Daily Current Affairs- 8th October 2025

Daily Current Affairs- 8th October 2025

Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla Appointed Brand Ambassador of Buildathon 2025

In the News: Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla was appointed as the Brand Ambassador of Viksit Bharat Buildathon 2025, a national innovation challenge for school students.

Key Points:

• Event: Viksit Bharat Buildathon is a nationwide innovation movement for students in classes 6 to 12.
• Scale: It aims to mobilize over 1 crore students from about 1.5 lakh schools. Themes: Students will work on four national themes — including Aatmanirbhar Bharat, Swadeshi, Vocal for Local, and Samriddhi.
• Role of Shukla: As Brand Ambassador, he has urged students to participate and asserted that “every idea, big or small, can help shape Viksit Bharat 2047.”
• Registration: Initially open till October 6, the deadline was extended to October 11, 2025.
• Live event & results: The live Buildathon is scheduled for October 12 or 13, and winners will be announced in December 2025.
• Submission & evaluation: Schools submit entries via photos and videos, which will be evaluated by an expert panel.
• Prize: Top teams will be awarded from a ₹1 crore prize pool. 
• Organizer & partners: The initiative is organised by the Ministry of Education in association with the Atal Innovation Mission and NITI Aayog.
• About Shukla: He is a Group Captain in the Indian Air Force, test pilot, and ISRO astronaut.
• Milestone: He became the first ISRO astronaut to travel to the International Space Station (ISS).

India-AI Impact Summit Logo Unveiled Blends Ethics, Heritage, and Innovation

In the News: The Government of India unveiled the logo for the India-AI Impact Summit 2026, combining elements of ethics, heritage, and innovation to reflect India’s vision in AI.

Key Points:

• Central Symbol: The logo’s core is the Ashoka Chakra, symbolising ethical governance, duty, and constitutional values.
• Design Idea: It blends India’s cultural heritage with motifs of modern AI and technological progress.
• Colour & Form: The logo uses a gradient and circular forms to represent inclusivity, continuity, and dynamic innovation.
• Intent & Messaging: It conveys that AI must be rooted in ethics and respect for Indian values even as it drives innovation.
• Organisers: The logo and summit are spearheaded by the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY) under the IndiaAI initiative.
• Broader Context: The summit shifts focus from AI safety/governance to impact and implementation, especially in Global South contexts.

Indian Air Force Day 2025 Celebrates Modern Strength, Legacy

In the News: India observed Indian Air Force Day 2025 (the 93rd anniversary), celebrating the modern strength, legacy, and valor of the IAF with a grand parade and aerial displays at Hindon Air Base.

Key Points:

• Date & Origin: Indian Air Force Day is observed every year on October 8, marking the establishment of the IAF in 1932.
• Venue: 2025 celebrations were held at the Hindon Air Force Base in Ghaziabad.
• Tribute: Chiefs of the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Chief of Defence Staff laid wreaths at the National War Memorial in New Delhi.
• Parade & Display: The parade featured fighter jets like Rafale, Su-30MKI, and MiG-29, plus older platforms as tributes.
• Highlight: The celebrations included a special emphasis on Operation Sindoor, displayed as a defining moment of IAF’s operational excellence.
• Airspace Closure: Hindon Airport’s airspace was closed temporarily, and some flights ere suspended during the rehearsals.
• Prime Minister’s Message: PM Modi extended greetings to air warriors and their families, praising their discipline, bravery, and service.
• Legacy & Role: The IAF is showcased not only as a military force but also for its role in humanitarian missions and disaster relief.
• Return to Hindon: The 2025 edition reestablished Hindon as the principal venue after past ceremonies held elsewhere.
• Modern Strength: The displays underscored India’s enhanced air capabilities and growing technological sophistication.

Who is the First Woman to Lead NASA as Acting Administrator?

In the News: Janet E. Petro became the first woman to lead NASA (as Acting Administrator), marking a historic milestone for the space agency.

Key Points:

• Appointment: Janet Petro was named Acting Administrator of NASA on January 20, 2025.
• First Woman: Her appointment made her the first woman ever to head NASA in any capacity.
• Role & Duration: She oversaw NASA’s programs, operations, and budget during the transition period.
• Predecessor & Successor: She succeeded Bill Nelson and served until July 9, 2025, after which Sean Duffy became Acting Administrator.
• Background: Petro has been Director of NASA’s Kennedy Space Center since June 2021.

WHO Flags Teen Vaping Surge as Global Addiction Risk

In the News: The World Health Organization (WHO) has sounded an alarm over a surge in teen vaping, flagging it as a global public health risk due to rising nicotine addiction among youth.

Key Points:

• Scale: At least 15 million teenagers aged 13–15 use e-cigarettes worldwide. 
• Youth vs Adults: In countries with data, teens are nine times more likely than adults to vape. 
• Total Users: Globally, over 100 million people now vape, of whom ~86 million are adults.
• Industry Shift: As conventional tobacco use declines, the tobacco industry is pushing new nicotine products like e-cigarettes to maintain users.
• Health Warning: Vaping is contributing to a new wave of nicotine addiction, especially among non-smoking youth.
• Gateway Risk: A study shows youth who vape are about three times more likely to start smoking tobacco later.
• Call to Action: WHO calls for stronger regulations, tighter advertising bans, taxation, and stricter enforcement to curb youth access.

Chemistry Nobel Prize Winners 2025

In the News: The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2025 was awarded jointly to Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson, and Omar M. Yaghi for their pioneering work in developing metal-organic frameworks (MOFs)  novel molecular architectures with wide applications in sustainability and materials science.

Key Points :

• Laureates: Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson, Omar M. Yaghi
• Award Reason: “for the development of metal-organic frameworks”
• What are MOFs: Crystalline structures combining metal ions and organic linkers to form porous networks with “rooms” or cavities where gases or molecules can flow
• Applications: Harvesting water from air, capturing carbon dioxide, storing toxic gases, catalysing chemical reactions, filtering pollutants from water
• Innovation: By altering building blocks, MOFs can be custom-designed for specific tasks 
• Historical start: In 1989, Richard Robson first proposed frameworks combining metal ions and organic linkers; later Kitagawa and Yaghi improved stability and versatility
• Prize share & amount: They share equally the prize of 11 million Swedish kronor

Khaled El-Enany Set to Become First Arab UNESCO Chief

In the News:  The UNESCO Executive Board overwhelmingly voted (55 to 2) to nominate Khaled El-Enany of Egypt as the next Director-General, making him poised to become the first Arab to lead UNESCO.

Key Points:

• Nomination: El-Enany was nominated by UNESCO’s Executive Board for Director-General.
• Vote Margin: He beat Édouard Firmin Matoko (Congo) by 55 to 2.
• Formal Approval: His nomination goes to all UNESCO member states for ratification in November during the General Conference.
•  Historic First: If confirmed, he will be the first Arab to lead UNESCO. 
• Academic & Career Background: He is an Egyptologist, professor at Helwan University, and former Minister of Tourism & Antiquities.
• Previous Roles: He directed the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization, led museum renovations, and served in government ministries.

DRDO Launches IRSA 1.0 for Military Radio Interoperability

In the News: DRDO has released the Indian Radio Software Architecture (IRSA) 1.0, a new national standard to enable interoperability across military communication systems using software-defined radios (SDRs).

Key Points:

• Objective: IRSA 1.0 standardises interfaces, APIs, execution environments, and waveform portability for SDRs.
• Collaboration: Developed jointly by DRDO, the Integrated Defence Staff (IDS), and the tri-services (Army, Navy, Air Force).
• Interoperability: The new standard allows different radio systems across services to communicate seamlessly.
• Waveform portability: Radio waveforms can be reused across platforms, reducing redevelopment efforts.
• Evolution: The standard is meant to evolve with operational needs and integrate future technologies like AI / 5G.
• Certification & Conformance: The specification includes testing and conformance clauses for security and reliability.

India Launches 5 Species Projects During Wildlife Week 2025

In the News: During Wildlife Week 2025, the Government of India launched five species-focused conservation projects to strengthen biodiversity protection and human-wildlife coexistence.

Key Points:

• Projects Launched: Project Dolphin (Phase II), Project Sloth Bear, Project Gharial, Centre of Excellence for Human-Wildlife Conflict Management (at SACON), and Project Tigers Outside Tiger Reserves
• Aim of Project Dolphin: Expand monitoring and protection of river and marine cetaceans
• Sloth Bear & Gharial Plans: Bring national frameworks for their conservation
• Tigers Outside Reserves: Address tiger conservation challenges in non-protected areas, focusing on human-tiger conflict
• Conflict Management Centre: The Centre of Excellence will lead research, training, and mitigation of human-wildlife conflicts.
• Monitoring & Estimation: Alongside these, four action plans were unveiled — new population estimation cycles for river dolphins, snow leopards, tigers (Cycle-6), and status reports on the Great Indian Bustard and Lesser Florican 
• Institutions Involved: Key agencies like WII, ICFRE, IGNFA, SACON, FRI collaborated in the launches.