Daily Current Affairs and GK | 17 September 2025

Topic: National Appointments

1. Professor Pradeep Kumar Prajapati has been appointed as the new Director of the All-India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) in New Delhi.

• His appointment was formally announced at a ceremony held at the institute.
• The event was attended by former Executive Director Prof. Manjusha Rajagopal, Dean Prof. Mahesh Vyas, and other academic, medical, administrative, and nursing staff.
• Prajapati began his career as an Assistant Professor at the National Institute of Ayurveda in Jaipur.
• He later moved to Gujarat Ayurved University in Jamnagar.
• He also served as Vice-Chancellor of Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan Rajasthan Ayurved University in Jodhpur.
• According to government rules, he will serve a five-year term or until retirement age, whichever comes first.
• The AIIA was established in October 2010. Its goal is to combine traditional Ayurvedic knowledge with modern technology.
• Since its inception, the institute has had four directors, including interim leaders.
• Prof. Abhimanyu Kumar was the first official director, appointed in 2013. Prajapati served as acting director in 2017.

Topic: Biotechnology and Diseases

2. The key role of the SPIN90 protein in cell movement identified by CSIR-CCMB scientists.

• A groundbreaking discovery about how cells adapt their internal structures to move and change shape has been made by the Hyderabad-based CSIR–Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) scientists.
• They revealed the crucial role of a protein called SPIN90, which helps cells such as white blood cells form rapid bulges, which are needed to chase down and destroy pathogens.
• The study has been published in the international journal ‘Nature Structural & Molecular Biology.’
• The discovery provides new insights into fundamental processes that govern cellular behavior and may help understand various diseases.
• Cells move by forming flat protrusions toward pathogens or sites of injury.
• These structures form in microseconds and rely on a structural protein called actin that pushes the cell membrane.
• To form the protrusion, cells have to create a new network of actin filaments in the direction they want to move.
• The CCMB team, led by Saikat Chowdhury, discovered that SPIN90 functions as a dimer with the Arp2/3 complex, initiating the growth of actin filaments in two directions separated by approximately 150 degrees.
• These filaments act as scaffolds to build branched actin networks, which reshape the cell and guide its movement.
• SPIN90's ability to form actin filaments in two directions may explain how cells quickly create adaptable structures.
• This may help us understand how cells reorganize themselves in health and disease, such as cancer, immune disorders, and wound healing.

Topic: State News/Uttarakhand

3. Uttarakhand gets first NVIDIA-powered AI-HPC facility.

• On 16 September, a state-of-the-art Centre of Excellence for Artificial Intelligence, Skill Development, and Innovation was inaugurated at Graphic Era University, Dehradun, by Union Minister Jitendra Singh.
• The center hosts Uttarakhand’s first NVIDIA-powered AI and High-Performance Computing (HPC) hub.
• The hub is equipped with an NVIDIA DGX B200 system with eight GPUs and 1.74 TB of GPU memory.
• The facility has been developed at a cost of over ₹10 crore.
• Research in healthcare, agriculture, the environment, smart cities, and advanced industries is expected to be boosted.
• An Apple iOS Development Center has also been established at the facility in collaboration with Apple and Infosys.
• The minister described the center as a step towards the Digital India, Startup India, and Skill India missions.
• The importance of ethics in AI innovation was stressed, with a warning against deepfakes and misuse.
• Graphic Era University was noted as India’s first generative AI-ready campus, powered by AWS.
• The university holds NAAC A+ accreditation and ranks 48th in NIRF 2025.

Topic: Sports

4. Mohammed Siraj and Orla Prendergast named ICC Players of the Month for August.

• On 15 September, Mohammed Siraj of India was named ICC Men’s Player of the Month for August 2025.
• His award came after a stellar match-winning effort in the final Test of the series against England at The Oval.
• Siraj took three wickets on the final day, helping India win the match by six runs and level the series 2-2.
• He finished with nine wickets in the match, including figures of 4/86 in the first innings and 5/104 in the second.
• He beat New Zealand’s Matt Henry and West Indies’ Jayden Seals to claim the award.
• On the other hand, Orla Prendergast of Ireland was named ICC Women’s Player of the Month for August 2025.
• She was the Player of the Series in Ireland’s 2-1 T20I victory over Pakistan, scoring 144 runs and taking four wickets.
• In the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Europe Qualifier, she scored 244 runs and picked up seven wickets in the month.
• Prendergast won the award ahead of Pakistan’s Muneeba Ali and Netherlands’ Iris Zwilling.
• ICC had introduced the ICC Player of the Month awards in January 2021.
• It recognizes the best performances of both male and female cricketers across all forms of international cricket.

Topic: Defence

5. The 21st edition of the India–US joint military exercise Yudh Abhyas 2025 concluded in Alaska.

• The exercise had begun on September 1 at Fort Wainwright and the Yukon Training Area.
• A battalion of the Indian Army’s Madras Regiment and troops of the US 11th Airborne Division participated.
• About 450 soldiers from each side were engaged in the joint training.
• The exercise has grown since 2002 into one of the most advanced bilateral drills India conducts.
• Integrated operations involving infantry, artillery, aviation, electronic warfare, and counter-drone systems were practised.
• Live-fire drills, sniper training, counter-IED tasks, and reconnaissance operations were conducted.
• Training in casualty evacuation, frostbite prevention, and high-altitude physiology was carried out in Alaska’s sub-arctic conditions.
• The exercise was described by the Indian Embassy as a hallmark of the Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership between India and the US.

Topic: Sports

6. Indian Grandmaster Vaishali Rameshbabu became the first woman to win the FIDE Women’s Grand Swiss twice on 16 September.

• The victory in Samarkand secured her a place in the Women’s Candidates Tournament.
• The final round ended in a draw against former world champion Zhongyi Tan of China.
• A prize cheque of $40,000 was awarded along with the title.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated her, praising her passion and dedication.
• Vaishali noted that both her 2023 and 2025 victories arrived when she most needed them.
• She became the third Indian woman, after Divya Deshmukh and Koneru Humpy, to qualify for the Candidates.
• Her achievement marked a significant milestone for Indian women’s chess.
• Additionally, Anandakumar Velkumar won the gold medal in the Senior Men's 1000m Sprint at the Speed ​​Skating World Championships 2025.

Topic: Indian Economy

7. India's economy grew by 7.8% in Q1 FY26, as per a report by CareEdge Ratings.

• The economic growth in Q1 FY26 exceeded the forecasted growth of 6.6%.
• Manufacturing growth increased to 7.7%, up from 4.8% in the previous quarter.
• The services sector showed strong performance in all areas.
• Trade, hotels, transport, commerce, and broadcasting grew by 8.6%.
• Financial, real estate, and professional services saw a 9.5% increase.
• Public administration and defense grew by 9.8%. Agricultural growth slowed to 3.7%.
• Industrial growth was impacted by a 3.1% decline in mining.
• GVA growth reached 7.6%. The gap between GDP and GVA was positive, as indirect taxes grew faster than subsidies.

Topic: Sports

8. Anandkumar Velkumar made history by winning India’s first gold medal at the Speed Skating World Championships in China.

• He won the senior men’s 1,000m sprint with a time of 1:24.924.
• Earlier, Velkumar had already won India’s first senior-level medal at the Worlds by taking bronze in the 500m sprint.
• India also celebrated a junior gold medal when Krish Sharma won the 1,000m sprint in his category.
• The championship started in Beidaihe on September 13 and will run until September 21.
• In 2021, Velkumar became the first Indian to win a medal at the Worlds by earning silver in the junior men’s 15,000m elimination race.
• He also helped India win a bronze medal in the men’s 3,000m event at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou.
• India’s success at the World Games included Rishabh Yadav’s bronze in compound archery and Namrata Batra’s silver in wushu.
• With these recent wins, India’s total medal count at the World Games has reached eight.
• This total includes one gold, two silvers, and five bronzes.
• This is India’s most successful performance at the World Games so far.
• It surpasses the previous best of two medals won in 1989.

Topic: Sports

9. Apollo Tyres is now the main sponsor for India’s national cricket teams.

• This includes the men’s, women’s, senior, and junior teams.
• The sponsorship will last for two and a half years.
• Apollo’s logo will appear on the teams' jerseys during this period.
• The BCCI conducted a competitive bidding process to select the sponsor.
• Apollo Tyres won with a bid reportedly worth ₹579 crore.
• Canva and JK Tyres also submitted bids of ₹544 crore and ₹477 crore, respectively.
• The BCCI had set base rates of ₹3.5 crore per bilateral match.
• For ICC tournament matches, the base price was ₹1.5 crore.
• Apollo’s winning bid offered ₹4.5 crore for bilateral games.
• It also offered ₹1.72 crore for each ICC event match.
• The deal will start with the Women’s ODI World Cup on September 30.
• The BCCI said the agreement shows the growing commercial appeal of Indian cricket.
• The new tender was issued after Dream11 pulled out of its sponsorship deal.
• Dream11 exited due to new restrictions on fantasy gaming under the Online Gaming Bill.

Topic: State News/Bihar

10. Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched development projects worth around ₹40,000 crore in Purnea, Bihar.

• These projects cover transport, energy, aviation, and irrigation sectors.
• Modi said these projects will greatly improve connectivity and infrastructure in the Seemanchal region.
• He announced that more than 40,000 families have received permanent homes under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.
• On Engineers’ Day, Modi inaugurated the new terminal at Purnea Airport.
• The terminal was completed in less than five months.
• He also flagged off the airport’s first commercial flight.
• This officially connected Purnea to India’s aviation network.
• In railways, Modi flagged off one Vande Bharat train, two Amrit Bharat trains, and one passenger train.
• He inaugurated the Araria–Galgalia rail line and laid the foundation for the Vikramshila–Kataria line.
• Approvals were given to double the Bhagalpur–Dumka–Rampurhat and Mokama–Munger rail lines.
• A 2,400 MW thermal power plant in Pirpainti, Bhagalpur, was inaugurated.
• Modi laid the foundation for the Kosi–Mechi river link project to improve irrigation and manage floods.
• He announced a ₹475 crore plan to support makhana farming.
• An announcement of release of ₹500 crore Community Investment Fund to support self-help groups was made by PM Modi.