Daily Current Affairs - 5th November 2025
- TPP
- Nov 5
- 14 min read
If you missed Monthly Current Affairs Pointers (CAP) | Sept - Oct 2025, read it here.
7 Indian institutes among top 100 in QS Asia University Rankings 2026 |
India saw a record rise in Indian universities featured in the QS Asia University Rankings 2026 from 24 universities in 2016 to 294 in 2026, only behind China’s 395 institutions featured in the list.
Key highlight of the report
Leaders: Five Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru and Delhi University figured in Asia’s top 100 institutes.
IIT-Delhi, which ranked 59 this year, was declared the best Indian institute for the fifth consecutive year.
Domination: India dominates Papers per Faculty indicator, with 5 universities ranked among Asia's top 10 and 28 among the top 50.
University of Hong Kong took the top spot, followed by Peking University (China) in second.
About QS Asia University Rankings 2026
Coverage: 1,529 universities.
11 indicators: Including academic and employer reputation, faculty-student ratio, international research network, citations per paper, papers per faculty, staff qualifications (PhDs), and the share of international faculty, students, and exchange participants.
Domestic frameworks for Higher Institutions’ Rankings in India
National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF): Launched in 2015 by the Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education.
All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE): From 2010-11, it covers several parameters such as teachers, student enrolment, programmes, examination results, and education finance, infrastructure.
Initiatives taken for improvement of University Education
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Generational Ban on Tobacco |
Maldives becomes the first country to impose a generational ban on tobacco.
About Generational Ban
Generational Tobacco Ban, or Lifetime Tobacco Ban, refers to a policy that permanently prohibits the sale of cigarettes or other tobacco products to anyone born after a specified date—meaning they can never legally purchase tobacco at any age.
Other measures used for tobacco control: monitoring use, warning about harms, banning advertising, raising taxes, stopping illicit trade, and regulating new nicotine products.
Status of Tobacco consumption:
Status: Around 80% of the world's 1.3 billion tobacco users live in low- and middle-income countries.
Forms of Tobacco Use includes cigarette smoking, waterpipe tobacco, cigars, heated tobacco, roll-your-own tobacco, pipe tobacco,smokeless tobacco products,etc.
Steps Taken:
WHO Member States adopted the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) in 2003. Currently 183 countries are Parties to this treaty.
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) released The State of Food and Agriculture (SOFA) 2025 Report |
SOFA 2025 provides the most comprehensive analysis of how human-driven land degradation impacts agricultural productivity, food security and ecosystem resilience.
Key Highlights of Report
Land Degradation is defined as a long-term decline in the land’s ability to deliver essential ecosystem functions and services.
It is driven by natural causes (soil erosion and salinization) and anthropogenic causes (deforestation, overgrazing, unsustainable cropping and irrigation practices etc.)
Impact of Land Degradation
Yield Loss: For about 1.7 billion people, crop yields are 10% lower because of human-induced degradation.
Asian countries are the most affected - both because of their accumulated degradation debt and their high population densities.
Productivity Loss: Total factor productivity growth, which reflects technological advancement and efficiency improvements, has declined since the 2000s, particularly in the Global South.
Convergence with Food Security: Globally, 47 million children under five years of age suffer from stunting live in hotspots where stunting overlaps with significant yield losses.
Ecosystem Impact: Degradation affects all agricultural systems, undermining livestock production in rangelands and – through forest loss driven by agricultural expansion – disrupting climate patterns and biodiversity.
Policy Options for Sustainable Land Use
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NITI Aayog’s Frontier Tech Hub Unveils “Reimagining Agriculture: A Roadmap for Frontier Technology Led Transformation” |
The report highlights the structural barriers slowing agricultural transformation and shows how frontier technologies can directly address these gaps to drive higher productivity, resilience, and farmer incomes.
Barriers affecting Agricultural Transformation
Data: Siloed data, no single-source of truth, lack of localized, high-quality Al-ready datasets
Limited Phygital Approach: Limited internet access, inadequate physical infrastructure, field force and touchpoints to integrate with digital solutions
Fragmentation: Limited coordination and siloed functioning across industry, academia, policymakers & regulatory bodies
Capital: Gap in funding for high-risk, slow-scaling AgTech innovations, constrained credit access for farmers
Role of Frontier Technologies in Agricultural Transformation
Frontier technologies includes seed technologies, vertical farming, digital twins, precision tools and smart sensors, agentic AI, predictive analytics, and advanced mechanisation aimed at boosting productivity, sustainability, and farmer incomes.
Path ahead for scaling up of frontier technologies
A three-pillar framework for a Digital Agriculture Mission 2.0
Enhance foundational systems to be frontier-tech ready: by 360-degree data ecosystem, digital enablement of the last-mile interventions and upgrading the AgriTech startup accelerator ecosystem.
Reimagine Agri-Innovations & Agri-Talent Systems for Future-readiness: by globally competitive talent & innovation ecosystems, focusing on a shift to translational R&D, interdisciplinary industry-aligned talent and revamping the institutional architecture for innovation.
Converge public-private efforts to accelerate agricultural transformation: by building instruments for public-private dialogue to align industry and government efforts for agile policy making.
Chhattisgarh Train Accident draws attention towards Rail Safety in India |
Though there is a decline in Consequential Train Accidents from 135 in 2014-15 to 31 in 2024-25, yet accidents including derailments, collisions, etc., continue to occur due to multiple reasons.
Consequential train accidents are the ones with serious repercussions, including injuries, loss of life, disruption of rail traffic and damage to railway property.
Key Reasons for Rail Accidents in India
Derailments: Track defects and poor maintenance (Bikaner–Guwahati Express 2022).
Signalling Errors: E.g., Kanchanjunga Express Train Accident (2024).
Operational Mistakes: Incorrect manual signalling and switching errors (Odisha Coromandel Express Accident, 2023).
Other: Level-crossing incidents, Weather factors, human errors including driver fatigue, fire accidents, etc.
Initiatives taken to Ensure Railway Safety
Rashtriya Rail Sanraksha Kosh (RRSK): Introduced in 2017-18 for replacement/renewal/ upgradation of critical safety assets.
Commission of Railway Safety: Under Ministry of Civil Aviation dealing with matters on safety of rail travel and train operation with inspectorial, investigatory and advisory functions.
Electrical/Electronic Interlocking Systems: With centralized operation of points and signals to reduce accident due to human failure.
KAVACH: Indigenously developed Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system developed by the Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO).
Others: GPS based Fog Safety Device (FSD); Ultrasonic Flaw Detection (USFD), etc.
While the railways has moved well in adopting different technologies for its safety, there is a need for harmonisation amongst them along with focusing on human skill development and training to avoid human errors.
Research, Development, and Innovation (RDI) Scheme gets approval from Cabinet |
The scheme aims to strengthen India’s capabilities in strategic technologies and promote technological self-reliance, aligning with the nation’s long-term innovation and Atmanirbhar Bharat vision.
Funding Mechanism
Corpus: ₹1 lakh crore / Rs. One lakh Crore
Two-tiered funding mechanism.
Level 1 (Custodian): Special Purpose Fund (SPF) established within the ANRF.
Level 2 (Disbursement): Funds allocated to a variety of Second-Level Fund Managers
Mode of Funding: Long-term concessional loans (at low or nil interest rates), Equity infusion (especially for startups), Contributions to Deep-Tech Fund of Funds (FoF)
Key Objectives
Encourage private sector to scale up RDI in sunrise domains and sectors relevant for economic security, strategic purpose, and self-reliance
Finance transformative projects at higher Technology Readiness Levels
Support acquisition of critical technologies or those of high strategic importance
Facilitate establishment of a dedicated Deep-Tech Fund of Funds
Targeted Sectors:
Sunrise Sectors: Energy Security, Deep Technology(includes quantum computing, robotics & space), Artificial Intelligence, Biotechnology & Health, Digital Economy.
Strategic Sectors: Technologies whose indigenization is necessary for strategic reasons, economic security, or Atmanirbharta.
Public Sector: Any other sector or technology where it is deemed necessary in public interest.
Governance and Implementation Frameworks
Nodal Department: Department of Science and Technology (DST).
Strategic Direction: Provided by the Governing Board of ANRF chaired by the Prime Minister.
Approval of Scheme Guidelines: Handled by the Executive Council (EC) of ANRF
Changes in Schemes: Managed by an Empowered Group of Secretaries (EGoS) led by the Cabinet Secretary.
Amul and IFFCO ranked World’s Top Two Cooperatives |
Rankings were given in the World Cooperative Monitor 2025, produced by International Cooperative Alliance (ICA).
Cooperatives in India
Meaning: It is an autonomous association of persons, united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social, and cultural needs through jointly owned and democratically member-controlled enterprise.
Genesis: Cooperative Credit Societies Act, 1904.
Constitutional Recognition: ‘Cooperative societies’ is a state subject under Seventh Schedule.
97th Amendment Act, 2011 granted citizens the fundamental right to form cooperative societies and included Article 43B in the Directive Principles of State Policy.
Legal Framework: Cooperative societies functioning in more than one state/UT are governed by Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act, 2002 (amended in 2023).
While those in a single state are governed by the respective state/UT acts.
Status: India has more than one-fourth of the world's cooperatives (over 8.44 lakhs).
Top States: Maharashtra, Gujarat, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, and Karnataka.
Key Initiatives to Strengthen ooperatives in India
Establishment of the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) in 1963.
National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) in 1982
Establishment of the Ministry of Cooperation in 2021.
National Cooperation Policy 2025.
Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd or AMUL (HQ: Anand, Gujarat)
IFFCO or Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited (HQ: New Delhi)
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India’s role amid declining credibility and perceived bias of Western-led Global Institutions |
Of late, major global bodies in the economic, cultural, and political spheres, once seen as impartial, are increasingly aligning with a specific, interventionist strand of the US foreign policy, eroding their credibility and creating a "legitimacy gap" on the world stage.
Erosion of Western Institutional legitimacy
Institutional biases and double standards: Swift and severe actions taken against Russia following its 2022 invasion of Ukraine with the continued normal engagement with Israel despite the civilian death toll in Gaza.
E.g., Exclusion of Russia and Belarus from Paris Olympics 2024, disconnection of Russian financial institutions from SWIFT, etc.
Dysfunctional institutions: e.g., WTO Appellate Body remains dysfunctional since 2019 as the US has blocked appointment of new members leaving the body without quorum.
Non-representative institutions: UN Security Council with its P5 members does not represent the contemporary geopolitics and the shifting Balance of Power.
Potential Strategic Implications
Increased Global Instability: Politicized actions by global bodies can exacerbate geopolitical tensions.
Reduced International Trade: The use of financial networks like SWIFT as a foreign policy tool disrupts global commerce.
Spurring Energy Prices: Instability and sanctions regimes can lead to volatility in global energy markets.
Opportunities for India
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India’s Information Technology Industry is undergoing a transformation |
The Indian IT industry is undergoing major transformation due to automation, shifting global trends, steepest workforce layoffs, and evolving skill needs.
Indian IT Industry
Contributes about 12% to total services GVA and nearly 7% to India’s GDP, adding over $280 billion to the economy.
Employs around 1% of the workforce, with nearly 6 million people working in the sector.
Women form about 36% of the total workforce, reflecting growing gender inclusion.
Industry has positioned India as a global hub for software services and digital innovation while providing upward mobility for youth, especially from smaller towns.
Transformations in the IT Industry
Technology transformation: AI-driven automation is disrupting the sector by automating routine work like reporting, basic coding, and coordination.
It is drastically improving developer productivity, and shifting the industry’s focus towards high-value, AI-driven digital transformation.
Global Realignments: Restrictive U.S. immigration policies with hike in H-1B visa fees and tariff threats are prompting Indian IT firms to localise their overseas workforce.
Outdated outsourcing model: Mass hiring and cost-based services are giving way to solution-driven demand powered by specialised expertise and AI fluency.
Skill gap: Many professionals lack expertise in evolving fields of AI, cloud, and cybersecurity.
Way Forward
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International Migration Outlook 2025 |
Recently, the International Migration Outlook 2025 report has been released by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
Major Findings
In 2023, 225 000 Indian citizens acquired the nationality of an OECD country.
China and India continued to account for a third of all international students in OECD countries.
State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) |
Chandigarh High Court reminds Punjab State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) that it can only recommend, not issue directions like court.
About SHRC
Statutory body formed under the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993.
Inquires into human rights violations under the State List and Concurrent List.
Its recommendations are advisory, not legally binding.
Composition: A Chairperson (retired Chief Justice or Judge of a High Court) and two members.
Appointment of Chairpersons and Members: Appointed by the Governor on the recommendation of a committee.
Members can be removed by the President of India.
Typhoon |
Typhoon Kalmaegi made landfall in the central Philippines.
About Typhoon
Typhoons are essentially tropical cyclones that originate over Western Pacific Ocean.
A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm that begins over tropical oceans, and they can vary in speed, size, and intensity.
Favourable conditions for tropical cyclones include warm ocean waters, atmosphere cooling fast with height, relatively moist air, pre-existing near-surface disturbance etc.
Other names for Tropical Cyclones include:
Hurricane in Atlantic Ocean and Northeast and South Pacific Ocean.
Cyclones in the Indian Ocean,
Willy-willies in the Western Australia.
Typhoid Conjugate Vaccine |
Bangladesh became the eighth country in the world to introduce the Typhoid Conjugate Vaccine (TCV).
About Typhoid Conjugate Vaccine:
It is a single-dose, injectable vaccine that protects against typhoid fever by triggering the body to produce antibodies against the Salmonella Typhi bacterium.
Eg- Typbar TCV (manufactured by Bharat Biotech).
About Typhoid
Caused by: Bacterium Salmonella Typhi.
Spread through: Contaminated food or water.
Symptoms include: prolonged high fever, fatigue, headache, nausea, abdominal pain, and constipation or diarrhoea.
Alternative Investment Funds (AIF) |
Real Estate is now the single largest recipient of AIF capital in India.
About Alternative Investment Fund (AIF)
AIF means any fund established or incorporated in India which is a privately pooled investment vehicle which collects funds from sophisticated investors, whether Indian or foreign, for investing it in accordance with a defined investment policy for the benefit of its investors.
It can be set up in the form of a trust or a company or a limited liability partnership or a body corporate
Regulated by: Securities and Exchange Board of India
Types:
Category I - Investments in Startups & Social Ventures.
E.g: Venture Capital Funds (VCFs), SME Funds, Social Venture Funds, Infrastructure Funds
Category II - which do not fall in Category I and III and which do not undertake leverage or borrowing other than to meet day-to-day operational requirements
E.g: Real Estate, Private Equity Funds, funds for distressed assets
Category III - employ diverse or complex trading strategies and may employ leverage including through investment in listed or unlisted derivatives
E.g: Hedge Funds, Private Investment in Public Equity (PIPE) Funds
Note: AIF does not include funds covered under the SEBI (Mutual Funds) Regulations, 1996, SEBI (Collective Investment Schemes) Regulations, 1999 or any other regulations of the Board to regulate fund management activities.
Mussels |
Mussels reveal growing microplastic pollution in Greece’s seas.
About Mussels
Mussels are bivalve mollusks characterized by a blue–black shell that lives attached to surfaces in marine environments.
The molluscs include many familiar animals, including clams, snails, slugs, squid, tusk shells and chitons.
These are filter-feeding organisms that absorb a range of contaminants into their tissue, including invisible microplastics.
They are known for their efficient feeding, higher protein content compared to oysters.
They have been used globally for decades as a barometer of marine pollution.
3I/ATLAS |
Comet 3I/ATLAS has been found to contain water, marking a significant discovery in understanding cometary evolution.
About 3I/ATLAS
Comet 3I/ATLAS is the third known object from outside our solar system to be discovered passing through our celestial neighborhood.
Other two are 1I/ʻOumuamua seen in 2017 and 2I/Borisov seen in 2019.
Astronomers have categorized this object as interstellar because of the hyperbolic shape of its orbital path. (It does not follow a closed orbital path about the Sun.)
It was first spotted by NASA-funded Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) telescope in Río Hurtado, Chile.
Emission Gap Report, 2025 |
Recently “Emission Gap Report 2025: Off Target” was released by UN Environment Program (UNEP).
Key Highlights of the Report
Even the updated Nationally Determined Contribution pledges under the Paris Agreement, could lead to global temperature rise by 2.3-2.5 0C by this century.
This falls short of Paris agreement's goal of limiting warming to well below 2 °C, while pursuing efforts to cap it at 1.5 °C.
GHGs emissions rose 2.3% in 2024, reaching 57.7 gigatonnes of CO₂ equivalent.
To align with 1.5 °C target, emissions would need to fall by 55% by 2035.
Highest absolute increase in total GHG emissions was observed in India and China. However, per capita GHG emission for India remained below the world average.
VAIshwik BHArtiya Vaigyanik Fellowship |
Union Minister recently interacted with the VAIshwik BHArtiya Vaigyanik (VAIBHAV) Fellows from across the world.
About VAIBHAV
Ministry: Department of Science and Technology, Ministry of Science and Technology.
Launched in: 2023
It envisages collaboration between scientists of the Indian Diaspora with Indian Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs), Universities and/ or public funded Scientific Institutions.
VAIBHAV Fellow can choose an Indian institution to work with and can spend up to 2 months each year there, for up to 3 years.
National Company Appellate Tribunal |
Recently, National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) lifted the ban WhatsApp from sharing data with Meta platforms for advertising purposes for five years.
About NCLAT
Constituted under: Section 410 of the Companies Act, 2013.
Jurisdiction: It hears appeals against orders passed by –
National Company Law Tribunal(s) (NCLT);
Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India under Section 202 and Section 211 of IBC;
Competition Commission of India (CCI) under Section 410 of the Companies Act, 2013;
National Financial Reporting Authority under the Companies Act, 2013.
Advanced Driver Assistance System |
Union Government is considering mandating Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) in all new models of trucks and buses, including school buses.
About ADAS
It is a built-in suite of coordinated technologies that help drivers operate their vehicles more safely and avoid human errors.
In ADAS, sensors such as Lidar, Radar, and cameras work together to inform features such as pedestrian detection, and lane departure warning.
It includes a range of features including Adaptive Cruise Control, Automatic Emergency Braking, Blind Spot Detection, Cross-Traffic Alert, Parking Assistance, Traffic Sign Recognition, among others.
Quantum Gravity |
A Study has proposed that black hole ‘morsels’ could offer insights into quantum gravity.
Black hole morsels are hypothetical micro-black holes, far smaller than their parent black holes, comparable in mass to asteroids and therefore much hotter.
About Quantum Gravity
Field of theoretical physics that seeks to describe gravity according to the principles of quantum mechanics.
Hence, it seeks to reconcile two theories of physics — quantum mechanics (dealing with particles on small scales) — and gravity (for large scales, based on Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity).
Significance: Understand the physics within black holes, quantum entanglement, condensed matter physics, etc.
Umngot River |
Meghalaya’s Umngot river (also known as Dawki River), known for its greenish blue crystal-clear water is turning murky.
About Umngot River
Origin: Originates from the Eastern part of Shillong Peak.
Flow: Southwards through Dawki, a small town in East Jaintia Hills district, Meghalaya (near the Indo-Bangladesh border) and finally enters Bangladesh.
Acts as the gateway to Bangladesh.
Key Features: Forms Natural boundary between Ri Pnar (Jaintia Hills) and Hima Khyrim (Khasi Hills).
PLI Scheme for Specialty Steel (PLI 1.2) |
Union Minister of Steel launched the Third Round (PLI 1.2) of Specialty Steel Incentive Scheme.
About the PLI Scheme
Approved by the Union Cabinet in July 2021 to encourage production of high-value, high-grade steels used in sectors like defence, aerospace, energy, automobiles, and infrastructure.
Key Highlights of Third Round PLI 1.2
Scope: Covers 22 product sub-categories across five broad target segments including strategic steel grades, etc.
Incentives: Range from 4% to 15% of incremental sales with revised base year of 2024-25.
Incentive Period: Maximum of 5 years starting from FY 2025–26.
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