Current Affairs One-liners — 21 October 2025

Tue, 21 Oct 2025

• On 21 October 2025, Japan's Diet designated Sanae Takaichi as the country's 104th Prime Minister and its first woman to hold the office; PM Modi congratulated her and also Rodrigo Paz Pereira on his election as President of Bolivia.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi celebrated Diwali with Indian Navy personnel on board aircraft carrier INS Vikrant on the western seaboard off Goa and Karwar, PIB reported on 21 October 2025.
• As of 21 October 2025, 650 complaints had been filed on the cVIGIL app on ECINet for the Bihar Assembly election and bye-elections, and 94% were resolved within 100 minutes, the Election Commission said.
• Veteran Hindi film actor Govardhan Asrani died in Mumbai on 20 October 2025 at the age of 84; PM Modi condoled his death on 21 October 2025.
• The Index of Eight Core Industries rose 3.0% (provisional) in September 2025 over September 2024, led by steel at 14.1%, the Commerce Ministry said on 21 October 2025.
• The Ministry of Civil Aviation marked the 9th anniversary of the regional connectivity scheme UDAN on 21 October 2025; 649 routes now connect 93 unserved and underserved airports.
• On Police Commemoration Day, 21 October 2025, Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh laid a wreath at the National Police Memorial in New Delhi, honouring the 10 policemen killed by Chinese troops at Hot Springs, Ladakh, in 1959.
• A PIB backgrounder of 21 October 2025 says GST cuts on items such as Pahari Toor Dal, red rice, Lakhori Mirchi, Aipan and Ringal crafts, hotel stays and small vehicles will support Uttarakhand's economy.
• On 21 October 2025, the Competition Commission of India approved Torrent Pharmaceuticals' acquisition of J.B. Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals, subject to voluntary modifications offered by the parties.
• The Centre released over ₹730 crore in XV Finance Commission untied grants to rural local bodies in Gujarat and Haryana, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj said on 21 October 2025.
• On 21 October 2025, TRAI released Independent Drive Test results for Agartala and adjoining areas in Tripura and for Silchar, Hailakandi and Karimganj in Assam, conducted in August 2025.
• PFRDA released a consultation paper proposing a dual 'accrual' and 'fair market' valuation framework for long-dated government securities held in NPS and Atal Pension Yojana schemes, with comments due by 30 November 2025 (PIB, 21 October 2025).
• Skill Development Minister Jayant Chaudhary led a Knowledge Exchange Mission to the Philippines from 20 to 22 October 2025, facilitated by the World Bank, on skills, labour mobility and data-driven policy.
• A study led by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics found that radiation from supermassive black holes and their radio jets work together to push gas out of galaxy centres, which can suppress new star formation (PIB, 21 October 2025).