Daily Current Affairs - 10th October 2025

Preparing for UPSC 2026 or State PCS? This 10th October 2025 Current Affairs edition compiles concise yet comprehensive updates with Prelims facts and Mains-relevant insights across polity, governance, environment, economy, defence, science, and international relations.

Key highlights include the Nobel Prize in Literature 2025 awarded to Hungarian author Laszlo Krasznahorkai, and a landmark Supreme Court ruling clarifying that surrogacy age limits cannot be applied retrospectively—reinforcing reproductive rights under Article 21.

In environmental and federal developments, Kerala’s Wildlife Protection (Amendment) Bill 2025 and India’s National Red List Roadmap (Vision 2025–2030) mark significant steps in biodiversity governance and conservation planning.

Other notable updates cover the Supreme Court’s clarification on District Judge appointments, major amendments to the Textile PLI Scheme, discovery of a young rogue planet, new research on desert plant resilience, THE World University Rankings 2026, and the Indian Army’s procurement of the SAKSHAM CUAS Grid System.

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Nobel Prize in Literature 2025: Awarded to Hungarian Writer Laszlo Krasznahorkai

1. The 2025 Nobel Prize in Literature has been awarded to Hungarian author Laszlo Krasznahorkai.

2. Laszlo Krasznahorkai was born in 1954 in Gyula, a town located near the Romanian border in Hungary.

3. He is widely acclaimed for his dense, philosophical prose and apocalyptic themes in modern European literature.

4. His major literary works include Satantango (1985), The Melancholy of Resistance (1989), and War & War (1999).

About the Nobel Prize

1. The Nobel Prize was established in 1895 based on the will of Alfred Nobel, a Swedish inventor, chemist, and philanthropist.

2. The first Nobel Prizes were awarded in the year 1901, following Nobel’s death in 1896.

3. The Nobel Prize is an international award recognizing outstanding contributions to humanity.

4. It is administered by the Nobel Foundation, headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden.

5. The Nobel Prize is awarded in six categories: Peace, Physics, Chemistry, Medicine, Literature, and Economic Sciences.

Age restrictions under surrogacy law cannot be applied retrospectively: SC

1. The Supreme Court of India ruled that age restrictions under the Surrogacy (Regulation) Act, 2021 will not apply retrospectively.

2. This means the age limits will not affect couples who began the surrogacy process before January 25, 2022, which is the date the Act came into force.

3. The ruling applies to all intending couples who had already started the process of having a child through surrogacy before the Act's implementation.

4. The Court clarified that the exemption also applies to cases where embryos were created and frozen before January 25, 2022.

   • An embryo refers to the early stage of development after fertilization of an egg, before it becomes a fetus.

5. The Court stated that creation and freezing of embryos represents the “crystallisation” of the surrogacy process, i.e., it demonstrates clear intent to proceed.

6. The two-judge bench comprising Justices B.V. Nagarathna and K.V. Vishwanathan delivered this ruling.

7. The Court emphasized that the right to make reproductive choices, including surrogacy, is part of personal liberty and privacy under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution.

   • Article 21 guarantees the right to life and personal liberty, which includes decisions relating to one’s body and family planning.

8. The Court rejected the Centre’s argument that older couples might not care properly for surrogate-born children.

9. It held that such concerns cannot override the constitutional rights of couples who had acted in good faith before the law came into effect.

10. The Court allowed writ petitions filed by Vijaya Kumari S and others, challenging the retrospective application of age limits.

    • A writ petition is a legal filing requesting the court to enforce fundamental rights.

11. The ruling specifically addressed Section 4(iii)(c)(I) of the Act, which imposes age limits for intending couples.

12. The provision mandates that the female partner must be 23–50 years old and the male partner 26–55 years old to be eligible for surrogacy.

13. The Court held that this provision has no retrospective operation, i.e., it does not apply to past events or actions.

14. The Court clarified that it has not examined the constitutional validity of the age restrictions themselves in this judgment.

15. It focused solely on whether such restrictions could be applied retrospectively to past cases, and concluded they cannot.

16. The bench noted that applying the new age limits retroactively would frustrate the surrogacy process already started by many couples.

17. It also stated that doing so would violate their right to have a surrogate child, which is protected under Article 21.

18. The Court stressed the importance of the principle against retrospective operation of statutes in protecting rights.

19. This principle ensures that new laws do not negatively impact actions that were legal at the time they were undertaken.

20. The Court stated that failure to apply this principle would result in denial of reproductive rights guaranteed under Article 21.

About the Surrogacy (Regulation) Act, 2021

1. The Surrogacy (Regulation) Act, 2021 was enacted to regulate surrogacy procedures and ensure ethical practices.

2. The objective is to prevent exploitation and promote altruistic surrogacy, not commercial surrogacy.

   • Altruistic surrogacy is where the surrogate mother does not receive payment, except for medical expenses and insurance.

   • Commercial surrogacy, where the surrogate is paid for carrying the child, is strictly prohibited and punishable under the Act.

3. Eligibility criteria for intending couples include being married Indian citizens.

   • The female partner must be aged 23–50 years, and the male partner 26–55 years.

   • They must not have a surviving biological or adopted child to qualify for surrogacy.

4. Eligibility for a surrogate mother requires her to be a married woman aged 25–35 years.

5. She must also have at least one biological child of her own.

6. The surrogate child is legally considered the biological child of the intending couple.

7. The child is entitled to all legal rights and privileges of a natural-born child.

Wildlife Protection (Kerala Amendment) Bill, 2025 and Federal Environmental Tensions

1. The Wildlife Protection (Kerala Amendment) Bill, 2025 has drawn attention to emerging tensions in federal environmental governance in India.

2. The Bill reflects Kerala’s frustration with the Central Government’s slow response to the escalating human-animal conflict in the State.

3. A key concern has been the increasing menace of wild boars, which frequently damage crops and pose threats to rural livelihoods.

4. Kerala has repeatedly requested the Central Government to declare wild boars as 'vermin', but with limited or delayed response.

   • The term 'vermin' refers to wild animals considered harmful to crops, livestock, or known to spread diseases.

5. The proposed Bill seeks to provide greater autonomy to the State in responding to such wildlife threats.

6. It empowers the Chief Wildlife Warden to take immediate action against dangerous wild animals without delay.

7. Such actions include the power to kill, tranquilize, capture, or translocate the animal when necessary.

   • Translocation refers to moving animals from one location to another to reduce conflict or protect ecosystems.

8. The Bill also proposes to empower the State Government to declare any species listed in Schedule II of the Wildlife Act as 'vermin'.

9. Currently, only the Union Government holds this authority under Section 62 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

10. As per Section 62, the Central Government may declare any wild animal (except those in Schedule I and Part II of Schedule II) as vermin for a specified area and time.

Constitutional Provisions & Legislative Framework

1. The issue brings into focus the division of powers under India's federal system, especially in environmental governance.

2. Under the Seventh Schedule of the Indian Constitution, both ‘Forests’ and ‘Protection of Wild Animals and Birds’ are placed in the Concurrent List (List III).

   • The Concurrent List allows both the Centre and States to legislate on the subjects listed under it.

3. Based on this provision, the Parliament enacted the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, as a central legislation.

4. However, when a State law is inconsistent or repugnant to a Central law on a Concurrent List subject, Article 254(2) of the Constitution applies.

5. Under Article 254(2), a state law conflicting with a central law can only prevail if it receives Presidential assent.

6. Therefore, for the Kerala Amendment Bill, 2025 to become effective, it must be approved by the President of India.

7. The situation underlines the complexity of federal environmental governance, especially when states seek faster or more localized responses to ecological or livelihood challenges.

India’s National Red List Roadmap (Vision 2025–2030): A Major Step in Biodiversity Conservation

1. India has unveiled the National Red List Roadmap to enhance biodiversity monitoring and conservation efforts.

2. The initiative is part of the broader Vision 2025–2030 for National Red List Assessment of Indian Flora and Fauna.

3. The project is spearheaded by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

4. The vision of the roadmap is to build a nationally coordinated and participatory red listing system.

5. The aim is to reflect the true conservation status of Indian species across the country's diverse ecosystems.

6. The project will be implemented over a five-year period, from 2025 to 2030.

7. Its scope includes the assessment of extinction risk for about 11,000 species, including 7000 flora species and 4000 fauna species.

Context: India's Biodiversity Significance and Urgency of Action

1. India is recognized as one of the 17 megadiverse countries in the world.

   • A megadiverse country is one that harbors the majority of Earth's species and is therefore considered extremely biodiverse.

2. India supports nearly 8% of global flora and 7.5% of global fauna.

3. It also contains four major biodiversity hotspots: The Himalayas, Western Ghats, Indo-Burma, and Sundaland.

4. Despite this richness, only 6.33% of Indian plant species and 7.2% of animal species have been assessed for the Global IUCN Red List.

5. The IUCN Red List is a global inventory maintained by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, evaluating the conservation status of plant and animal species.

Institutional Framework and Methodology

1. The Botanical Survey of India (BSI) will act as the nodal agency for assessing flora.

2. The Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) will serve as the nodal agency for assessing fauna.

3. The assessment will follow the IUCN Species Conservation Cycle, which includes five stages: Assess, Plan, Act, Network, and Communicate.

4. This methodology ensures that conservation planning is scientific, comprehensive, and action-oriented.

International Commitments and Alignment

1. The project aligns with international biodiversity frameworks, including the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).

2. It also supports the goals of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF).

   • The KMGBF is a global agreement adopted under the CBD to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030.

3. Red List assessments will serve as critical tools to track national progress toward biodiversity conservation targets under these global frameworks.

India–UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Reaffirmed

1. The Prime Ministers of India and the United Kingdom reaffirmed their commitment to the India–UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership during the recent official visit of the UK Prime Minister to India.

2. A Joint Statement was issued outlining a wide range of agreements and collaborations across critical areas such as economic growth, defence, security, technology, and climate action.

Technology and Innovation Cooperation

1. Both leaders agreed to deepen technology and innovation partnerships under the Technology Security Initiative (TSI).

   • The Technology Security Initiative (TSI) focuses on fostering secure and resilient technology ecosystems between both countries.

2. The statement welcomed the establishment of the India–UK Connectivity and Innovation Centre, aimed at enhancing digital and innovation infrastructure.

3. It also announced the formation of the UK–India Critical Minerals Supply Chain Observatory, focusing on securing access to essential raw materials.

4. Additionally, a UK–India Critical Minerals Processing and Downstream Collaboration Guild will be set up to advance joint industrial and processing capabilities.

Growth, Trade, and Investment

1. Both sides emphasized the importance of finalizing the India–UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA).

2. They agreed to work towards the early ratification of the CETA to boost bilateral trade and investment flows.

3. The CETA aims to eliminate trade barriers, enhance market access, and foster economic cooperation between the two nations.

Defence and Security Cooperation

1. The leaders committed to strengthening defence ties, especially in the Indo-Pacific region, a strategic area spanning the Indian and Pacific Oceans.

2. A key highlight was the agreement to establish a Regional Maritime Security Centre of Excellence (RMSCE) under the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative.

   • The Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative is an Indian-led framework promoting peace, stability, and maritime security in the Indo-Pacific.

3. The UK and India also agreed to proceed with a Government-to-Government (G2G) route for an initial supply of Lightweight Multirole Missile (LMM) systems.

4. The LMM systems will support India’s air defence capabilities, enhancing its national security infrastructure.

Climate, Energy, Health, and Research

1. A new joint investment was announced for the Climate Tech Start-up Fund, a strategic fund aimed at supporting clean technology innovations.

2. This fund is part of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the UK Government and the State Bank of India (SBI).

3. The initiative aims to accelerate the growth of climate-focused startups, promoting green energy and sustainability.

Education, Culture, and People-to-People (P2P) Ties

1. The two countries took a major step in education ties by authorizing Queen’s University Belfast and Coventry University to open branch campuses in GIFT City.

   • GIFT City (Gujarat International Finance Tec-City) is India’s first operational smart city and international financial services hub.

2. These branches aim to enhance cross-border education collaboration and increase opportunities for Indian students.

Regional and Multilateral Cooperation

1. The leaders committed to working closely on reformed multilateralism, including reform of key global institutions.

2. The UK reiterated its long-standing support for India’s legitimate aspirations for permanent membership in a reformed United Nations Security Council (UNSC).

3. This commitment aligns with India’s push for a more representative and equitable global governance system.

China Curbs Rare Earth Mineral Exports: Global Supply Chain Implications

1. China has imposed new restrictions on the export of rare earth minerals, a move that may impact global technology and defense industries.

2. As per the new rule, exporting China-sourced rare earth minerals now requires a government license.

3. China has also banned the export of technologies related to rare earth extraction, magnet manufacturing, and military-related applications without prior government approval.

4. These restrictions are expected to disrupt global supply chains, especially in sectors like advanced semiconductor chips and AI-related R&D with potential military applications.

About Rare Earth Elements (REEs)

1. Rare Earth Elements (REEs) are a group of 17 chemical elements, including the 15 lanthanides, along with scandium and yttrium.

2. In their elemental form, rare earths appear as iron-grey to silvery metals, and are generally soft, malleable, ductile, and chemically reactive.

3. Despite the name, rare earths are not truly rare, but are moderately abundant in the Earth's crust.

4. The challenge lies in their dispersion, making them economically difficult to extract in concentrated form.

Significance of REEs in Modern Technology

1. REEs are critical raw materials used in high-tech electronics, electric vehicles, wind turbines, and green energy systems.

2. They are also vital for advanced industrial applications, defense equipment, and emerging technologies such as AI and quantum computing.

Global Challenges in REE Supply Chains

1. China currently accounts for around 70% of global REE mining, creating a supply chain concentration risk.

2. India holds the fifth-largest reserves of rare earth elements in the world, offering strategic potential for diversification.

3. The extraction and processing of REEs are environmentally hazardous, producing toxic waste and radioactive by-products.

India’s Strategic Initiatives for Rare Earth Security

1. India launched the National Critical Mineral Mission in 2025 to ensure resilient supply chains for domestic and international needs.

2. The Mission is a national strategy to identify, explore, and secure critical and strategic minerals, including rare earths.

3. Khanij Bidesh India Ltd. (KABIL) is a joint venture formed to acquire strategic minerals abroad for Indian industries.

4. KABIL plays a key role in diversifying India's access to critical minerals beyond domestic sources.

5. India has also joined the Minerals Security Partnership (MSP), a US-led initiative to promote transparent and sustainable investment in global critical mineral supply chains.

Supreme Court Clarifies Eligibility for District Judge Appointment

1. The Supreme Court of India has held that judicial officers with a combined experience of 7 years as an advocate and in service are eligible for direct recruitment as District Judges.

2. The Court interpreted that Article 233 of the Constitution permits the appointment of both advocates and in-service judicial officers as District Judges.

3. It extended the requirement of 7 years’ legal practice—originally meant for advocates—to include judicial officers as well, if they have equivalent combined experience.

4. This ruling broadens the eligibility criteria, allowing more candidates with judicial experience to enter the higher judicial service through direct recruitment.

Constitutional Provision: Article 233

1. Article 233 of the Indian Constitution deals with the appointment of District Judges in the States.

2. As per Article 233, the Governor of the State is the appointing authority for District Judges.

3. The Governor must consult the concerned High Court before making any such appointment.

4. The article ensures a system of checks and balances by involving both the executive (Governor) and the judiciary (High Court) in the appointment process.

Textile PLI Scheme: Major Amendments Notified by Ministry of Textiles

1. The Ministry of Textiles has notified major revisions to the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for the textile sector.

2. The PLI scheme covers Man-Made Fibre (MMF) Apparel, MMF Fabrics, and Technical Textile products.

3. The amendments aim to enhance industry participation and make the scheme more inclusive and flexible.

Key Revisions in the PLI Scheme for Textiles

1. There is an expansion of eligible products under the scheme to widen its scope.

2. Specifically, 8 new HSN codes (Harmonized System of Nomenclature) have been added for MMF Apparel.

3. Additionally, 9 new HSN codes have been added for MMF Fabrics.

4. The scheme now allows applicants to establish project units within existing companies.

5. Earlier, applicants were required to set up new companies for eligibility under the scheme.

6. From 1st August 2025, there is a reduction in the minimum investment threshold for new applicants.

7. In the Part-1 category, the threshold has been reduced from ₹300 crore to ₹150 crore.

8. In the Part-2 category, the threshold has been reduced from ₹100 crore to ₹50 crore.

9. The scheme has also relaxed the incremental turnover requirement to qualify for incentives.

10. Beginning FY 2025–26, applicants now need to show only 10% incremental turnover over the previous year.

11. Earlier, the required incremental turnover was 25%.

12. This revised turnover criterion applies from Year 2 onwards of the scheme participation.

About the PLI Scheme for Textiles

1. The Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for Textiles is implemented by the Ministry of Textiles.

2. The scheme was launched with the objective to promote domestic manufacturing of MMF Apparel, MMF Fabrics, and Technical Textiles.

3. The scheme is operational from 2021 to 2030, with incentives payable for a period of 5 years.

4. The scheme is monitored and implemented by an Empowered Group of Secretaries (EGoS).

5. This group has been constituted by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) for effective oversight.

Cistanthe longiscapa: A Resilient Flower of the Atacama Desert

1. Scientists have recently studied the flower species Cistanthe longiscapa to understand how it survives extreme arid conditions.

2. This research was conducted in Chile’s Atacama Desert, one of the driest coastal deserts in the world.

3. The Atacama Desert forms a nearly 1,000 km continuous strip along the northern Chilean coast.

4. It is characterized by severe water scarcity, high solar radiation, and extreme temperature fluctuations.

About Cistanthe longiscapa

1. Cistanthe longiscapa is native to the Atacama Desert and is known locally as “pata de guanaco”.

2. It is classified as an annual herb, meaning it completes its entire life cycle within one growing season.

   • The plant's life cycle, including flowering and seed production, occurs only after rare and sporadic rainfall events.

Adaptations for Survival in Harsh Desert Conditions

1. The species survives using Crassulacean Acid Metabolism (CAM), a specialized photosynthetic adaptation.

   • CAM metabolism allows the plant to open its stomata at night, reducing water loss due to lower nighttime temperatures.

2. During the night, the plant captures carbon dioxide (CO₂) and stores it as malic acid in its tissues.

3. In the daytime, with stomata closed, the plant uses this stored malic acid for photosynthesis, thus minimizing water loss.

4. This adaptation is crucial for survival in desert ecosystems, where water is extremely limited.

Discovery of a Young Rogue Planet Accreting Material

1. Astronomers have discovered a young rogue planet that is currently accreting material from its surrounding environment.

2. The discovery provides a rare opportunity to study how such free-floating planetary bodies evolve outside traditional star systems.

About Rogue Planets

1. A rogue planet is defined as a planetary body that has been ejected from its original planetary system.

2. Once ejected, it drifts freely in interstellar space, without orbiting any star.

3. This is in contrast to regular planets, which orbit a host star due to gravitational binding.

4. Most rogue planets are expelled during the early and chaotic stages of planetary system formation.

5. However, ejection can also occur later due to orbital instabilities, such as gravitational interactions with larger bodies.

Scientific Significance of Studying Rogue Planets

1. Rogue planets are important for understanding the dynamics of planetary system evolution.

2. They also offer insights into the processes of planetary formation, especially in the absence of stellar radiation.

3. Studying these objects helps scientists explore interactions between planetary bodies and interstellar matter.

4. Rogue planets also contribute to the broader understanding of the diversity and behavior of planetary objects in the galaxy.

Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2026 Released

1. The Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2026 has been officially released.

   • THE Rankings are published annually by the Times Higher Education magazine.

2. The ranking methodology evaluates universities based on four broad areas: teaching, research, knowledge transfer, and international outlook.

3. This evaluation uses 18 different performance indicators to measure each university’s overall impact.

Key Highlights of THE World University Rankings 2026

1. The University of Oxford secured the top global rank for the 10th consecutive year.

2. Among Indian institutions, the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore, leads the country.

3. IISc retained its position in the 201–250 ranking band globally.

Indian Army Initiates Procurement of SAKSHAM CUAS Grid System

1. The Indian Army has initiated procurement of the indigenously developed SAKSHAM system.

   • SAKSHAM stands for Situational Awareness for Kinetic Soft and Hard Kill Assets Management.

2. It is a Counter-Unmanned Aerial System (CUAS) Grid System designed to counter hostile drones.

About the SAKSHAM System

1. SAKSHAM is a modular, high-end Command and Control (C2) system.

2. It operates on the secure Army Data Network (ADN), ensuring protected communication.

3. The system can detect, track, identify, and neutralise hostile drones and unmanned aerial systems in real time.

4. This capability ensures comprehensive airspace security across the Tactical Battlefield Space (TBS).

5. The Tactical Battlefield Space (TBS) is defined as a domain extending up to 3,000 metres (10,000 feet) above ground level.

6. SAKSHAM has been developed in collaboration with Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), a leading Indian public sector company.

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