Every Monday, UPSC Current Affairs pointers bring a weekly roundup of important current affairs to help you in your Prelims and Mains preparation of UPSC, BPSC, UPPSC, and other competitive exams.If you missed the UPSC Current Affairs Pointers of the past week | September 8 to September 14, 2025, read it here.Reports(FYI: The data provided in these reports can be used to substantiate your Mains answer and create a broad understanding of the topic.)Global Innovation Index 2025— The Global Innovative Index 2025 is published by the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO). It shows that R&D growth fell to 2.9 per cent in 2024 and is expected to drop further to 2.3 per cent in 2025.— Switzerland is the world’s most innovative country, followed by Sweden, the United States and others.— Europe leads as the most innovative region, with 15 countries in the global top 25.— India is ranked 38 and holds the #1 spot among lower-middle-income economies and in the Central and Southern Asia region.Story continues below this ad— India performs best in Knowledge & Technology Outputs (#22) and Market Sophistication (#38), while its weakest rankings are in Business Sophistication (#64), Infrastructure (#61), and Institutions (#58). The number of millionaire families in India has increased over the years.Hurun India Wealth Report 2025— According to the latest Mercedes-Benz Hurun India Wealth Report 2025, India is projected to have 871,700 millionaire families by 2025, each with a net worth of at least Rs 8.5 crore (US$1 million).— This marks a sharp jump from 159,900 in 2017 and 458,000 in 2021 — an increase of nearly 90 per cent over four years.— Millionaire families now represent about 0.31 per cent of India’s population. However, the report shows that wealth creation remains heavily concentrated.Story continues below this ad— Maharashtra has consolidated its position as the country’s richest state, home to 178,600 millionaire families — a 194 per cent rise since 2021. Mumbai is at the top among the cities, followed by New Delhi and Bangalore.World Trade Report 2025— According to the World Trade Report 2025 released by the World Trade Organization, artificial intelligence could boost the value of trade in goods and services by nearly 40% by 2040, but without adequate policies it could also exacerbate economic divides.— Lower trade costs and enhanced productivity could drive substantial increases in trade and GDP by 2040, with global trade projected to rise by 34-37% under various scenarios. Art & Culture Adivasis organised a march in Kolhan last week. (Special arrangement)Kolhan’s Manki-Munda system— On September 9, the Ho tribe staged a protest in Jharkhand’s West Singhbhum district against the Deputy Commissioner (DC), accusing him of interfering with their traditional self-governance system by removing village heads, known as Mundas.Story continues below this ad— This conflict threatens a century-old balance between the indigenous governance system, the so-called Manki-Munda system, and the state administration in Ho areas of Jharkhand’s Kolhan region.— The Munda, or the head of the village, was responsible for resolving socio-political disputes at the village level. Each village had one Munda, appointed hereditarily.— The Manki headed the pir, which generally consists of 8 to 15 villages. If cases were not resolved by the Munda, they moved upwards to the Manki.— The Manki and Munda had no responsibilities for revenue or land-related issues. The system was purely an internal, self-governing mechanism, with no sovereign authority outside or the concept of paying taxes.Story continues below this adJore Sahib— The Jore Sahib, meaning holy or sacred shoes, are a pair of footwear belonging to Guru Gobind Singh, the last of the ten Sikh Gurus, and his wife Mata Sahib Kaur.— It is considered a sacred relic as it is revered as the personal belongings once worn by the Sikh spiritual leaders.— The pair of footwear, measuring 11″ by 3½” for the right foot of the ‘Dasam Pita’, or Tenth Father, and 9″ by 3″ for the left foot of Mata Sahib Kaur, are sacred relics deeply revered in Sikhism.— Guru Gobind Singh, the last human Guru of the Sikhs, founded the Khalsa Panth, or the community of the pure. He declared the Guru Granth Sahib as the eternal successor.Story continues below this ad— He laid down a code of conduct for followers through the five K’s: Kesh (uncut hair), Kangha (wooden comb), Kada (iron or steel wrist bracelet), Kirpan (sword), and Kachera (short breeches).Global Ayyappa Sangamam— The Supreme Court on Wednesday (September 17) virtually gave the go-ahead for the Kerala government to conduct the Global Ayyappa Sangamam event at Pampa, the base station of the Sabarimala Temple.— The Agola Ayyappa Sangamam, or the Global Conclave of Ayyappa Devotees, is organised by the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), an autonomous body that administers 1,250-odd temples in southern Kerala.— This board also administers the Sabarimala temple and this event aims to promote the Sabarimala Temple as a global pilgrimage centre.Story continues below this adSarnath on the UNESCO radar— Ahead of a UNESCO team’s proposed visit to Sarnath, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) will install what it is calling a “corrected” plaque that will credit a local ruler, and not the British, for preserving the holy Buddhist site.— Earlier this year, India officially nominated Sarnath for the UNESCO World Heritage List for the 2025-26 cycle — a move that could end its 27-year wait on the tentative list.— Sarnath, roughly 10 km to the northeast of Varanasi, is where the Buddha is said to have delivered his first sermon in c. 528 BCE, and the place at which the Buddhist sangha (community) is said to have formed. The delivery of the first sermon is referred to as dhammachakka-pavattana (the turning of the wheel of dhamma).— The credit for its “rediscovery”, however, goes to workers of Jagat Singh, the diwan of Raja Chait Singh of Benares, who were digging at the site to retrieve brick and stone for a new marketplace being built in his name. Story continues below this adEvents Addressing the Combined Commanders’ Conference in Kolkata, Singh said the nature of war has become sudden and unpredictable, making it difficult to foresee its duration (X/@rajnathsingh)16th Combined Commanders’ Conference (CCC)— Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 12th September inaugurated the 16th Combined Commanders’ Conference (CCC) at the Army’s Eastern Command headquarters in Kolkata.— The conference is organised once every two years. It is the apex forum that brings together the nation’s top civilian and military leadership to chart the path of India’s defence preparedness.— It was last held in Bhopal in 2023, which was inaugurated by Modi.— On the final day of the conference, India’s top military hierarchy decided to form three joint military stations — the first in the country — and also agreed to merge the education branches of the three defence services into a single tri-services Education Corps.Blue Economy Conclave— A two-day blue economy conclave was organised in Kerala on September 18 and 19. Representatives from 29 European countries attended the Conclave.— The conclave ‘Blue Tides-Two Shores One Vision’ is being organised by the State’s Fisheries department in collaboration with the Union government and the European Union (EU). Polity Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the gathering during the foundation stone laying ceremony of the PM MITRA Park and inauguration of various campaigns, in Dhar, Madhya Pradesh. (PMO via PTI Photo)Schemes and campaigns launched on the occasion of PM Modi’s 75th Birthday— To mark the 75th birthday of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the BJP governments in various states launched public welfare programmes and campaigns on Wednesday (September 17).— Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Madhya Pradesh, where he launched the ‘Swasth Nari Sashakt Parivar’ and the ‘8th Rashtriya Poshan Maah’ campaigns, highlighting the government’s commitment to nutrition and family well-being.— Suman Sakhi Chatbot: This chatbot aims to raise awareness on maternal and child health, and provide timely and accurate information to pregnant women in rural and remote areas, ensuring access to essential health services.— Adi Seva Parv: As part of the Adi Karmyogi Abhiyan, Prime Minister launched the “Adi Seva Parv” for Madhya Pradesh. The Adi Seva Parv, symbolising the pride of tribal communities and nation-building, will continue until October 2.— The Aadi Karmayogi Abhiyan, launched this year by the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs, is an initiative for the socio-economic development of tribal communities across the country.National Policy on Geothermal Energy 2025— The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has released the “National Policy on Geothermal Energy 2025” to facilitate the exploration and development of untapped geothermal energy resources.— The policy aims to establish geothermal energy as one of the major pillars of India’s renewable energy landscape, reinforce the commitment to achieve the 2070 Net Zero Goal, and ensure energy security.— Geothermal energy refers to the heat and electricity produced by using the heat from the interior of the Earth. It is a site-specific renewable source of energy specifically suitable for catering to the energy needs of remote/interior localities.— The Geological Survey of India (GSI) has mapped 381 hot springs nationwide with surface temperatures between 35°C and 89°C. Makhana is hailed as a superfood (Source: Freepik)National Makhana Board— On 15th September, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the National Makhana Board in Purnea, Bihar.— The announcement for the creation of the Makhana Board was made in the Union Budget 2025-26.— The Centre is also establishing the National Institute of Food Technology in Bihar which will provide a strong fillip to makhana processing activities.— Makhana, commonly known in English as fox nut, is the dried edible seed of the prickly water lily or gorgon plant (Euryale ferox). This plant is found in freshwater ponds throughout South and East Asia.— Bihar accounts for approximately 90% of India’s makhana production. This production is primarily concentrated in nine districts located in northern and eastern Bihar.— In 2022, ‘Mithila Makhana’ was conferred a Geographical Indication tag.World’s largest bamboo-based ethanol plant— The world’s largest bamboo-based ethanol plant was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in eastern Assam’s Golaghat district on September 14.— Two bamboo types from at least three of the eight northeastern States are used to run the ₹5,000-crore bioethanol plant optimally. These species are balco (Bambusa balcooa) and tulda (Bambusa tulda).Form 7 of the Election Commission of India— Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi alleged that there were attempts to delete the names of 6,018 voters from the electoral rolls in Karnataka’s Aland constituency in 2023.— Section 22 of the Representation of the People (RP) Act, 1950, empowers the Electoral registration officers (EROs) of Parliamentary constituencies to make corrections and deletions to the electoral roll either on their own or acting on applications made to them.— The Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, provide for the forms for new applications, corrections, and deletions from electoral rolls. Form 7 is the one for making “objection for proposed inclusion/deletion of name in existing roll”.— Electors can file a Form 7 if they want to delete their own name or if they want to object to any other elector in their constituency.— Form 7 requires the applicant to provide their own name, EPIC number and phone number, as well as the name, EPIC number (if available) and address of the person against whom they are objecting.AI for Viksit Bharat Roadmap and Frontier Tech Repository— NITI Aayog launched two transformative initiatives, AI for Viksit Bharat Roadmap: Opportunity for Accelerated Economic Growth and NITI Frontier Tech Repository under its Frontier Tech Hub.— The AI for Viksit Bharat Roadmap delivers a clear, sector-specific action plan, while the Frontier Tech Repository inspires states and districts to scale technology for real-world impact.— The Niti Aayog Frontier Tech Hub convenes leading experts across government, industry, and academia to assess frontier technologies—such as AI, quantum, and biotechnology—evaluate their opportunities and risks for India, and design strategies to harness them for Viksit Bharat@2047.— Niti Aayog also launched the Frontier 50 Initiative to amplify grassroots adoption of technology and scale impact creation. It will support 50 Aspirational Districts / Blocks to pick use cases from the Repository and deploy those frontier technologies that have the potential to accelerate saturation of services across ADP/ABP themes.— NITI Frontier Tech Impact Awards for States will recognize three states excelling in the use of tech to improve governance, education, healthcare, livelihood etc., and supporting them to scale measurable, transformative outcomes. International Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia’s Defence Minister Khalid bin Salman, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and Pakistan’s Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, pose for photographs after signing a mutual defense pact. (Photo: AP)Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement (SMDA)— Pakistan and Saudi Arabia on Wednesday (17th September) signed a Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement (SMDA) during Pak Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif’s and Army Chief Asim Munir’s visit to Riyadh.— According to a joint statement issued after the meeting, “the agreement states that any aggression against either country shall be considered an aggression against both”.WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies— On 15th September, WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies came into effect, which commits members to curbing billions of dollars in annual spending on the most harmful subsidies that contribute to the depletion of marine fish stocks.— It is the WTO’s first multilateral agreement with environmental sustainability at its core. It prohibits government support to illegal fishing activities and overexploitation of stocks, contributing to the protection of marine life.— Adopted by consensus at the WTO’s 12th Ministerial Conference in June 2022, the Agreement’s disciplines prohibit subsidies for illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, for fishing overfished stocks, and for fishing on the unregulated high seas.— A WTO Fish Fund was also established to provide developing economies and least-developed countries (LDCs) with technical assistance and capacity-building needed to implement the new obligations and manage their own fisheries more sustainably.— India has not signed the agreement.(Source: wto.org)H-1B visas— US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order that requires companies hiring overseas talent through the H-1B visa to pay $100,000 a year for each H-1B worker visa.— Until now, H-1B visas have carried various administrative fees totalling around $1,500.— People born in India are the largest beneficiaries of the H-1B program. Data from the US government show that Indians account for more than 70% of all H-1B petitions approved each year since 2015.DefenceAir Defence (AD) radars— The Army has sought to procure a range of advanced air defence (AD) radars — 45 Low Level Light Weight Radars (Enhanced), up to 48 Air Defence Fire Control Radar-Drone Detectors (ADFCR-DD), and 10 Low Level Light Weight Radars (Improved)— These AD radars can detect, track, and engage aerial objects with small radar cross-sections (RCS), like the Pakistani drones which infiltrated Indian airspace in May.— Radar is the acronym for RAdio Detection And Ranging. It is a specialised electronic system that uses radio waves to determine the direction, distance, and velocity of target objects. AD radars are used by the military to search, detect, identify, and help destroy aerial threats.— A radar comprises two basic components: a transmitter which sends out radio signals, and a receiver which collects any reflected signals from a target.— There are primarily two kinds of AD radars: surveillance radars and fire control radars.— Surveillance radars are not directly connected to any anti-aircraft weapon system unlike fire control radars, which help surface-to-air guns or missiles target aerial threats.— RCS, or radar signature, is a measure of how detectable an object is by radar, usually represented in square metres; larger the RCS, greater the detectability. Awards TIFF 2025: Homebound became the second runner-up in the International People’s Choice Awards category, while In Search of The Sky got the NETPAC Award.Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) — Neeraj Ghaywan-directed Homebound and Jitank Singh Gurjar-directed In Search of The Sky (Vimukt) won at the TIFF.— While Homebound is the second runner-up in the International People’s Choice Awards category and In Search of The Sky is the recipient of the NETPAC Award.— Homebound is also India’s official entry for the Oscars 2026 in the Best International Feature category.— Homebound documents the socio-political realities of contemporary India and captures the unprecedented displacement of migrant workers across the country following the outbreak of the COVID.Dadasaheb Phalke Award 2023— Malayalam superstar Mohanlal will be honoured with the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award for his services to cinema at the 71st National Film Awards ceremony to be held on Sept 23, 2025.— Mohanlal has also won five National Film Awards and multiple Kerala State Film Awards.— He was honoured with the Padma Shri in 2001 and the Padma Bhushan in 2019.— About Dadasaheb Phalke Award: It was instituted in 1969 to commemorate Dadasaheb Phalke’s contribution to Indian cinema who directed India’s first full-length feature film, Raja Harishchandra in 1913.— The first recipient of the award was Devika Rani. This award is considered the highest award in the field of cinema.— The award comprises a Swarna Kamal (Golden Lotus) medallion, a shawl, and a cash prize of ₹10 lakh.Emmy Awards 2025— The Emmy Awards are the most prestigious television honours in the United States. They celebrate excellence in acting, writing, directing, programming and technical fields across genres— The first Emmy Ceremony took place on January 25, 1949, at the Hollywood Athletic Club in Los Angeles. Ventriloquist Shirley Dinsdale won the first Emmy for “Most Outstanding Television Personality.”— How the winners are selected: Emmys operate on peer voting. Members of the academies are divided into professional peer groups – actors, writers, directors, technicians, producers – and they can only vote within their field of work.— Shows should be submitted for consideration, following which nominations are announced, which is then followed by the final round of voting.CategoryWinnersDrama SeriesThe PittComedy SeriesThe StudioLimited or Anthology SeriesAdolescenceLead Actor in a Drama SeriesNoah Wyle – The PittLead Actress in a Drama SeriesBritt Lower – SeveranceLead Actor in a Comedy SeriesSeth Rogen – The StudioLead Actress in a Comedy SeriesJean Smart – HacksLead Actress in a Limited or Anthology SeriesCristin Milioti – The PenguinLead Actor in a Limited or Anthology SeriesStephen Graham – AdolescenceTalk SeriesThe Late Show With Stephen Colbert Persons in News(Just FYI: Noting historical personalities’ anniversaries aids UPSC prep. UPSC often includes such personalities in questions, so revisiting their lives refreshes your static syllabus.) Surekha Yadav— Surekha Yadav, Asia’s first women locopilot, is set to retire on September 30 after 36 years of service.— She became India’s first woman train driver in 1988 and was also the first loco pilot of the ‘Ladies Special’ local train for Central Railways in 2000. Further, she became the first woman loco pilot of the CST to Pune Deccan Queen train.Mithun Manhas— Former Delhi batsman Mithun Manhas is set to become the next president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).— Manhas was the convener of the North Zone for Duleep Trophy and he was also support staff of the IPL franchise Gujarat Titans before, and is currently administrator of the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA). Places in News(Just FYI: The location of the place is important, considering that UPSC has asked several questions about places that were in the news, such as Aleppo and Kirkuk, in the 2018 UPSC Prelims. The best way to remember them is to plot them on a world map.) Chabahar port location.Chabahar port, Iran— The United States has said it is withdrawing the sanctions waiver granted to Iran’s Chabahar port, which is being developed by India.— Chabahar, which sits at the mouth of the Gulf of Oman, is Iran’s first deepwater port that puts the country on the global oceanic trade route map.— The port lies to the west of Iran’s border with Pakistan, about as far as Gwadar (a competing port developed by China in Pakistan) which lies to the east of the border.— The port is also part of the proposed International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), a multi-modal transportation project linking the Indian Ocean and Persian Gulf to the Caspian Sea via Iran, and onward to northern Europe via St Petersburg in Russia.— There are two distinct ports in the Chabahar project, Shahid Beheshti and Shahid Kalantari. India’s investment is restricted to the Shahid Beheshti port.— India, Iran, and Afghanistan signed a trilateral agreement in April 2016, after which the Indian Shipping Ministry worked at a rapid pace towards developing the port.— In December 2017, the first phase of Shahid Beheshti port was inaugurated, and India sent its first consignment of wheat to Afghanistan through Chabahar that same year. Sports(Just FYI: With the unpredictability of the UPSC examinations and questions like the ICC World Test Championship question 2021, you can’t be sure of anything. It is wise to know what it is and not go into too much detail.)World Speed Skating Championships— India has secured two Gold Medals in the 1000 meters race at the World Championships 2025, in both the Junior and Senior categories.— Anandkumar Velkumar won India’s first-ever gold medal at the Speed Skating World Championships, clocking 1:24.924 in the senior men’s 1,000m sprint event. He has also clinched a historic bronze in the 500M sprint at the same championships.— Krish Sharma has also won the Gold medal in the 1000 meters race in the junior category.— The Speed Skating World Championships, which began on September 13 in Beidaihe, China, will continue until September 21.FIDE Grand Swiss tournament 2025— Vaishali Rameshbabu has won the FIDE Grand Swiss tournament for the second time in two editions after drawing her final game against former women’s world champion Tan Zhongyi.— Vaishali winning the title is historic because no player in the short history of the event has won the Grand Swiss twice. India’s Sarvesh Anil Kushare makes an attempt during the men’s high jump final at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)World Athletics Championships 2025— The 2025 World Athletics Championship was held in Tokyo from September 13 to 21. The World Athletics Council has selected Beijing, China, to host the 2027 World Athletics Championships.— Sachin Yadav’s fourth-place finish in the men’s javelin throw emerged as the country’s standout performance. Neeraj Chopra, who was the reigning champion heading into Tokyo25, had to settle for an eighth-place finish in the final.— Sarvesh Kushare scripted history by becoming the first Indian high jumper to qualify for the final of a World Athletics Championships.— Indian athletes have won three medals at the world championships – Anju Bobby George’s long jump bronze at Paris 2003, Neeraj Chopra’s javelin silver at Oregon 2022, and his historic gold at Budapest 2023.(Source: olympics.com)Test Your Knowledge(Note: The best way to remember facts for UPSC and other competitive exams is to recall them through MCQs. Try to solve the following questions on your own.)(1) Consider the following activities: (UPSC CSE 2024)1 Identification of narcotics on passengers at airports or in aircraft2. Monitoring of precipitation3. Tracking the migration of animalsIn how many of the above activities can the radars be used?(a) Only one(b) Only two(c) All three(d) None(2) With reference to ancient India, consider the following statements: (UPSC CSE 2023)1. The concept of Stupa is Buddhist in origin.2. Stupa was generally a repository of relics.3. Stupa was a votive and commemorative structure in Buddhist tradition.How many of the statements given above are correct?(a) Only one(b) Only two(c) All three(d) None(3) Consider the following statements: (CAPF 2023)1. Geothermal energy can be used to produce electricity or it can be used directly for industry, agriculture, building and cleaning.2. Nuclear energy is often cheaper than some other sources of electricity.3. Thermal power stations burn fossil fuels to create steam to drive the turbines.Which of the statements given above is/are correct?(a) 1 only(b) 1 and 2 only(c) 1 and 3 only(d) 2 and 3 onlyPrelims Answer Key1. (b) 2. (b) 3. (c)For your suggestions and feedback, write to khushboo.kumari@indianexpress.comSubscribe to our UPSC newsletter. Stay updated with the latest UPSC articles by joining our Telegram channel – IndianExpress UPSC Hub, and follow us on Instagram and X. Anniversary Special: Read the UPSC Essentials September 2025 special edition, celebrating two years of the magazine! Share your views and suggestions at manas.srivastava@indianexpress.com