Mindplan Monthly Current Affairs — November 2025

⭐ Points marked ** are most important for UPSC & BPSC. Must revise before entering exam hall. ⭐

1. POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1.1. Land Registration System in India

Supreme Court in Samiullah v. State of Bihar called for fundamental reform in India’s land registration and titling system.

• ** SC struck down Bihar’s rule making mutation proof mandatory for property registration — registration records transactions, not ownership.
• ** Land is a “State subject”; registration of deeds is a Concurrent List subject under Schedule VII.
• Key issues: Outdated colonial framework (Transfer of Property Act 1882, Indian Stamp Act 1899, Registration Act 1908); No Conclusive Title; 66% of civil litigation involves land disputes; Incomplete digitisation.
• ** SC directed Law Commission of India (LCI) to create a committee for integrating property registration with conclusive titling.
• ** Blockchain-based land titling: Tamper-proof, cryptographically linked ledger integrating cadastral maps, survey and revenue records.
• Key initiatives: DILRMP, ULPIN (Bhu-Aadhar) — 14-digit unique ID for each land parcel; NGDRS (E-Registration); Dharani portal (Telangana); Kaveri portal (Karnataka).

1.2. Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Rules, 2025

• ** Marks full operationalisation of DPDP Act, 2023; Ministry: MeitY; 18-month phased compliance period.
• ** Key Obligations on Data Fiduciaries: Issue standalone consent notices; Erase personal data when purpose is served; Issue data breach notification; Mandatory response within 90 days.
• ** Special protection of children’s data: Verifiable parental consent required.
• ** Data Protection Board of India (DPBI): 4 members; appeals to TDSAT.
• 7 Core Principles of DPDP Act: Consent and Transparency, Purpose Limitation, Data Minimisation, Accuracy, Storage Limitation, Security Safeguards, Accountability.
• Financial penalties: Up to ₹250 crore for failure in security safeguards; up to ₹200 crore for breach notification failures or violations relating to children.
• ** Revises Section 8(1)(j) of the RTI Act: exempts disclosure of personal information.
• Criticisms: Broad government exemptions; Missing right to data portability; Missing right to be forgotten.

1.3. India AI Governance Guidelines

• ** MeitY unveiled India AI Governance Guidelines under IndiaAI Mission.
• ** Institutional framework: AI Governance Group (overall policy); Government agencies (MeitY, MHA); Sectoral regulators (RBI, SEBI, TRAI); Standards bodies (BIS).
• ** IndiaAI Mission (2024): Aims to deploy over 10,000 GPUs for AI computing infrastructure; implemented by ‘IndiaAI’ IBD under Digital India Corporation.
• Key AI governance issues: Digital divide, algorithmic bias, transparency (“black box”), cybersecurity, IPR disputes (e.g., Google AI Overviews lawsuit).
• Global initiatives: Europe’s AI Act 2024 (4 risk categories); Bletchley Declaration 2023 (28 countries); OECD AI Principles 2019; G7 AI pact 2023.

1.4. Tribunals

• ** SC struck down Tribunal Reforms Act, 2021 — it contradicts binding judicial pronouncements and violates separation of powers and judicial independence.
• ** SC directed Union to form a National Tribunal Commission within 4 months.
• ** Constitutional Status: 42nd Amendment Act, 1976 inserted Articles 323-A and 323-B.
• SC held members should have at least 5-year tenure; lawyers with minimum 10 years experience must be considered for appointments.
• ** First Tribunal: Income-Tax Appellate Tribunal, 1941.

1.5. Legal Aid in India

• ** Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987 completed 30 years; implemented on November 9, 1995 — observed as National Legal Services Day.
• ** Three-tier system: NALSA (Chief Justice of India), SLSA (CJ of HC), DLSA (District Judge).
• ** Article 39A (1976): Formalised legal aid under the Constitution.
• ** Lok Adalat: First held in Gujarat (1982); statutory status under Legal Services Act 1987; awards are final and binding, no appeal; resolved 23.58 crore cases.
• Challenges: Only 15% rural residents aware of free legal services; ₹0.75 per capita annual spend; 1 lawyer per 10,000 people in rural India.

1.6. News in Shorts

• ** SC on Assent to Bills (16th Presidential Reference under Article 143): Court cannot impose timelines on President/Governor; ‘Deemed Assent’ is alien to the Constitution; Governors/President cannot sit on Bills indefinitely.
• ** AI and the Judiciary White Paper (SC’s Centre for Research and Planning): Risks include hallucinations, algorithmic bias (US COMPAS tool in State v. Loomis), deepfakes. Recommendations: AI Ethics Committees, formal ethical AI policy.
• ** Prisons in India 2025 Report: Occupancy rate 131.4%; 3 out of 4 prisoners are undertrials; open prisons occupancy only 74%; caste bias in prison manuals held unconstitutional in Sukanya Shantha Case; wage disparity Rs 20 (Mizoram) to Rs 524 (Karnataka).
• ** Model Youth Gram Sabha (MYGS): Ministry of Panchayati Raj — simulated Gram Sabha sessions for students in JNVs, EMRSs and State Government Schools; aligned with NEP 2020.

2. INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

2.1. Rising Global Nuclear Risk and India’s Approach to Disarmament

• ** US President announced resumption of nuclear weapons testing, weakening non-proliferation efforts.
• ** Factors: Geopolitical tensions, treaty breakdown (INF Treaty collapse, US exit from Iran deal), faster delivery systems, AI weaponization, space militarization.
• ** India’s Stand: First country in 1954 to call for a worldwide nuclear test ban; proposed Global Convention in 1978; UNGA Action Plan in 1988 (3-phase disarmament).
• India opposes NPT (recognizes nuclear weapons for only 5 countries); has not signed CTBT; does not support TPNW.

2.2. G2

• ** G2 concept: First proposed in 2005 by economist C. Fred Bergsten; refers to US-China duopoly in global affairs.
• ** US-China trade truce: Lowering of US tariffs on China, relaxation on export of rare earths from China to US.
• ** Implications for India: Strained India-US relations amid tariffs on Indian goods; uncertainty about Quad’s future; G-2 fuels US-China cooperation at the expense of multilateralism.
• Limiting factors: Political/ideological differences, mutual distrust (Taiwan, South China Sea), China’s rejection of the G2 framing.

2.3. G20 Summit 2025

• ** 20th G20 Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa; theme: ‘Solidarity, Equality, and Sustainability’; first ever on African soil; guided by Ubuntu philosophy.
• ** Key outcomes (Johannesburg Declaration):
  • Cost of Capital Commission: to address borrowing cost issues for developing economies.
  • Mission 300 (World Bank + African Development Bank): connect 300 million Africans to electricity by 2030.
  • Nelson Mandela Bay Target: reduce NEET youth rate by 5% by 2030.
  • Brisbane-eThekwini Goal: reduce gender gap in labour force participation by 25% by 2030 from 2012 levels.
  • G20 Critical Minerals Framework: voluntary, non-binding blueprint for sustainable value chains.

2.4. India-US Defense Ties

• ** India and US signed a 10-year framework pact for defense partnership (follow-up to 2005 and 2015 agreements).
• ** 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue: apex dialogue mechanism.
• ** Foundational Agreements: GSOMIA (2002), LEMOA (2016), COMCASA (2018), BECA (2020).
• ** India designated as Major Defense Partner (2016); STA-1 status (2018) — faster license-free access to US military technologies.
• Defense trade exceeding $20 billion; US among India’s top 3 defense-export customers.
• Key irritants: CAATSA concerns (S-400 deal), US-Pakistan engagement after Operation Sindoor, interoperability challenges with Russian legacy systems.

2.5. India-Bhutan Relations

• ** PM’s state visit to Bhutan; inauguration of Punatsangchhu-II Hydroelectric Project.
• ** India’s support: ₹200 crore grant + ₹1500 crore concessionary loan for Gyalsung National Service Program; MoU for Kokrajhar-Gelephu and Banarhat-Samtse rail links.
• ** Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation (1949) revised in 2007 — removed clause requiring Bhutan to seek India’s guidance in external affairs.
• Significance for India: Strategic buffer (Doklam vital for Siliguri Corridor); 5 major HEPs totalling 2986 MW; Bhutan first country to adopt UPI standards.
• For Bhutan: India’s contribution was 73% of 12th FYP total external grant; electricity exports to India generate ~40% of Bhutan’s revenue and 25% of GDP.

2.6. UN80 Initiative Action Plan

• ** Launched in March 2025 for 80th anniversary of UN; timeline: November 2025 to December 2026.
• ** System resources estimated to fall 25% (from $66 to $50 billion) in 2026; 40,000+ mandates create duplication.
• Three work streams: identifying efficiencies, reviewing mandates, examining structural changes.
• Key reform areas: New models for peace operations; New Humanitarian Compact; UNDP and UNOPS possible merger.

2.7. News in Shorts

• ** East Asia Summit (EAS) — 20th Summit: Adopted Kuala Lumpur Declaration on Peace and Stability; Established in 2005; Members: ASEAN + Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, US, Russia.
• ** APEC 2025: Gyeongju, South Korea; Secretariat: Singapore; Founded 1989; 21 economies; India not a member (observer status).
• ** ACITI (Australia Canada India Technology and Innovation): Trilateral framework announced at G20 Johannesburg; focus on critical minerals, clean energy, AI.
• ** WAICO: China’s proposed global AI governance body; incorporates China’s 2023 Global AI Governance Initiative.
• ** Abraham Accords (2020): Normalize Israel relations with UAE, Bahrain, Morocco; Kazakhstan now joining.
• ** Water Convention: Bangladesh first South Asian country to join UN’s Water Convention (Helsinki, 1992).
• ** Anegada Passage: Channel in West Indies connecting Atlantic Ocean with Caribbean Sea; separates British Virgin Islands from Leeward Islands.

3. ECONOMY

3.1. Export Promotion Mission (EPM)

• ** Union Cabinet approved EPM; announced in Union Budget 2025-26; financial outlay: ₹25,060 crores; timeline: 6 years (FY 2025-26 to 2030-31).
• ** Two sub-schemes: Niryat Protsahan (financial support — affordable trade finance) and Niryat Disha (non-financial support — market readiness, branding, logistics).
• ** Credit Guarantee Scheme for Exporters (CGSE): Up to ₹20,000 crore collateral-free with 100% guarantee by NCGTC; implementing agency: DFS.
• Targeted sectors: Textiles, leather, gems & jewellery, engineering goods, marine products.
• US imposed 50% tariff on Indian goods — India’s largest export destination impacted.

3.2. Manufacturing in India

• ** NITI Aayog + CII + Deloitte roadmap: “Reimagining Manufacturing: India’s Roadmap to Global Leadership in Advanced Manufacturing” — 13 priority sectors.
• ** Core Frontier Technology Enablers: AI & ML, Digital Twins (virtual replicas of physical systems), Advanced Materials, Robotics.
• ** R&D spending in India: only 0.64% of GDP (2023) vs China at ~2.5%.
• ** Manufacturing sector’s share: ~35.5% output from MSMEs; top 5 states account for 54% of manufacturing GVA.
• India’s logistics cost dropped to 7.97% of GDP.

3.3. World Inequality Report 2026

• ** Released by World Inequality Lab.
• ** Global: Top 10% owns ~75% of total wealth; bottom 50% holds a mere 2%; top 10% income earners earn more than remaining 90% combined.
• ** Carbon divide: Wealthiest 10% responsible for ~77% of private capital-related carbon emissions; poorest half responsible for just 3%.
• ** India: Top 10% captures 58% of national income; bottom 50% receives only 15%; richest 10% hold ~65% of total national wealth; top 1% holds ~40%.
• India ranks 4th globally in income equality (World Bank) with Gini Index of 25.5.

3.4. Implementation of Labour Codes

• ** Ministry of Labour brought into force 4 Labour Codes consolidating 29 existing central labour laws.
• ** Labour Force: Overall LFPR for 2024: 59.6%; 90% workers in unorganized sector; 41.7% female LFPR (2023-24).

3.5. Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights (PPV&FR) Act, 2001

• ** Silver Jubilee of PPV&FR Act, 2001; enacted to fulfil TRIPS Agreement (WTO) obligations through a sui generis system (India chose not to grant patents for plants).
• ** Rights: Breeders’ Rights (exclusive production/sale); Researchers’ Rights (use for experiments); Farmers’ Rights (save, use, exchange, sell but not as branded seed).
• ** Variety eligibility: Must satisfy DUS criteria (Distinctiveness, Uniformity and Stability).
• PPV&FRA: Statutory body under Ministry of Agriculture; 15 members; National Register of Plant Varieties; National Gene Bank; National Gene Fund.

3.6. Maritime Sector of India

• ** India Maritime Week 2025: Maritime Investment Roadmap ($1 Lakh Crores); Digi Bandar (AI-enabled national port framework); Green Tug Programme (100 eco-friendly tugs by 2040; ₹12,000 crore).
• ** Key stats: 95% of India’s trade by volume via sea; major ports handled ~855 million tonnes FY2024-25; vessel turnaround reduced from 93 hours to 48 hours.
• ** India’s seafarer workforce: 3 lakh — 12% of global seafaring workforce; 3rd largest supply of trained seafarers.
• ** India operationalised first deep-water international trans-shipment hub at Vizhinjam.
• ** Five key maritime acts passed: Indian Ports Act, Merchant Shipping Act 2025, Carriage of Goods by Sea Act, Bills of Lading Act, Coastal Shipping Act 2025.
• Key programmes: Maritime India Vision 2030; Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047 (₹80 lakh crore); Sagarmala Programme; Jalvahak Cargo Promotion Scheme (35% reimbursement).

3.7. News in Shorts

• ** FSAP Report (World Bank-IMF): India urged to accelerate reforms for USD 30 trillion economy by 2047; financial system assets: ~175% of GDP; FSAP started 1999.
• ** IPO: Chief Economic Advisor raised concerns — used as exit route for early investors rather than long-term capital instrument. Types: Fixed Price Issue and Book Building Issue.
• ** Digital Warehousing Initiatives: Bhandaran 360 (CWC cloud ERP); Smart EXIM Warehouse System (AI, IoT, FASTag, OCR); ANNA DARPAN (FCI mobile-first platform); ASHA Platform (AI-based ration feedback).
• ** NIC 2025: Released by MoSPI; updates NIC 2008; new 6-digit coding structure (from 5-digit); aligned with ISIC Revision 5 (UNSD); recognizes Ayush-based healthcare, handloom, fintech, e-commerce.

4. SECURITY

4.1. White Collar Terrorism (WCT)

• ** NIA arrested a doctor from Baramulla in the Delhi bomb blast case — described as White-Collar Terrorism.
• ** WCT: Covert participation of professionals (doctors, engineers, IT specialists) in enabling, designing, financing, or shielding terrorist operations; derived from Edwin Sutherland’s “White-Collar Crime” concept.
• ** Evolution: Engineers in ISIS weapons program, doctors in Al-Qaeda networks; Kerala ISIS recruits from upper-middle-class families.
• ** Factors: Rise of digital technology; institutional cover (universities, hospitals); transnational linkages; Relative Deprivation Theory; Social Identity Theory.
• India’s counter-terrorism: NIA, NSG, IB; UAPA 1967; TFFC; surgical strikes; Operation Sindoor (2025).

4.2. News in Shorts

• ** GPS Spoofing: Cyberattack transmitting false GPS signals to mislead navigation systems; airlines reported surge over Delhi.
• ** Burevestnik Missile (SSC-X-9 Skyfall): Russia’s nuclear-powered, nuclear-capable, long-range low-flying cruise missile — one of 6 new-generation strategic weapons.

5. ENVIRONMENT

5.1. UNFCCC COP30

• ** COP30 held in Belém, Brazil (Amazon region) — coincided with 10th anniversary of the Paris Agreement; the “COP of Implementation, Truth, and Forests”.
• ** Belém Package adopted by 195 Parties; deadline for submitting NDC 3.0.

5.1.2. India’s Position at COP30

• ** India negotiated through G77+China, BASIC, and LMDC groupings.
• ** India’s key demands: Equity and CBDR-RC as cornerstone; Climate finance as a legal obligation under Article 9.1; “Technology Access is a Right, not a Bargaining Tool”; Reject unilateral trade-restrictive climate measures as protectionism.
• ** India declared COP30 must be the “CoP of Adaptation”.

5.1.3. Climate Finance

• ** NCQG: USD 300 billion/year (vs developing nations’ need of USD 1.3 trillion/year).
• ** India’s Climate Finance Needs (TERI): Net-Zero by 2070 requires ~USD 10.1 trillion; NDC Implementation 2015-2030: USD 2.5–8 trillion.
• Domestic steps: Sovereign Green Bonds (₹16,000 crore FY23; ₹20,000 crore FY24); Carbon Credit Trading Scheme (CCTS) establishing Indian Carbon Market.

5.2. Urban Air Pollution

• • ** CAQM implemented Stage-III GRAP across entire NCR.
  • ** GRAP stages: Stage 1 (AQI 201-300), Stage 2 (301-400), Stage 3 (401-450 — Severe), Stage 4 (451+ Severe+); created on SC directions (M.C. Mehta vs. Union of India).
  • ** India lost economic output equivalent to 9.5% of GDP in 2022 due to air pollution (Lancet Countdown 2025).

• ** NCAP: Aims to reduce particulate matter by 40% by 2026 in 131 cities; CAQM (2021) — statutory body for Delhi-NCR; BS-VI fuel (2020); PM E-DRIVE Scheme; SATAT (Compressed Bio-Gas).

5.3. India’s Renewable Energy Growth

• ** Two historic milestones in 2025: RE met 51.5% of total electricity demand (July 2025); non-fossil fuel installed capacity reached 51% (September 2025).
• ** Installed non-fossil fuel capacity: 256.09 GW; India’s target: 500 GW by 2030 (Panchamrita).
• ** Global ranking (IRENA 2025): 4th in RE Installed Capacity; 4th in Wind Power; 3rd in Solar Power; 3rd largest ethanol producer.
• ** Progress: ~3x increase in RE capacity (2014-2025); ~40-fold increase in solar; 20% ethanol blending achieved (target was 2025-26).
• ** NDC target achieved 5 years ahead: 50% installed capacity from non-fossil fuels by 2030.
• ** India’s solar module manufacturing: Jumped from 38 GW to 74 GW during FY 2024-25.
• Key initiatives: International Solar Alliance (ISA) — India + France at COP21 2015; One Sun One World One Grid (OSOWOG); National Green Hydrogen Mission (5 MMT by 2030); Green Open Access Rules 2022; Indian Carbon Market (2024).

5.4. Seed Management

• ** Draft Seeds Bill, 2025: Replaces Seeds Act 1966 and Seeds (Control) Order 1983.
• ** Key features: Mandatory registration for all commercially sold seeds; SATHI portal for traceability; Three-tier penalty system; Farmers can save/use/exchange seeds but cannot sell branded seed of registered varieties.
• ** India is the 5th largest Seed Industry in the world (USA is largest).
• Three generations: Breeder Seed → Foundation Seed → Certified Seed.

5.5. Vultures

• ** Wildlife Institute of India (WII): First Pan-India Assessment and Monitoring of Endangered Species (Vultures) — four Critically Endangered species: White-rumped, Indian, Slender-billed, Red-headed vultures.
• ** Nesting absent in nearly 70% of historical sites; Protected Areas hold 54% of documented nests.
• ** Threats: Diclofenac poisoning (banned), habitat loss; Conservation: Action Plan for Vulture Conservation (2020-25); Protected under Schedule I, Wildlife Protection Act 1972.

5.6. News in Shorts

• ** India-Botswana Cheetah Translocation Pact: 8 cheetahs to India under Project Cheetah (2022); world’s first intercontinental large wild carnivore translocation; implementing agency: NTCA; Cheetah extinct in India since 1952.
• ** SC Directions for Tiger Reserves: Tiger safaris only in buffer zones (non-forest/degraded); no safaris in core areas; no night tourism in core habitats; uniform ex-gratia of ₹10 lakh for human deaths due to HWCs; 58 tiger reserves across India.
• ** SC recalls Vanashakti Judgment: Ex-post facto Environmental Clearances allowed in exceptional cases (D Swamy vs Karnataka SPC Board 2021); original EIA Notification 2006 requires prior EC.
• ** DRAP (Dumpsite Remediation Accelerator Programme): Under SBM-Urban 2.0; target: Lakshya Zero Dumpsites by September 2026; covers ~8.8 crore MT of legacy waste; ~80% concentrated in 214 sites across 202 ULBs.
• ** Global Reporting Initiative (GRI): Non-profit, established 1997; launched Integrity Matters Checklist — UN-endorsed framework aligning corporate climate disclosures with net-zero standards.
• ** LeadIT: Launched by India and Sweden at UN Climate Action Summit 2019; first global initiative for net-zero from high-emitting industries by 2050; LeadIT 2.0 adopted at COP28; 18 countries + 27 companies.
• ** UAE Consensus (COP28 2023): First-ever Global Stocktake under Paris Agreement; transition away from fossil fuels; triple renewables + double energy efficiency by 2030.
• ** UNEP Adaptation Gap Report 2025: Developing nations face adaptation shortfall of $310-365 billion/year by mid-2030s; current funding only $26 billion.
• ** Emission Gap Report 2025: GHGs emissions rose 2.3% in 2024, reaching 57.7 gigatonnes CO₂eq; current NDC pledges lead to 2.3-2.5°C warming; need 55% fall by 2035 for 1.5°C; India’s per capita emissions remain below world average.
• ** State of the Cryosphere Report 2025: Ice sheet losses quadrupled since 1990s; mountain glacier loss: 273 gigatons/year (2000-2023); sea ice declined 40-60% since 1979; permafrost thawed 210,000 km²/decade.
• ** Global Cooling Watch 2025: Global cooling equipment to triple by 2050 (22 TW→68 TW); 72 nations endorsed Global Cooling Pledge (reduce cooling emissions 68% by 2050).
• ** CCPI 2026: India ranks 23rd (high to medium performer); no national coal exit timeline.
• ** Climate Risk Index 2026 (Germanwatch): India ranked 15th in CRI 2024 and 9th in CRI 1995-2024; ~430 extreme events in 30 years; $170 billion losses.
• ** SOFA 2025 Report (FAO): Land degradation — crop yields 10% lower for ~1.7 billion people; 47 million under-5 children face stunting + yield losses simultaneously.
• ** Montreal Protocol: MOP37 concluded; Kigali Amendment (2016) to phase-down HFCs.
• ** Minamata Convention: COP-6 agreed to end dental amalgam use by 2034; Mercury (Hg) — only common metal liquid at room temperature; methylmercury bioaccumulates in fish.
• ** Lake Turkana: World’s largest permanent desert lake; largest alkaline lake; mainly in Kenya; over 90% inflow from Omo River (Ethiopia); falling water levels triggering earthquake activity.
• ** Mount Semeru: Highest volcano on Java; Stratovolcano; part of Pacific Ring of Fire.

6. SOCIAL ISSUES

6.1. Decolonising the Indian Mind

• ** PM urges 10-year pledge to shed colonial mindset rooted in Macaulay’s legacy.
• ** Macaulay’s key interventions: Minute on Education (1835) — English as medium; Downward Filtration Theory; First Law Commission (codification); Macaulay Committee (1854) — competitive civil service exams (merit over patronage).
• ** Colonial mindset manifestations: Language (English in courts incomprehensible to 99.9% — Ex-CJI Chandrachud); Ayurveda labeled “unscientific”; IPC rooted in control not service; bureaucratic overreach; colorism.
• ** Cultural resistance movements: Arya Samaj (1875); Ramakrishna Mission (1897); Swadeshi Movement (1905); Bengal School of Art.
• ** Initiatives to remove colonial vestiges: Repealed 1,500+ colonial laws; BNS, BNSS, BSA replacing IPC, CrPC, Evidence Act; Kartavya Path (renamed Rajpath); New Naval Ensign; WHO GCTM at Jamnagar.

6.2. Juvenile Justice System in India

• ** Juvenile Justice (JJ) Act, 2015 (replaced JJ Act 2000; amended 2021); defines Child as under 18 years; Child in conflict with law: below 18 alleged to have committed an offence.
• ** Juvenile Justice Board (JJB): Mandated in every district; monitoring by NCPCR (national) and SCPCR (state).
• ** Key issue: Only 707 JJBs across 765 districts; 55% of cases pending; 83% children in custodial facilities in observation homes.
• ** In heinous offences by child above 16: JJB does preliminary assessment → Children’s Court decides if child can be tried as adult.
• Important judgements: Sheela Barse v. UoI (1986); Sampurna Behura v. UoI (2005).

6.3. Curriculum on AI in Schools

• ** DoSE&L to introduce AI & Computational Thinking (AI & CT) curriculum from Class 3 from 2026-27; aligned with NEP 2020 and NCF SE 2023; CBSE expert committee for curriculum development; implementation on NISHTHA platform.
• ** Computational Thinking: 4 key techniques — decomposition, pattern recognition, abstraction, algorithms.
• ** WEF prediction: 40% of core skills required in all jobs will change within 5 years.
• Current India initiatives: SOAR, YUVA AI for ALL (1 crore citizens); Skill India Digital Hub (SIDH); PMKVY 4.0.

6.4. News in Shorts

• ** Second World Summit for Social Development (Doha, Qatar): Adopted Doha Political Declaration; 1st was Copenhagen 1995; Three Pillars: poverty eradication, full productive employment, social inclusion.
• ** Generational Ban on Tobacco: Maldives became first country to impose generational (lifetime) tobacco ban.
• ** International Migration Outlook 2025 (OECD): 225,000 Indian citizens acquired nationality of an OECD country in 2023.
• ** World Urbanisation Prospects 2025 (UN DESA): Cities home to 45% of global population; megacities quadrupled from 8 (1975) to 33 (2025); Jakarta is world’s most populous city; India has 44% urban population.

7. SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

7.1. National One Health Mission (NOHM)

• ** Government to launch NOHM: Multi-sectorial initiative integrating human, livestock, wildlife and environmental health.
• ** Nodal Agency: ICMR under PSA; Anchor Institution: National Institute of One Health, Nagpur.
• ** One Health approach: Integrating health of people, animals, and ecosystems; ~60% of emerging infectious diseases are zoonotic.
• Four pillars: R&D, Clinical Readiness, Data Integration, Community Engagement.
• Global alignment: WHO, FAO, WOAH, UNEP One Health Quadripartite; One Health Joint Plan of Action (OH JPA) 2022-26.

7.2. National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance (NAP-AMR) 2.0

• ** NAP-AMR 2.0 (2025-29): Vision — sustainable ecosystem through One Health approach; “Whole of government” approach with 20+ ministries.
• ** First time: Mandatory surveillance of antibiotic residues and resistant pathogens in the environment.
• ** “Enforceable Accountability” Model: Specific, time-bound, budgeted action plans from each ministry.

7.3. BIRSA-101

• ** India’s 1st indigenous CRISPR-based gene editing therapy for Sickle Cell Disease; developed by CSIR-IGIB; named after Bhagwan Birsa Munda; technology transfer to Serum Institute of India.
• ** CRISPR: Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats; uses Cas9 protein (molecular scissors) and Guide RNA.
• ** TnpB-Based Technology (ICAR-CRRI Cuttack): New genome-editing tool for plants using TnpB proteins — much smaller than Cas9; GlowCas9 (Bose Institute): CRISPR protein that lights up during gene editing.

7.4. WHO Tuberculosis (TB) Report 2025

• ** India’s TB incidence reduced by 21%; India holds 25% of global TB burden.
• ** India accounts for more than 32% of global MDR/RR-TB cases; TB mortality rate reduced from 28 to 21 per lakh population (2015 to 2024).
• ** Global: 1.23 million died in 2024; net reduction of 12% in incidence rate (2015-2024); 29% reduction in deaths.
• ** Key initiatives: NTEP (renamed from RNTCP in 2020); PM TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan (2022); Nikshay Poshan Yojana (₹1,000/month nutritional support); BPaLM regimen for drug-resistant TB; Nikshay Portal.

7.5. GSAT-7R

• ** GSAT-7R (CMS-03): Indian Navy’s advanced defence satellite; launched on LVM3 from Sriharikota; weight ~4,400 kg; 15-year lifespan; operates on UHF, S, C, Ku bands.
• ** Coverage: Indian Ocean Region + Indian landmass up to 2,000 km from India’s coastline.
• GSAT-7 series: GSAT-7/Rukmini (Navy, 2013 — India’s first dedicated military satellite); GSAT-7A/Angry Bird (Air Force, 2018); GSAT-7R (Navy, new); GSAT-7B (Army, to be developed); GSAT-7C (Air Force, to be developed).

7.6. News in Shorts

• ** NexCAR19: India’s 1st indigenous CAR T-Cell therapy; developed by ImmunoACT (IIT Bombay + Tata Memorial Hospital); CDSCO market authorization in 2023; for B-cell blood cancers.
• ** QSIP: India’s quantum security chip — provides quantum-certified randomness for cryptographic algorithms.
• ** 25-qubit QPU: India’s first quantum computing chip by startup QpiAI.
• ** Starlink: Signed agreement with Maharashtra for satellite-based connectivity to remote areas; LEO satellites offer faster speeds and lower latency than geostationary.
• ** Vanadium Redox Flow Battery (VRFB): India’s largest MWh-Scale VRFB inaugurated at NTPC NETRA; flow batteries use redox reactions with liquid electrolytes; alternative to lithium-ion for grid-scale.
• ** ESCAPADE Mission (NASA): Investigate how solar wind interacts with Mars’ magnetic environment; launched on Blue Origin New Glenn rocket.
• ** Sentinel-6B: Joint NASA-NOAA-ESA ocean-tracking satellite; launched on Falcon 9; measures rising sea levels.
• ** Ricin: Protein from castor beans; 1 mg can kill an adult; no antidote. Ammonium Nitrate: Not explosive by itself but used in making explosives.
• ** PRIP Scheme (Promotion of Research and Innovation in Pharma & MedTech): ₹5,000 crores; by Dept of Pharmaceuticals.

8. CULTURE

8.1. UNESCO ‘Creative City of Gastronomy’

• ** Lucknow designated UNESCO “Creative City of Gastronomy” — 2nd Indian city after Hyderabad.
• ** Lucknow known as “Shiraz-i-Hind” and “The Constantinople of the East”; capital shifted by Nawab Asaf-ud-daulah in 1775.
• ** Awadhi cuisine: Dum Pukht technique; Chikankari embroidery; Bara Imambara, Rumi Darwaza.
• UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN): Established 2004; 8 creative fields including Gastronomy, Film, Literature, Music.

8.2. Bhagwan Birsa Munda

• ** Janjatiya Gaurav Divas: 150th birth anniversary of Birsa Munda; celebrated annually on November 15.
• ** Born 1875, Ulihatu, Khunti district, Jharkhand; Munda tribe; founded Birsait sect (monotheism).
• ** Ulgulan (Great Tumult) movement — Munda Rebellion 1899; slogan: “Abua Raj Setarjana, Maharani Raj Tundujana”; died in Ranchi Jail in 1900; title: Dharti Aaba (Father of Earth).
• ** Outcomes: Repeal of Begar system; Chotanagpur Tenancy Act (1908) — prohibits transfer of tribal land to non-tribals.

8.3. 150 Years of Arya Samaj

• ** PM addressed International Arya Summit 2025; 200th birth anniversary of Dayanand Saraswati; 150 years of Arya Samaj.
• ** Arya Samaj: Founded by Maharshi Dayanand Saraswati in 1875, Bombay; motto: “Krinvanto Vishvam Aryam” — Make This World Noble; slogan “Back to the Vedas”.
• ** Dayanand Saraswati: Born February 12, 1824, Morbi, Gujarat; first used term ‘Swaraj’ (self-rule) in 1875; key work: Satyarth Prakash (written in Hindi); Death: October 30, 1883, Ajmer.
• ** Key contributions: Suddhi ceremony (reconversion); Prohibited cow slaughter (Gokarunanidhi 1881); First Gaurakshini Sabha in Punjab (1882); Established DAV schools; Gurukul Kangri (1902).
• ** Prominent leaders inspired by Arya Samaj: Lala Lajpat Rai, Bhagat Singh, Ram Prasad Bismil, Swami Shraddhanand, Savarkar.
• ** Hyderabad Satyagraha (1938-39): Against Nizam’s prohibition of Vedic teachings; acknowledged by Sardar Patel.

8.4. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel

• ** 150th birth anniversary; observed as Rashtriya Ekta Diwas (National Unity Day) since 2014 on October 31.
• ** Born October 31, 1875, Nadiad, Gujarat; Bharat Ratna (posthumously, 1991).
• ** Key contributions: Kheda Satyagraha (1918) with Gandhi; Bardoli Satyagraha (1928) — earned title ‘Sardar’; unified over 560 princely states (40% of India’s territory).
• ** Operation Polo: Absorption of Hyderabad into Indian Union (1948); Junagadh integrated via plebiscite (1948); Kashmir: Instrument of Accession (1947).
• ** Envisioned All India Services as ‘Steel frame of India’; first Home and Deputy PM of Independent India; Kaira District Cooperative Milk Producers’ Union (foundation of Amul).
• ** Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat (EBSB): Announced October 31, 2015; Statue of Unity (2018, Kevadia, Gujarat).

8.5. News in Shorts

• ** Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji: 350th martyrdom anniversary (November 24, 2025); 9th Sikh Guru; born Amritsar; founded Shri Anandpur Sahib; honoured as ‘Hind Di Chadar’.
• ** ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025: India won first-ever ODI World Cup title; defeated South Africa in the final; hosted in India (13th edition); Australia holds most titles (7).
• ** New GI Tags: Ambaji Marble (Banaskantha, Gujarat — milky white, used in temples); Meerut Bugle (handcrafted brass wind instrument for military ceremonies).
• ** Indira Gandhi Peace Prize 2024: Awarded to ex-president of Chile Michelle Bachelet; instituted by Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust; awarded annually.

9. ETHICS

9.1. Ethics of Neuro-Tech Revolution

• ** Neurotechnology / Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs): Direct interaction between human nervous system and digital/mechanical systems.
• ** Applications: Motor restoration (paralysis), thought-to-speech (ALS patients), sensory prosthetics.
• ** Key ethical issues: Threat to privacy/freedom of thought; monetization of neural data; surveillance; dual-use risks (rehabilitation → military); threat to personal identity and autonomy.
• ** Stakeholder tensions: Patients (benefit but dependency risk); Tech companies (data monetization); Governments (surveillance potential); Military (cognitive enhancement).
• ** UNESCO 2025 Key Recommendations: Cognitive liberty and mental privacy; Humans must remain “in the loop”; Classify neural data as “sensitive personal data”; Regulatory Sandboxes for testing; Non-discrimination and inclusion.
• Case Study: NeuroLink Solutions — Dr. Meera’s dilemma: pricing (₹38 lakh), neural data monetization, government security access, child compassionate use.

10. SCHEMES IN NEWS

10.1. Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY)

• ** Government revised framework; Launch: 2016; Ministry: Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare; Central Sector Scheme.
• ** Premium: Kharif 2%; Rabi 1.5%; Commercial/horticultural 5%; difference subsidized equally by Centre and State (North-East: 90:10).
• ** Risks covered: Yield losses (natural disasters, pests); Prevented sowing; Post-harvest losses up to 14 days; Localized calamities (hailstorms, landslides).
• ** Key changes from Kharif 2026:
  • ** New coverage added: Crop loss due to wild animal attacks as 5th add-on cover under localised risks.
  • Paddy inundation restored as localised calamity cover (removed in 2018).
  • Mandatory reporting within 72 hours via Crop Insurance App with geo-tagged photographs.

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