Current Affairs: 26th Sept 2025

• Centre cancels FCRA licence of activist’s outfit

Context: The Union Home Ministry cancelled the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) registration of an organisation founded by climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, citing alleged violations.

• The CBI is also conducting an inquiry involving another non-profit organisation established by Mr. Wangchuk regarding similar allegations.
• Day after Leh violence, Home Ministry cancels SECMOL’s FCRA nod; activist calls charges baseless; allegations include accepting foreign funds to study ‘national sovereignty’ and poor accounting.
• The development comes a day after violence erupted in Leh city of Ladakh, during an ongoing protest demanding Statehood. ”.
• In 2021-22, SECMOL received ₹4.93 lakh from a Swedish organisation, Framtidsjorden, for “awareness on youth migration, food security, and sovereignty”. The government held that accepting foreign funds for studies involving “national sovereignty” violated FCRA rules.

• Amendments to be brought to Karnataka Rent Act to rationalise offences, penalties

Context: Aligning with a Central law, the State Cabinet has decided to amend the Karnataka Rent Act, 1999, mainly to decriminalise or rationalise certain offences and penalties.

• Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H.K. Patil said the proposed amendments to the Act are intended to ease giving buildings on rent and it would be a “win-win situation” for both the owner and the tenant, particularly in industrial sheds.
• Amendments will be made to Sections 24, 25, 53, 54, and 55 of the Act, he said, to ensure compliance on rent payments as well as penalties.
• The decision comes as Karnataka’s rental market, particularly in Bengaluru, expands rapidly, accompanied by an increase in disputes between landlords and tenants.
• Among other decisions, the Cabinet has approved ₹16.3 crore for the construction of Karnataka Bhavan-II building at Chanakyapuri in New Delhi.
• It has approved the Male Mahadeshwara Hill Authority Bill, 2025, for inclusion of a list of persons in the authority to govern M.M. Hills and the temple. A sum of ₹128.74 crore was approved for drainage work in Channapatna in Bengaluru South (formerly Ramanagara) district and ₹95.6 crore for upgradation of the government hospital at Virajpet in Kodagu from 60 beds to 250.
• To ensure necessary skills during promotions of directors, deputy directors, and secretaries in government departments, it has approved the Karnataka Civil Service Rules, 2025. The new rules make the consideration of necessary skills mandatory during promotions, Mr. Patil said.

• Cabinet approves skill development policy; ₹4,432.5 crore needed for seven-year period

Context: The State Cabinet approved the Karnataka State Skill Development Policy 2025-32 with requirement of a whopping ₹4,432.5 crore, during the seven-year period.

• Its vision is to position Karnataka as a premier hub for skilled workforce and a $1 trillion economy by 2032.
• The policy envisions “transforming the State into a hub for skill development, fostering an inclusive and future-ready workforce that meets the demands of a rapidly evolving economy.”
• Its mission is focused on empowering youth and marginalised communities through access to industry-aligned skills, promoting continuous learning, and enhancing collaboration between industry and educational institutions.
• The comprehensive approach is aligned with the Skill India Mission aimed at bridging regional disparities and supporting sustainable economic growth.
• The policy objectives are to focus on lifelong learning, reskilling, and upskilling to keep pace with changing technologies and industry needs, and integration of vocational education within schools, higher educational institutions, and universities through credit-based programmes.
• It laid a strong emphasis on industry collaboration, including apprenticeships, industry-led training, and ITI adoption.
• It aims to leverage digital technologies and Al-driven tools for training, assessment, and career guidance through a unified digital portal.

Funding need

• The funding needed for implementing the policy is ₹4,432.5 crore, including ₹1,386 crore from the Asian Development Bank.
• It has been decided that ₹410 crore would be raised from projects in the PPP model and ₹904 crore from projects already announced in previous State Budgets (ongoing projects with Budget from State or organisations like KKRDB, KMERC, NABARD); ₹807 crore from continuing schemes under the department, funded irrespective of policy provisions; ₹38.5 crore from the Department of Electronics, IT, BT and S&T, and ₹887 crore from the Department of Skill Development.

What CAG report said

• The Comptroller and Auditor General of India report tabled in the Monsoon Session of the legislature said that only 18% of the trained candidates under the Karnataka Skill Development Corporation secured placements post-training, falling short of the mandated 70%.
• The Skill Mission was unrealistic in its target during 2017-23, and only 1,15,822 individuals were trained against the target of five lakh youth per year during 2017-2023, the report added.

• Defence Ministry, HAL ink ₹62,370-cr. deal for 97 light combat aircraft for IAF

Context: The Defence Ministry signed a contract to buy 97 light combat aircraft, of the Tejas Mark-1A variant, for the Indian Air Force from Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd., in a ₹62,370-crore deal.

• The order is for 68 fighter jets and 29 twin-seaters, along with associated equipment. Deliveries will begin in 2027-28 and be completed over six years.
• “The supply of these aircraft by HAL would enhance operational capability of the Indian Air Force to continue their unhindered operations and strengthen defence preparedness of the country,” Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said in a post on X.
• “This contract reflects the trust and confidence of the Government and the Armed Forces in the indigenously developed aircraft ‘Tejas’, which will be the mainstay of the IAF in the years to come,” he added.
• With more than 64% indigenous content and 67 new items in comparison to the 2021 contract, this Tejas Mk-1A will feature advanced systems such as the UTTAM AESA Radar, Swayam Raksha Kavach, and indigenous control surface actuators, reinforcing the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative to move towards a self-reliant India.
• The programme is backed by a supply chain of around 105 Indian companies and is expected to generate nearly 11,750 direct and indirect jobs annually during the production period, according to the Ministry
• under the ‘Buy (India-IDDM)’ category of the Defence Acquisition Procedure 2020, the Tejas Mk-1A is the most advanced variant of the indigenously designed fighter jet and will serve as a powerful platform to meet the IAF’s operational needs, the Ministry added.

• Rajnath’s Morocco visit marks new chapter in India-Africa defence ties

Context: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s maiden visit to Morocco to inaugurate India’s first overseas defence manufacturing facility has marked the beginning of a new chapter in the long-standing friendship between India and Morocco.

• Mr. Singh and Morocco’s Defence Minister Abdelatif Loudyi jointly inaugurated Tata Advanced Systems Limited’s (TASL) state-of-the-art defence manufacturing facility in Berrechid. The plant will produce India’s indigenously developed Wheeled Armoured Platform (WhAP), making it a significant milestone in India’s growing global defence footprint.
• Morocco as a gateway to Africa and a potential market for Indian defence equipment. “There is a strong demand in Africa for small arms, bulletproof jackets, armoured vehicles, tanks, and helicopters. This is the right time for India to strengthen its presence in the African defence market by also establishing Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) facilities. Russia has traditionally been the major supplier to the continent, but the Ukraine conflict and subsequent sanctions disrupted its supply chains. Since India has long experience with Russian defence equipment as a major importer, it has a better understanding of maintaining these systems,” the official noted.
• On India’s defence outreach to African nations, Professor Harsh V. Pant, Vice-President – Studies and Foreign Policy at Observer Research Foundation, said, “India is expanding its defence outreach, particularly focusing on enhancing defence exports. Africa presents good opportunities due to historical links and strategic comfort levels with India.
• India straddles a unique position in global politics by not being part of either the U.S.-China or Russia-West binaries… Sanctions against Russia may create opportunities for India in the African market due to its neutral stance.”

• DRDO conducts rail-based launch of Agni-Prime missile

Context: The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Strategic Forces Command (SFC) successfully test-fired the Intermediate Range Agni-Prime missile from a rail-based mobile launcher, under full operational conditions.

• The Defence Ministry said the next-generation missile, designed for a range of up to 2,000 km, incorporates advanced features and marks the first launch from a specially developed rail-based system capable of rapid, low-visibility deployment with cross-country mobility.
• The missile’s trajectory was tracked by multiple ground stations, with the test meeting all mission objectives.

• India, Russia discuss BRICS grain exchange plan to boost agriculture trade ties

Context: Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Patrushev and discussed plans of creating a common agricultural food exchange that will help in boosting agriculture trade among the BRICS member-countries.

• Mr. Modi conveyed his greetings to President Vladimir Putin saying he is looking forward to welcoming him for the 23rd India-Russia annual summit to be hosted here later this year.
• “Happy to meet Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Patrushev at the World Food India 2025. We discussed ways to strengthen our win-win cooperation in agriculture, fertilizers and food processing,” said Mr. Modi after the meeting.
• The Russian Embassy said the two sides discussed the ongoing work on a Free Trade Agreement between India and the Eurasian Economic Union. “Additionally, the topic of creating a BRICS Grain Exchange was raised — a move that will help boost mutual agricultural trade,” said the Embassy.
• “Russia highly values its special and privileged partnership with India. India is one of Russia’s key allies in the international arena. Every year, Russian-Indian economic cooperation reaches impressive levels. In 2024, the trade turnover between our two countries reached a historic high,” said Mr. Patrushev.

• Outward remittances under LRS dips 11% in July to $2,452.93 mn

Context: Outward remittances by resident individuals under the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS) were almost 11% lower year on year in July at $2,452.93 million on the back of a decline towards travel as well as studies abroad.

• In the year earlier period, the outward remittances were $2,754.05 million.
• For 2024-25, the remittances totalled $29,563.12 million.
• LRS details for July 2025 released on Thursday by RBI showed that of the total $2,452.93 million, the remittance towards travel stood at $1,445.34 million as against $1,662.13 million, while for studies abroad it was $229.25 million ($272.16 million) and under the head gift $223.53 million ($275.26 million).
• However, during the month the remittance was higher towards purchase of immovable property at $39.48 million ($24.54 million); investment in equity/debt $156.19 million ($120.86 million); and deposit $46.24 million ($41.68 milion).
• The RBI data showed the monthly outward remittances under LRS for May stood at $2,313.16 million and for June at $2,127.39 million.
• The Liberalised Remittance Scheme was introduced on February 4, 2004, with a limit of $25,000, which the RBI revised to the present limit of $2,50,000 in phases consistent with prevailing macro and micro economic conditions.

• RBI makes authentication tougher for digital transactions

Context: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI), to further secure digital payments transactions, has mandated introduction of additional risk-based checks beyond the minimum two-factor authentication by leveraging upon technological advancements.

• “It shall be ensured that for digital payment transactions, other than card present transactions, at least one of the factors of authentication is dynamically created or proven, i.e., the proof of possession of the factor, being sent as part of the transaction, is unique to that transaction,” the RBI said.
• The factor of authentication will be such that compromise of one factor would not affect reliability of the other.

• There can be no justice if Palestine is not freed, says Abbas at UNGA

Context: The Palestinian Authority President reaffirms his commitment to a two-state solution, says Hamas will have no role in governing Gaza once the war is over; at least 17 people were killed in Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip, including nine children

• Speaking over video after the United States revoked his visa, the Palestinian leader told world leaders that his people reject the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel and pledged that the militant group would have no role in governing the Gaza Strip after war ends and must hand over its weapons to his administration. Mahmoud Abbas said to his people: “The dawn of freedom will emerge.”
• Mr. Abbas told the UN General Assembly that Palestinians in Gaza “have been facing a war of genocide, destruction, starvation and displacement” by Israel. His speech came as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu heads to New York to give his own address in person.
• In a short but resolute speech, Mr. Abbas lay out his continued vision for a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza alongside Israel.
• That two-state solution has gained traction after a string of countries – including top U.S. allies — announced recognition of a Palestinian state this past week. But it also appears further than ever from realities on the ground. Mr. Netanyahu’s government has rejected the creation of a Palestinian state.
• Israeli troops control most of the Gaza Strip. Mr. Netanyahu says Israel will maintain security control over the territory after Hamas is defeated, and he has rejected giving Mr. Abbas’s Palestinian Authority any role in there. Some Ministers in Mr. Netanyahu’s government have pushed for annexing the occupied West Bank, where Mr. Abbas’s authority currently administers small pockets of territory.
• “There can be no justice if Palestine is not freed,” Mr. Abbas said. He said the Palestinian Authority is “ready to bear full responsibility for governance and security” in Gaza.
• Meanwhile, at least 17 people were killed in Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip, according to local health officials. Nine children were among the victims, according to the hospital.