Daily Current Affairs and GK | 2 September 2025

Topic: Awards and Prizes

1. Educate Girls, also known as the Foundation to Educate Girls Globally, has won the 2025 Ramon Magsaysay Award.

• It is the first Indian NGO to be recognised with this honour.

• The award is often called Asia’s version of the Nobel Prize.
• Educate Girls was founded in 2007 in Rajasthan by Safeena Husain.
• The NGO works to bring community and government support for girls’ education.
• Its focus is on rural and underprivileged regions of India.
• The Ramon Magsaysay Foundation praised Educate Girls for targeting the most underserved communities.
• It brings out-of-school girls into classrooms. It also helps them stay in school until they are ready for higher studies or employment.
• Safeena Husain said the organisation’s goal is to break the cycle of illiteracy and poverty. Its guiding principle is “one girl at a time.”
• The approach includes grassroots mobilisation and partnerships with government.
• It also provides local solutions to challenges like poverty and household chores.
• Other 2025 awardees include Shaahina Ali from the Maldives.
• She was recognised for her work in environmental protection.
• Flaviano Antonio L. Villanueva from the Philippines was also named a winner.
• Awardees will receive a medallion, a certificate, and a cash prize.
• The 67th Ramon Magsaysay Awards ceremony will take place on November 7, 2025. It will be held at the Metropolitan Theatre in Manila.

Topic: Important Days

2. World Coconut Day 2025: 2 September

• Every year on September 2, World Coconut Day is celebrated.
• It is celebrated to promote the importance of coconuts and their contributions to various aspects of life.
• The theme of World Coconut Day 2025 is “Uncovering Coconut's Power, Inspiring Global Action.”
• This day is celebrated to raise awareness about the benefits of coconut cultivation and consumption.
• Every year, coconut-producing countries around the world celebrate 2 September as World Coconut Day, which is the foundation day of the International Coconut Community (ICC).
• It was first celebrated in 2009 by the Asian and Pacific Coconut Community (APCC).
• The APCC was an intergovernmental organization founded in 1969 to promote, coordinate, and harmonize the coconut industry in the Asia-Pacific region.
• In 2017, the APCC was upgraded to a global organization and renamed the International Coconut Community (ICC).
• India is a founding member of the ICC.
• Coconut cultivation is spread over 12.2 million hectares in more than 90 countries, producing approximately 67 billion coconuts annually.

Topic: Reports and Indices

3. Gangtok ranked the 5th safest city for women in the NARI 2025 report.

• Gangtok has been ranked as the 5th safest city for women in India according to the National Annual Report and Index on Women’s Safety (NARI) 2025.
• The report was released by the National Commission for Women (NCW).
• A safety score of 70.4% was secured by Gangtok, which stood higher than the national average of 65%.
• The NARI 2025 index was based on a survey of 12,770 women across 31 cities.
• The parameters of safety included infrastructure, workplace security, harassment reporting, trust in authorities, and day versus night safety.
• Kohima, the capital of Nagaland, was placed first in the rankings.
• Visakhapatnam of Andhra Pradesh and Bhubaneswar of Odisha secured the second and third positions respectively.
• Aizawl, the capital of Mizoram, was ranked fourth, placing Gangtok next in the fifth position.
• The Northeast region was seen to perform strongly in the safety index.
• The findings highlighted persistent concerns over night-time safety and underreporting of harassment.

Topic: Banking/Finance

4. India Post Payments Bank celebrated its 8th Foundation Day.

• On September 1, 2025, India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) celebrated its 8th Foundation Day (known as IPPB Day) in New Delhi.
• The milestone marked the bank’s journey of delivering accessible and affordable financial services.
• IPPB has emerged as one of the largest financial inclusion efforts globally.
• The extensive postal network of over 1.64 lakh Post Offices and 1.90 lakh Postmen and Gramin Dak Sevaks (GDS) has been leveraged by the bank.
• More than 12 crore customers have been onboarded since its inception.
• Doorstep banking in rural, semi-urban, and remote areas has been enabled by IPPB.
• New products such as DigiSmart (Digital Savings Accounts), Premium Aarogya Savings Account (Bank Account with Healthcare Benefits), and Aadhaar-based Face Authentication were introduced recently.
• Services like RuPay Virtual Debit Card, AePS (Aadhaar-enabled Payment Services), cross-border remittances, and Bharat BillPay integration are already in operation.
• India Post Payments Bank:
  • IPPB was launched on September 1, 2018.
  • It has been established under the Department of Posts, Ministry of Communications, with 100% equity owned by the Government of India.
  • IPPB provides easy and affordable banking solutions to 11 crore customers across 5.57 lakh villages and towns in India through an intuitive interface available in 13 languages.

Topic: National Appointments

5. Ms. T.C.A. Kalyani assumed charge as Controller General of Accounts.

• Ms. T.C.A. Kalyani assumed charge as the new Controller General of Accounts (CGA) in the Ministry of Finance.
• She became the 29th officer to hold this position.
• Ms. Kalyani belongs to the 1991 batch of the Indian Civil Accounts Service (ICAS).
• Her academic background includes a B.A. in Political Science, an M.A. in International Politics, and an M.Phil. in West European Studies.
• She brings over 34 years of experience in governance, accounting, and administration.
• Several ministries, such as Defence, Telecom, Fertilizers, Social Justice, Finance, and Home, have benefited from her service.
• Her contribution in launching the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) scheme for fertilizer subsidies was considered significant.
• Before her present role, she served as Principal Chief Controller of Accounts in the Ministry of Home Affairs.
• Controller General of Accounts (CGA):
  • It is the Principal Advisor on accounting matters to the Government of India.
  • It is responsible for establishing and managing a technically sound Management accounting system and preparation and submission of accounts of the union government.
  • It is responsible for exchequer control and conduct of internal audits for the central government.

Topic: Indian Economy

6. India's manufacturing PMI reached 17-year high of 59.3.

• India’s manufacturing sector recorded its fastest growth in more than 17 years in August 2025.
• The HSBC India Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) rose to 59.3 from 59.1 in July.
• This figure reflected the strongest improvement in operating conditions since mid-2008.
• The surge was driven by robust demand, higher orders, and increased production.
• Production volumes expanded at the quickest pace in nearly five years.
• Incoming new orders rose roughly in line with July, the fastest in 57 months.
• The report stated that demand buoyancy and successful advertising campaigns supported this growth.
• The pace of input purchases increased, and job creation was also enhanced.
• In particular, the report highlights the fact that the underlying data shows that international orders placed with Indian manufacturers have grown at a slowing pace, the slowest in the last five months.

Topic: MoUs/Agreements

7. The Department of Posts (DoP) has signed a MoU with ESRI India Technologies Pvt. Ltd.

• This MoU is aimed at advancing the DIGIPIN platform.
• DoP will now have access to ESRI India’s detailed satellite imagery and street-level basemaps.
• These will be used to enhance the functionality of the DIGIPIN platform.
• The DIGIPIN system will also be connected to ESRI India’s Living Atlas portal.
• ESRI India will provide technical support to the DoP.
• This will help ensure smooth integration of its mapping tools with the DIGIPIN system.
• The partnership is intended to improve DIGIPIN’s accuracy and user experience.
• It will also enhance the efficiency of public service delivery.
• The MoU was officially signed during a ceremony at Dak Bhawan in New Delhi.
• By merging ESRI India’s geospatial technology with the DoP’s national network, the initiative aims to strengthen DIGIPIN’s implementation on the ground.
• ESRI India Technologies Private Limited (ESRI India) is a Geographic Information System (GIS) software and solutions provider.
• DIGIPIN is a geo-coded addressing system. It was developed by the Department of Posts in collaboration with IIT Hyderabad.
• It divides India into approximately 4m x 4m grids.
• It assigns each grid a unique 10-character alphanumeric code based on latitude and longitude coordinates.
• It simplifies addressing for public and private services.

Topic: Defence

8. The 21^st edition of the India–US joint military exercise, Yudh Abhyas 2025, is being held at Fort Wainwright in Alaska.

• Indian Army personnel have arrived in Alaska to take part in the drills.
• The exercise will continue until the 14th of September.
• India is represented by a battalion from the Madras Regiment.
• They are training alongside the US Army’s 5th Infantry Regiment.
• This regiment is known as the “Bobcats” and belongs to the Arctic Wolves Brigade of the US 11th Airborne Division.
• Over the two-week period, both forces will practice a wide range of combat scenarios.
• These include air assault missions, drone-based surveillance, and mountain warfare operations.
• They will also carry out integrated drills using artillery, aviation units, and electronic warfare systems.
• Specialists from both armies will lead sessions on modern military domains.
• Key focus areas include counter-drone tactics, cyber and information warfare, secure communication, and battlefield logistics.
• The final phase of the exercise will involve coordinated tactical missions.
• These missions will include live-fire exercises and simulated high-altitude combat situations.
• The main objective is to enhance cooperation in United Nations peacekeeping efforts.
• It also aims to improve readiness for complex, multi-domain military operations.

Topic: State News/ Bihar

9. Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Bihar Rajya Jeevika Nidhi Saakh Sahkari Sangh Limited through video conferencing.

• This new initiative is aimed at empowering rural women across Bihar.
• It will encourage entrepreneurship and support community-run businesses.
• As part of the event, ₹105 crore will be transferred to the institution’s bank account.
• The system will operate fully on a digital platform.
• This will ensure fast, direct, and transparent transfer of funds.
• Money will go straight into the bank accounts of Jeevika Didis.
• To support the digital process, 12,000 community workers are being given tablets.
• The Jeevika Nidhi will make low-interest loans more accessible to women in the Jeevika network.
• All cluster-level federations registered under Jeevika will become members of the new society.
• The Central and Bihar state governments will provide financial support for the institution’s operations.
• The Jeevika Nidhi will act as an alternative to Microfinance Institutions.
• It aims to offer larger loans at lower interest rates and reduce delays in fund access.

Topic: Summits/ Conferences/ Meetings

10. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Semicon India 2025 at Yashobhoomi in New Delhi.

• This flagship event aims to speed up the growth of India’s semiconductor industry.
• It also seeks to establish India as a global hub for chip design, manufacturing, and innovation.
• On September 3, the Prime Minister will join the conference sessions.
• He will participate in a special roundtable with global CEOs.
• Semicon India 2025 will run for three days, from September 2 to 4.
• The conference focuses on building a strong, sustainable, and resilient semiconductor ecosystem in India.
• Topics include semiconductor fabrication, advanced packaging, infrastructure readiness, and smart manufacturing.
• Other areas of discussion are research and development, AI applications, investment opportunities, and state-level policies.
• The event will highlight the Design Linked Incentive (DLI) scheme.
• It will also showcase the rise of semiconductor startups in India.
• International partnerships shaping the sector’s future will be featured.
• More than 20,750 participants are expected, including 2,500 delegates from over 48 countries.
• There will be over 150 speakers, with more than 50 global industry leaders.
• More than 350 exhibitors will present their technologies and innovations.
• Key highlights include country pavilions, six international roundtables, and dedicated spaces for workforce development and startup innovation.
• Semicon conferences globally promote technological progress and policy strategies in the semiconductor sector.
• India has previously hosted Semicon events in Bengaluru (2022), Gandhinagar (2023), and Greater Noida (2024).
• The 2025 edition in New Delhi marks an important milestone in India’s journey to become a global semiconductor leader.