🇮🇳 India / Domestic

ICMR’s IRIS – Measuring Biomedical Research Impact
The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has proposed the Impact of Research and Innovation Scale (IRIS) to measure the impact of biomedical, public health, and allied research projects in India.
India is experimenting with blending isobutanol with diesel as a potential biofuel alternative. The Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) is running pilot projects to assess technical and economic feasibility. If successful, India may become one of the first to adopt this blending at a larger scale.

India on U.S. ‘Major’s List’ / Fentanyl Blacklist
India has been listed by the U.S. as one of the significant sources or transit countries for illicit fentanyl trade (as per a U.S. Congress report known as the “Major’s List”). This may have implications for diplomatic/ trade / regulatory engagements.

H-1B US Visa Fee Increase to $100,000
The U.S. has increased the H-1B visa application fee to US$100,000, impacting Indian IT professionals, among others. There are questions around who pays, exemptions, and the broader effect on the tech workforce.

Major Bank Downtime Alert
Scheduled maintenance for major Indian banks — SBI, HDFC, Kotak Mahindra — on 21 September 2025. Some banking services (including UPI Lite, possibly) will be unavailable during the downtime.

Trade Minister Visit to U.S.
India’s Commerce & Industry Minister Piyush Goyal is set to visit the United States on 22 September 2025 for talks aimed at advancing a long-pending trade agreement between the two countries.

🌍 Other Highlights

Partial Solar Eclipse / Surya Grahan (21-22 Sept 2025)

A partial solar eclipse will happen starting late on 21 September (10:59 PM IST) and continuing into the early hours of 22 September.

It will not be visible from India, since it occurs after sunset.

Astrologically, Sutak Kaals and relevant rituals are being discussed by astrologers, though many of the traditional practices may not apply in India because of visibility/timing.