Sri Lanka lifted its vehicle import ban, which was initially imposed in 2020 due to the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Australia ban social media use for minors
• Delhi High Court lifts import ban on Salman Rushdie's Satanic Verses.
• Delhi govt imposes ban on firecrackers from 1 Jan 2025
• Bajrang Punia (Olympic bronze medalist)banned from wrestling for four years by NADA 

Madhav Gadgil, an Indian environmentalist, received the UNEP Lifetime Achievement Award in 2024 for his significant contributions to environmental conservation and sustainable development.

West Bengal's Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee launched the Banglar Bari housing scheme, which aims to provide affordable housing to the people of the state.

Rama Mohan Rao Amara was appointed as the new Managing Director of State Bank of India (SBI) for a period of three years.

Real Madrid Win FIFA Intercontinental Cup 2024, defeating Mexico’s Pachuca 3-0 in a dominant performance at Lusail Stadium, Qatar.

FIFA “Player of the year” 2024  Men’s - Real Madrid’s Vini Jr

Women’s - FC Barcelona;s  Bonmatí 

• Cristiano Ronaldo become 1st  player to score 900 career goals
• Indian football captain & 4th highest goal-scorer the “Sunil Chhetri” announced his retirement.
• Bangladesh won the 2024 SAFF Women's Championship
• The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be hosted by the USA, Canada, & Mexico. 
• FIFA 2022 was held in Qatar 

Masali village in Banaskantha district, Gujarat, near the Pakistan border, became the first 100% solar-powered border village in India under the PM Suryaghar Yojana.

Solar rooftops were installed on 119 houses, generating over 225 kW of electricity, benefiting a population of 800.

Recently, 

• The first grid-connected solar power plant in India was established by Tata Power in 2010 

• The Bhadla Solar Park in Rajasthan holds the title of the world’s largest solar power plant.
• India's largest floating solar power plant is located in Omkareshwar, MP.
• India is the 3rd largest solar power generator in the world [Global Electricity Review 2024]

India ranked 5th in “Eight Great Power of 2025 List” surpassing France & UK 

Eight Great powers are: USA, China, Russian, Japan, India, France, United Kingdom & South Korea.

This ranking has been done for the American outlet “19FortyFive” by Dr. Robert Farley

Recent INDEX and India’s Rank  :- 

1. Hunger index :- 105th
2. Asia power and unicorn index :- 3rd 
3. Fire power index :- 4th
4. Cyber crime and climate change index :- 10th 
5. Environment performance index :- 176th
6. Human Development Index :- 134th
7. corruption perceptions index  :- 93rd
8. Press Freedom index :- 159th
9. Gender equality index :- 108th
10. Rule of law index :- 79th 

The Para Athletics World Championships, the world's largest single Para sport event, will be held in New Delhi from 26 September to 5 October 2025. It will be the first time India hosts this prestigious event.

The Andhra Pradesh government has declared the Ratha Saptami as a State festival for three days at the Sri Suryanarayana Swamy temple at Arasavalli.

Recent 

• Maharashtra govt declares indigenous cow as 'Rajya Mata'. 
• The Telangana government recently announced Sadar Sammelan

India partnered with France Museums Développement (FMD) to develop the Yuga Yugeen Bharat National Museum in New Delhi. This project is part of the Central Vista Redevelopment Project and will surpass the Louvre in Paris to become the world's largest museum.

Cyclone Chido struck Mayotte Island in December 2024, killing 22 people and injuring over 14,000. Mayotte is a French territory in the Indian Ocean.

The Ganges River dolphin, also known as 'Susu,' is the national aquatic animal of India. World Dolphin Day is celebrated on September 12th.

Tulsi Gowda, known as the 'Tree Goddess,' was from the Halakki tribal community in Karnataka. She was awarded the Padma Shri in 2021 for environmental conservation.

Jasprit Bumrah became India's highest wicket-taker in Test cricket on Australian soil, surpassing Kapil Devis tally of 51 wickets during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Vinicius Jr won the Best FIFA Men's Player award, and Aitana Bonmati won the Best FIFA Women's Player award at the 2024 ceremony in Doha, Qatar.

In the QS World University Rankings: Sustainability 2025, IIT Delhi ranked highest among Indian universities, with a global rank of 171.

Indian Navy's Kiran Ankush Jadhav defeated Olympians Swapnil Kusale and Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar to win the men’s 50m rifle 3 positions title in Bhopal.

India is the third-largest pharmaceutical industry globally by volume and was valued at $50 billion in FY 2023-24.

The National Institute of Siddha in Chennai set a Guinness World Record by providing Varmam therapy to 567 individuals simultaneously. Varmam therapy manipulates vital energy points in the body.

Russia plans to release its mRNA cancer vaccine in early 2025, free of charge. Pre-clinical trials have shown that it inhibits tumor growth and spread.

The CE20 cryogenic engine is used in the upper stage of ISRO's LVM3 launch vehicle. ISRO recently completed a successful sea-level hot test of this engine at the ISRO Propulsion Complex in Mahendragiri Tamil Nadu.

INS Nirdeshak is India's second survey vessel commissioned at the Naval Dockyard in Visakhapatnam. It is part of the Survey Vessel (Large) Project with INS Sandhayak being the first.

The 10th International Forest Fair in Bhopal focused on 'Women Empowerment through Minor Forest Produce.' The event showcased forest-based products and sustainable practices.

India became the 3rd largest exporter of smartphones in the world climbing from the 23rd rank in 2019. In November 2024, India achieved a milestone by crossing the ₹20,000 crore mark in smartphone exports in a single month.

The SLINEX 2024 (Sri Lanka–India Exercise) was conducted from December 17 to 20, 2024 in Visakhapatnam. It included two phases: the Harbour Phase (December 17-18) and the Sea Phase (December 19–20).

From March 2025 Russia will allow visa-free entry for Indian tourists as part of bilateral discussions. Other countries like Sri Lanka Thailand and Malaysia have also recently introduced visa-free entry policies for Indians.

The 100th Tansen Music Festival was organized in Gwalior Madhya Pradesh and set a Guinness World Record for the largest ensemble of 536 artists playing nine different instruments simultaneously for nine minutes. The Tansen Samman 2023 was awarded to Swapan Chaudhuri.

Moldova became the 104th full member of the International Solar Alliance (ISA). The ISA was launched by India and France during the COP21 summit in Paris in 2015 to combat climate change. Its headquarters is in Gurugram, India.

Uttarakhand became the first state in India to implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC). Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami announced its implementation from January 2025.

India Cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin, announced his retirement from international cricket across all formats.Ashwin is India's second-highest wicket-taker with 765 wickets. Highest Wicket Taker of india is Anil Kumble (956 Wickets)

India is set to host the First Kho Kho World Cup at the IGI Stadium in New Delhi. Kho Kho is a traditional Indian sport, and this event marks a significant milestone in promoting the sport globally.

Uttarakhand became the first Indian state to introduce a dedicated Yoga Policy, aiming to establish the state as a global yoga destination, with Rishikesh recognized as the “Yoga Capital of the World.”

The 'Jalvahak' scheme is designed to promote cargo movement across India's National Waterways 1, 2, and 16. It aims to boost transportation efficiency and reduce costs in the logistics sector.

India's first diabetes biobank has been established in Chennai, a collaboration between the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the Madras Diabetes Research Foundation (MDRF).

The Desert Knight is a trilateral air combat exercise held in the Arabian Sea. The participating countries are India, France, and the UAE, focusing on enhancing air combat capabilities.

India has released its first-ever Taxonomy of Green Steel, which defines green steel" based on its emission intensity. The threshold is set at 2.2 tonnes of CO2 per tonne of finished steel."

Mumbai won the 2024 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy by defeating Madhya Pradesh. This marked Mumbai's second title, with their first win in 2022. Tamil Nadu holds the most titles with 3 wins.

Daskathia is a traditional folk dance from Odisha, characterized by the performance of songs and dance related to religious stories and traditions. It is a popular art form in the region.

Gadhimai Mahotsav is a controversial Hindu festival held every five years in the Gadhimai Temple, located in Nepal. It is known for its mass animal sacrifice, drawing criticism from animal rights activists.

The partnership between Orbital Lasers and InspeCity focuses on using laser-equipped satellites to remove debris from Earth's orbit, addressing the issue of orbital congestion. This innovative approach aims to help clean up space.

Kisan Kavach is India's first anti-pesticide bodysuit, developed by BRIC-inStem, Bangalore, in collaboration with Sepio Health Pvt. It aims to protect farmers from the harmful effects of pesticide exposure during agricultural work.

The 21st Livestock Census campaign focuses on conducting a door-to-door survey to gather data on domestic animals and poultry in Haryana The last census was held in 2019.

Ursula von der Leyen the president of the European Commission (Belgium), is ranked as the most powerful woman in the world in Forbes' 2024 list.

The South Korean parliament voted to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol over a controversial martial law declaration.

India won the Women's Hockey Junior Asia Cup 2024 in Muscat Oman defeating China in the shootout.

The 'President's Colour' award was presented by Union Home Minister Amit Shah to the Chhattisgarh Police in Raipur.

The SARAT system was developed to enhance search and rescue operations at sea improving the time taken to locate individuals or vessels in distress.

The mascot of the 38th National Games held in Uttarakhand is inspired by the state bird the Monal.

The first semiconductor assembly and testing outsourced plant in Gujarat was inaugurated in Surat.

Zakir Hussain the renowned tabla virtuoso was awarded the Padma Vibhushan in 2023 for his contributions to Indian music.

Explanation: Switzerland suspended the MFN clause in its DTAA with India, increasing tax rates on dividends and royalties to 10% starting January 1, 2025. This is a consequence of the Supreme Court ruling regarding the MFN application under the Income Tax Act.

 Explanation: The 34th Vyas Samman was awarded to Suryabala for her novel "Kaun Des Ko Vasi: Venu Ki Diary", published in 2018. This prestigious award includes a cash prize of ₹4 lakh.

 Explanation: Romania and Bulgaria are set to fully join the European Union's Schengen Area on January 1, 2025. This will allow free movement of people across these countries within the EU.

Explanation: Mikheil Kavelashvili was elected as the new president of Georgia. This is a significant political development in the country.

1.  Explanation: The RBI has increased the collateral-free agricultural loan limit to ₹2 lakh, effective January 1, 2025. This aims to support farmers by easing access to credit.

 Explanation: Mohammad Amir (cricket), Rafael Nadal (tennis), and Dipa Karmakar (gymnastics) all recently announced their retirements, marking the end of their professional careers.

1.  Explanation: Max Life Insurance has rebranded to Axis Max Life Insurance after Axis Bank increased its stake in the company to 19.99%.

 Explanation: The 'Rajmarg Saathi' initiative, launched by NHAI, aims to improve road safety and emergency response through upgraded Route Patrolling Vehicles (RPVs). These vehicles are equipped with advanced AI features to monitor infrastructure issues

1.  Explanation: The Geological Survey of India (GSI) will inaugurate its Geoscience Museum in the historic Victoria Market Building in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh. The museum will focus on Earth, Atmospheric & Ocean Sciences, and the Evolution of Life.

 Explanation: 'CHARAK' stands for "Community Health: A Responsive Action for Koylanchal" and is a CSR initiative by Northern Coalfields Limited (NCL) to provide free treatment for life-threatening diseases in the economically weaker sections of the Singrauli region.

Britain became the 12th member of the CPTPP which is a trade bloc established in 2018 to safeguard against Chinese hegemony in the region.