Comprehensive September 2025 Current Affairs analysis for UPSC, SSC, Banking, and State PSCs. Covers GST Reforms, SCO Summit, Semicon India, US Open 2025, and Dadasaheb Phalke Award.
Period Covered: September 1, 2025 – September 30, 2025
Focus Areas: Macro-Economic Reforms, Global Strategic Summits, and Indigenous Innovation.
Target Examinations: UPSC CSE (Mains 2026), RBI Grade B, NABARD, SSC CGL, and State PSCs.
SECTION 1: ECONOMY & GST REFORMS
Economic Policy & Taxation ★★★
1.1 Historic GST Structure Overhaul (56th GST Council Meeting)
Event: The 56th GST Council meeting, chaired by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on September 3, 2025, announced a transformative simplification of the tax regime, effective from September 22, 2025.
- Core Reform: The Council recommended reducing the existing four-slab structure (5%, 12%, 18%, 28%) to two main rates: 5% (Merit Rate) and 18% (Standard Rate). A special 40% rate is retained for sin/luxury goods.
- Impact Analysis: This move aims to boost consumption by lowering prices on essential and common-use items while simplifying compliance for businesses.
| Category | New GST Rate (Effective Sept 22, 2025) | Previous Rate / Context |
|---|---|---|
| Cancer Drugs & Medicines | Nil (0%) | Reduced from 5%/12% to make life-saving treatment affordable. |
| Food Items (Branded) | 5% | Reduced from 12%. Includes namkeens, processed foods. |
| Renewable Energy Devices | 5% | Reduced from 12% to accelerate the green transition. |
| Small Cars | 18% | Reduced from 28% to boost the automobile sector. |
| Insurance (Life & Health) | Nil (0%) | Massive relief for policyholders; aimed at increasing insurance penetration. |
| Online Gaming / Casinos | 40% | Categorized under sin/luxury goods special rate. |
1.2 Macro-Economic Indicators (September Releases)
- Inflation (CPI): Headline inflation for August 2025 (released in Sept) stood at 2.07%, slightly up from the 8-year low of 1.6% in July, driven by a momentum effect in food prices.
- Industrial Production (IIP): The Index of Industrial Production grew by 4.0% in August 2025.
- Wholesale Price Index (WPI): Recorded at 0.52% (Provisional) for August 2025.
1.3 New Pension Reforms
Development: The Department of Pension and Pensioners’ Welfare notified the Central Civil Services (Implementation of Unified Pension Scheme under NPS) Rules, 2025 on September 2, 2025.
- Key Feature: Provision for a one-time switch option from UPS to NPS for those who had opted for UPS by the deadline of September 30, 2025.
SECTION 2: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS & SUMMITS
Geopolitics & Global Strategy ★★★
2.1 25th SCO Summit (Tianjin, China)
Event: Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated in the 25th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit held in Tianjin, China in September 2025.
- Strategic Stance: India advocated for a “Zero Tolerance” policy towards terrorism.
- Key Outcome: Adoption of the Tianjin Declaration, focusing on regional security and connectivity. India emphasized connectivity projects that respect sovereignty (a veiled reference to BRI).
- New Membership: Vietnam was inducted as a ‘Partner Country’ during this period.
2.2 Bilateral & Multilateral Engagements
| Summit / Event | Location / Partner | Key Highlights / Awards |
|---|---|---|
| ‘Living Bridge’ Award | United Kingdom | UK PM Keir Starmer was conferred this award, symbolizing strong India-UK ties. |
| 28th National Conference on e-Governance | Visakhapatnam, AP | Theme: “Viksit Bharat: Civil Service and Digital Transformation”. Adopted the ‘Visakhapatnam Declaration’ on digital governance. |
| ZAPAD 2025 | Russia (Nizhniy) | Indian Armed Forces contingent participated in this multilateral joint military exercise (Sept 10-16). |
| 4th Coast Guard Global Summit | Rome, Italy | India participated; theme “Guardians at Sea”. |
SECTION 3: SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION
Tech & Space Frontiers ★★
3.1 Semicon India 2025
Event: Inaugurated by PM Narendra Modi at Yashobhoomi, New Delhi (Sept 2-4, 2025).
- Theme: “Building the Next Semiconductor Powerhouse”.
- Milestone: PM Modi unveiled the first ‘Made-in-India’ chip. The event highlighted India’s rapid ascent in the semiconductor value chain with 10 projects now underway.
3.2 Mission Mausam & Infrastructure
- Mission Mausam: Aimed at making India “Weather Ready” and “Climate Smart”. Approved by Cabinet with an outlay of ₹2,000 crore.
- PAIMANA Portal: Launched by MoSPI on Sept 25, 2025. It stands for Project Assessment, Infrastructure Monitoring and Analytics for Nation Building, replacing the legacy OCMS portal for monitoring central sector projects.
- Launch of ‘Udai’: UIDAI unveiled its new mascot ‘Udai’ to simplify Aadhaar communication.
SECTION 4: NATIONAL AWARDS & APPOINTMENTS
Persons in News ★★★
4.1 Dadasaheb Phalke Award 2023
Recipient: Veteran Malayalam actor Mohanlal Vishwanathan Nair was conferred with the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award for the year 2023 (Announced in Sept 2025).
4.2 Key Appointments (September 2025)
| Person | Designation / Role | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| Justice Surya Kant | 53rd Chief Justice of India | Appointed in Sept 2025; prioritizes reducing case backlogs. |
| Tuhin Kanta Pandey | Finance Secretary | 1987-batch IAS officer; succeeds previous incumbent. |
| Piyush Goyal | Secretary, Ministry of Mines | 1994-batch IAS officer; assumed charge in Sept. |
| C.P. Radhakrishnan | Vice President of India | Elected and assumed office in Sept 2025. |
| Praveer Ranjan | DG, CISF | Took charge on Sept 30, 2025. |
SECTION 5: SPORTS CURRENT AFFAIRS
Sports News ★★
- US Open 2025:
- Men’s Singles: Carlos Alcaraz (Spain) defeated Jannik Sinner.
- Women’s Singles: Aryna Sabalenka (Belarus).
- Cricket: India won the Asia Cup 2025 (Men’s T20 format), retaining their title.
- Football: NorthEast United FC won the 133rd Durand Cup.
- Chess: Divya Deshmukh became the first Indian woman to win the FIDE Women’s World Cup Championship 2025 (Historical context for 2025).
SECTION 6: REPORTS & INDICES
Global Rankings ★★
| Index Name | India’s Rank | Top Rank / Details |
|---|---|---|
| Global Innovation Index (GII) 2025 | 38th | Topped by Switzerland. India leads among lower-middle-income economies. |
| World Talent Ranking 2025 | 58th | Released by IMD. |
| Asia Power Index 2025 | 3rd | Surpassed Japan; ranked as a “Major Power” for the first time. |
QUICK REVISION: SEPTEMBER 2025 CAPSULE
- GST: New rates effective Sept 22; Health Insurance at 0% GST.
- Summit: PM Modi attended 25th SCO Summit in Tianjin.
- App: MoSPI launched PAIMANA portal for project monitoring.
- Defense: Operation Sindoor (Counter-terror) discussed in Parliament.
- State: PM MITRA Park launched in Dhar, Madhya Pradesh.
- Days: Hindi Diwas (Sept 14) – 5th Akhil Bhartiya Rajbhasha Sammelan held in Gandhinagar.
- Person: Mohanlal awarded Dadasaheb Phalke Award 2023.
MOST EXPECTED EXAMINATION MCQs
Q1. Which portal was launched by MoSPI in September 2025 to replace the legacy OCMS for monitoring central sector infrastructure projects?
A. PRAGATI
B. PAIMANA
C. SAMARTH
D. GATI SHAKTI
Ans: (B) PAIMANA
Q2. Who was conferred the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for the year 2023 in September 2025?
A. Rajinikanth
B. Amitabh Bachchan
C. Mohanlal
D. Chiranjeevi
Ans: (C) Mohanlal
Q3. Effective from September 22, 2025, the GST Council reduced the tax rate on cancer drugs to what percentage?
A. 5%
B. 12%
C. Nil (0%)
D. 18%
Ans: (C) Nil (0%)
Q4. India participated in the 25th SCO Summit held in which city in September 2025?
A. Astana, Kazakhstan
B. Samarkand, Uzbekistan
C. Tianjin, China
D. Moscow, Russia
Ans: (C) Tianjin, China
Q5. Which Indian football club won the 133rd edition of the Durand Cup in September 2025?
A. Mohun Bagan SG
B. East Bengal
C. NorthEast United FC
D. Bengaluru FC
Ans: (C) NorthEast United FC
