KARNATAKA

• Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) in Bengaluru has received Level 2 Accreditation from the Airports Council International (ACI) for accessibility. This makes KIA the first Indian airport to achieve this recognition. The accreditation highlights the airport’s commitment to creating an inclusive travel environment through improved infrastructure, technology, and staff training. A dedicated committee works to enhance facilities for travelers with reduced mobility and disabilities, aiming for a smooth, safe, and dignified experience for all.

SCHEMES

• On 26 August 2025, the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI), in collaboration with Vertis Infrastructure Trust and implemented by Bharat Cares (SMEC Trust), launched ‘Project Aarohan’ at its New Delhi headquarters. The initiative aims to support the children of toll plaza employees—especially girls, first-generation learners, and students from weaker sections—by providing scholarships, mentorship, career guidance, and skill-building. Phase I (July 2025–March 2026) allocates ₹1 crore, targeting 550 students nationwide.
• The Union Cabinet has extended the PM SVANidhi Scheme till March 2030, enhancing loan support for street vendors. Launched in 2020 to mitigate Covid-19 hardships, the scheme provides collateral-free working capital loans, promotes digital literacy, and ensures social security. Loan limits have been revised—₹15,000 (first tranche), ₹25,000 (second), ₹50,000 (third). With an outlay of ₹7,332 crore, it aims to cover 1.15 crore vendors, including 50 lakh new beneficiaries, while incentivising digital transactions.

SOCIETY

• The Ministry of Education released the UDISE+ 2024–25 report, highlighting significant progress in India’s school education system. For the first time, the number of teachers crossed 1 crore (1,01,22,420), improving the Pupil-Teacher Ratio across all levels beyond NEP benchmarks. Dropout rates declined, while retention, enrolment, and transition rates improved. Structural reforms reduced single-teacher and zero-enrolment schools. Digital and basic infrastructure expanded, with better inclusivity measures. Female teachers now form 54.2% of the workforce, strengthening gender equity in education.
• The Women’s Safety Index (NARI) 2025, surveying 12,770 women across 31 cities, recorded a national safety score of 65%. Cities like Kohima, Visakhapatnam, and Mumbai ranked among the safest, while Patna, Delhi, and Jaipur were least safe. Key concerns included weak trust in authorities (25%), unsafe public transport at night, and low POSH policy awareness. However, 91% felt safe at workplaces, and 65% acknowledged improvements since 2023–24 despite persistent harassment and under-reporting.

ENVIRONMENT

• A new Air Quality Life Index (AQLI) report by the University of Chicago reveals that Indians breathe air eight times more toxic than WHO’s safe standard (5 μg/m³ PM2.5), affecting all 1.4 billion citizens. Air pollution shortens average Indian life expectancy by 3.5 years, with Delhi worst hit (8.2 years lost). Even “clean” southern states exceed WHO norms. Nearly 46% of Indians live in regions breaching India’s own weaker standards, underscoring urgent policy reforms.

SCIENCE

• The Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) facilitated the transfer of five indigenous ISRO technologies to private companies, boosting commercialisation, self-reliance, and industrial applications. These include biomedical innovations like LTCC Multi-Chip Modules for RT-PCR kits, renewable energy adhesives for solar panels, and industrial technologies such as film adhesives, DC-DC converters, and alloy anodisation. With this, ISRO’s Technology Transfer Agreements (TTAs) with industries have reached 98, reinforcing India’s space-sector liberalisation and Atmanirbhar Bharat goals.
• On August 26, 2025, PM Modi flagged off Maruti Suzuki’s first Made-in-India global Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV), “e-Vitara,” from Hansalpur, Ahmedabad, for export to Europe and Japan. He also inaugurated hybrid battery electrode production at the TDS plant, boosting India’s EV ecosystem. By 2030, targets include 80% electric two- & three-wheelers, 40% buses, and 30% cars. Policy support—like zero import duties on battery materials, PM E-Drive scheme, and sodium-ion battery innovation—strengthens India’s EV future.
• India’s private space sector advanced as Pixxel’s three hyperspectral Firefly satellites and Dhruva Space’s LEAP-1 mission were launched aboard SpaceX Falcon-9 (Aug 2025). This completed Phase-I of Pixxel’s constellation (six satellites in orbit), offering global daily coverage with 5m resolution across 135+ spectral bands. Dhruva’s LEAP-1 carried an AI module and hyperspectral imager on its P-30 bus. The mission reflects India’s rising space-tech startups, global partnerships, and progress in Earth observation, agriculture, climate monitoring, and resource mapping.