept later became associated with several welfare and development initiatives of the Government of India.
• Deendayal Port: Kandla Port in Gujarat was renamed Deendayal Port in 2017. The Union Cabinet approved the renaming as part of commemorations associated with Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya.
• Birth and Death Dates: Upadhyaya was born on September 25, 1916, and died on February 11, 1968. September 25 is observed annually through commemorative programmes, while February 11 marks his death anniversary.