Current Affairs 30 October 2025

PIB Current Affairs

President Droupadi Murmu Takes Sortie in Rafale Aircraft

President Droupadi Murmu, the Supreme Commander of the Indian Armed Forces, took a sortie in a Rafale fighter aircraft at Air Force Station Ambala, Haryana, on October 29, 2025.

Droupadi Murmu becomes the first President of India to fly in two different fighter aircraft of the Indian Air Force, the Sukhoi-30 MKI (in 2023) and now the Rafale (in 2025).

Previous Presidents:

• Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam (2006) — Flew in a Sukhoi-30 MKI at the Lohegaon Air Force Station, Pune.
• President Pratibha Patil (2009) — Became the first woman President and first woman head of state in the world to fly in a fighter jet (Sukhoi-30 MKI) from Lohegaon, Pune.

First-Ever Air Shipment of GI-Tagged Indi and Puliyankudi Limes to the United Kingdom

The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, facilitated the first-ever air shipment of GI-tagged Indi Lime (from Vijayapura, Karnataka) and Puliyankudi Lime (from Tenkasi, Tamil Nadu) to the United Kingdom.

Narakoduru from Andhra Pradesh selected for Samriddh Gram Phygital Services Pilot Project

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT), under the Ministry of Communications, has launched the Samriddh Gram Phygital Services Pilot Project, aimed at integrating physical and digital (phygital) services in rural India using BharatNet connectivity.

This pilot project will be carried out in three villages:

• Ari & Umri (Madhya Pradesh)
• Chaurawala (Uttar Pradesh)
• Narakoduru (Andhra Pradesh)

Each village will host a Samriddhi Kendra, serving as an integrated digital service hub offering:

• Education & Skilling: Smart classrooms, AR/VR learning, digital skilling.
• Agriculture: IoT-based soil testing, drones, and smart irrigation.
• Healthcare: Teleconsultations, Health ATMs, and emergency support.
• e-Governance: Access to citizen services, documentation, and grievance redressal.

India Surpasses 500 GW Power Capacity and Achieves 50% Renewable Energy Milestone

India’s total installed electricity capacity crossed the historic mark of 500 GW (500.89 GW) as of 30 September 2025, showcasing the country’s remarkable progress in achieving clean, secure, and sustainable energy goals.

Out of the total capacity:

• Non-fossil fuel sources: 256.09 GW (≈ 51%)
• Fossil-fuel-based sources: 244.80 GW (≈ 49%)

Renewable energy capacity breakdown:

• Solar Power – 127.33 GW
• Wind Power – 53.12 GW
• Hydro Power – 30.29 GW

Note: On 29 July 2025, India achieved a record where renewables met 51.5% of the nation’s total electricity demand of 203 GW, marking the first time in history that over half of India’s power came from renewable sources.

Five Panchamrit targets:

1. India will reach its non-fossil energy capacity of 500 GW by 2030
2. India will meet 50 percent of its energy requirements from renewable energy by 2030
3. India will reduce the total projected carbon emissions by one billion tonnes from now onwards till 2030
4. By 2030, India will reduce the carbon intensity of its economy by less than 45 percent
5. By the year 2070, India will achieve the target of Net Zero.

Hindu Current Affairs

UN Report – Running on Empty

According to a new United Nations report titled Running on Empty, developing countries will require $310–365 billion annually by 2035 to adapt to the growing impacts of climate change.

This is nearly 12 times higher than the current climate finance flowing from developed to developing nations, which stood at $26 billion in 2023, down from $28 billion in 2022.

Delhi University Scientists Discover Rare Defence Behaviours in Indian Frogs

Scientists from the University of Delhi’s Systematics Lab, led by Prof. S.D. Biju, have documented two rare and contrasting anti-predator behaviours in Indian frog species — recorded for the first time in the country.

The findings, published in Herpetological Notes:

• Apatani Horned Toad (Xenophrys apatani) — found in Arunachal Pradesh — which inflates its body and even bites attackers when threatened.
• Bicoloured Frog (Clinotarsus curtipes) — native to the Western Ghats, Kerala — which raises its body by extending its limbs vertically, appearing larger to deter predators.

India Maritime Week 2025

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated several major initiatives worth ₹2.2 lakh crore for India’s shipping and shipbuilding sectors during the Maritime Leaders’ Conclave at India Maritime Week in Mumbai. India’s first deep water port Vizhinjam Deep Water Transit Hub has been operational.

Australia Scientists Create Nanometre-Scale ‘Tank’ of Superfluid Helium to Observe Never-Seen Waves

• Researchers from the University of Queensland, Australia, have achieved a world-first experimental observation of unique nonlinear waves including backward-leaning waves and solitons — inside a nanometre-thick film of superfluid helium.
• When helium is cooled near absolute zero, it becomes a superfluid, a frictionless, viscosity-free quantum liquid that can flow endlessly and even creep up walls or drip upside down.

China Files Complaint Against India’s PLI Scheme at WTO

China has filed a complaint at the World Trade Organization (WTO) against India, alleging that three of India’s Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes violate global trade rules by providing import-substitution subsidies.

The complaint targets the following three PLI schemes:

• Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) batteries
• Automobile and Advanced Automotive Technology (AAT) products
• Electric Vehicle (EV) manufacturing

China argues that these schemes discriminate against foreign goods, including Chinese imports.

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