Daily Current Affairs - 1st, 3rd & 4th November 2025
- TPP
- Nov 4
- 20 min read
If you missed Monthly Current Affairs Pointers (CAP) | Sept - Oct 2025, read it here.
Stampede Results in Loss of Lives in Andhra Pradesh’s Venkateswara Swamy Temple |
A stampede or crushing occurs when a sudden crowd surge arises due to real or perceived danger or loss of space.
The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) categorizes stampedes as man-made disasters.
In recent past India is witnessing a rapid surge in stampedes, such as: Bengaluru (RCB’s IPL win celebrations), New Delhi railway station (rush for Kumbh Mela), Prayagraj (Kumbh Mela stampede), etc.
Why is India so susceptible to Stampedes?
Lack of Accountability and Enforcement: Event venues often exceed safe capacity limits, inadequate infrastructure (e.g. barricades), reflecting weak administrative oversight and poor enforcement of safety norms.
Poor Planning and Coordination: Absence of integrated planning between local administration, police, and event organizers leads to confusion.
Limited Use of Technology: Minimal deployment of real-time surveillance systems, crowd-density analytics, etc.
Other factors: Rising pilgrimage culture due to rise in prosperity, congested urban spaces clubbed with high population density, panic triggering, poorly trained personnel, delays in rescue, etc.
Way Forward
Use real-time monitoring with CCTV, Drones and digital tools to track crowd flow and alert authorities quickly as recommended by NDMA.
Limit entry through registration and online passes to manage crowd size at major gatherings.
Ensuring accountability of both organisers and administration for not following safety norms and managing crowds responsibly.
Improve infrastructure with wider pathways, clear exits, and better safety facilities.
NDMA Guidelines on Managing Crowd Traffic Regulation: Control vehicular movement around pandals and festive grounds to prevent congestion. Clear Signage: Display route maps for entry and emergency exits at prominent locations. Crowd Control: Use barricades to maintain orderly, queue-based movement of people. Surveillance: Install CCTV cameras and ensure adequate police presence for monitoring and safety. Space Management: Remove unauthorized parking and makeshift stalls encroaching on pedestrian areas. Other: Medical Preparedness; Public Awareness; Fire Prevention, etc. |
ISRO Launched India’s Heaviest Communication Satellite for Indian Navy |
GSAT-7R (CMS-03) was successfully launched aboard the LVM3 (Launch Vehicle Mark-3) from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota.
LVM3 is India’s heaviest operational rocket for launching heavy communication satellites and deep-space missions. It is a three-stage vehicle, comprising
Solid Stage: Two solid strap-on boosters at first stage (use of solid propellant)
Liquid State: One liquid core stage (liquid propellant)
Cryogenic Stage: One cryogenic upper stage (powered by the indigenous high-thrust CE-20 cryogenic engine, loaded with cryogenic propellant)
Key Features of GSAT-7R Satellite
It is a part of India’s advanced defence communication satellite series GSAT-7.
Weight: ~4,400 kg
Orbit: Launched into the Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO), it will eventually settle into Geostationary Orbit (35,786 kilometers above Earth).
Coverage: Provides multi-band telecommunication services across the Indian Ocean Region and Indian landmass.
Purpose: Strengthens space-based communication, maritime domain awareness, and secure links among Navy ships, submarines, aircraft, and Maritime Operations Centres.
Significance
Indigenous development marks India’s growing self-reliance (Aatmanirbharta) in defence-space communication.
Enhances Navy’s strategic capabilities and blue-water communication reach.
Precision Warfare: Navigation satellites vital for missile accuracy and precision strikes.
Other Military Satellites in the GSAT-7 Series For Navy: GSAT-7 (Rukmini): Operational since 2013; provides maritime communication and surveillance. For Air Force: GSAT-7A (Angry Bird): Launched in 2018; strengthens network-centric operations and data link connectivity. GSAT-7C: To be developed and includes ground hubs for real-time, secure communication. For Army: GSAT-7B: To be developed to enhance surveillance and communication in border areas. |
China successfully achieved the first-ever thorium to uranium fuel conversion in a Thorium Molten Salt Reactor (TMSR) |
China’s TMSR is currently the only operational molten-salt reactor in the world.
The achievement of thorium-uranium conversion marks a milestone in TMSR development.
About Thorium Molten Salt Reactor (TMSR)
It is fourth-generation advanced nuclear energy system that uses high-temperature molten salt as a coolant.
Key Features: Cool without water, run at atmospheric pressure, deliver a high-temperature output, etc.
Key Advantages:
Passive Safety Features: If an MSR is too hot, a salt plug melts, stopping the reaction.
Small High-Level Nuclear Waste Footprint: Thorium generates fewer long-lived minor actinides (radioactive metallic elements) than plutonium fuels.
Other: Extract more energy from fuel, etc.
Thorium Fuel
Thorium has to be converted to Uranium-233 in a reactor before it can be used as fuel.
Thorium-232 is the only naturally occurring isotope of thorium.
It is three times more abundant in nature than uranium.
Despite its widespread availability, the metal’s utilisation is restricted by its high extraction cost.
The third stage of India’s nuclear power program envisages large scale power production from thorium.
Advanced Heavy Water Reactor, currently under development with Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), would serve as a technology demonstrator for thorium fuel cycle.
Also, India is developing an Indian Molten Salt Breeder Reactor (IMSBR).
Thorium reserves in India
India has the world’s largest reserves of thorium.
Kerala and Odisha have rich reserves of monazite, which contains about 8 – 10% thorium.
It is also found in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Jharkhand.
Curriculum on Artificial Intelligence and Computational Thinking (AI & CT) to be introduced from class 3 onwards in all schools |
Ministry of Education is supporting institutions such as CBSE, NCERT, KVS, and NVS, along with States and UTs, in designing a meaningful and inclusive curriculum under the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF SE) 2023.
Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has constituted an expert committee chaired by Prof. Karthik Raman, IIT Madras, to develop the AI & CT curriculum.
Teacher training and learning-teaching materials on NISHTHA platform will form the backbone of curriculum implementation.
Role of AI & CT in Education
Development of Computational Thinking: It is a problem-solving approach that involves understanding a complex problem and develop possible solutions in a way that computer can execute.
It has four key techniques – decomposition (breaking down complex problem), pattern recognition, abstraction (focusing on important information), and algorithms (developing step-by-step solution to problem).
Foundational Skills: Introducing AI at young age helps build critical thinking, logical reasoning, and ethical awareness.
Students learn to understand and question technology, developing meta-skills that are becoming as crucial as literacy and numeracy in the digital age.
Future Readiness: As automation transforms industries, AI curriculum ensures the next generation is skilled and adaptable to rapidly changing job market.
India – US sign 10 Year framework for Major Defense Partnership |
The framework, signed on the sidelines of the 12th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting - Plus (ADMM-Plus) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, intends to provide a unified vision and policy direction to deepen defence cooperation.
Previously, similar defense frameworks were signed for 2005-15 and 2015-25 periods.
India-US Defence Cooperation
Institutional & Foundational Framework
Apex Dialogue: 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue.
Foundational Pacts:
Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA): Signed in 2016, enabling mutual logistics support.
Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA): Signed in 2018, allowing India to acquire secure communication equipment.
Industrial Security Agreement (ISA): Signed in 2019.
Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA): Signed in 2020, facilitating the exchange of geospatial information.
Strategic and Policy Pillars
Status: US designated as a Major Defence Partnership (MDP) in 2016.
Trade Facilitation: US granted India Strategic Trade Authorization (STA Tier-1) status in 2018.
Defence Industry and Technology
Trade Volume: Defence procurement exceeds US$20 billion.
India's inventory includes significant US-origin defense items like C-130J, C-17, P-8I aircraft, and Apache, Chinook, and Seahawk helicopters.
Technology Push: Defence Industrial Cooperation Roadmap (2023) to fast-track technology and co-production.
Innovation Ecosystem: Launched INDUS X (Defense Acceleration Ecosystem) to link start-ups and industry.
New Initiatives Announced: Autonomous Systems Industry Alliance (ASIA) to increase industry partnerships and production of autonomous systems in the Indo-Pacific region.
Operational Interoperability:
Bilateral Exercises: Yudh Abhyas (Army), Vajra Prahar (Special Forces), Cope India (Air Force).
Multilateral Exercises: Malabar (navies of India, USA, Japan, Australia).
Survey of India (SoI) is developing a National Geo-Spatial Platform |
Platform will help in implementing the vision of the National Geospatial Policy, 2022.
SoI is overarching nodal agency for Geospatial Data.
Geospatial data is time-based data that is related to a specific location on the Earth’s surface.
About the National Geo-Spatial Platform (NGP)
Objective: To serve as a robust and scalable system for standardizing, sharing, and managing foundational geospatial datasets, and
It will facilitate seamless access to accurate and authoritative spatial data through web services, APIs, and mobile applications
Harnessing Geospatial Data for Inclusive and Sustainable Growth
Agriculture: Enhancing precision farming, soil health mapping and irrigation management.
Logistics & Transportation: Enables integrated infrastructure planning. E.g., PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan
Urban Planning and Infrastructure: Drives advancements in urban design by supporting high-resolution topographical surveys (5-10 cm accuracy) and the future development of a National Digital Twin for major cities.
E.g., Geographical Information System (GIS) based Master Plan for Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) cities
Other: Environmental conservation (providing high-resolution location data and spatial intelligence), Disaster Management, etc.
National Geospatial Policy, 2022
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US and Chinese president met on the sidelines of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Busan |
Key Outcomes of Busan meet
U.S. agreed to reduce a tariff punishing China for the flow of fentanyl into the U.S. by 10%.
Fentanyl is an opioid drug, like morphine or heroin, made entirely in laboratories with no natural ingredients.
China agreed to extend for one year a pause on export controls of rare earth minerals.
Rare earths (group of 17 metallic elements) are used to produce magnets and other components used in missiles, aircraft, cars, refrigerators, other hi-tech devices etc.
US president dubbed the meeting as G-2, a word first popularized by American economist C.F Bergsten in 2005.
G-2 envisaged the US and China as co-managers of global stability through joint responsibility on economic governance, trade imbalances, and global problem-solving.
Implication of G2 for world
Relevance of Regional institutions: Like Quad, Aukus, which were put to counter China could be questioned as US and China move towards a strategic accommodation.
Shift Towards Bipolarity: G2 signals convergence between US and China as global powers and bilateral decisions on key global issues can undermine multipolarity and interests of global south.
Dependence on China: The shift identifies global and American reliance on China for critical minerals and semiconductor supply chains.
Implications for India: US-China rapprochement could reduce the US’s reliance on India as a geopolitical counter to China while emboldening China’s assertiveness towards India.
India Maritime Week 2025 Secures Investment of ₹12 Lakh Crores |
PM also unveiled following initiatives to strengthen India’s Maritime Sector towards becoming a global maritime leader under the Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047.
Indigenous shipbuilding capacity: Oil and Gas PSUs launched 59 shipbuilding orders worth ₹47,800 crore.
Shipping Corporation of India (SCI) has set a target of 216 vessels by 2047 with an investment of ₹1 Lakh Crores.
Achievements of India’s Maritime Sector
Centrality to India’s economy: India’s nearly 95% of trade by volume and about 70% by value moves through maritime routes.
Port Capacity Doubled: To 2,762 million metric tonnes per annum (MMTPA) in 2024-2025 from nearly 1,400 MMTPA in 2014.
Reduced average vessel turnaround time: From 93 hours (2014) to just 48 hours (2025), enhancing global competitiveness.
India’s seafarer workforce: It has surged from 1.25 lakh in 2014 to over 3 lakh (12% of Global workforce) in 2025, making India one of the world’s top three suppliers of trained seafarers.
Legislative boost: Through various acts such as Merchant Shipping Act, 2025, Coastal Shipping Act, 2025, Indian Ports Act, 2025 etc. to boost maritime sector.
Key Initiatives Taken to Boost India’s Maritime Sector
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Madras High Court, becomes first to recognise Cryptocurrency as Property |
In Rhutikumari v. Zanmai Labs Pvt. Ltd, the Court granted protection to an investor whose digital assets were frozen on a crypto exchange after a massive cyberattack.
In 2020, New Zealand High Court too held crypto currencies, as digital assets and a form of property capable of being held on trust.
Key Highlights of the Ruling
Nature of Cryptocurrency: The court held that it is not a tangible property nor is it a currency. Rather, it is a property, which is capable of being enjoyed, possessed and being held in trust.
The Court reaffirmed previous SC rulings on the principles of property and held them to apply equally to cryptocurrencies.
Legal Clarification: The court held that under Indian law, cryptocurrency is classified as a Virtual Digital Asset (VDA) and it is not treated as a speculative transaction under Income Tax Act, 1961.
Clarification on the RBI Ban (2018): The Court held that RBI had not banned virtual currencies as such; it had only prohibited banks from facilitating their trade.
Significance of the Ruling
Addresses the Regulatory Grey Zone: The ruling marks a landmark judicial acknowledgment of digital assets as legally ownable property.
Protects Investors: It could allow investors to seek traditional property remedies like bank guarantees rather than relying on exchange-driven loss-sharing schemes.
What is Cryptocurrency?
It is a medium of exchange, created and stored electronically on the blockchain, using cryptographic techniques and algorithms. E.g., Bitcoin.
It has no intrinsic value or physical form and is not regulated by the Central Banks.
Ocean- Based Carbon Capture, Utilisation, and Storage (CCUS) could offer Strategic Decarbonisation Pathway |
Storing captured carbon subsea, in depleted oil and gas wells or aquifers — is ramping up as a climate solution globally.
About Ocean based CCUS
It involves capturing CO2 from sources (generally from large point sources like power generation or industrial facilities using fossil fuels) and storing it in seawater or deep-sea sediments.
Key Techniques
Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement (OAE): It accelerates CO2 absorption by adding pulverized minerals (e.g., Lime) or electrochemically boosting rock weathering.
Ocean fertilisation: Promotes the growth of phytoplankton by adding required micronutrients, like phosphorus, nitrogen, etc., facilitating deep-ocean carbon storage.
Other methods: Biological Carbon Capture, which utilizes marine ecosystems and the Enhancement of Blue Carbon Sinks like mangroves.
Key Benefits of Ocean-Based CCUS
Durable Storage: Techniques like OAE could store carbon for up to 100,000 years.
Vast Storage Capacity: Ocean is the largest natural carbon sink, storing 50 times more carbon than atmosphere.
Safety and Scalability: It uses low temperatures and high pressure to stabilize CO2 in liquid form, thus minimizing leakage, preventing groundwater contamination, etc.
Carbon Utilization: Captured CO2 can be repurposed for industrial applications, including green hydrogen, biofuels, biopolymers, etc.
Climate Mitigation: It can reduce global CO2 emissions by 14% by 2060.
Benefits for India: Achieve its Net-zero target by 2070; sustainable Blue growth; India’s vast coastline offers huge potential.
Currently, the technology is in early stages of development and is cost and capital intensive. It requires suitable funds for research, innovation with detailed techno-economic and environmental impact analysis before implementation.
Five Indian megacities face Land Subsidence threat due to Excessive Groundwater Extraction |
A study analysed the satellite radar data from 2015-23 and found land subsidence in Delhi (National Capital Territory, NCT), Mumbai, Kolkata, Bengaluru and Chennai.
Key Highlights of the Study
Impact: It has impacted nearly 80 million people with Delhi recording the highest sinking rate of 51 mm annually.
Localised Uplift: The study identified localised uplift in some cities, like areas near Dwarka in Delhi.
About Land Subsidence
Meaning: Gradual or sudden sinking of the earth’s surface caused by the compression or weakening of soil and rock layers beneath.
Primary Causative Factors: Excessive groundwater pumping, large-scale mining, rapid urbanisation, natural shifts in earth’s crust, etc.
Areas Witnessing Subsidence: Areas around Assam and Sikkim (due to fault activity and hydrocarbon extraction), Himalayan towns like Joshimath and Mussoorie (unregulated development), etc.
Impacts of Land Subsidence
Impact on Infrastructure: Study estimates more than 2000 buildings in Delhi are currently at high damage risk due to differential land subsidence.
Impact on Coastal Regions: These regions witness saltwater intrusion, leading to freshwater contamination and crop loss.
Disasters: Buildings crack or collapse, roads buckle, and drainage networks misalign, often leading to floods impacting human lives.
Long-term ecological risk: It alters river flows, affects aquatic and terrestrial habitats, and may accelerate carbon release from peatlands and marshes.
Ways to Prevent Land Subsidence
Innovative Solutions: Artificial recharge of depleted aquifers; deep soil mixing involving injection of stabilising agents into the ground.
Advanced Monitoring Technologies: PSInSAR (for cities with plenty of stable structures), SBAS-InSAR (for agricultural or vegetated areas), and SqueeSAR (for mountainous terrain), etc.
India’s quasi-federal structure faces challenges straining Centre-State relations |
Institutions like the GST Council and NITI Aayog continue to provide platforms for dialogue, reinforcing the foundational principle of "self-rule with shared-rule" that underpins India's democratic success.
India’s Constitutional Framework: A Balance of Powers
Federal Features:
Written Constitution: A foundational document with well-defined procedure for amendment.
Dual Polity: A system of government at both the Union and State levels.
Bicameralism: Council of States (Rajya Sabha) representing the interests and aspirations of the states. It also acts as a check on potential majoritarianism in the Lok Sabha.
Division of Powers: Legislative powers between Union and States through three lists in the under the Schedule VII.
Unitary Features
Strong Centre: Division of powers is tilted in favor of the central government. E.g., Primacy to Parliamentary legislations on subjects listed under Concurrent List.
Single Constitution and Citizenship: Uniform laws and rights apply to all citizens across the country.
Parliamentary Authority over States: Article 3 empowers Parliament to change the territories, areas, and boundaries of states by law, without requiring the states' consent.
Others: Integrated Judiciary, All India Services, Emergency powers, Parliament can make laws to meet obligations arising from international treaties, etc.
Contemporary Challenges to the Federal Structure
Fiscal Centralisation: e.g., Implementation of GST impacting financial autonomy of States.
Administrative and Political Centralisation: e.g., use of the Disaster Management Act during the COVID-19 pandemic to impose nationwide lockdowns with ‘minimal state consultation’.
Others: Reservation of Bill by Governors for Presidential Assent, devolution of taxes and revenues by Finance Commission, etc.
Institutions such as NITI Aayog embodying the ‘Team India’ spirit, bringing together the Centre and States as equal partners in nation-building, can help address emerging developmental challenges by evolving as a dynamic balance between unity and regional autonomy.
Chief Justice of India (CJI) |
In exercise of powers under Article 124 of the Constitution of India, President appointed Justice Surya Kant as 53rd CJI succeeding present CJI BR Gavai.
Appointment of CJI
Union Ministry of Law and Justice seeks the recommendation of the outgoing CJI for appointment of next CJI, who conventionally recommends senior-most judge of the Supreme Court.
However, this seniority principle has not been followed for three times in the past.
After receipt of recommendation of the CJI, Union Minister of Law and Justice puts up the recommendation to the Prime Minister, who advises the President in the matter of appointment.
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Remembered on His 150th Birth Anniversary |
About Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel (1875 – 1950)
He was born on 31st October, 1875 in Gujarat in a Peasant family.
His birth anniversary is now observed as the Rashtriya Ekta Diwas (National Unity Day) for uniting hundreds of princely states and laying the foundation of an integrated India.
He is also known as the Iron Man of India.
He was a lawyer who later turned to public service during India’s independence struggle.
Key Contributions of Sardar Patel
Pre Independence:
Leadership in Early Gandhian Movements: Emerged as a national leader in 1918 by participating in the Kheda Satyagraha and Ahmedabad Mill Strike.
Bardoli Satyagraha (1928): Led a non-violent protest by peasants against unjust land revenue hikes; where he was given the title of ‘Sardar’ by the women of Bardoli.
As President of the Indian National Congress (Karachi Session, 1931): Adopted resolutions on fundamental rights and national economic policies.
Post-Independence:
Architect of Political Integration: Swiftly unified 500+ princely states through diplomacy. E.g. Junagadh (plebiscite), Hyderabad (Operation Polo), etc.
Internal Stability: As the first Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister of India, he stabilized administration during India’s partition, maintaining order amid communal violence and refugee inflows.
Steel Frame of India: He established the All India Services, ensuring a professional, neutral administrative structure for national unity.
Key Values: Integrity, Leadership, Patriotism, Courage, Determination, etc.
Prime Minister Highlighted Contribution of Arya Samaj on 150 Years of Its Foundation |
About Arya Samaj
Founded: In 1875 by Swami Dayanand Saraswati in Bombay.
Religious Reforms: Denounced idolatry and ritualistic worship, preached respect and reverence for other human beings.
Believed in infallible authority of Vedas and Swami Dayanand Saraswati gave slogan of ‘Back to Vedas’.
Social Reforms: Opposed caste as hereditary, untouchability and advocated Vedic education for all castes; against child marriage, forced widowhood and campaigned for women’s education.
Educational Reforms: E.g. Dayanand Anglo Vedic (DAV) Trust and Management in 1886 to impart scientific and modern education.
Freedom Movement: Prominent members included freedom fighters such as Lala Lajpat Rai, Bhagat Singh, Ram Prasad Bismil, Madan Lal Dhingra, Swami Shraddhanand, Sachindra Nath Sanyal, etc.
Contemporary Relevance of Arya Samaj Principles
Social Equality: Its opposition to casteism and untouchability echoes India’s constitutional values of equality and justice.
Gender Empowerment: Advocacy of women’s education and rights aligns with schemes like Beti Bachao Beti Padhao and Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam.
Education & Rationalism: DAV institutions continue its legacy of scientific and moral education; supports scientific temper under Article 51A (h).
Other: Ethical living over rituals, aiding interfaith harmony; living in harmony with nature, etc.
Exercise Trishul |
India launched Exercise Trishul, a major tri-Service drill along western border with Pakistan across Gujarat and Rajasthan.
About Exercise Trishul
Objective: To comprehend joint operational capability and strategic preparedness of the Indian Army, Navy, and the Air Force.
The exercise will serve as a platform to demonstrate how indigenous defense systems are being integrated into India’s operational framework.
Alfven Waves |
A recent study revealing distinct Red and Blue Doppler shifts confirms the presence of the Alfven waves in the Sun’s Corona.
About Alfven Waves
They are magnetic waves that travel along the Sun’s magnetic field lines, causing the plasma to oscillate sideways.
It occurs in a plasma state (or conducting fluid), resulting from the interaction of the magnetic fields and electric currents within it.
They are believed to carry energy from the Sun’s surface into the corona, contributing to its extremely high temperatures.
Significance: Coronal heating, Solar Wind Acceleration, Improved Space Weather Forecasting etc.
Creative City of Gastronomy |
The 43rd session of UNESCO’s General Conference named Lucknow as the Creative City of Gastronomy as part of its UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN).
Second Indian city in this category after Hyderabad.
Other Indian cities include: Gwalior (Music), Jaipur (Crafts & Folk Art), Chennai (Music), etc.
About UCCN
Origin: Created in 2004 to strengthen cooperation with and among cities that have recognized creativity as a strategic factor of sustainable development.
Covers 7 creative fields: Crafts & Folk Art, Design, Film, Gastronomy, Literature, Music and Media Arts.
Iberian Lynx |
World’s first-ever white Iberian Lynx was spotted in Spain.
About Iberian Lynx
IUCN status: Vulnerable
IUCN Green Status of Species: Largely Depleted.
CITES: Appendix I
Habitat: Mosaic of dense scrub for shelter and open pasture for hunting.
Rabbit abundance is the essential component of Iberian lynx habitat.
Behaviour: Mainly crepuscular (generally sleep during day) and nocturnal but can also be active at daytime.
Major Threats: Rabbit population collapses, habitat loss and fragmentation, disease transmission, low genetic diversity, poaching etc.
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) |
2025 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit was recently held in the South Korean city of Gyeongju.
About APEC (Secretariat: Singapore)
Founded: In 1989
Members: 21 economies (Australia, Canada, Chile, China, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, the United States etc.)
India: Not a member (observer status).
Objective: To build a dynamic and harmonious Asia-Pacific community by championing free and open trade and investment, promoting economic integration, cooperation, etc.
Savings Rate |
Chairperson to the EAC-PM says that India’s investment rate needs to rise to 34-35% to get 7% growth, which is largely financed through savings and foreign investment.
About Savings Rate
It is the amount of GDP that is saved by households, businesses, and the government.
Calculated as the difference between disposable income and final consumption expenditure.
In 2024, India’s savings rate was 30.2% (as a percentage of GDP).
Chabahar port |
India gets six-month U.S. sanctions waiver on Chabahar port in Iran.
About Chabahar port
Location: Sistan-Baluchistan province on the Makran coast in South-eastern part of Iran, on the Gulf of Oman.
It is the only deep-sea port in Iran with direct ocean access.
There are two terminals in Chabahar Port project i.e. Shahid Beheshti and Shahid Kalantari.
It is closest Iranian port to India and it grants India access to landlocked Afghanistan and other Central Asian countries bypassing Pakistan.
The port is part of the proposed International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), linking Indian Ocean and Persian Gulf to Caspian Sea via Iran and onwards to northern Europe.
Digi Bandar |
Digi Bandar, launched at India Maritime Week 2025, as a national digital framework for Indian ports.
Aim: To make ports data-driven, AI-enabled, and interconnected to enhance efficiency, safety, and transparency.
Focus: Predictive logistics, digital twins, and automation in port operations.
Consumer Price Index (CPI) |
Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) is undertaking the base revision exercise of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and has proposed changes in housing index compilation.
As a part of CPI, Housing constitutes a major component with an expenditure share of 21.67% in urban areas and 10.07% at the All-India level in the current series.
Currently, the housing index is not compiled in the rural sector.
Weightage of other sectors in CPI: Food and Beverages (45.86%), Miscellaneous involving education, health, personal care etc. (28.31%), Fuel & Light (6.84%), Clothing & FootWear (6.53%), Pan, tobacco and intoxicants (2.38%).
Kunming Biodiversity Fund (KBF) |
Recently, Seven countries secured funding under Kunming Biodiversity Fund (KBF).
About KBF
Multi-Partner Trust Fund (MTPF), supporting accelerated action to deliver the goals of KMGBF (Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework), particularly in developing countries.
KMGBF is a non-binding framework adopted at the CoP-15 to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) at Montreal, Canada (2022).
It has 4 goals for 2050 and 23 targets for 2030.
Established under the leadership of China and United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), with the Secretariat of the CBD (SCBD) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Ecological Droughts |
IIT Kharagpur study highlights that ecologically fragile forests in Western Ghats, Himalayas, and Northeast, along with croplands in central India are increasingly facing ecological droughts.
About Ecological Droughts
Definition: Ecological droughts are prolonged moisture deficits disrupting ecosystem structure, biodiversity, and carbon balance.
Causes: Driven by natural phenomena, such as lack of rainfall or warming temperatures including warming oceans, rising atmospheric dryness, etc.
Impact: Reduced Plant growth, Local species extinction, etc.
Other Types of Drought: Meteorological, Agriculture, Hydrological, Socio-Economic.
Secondary Sanctions |
Threat of USA’s Secondary Sanctions could impact importing of Russian oil by Indian refiners.
About Secondary Sanctions
While Primary sanctions include international trade restrictions (e.g., trade embargoes from the target), Secondary sanctions penalizes third parties, preventing third states and economic operators from doing business as usual with target states.
They serve as force multipliers for primary sanctions and have an extraterritorial aspect.
E.g., The USA imposed sanctions on Iranian oil (Primary) and Indian refiners stopped importing oil from Iran (Secondary).
Monoclonal Antibodies (mAbs) |
The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) seeks partners to develop monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against Nipah viral disease.
Nipah virus is a zoonotic pathogen causing severe respiratory and neurological illness, transmitted from bats or infected animals to humans.
About Monoclonal Antibodies (mAbs)
Definition: Monoclonal antibodies are laboratory-produced proteins, engineered to bind specific antigens, mimicking natural immune responses.
Origin: Derived from identical immune cells cloned from a single parent B-cell.
Function: Used to diagnose, prevent, and treat diseases including cancers, autoimmune disorders, and viral infections.
Advocates |
Supreme Court has held that in-house counsels employed by corporate entities will not be entitled to client-attorney privilege under Section 132 of the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA).
SC held this because they are not considered advocates under the Advocates Act, 1961.
Section 132 of BSA protects communications between an advocate and their client subject to exceptions.
Advocates:
Advocates are those rolled under the provisions of Advocates Act, 1961 and Bar Council of India Rules, subject to qualifying Bar Council Exam post LL.B. degree.
Advocates to be the only recognised class of persons entitled to practise law in India, according to section 29 of this Act.
Lawyer: Any person who has completed a law degree can be called a lawyer. He may be a legal adviser, etc.
National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) |
Recently, National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) said that Competition Commission of India (CCI) has no power to examine into the disputes related to patent matters.
Tribunal held that Patent Act, 1970 takes precedence over the Competition Act, 2002.
Patent Act, 1970 safeguards inventor’s exclusive rights over their innovations, aiming to reward innovation while ensuring public access to new technologies.
About National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT)
Established: Under Companies Act, 2013.
Function: Hears appeals against orders of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India and CCI.
About Competition Commission of India (CCI)
Established under the Competition Act, 2002 to enforce it.
Purpose: To eliminate anti-competitive practices, protect the interests of consumers and ensure freedom of trade, in Indian markets.
Silicon Carbide |
Odisha’s Chief Minister laid the foundation stone for India’s first end-to-end silicon carbide semiconductor manufacturing facility in the state.
About Silicon Carbide (or SiC)
A hard, covalently bonded ceramic made of silicon and carbon atoms.
Properties: Exhibits high thermal conductivity, low thermal expansion, and exceptional hardness.
Applications: Used in semiconductors, aerospace components, etc.
Coal India Limited (CIL) |
Coal India Limited (CIL) has completed 50 years of its establishment.
About CIL (HQ: Kolkata)
Establishment: November 1975 as a holding company after nationalisation of coal mines.
It is a Maharatna CPSU under the Ministry of Coal.
Workforce: Over 2.20 lakh employees across 8 states.
Operations: Manages 310 mines (129 underground, 168 opencast, 13 mixed).
Market Role: Supplies ~80% of India’s total domestic coal production.
ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup |
In a historic feat, the Indian women’s Cricket Team clinched their first-ever ODI World Cup title after defeating the South Africa in the final.
About ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025
First Edition: 1973 (in England) and won by England.
2025 Host Country: India hosted the current 13th edition.
Most number of titles won by: Australia (7 times)
It was India’s 3rd final after 2005 & 2017.
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