International Developments
India‑ASEAN Digital Partnership Dialogue 2025:
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- A joint statement by India and ASEAN countries on cooperation in digital public infrastructure and resilience.
- Both sides resolved to expand adoption of interoperable digital public infrastructures, including digital IDs, payment systems, data‑governance frameworks, to ensure equity, affordability and data sovereignty.
- The agreement reflects India’s push to export its policy and institutional model of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) to neighbours and partners, an element of its broader tech‑diplomacy outreach.
(PIB)
Economy
UPI Recognized as World’s Largest Real-Time Payment System by IMF:
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- The IMF has recognized UPI as the world’s largest real‑time retail payments system by transaction volume.
- According to a 2024 report by ACI Worldwide, UPI accounts for 49% of global real‑time payment transactions, making India a global leader.
- As of October 2025, digital‑payment infrastructure has expanded substantially under the government’s policies: roughly 5.45 crore digital touch‑points deployed in Tier‑3 to Tier‑6 centres using the Payments Infrastructure Development Fund (PIDF).
- A total of about 6.5 crore merchants now accept UPI/QR‑based payments, indicating deep penetration into urban, semi‑urban and rural areas.
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Hindu Rate of Growth:
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- The term was coined in 1982 by economist Raj Krishna to describe India’s long‑run low growth rate (~3.5%–4%) between the 1950s and late 1970s/early 1980s.
- It highlighted a stagnation in growth despite political changes, crises, and global economic shifts, implicitly attributing it to structural and systemic economic constraints.
- Later analyses show that India’s GDP growth rate surpassed this old “Hindu rate” well before the 1991 liberalisation, for example, the 1980s saw average growth around 5.8%.
- The term fell out of empirical relevance as economy opened up; now many see the “Hindu rate” as a relic of a different era, and a label often criticized for its negative cultural overtones.
(IE)
Geography, Mapping, Ecology & Environment
Benin:
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- Context: Attempted coup in Benin.
- Location: West Africa; borders Togo, Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria.
- Political System: Presidential republic; historically more stable than neighbours.
- Regional Context: Sahel–West Africa region facing rising military coups (Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Guinea).
- Security Issues: Spillover of jihadi insurgencies from Sahel into northern Benin (Al-Qaeda/ISIS affiliates).
- Economy: Major producer of cotton (called “white gold”); key port at Cotonou supports regional trade.
- International Relations: Member of ECOWAS; ECOWAS concerned about spread of coups in the region.
- Geostrategic Importance: Gulf of Guinea coast, important for maritime trade and anti-piracy measures.
(TH)
STEPS TO CHECK GROUND LEVEL OZONE:
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- Under the revised National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS), ground level ozone (O₃) is now included among the 12 regulated air pollutants.
- O₃ is a secondary pollutant, formed by photochemical reactions between nitrogen oxides (NOₓ) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
- To control O₃ pollution, the government has taken a range of actions targeting precursors (NOₓ / VOCs), including:
- Adoption of BS VI emission standards for vehicles (reducing NOₓ emissions significantly).
- Push for electric mobility via initiatives such as PM EV Drive and urban e bus services, reducing vehicular emissions.
- Under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), 130 non attainment / million plus cities have prepared city specific clean air action plans that address pollution sources (vehicular, industrial, dust, waste burning, construction, etc.).
- Stricter industrial emission norms for NOₓ and VOC emissions, across sectors (power plants, industries, petroleum pumps, with mandatory Vapour Recovery Systems (VRS)).
- Steps to control other pollution sources: banning biomass/garbage burning, enforcing waste management rules (solid waste, hazardous waste, biomedical waste).
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Science & Technology
Cosmic / Galaxy Filaments:
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- Largest structures in the Universe; part of the cosmic web.
- Made of dark matter, gas, and galaxies arranged in long thread-like formations.
- Connect galaxy clusters and form boundaries of cosmic voids.
- Scale: Can stretch hundreds of millions of light-years.
- Formed due to gravitational collapse of matter after the Big Bang.
- Sites of galaxy formation and evolution; gas flows along filaments feed galaxies.
- Observed using radio, optical, and X-ray telescopes; also detected through weak gravitational lensing.
- Helps study dark matter distribution and large-scale structure of the universe.
(TH)
Neurotechnology:
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- Technologies that record, interpret, or modulate brain activity; interface between nervous system and external devices.
- Components: Brain–computer interfaces (BCI), neural implants, neuroprosthetics, EEG-based systems, AI-neuroscience tools.
- Applications:
- Medical: Treat paralysis, Parkinson’s, epilepsy; prosthetic control; stroke rehabilitation.
- Cognitive: Memory enhancement, learning aids.
- Defense: Soldier performance augmentation research.
- Risks/Concerns:
- Neurorights (mental privacy, cognitive liberty).
- Data misuse, surveillance, hacking of neural signals.
- Ethical issues with cognitive enhancement.
- Global Developments:
- Chile first to include neurorights in constitution.
- Growing investment in BCI firms (e.g., non-invasive & invasive neurotech).
- India Context: Emerging research in neurosciences, AI, biomedical engineering, IITs/AIIMS labs; need for regulatory framework.
(TH)
COMMUNITY DRIVEN INITIATIVES FOR ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION:
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- Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has launched and expanded several community driven initiatives to promote cleaner, greener cities and towns across India.
- Major schemes under this are:
- Nagar Van Yojana (NVY), for creating green/forest spaces in urban and peri urban areas. So far, 620 Nagar Vans established in 28 States + 3 UTs.
- School Nursery Yojana (SNY), engages school students (public/private) to inculcate awareness about plants and environment.
- Campaigns and other initiatives:
- “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam”, launched on World Environment Day 2024; more than 261 crore saplings recorded on the national portal; over 45 crore saplings planted in urban areas.
- Under programmes like Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment) and awareness drives by National Museum of Natural History (NMNH), youth, communities, schools, NGOs participate in cleaning drives, waste segregation awareness, e waste recycling, and plastic pollution reduction campaigns.
- From June to October 2025 under the National Plastic Pollution Reduction Campaign (NPPRC), focus was on reducing single use plastics, especially in government offices, and promoting waste management awareness nationwide.
- Scope: These initiatives cover urban greening, environment education, youth engagement, waste management, plastic pollution reduction, e waste recycling, coastal and beach cleaning campaigns, and capacity building for citizens.
(PIB)
History, Art & Culture
Vande Mataram at 150:
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- Origin: Poem written in 1875 by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay; published in his novel Anandamath (1882).
- Adoption: Became popular during India’s freedom struggle; adopted by Indian National Congress in 1905.
- Official status: In 1950, the Constituent Assembly of India declared it the “National Song”, to be honoured equally with the national anthem Jana Gana Mana.
- Difference from National Anthem: Unlike Jana Gana Mana, Vande Mataram has no constitutional or statutory status; respect for it is not enshrined as a Fundamental Duty under Article 51A.
- Relevant compromise: Only the first two stanzas are used publicly, later verses with religious imagery dropped to respect India’s plural, secular ethos.
(IE)
20th Session of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage (2025):
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- India is hosting the 20th session of the UNESCO committee responsible for intangible cultural heritage (ICH).
- The session brings together member‑states to review new nominations for ICH inscription, assess status of existing heritage elements, and discuss international support for safeguarding traditions.
- The event underscores India’s role in global cultural diplomacy and provides opportunity to highlight the country’s rich living heritage and commitment to its preservation.
(PIB)
Important data/facts
Economy
India’s Solar Momentum:
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- India’s solar capacity surged to 129 GW in 2025, up from 3 GW in 2014.
- Non-fossil power crosses 50% of India’s 500 GW capacity.
- Nearly 24 lakh households have adopted rooftop solar until December 2025 under PM Surya Ghar with installation capacity of 7 GW of clean energy and ₹ 13,464.6 Cr Subsidy released.
- PM-KUSUM facilitated close to 9.2 lakh standalone solar pumps under component B, boosting clean energy use in agriculture.
- As of 31st October 2025, 55 solar parks with a combined sanctioned capacity of 40 GW approved across 13 Indian states.
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