Daily Current Affairs - 1st December 2025
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Comprehensive UPSC Current Affairs Summary | Assam ST Status GoM Proposal, New SC Listing Guidelines, Bhagavad Gita Ethical Insights, ITPGRFA GB-11 Outcomes, AI Stages, Burtele Foot Discovery, Hansa-3 NG Launch, SIM Binding Rule, India at UNESCO Executive Board, ITU WTDC-25 and more.
If you missed Monthly Current Affairs Pointers (CAP) | Sept - Oct 2025, read it here.
Table of Content
SECURITY & DEFENCE
ENVIRONMENT & GEOGRAPHY
Assam GoM Recommends ST Status for Six Communities
The Assam Group of Ministers (GoM) has recommended Scheduled Tribe (ST) status for six communities in the state.
These six communities are Tai Ahoms, Tea Tribes or Adivasis, Moran, Motok, Chutia, and Koch-Rajbongshi.
These communities are currently listed under Other Backward Classes (OBC) in Assam.
Together, these communities constitute approximately 27% of Assam’s population.
Key Recommendations of the GoM
The GoM proposes introducing a three-tier ST classification in Assam to accommodate diverse tribal groups.
This classification includes a new category called ST (Valley) to represent valley-based communities.
Assam currently has ST categories of ST (Plains), which enjoys 10% reservation, ensuring representation for plain-dwelling tribes.
Assam also has ST (Hills), which enjoys 5% reservation for hill-based tribes.
The GoM recommends that all ST communities should come under a common national ST status, referred to as central reservation.
Central reservation ensures that all ST communities compete under the same national framework, irrespective of state categories.
The GoM also suggests interim measures, which involve internal sub-categorisation.
These interim measures include sub-categorisation within the existing 27% OBC quota in the state to manage transitions.
About ST Status in the Constitution
Article 366(25) defines Scheduled Tribes (STs) as communities specified under Article 342.
Article 342 empowers the President to notify the initial list of Scheduled Tribes for each state.
Article 342 also states that Parliament alone can amend the ST list through legislation.
The Constitution does not explicitly provide criteria for ST categorization, leaving interpretation to expert bodies.
The Lokur Committee (1965) proposed widely used criteria for identifying STs.
These criteria include primitive traits, which refer to traditional socio-cultural practices considered pre-modern.
They also include distinctive culture, meaning unique language, rituals, or social customs.
Another criterion is geographical isolation, which means living in remote or difficult-to-access regions.
The Committee added shyness of contact, which signifies historical social exclusion or minimal interaction with mainstream society.
The final criterion is backwardness, referring to economic, educational, and social disadvantages.
New Supreme Court Guidelines (Effective from December 1)
The Supreme Court has introduced new guidelines to streamline its functioning.
These guidelines will take effect from December 1.
About the New Guidelines
The Court has introduced Automatic Case Listing for fresh cases, meaning newly filed matters will be scheduled for hearing without manual intervention.
The guidelines provide faster hearing for urgent matters, improving access to timely justice.
Urgent matters include bail cases, which involve requests for temporary release of an accused person, requiring quick decisions.
Urgent matters also include habeas corpus petitions, which are legal actions demanding the production of a detained person before the court.
These urgent matters will be listed and heard automatically within two working days, expediting relief.
The guidelines impose restrictions on oral mentioning by senior counsels, which refers to the practice of verbally requesting urgent listing before the Chief Justice’s court.
The Court introduces strict adjournment rules to prevent unnecessary delays in hearing cases.
These adjournment rules aim to facilitate timely resolution of older cases, improving case backlog management.
The guidelines mandate an advance copy requirement for bail petitions, ensuring preparation before the hearing.
This advance copy requirement supports faster processing of bail matters by the registry.
Need to Modernize Policing Practices with the Vision of Viksit Bharat: Prime Minister
Key Challenges Concerning the Police in India
India faces new forms of crime, which demand upgraded policing practices.
These new crimes include white-collar crimes, defined as financially motivated non-violent offences such as bribery, corruption, tax evasion, and violation of fiscal laws.
Criminals increasingly use modern technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI), making detection more complex.
Police infrastructure remains inadequate due to insufficient transport and communication networks.
Police forces also lack modern weaponry necessary for contemporary threats.
There is a need for need-based and updated training for police personnel.
India suffers from a shortage of workforce, affecting effective policing.
The police-population ratio is 152.80 per lakh persons, which is below the sanctioned strength of 196.23 (BPR&D, January 2022).
Measures Needed for Modernizing Police
Police modernization requires adopting innovative strategies to tackle emerging challenges.
One such strategy is the effective use of databases integrated under NATGRID, which is a national intelligence grid linking major security and intelligence agencies.
Using Artificial Intelligence in NATGRID can help generate actionable intelligence, which means intelligence that can directly support operational decisions.
Modernization also needs strong research support from academic institutions.
Universities should undertake case studies on the use of forensics, which refers to scientific techniques used in crime investigation.
A Whole-of-the-Government Approach is required, meaning coordination across enforcement, rehabilitation, and community-level interventions.
Administrative reforms recommended by the Supreme Court in the Prakash Singh case (2006) must be implemented.
These reforms include fixing the tenure and transparent selection of the DGP, ensuring leadership stability.
The reforms also mandate absence of political interference in policing functions.
Measures Taken for Reforming Police in India
The government is implementing the Assistance to States & UTs for Modernization of Police (ASUMP) Scheme.
The ASUMP Scheme aims to equip police forces with required modern technology for efficient functioning.
Legislative reforms have been introduced through new criminal laws, which reshape India’s criminal justice system.
These new laws include the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita 2023 (BNS), replacing the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
The reforms also include Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita 2023 (BNSS), replacing the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).
They further include the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam 2023 (BSA), replacing the Indian Evidence Act.
India has adopted SMART Policing initiatives, where SMART stands for Strict and Sensitive, Modern and Mobile, Alert and Accountable, Reliable and Responsive, Tech-savvy and Trained.
One major SMART initiative is the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS), a nationwide digital system for crime and criminal data.
Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI)
The Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) has issued Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for municipal authorities.
These SOPs are meant to implement the Supreme Court’s order on stray dog management.
The Supreme Court has ordered the removal of stray dogs from public institutional premises.
These public institutional premises include schools, ensuring child safety in educational spaces.
They also include hospitals, ensuring hygienic conditions in medical facilities.
They additionally include bus stations, ensuring safe and orderly public transport areas.
About the AWBI
The AWBI is a statutory advisory body, meaning a body created by law to advise the government on specific matters.
The AWBI advises on Animal Welfare Laws, ensuring legal protection for animals.
The Board also promotes animal welfare in the country, supporting humane treatment of animals.
The AWBI was established in 1962, marking the beginning of institutionalized animal welfare in India.
It was established under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, which is India’s central law to prevent unnecessary pain or suffering to animals.
The Board was started under the stewardship of Late Smt. Rukmini Devi Arundale, who was known for her social and humanitarian contributions.
Rukmini Devi Arundale was a well-known humanitarian, recognized for her work in animal protection and ethics.
Hansa-3 (NG)
The Union Minister of State for Science and Technology launched the production version of Hansa-3 NG in Bengaluru.
The aircraft was launched at CSIR–National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL), which is India’s premier aerospace research institution.
About Hansa-3 (NG)
Hansa-3 NG is India’s first all-composite two-seat pilot trainer aircraft, using lightweight composite materials.
The aircraft is designed to meet the growing demand for PPL training, where PPL refers to the Private Pilot License for non-commercial flying.
It is also designed to support CPL training, where CPL refers to the Commercial Pilot License required for professional pilots.
Stages of Artificial Intelligence
The development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is commonly categorized into three stages.
These three stages are Artificial Narrow Intelligence (ANI), Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), and Artificial Superintelligence (ASI).
About the Stages of AI
Artificial Narrow Intelligence (ANI)
ANI, also called Weak AI, refers to systems specialized in a narrow set of tasks.
ANI systems lack the ability to generalize knowledge, meaning they cannot apply learning beyond their specific domain.
Examples of ANI include virtual assistants like Siri and Alexa, which perform predefined tasks.
Artificial General Intelligence (AGI)
AGI, also called Strong AI, is a hypothetical machine intelligence that can understand or learn any intellectual task a human can.
AGI has the ability to generalize knowledge, meaning it can apply learning to new and unfamiliar situations.
True AGI does not currently exist, as no machine fully matches human-level cognitive abilities.
Artificial Superintelligence (ASI)
ASI is a theoretical concept that refers to intelligence surpassing the abilities of the best human minds.
ASI has the potential to solve problems beyond current human capabilities, indicating vast cognitive superiority.
Burtele Foot: Discovery and Insights into Early Hominins
Scientists have solved the mystery of the “Burtele Foot”, a 3.4-million-year-old fossil discovered in Ethiopia in 2009.
The Burtele Foot consists of eight bones, which reveal a bipedal hominin—an early human ancestor capable of walking on two legs.
The foot also shows an opposable big toe, which indicates that this hominin continued tree-climbing, a trait retained from earlier primates.
Recent discoveries near the same site include 25 teeth and a jawbone of a 4.5-year-old child, which helped identify the species to which the foot belonged.
These fossils confirm that the Burtele Foot belonged to Australopithecus deyiremeda, an early hominin species.
Australopithecus deyiremeda combines ape-like and human-like characteristics, illustrating the transitional nature of early human evolution.
The fossils show a close relationship to Australopithecus afarensis, the species that includes the famous fossil Lucy, discovered in 1974 in Ethiopia’s Afar region.
The 11th session of the Governing Body of the ITPGRFA concluded in Lima, Peru
The 11th session of the Governing Body of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA) concluded in Lima, Peru.
During the session, talks on enhancing the Multilateral System (MLS) of access and benefit sharing failed to reach consensus.
About the Multilateral System (MLS)
The MLS governs the sharing of genetic resources from 35 major food crops, ensuring global access to essential crop diversity.
The MLS also governs genetic resources from 29 forage species, supporting livestock feed diversity.
Together, these crops and forages form about 80% of the world’s plant-based diet, highlighting their global importance.
These crops are listed in Annexure I of the Treaty, which catalogues plant genetic resources available for shared use.
When a country adopts the ITPGRFA, it agrees to make the genetic diversity of these crops available to all other members.
This availability primarily applies to genetic material stored in public gene banks, which are institutions preserving seeds and plant varieties.
Compromise Proposal Presented at the 11th Session
A compromise proposal recommended adopting the revised Standard Material Transfer Agreement (SMTA).
The proposal stated that payment rates and thresholds would be finalized at Governing Body session 12 (GB12).
The SMTA regulates exchanges of plant genetic material, ensuring transparency in transfers.
The SMTA also prevents misuse of plant genetic material, safeguarding against unauthorized exploitation.
The SMTA ensures that commercial benefits arising from the use of genetic material are shared fairly and equitably, supporting global justice.
Key unresolved issues such as the payment system, which determines how users contribute financially, were postponed to GB12.
The issue of Annex I expansion, which concerns adding more crops to the MLS, was also deferred.
Rules for Digital Sequence Information (DSI), referring to digital genetic data derived from biological samples, were similarly postponed.
India’s Stand
India emphasized the need to safeguard sovereign rights over its genetic resources, ensuring national control.
India called for fair and equitable benefit-sharing, aligning with global justice principles.
India opposed the opaque draft proposals, citing concerns about lack of transparency.
India requested that all unresolved issues be revisited at GB12, ensuring inclusive negotiations.
About the ITPGRFA
The ITPGRFA was adopted at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Conference in 2001.
The Treaty came into force in 2004, marking its operational beginning.
It is the first legally binding international agreement dedicated to crop genetic diversity, giving it global authority.
Its main goal is to conserve crop diversity, protecting agricultural resilience.
Another goal is to promote the sustainable use of crop diversity, supporting long-term food security.
The Treaty also aims to ensure fair and equitable sharing of benefits, promoting global equity.
It comprises 154 countries and the European Union, including India as a member.
Bhagavad Gita serves as a Universal Guide offering Moral Clarity: Vice President
The Vice President stated that the Bhagavad Gita serves as a universal guide offering moral clarity.
About the Bhagavad Gita
The Bhagavad Gita is an esteemed scripture within Indian philosophy, forming a core part of spiritual and ethical traditions.
The Gita is an integral segment of the Indian epic Mahabharata, which is one of the major Sanskrit epics.
It is composed in Sanskrit, reflecting ancient Indian literary and philosophical traditions.
The text is written in poetic form, giving it a structured and rhythmic character.
It was compiled around 200 BCE, indicating its ancient origin.
The Gita forms a dialogue between Prince Arjuna and Lord Krishna, which serves as the narrative framework.
It has been inscribed in the UNESCO Memory of the World International Register, recognizing its global documentary heritage.
Contemporary Relevance of Ethical Teachings of the Bhagavad Gita
The Gita teaches Action without Desire, expressed through the concept of Nishkam Karma.
Nishkam Karma means performing one’s duty without attachment to the outcome, whether favorable or unfavorable.
This idea contrasts with Sakama Karma, which refers to actions driven by desire for specific results.
The Gita synthesizes individual welfare and societal welfare, promoting harmony between personal and collective goals.
This synthesis is expressed through Lokasamgraha, defined as the ideal of ensuring universal welfare and maintaining social order.
The Gita emphasizes strengthening emotional resilience, which helps individuals face challenges effectively.
Emotional resilience is described through the concept of Sthita-prajna, meaning a person of steady wisdom and inner stability.
A Sthita-prajna efficiently copes with adversity, maintaining clarity under pressure.
A Sthita-prajna also adjusts to change, reflecting psychological flexibility.
A Sthita-prajna preserves psychological well-being, ensuring mental balance.
The Gita offers guidance on leadership development, focusing on ethical responsibility.
It teaches the importance of Svadharma, meaning one’s own duty based on role, nature, and responsibility.
The Gita highlights the value of decisiveness, equating lack of ambivalence with strong decision-making.
It also stresses humility, defined as awareness of one’s limitations and openness to self-improvement.
SIM Binding mandatory for online messaging platforms
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has made SIM binding mandatory for online messaging platforms.
About SIM Binding
SIM binding requires messaging apps to ensure that a user’s account stays linked to the active SIM card used during registration.
SIM binding means the user’s account remains tied to the same SIM, preventing access if the SIM changes.
The directive requires platforms to maintain continuous linkage between the SIM card and the mobile number, ensuring identity consistency.
It also requires continuous linkage between the SIM card and the device, adding an additional layer of verification.
The directive mandates that platforms stop service if the SIM card is removed, preventing unauthorized access.
The directive also mandates stopping service if the SIM becomes inactive, ensuring valid and traceable user credentials.
India Re-elected to UNESCO Executive Board (2025–29)
India has been re-elected to the UNESCO Executive Board for 2025–29, which is the governing body responsible for overseeing UNESCO’s programmes and budget.
UNESCO stands for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, which is a specialized agency of the United Nations dedicated to promoting international cooperation in education, science, culture, and communication.
UNESCO is headquartered in Paris, France, which serves as the central administrative location for all its global initiatives.
The Constitution of UNESCO came into force in November 1946, which formally established the organization after World War II.
UNESCO has 194 Member States, which are fully participating countries in its decision-making structure.
UNESCO also has 12 Associate Members, which are territories or regions with a different level of participation.
The governance of UNESCO is carried out by the General Conference, which is the supreme decision-making body responsible for setting policies and programmes.
The governance of UNESCO also includes the Secretariat, which is the administrative arm headed by the Director-General.
The governance of UNESCO further includes the Executive Board, which ensures that decisions of the General Conference are properly implemented.
UNESCO developed the Universal Copyright Convention in 1952, which is an international agreement protecting authors' rights across member countries.
UNESCO launched the Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme in 1971, which is a scientific initiative aimed at improving the relationship between people and their environments through conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.
UNESCO adopted the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage in 1972, which provides a global framework for identifying and preserving cultural and natural sites of outstanding universal value.
International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and WTDC-25
The World Telecommunication Development Conference (WTDC-25) of ITU concluded in Baku, which is a conference held every four years to discuss global telecommunication development.
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is a United Nations specialized agency for digital technologies (ICTs), where ICTs stands for Information and Communication Technologies.
ITU is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, which serves as the central hub for its global operations.
The organization has 194 Member States, which are fully participating countries in ITU’s decision-making processes.
In addition, ITU includes more than 1000 companies, universities, and other organizations, which participate as sector members to contribute expertise and innovation.
The ITU traces its origins to 1865, when the first International Telegraph Convention was signed in Paris.
The 1865 convention established the International Telegraph Union, which was the first incarnation of ITU.
One of ITU’s key functions is managing critical resources, such as allocating radio frequencies and satellite positions, which are essential for global communication.
Another key function of ITU is setting the rules, which involves creating technical standards to ensure seamless global connectivity across networks.
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