Current Affairs Questions September 2025

B) Simplified GST to two slabs—5% and 18%—and added a 40% slab for luxury/sin goods
Explanation: In a sweeping tax reform, the GST Council streamlined India’s tax structure from four brackets to two: 5% and 18%. Additionally, a 40% tax bracket will be applied to luxury and sin goods, starting from September 22, 2025. Under the revised GST scheme, household essentials—including toothpaste, milk products, soaps, and medicines—will be taxed at the lower 5% rate, benefiting consumers and boosting purchasing power. The simplification of GST slabs to 5% and 18% will especially benefit sectors like textiles, electronics, small automobiles, hospitality, and renewable energy by lowering input costs and encouraging consumer spending, including in tier-2 and tier-3 cities.

C) Medicines, toothpaste, packaged foods, and life/health insurance
Explanation: The GST rate for essentials such as medicines, toothpaste, packaged foods, and health/life insurance was reduced to 5%, making them more affordable for consumers.

B) ₹480 billion
Explanation: The government estimates a revenue loss of ₹480 billion due to GST reforms. However, it expects increased consumption to balance the shortfall in revenue.

C) Notification of 108 immigration posts, including airports and ports

Explanation: The MHA designated 108 immigration entry/exit points across India, comprising 37 airports, 34 sea/river ports, 37 land crossings, and 6 railway stations. This move enhances border management and international travel infrastructure, especially across the Northeast, which received 23 new posts.

Key Features of the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025:

• Introduces digital travel permits and mandatory online pre-registration for visitors.
• Creates a Central Immigration Database for tracking entries, exits, and visa statuses.
• Forged travel documents (passport/visa) carry the harshest penalties: 2–7 years imprisonment and heavy fines.
• Overstaying, lack of ID, or non-registration leads to shorter imprisonment or fines.
• Fast-track deportation process for foreign nationals violating entry norms.
• Stronger coordination between immigration, police, and border security agencies.
• Special exemptions for tourists from select partner nations to boost tourism.

B) Using a forged passport or visa
Explanation: The new Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025, imposes stringent penalties—including 2 to 7 years in prison and a fine of ₹1 lakh to ₹10 lakh—for using forged travel documents during entry, stay, or exit from India, demonstrating a firm stance on legal compliance.

The Immigration and Foreigners (Exemption) Order, 2025 modernizes India’s immigration policies with a balance of security and humanitarian focus. It designates 108 immigration checkpoints, including 23 in Northeast India, to improve trade and border control. The Act grants exemptions to persecuted minorities from neighboring countries who entered India before December 31, 2024, but does not provide automatic citizenship or permanent residency. The reforms focus on modern border management, digital verification, and clear immigration rules, making international travel smoother while strengthening security. This policy reflects India’s commitment to humanitarian values, regional security, and a streamlined immigration system.

c) Thailand : Exercise Maitree is a bilateral military exercise between India and Thailand that focuses on counter-terrorism operations and improving cooperation between the armies of the two countries. The 14th edition started recently in Umroi, Meghalaya. This exercise enhances interoperability and strengthens defense ties in the context of regional security challenges.

b) Educate Girls is an Indian non-profit organization dedicated to increasing the enrollment and retention of girls in school, especially in underprivileged and rural communities. The organization uses community engagement to improve education outcomes and has been recognized globally with the prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Award in 2025, which is often called Asia’s Nobel Prize.

c) Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit

Explanation:
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit is a multilateral forum focused on political, economic, and security cooperation between member states. In 2025, the SCO summit was held in Tianjin, China, where PM Modi and President Xi Jinping discussed ways to enhance bilateral relations amidst ongoing trade and geopolitical challenges.

Answer: b) ₹10,000
The Bihar government launched the Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana to empower women by providing them financial support to start their own income-generating activities. Under this scheme, one woman from every family is eligible, with an initial assistance of ₹10,000 and potential additional support up to ₹2 lakh, promoting self-reliance and women’s entrepreneurship.

d) 109%
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasts that September 2025 will witness rainfall 109% above the long-period average (LPA). This suggests a wetter month than usual, raising concerns about flash floods and water management, especially in flood-prone areas. Such forecasts are crucial for agriculture and disaster preparedness.