September 2025

In short: India's science, environment and technology this month — distilled for SI/Constable Prelims.

Current Affairs — India › Science, Environment & Technology · 22 min read · Free to read · English & Telugu

Bilingual study notes for the Andhra Pradesh Police SI & Constable exams (SLPRB AP) by AP Police Hub, a product of Anvil Academy.

An exhaustive, point-wise digest of September 2025's science, defence-tech, space and environment news — the rail-launched Agni-P missile test, India's first Dark Sky Reserve, the Cold Desert Biosphere Reserve, two new Ramsar sites, AstroSat's decade, and SpaceX's Starship test flight.

The high-altitude cold-desert landscape of Spiti, Himachal Pradesh — The cold-desert landscape of Spiti, Himachal Pradesh — home to the Cold Desert Biosphere Reserve, declared India's 13th UNESCO biosphere reserve this month · Poojilsharma07 / Wikimedia Commons (CC0)

September 2025 — At a Glance

September 2025 was rich in defence and environment milestones — DRDO test-fired the rail-launched Agni-P missile, the Environment Ministry unveiled its first geothermal energy policy, and India's Cold Desert became its 13th biosphere reserve. AstroSat completed a decade in orbit while SpaceX's Starship finally flew a clean test.

Headlines of the month

DRDO test-fires the Agni-Prime (Agni-P) missile from a rail-based mobile launcher — placing India among a select group (Russia, US, China) with this capability.
The Cold Desert Biosphere Reserve (Himachal Pradesh) becomes India's 13th UNESCO biosphere reserve — the first high-altitude cold-desert ecosystem to earn this status.
India adds 2 new Ramsar sites (total 93, ranks 1st in Asia) and 7 new UNESCO Tentative-List natural heritage sites (total 69).
AstroSat, India's first space observatory, completes 10 years of operations; India unveils its first 32-bit indigenous microprocessor, Vikram 3201.
SpaceX's Starship completes a clean 10th test flight after 3 prior failures; India's National Policy on Geothermal Energy 2025 is unveiled.
India secures a second deep-sea mineral exploration contract (Carlsberg Ridge) from the ISA — the first country in the world to hold two such contracts.

1. Defence Technology & Military Modernisation

Agni-P missile tested from a rail-based launcher

What — DRDO successfully test-fired the Agni-Prime (Agni-P) missile from a rail-based mobile launcher using canisterised launch systems — placing India among a select group (Russia, US, China, possibly North Korea) with this capability.
About Agni-P — The 6th missile in the Agni series — an 11,000 kg, two-stage, solid-fuel missile with a 1,000–2,000 km range, capable of high-explosive, thermobaric or nuclear warheads.
Significance — Rail-based launch exploits India's 70,000-km rail network for wide, hard-to-track mobility — boosting second-strike capability.

Combined Commanders' Conference 2025 — theaterisation and Joint Military Space Doctrine

What — The biennial CCC 2025 (Kolkata), themed "Year of Reforms", decided to set up India's first three joint military stations (combining Army-Navy-Air Force logistics under one lead service) and merge the three services' education branches into a single Tri-Services Education Corps.
Space Doctrine — Release of the Joint Military Space Doctrine, institutionalising space as a core element of national security, was a major highlight.

Army strengthens air defence; new Defence Procurement Manual

Air defence radars — Following Operation Sindoor (Pakistani drones breaching Indian airspace), the Army initiated procurement of 45 Enhanced LLLRs, 48 ADFCR-DDs and 10 improved LLLRs to plug air-defence gaps along the northern/western borders.
DPM 2025 — The Defence Procurement Manual (DPM) 2025 replaces the 2009 version, streamlining ₹1 lakh crore of revenue procurement; boosts Aatmanirbhar Bharat, removes liquidity damages during development, and empowers field-level decision-making.

Indian Coast Guard's Adamya, and India-Morocco defence cooperation

Adamya — The Indian Coast Guard commissioned Adamya, the first of 8 Adamya-class fast patrol vessels (Goa Shipyard, >60% indigenous content) — 51-metre, 28-knot ship, first ICG vessel with indigenous controllable pitch propellers.
India-Morocco defence — Rajnath Singh inaugurated India's first overseas defence manufacturing facility (Tata Advanced Systems, Berrechid, Morocco) to build the Wheeled Armoured Platform (WhAP), jointly designed with DRDO — Morocco seen as a gateway to Africa's defence market.

Military exercises, and Azure's use as a surveillance tool — quick facts

Item	Key fact
Exercise Cold Start	Army-Navy-Air Force joint exercise in Madhya Pradesh (early October) to test drones/counter-drone systems — biggest since Operation Sindoor.
Exercise Yudh Abhyas (21st edition)	Annual Indo-US military drill concluded at Fort Wainwright, Alaska, after two weeks of sub-Arctic field training.
India-Italy naval exercise	INS Surat (India's latest indigenous guided-missile destroyer) held a PASSEX with Italian destroyer ITS Caio Duilio in the north Arabian Sea.
Microsoft Azure as mass-surveillance tool	Israel's Unit 8200 moved intercepted Palestinian phone traffic into a dedicated Azure environment, turning the cloud into a near-complete searchable surveillance archive.

2. Space & Ocean Science

AstroSat completes a decade; India unveils the Vikram 3201 microprocessor

AstroSat — India's first dedicated Space Astronomy Observatory, launched 2015 by PSLV-C30, completed 10 years of operations — studies black holes, neutron stars and conducts deep UV surveys via 5 payloads (UVIT, LAXPC, CZTI, SXT, SSM).
Vikram 3201 — India's first fully indigenous 32-bit microprocessor, designed by VSSC and fabricated at SCL Chandigarh — upgraded from the 16-bit Vikram 1601 used in ISRO launch vehicles since 2009; handles launch vehicle navigation/guidance/control.

India secures a second deep-sea mineral exploration contract

What — India signed a contract with the International Seabed Authority (ISA) for exclusive rights to explore Polymetallic Sulphides (PMS) in the Carlsberg Ridge, Indian Ocean — becoming the first country to hold two such ISA contracts (the first was in 2016, Central & Southwest Indian Ridges).
Execution — NCPOR, Goa will begin geophysical/hydrographic surveys in 2026.

Space, astronomy & Earth-science research — quick facts

Item	Key fact
SpaceX's Starship — 10th test flight	The world's largest rocket (~120 m) finally flew clean after 3 prior failures — booster splashed in the Gulf of Mexico, spacecraft reached the Indian Ocean.
Solar Orbiter Mission	ESA-NASA mission traced the origin of Solar Energetic Electrons (SEEs) from flares/CMEs — improves space-weather forecasting.
PRATUSH Telescope	RRI's proposed lunar-orbit radiometer (ISRO-funded) to detect 21-cm hydrogen signals from the Cosmic Dawn/Epoch of Reionization.
Mira Stars	IUCAA scientists used these pulsating red-giant variable stars for the most precise-yet determination of the universe's expansion rate (Hubble constant).
Gaia Telescope 3D map	ESA's Gaia (launched 2013, at Lagrange Point 2) produced the most detailed 3D map yet of stellar nurseries within 4,000 light-years of the Sun.
International Earth Sciences Olympiad (IESO)	India's student team, felicitated after the 18th IESO (Jining, China); selected via INESO under MoES's PRITHVI scheme (5 sub-schemes incl. ACROSS, O-SMART, SAGE).
NE-SPARKS Programme	MDoNER's flagship space-awareness initiative; 800 meritorious Northeastern students visit ISRO Bengaluru (100 per state, 60:40 Centre-state funding).

3. Environment, Climate & Biodiversity

National Policy on Geothermal Energy 2025

What — The MNRE unveiled India's first-ever national policy on geothermal energy — a clean, reliable baseload renewable source to complement intermittent solar/wind; aligns with SDG 7 and 13.
Resource base — 381 hot springs identified by GSI across 10 geothermal provinces (Himalayas, Cambay Graben, Godavari Basin, Aravalli, Mahanadi Basin, etc.); priority mapping in Puga (Ladakh), Tattapani (Chhattisgarh), Dirang (Arunachal).
Support — Long-term project contracts (up to 30 years), viability-gap funding, concessional loans and 100% FDI where applicable.

Cold Desert Biosphere Reserve — India's 13th

What — UNESCO included the Cold Desert Biosphere Reserve (CDBR), Himachal Pradesh, in the World Network of Biosphere Reserves during the 37th session of the MAB Programme (Hangzhou, China) — India's 13th site (of 18 national biosphere reserves), and its first high-altitude cold-desert ecosystem to earn this status.
Where — Lahaul-Spiti district, Trans-Himalaya region — 7,770 sq km, altitude 3,300–6,600 m; includes Pin Valley National Park, Kibber Wildlife Sanctuary, Chandratal Wetland.

Two new Ramsar sites, and 7 new UNESCO natural heritage sites

Ramsar sites — Two Bihar wetlands — Gokul Reservoir (Buxar, 50+ bird species) and Udaipur Lake (West Champaran, an oxbow lake) — take India's total to 93 Ramsar sites (Bihar's tally: 5); India ranks 1st in Asia, 3rd in the world (behind UK-176, Mexico-144). First Indian sites (1981): Chilika Lake and Keoladeo National Park.
UNESCO natural heritage — 7 new natural-heritage sites — Deccan Traps (Maharashtra), St. Mary's Island Cluster (Karnataka), Meghalayan Age Caves (Meghalaya), Naga Hill Ophiolite (Nagaland), Erra Matti Dibbalu & Tirumala Hills (Andhra Pradesh), Varkala Cliffs (Kerala) — take the Tentative List total to 69 (49 cultural, 17 natural, 3 mixed).

Environmental Accounting on Forest 2025

What — MoSPI's 8th consecutive environment accounts publication (per the UN's SEEA framework); India's forest cover grew 17,444.61 sq km (22.5%) between 2010-11 and 2021-22, reaching 21.76% of geographical area.
Carbon services — Carbon-retention regulating services rose 51.82% (2015-16 to 2021-22), equivalent to 2.63% of GDP; Telangana ranks among the biggest contributors to growing stock (usable timber volume).

Green Credit, air-quality and species news — quick facts

Item	Key fact
Revised Green Credit methodology	Minimum restoration period for tree-plantation credits raised from 2 to 5 years; requires 40% canopy density; credits now non-tradable except intra-corporate transfers.
Environment Audit Rules, 2025	Creates 'Certified Environment Auditors' to independently verify industry compliance with a two-tier (CPCB/SPCB + independent) audit system.
Swachh Vayu Survekshan (Clean Air Survey) 2025	4th edition ranked 130 NCAP cities; Indore topped the million-plus category; only 22 of 130 cities met the annual PM10 NAAQS standard.
Pallas's Cat sighting	WWF-India captured the first photographic evidence of the Pallas's cat (manul) in Arunachal Pradesh; previously recorded only in Ladakh and Sikkim.
Two new black aspergilli fungal species	MACS-Agharkar Research Institute, Pune identified them from the Western Ghats — industrially useful for citric acid production and fermentation.
Giant African Snail infestation	One of the world's worst invasive species, carrying parasites causing brain inflammation in humans, has infested parts of Chennai.
Barren Island volcano erupts twice	India's and South Asia's only active volcano (Andaman Sea) erupted on 13 and 20 September 2025; a magnitude-4.2 quake preceded the second eruption.
Hanle's Dark Sky Reserve	Ladakh's remote Hanle village, home to the Indian Astronomical Observatory and the MACE gamma-ray telescope, is India's first officially notified Dark Sky Reserve.
Landslide in Sudan's Darfur	A massive landslide after heavy rain wiped out the village of Tarasin in the Marra Mountains, killing an estimated ~1,000 people.
Afghanistan earthquake — India's relief aid	A 6.3-magnitude quake struck eastern Afghanistan (Nangarhar); India rushed 1,000 family tents and 15 tonnes of food via its Kabul mission, despite not formally recognising the Taliban.

4. Health, Biotech & Science Terms in the News

WHO's Model Lists of Essential Medicines, and 'nightmare bacteria'

WHO EML — WHO updated its Model Lists of Essential Medicines (EML) — revised every 2 years since 1977 — adding new cancer, diabetes and obesity-comorbidity treatments; 150+ countries base national lists on it.
Nightmare bacteria — US CDC flagged carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE), driven by the NDM gene (first identified in New Delhi), spreading faster than ever — resistant even to last-resort antibiotics.
Methandienone LTM — India (NIPER Guwahati + NDTL) developed a Long-Term Metabolite reference material for a banned anabolic steroid, enabling detection months/years after use — a first-of-its-kind, not commercially available elsewhere.

CSIR's Capacity Building and Human Resource Development Scheme

What — The Cabinet approved the CBHRD Scheme (₹2,277.39 crore, 15th Finance Commission cycle 2021-22 to 2025-26) — a flagship CSIR initiative for doctoral/postdoctoral fellowships, the Bhatnagar Fellowship and knowledge-sharing grants across R&D institutions.

Other science, health and tech terms in the news — quick facts

Term	Key fact
Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD)	A rare X-linked genetic disorder (dystrophin protein deficiency) mainly affecting boys; World DMD Day observed 7 September.
P-47 protein	SNBNCBS scientists found it acts as a 'mechanical chaperone', stabilising proteins under mechanical stress — a potential target for cardiomyopathy treatment.
HealthAI Global Regulatory Network	India (ICMR-NIRDHDS + IndiaAI) joined this Geneva-based network to strengthen oversight of AI in healthcare.
Graphite spyware	Trump administration unfroze a Biden-era contract with Israel-founded Paragon Solutions — a zero-click spyware reading encrypted chats, activating mic/camera.
Clopidogrel	An antiplatelet drug now believed more effective than aspirin for long-term prevention of heart attacks in high-risk patients.
Isobutanol	ARAI is exploring 10% blending with diesel; bio-isobutanol (biomass-fermented) offers higher energy density than ethanol as a diesel substitute.
Sarcoidosis	An inflammatory disease forming granulomas, mainly in lungs/lymph nodes; cause unknown (genetic + environmental), no specific cure.
CCMB discovery	CSIR-CCMB (Hyderabad, est. 1977) scientists discovered how white blood cells adapt their internal skeleton to combat pathogens.
Ion Chromatography	Scientists devised a field-portable method for this ion-separation technique — used in water-quality analysis, sensitive to parts-per-billion.
Aflatoxin	Toxic, carcinogenic mycotoxins (Aspergillus fungi) contaminating groundnuts/maize; Indian exporters disputed Indonesia's delayed notification on shipments.
International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC)	India hosted the 89th General Meeting (Bharat Mandapam) — 4th time (after 1960, 1997, 2013); IEC (est. 1906, Geneva) sets global electrical/electronic standards.
Raksha-IBR vaccine	India's first indigenous gE-deleted DIVA marker vaccine against Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis (cattle respiratory/reproductive disease), by Indian Immunologicals + NDDB.
Syphilis	US STI rates fell overall, but congenital syphilis in newborns kept rising — a curable bacterial infection (Treponema pallidum) if treated early with penicillin.
AONEUM-04	TDB-supported indigenous antibiotic nebulization suspension (Aodh Lifesciences, Hyderabad) for pneumonia/antimicrobial resistance, now entering Phase III trials.