News In Short – 25 September, 2025

Syllabus: GS1/Geography 

In News

• Super Typhoon Ragasa has caused widespread devastation across East Asia. 

About

• A super typhoon is a very violent storm, equivalent to a Category 5 hurricane, packing winds of 253km/h (157 mph).
  • Typhoons, including a super typhoon, generally form in the West Pacific, close to places like China, Japan, and the Philippines.
• Tropical cyclones like super typhoons are warm-core low-pressure systems that exhibit a spiral inflow near the ocean surface and a spiral outflow at the upper levels of the atmosphere.
• They typically develop at latitudes greater than 5° away from the equator to benefit from the Coriolis force necessary for rotation.

Terminology for Tropical Cyclones by Region

• Hurricane: Occurs in the North Atlantic, Eastern North Pacific, and South Pacific Oceans.
• Cyclone: Found in the Indian Ocean.
• Typhoon: Develops in the Western North Pacific Ocean.
• Willy-willy: Term used in the eastern part of the Southern Indian Ocean for tropical cyclones.

Source :IE

FIPIC

Syllabus: GS2/International Relation

In News

• External Affairs Minister, Dr S Jaishankar, hosted a meeting of the foreign ministers of the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) in New York.

About FIPIC

• FIPIC is a multilateral grouping launched by India in 2014 to enhance cooperation between India and 14 Pacific Island Countries (PICs).

• Countries include: Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.
• FIPIC aims to strengthen cooperation in areas such as politics, economy, trade, investment, culture, health, education, infrastructure, and disaster management.
• FIPIC also offers India a platform to advance South-South Cooperation, strengthen its global south credibility, and secure support in multilateral forums such as the United Nations.

Source: AIR

Autism Myths Around Tylenol

Syllabus: GS2/ Health

Context

• US President Donald Trump recently claimed that Tylenol (paracetamol/ acetaminophen) use during pregnancy may cause autism and suggested limiting its use.

What is Tylenol?

• It is a brand name for acetaminophen, or paracetamol, which is used as a pain reliever and a fever reducer. 
• An over-the-counter medication, it is used to alleviate headaches, muscle aches, arthritis and used to manage symptoms of colds and flu.
  • Over-the-counter medicines refers to medicines that can be bought directly from a pharmacy without a doctor’s prescription.

What is Autism?

• Autism, or autism spectrum disorder (ASD), is a lifelong neurodevelopmental condition affecting how a person communicates, interacts socially, and behaves. 
• The term “spectrum” reflects the wide variation in symptoms and their severity, with individuals experiencing autism differently and requiring varying levels of support.
• Key Characteristics: Persistent difficulties in social-communication and interaction, and restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior or interests.
  • Many autistic people experience differences in how they process sensory information, finding certain sounds, lights, or textures overwhelming or uncomfortable.

Source: IE

EC Launches e-sign Feature For Correction of Voter Names

Syllabus: GS2/Governance

In News

• The Election Commission of India (ECI) has launched a new e-sign feature on its ECINET portal and app to verify their identity using Aadhaar-linked phone numbers.

About ECINET Portal

• ECINET is a unified digital platform developed by the Election Commission of India (ECI) to streamline and simplify various electoral processes. 
• It aims to serve as a single-point interface for all election-related services, integrating and subsuming over 40 existing mobile and web applications such as the Voter Helpline App, cVIGIL, Suvidha 2.0, and others.

Source: PIB

K Visa

Syllabus: GS2/ International Relations

Context

• From October 1, 2025, China is going to introduce the K Visa program to attract young science and technology professionals from across the globe.

Key Features of the K Visa

• No Sponsor Required: Applicants do not need a Chinese employer or sponsor.
• Eligibility Criteria: Open to young foreign professionals holding at least a bachelor’s degree in STEM from recognised institutions in China or abroad.
• Inclusive Scope: Covers those engaged in professional education or research at accredited universities and research institutions.
• Flexible Stay Options: Greater convenience in entries, validity, and duration of stay.
• Wide-Ranging Activities Permitted: Holders may pursue education, scientific research, cultural exchanges, entrepreneurship, and business opportunities.

Significance of the K Visa

• The K visa is being seen as an extension of the R visa for high-level talent introduced by China in 2013.
• The move comes at a time when the United States is tightening its H-1B visa regime, introducing steep filing fees of up to $100,000 for employers beginning with the 2026 application season.
• It reflects China’s broader ambition to;
  • Reposition itself as a global hub for science and technology.
  • Shift the balance of talent flows, offering a credible alternative to traditional destinations like the US.

Source: IE

Cabinet Approves Package to Revitalize India’s Shipbuilding and Maritime Sector

Syllabus: GS3/ Infrastructure

In News

• The Union Cabinet has approved a ₹69,725 crore Shipbuilding Package, India’s largest intervention to boost its maritime industry, with the aim of making India a top 5 global shipbuilding nation by 2047.

Four Pillars of Strategy

• Strengthening Domestic Capacity: Modernization and expansion of shipbuilding & repair clusters (greenfield + brownfield).
• Long-Term Financing: Creation of a ₹25,000 crore Maritime Development Fund with Maritime Investment & Incentivization Funds for affordable long-tenor financing.
• Accelerating Shipyard Development: Revamped Shipbuilding Financial Assistance Scheme (SBFAS) till 2036 (₹24,736 crore) and Shipbreaking Credit Note (₹4,001 crore) for eco-friendly recycling.
• Enhancing Technical Capabilities & Policy Reforms: Skilling, ship design R&D, risk coverage, and regulatory reforms under a new National Shipbuilding Mission.

Significance

• The government expects the package to:
  • Unlock ₹4.5 lakh crore investments and spur the production of over 2,500 new vessels, fundamentally altering India’s share in global shipping.
  • Create 30 lakh jobs spanning manufacturing, repair, logistics, and allied sectors, with a positive multiplier effect on regional and national economies.
  • Strengthen national, energy, and food security by reducing reliance on foreign-owned shipping and supporting resilient supply chains.
  • By 2047, the package seeks to position India among the top 5 shipbuilding nations, up from under 1% of current global market share.

Source: PIB

Unified Payments Interface

Syllabus: GS3/ Economy

In News

• NPCI International Payments Ltd, in partnership with Qatar National Bank, has enabled the acceptance of QR code-based Unified Payments Interface (UPI) across Qatar.

About Unified Payments Interface (UPI)

• It is India’s real-time instant payment system, developed by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) in 2016.
• Through this, users can link and manage several bank accounts within one UPI-enabled app (such as Google Pay, PhonePe, Paytm, BHIM).
• Works on Immediate Payment Service (IMPS) infrastructure.
• UPI has become the world’s largest real-time payment system. In 2024, UPI processed over 12 billion transactions monthly, accounting for over 65% of retail digital payments in India.
• Accepted internationally in countries like UAE, Nepal, Bhutan, France, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Mauritius, etc.

Source: TH

Finance Minister Launches GST Appellate Tribunal

Syllabus :GS3/Economy

In News

• The Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs formally launched the Goods and Services Tax Appellate Tribunal (GSTAT) in New Delhi.

Goods and Services Tax Appellate Tribunal (GSTAT)

• It is a statutory appellate body established under the Goods and Services Tax laws. 
• It has been constituted to hear appeals against orders passed by the GST Appellate Authorities and to provide taxpayers with an independent forum for justice. 
• It will function through a Principal Bench in New Delhi and 31 State Benches across 45 locations in India, thereby ensuring accessibility and nationwide reach.
  • Each Bench of the GSTAT will comprise two Judicial Members, one Technical Member (Centre), and one Technical Member (State), ensuring a balanced composition of judicial expertise and technical knowledge from both Central and State administrations.

Source :TH

Nightmare Bacteria

Syllabus: GS3/ Science and Technology

Context

• According to a recent report by the American Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), infection rates from drug-resistant “nightmare bacteria” have risen by 70% between 2019 and 2023 in the United States.

What is ‘Nightmare Bacteria’?

• Nightmare Bacteria is a term which mostly refers to the bacteria group known as Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE).
  • It includes pathogens such as Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae. 
• When all other options have been exhausted, these bacteria are resistant to the antibiotics carbapenems, which are frequently reserved for severe infections.
  • Antimicrobial resistance occurs when germs such as bacteria and fungi gain the power to fight off the drugs designed to kill them. 
• The primary factor behind the recent rise in the US is the spread of bacteria carrying the NDM gene (New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase), which enables them to block the effects of multiple antibiotic medications by neutralising them.

Source: IT

Kalaimamani Awards

Syllabus: Miscellaneous

Context

• The Tamil Nadu government announced the Kalaimamani Awards for the years 2021, 2022 and 2023.

About

• The Kalaimamani awards are considered to be the highest civilian honor in the state of Tamil Nadu.
• These awards are handed out by the Tamil Nadu ‘Iyal Isai Nataka Mandram'(literature, music, and theatre), a unit of the Directorate of Art and Culture, Government of Tamil Nadu.
• The various categories of Kalaimamani awards include: music (vocal), Thevaram recital, performing mrithangam, harmonium, nathaswaram, thavil, religious discourse, Bharathanatyam teaching, drama artist, folk singer, Valli Oyil Kummi, small screen actor, painter, etc.
• Eligibility: Top-most performing talent from the state who have made invaluable contributions to the betterment of their respective fields.
• The Kalaimamani awardees will be honoured with a gold medal and a shield.

Source: IE