4.5/5
Current Affairs 25th & 26th October 2025
1. SBI Honored as the ‘World’s Best Consumer Bolank 2025’ by Global Finance
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Dual Global Recognition: SBI received two prestigious titles from Global Finance: the 'World's Best Consumer Bank 2025' and the 'Best Bank in India 2025.' This dual win reinforces its status as a global leader in consumer banking.
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Digital Transformation and Innovation: A key factor was SBI's sustained investment in digitalization and technology. This includes efforts like vernacular voice banking, building omni-channel engagement models, and using AI for hyper-personalized offerings.
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YONO's Digital Prowess: The bank's flagship digital and lifestyle platform, YONO, played a crucial role. It serves over 100 million customers with 10 million daily active users and accounts for a significant portion of new savings account openings.
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Massive Customer Base and Scale: SBI serves an immense customer base of over 520 million and adds approximately 65,000 new customers daily. Its strategy of being a 'Digital First, Consumer First' bank helps manage this massive scale effectively.
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Commitment to Financial Inclusion: The awards recognize SBI's success in expanding services across India's diverse geographic landscape, ensuring financial inclusion for underserved segments in rural and semi-urban areas.
2. IAF Participated in Multinational Exercise ‘Ocean Sky 2025’
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Dual Global Recognition: SBI clinched two major titles: World's Best Consumer Bank 2025 and Best Bank in India 2025. This dual win reinforces its stature as a global banking leader committed to innovation and customer excellence.
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Focus on Digital Transformation and Technology: The award acknowledges SBI's significant strides in digitalization and technological leadership. Its strategy is centered on being a 'Digital First, Consumer First' bank.
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Massive Digital Customer Engagement: The bank's flagship mobile application, YONO (You Only Need One), plays a critical role, serving over 100 million customers with 10 million daily active users. Innovations like YONO 2.0, which allows users to seamlessly move transactions between physical branches and the app, were highlighted.
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Commitment to Financial Inclusion and Accessibility: SBI was recognized for its efforts in financial inclusion and expanding services across India's diverse geographic landscape. This includes investing in 600 new branches (a fourfold increase over the previous fiscal year) to serve underserved rural and semi-urban areas, as well as enabling vernacular voice banking and simplified onboarding.
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Immense Scale and Customer Base: SBI is India's largest commercial bank, serving an extensive customer base of over 520 million and adding approximately 65,000 new customers daily.
3. Neeraj Gambhir appointed as Executive Director of Axis Bank
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New Position and Term: Neeraj Gambhir was appointed as a Whole-time Director, designated as Executive Director of Axis Bank. The appointment is for a term of three years, with effect from August 4, 2025, pending final shareholder and regulatory approvals (specifically from the RBI, which was later granted).
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Existing Role and Responsibility: Prior to his elevation, he served as the Group Executive – Treasury, Markets, and Wholesale Banking Products at Axis Bank (since May 2020). This domain expertise is expected to be a major focus in his Executive Director role, driving the bank's strategy in capital markets and risk management.
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Extensive Industry Experience: He brings over 30 years of experience in India's financial sector.
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Key Industry Contributions: Mr. Gambhir is an active and influential figure in the broader financial ecosystem.
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Leadership Restructuring: His appointment was part of a senior leadership realignment at Axis Bank, which came alongside the retirement timeline of Deputy Managing Director Rajiv Anand and the resignation of another Group Executive.
4. Vishvajit More Wins Bronze in 55kg Greco-Roman at U-23 Wrestling World Championships
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First Medal for India in the Championship: Vishvajit More's bronze was the first medal secured by the Indian contingent at the 2025 U-23 World Wrestling Championships, which took place in Novi Sad, Serbia.
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Discipline and Category: He competed in the Greco-Roman style, which is historically less dominant for India compared to freestyle wrestling. His medal in the 55kg category is a significant boost for India in this specific wrestling discipline.
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Triumph in the Bronze Medal Bout: More won the hard-fought bronze medal match with a close 5-4 scoreline against Yerassyl Mmayrbekov of Kazakhstan, showcasing exceptional grit and determination in the medal playoff.
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Repeat Success at U-23 Worlds: This marked Vishvajit More's second consecutive bronze medal at the U-23 World Championships. He had also won a bronze in the 55kg Greco-Roman category at the 2024 edition, highlighting his consistency as a top-tier U-23 wrestler.
5. Lionel Messi Clinches 2025 MLS Golden Boot
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Record-Breaking Goal Tally: Messi clinched the Golden Boot with a league-high 29 goals during the MLS regular season. He finished ahead of his closest competitors, Denis Bouanga and Sam Surridge, who each scored 24 goals.
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Inter Miami's First Winner: He became the first player in Inter Miami CF's history to win the prestigious MLS Golden Boot, marking a significant milestone for the club since its inception in 2018.
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Near-Record Goal Contributions: Messi also led the league in assists with 19, resulting in a total of 48 goal contributions (goals + assists). This tally is the second-most in a single season in MLS history, just one shy of Carlos Vela's record of 49 set in 2019.
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Paving the Way for MVP and Playoff Success: Having won the MLS MVP award in 2024, his 2025 Golden Boot win made him the overwhelming favorite to win the MVP again, which would make him the first player in MLS history to win the award in back-to-back years.
6. Veer Bhadu Creates History with India’s First MMA Bronze at Asian Youth Games
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Historic First MMA Medal for India: Veer Bhadu's bronze medal is the first-ever medal for India in the Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) discipline at any edition of the Asian Youth Games, marking a significant milestone for the sport in the country.
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Category and Event: He competed in the Boys' 80kg category of the Traditional Mixed Martial Arts event at the 2025 Asian Youth Games held in Manama, Bahrain.
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Victory by Unanimous Decision: Veer secured his bronze medal by defeating his opponent, Dechachot Barisri of Thailand, with a unanimous decision, showcasing a dominant performance in his final bout.
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Tournament Format: In his category, six competitors were divided into two groups (Group A and Group B). Veer finished second in his group (Group A), which qualified him for the bronze medal playoff, where he defeated his Group B counterpart.
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Part of India's Strong Contingent: His medal contributed to India's growing tally at the 2025 Asian Youth Games, which saw the nation's young athletes excel across various disciplines, including athletics and kabaddi.
7. India Re-Elected Vice-Chair of COP10 Bureau on Anti-Doping
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Re-election and Term: India was re-elected as the Vice-Chairperson of the Bureau for the Asia-Pacific regional group (Group IV). The new term for this prestigious position is 2025–2027.
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Event and Location: The re-election took place during the 10th Session of the Conference of Parties (COP10) to the UNESCO International Convention against Doping in Sport, which was held from October 20-22, 2025, at the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris.
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Significance of the Role: The re-election reinforces India's global commitment to promoting clean sport and strengthens its influence in shaping international anti-doping policies and governance within the only legally binding international instrument dedicated to the issue.
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Key Proposal/Contribution: The Indian delegation successfully proposed amendments aimed at harmonizing educational anti-doping projects by integrating the Values Education through Sport (VETS) approach. This initiative focuses on fostering sport values, ethics, and integrity among youth.
8. Indian Olympic Gold Medalist Abhinav Bindra appointed as Torchbearer for Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics
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Role and Event: Abhinav Bindra has been selected as one of the torchbearers for the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Torch Relay. The Winter Olympics are scheduled to be held in Italy from February 6 to 22, 2026.
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Recognition of Legacy: His selection is a recognition of his historic achievement as India's first individual Olympic gold medalist, which he won in the 10m Air Rifle event at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The honor celebrates his profound legacy in global sport.
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Connection to Olympic Movement: The appointment underscores Bindra's continued and enduring association with the Olympic movement, even after his retirement from shooting. He is also a long-serving member of the IOC Athletes' Commission.
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Symbolic Importance: As a torchbearer, he will carry the Olympic flame, a tradition that symbolizes dreams, perseverance, unity, and the Olympic values of friendship, excellence, and respect as it travels across Italy before the opening ceremony.
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Previous Torchbearer Experience: This is not the first time Bindra has participated in an Olympic Torch Relay, as he was also a torchbearer for the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics relay.
9. DPIIT Signs MoUs with Kotak Mahindra Bank and Primus Partners
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Shared Goal: Strengthening the Startup Ecosystem: The overarching objective of both MoUs is to enhance support for startups across India, fostering an innovation-led economy and accelerating India’s journey toward becoming a global startup hub.
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MoU with Kotak Mahindra Bank: Financial & Banking Support: The partnership with Kotak Mahindra Bank is aimed at providing enhanced financial and non-financial support. Key offerings include customised banking solutions, zero-balance current accounts for DPIIT-recognised startups, working capital and term loans, API-based banking platforms, and specialised startup cards.
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Kotak's Non-Financial Contribution: Beyond direct finance, the bank will facilitate access to mentorship, investment advisory, incubation support, and networking platforms to help startups progress from ideation to scale.
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MoU with Primus Partners: Capacity Building & Mentorship: The collaboration with Primus Partners Pvt Ltd focuses on strengthening the ecosystem, particularly for early-stage and growth-stage product startups. Support will be provided through structured capacity-building interventions, expert mentorship, market access initiatives, and policy awareness drives.
10. Veteran Space Scientist Eknath Vasanth Chitnis passed away
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Pioneer of India's Space Programme: Eknath Vasant Chitnis was a key figure and one of the earliest architects of India's space efforts, working closely with Dr. Vikram Sarabhai, the Father of the Indian Space Programme. He was a member-secretary of the Indian National Committee for Space Research (INCOSPAR), which later evolved into ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation).
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Instrumental in Launch Site Selection: He played a crucial role in scouting and selecting Thumba in Kerala as the site for India's first rocket launch, recognizing its strategic equatorial advantage for atmospheric research.
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Directed the Landmark SITE Project: Chitnis served as the Director of the groundbreaking Satellite Instructional Television Experiment (SITE) in 1975-76. This project used NASA's ATS-6 satellite to beam educational programs to approximately 2,400 remote villages, which is considered the precursor to India's satellite-based telecommunications and broadcasting revolution (INSAT program).
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Mentor to A.P.J. Abdul Kalam: He is credited with reviewing the resume of a young scientist, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, and recommending his induction and subsequent training for the Indian space program, thereby nurturing a future President of India.
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