1. Great Nicobar Island Project: Components and Strategic Value
- Great Nicobar is planned as a logistics, trade and defence hub.
- ICTT capacity is 14.2 million TEU; savings could reach $200-300 million yearly.
- Phases run 2025-2047.
Daily Current Affairs: 12 September 2025
Current affairs of 12 September 2025: Vultures and Pandemic Preparedness: Decline and Recovery Plan; Border Wing Home Guards: Plan for China Border; Great Nicobar Island Project: Components and Strategic Value, and 10 more topics. Key facts for every exam, with a quiz.
In this issue: 13 topics
National Affairs
Government Schemes
- Gyan Bharatam Portal: PM Modi to Launch Manuscript Platform
- PM Vishwakarma Scheme: Shift Towards Marketing and Credit
Banking & Finance
- NaBFID Infrastructure Financing Report to Finance Ministry
- RBI Plan to Let Lenders Remotely Lock Phones on Defaulted Loans
- NABARD Digital Lending Platform for RRBs: CDCI Explained
International Affairs
Science & Technology
Environment & Ecology
- Vultures and Pandemic Preparedness: Decline and Recovery Plan
- India’s Dams Lose Nearly Half Capacity to Sedimentation: IISER Study
Defence & Security
- Border Wing Home Guards: Plan for China Border
- Samudra Pradakshina: first all-women tri-service sailing voyage
Reports & Indexes
National Affairs
Government Schemes
2. Gyan Bharatam Portal: PM Modi to Launch Manuscript Platform
- PM Narendra Modi was to launch the Gyan Bharatam portal at an international conference on manuscript heritage.
- The portal supports digitising, preserving and publicly accessing manuscripts.
- The Ministry of Culture leads the initiative.
3. PM Vishwakarma Scheme: Shift Towards Marketing and Credit
- News in September 2025 said the government was likely to refocus the PM Vishwakarma Scheme.
- The expected new emphasis was on marketing and credit support.
- Wording used was 'likely', so this was a reported plan rather than a notified change.
Banking & Finance
4. NaBFID Infrastructure Financing Report to Finance Ministry
- NaBFID will prepare a report on infrastructure financing challenges for the Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance.
- Deadline for submission: 15 days.
- NaBFID was set up under the NaBFID Act, 2021 as a development finance institution.
5. RBI Plan to Let Lenders Remotely Lock Phones on Defaulted Loans
- RBI plans to let banks and NBFCs remotely lock phones bought on credit when borrowers default.
- A loan becomes an NPA when overdue by more than 90 days.
- SMA-0, SMA-1 and SMA-2 cover 1-30, 31-60 and 61-90 days overdue.
6. NABARD Digital Lending Platform for RRBs: CDCI Explained
- NABARD's Centralised Digital Credit Infrastructure for RRBs is expected to roll out by end of September 2025.
- The One State-One RRB policy, effective 1 May 2025, merged 43 RRBs into 28.
- RRBs hold 22,158 branches in 26 states and 3 UTs; 92% are rural or semi-urban.
International Affairs
7. Sushila Karki Sworn In as Nepal’s Interim Prime Minister
- Sushila Karki was sworn in on 12 September 2025 as Nepal's interim prime minister.
- She is Nepal's first woman prime minister and was earlier its first woman Chief Justice (2016-17).
- K. P. Sharma Oli resigned after Gen Z-led anti-corruption protests in September 2025.
- President Ram Chandra Poudel dissolved Parliament on her recommendation; elections are planned for March 2026.
Science & Technology
8. AIIMS Delhi Launches ‘Never Alone’ AI Mental Health Programme
- AIIMS New Delhi launched 'Never Alone', an AI-based student mental health programme, on World Suicide Prevention Day.
- It works through a web-based app reached via WhatsApp, with virtual and offline consultations round the clock.
- Cost is 70 paise per student per day for institutions with 5,000 or more students.
- All AIIMS institutions get free access through the Global Centre of Integrative Health (GCIH).
- It is currently available at AIIMS Delhi, AIIMS Bhubaneswar and IHBAS, Shahdara.
Environment & Ecology
9. Vultures and Pandemic Preparedness: Decline and Recovery Plan
- India's vulture numbers fell over 95% since the 1990s, mainly from the veterinary drug diclofenac.
- India has 9 vulture species, of which 3 are critically endangered.
- Diclofenac was banned for veterinary use in 2006; meloxicam is promoted instead.
- National Action Plan for Vulture Conservation covers 2020-2025.
10. India’s Dams Lose Nearly Half Capacity to Sedimentation: IISER Study
- IISER Bhopal found Indian dams have lost nearly 50% of storage capacity to silt.
- The study used records of 300+ large reservoirs above 100 million cubic metres.
- By 2050 more dams in four regions face severe loss.
Defence & Security
11. Border Wing Home Guards: Plan for China Border
- MHA considered raising Border Wing Home Guards (BWHG) along the China border.
- BWHG is a civilian volunteer force from border populations.
- Authorised in 7 States but operating only in Rajasthan, with 2,279 active members.
12. Samudra Pradakshina: first all-women tri-service sailing voyage
- Samudra Pradakshina is India's first tri-service all-women circumnavigation, flagged off at Gateway of India, Mumbai.
- IASV Triveni, built in Puducherry, covers about 26,000 nautical miles.
- Ten women officers sail from September 2025 to May 2026.
Reports & Indexes
13. AIDIS and SAS Surveys 2026-27: NSS 81st Round Explained
- NSO (MoSPI) will conduct AIDIS and the SAS of Agricultural Households from July 2026 to June 2027 in the 81st NSS round.
- AIDIS began as the All India Rural Credit Survey (1951-52); its last round was the 77th NSS round in 2019.
- SAS began in 2003 and is done with the Agriculture Ministry.
Test yourself
15 questions from the news of 12 September 2025, with answers and explanations.
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