- The 11th India International Science Festival (IISF) 2025 will be held at Panjab University, Chandigarh, from 6–9 December 2025. The theme is “Vigyan Se Samriddhi – Science to Prosperity”, focusing on harnessing science for national growth and self-reliance.
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- On 17 Oct 2025, the 100th session of the Network Planning Group (NPG) under PM GatiShakti was held in New Delhi. It reviewed 5 projects – 2 rail, 2 road/highway, and 1 metro – for multimodal integration. Key works included Hosapete–Ballari rail quadrupling (65 km) and Gondia–Jabalpur rail doubling (230.5 km). The session marked a milestone since 2021, boosting logistics efficiency and socio-economic growth.
- India was elected Co‑Chair of the United Nations Global Geospatial Information Management – Asia Pacific (UN‑GGIM‑AP) for 2025–2028. The election took place at the 14th Plenary Meeting (24–26 Sept 2025, Goyang‑si, Republic of Korea). The official announcement was made on 16 Oct 2025 by the Ministry of Science & Technology, Government of India.
- On 16 Oct 2025, Lxme launched “Lxmepay”, India’s first women-exclusive UPI platform. It helps women spend mindfully, track expenses, and build wealth. Unlike other UPI apps, it rewards users with digital gold instead of cashbacks. The initiative aims to promote financial independence and conscious money management for women.
- LIC launched two new plans on 15 October 2025 – Jan Suraksha (880) and Bima Lakshmi (881). Jan Suraksha is a micro-insurance plan for low-income groups with life cover, maturity benefits, and 4% guaranteed additions. Bima Lakshmi is exclusive for women, offering life cover, survival benefits, periodic payouts, and optional health riders.
- On 16 October 2025, Getepay announced a strategic partnership with ESAF Small Finance Bank (ESAF SFB) to deploy its next-generation payment switch, VEGA. This collaboration aims to strengthen India’s digital payments infrastructure by enabling secure, scalable, and real-time transaction processing.
- The 5th edition of the Khelo India University Games (KIUG) 2025 will be held in Rajasthan from 24 November to 5 December 2025, across seven host cities: Jaipur, Ajmer, Udaipur, Jodhpur, Bikaner, Kota, and Bharatpur.
- Australian Olympic champion Ariarne Titmus announced her retirement from competitive swimming on 16 October 2025 at the age of 25, shocking the sporting world. She ended her career as one of the greatest distance swimmers of all time, with 8 Olympic medals (including 4 golds) and 4 world titles.
- India has won the bid to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, marking its second time after New Delhi 2010. The announcement was confirmed on 15 Oct 2025 by HM Amit Shah and EAM S. Jaishankar.
- The World Boxing Cup Finals 2025 will be hosted by India for the first time from 14–21 November 2025 at the Shaheed Vijay Singh Pathik Sports Complex, Greater Noida. Organized by the Boxing Federation of India with World Boxing, the event will feature top global pugilists across 10 Olympic weight categories.
- The Indian Himalayan Region Climate Change Conclave 2025 was held in Imphal, Manipur (16–17 Oct 2025), organized by the Directorate of Environment & Climate Change, Manipur. Theme: “Perspectives of Research, Practice, Policy, and Communication”. Inaugurated by Manipur Chief Secretary Dr. Puneet Kumar Goel and concluded by Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla. The conclave focused on wetland conservation, regional cooperation, and integrating climate action into development.
- On 17 Oct 2025, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh unveiled the first Tejas LCA Mk1A from HAL’s Nashik production line, where it also completed its maiden flight. The event marked the inauguration of HAL’s third Tejas Mk1A line and second HTT-40 trainer line. With this, HAL’s annual Tejas production capacity rose to 24 aircraft.
- On 15 Oct 2025, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) signed a ₹659.47 crore contract to procure Advanced Night Sights for the Army’s 7.62×51 mm SIG716 Assault Rifles. The deal is under Buy (Indian–IDDM) with over 51% indigenous content, boosting Aatmanirbhar Bharat. The sights enable accurate target engagement up to 500 metres even in starlit conditions.
- The International Day of the Intangible Cultural Heritage 2025 was observed on 17 October 2025. It was proclaimed by UNESCO’s 42nd General Conference in 2023 and first celebrated in 2024. The 2025 theme was “Celebrating Living Heritage: Respecting Diversity, Strengthening Humanity.” The day highlights safeguarding oral traditions, performing arts, rituals, and traditional knowledge as community‑driven living heritage.
- Allianz appointed Ritu Arora as its Country Head for India on 16 Oct 2025, effective immediately. She earlier served as CEO & CIO of Allianz Investment Management Asia-Pacific and adviser to the Allianz SE Board. With 25+ years’ experience, she managed investments worth USD 50 billion across 12 countries.
- Malayalam poet and lyricist B.K. Harinarayanan released his book “Sivam Subham: The Biography of a Couple” on 17 September 2025 at Guruvayur, Kerala, coinciding with the 109th birth anniversary of legendary Carnatic vocalist M.S. Subbulakshmi. The biography explores the life and partnership of Subbulakshmi and her husband, T. Sadasivam.
Questions:
Q.1 Which fintech company launched “Lxmepay”, India’s first women-exclusive Unified Payments Interface (UPI) platform?a) BharatPe
b) PhonePe
c) Mobikwik
d) Lxme
Answer: d) Lxme launched Lxmepay on 16 October 2025 to promote mindful spending and financial independence for women.
Q.2 India has been elected Co-Chair (2025–2028) of which United Nations body?
a) United Nations Economic and Social Council (UN-ECOSOC)
b) United Nations Global Geospatial Information Management – Asia Pacific (UN-GGIM-AP)
c) United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA)
d) United Nations Commission on Science and Technology for Development (UNCSTD)
Answer: b) India was elected Co-Chair of the UN-GGIM-AP during its 14th Plenary Meeting in Goyang-si, Republic of Korea.
