Daily Current Affairs and GK | 5 September 2025

Topic: Art and Culture

1. The most important day of Onam, known as Thiruvonam, is on September 5th.

• Onam is a Hindu festival that originates from Kerala, India.
• It is celebrated every year by Malayalis both in Kerala and around the world.
• The festival marks the New Year for Malayali Hindus.
• Onam falls in the Malayalam month of Chingam, which usually corresponds to August and September in the Gregorian calendar.
• The festival honors the Vamana avatar of Lord Vishnu.
• It also commemorates the legendary return of Emperor Mahabali.
• Onam draws from mythological stories involving sages like Kashyapa and Parashurama.
• It is primarily a harvest festival.
• Onam is one of the three major Hindu celebrations in Kerala, alongside Vishu and Thiruvathira.
• The celebrations are rich in cultural traditions.
• They include Vallam Kali (snake boat races), Pulikali (tiger dances), and Pookkalam (floral decorations).
• Other activities include Onam Kali, Thumbi Thullal (a women’s folk dance), and Kummattikali (masked dances).
• People also take part in Onathallu (a form of martial arts) and enjoy Onavillu (musical bows).
• Offerings like Kazhchakkula (plantain stalks) are made.
• Costumed figures called Onapottan appear during the festival.
• The Atthachamayam procession features folk songs and dances.

Topic: Defence

2. Air Marshal Sanjiv Ghurtia took over as Air Officer-in-Charge Maintenance.

• Air Marshal Sanjiv Ghuratia AVSM VSM assumed the appointment of Air Officer-in-Charge Maintenance at the Indian Air Force Headquarters.

• After assuming charge, the Air Marshal paid floral tribute at the National War Memorial in honour of the Armed Forces personnel who made the supreme sacrifice for the nation.
• He was commissioned into the Aeronautical Engineering stream of the Indian Air Force in September 1988.
• The Air Marshal is an alumnus of the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, the Air Force Test Pilot School, Bengaluru, and the Air Force Technical College, Bengaluru.
• He is a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society, London, the Aeronautical Society of India, and the Institute of Electronics & Telecommunication Engineering.
• He is a Lead Auditor for ISO 45,000 (OH & SMS) and Associate Member of Society of Flight Test Engineers, USA.
• During his 37-year career, he has held several important command and staff appointments in the Indian Air Force and in a United Nations Mission abroad.
• He was serving as the Senior Maintenance Staff Officer at HQ MC before assuming his present appointment.
• For his distinguished service, he was awarded the ‘Vishisht Seva Medal’ in the year 2016 and 'Ati Vishisht Seva Medal' in the year 2025 by the President.
• He was also commended by the UN Force Commander while serving in the UN Mission Congo.

Topic: Summits/Conferences/Meetings

3. PM Modi and Singapore PM Lawrence Wong held talks in New Delhi and signed key agreements.

• On 4 September, delegation-level talks were held between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong in New Delhi.
• Five agreements in the fields of Civil Aviation, Space, Skill Development, Digital Asset Innovation and Green and Digital Shipping Corridor were signed after the meeting.
• It was highlighted by PM Modi that Singapore is India’s largest trade partner in South-East Asia and an important pillar of the Act East Policy.
• The two sides decided to strengthen cooperation in artificial intelligence, quantum technology, and other digital areas.
• To boost trade momentum, it was agreed to review the bilateral Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement and the ASEAN Free Trade Agreement on a timely basis.
• PM Modi emphasized that unity against terrorism is the duty of all humanitarian nations, and gratitude was expressed to Singapore for its support after the Pahalgam terror attack.
• Prime Minister Wong underlined that India has already launched more than 20 satellites made in Singapore and affirmed further collaboration in the space sector.
• The visit of Prime Minister Wong coincided with the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between India and Singapore.

Topic: Reports and Indices

4. IIT-Madras topped the NIRF Rankings 2025 for the seventh consecutive year.

• The Indian Institute of Technology-Madras (IIT-Madras) was ranked first in the overall category of the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) 2025, released on September 4 in New Delhi.

• The second and third positions were secured by the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bengaluru and IIT-Mumbai, respectively.
• The 10th edition of the rankings was announced by the Ministry of Education, covering 17 different categories.
• IIT-Madras was declared the best engineering institute and also ranked first in Innovation.
• IISc Bengaluru was adjudged the best university in the country, followed by JNU New Delhi and Manipal Academy of Higher Education.
• National Law School of India University, Bengaluru, was ranked as the best law college, while AIIMS Delhi topped in medical and dental categories.
• The Indian Agriculture Research Institute, Delhi, was declared the best in agriculture studies.
• IIM Ahmedabad retained its position as the best management institute, followed by IIM Bangalore and IIM Kozhikode.
• Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, was the best institute for Pharmacy, followed by Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani.
• Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) secured the number 1 position in the open university category.
• The top three positions for the best college went to Delhi-Hindu College, Miranda House, and Hansraj College, respectively.
• The Ministry of Human Resource Development (now the Ministry of Education) first introduced the NIRF in 2015 to provide a transparent and comprehensive framework for evaluating higher education institutions across the country.

Topic: Books and Authors

5. The book ‘The Chola Tigers: The Avengers of Somnath’ launched by Amish Tripathi in Chennai.

• Author Amish Tripathi launched his new book, The Chola Tigers: The Avengers of Somnath, in Chennai.
• The book is the second installment in his Indic Chronicle series.
• In a career spanning 15 years and 12 books, Amish has become one of India's most popular authors.
• His previous works, including the Shiva Trilogy and the Ram Chandra series, have consistently topped bestseller lists.
• He highlighted that the Cholas’ achievements—administration, trade, and resistance—remain underrepresented in mainstream narratives.
• The book portrays the Cholas avenging the destruction of the Somnath temple through their fearless warriors.
• Female characters are depicted as crucial to the storyline, with bravery and sacrifice shaping the larger narrative.

Topic: MoUs/Agreements

6. Center, Manipur govt., and Kuki-Zo group sign new agreement, NH-2 to be reopened.

• On September 4, 2025, a new agreement was signed between the Centre, the Manipur government, and Kuki-Zo groups.
• In this agreement, all parties agreed to maintain the territorial integrity of Manipur, open National Highway-2 for free traffic, and shift the militant camps.
• The agreement has been in limbo since February 29, 2024, when the Manipur government withdrew from the agreement.
• A tripartite meeting was held in New Delhi among representatives of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the Government of Manipur, the Kuki National Organisation (KNO), and the United People’s Front (UPF).
• The meeting concluded with the signing of a tripartite Suspension of Operations (SoO) Agreement.
• The agreement, based on renegotiated terms and conditions, will be effective from the day of signing for a period of one year.
• The KNO and the UPF agreed to relocate seven designated camps from conflict-prone areas.
• The militant groups also committed to reducing the number of camps and surrendering weapons.
• Stringent physical verification of cadres by Indian security forces was accepted by the Kuki-Zo groups to remove foreign nationals.
• The Kuki-Zo Council has decided to open National Highway-2 for the free movement of passengers and essential commodities.

Topic: MoUs/Agreements

7. DPIIT and ICICI Bank signed an MoU to support startups and innovators across India.

• As part of the agreement, ICICI Bank will develop and implement a Startup Engagement Programme via the Startup India platform.
• This initiative will align with Startup India’s nationwide awareness campaigns to ensure broad reach and participation.
• Startup India will collaborate with ICICI Bank to boost the programme’s visibility and facilitate connections with DPIIT-recognised startups.
• Startups chosen for the programme will be given access to ICICI Bank’s accelerator facility in Mumbai, complete with dedicated workspaces.
• They will benefit from expert guidance through a well-defined mentorship framework led by industry professionals.
• The programme will allow startups to test their solutions through pilot projects with various ICICI Bank divisions.
• Participants will also engage with investors, venture capitalists, and industry stakeholders through networking events and workshops.
• This joint effort aims to accelerate the growth of product-driven startups by supporting their development and scaling journey.
• The partnership is part of the Startup India initiative and focuses on early- and growth-stage startups.

Topic: MoUs/Agreements

8. DPIIT has entered into an MoU with Pfizer Limited to enhance India’s healthcare innovation ecosystem.

• The partnership is aimed at accelerating the transition of healthcare innovations from lab to market.
• It will provide both financial and strategic support to emerging startups.
• Under this initiative, Pfizer’s INDovation program will offer grants of up to ₹60 lakhs to DPIIT-recognised startups.
• An 18-month incubation program will be implemented in collaboration with Social Alpha.
• This incubation will guide startups through different phases of growth and development.
• Specialised support will be provided in clinical validation, regulatory approvals, and go-to-market strategies.
• Startups will receive mentorship from industry experts.
• They will also gain access to infrastructure and global healthcare networks.
• Participants will have opportunities to interact with Pfizer’s R&D teams in Chennai.
• This will help them strengthen their innovations with real-world industry insights.
• The program will support 14 promising MedTech startups.
• These startups will work on screening, diagnostics, health monitoring, and treatment-related technologies.
• Focus areas include non-communicable diseases, cancer, brain health, maternal and child care, and immunisation.
• The MoU reflects DPIIT’s focus on inclusive growth through strong public–private partnerships in healthcare.

Topic: Summits/ Conferences/ Meetings

9. A two-day national summit on the “National Ayush Mission and Capacity Building in States” was held at the All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) in Sarita Vihar, New Delhi.

• The event was organized by the Ministry of Ayush.
• It brought together senior government officials, health administrators from States and UTs, experts, and stakeholders.
• The summit focused on strengthening the Ayush sector at both national and state levels.
• The summit was inaugurated on September 3.
• Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Ayush, Shri Prataprao Jadhav, led the inauguration.
• Dr. V. K. Paul from NITI Aayog and Ayush Secretary Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha were also present.
• Shri Jadhav spoke about the positive influence of the National Ayush Mission.
• He also launched two new facilities at AIIA.
• One was a support unit to assist with insurance claims.
• The other was a digital learning and communication center for Ayurveda education and capacity building.
• The summit included discussions across six key themes.
• In the valedictory session, Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha emphasized the importance of Behaviour Change Communication.
• He highlighted the Har Ghar AyurYog initiative for promoting Ayurvedic lifestyles at the household level.
• He announced plans to establish ten new institutes similar to AIIA.
• Citing NSSO data, he noted that 95% of Indians are aware of AYUSH.
• The summit ended with a strong commitment to capacity building and quality improvement in the Ayush ecosystem.

Topic: State News/ Haryana

10. Union Minister Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw inaugurated a state-of-the-art lithium-ion battery manufacturing plant set up by TDK Corporation in Sohna, Haryana.

• This marks a major advancement in India’s journey toward self-sufficiency in electronics under the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative.
• The Minister highlighted India’s growing focus on producing core electronic components within the country.
• These components include camera modules, printed circuit boards, semiconductors, and batteries.
• The new facility will manufacture lithium-ion batteries for devices such as smartphones, smartwatches, earbuds, wireless gadgets, and laptops.
• It is designed to produce 200 million battery packs annually.
• This will meet around 40% of India’s current annual demand for 500 million packs.
• The facility was developed with support from the Government of India’s Electronics Manufacturing Cluster (EMC) Scheme.
• It is expected to generate direct employment for approximately 5,000 people.
• Workers for the plant have already been trained at TDK’s AT Bawal training center.
• TDK Corporation is a global leader in electronic components.
• It operates more than 250 facilities for manufacturing, R&D, and sales across over 30 countries and regions.