Daily Current Affairs- 2nd October 2025

Daily Current Affairs- 2nd October 2025

India’s First Private Helicopter Assembly Line: Tata to Build Airbus H125 in Karnataka

In the News: Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL), in partnership with Airbus, is establishing India’s first private helicopter final assembly line (FAL) in Vemagal, Karnataka. The facility will manufacture the Airbus H125 helicopters, with the first delivery expected in early 2027.

Key Points:

• First Private Helicopter FAL in India: This marks the first time a private-sector company in India will operate a helicopter assembly line, moving beyond state-owned enterprises.
• Location: The assembly line will be set up in the Vemagal industrial area of Kolar district, Karnataka, strengthening the state’s position as an aerospace hub.
• Helicopter Model: The facility will assemble the Airbus H125, a single-engine, versatile rotorcraft widely used for civil, para-public, and defence applications.
• Functions of the Plant: The plant will handle assembly, integration, mechanical, electrical and avionics testing, as well as final flight testing before customer delivery.
• Military Variant Plans: Along with the civilian H125, the facility also aims to produce the H125M military variant, with greater indigenization levels.
• Timeline: The first “Made in India” H125 helicopter is scheduled for delivery in early 2027.
• Production Capacity: Initially, the unit is expected to produce around 10 helicopters annually, with scope to scale up further.
• Strategic Rationale: The project will reduce dependence on imports, promote self-reliance under ‘Make in India’, and strengthen India’s aerospace and defence capabilities.
• Economic Impact: The facility will generate employment, enhance skills, build a local aerospace supply chain, and boost regional development in Karnataka.
• Partnership Ecosystem: This collaboration builds on the ongoing Tata-Airbus partnership, such as the C295 aircraft assembly in Vadodara, and Airbus’s annual sourcing of nearly USD 1.4 billion from Indian suppliers.
• Component Manufacturing: Key parts like fuselage structures will also be localized, with Mahindra Aerostructures already contracted for H125 fuselage production in Bengaluru.

Lal Bahadur Shastri Jayanti 2025

In the News: Lal Bahadur Shastri Jayanti is observed every year on 2 October, coinciding with Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary, and in 2025 the nation paid tributes through ceremonies, speeches, and public service programmes that honoured his values and leadership.

Key Points:

• Lal Bahadur Shastri Jayanti is celebrated on 2 October every year, marking the birth anniversary of India’s second Prime Minister, who was born in 1904.
• The day is significant as it coincides with Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary, making it a double commemoration of two great leaders of India.
• Lal Bahadur Shastri was born in Mughalsarai, Uttar Pradesh, and grew up deeply influenced by Gandhian ideals of simplicity, nonviolence, and service.
• He played an active role in the Indian independence struggle and later served as India’s second Prime Minister from 1964 until his death in 1966.
• As Prime Minister, he promoted the White Revolution to boost milk production and supported the Green Revolution to increase food grain output.
• During the Indo-Pak war of 1965, he inspired the nation with the famous slogan “Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan”, highlighting the equal importance of soldiers and farmers.
• He passed away on 11 January 1966 in Tashkent shortly after signing the Tashkent Agreement, and his death is still remembered as a moment of national mourning.
• On his birth anniversary in 2025, floral tributes were paid at his memorial Vijay Ghat in Delhi, and public leaders across the country recalled his honesty and simplicity.

Centenary of Union Public Service Commission (UPSC)

In the News: The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is entering its centenary year beginning 1 October 2025, marking 100 years since its establishment in 1926. A year-long series of events, reforms, and commemorative activities will celebrate its journey and plan its future role in India’s civil services.

Key Points:

• The UPSC was formally established on 1 October 1926, under provisions of the Government of India Act, 1919 and the recommendations of the Lee Commission (1924).
• Between 1937 and 1950, it was known as the Federal Public Service Commission, before being renamed UPSC upon adoption of the Indian Constitution on 26 January 1950.
• As per the Constitution (Articles 315 to 323), UPSC is a constitutional body responsible for recruitment, examinations, and oversight of services in India.
• The centenary celebrations will run from 1 October 2025 to 1 October 2026, marking a year of reflection, outreach, and institutional reforms.
• As part of the celebrations, UPSC will release a commemorative logo and a tagline, and it plans to launch new initiatives and reforms aimed at modernizing recruitment processes.
• UPSC’s chairman, Ajay Kumar, has invited suggestions from employees and stakeholders to make the centenary celebrations more inclusive, meaningful, and reform-oriented.
• To inaugurate the centenary, PSU will host a live virtual town hall where the UPSC Chairman will interact directly with civil services aspirants — a first in the Commission’s history.

National Pulses Mission Boosts Farmer Income and Production

In the News: The Union Cabinet has approved a new Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses (2025-26 to 2030-31) with an outlay of ₹11,440 crore, aiming to raise domestic pulse production, ensure procurement at MSP, and enhance farmer incomes.

Key Points

• The mission targets raising pulse production from about 242 lakh tonnes in 2024-25 to 350 lakh tonnes by 2030-31.
• The area under pulse cultivation is planned to be expanded to 310 lakh hectares by 2030-31 to support growth in production.
• Certified seed distribution will be a major component: 126 lakh quintals of certified seeds will be supplied across pulse-growing areas over the mission period.
• To help farmers access improved seeds, 88 lakh free seed kits will be distributed at no cost.
• The mission will adopt a cluster-based approach, tailoring interventions and value chain development to specific regional agro-clusters.
• The government guarantees 100 % procurement of tur, urad, and masoor at MSP for four years under this mission, to ensure income security to participating farmers.
• To reduce post-harvest losses and improve value addition, 1,000 processing and packaging units will be established, with subsidies offered (up to ₹25 lakh per unit).
• States will prepare five-year rolling seed production plans, while ICAR will supervise breeder seed production and seed systems will be tracked via the SATHI portal for traceability.
• The mission also focuses on research, multi-location trials for climate-resilient varieties, and capacity building of farmers via training programmes carried out by ICAR, KVKs, and state agricultural agencies.
• The mission is expected to benefit nearly 2 crore farmers, reduce import dependency, conserve foreign exchange, generate rural employment, and improve soil health.
• The mission aligns with India’s goal of self-reliance (Aatmanirbharta) in pulses by strengthening domestic production, reducing imports, and promoting crop diversification.

RSS Turns 100

In the News: The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) is celebrating its centenary in 2025, with year-long programmes, ideological outreach, and national dialogues marking 100 years since its founding on Vijayadashami in 1925.

Key Points:

• The RSS was founded by Dr. Keshav Baliram Hedgewar in Nagpur in 1925, with an initial grouping of a few volunteers aiming to reorganise Hindu society.
• The organisation marks its 100th year on Vijayadashami (October 2) 2025, and its centenary celebrations will continue until Vijayadashami 2026.
• The centenary year will be inaugurated with a three-day lecture series titled “100 Years of Sangh Yatra – New Horizons” from 26 to 28 August 2025 at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi.
• The lecture series will include dialogues with prominent personalities from 17 fields including media, diplomacy, religion and academia, and will reflect on RSS’s past and future trajectory.
• The RSS has planned over 1 lakh Hindu Sammelans (gatherings) across India, along with door-to-door outreach campaigns and 100 training camps during the centenary year to deepen grassroots engagement.
• The centenary efforts will promote a "Panch Parivartan" (Five Transformations) agenda focusing on social harmony, family enlightenment, environment, self-reliance, and citizen duties.
• The Delhi programme will invite diplomats (excluding those from Pakistan, Turkey and Bangladesh) and will elaborate on the RSS’s future vision and international interface.
• During the centenary address, RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat commented on contemporary challenges such as illegal migration, population policy, caste‐based reservation, and use of technology, asserting that RSS supports constitutional reservations while urging balance and sensitivity.

Elon Musk Becomes First Person Worth $500 Billion

In the News: In October 2025, Forbes announced that Elon Musk became the first individual ever to reach a net worth of USD 500 billion, driven by surging valuations in Tesla and his other ventures.

Key Points:

• Musk’s net worth crossed the USD 500 billion mark, making him the world’s first “half-trillionaire.”
• Tesla stock appreciation played a central role in this milestone, since Musk owns a significant share in the company, which saw strong investor confidence and market gains.
• In addition to Tesla, Musk’s wealth is bolstered by his stakes in SpaceX, xAI, and other technology ventures, all of which have been valued highly in recent deals or forecasts.
• On the day the announcement was made, his net worth peaked at USD 500.1 billion according to Forbes’ real-time index, though it dipped slightly after due to market fluctuations.
• Earlier in 2025, Larry Ellison briefly overtook Musk as the richest person, but Musk regained the top position with a widened margin by October.
• Tesla’s board has proposed a USD 1 trillion compensation package for Musk over ten years, contingent on ambitious targets; if realized, this could push his wealth even higher.
• This milestone underscores the extreme concentration of wealth in modern times, spotlighting how technology, equity ownership, and market optimism can create unprecedented fortunes.
• The achievement also raises questions about wealth inequality, taxation, and regulatory oversight of ultra-wealthy individuals whose fortunes can influence markets and policy.