Published on: September 11, 2025
Snippets : 10-11 SEPTEMBER 2025
Snippets : 10-11 SEPTEMBER 2025
- Karnataka Forest, Ecology and Environment Minister Eshwar B. Khandre declared the 8.61-acre Cantonment Railway Colony area in Bengaluru as a Biodiversity Heritage Site (BHS) under Section 37 of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002. The site, with 371 trees of 50 species, is a vital lung space hosting diverse flora, fauna, and insects. Ecologically fragile yet culturally significant, it also has historical importance as Mahatma Gandhi met freedom fighters here in 1920.
- Karnataka hosts over 50% of India’s mid-market Global Capability Centres (GCCs), employing 74,000+ professionals, per the Karnataka Mid-Market GCC Report 2025 by KDEM and Zinnov. The state has 230+ of India’s 480+ mid-market GCCs, expanding faster and maturing 1.4 times quicker than larger peers, focusing on AI-first strategies and CXO leadership. With the first dedicated GCC policy (2024), rich AI/ML talent, and infrastructure support, Karnataka has captured 65% of new mid-market GCCs since 2023.
- C P Radhakrishnan current Maharashtra Governor, has been elected as the 15th Vice-President of India. The Vice-President, under Articles 63–71, is the second-highest constitutional authority, ex-officio Chairman of Rajya Sabha, and acts as President during a vacancy. Elected by an Electoral College of both Houses of Parliament through proportional representation by single transferable vote, the Vice-President serves a five-year term, with eligibility conditions akin to a Rajya Sabha member
- The Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) has launched SPREE-2025 and the Amnesty Scheme-2025 to expand social security and ease compliance. SPREE-2025, open till 31 December 2025, enables voluntary registration of unregistered employers and workers without past dues. The Amnesty Scheme, valid from 1 October 2025 to 30 September 2026, offers a one-time dispute resolution window for cases on damages, interest, and coverage. Both initiatives aim to reduce litigation, encourage voluntary compliance, and strengthen ESIC’s coverage.
- Himachal Pradesh has been declared a fully literate state with a 99.3% literacy rate, joining Goa, Tripura, Mizoram, and Ladakh. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan noted India’s literacy rise from 74% (2011) to 80.9% (2023-24). The achievement is linked to the ULLAS–Nav Bharat Saaksharta Karyakram (2022–27), under which 3 crore learners and 42 lakh volunteers participated. Literacy is defined as reading, writing, numeracy, and life skills. The NEP 2020 emphasizes adult education and digital literacy.
- A WWF-India survey (July–Sept 2024) documented six wild cat species above 4,200 m in Arunachal Pradesh’s Tawang and West Kameng. The species are snow leopard, common leopard, clouded leopard, leopard cat, marbled cat, and Pallas’s cat—with the latter photographed in the state for the first time. Using 136 camera traps across 2,000 sq. km, researchers recorded India’s highest elevations for several species. Supported by the UK Government, this finding expands knowledge of Himalayan biodiversity and human–wildlife coexistence.
- A special survey by the Uttarakhand Forest Department in collaboration with WWF-India recorded a rise in tiger numbers in Ramnagar division (adjacent to Corbett Tiger Reserve) from 67 in 2022 to 96 in 2025, using 1,059 camera trap images. The increase is attributed to Forest Landscape Restoration efforts. India, home to 3,167 tigers (2022), holds over 70% of the global population. Tigers remain endangered (IUCN), protected under Schedule I, Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
- Assam, India’s largest tea-producing state, faces a crisis due to falling prices and rising imports from Africa, especially Kenya. Assam contributes nearly 50% of India’s tea, vital for its GSDP and employment. In 2024, India imported 17.13 million kg of cheaper Kenyan tea, a 225% surge. This blending practice threatens Assam’s brand value. The Tea Board of India, established in 1954, regulates imports, exports, and welfare schemes, but the industry continues to struggle with oversupply, climate change, and low productivity.
- Indore topped the Swachh Vayu Survekshan (SVS) 2025 among million-plus cities under the NCAP, though its PM10 levels rose from 82 μg/m³ (2017-18) to 83 μg/m³ (2024-25). Jabalpur, Agra, Surat, Navi Mumbai, and Kanpur followed in rankings, while Delhi stood at 32nd. In smaller categories, Amravati and Dewas led. Minister Bhupender Yadav highlighted PM10 reductions in 103 cities, with Mumbai showing the steepest fall. Only Chennai met NAAQS norms, while Delhi exceeded the limit at 203 μg/m³.
- Before India’s first human spaceflight under Gaganyaan (2027), ISRO is conducting Gaganyaan Analog Experiments (Gyanex) to prepare astronauts. These missions simulate spacecraft-like conditions in a static mock-up simulator at Bengaluru. Astronauts undergo confinement, follow strict routines, and conduct experiments with limited resources, including DRDO-developed food. Gyanex-1 (July 2025) lasted 10 days with three astronauts, testing acclimatization, protocol development, and physiological-psychological impacts. Insights will refine procedures and ensure crew safety for the upcoming space mission.
- The Union Government has approved licences for five Indian firms to produce AdFalciVax, India’s first indigenous multi-stage malaria vaccine. Developed by ICMR with national research institutes, the vaccine targets Plasmodium falciparum, preventing infection before it enters the bloodstream. With a shelf life of nine months at room temperature, it is affordable and scalable. India, contributing 66% of malaria cases in WHO’s Southeast Asia region, aims to advance malaria elimination through this innovation.
- Digvijay Divas was celebrated on September 11 to mark Swami Vivekananda’s 1893 speech at the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago. PM Narendra Modi hailed it as a watershed moment for India’s global cultural presence. Vivekananda emphasized religious tolerance, inclusivity, and universal brotherhood, warning against sectarianism. He promoted unity in diversity, service to the poor, youth empowerment, and social upliftment. His teachings continue to inspire national integration, spiritual regeneration, and global humanism in addressing modern challenges.
