Current Affairs 16 October 2025

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NATIONAL AFFAIRS

GoI Extends 16th Finance Commission Tenure till November 30, 2025In October 2025, the Government of India (GoI), announced that the tenure of the 16th Finance Commission (FC) had been extended by one month, moving its report submission deadline from October 31, 2025, to November 30, 2025.

About 16th Finance Commission:
Constituted on: December 31, 2023
Objective: Recommend the distribution of taxes between the Centre and state governments.
Coverage Period: The 16th FC’s recommendations will address the fiscal period from April 1, 2026, to March 31, 2031.
Chairman: Arvind Panagariya, former Vice Chairman of National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog
Members: 4 members assisted by Secretary (Ritvik Ranjanam Pandey), 2 joint secretaries (Rahul Jain and K K Mishra), and 1 economic advisor (Dr. Prasant K Panda)

• Full-Time Members: Annie George Mathew, Retired Bureaucrat and Manoj Panda, Economist
• Part-Time Members: Soumya Kanti Ghosh, Group Chief Economic Advisor (CEA), State Bank of India (SBI) and T. Rabi Sankar – Deputy Governor, Reserve Bank of India (RBI)

Previous Commission: The 15th FC (2021-22 to 2025–26), chaired by N.K. Singh, recommended a 41% of the divisible tax pool of the Centre.

• The 16th FC will reassess this percentage based on current economic and fiscal conditions.

Terms of Reference (ToR): 
The 16th FC will make recommendations on:
Distribution of Taxes: Allocation of net proceeds of divisible taxes between the Union and the States.
Grants-in-Aid: Principles and amounts for grants-in-aid from the Consolidated Fund of India under Article 275.
Support to Local Bodies: Measures to augment the Consolidated Fund of States to support Panchayats and Municipalities.
About Finance Commission (FC): 
Definition: The Finance Commissions are constitutional bodies, appointed by the President of India under Article 280, to define financial relations between the Central and state governments.
Composition: The FC is appointed every five years and comprises a Chairperson and four other members.
1st FC: The first FC was established in 1951, and since then, a total of 15 commissions have been constituted under the Constitution of India (CoI).

Union Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya Chaired 238th Meeting of CBT of EPF in New DelhiIn October 2025, Union Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, Ministry of Labour & Employment (MoL&E) chaired the 238th meeting of the Central Board of Trustees (CBT), Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) in New Delhi, Delhi.

• During the meeting, the CBT undertook major decisions including: simplification and liberalization of EPF partial withdrawal provisions; launch of ‘Vishwas Scheme’ ; and Employees’ Provident Fund Office (EPFO)-Indian Post Payment Bank (IPPB) for doorstep Digital Life Certificate (DLC)services, among others.

Key Approvals:
Simplification of EPF Partial Withdrawal Rules:The CBT approved the consolidation of 13 partial withdrawal provisions into three streamlined categories: Essential Needs (illness, education, marriage), Housing Needs, and Special Circumstances.

• As per the new rules, members will now be able to withdraw maximum 100% of the eligible balance (75%) in the Provident Fund (PF) including the share of employee and employer.
• The CBT increased EPF withdrawal allowances, permitting 10 education and 5 marriage withdrawals, up from the previous combined limit of 3.

Vishwas Scheme:The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has launched the ‘Vishwas Scheme’ to resolve long-standing disputes over delayed Provident Fund (PF) payments.
Partnership:The CBT has also approved the signing of Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) between EPFO and India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) to provide doorstep Digital Life Certificate (DLC) Services to EPS’95 pensioners.
EPFO 3.0 Framework: The CBT approved EPFO 3.0, a comprehensive member-centric digital transformation framework which aims to modernize PF services.
>>Read Full News

MoM Classified ‘Limestone’ as Major Mineral to Boost Ease of Doing Business, Rural IncomeIn October 2025, the Ministry of Mines (MoM) officially reclassified ‘Limestone’ as a ‘Major Mineral’ by removing end-use restrictions and issued a notification under Section 20A of the Mines and Minerals Development and Regulation Act, 1957 (MMDR Act, 1957), to ensure a smooth transition of existing minor mineral limestone leases to major mineral leases.

• Limestone was categorized as a minor mineral when used in kilns for manufacturing lime as a building material.

Key Directions:
Transition for Existing Leaseholders: Existing minor mineral limestone leaseholders must register with the Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM) and continue paying royalty at current state-specified rates until March 31, 2026.
Validity of Mining Plans: Existing mining plans approved by state governments will remain valid until March 31, 2027, after which fresh approvals must be obtained.
Exemption from Digital Compliance: The MoM has exempted leaseholders from submitting digital aerial images of mining areas and online self-assessment reports under the star rating template until July 1, 2027.
>>Read Full News

IAF & UK’s CSG Conducted Joint Aerial Exercise Over Indian Ocean
In October 2025, the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the United Kingdom (UK)’s Carrier Strike Group (CSG) conducted a joint aerial exercise over the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).

• The air exercise followed the successful sea phase of the bilateral KONKAN 25 maritime drill between the Indian Navy(IN) and Royal Navy.

About India-UK Aerial Exercise:
Objective: To enhance interoperability, mutual trust, and operational coordination between the forces of two countries.
Aircrafts Featured:

• From IAF: Sukhoi-30 MKIs, Jaguar fighter aircraft, Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS), and Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft.
• From UK’s Royal Navy: F035B fighter jets operating from HMS Prince of Wales participated in the exercise.

Astra Mk-2 Upgrade: The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is extending the range of the Astra Mark-2 Beyond Visual Range (BVR) Air-to-Air Missile (AAM)  from 160 kilometer (km) to over 200 km.
The IAF plans to acquire around 700 Astra Mark-2 missiles for integration with Sukhoi Su-30MKI and Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas aircraft.

Union MoS Arjun Ram Meghwal Launches LIMBS Live Dashboard for Transparent Government Litigation
On 14th October, 2025, Union Minister of State (MoS)(Independent Charge, IC) Arjun Ram Meghwal, Ministry of Law and Justice (MoL&J), inaugurated the Live Cases Dashboard of the Legal Information Management and Briefing System (LIMBS) in Shastri Bhawan, New Delhi, Delhi.

About LIMBS Live Cases Dashboard:
Aim: To enhance transparency, accountability, and efficiency in managing government litigation.
Features: It presents real-time data visualization of court cases and provides an overview of upcoming hearing cases, enabling proactive decision-making and better inter-ministerial coordination.
Current Statistics: It tracks 723,123 live cases across 53 ministries and departments. These cases are regularly updated by 13,175 ministry users and 18,458 advocates.

MoL&E partners with Zomato to Boost Employment, Strengthen Gig economy
In October ,2025, the Ministry of Labor and Employment (MoL&E) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Zomato, a food aggregator company, to enhance access to flexible and technology-enabled livelihood opportunities through the National Career Service (NCS) portal.

Key Details of MoU:
Key Participants:The MoU was signed in the presence of Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, MoL&E; Union Minister of State (MoS) Shobha Karandlaje, MoL&E and Vandana Gurnani, Secretary of MoL&E.
Category: Under the new ‘Aggregator’ category, Zomato will list around 2.5 lakh flexible livelihood opportunities annually on the NCS portal, providing structured access to real-time income avenues for delivery partners and gig workers.
Integration: The platform will integrate gig economy roles into the formal employment system, connecting youth and women to dignified, technology-enabled livelihoods.
Vision: The MoU’s vision is to support the Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana (PM-VBRY) and the government’s vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

India Elected For 7th time to UNHRC for 2026-28 TermIn October 2025, India was elected unopposed to the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) with 177 out of 188 votes for the 2026–28 term (January 1, 2026 – December 31, 2028), marking its seventh tenure on the Council.

Background:
Election: The election took place during the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Elections for Human Rights Council (HRC) Membership in New York, the United States of America (USA).
Newly Elected Members: During the election, the UNGA elected 14 members, including:

• 4 African states such as Angola, Egypt, Mauritius, and South Africa (SA)
• 4 Asia-Pacific states, India, Iraq, Pakistan, and Vietnam.
• 2 Eastern European states, Estonia, and Slovenia.
• 2 Latin American & Caribbean States, Chile, and Ecuador.
• 2 Western European & other states, Italy, United Kingdom (UK).

About UNHRC:
Overview: It is an intergovernmental body within the UN system, responsible for strengthening the promotion and protection of human rights across the globe.

• It addresses human rights violations, makes recommendations, and discusses important human rights throughout the year.

Members: It consists of 47 member states, serving three-year terms. They are elected by the UNGA, via secret ballot, by a majority of those present and voting.

• A state shall not be eligible for immediate re-election after two consecutive terms.

Regional Distribution: The seats are distributed regionally in groups to ensure geographic balance such as 13 seats for African States, Asia-Pacific States (13 seats), Eastern European States (6 seats), Latin American & Caribbean States (8), and Western European & other states (7).
India’s Membership History:
Membership : Since its establishment in 2006, India has served six terms on the UNHRC: 2006–2007, 2008–2010, 2012–2014, 2015–2017, 2019–2021, and 2022–2024, with mandatory breaks in 2011, 2018, and 2025.
Recent Tenure: India last served on the Council in 2024, completing two consecutive terms before taking the required one-year break in 2025 in line with UNHRC rules that prohibit a third consecutive term.
About United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC):
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) – Volker Turk
Headquarters – Geneva, Switzerland
Established – 2006

INS Sahyadri Participates in Inaugural of  IN-RoKN Bilateral Naval Exercise
Indian Naval Ship (INS) Sahyadri participated in the inaugural edition of Indian Navy (IN)-Republic of Korea (RoKN) bilateral exercise, held from October 13 to 18, 2025, making a port call in Busan, South Korea.

• INS Sahyadri made a port call as part of the ongoing operational deployment to the South China Sea and Indo-Pacific.

IN-RoKN Bilateral Naval Exercise:
Harbour Phase: In this phase, IN and RoKN officials will engage in cross-deck visits, share best practices, conduct training sessions, sport fixtures, and the commanding officer will meet senior South Korea officials and local leaders.
Sea Phase: In this phase, INS Sahyadri and Republic of Korea Ship (ROKS) Gyeongnam will undertake joint exercises.
INS Sahyadri: INS Sahyadri, the third ship of the Shivalik-class stealth frigates, was built and commissioned in 2012. The ship, based in Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh, AP), represents “Atmanirbhar Bharat”, a vision of the Government of India (GOI).

BANKING & FINANCE

NIPL Signs MoU with NTT DATA Japan for UPI acceptance in Japan
In October 2025, the NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL), a global wing of National Payments Corporation of India(NPCI), has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Japan’s Nippon Telegraph and Technology( NTT) DATA to enable Unified Payments Interface (UPI) acceptance across merchant locations in Japan.

• This partnership marks UPI’s debut in East Asia, strengthening its global presence as a trusted digital payment system.

Details of Collaboration:
Signatories: The MoU was signed by Ritesh Shukla, Managing Director(MD) & Chief Executive Officer(CEO) of NIPL, and Masanori Kurihara, Head of Payments Services Sector at NTT DATA Japan.
Aims: This partnership aims to improve digital payments for Indian tourists in Japan by enabling seamless Quick Response (QR) code transactions through their existing UPI applications(apps)
UPI Integration: The partnership uses NTT DATA Japan’s merchant network and CAFIS® system to enable UPI payments, initially for Indian travelers, with plans to expand across Japan’s payment ecosystem.

ECONOMY & BUSINESS

IMF raises India’s FY26 growth forecast to 6.6%, cites strong Q1 momentumIn October 2025, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) released its October 2025 World Economic Outlook (WEO) report titled ‘Global Economy in Flux, Prospects Remain Dim’.

• The global growth projections in the latest WEO are revised upward relative to the April 2025 WEO but continue to mark a downward revision relative to the pre-policy-shift forecasts.

India’s Projection
Yearly Projection: The IMF revised India’s gross domestic product (GDP) growth forecast for Financial Year 2025–26 (FY26) upward by 20 basis points (bps) to 6.6 %. As per IMF India’s growth for FY25 is 6.5%

• Similarly, the growth for FY27 is projected at 6.2%, representing a downward revision of 20 bps from the july estimate, as the strong momentum observed in FY26 is expected to gradually moderate.

Q1 Momentum: India’s economy expanded 7.8% in the first quarter of FY26, the fastest pace in over a year and is likely to grow around 7% growth in the second quarter as well.
Inflation Projection: The IMF cut India’s FY26 inflation forecast to 2.8 %, sharply lower than 4.2% projected in April.

• For FY27, the IMF now projects inflation at 4%, slightly lower than its earlier estimate of 4.1%.

Global Projection 
Yearly Projection: The IMF now expects global growth to decline from 3.3% in 2024 to 3.2% in 2025, down 20 bps from its July update of 3.4%, while the 2026 outlook remains unchanged from July, at 3.1%.

• Over the medium term, the world economy is expected to expand at an average annual pace of 3.2% from 2027 to 2030.
• Global headline inflation is projected to decline to 4.2% in 2025 and further to 3.7% in 2026.

About International Monetary Fund (IMF):
Managing Director (MD) – Kristalina Georgieva
Headquarters – Washington DC, the United States of America (USA)
Established – 1944
Member Nations – 190

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS

Bharath Thammineni Becomes First Indian to Climb 9 Peaks Above 8,000mOn October 14, 2025, Bharath Thammineni, a mountaineer and expedition leader from Kurnool (Andhra Pradesh, AP), has become the first Indian to climb nine of the world’s 14 mountains exceeding 8,000 meters (m), by climbing Mount (Mt) Cho Oyu of 8,188 m in the China-Nepal border, the sixth highest mountain globally.

About Nine 8,000m Peaks Conquered:
Mt Everest (8,848 m): Summited in 2017, located on the Nepal-China border.
Mt Manaslu (8,163 m): Summited in 2018, located in Nepal
Mt Lhotse (8,516 m): Summited in 2019, located on the Nepal-China border
Mt Kangchenjunga (8,586 m): Summited in 2022, located on the India-Nepal border
Mt Annapurna I (8,091 m): Summited in 2022, located in Nepal
Mt Makalu (8,485 m): Summited in 2023, located on the Nepal-China border
Mt Shishapangma (8,027 m): Summited in 2024, located in China
Mt Dhaulagiri (8,167 m): Summited in 2025, located in Nepal
Mt Cho Oyu: On September 30, 2025, he reached the base camp of Mt. Cho Oyu.

• On October 12, 2025, he began his climb and reached the summit on October 14, 2025.

Eight Thousanders: 
Highest Peaks:The 14 mountains above 8,000 m, located in the Himalayas and Karakoram ranges across Nepal, Tibet (China), and Pakistan, are classified as “eight-thousanders.”
Other 5 mountains: The other 5 peaks such as Mt K2 (8,611m), Mt Gasherbrum I (8,080m), Broad Peak (8,051m), and Gasherbrum II (8,034m) are in the China-Pakistan border and Mt Nanga Parbat (8,126m) is in Pakistan.
About Bharath Thammineni:
Entrepreneurship: He is the founder of Boots & Crampons, a premier Indian mountaineering company.
Mentorship: He mentored young climbers such as Karthikeya Viswanath, who became the youngest Indian to complete the Seven Summits Challenge, and Tonsi Angmo, who became the first blind woman to climb Mt Everest under his leadership.
About Andhra Pradesh (AP):
Chief Minister (CM) – Nara Chandrababu Naidu
Governor – Justice Retired (Rt) Syed Abdul Nazeer
Capital – Amaravati
Zoological Park (ZP) – Indira Gandhi ZP, Sri Venkateswara ZP

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

Tarun Garg Appointed as MD and CEO of Hyundai IndiaIn October 2025, Hyundai Motor India Limited (HMIL) appointed Tarun Garg as the new Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the company, effective from January 1, 2026. He is the first Indian to lead HMIL since its inception in 1996.

• He succeeds Unsoo Kim, who is returning to South Korea to take up a strategic role at Hyundai Motor Company.

About Tarun Garg:
Career Experience: He began his professional journey in 1994 as a management trainee at Maruti Suzuki India Ltd.

• Over the years, he steadily climbed the corporate ladder, taking on key roles across sales, marketing, and logistics, and ultimately became the Executive Director (ED) of Marketing in 2019.

Roles in HMIL: He joined HMIL in December 2019 as Director of Sales, Marketing & Service and was promoted to Chief Operating Officer (COO) in January 2023, a position he currently holds.
Contributions: He played a key role in driving digital transformation, expanding rural and used-car initiatives, and introducing Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) across multiple models, boosting Hyundai’s sales and operational efficiency in India.
About Hyundai Motor India Limited (HMIL):
HMIL is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Company(HMC), South Korea.
Headquarters- Gurugram, Haryana
Established – 1996

FICCI Appoints Anant Goenka as President-Elect for 2025–26
On 14th October 2025, the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) appointed Anant Goenka, Vice Chairman (VC) of RPG Group, as its President-Elect for 2025–26.

• Anant Goenka, currently FICCI’s Senior Vice President, will succeed Harsha Vardhan Agarwal as President at the conclusion of FICCI’s 98th Annual General Meeting on November 28–29, 2025.

About Anant Goenka:
Experience: He has extensive experience across tyres, infrastructure, pharmaceuticals, Information Technology(IT), and specialty sectors.
Previous role: He previously served as Managing Director(MD) and Chief Executive Officer(CEO)of CEAT and has also worked with Unilever and KEC International.

• He also served as the Chairman of the Automotive Tyre Manufacturers’ Association (ATMA).

Recognition: Anant Goenka received the Kabiller Science of Empathy Prize from Kellogg in 2023, was recognized as “Next Generation Business Leader of the Year” by Forbes in 2017, and featured in the Economic Times–Spencer Stuart’s “40 Under 40 Business Leaders” list.

SPORTS

Overview of IWF World Weightlifting Championships 2025 held in Førde, NorwayThe 2025 International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) World Weightlifting Championships held in Førde, Norway, from October 2–11, 2025.

• The championship was organised under the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) with support from the Norwegian Weightlifting Federation (NWF) and local authorities.

Records of 2025 IWF World Weightlifting Championships: 
Rizki Juniansyah (Indonesia):  In the Men’s 79 kilogram (kg) category, lifted 157 kg in the Snatch and 204 kg in the Clean & Jerk, achieving a total of 361 kg, with the 204 kg Clean & Jerk setting a new world record (WR).
Ri Song-gum (North Korea): In the Women’s 48 kilogram (kg) category, lifted 91 kg in the Snatch and 122 kg in the Clean & Jerk, achieving a total of 213 kg, winning three gold medals and setting three new WRs.
Thanyathon Sukcharoen (Thailand): In the Women’s 48 kg, lifted 88 kilogram (kg) in the Snatch and 110 kilogram (kg) in the Clean & Jerk, winning the bronze medal.
Mirabai Chanu: (India) – In the Women’s 48 kg, lifted 84 kg in the Snatch (winning bronze) and 115 kg in the Clean & Jerk (winning silver), achieving a total of 199 kg, earning the silver medal overall and setting two new National Records (NRs).
About International Weightlifting Federation (IWF):
President – Mohamed Hassan
Established – 1905
Headquarters – Lausanne, Switzerland
>>Read Full News

OBITUARY

Goa Agriculture Minister and former CM Ravi Naik passed awayOn 15 October 2025, Goa’s Agriculture Minister and former Chief Minister (CM) Ravi Sitaram Naik passed away at the age of 79 in Ponda, Goa. He was born on 2nd September 1946.

About Ravi Naik:
Political entry: Began his political career with the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) in 1980.
Legislative Career: Elected as Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) seven times — six times from the Ponda constituency and once from Marcaim constituency.
Tenure as CM: Served as CM of Goa on two occasions:

• First Term: January 1991 – May 1993 (under the Progressive Democratic Front Government).
• Second Term: April 2 – April 8, 1994 (the shortest tenure by any Goa) CM.

Parliamentary Role: Elected as Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha) from the North Goa constituency in 1998, representing the Indian National Congress (INC).
Association with BJP: Joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the 2022 Goa Legislative Assembly Election.
Position at the Time of Demise: At the time of his passing, he was serving as Minister of Agriculture, Minister of Handicrafts, Textile & Coir and Minister of Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs in the Goa government led by CM Pramod Sawant.

Former Kenya PM Raila Amolo Odinga Passed Away in KeralaOn October 15, 2025, Former Prime Minister (PM) of Kenya and a leading opposition figure, Raila Amolo Odinga, passed away at the age of 80 in Koothattukulam, Kerala.

• He was a veteran politician, democracy activist, and one of the most influential leaders in Kenya’s post-independence political history.

About Raila Odinga:
Overview: Raila Amolo Odinga, born on January 7, 1945, at Maseno in Kisumu (Kenya), was actively in pro-democracy movement of Kenya during the 1980s and 1990s, advocating for the end of one-party rule in Kenya.

• He was the son of Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, the first Vice-President of Kenya.

Ministerial Positions: From 1992 to 2013, he served as the Member of Parliament for Lang’ata.

• He served as the PM of Kenya from 2008 to 2013, a role he assumed under a power-sharing agreement, following the post-eviction violence erupted after the 2007 presidential election.

Presidential Bid: He contested for the presidency five times in 1997, 2007, 2013, 2017, and 2022, and never won.
Leadership: In 2005, he became the leader of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM).

BOOKS & AUTHORS

Union Minister Rajnath Singh Releases book “Ready, Relevant and Resurgent II: Shaping a Future Ready Force”
In October 2025, Union Minister Rajnath Singh, Ministry of Defence(MoD),  released the book “Ready, Relevant and Resurgent II: Shaping a Future Ready Force”, written by Chief of Defense Staff (CDS), General Anil Chauhan.

• The book was published by Pentagon Press.

About the Book:
Overview: The book offers a comprehensive, forward-looking plan to make India’s Armed Forces future-ready, alongside insights into the evolving nature of warfare.
Emerging Frontiers: The book also focuses on emerging frontiers such as cyberspace, space-enabled operations, cognitive warfare, and their growing relevance for the Indian Armed Forces.
Part I: This volume builds on the first book, “Ready, Relevant and Resurgent: A Blueprint for the Transformation of India’s Military”, which was released in May 2025.

IMPORTANT DAYS

International Day of Rural Women 2025 – October 15The United Nations (UN’s) International Day of Rural Women (IDRW) is annually observed across the world on October 15 to honor the contributions of rural and indigenous women to agriculture, food security, and rural development.

• The 2025IDRW, promoted by the UN Women.

Theme: 
2025 Theme:“The Rise of Rural Women: Building Resilient Futures with Beijing+30”
Focus: Highlights the empowerment of rural and indigenous women to drive sustainable, climate-resilient development, promoting digital inclusion, social protection, and leadership in line with Beijing+30 goals.

Background:
Origin: The IDRW was established in 1995 by civil society organizations during the 4th World Conference on Women held in Beijing, China.
Adoption: On December 18, 2007, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted Resolution A/RES/62/136, officially designating October 15 as the International Day of Rural Women.
First Observance: The day was first observed on October 15, 2008.
International Year of the Woman Farmer(IYWF) -2026:
UN Resolution:On May 2, 2024, the UNGA adopted Resolution A/RES/78/279, officially declaring 2026 as the IYWF
Purpose: Proposed by the United States of America(USA) and co-sponsored by 123 countries, this initiative seeks to recognize and amplify the vital contributions of women in agriculture worldwide.
Lead: The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), together with other UN agencies, will spearhead the observance of the IYWF.
Keyfacts:
Food & Environment: Women produce half of the world’s food and act as stewards of the environment and biodiversity.

• They make up ~40% of global agricultural labor, exceeding 50% in parts of Africa and Asia.

Resource Gap: Despite their contribution, women own only 15% of agricultural land and have limited access to land, credit, education, and technology.
Impact of Equality: Equal access to resources could boost farm yields by 20–30%, feeding 100–150 million more people.
About UN Women:
UN Women, formally known as the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, is a United Nations agency dedicated to gender equality and women’s empowerment worldwide.
Executive Director(ED) – Sima Sami Bahous
Headquarters – New York, the United States of America (USA)
Established – 2010.

STATE NEWS

Google Partners with Airtel, Adani For USD 15 billion AI Data Hub in AP
On October 14,2025, Google LLC, Adani Enterprises Limited(AEL) through its joint venture(JV) company AdaniConneX,  and Bharti Airtel Limited, joined together to establish India’s largest Artificial Intelligence (AI) hub and Data center campus in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, (AP) with a combined worth of USD 15 Billion Dollars investment over the next five years (2026-2030).

• The announcement was made at Bharat AI Shakti in New Delhi, Delhi which served as a precursor to the upcoming India-AI Impact Summit 2026.

About India’s largest AI hub :
Data center campus: It is Google’s largest campus outside the USA (United States of America) and will include 1-gigawatt(GW) data center campus, new large-scale energy sources, and an expanded fiber-optic network, the tech super giant said.
Fibre -optic Network: The AI hub will be a data center fueled by clean energy and a fiber-optic network
Role of Partners:

• Google Cloud: Leading the AI infrastructure development.
• Bharti Airtel: Providing fiber-optic connectivity and establishing a Cable Landing Station.
• Adani Enterprises: Through AdaniConneX, contributing to data center development and energy infrastructure.

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