Daily Current Affairs: 16 October 2025

Current affairs of 16 October 2025: ISRO Crew Escape System for Gaganyaan: How CES Works; India Wins Unopposed UNHRC Seat for 2026-28; India Justice Report 2025 Flags Legal Aid Gaps, and 14 more topics. Key facts for every exam, with a quiz.

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In this issue: 17 topics

National Affairs

Actor Pankaj Dheer, Mahabharat’s Karna, Dies at 68

Government Schemes

PM GatiShakti Public Launched: Open Geospatial Data Access

Banking & Finance

SEBI Extends Angel Fund PPM Disclosure Deadline
Bitcoin vs Gold: Returns, Recognition and India’s Crypto Rules
SEBI Bans Eight in IEX Insider Trading, Impounds ₹173.14 Cr
Ageas Federal Life and CSB Bank Launch SME Bancassurance
Universal Sompo and APGB Join Hands for Rural Insurance
Paytm Offline Merchant Business Moves to PPSL: RBI PA Norms

Economy

RBI Forex Intervention Lifts Rupee to Biggest Gain in Months
India’s Trade Deficit Nearly Doubles in September 2025

International Affairs

India Wins Unopposed UNHRC Seat for 2026-28

Agriculture & Rural

Krishi Mangal 3.0: Cisco India CSR and Social Alpha Back Agri Startups
Koppal Farmers’ Training cum Common Facility Centre Opened by FM

Science & Technology

ISRO Crew Escape System for Gaganyaan: How CES Works

Environment & Ecology

Vivek Menon Elected IUCN Species Survival Commission Chair

Defence & Security

India’s Joint Drills: Korea Naval, AUSTRAHIND and INDRA 2025

Reports & Indexes

Legal Aid Gaps in India Justice Report 2025 and NALSA Role

National Affairs

History, Art & Culture

1. Actor Pankaj Dheer, Mahabharat’s Karna, Dies at 68

Veteran actor Pankaj Dheer died in Mumbai at the age of 68.
He had been fighting cancer.
He was best known for playing Karna in B.R. Chopra's TV series Mahabharat.
His funeral was set for the same evening in Mumbai.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Government Schemes

2. PM GatiShakti Public Launched: Open Geospatial Data Access

PM GatiShakti Public opens the infrastructure master plan to outsiders through the Unified Geospatial Interface.
It offers 230 approved datasets, built by BISAG-N on the National Geospatial Data Registry.
Parent PM GatiShakti began in 2021.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Banking & Finance

Economy

3. SEBI Extends Angel Fund PPM Disclosure Deadline

SEBI moved the angel funds' PPM disclosure deadline to 31 January 2026.
The earlier deadline was 15 October 2025.
Angel funds are Category I AIFs under the 2012 AIF Regulations.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Economy

4. Bitcoin vs Gold: Returns, Recognition and India’s Crypto Rules

Bitcoin gained nearly 90% in a year; gold rose 55% to a record $4,000 per ounce.
El Salvador made Bitcoin legal tender in 2021; US SEC approved spot Bitcoin ETFs in 2024.
The 2022 Budget imposed 30% tax and 1% TDS on virtual digital assets.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Economy

5. SEBI Bans Eight in IEX Insider Trading, Impounds ₹173.14 Cr

SEBI barred eight people and impounded ₹173.14 crore of alleged gains in an IEX insider trading case.
UPSI means unpublished price-sensitive information.
Rules: SEBI (Prohibition of Insider Trading) Regulations, 2015.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Economy

6. Ageas Federal Life and CSB Bank Launch SME Bancassurance

Ageas Federal Life and CSB Bank partnered to sell life insurance to SMEs and entrepreneurs.
The offer combines credit, savings and life insurance.
Bancassurance means a bank distributes an insurer's products.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Banking & Finance

7. Universal Sompo and APGB Join Hands for Rural Insurance

Universal Sompo General Insurance partnered with Andhra Pradesh Grameena Bank (APGB).
General insurance will be offered across all 26 districts of Andhra Pradesh.
Focus: agriculture, MSMEs and self-help groups, covering crop loss, property damage and health emergencies.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Banking & Finance

8. Paytm Offline Merchant Business Moves to PPSL: RBI PA Norms

Paytm's parent approved moving its offline merchant payments business to subsidiary PPSL.
The move complies with RBI's Master Directions on Payment Aggregators and Payment Gateways (15 September 2025).
Aggregators must use a single regulated entity and escrow, and settle merchants by T+1.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Economy

9. RBI Forex Intervention Lifts Rupee to Biggest Gain in Months

The rupee rebounded sharply after the RBI intervened in onshore and offshore forex markets following weeks of weakness.
Earlier pressure came from global uncertainty, emerging-market capital outflows and higher crude prices.
The RBI aimed to curb excessive volatility, not target a level, by buying and selling dollars.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Economy

10. India’s Trade Deficit Nearly Doubles in September 2025

India's trade deficit widened by 93% in September 2025, almost doubling over the earlier level.
Imports surged during the month while services exports weakened.
Goods exports still grew at a moderate pace despite the pressure.
The figures come from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

International Affairs

International Relations

11. India Wins Unopposed UNHRC Seat for 2026-28

India was elected unopposed to the UNHRC for 2026-2028.
UNHRC was created in 2006 and sits in Geneva.
India's earlier terms: 2006-07, 2011-14, 2014-17, 2017-20, 2022-24.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Agriculture & Rural

Agriculture & Rural Development

12. Krishi Mangal 3.0: Cisco India CSR and Social Alpha Back Agri Startups

The third Krishi Mangal edition, from Cisco India CSR with Social Alpha, backs farmer-centric, climate-resilient innovations.
Seven startups were picked, each eligible for milestone-based non-dilutive funding up to ₹50 lakh, with a possible ₹2 crore more.
Startups also get access to 200,000+ farmers and 150 FPOs.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Government Schemes

13. Koppal Farmers’ Training cum Common Facility Centre Opened by FM

FM Nirmala Sitharaman opened an agro-processing training and common facility centre at Methagal, Koppal, on 16 October 2025.
It can handle 840 tonnes of mangoes and 600 tonnes of papaya, with FSSAI certification.
MPLAD funds and NABARD support partly financed it.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Science & Technology

14. ISRO Crew Escape System for Gaganyaan: How CES Works

ISRO showcased the Crew Escape System (CES) for the Gaganyaan human spaceflight programme.
CES sits at the front of the LVM3 and uses high-burn solid motors.
Integrated Vehicle Health Management (IVHM) triggers it.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Environment & Ecology

15. Vivek Menon Elected IUCN Species Survival Commission Chair

IUCN elected Vivek Menon of Wildlife Trust of India as Chair of its Species Survival Commission.
He is the first Asian in the role.
The announcement came at the IUCN World Congress in Abu Dhabi.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Defence & Security

International Relations

16. India’s Joint Drills: Korea Naval, AUSTRAHIND and INDRA 2025

India held its first naval exercise with South Korea at Busan Naval Harbour.
AUSTRAHIND 2025 with Australia began in Perth.
INDRA 2025 with Russia was held at Mahajan Field Firing Range, Bikaner.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Reports & Indexes

Polity & Governance

17. Legal Aid Gaps in India Justice Report 2025 and NALSA Role

India Justice Report 2025: only 15.5 lakh people used free legal aid in FY 2023-24 despite over 80% eligibility.
Legal aid funds fell to ₹169 crore (2022-23) from ₹207 crore (2017-18); utilisation dropped from 75% to 59%.
NALSA is a statutory body under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987; the Chief Justice of India is Patron-in-Chief.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

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Daily Current Affairs: 16 October 2025

In this issue: 17 topics

National Affairs

1. Actor Pankaj Dheer, Mahabharat’s Karna, Dies at 68

Government Schemes

2. PM GatiShakti Public Launched: Open Geospatial Data Access

Banking & Finance

3. SEBI Extends Angel Fund PPM Disclosure Deadline

4. Bitcoin vs Gold: Returns, Recognition and India’s Crypto Rules

5. SEBI Bans Eight in IEX Insider Trading, Impounds ₹173.14 Cr

6. Ageas Federal Life and CSB Bank Launch SME Bancassurance

7. Universal Sompo and APGB Join Hands for Rural Insurance

8. Paytm Offline Merchant Business Moves to PPSL: RBI PA Norms

Economy

9. RBI Forex Intervention Lifts Rupee to Biggest Gain in Months

10. India’s Trade Deficit Nearly Doubles in September 2025

International Affairs

11. India Wins Unopposed UNHRC Seat for 2026-28

Agriculture & Rural

12. Krishi Mangal 3.0: Cisco India CSR and Social Alpha Back Agri Startups

13. Koppal Farmers’ Training cum Common Facility Centre Opened by FM

Science & Technology

14. ISRO Crew Escape System for Gaganyaan: How CES Works

Environment & Ecology

15. Vivek Menon Elected IUCN Species Survival Commission Chair

Defence & Security

16. India’s Joint Drills: Korea Naval, AUSTRAHIND and INDRA 2025

Reports & Indexes

17. Legal Aid Gaps in India Justice Report 2025 and NALSA Role

Test yourself