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Booker Prize 2025

Syllabus: Awards/ Miscellaneous

Context

• David Szalay won this year’s Booker Prize for fiction for his novel ‘Flesh,’ is the first Hungarian-British author to win the Booker Prize.

Booker Prize 2025

• It is a prestigious literary award conferred every year for the best fiction written in the English language & published in the United Kingdom and/or Ireland.
• Launch: It was first awarded in 1969 to promote reading and literature.

Indian Winners –

1. VS Naipaul in 1971 for In A Free State,
2. Salman Rushdie for Midnight’s Children in 1981,
3. Arundhati Roy for The God of Small Things (1997),
4. Kiran Desai for The Inheritance of Loss (2006),
5. Aravind Adiga for The White Tiger (2008).
6. Geetanjali Shree for her Hindi novel, Tomb of Sand(2022)

• Note – In 2025, Banu Mushtaq and Deepa Bhasthi won it for the translated anthology of Mushtaq’s short stories from Kannada into English, Heart Lamp.

Nine Years After Demonetisation

Syllabus: GS3/Economy

Context

• Currency with the public has more than doubled since the demonetisation in 2016 was announced by the government.

Demonetisation

• The Prime Minister announced demonetisation on November 8, 2016.
• It declared that all existing Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes which together accounted for about 86% of the currency in circulation would cease to be legal tender.
• Demonetisation in 2016 was apparently intended to eliminate black money, curb counterfeit currency, promote digital payments and formalise the economy.

Aditya-L1 Mission Tracks Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs)

Syllabus: GS3/Space

In News

• Scientists from the Indian Institute of Astrophysics and NASA have made the first-ever spectroscopic observations of a coronal mass ejection (CME) in the visible wavelength range, close to the Sun’s surface using the VELC payload on Aditya-L1.

Aditya-L1 mission

• Uniqueness – Aditya-L1 is the first space-based Indian observatory to study the Sun. It will be launched by the PSLV-C57.
• Note – The solar mission will not see the spacecraft actually go to the sun, it will instead create a space observatory at a point from which the sun can be observed even during an eclipse.
• The spacecraft is planned to be placed in a halo orbit around the Lagrange point 1 (L1), around 1.5 million km from the Earth, of the Sun-Earth system.

Major objectives of the mission

• The mission will focus on study of the Solar upper atmospheric (chromosphere and corona) dynamics.
• It will also identify what drives space weather, along with the origin, composition and dynamics of the solar wind.

Other missions to Sun

• NASA’s Parker Solar Probe, launched in 2018, has already gone far closer — but it will be looking away from the Sun.
• Helios 2 solar probe, a joint venture between NASA and the space agency of erstwhile West Germany,was launched to investigate solar processes of the Sun’s surface in 1976.

GI Tag Fee Cut

Syllabus: GS3/Economy

In News

• Recently, the Government announced a reduction in the GI tag application fee from ₹5,000 to ₹1,000, encouraging tribal artisans to protect traditional crafts.

GI Tag Fee Cut

• GI tag certificates distributed for crafts and products like

1. Kannadippaya (Kerala)

2. Apatani textile (Arunachal)

3. Marthandam honey (Tamil Nadu)

4. Lepcha Tungbuk (Sikkim)

5. Bodo Aronai (Assam)

6. Ambaji Marble (Gujarat)

7. Badri cow ghee (Uttarakhand).

Connect with the basics – Geographical Indication or GI Tag

• It is a name or a sign given to certain products related to a specific geographical location or origins like a region, town, or country.
• A certification for unique products – GI Tag may be regarded as a certification for a particular product with certain specific qualities or has a specific reputation because of its geographical origin.
• GI Tags can be issued for wine and spirit drinks, foodstuffs, agricultural products, handicrafts, and industrial products.
• Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) – At the International level, GI is governed by the World Trade Organisation’s (WTO’s) Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS).
• Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act – In India, Geographical Indications registration is administered by the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999, which came into force in September 2003.
• Darjeeling tea  – The first product in India to be accorded with the GI tag was Darjeeling tea in 2004-05.

Climate Risk Index (CRI) 2026

Syllabus: GS3/Disaster Management

Context

• The new Climate Risk Index (CRI) 2026 report has been released by Germanwatch.
• The analysis was presented at the ongoing COP30 in Belem, Brazil.

Key Findings

• India was ninth on the list of countries most affected by extreme weather events between 1995 and 2024.
• In the last three decades, India faced around 430 extreme weather events which resulted in inflation-adjusted losses of around $170 billion.
• Most People Affected: India ranked third behind Bangladesh and the Philippines.

India, Botswana Cheetah Translocation Pact

Syllabus: GS3/ Environment

In News

• India and Botswana formally announced the translocation of eight Cheetahs to India as a part of ‘Project Cheetah’.

About

• India declared the cheetah extinct in 1952, after decades of over-hunting, habitat fragmentation, and depletion of prey species.
• The launch of Project Cheetah in 2022 and the arrival of cheetahs from Namibia and South Africa created the world’s first intercontinental relocation programme for a large carnivore.
• Botswana – It’s a landlocked country with nearly 70% of its landmass covered by the Kalahari Desert, and holds one of the world’s largest wild cheetah populations.

Project Cheetah

• Overview: Project Cheetah is India’s ambitious attempt to reintroduce the cheetah in suitable open forest and grassland ecosystems.
• Launched By: National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), a statutory body under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 (amended 2006).
• Uniqueness – It is the world’s first intercontinental translocation of a large wild carnivore.

Translocations So Far:

• 8 cheetahs from Namibia in 2022
• 12 cheetahs from South Africa in 2023
• 8 cheetahs from Botswana (2025 announcement)

Cheetah(Acinonyx jubatus)

• It is the world’s fastest mammal and the only large carnivore to have gone extinct in India (1952).
• Unlike other big cats, cheetahs do not roar.
• There are two main species: the African cheetah (Vulnerable) and the Asiatic cheetah (Critically Endangered), found only in eastern Iran and parts of Africa.​

PM Visit to Bhutan

Syllabus: GS2/IR

Context

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to Bhutan strengthened the special ties of friendship and cooperation between the two countries.

Key Outcomes

• Inauguration of 1020 MW Punatsangchhu-II Hydroelectric Project constructed under a bilateral agreement between both Nations.

India-Bhutan Relations

• Geographical Connection: Bhutan shares its border with four Indian states, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, West Bengal and Sikkim with a length of 699 km and serves as a buffer between India and China.
• Diplomatic relations – Established in 1968.
• Treaty of Friendship – The basic framework of India Bhutan relations is the Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation signed in 1949 and was renewed in February 2007.
• Four major bilateral projects are launched in Bhutan from India,

1. Hydroelectric projects – Punatsangchhu and Mangdechhu Hydro Project,
2. Ground Earth Station of ISRO
3. RuPay Card
4. National Knowledge Network of India

• Economy – India is Bhutan’s top trade partner both as an import source and as an export destination.
• Bhutan became the second country to launch the BHIM app.
• Cultural and Buddhist Links: A number of Bhutanese pilgrims travel to Bodh Gaya, Rajgir, Nalanda, Sikkim, Udayagiri, and other Buddhist sites in India

Rift Valley Fever

Syllabus: GS2/ Health

In News

• The World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed an outbreak of Rift Valley Fever (RVF) affecting Mauritania and Senegal in Western Africa.

Rift Valley Fever (RVF)

• RVF derives its name from Kenya’s Rift Valley, where the disease was first recognised in the early 1930s.
• Pathogen – It is caused by a Phlebovirus belonging to the Phenuiviridae family.
• It primarily affects animals such as sheep, goats, cattle, and camels.
• Transmission – Humans become infected through close contact with infected animals or by the bite of infected mosquitoes.
• There is no evidence of human-to-human transmission.
• Currently, there is no specific antiviral treatment.

Molasses

Syllabus: GS3/Economy

Context

• The Central government is looking to permit around 1.5 million tonnes of sugar exports in 2025–26 and abolish the 50% export tax on molasses to improve realisations and help farmers receive faster payments.

Molasses

• Molasses is a thick, dark brown syrup obtained as a byproduct during the process of refining sugarcane or sugar beet into sugar.

Uses

• Food industry: Used in baking (e.g., gingerbread), rum production, and animal feed.
• Industrial use: In ethanol, citric acid, and yeast production.
• Agriculture: As a component in cattle feed and for soil conditioning.
• It is a key raw material for ethanol production under India’s ethanol blending programme to reduce crude oil imports.

Ricin

Syllabus: GS3/ Science & Technology

In News

• The Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) foiled an alleged terror plot and arrested men with suspected links to terrorism who were reportedly attempting to produce Ricin chemical

Ricin

• Ricin is a highly toxic protein extracted from the castor bean plant (Ricinus communis).
• It blocks protein synthesis in cells, causing multiple organ failure and death within hours of exposure.
• It is listed under Schedule-1 of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC).
• There is no known antidote for Ricin poisoning.

Chemical Weapons Convention

• Mandate – It is an international treaty aimed at eliminating the production, stockpiling, and use of chemical weapons and their precursors.
• Adoption and Enforcement – The Treaty was adopted on September 3, 1992, and entered into force on April 29, 1997.
• Member countries – It currently has 193 member states.
• Legally binding – It makes it mandatory to destroy old and abandoned chemical weapons.
• India’s ratification – India signed the treaty in January 1

India’s efforts

• National Authority Chemical Weapons Convention (NACWC) is the national authority responsible for implementing the Convention in India.

Saranda Forest

Syllabus: GS3/Environment

In News

• The Supreme Court directed the Jharkhand government to declare the ecologically rich Saranda forest as a wildlife sanctuary.

Saranda Forest

• Location – Jharkhand
• It is Asia’s largest Sal (Shorea robusta) forest, spanning approximately 820-900 square kilometers.
• It is famously called the “land of seven hundred hills,” reflecting its hilly terrain.
• The forest is part of the Chhotanagpur bio-geographic zone and forms a natural landscape continuum with forests of Odisha and Chhattisgarh.
• Species – It is home to critically endangered species, including the endemic sal forest tortoise, four-horned antelope, Asian palm civet, and wild elephants.
• Tribes – It has been inhabited by the Ho, Munda, Uraon and allied Adivasi communities
• It also accounts for 26% of India’s iron ore reserves.

Revisit NEMMP 2020 to Promote Electric Vehicles

Syllabus: GS3/Environment

In News

• Recently, the Supreme Court suggested revisiting the National Electric Mobility Mission Plan (NEMMP) 2020 amid escalating air pollution in Delhi.

National Electric Mobility Mission Plan (NEMMP) 2020

• It is a National Mission document providing the vision and the roadmap for the faster adoption of electric vehicles and their manufacturing in the country.
• Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles in India (FAME India) Scheme formulated in 2015 under NEMMP by Ministry of Heavy Industries.
• It aims to promote adoption of electric/ hybrid vehicles (xEVs) in India.

Mudh-Nyoma Airbase

Syllabus: GS3/ Defence

In News

• The Chief of the Air Staff inaugurated the Mudh-Nyoma airbase in Ladakh.

Mudh-Nyoma Airbase

• The airbase is situated in Nyoma, Leh district of Ladakh, at an altitude of 13,700 feet (4,200 m), making it one of the world’s highest fighter-capable airfields.
• Construction was led by the Border Roads Organisation.
• Its proximity to the LAC gives India critical tactical and logistical advantages, enabling quick response, force projection, and enhanced surveillance in sensitive sectors like Depsang Plains, Pangong Tso, and Chushul Valley.

India, Nepal Ink Pact to Step Up Trade Ties

Syllabus: GS2/IR

Context

• India and Nepal have amended the Treaty of Transit to facilitate the movement of rail-based freight between Jogbani in India and Biratnagar in Nepal.

India – Nepal Relations

• Shared Border: The country shares a border with five Indian states – Sikkim, West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
• India-Nepal Treaty of Peace and Friendship – Signed in 1950, it forms the special relations that exist between India and Nepal.
• Defence Cooperation: Both countries conduct Joint Military Exercise SURYA KIRAN alternately in India and in Nepal.
• The Gorkha regiments of the Indian Army are raised partly by recruitment from hill districts of Nepal.
• Trade and Economic: India remains Nepal’s largest trade partner and Investment where Indian firms account for 33.5 % of total FDI stock in Nepal.
• Operation Maitri & post-earthquake reconstruction assistance: In the wake of the 2015 earthquake in Nepal, GoI was the first responder and carried out its largest disaster relief operation abroad (Operation Maitri).
• Cultural Ties: The leaders of the two countries have often noted the age-old ‘roti beti’ relationship, which refers to cross-border marriages between people of the two countries.

Areas of Concerns between India & Nepal

• Kalapani dispute: The area is in India’s control but Nepal claims the region because of historical reasons. The area is the largest territorial dispute between Nepal and India.

Workplace Stress & Diabetes

Syllabus: GS2/Health

Context

• India has an estimated 10.1 crore people living with diabetes according to ICMR–INDIAB, 2023, and workplace stress may be one of the factors heightening this burden.
• World Diabetes Day is observed on November 14.

Diabetes Burden in India

• India is often called the diabetes capital of the world.
• According to the ICMR–INDIAB Study, the diabetic population jumped from about 32 million in 2000, to almost 90 million adults in 2024.
• Recent reports estimate that 1 in 9 Indian adults live with diabetes

Diabetes

• Diabetes is a chronic metabolic disorder in which the body either does not produce enough insulin or cannot effectively use the insulin it produces.
• This leads to high levels of glucose (sugar) in the blood.
• Insulin: Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas.
• It helps glucose (from food) enter cells, where it is used for energy.

Types of Diabetes

• It is an autoimmune disease where the body’s immune system destroys insulin-producing cells. The body produces little or no insulin.
• It usually begins in childhood or adolescenc
• It requires lifelong insulin injections.

Type 2 Diabetes

• This is the most common type of diabetes. The body doesn’t produce enough insulin.
• It is usually linked to obesity, sedentary lifestyle, unhealthy diet and family history.
• It can be managed with diet, exercise, oral medications, and sometimes insulin.

Gestational Diabetes:

• This occurs during pregnancy and usually disappears after delivery, but increases the risk of type 2 diabetes later in life.

Hepatitis A

Syllabus: GS2/Health

Context

• As India debates the inclusion of the typhoid conjugate vaccine in its Universal Immunisation Programme, it raises the question whether Hepatitis A deserves a priority for inclusion.

Hepatitis

• Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver. There are five main strains of the hepatitis virus, referred to as types A, B, C, D and E.
• Types B and C lead to chronic disease and together are the most common cause of liver cirrhosis, liver cancer and viral hepatitis-related deaths.

Hepatitis A:

• It is caused by the Hepatitis A Virus (HAV). It does not cause chronic infection and is usually self-limiting.
• It spread through contaminated food and water (fecal–oral route).
• It is entirely preventable where vaccines offer protection rates exceeding 90 to 95%.

Hepatitis B:

• It is known to cause acute infection, liver failure happens in severe cases.
• Spread: Spread through blood and body fluids, sexual contact, mother-to-child transmission.
• Treatment: Hepatitis B can be prevented with a vaccine, providing nearly 100% protection against the virus. The vaccine is usually given soon after birth with boosters a few weeks later.

Hepatitis C:

• The severity from a mild illness to a serious, lifelong illness including liver cirrhosis and cancer.
• Spread: The hepatitis C virus is a bloodborne virus and most infections occur through exposure to blood from unsafe injection practices.
• Treatment: Direct-acting antiviral medicines (DAAs) can cure more than 95% of persons, there is currently no effective vaccine against hepatitis C.

Hepatitis D:

• It only affects people who are already infected with hepatitis B, as it needs the hepatitis B virus to be able to survive in the body.
• It is usually spread through blood-to-blood contact or sexual contact.
• There’s no vaccine specifically for hepatitis D, but the hepatitis B vaccine can prevent it.

Hepatitis E:

• It is generally a mild and short-term infection that does not require any treatment, but it can be serious with a weakened immune system.
• There’s no vaccine for hepatitis E.

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Syllabus: GS2/Health; GS3/Science and Tech

Context

• A new study in which researchers mapped the hidden preclinical evolution of rheumatoid arthritis.

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)

• It is a chronic autoimmune disease in which the immune system mistakenly attacks the joints.
• Age & Gender Pattern: It commonly affects individuals between 30–60 years. Women are three times more likely to develop RA than men.
• Causes and Risk Factors: The exact cause remains unclear. Likely contributors include – genetic factors, hormones, and environmental triggers such as smoking or certain infections.
• Systemic Nature: It is a systemic disease, affecting not just joints but also lungs, heart, eyes, skin, nerves, and blood vesse
• Persistent inflammation increases the risk of heart disease and contributes to fatigue, fever, and depression.
• Treatment and Management: It is not curable, but early diagnosis and timely management can; reduce symptoms, slow disease progression, and prevent long-term disability.

‘Aabhar’ Online Store

Syllabus: GS3/Economy

In News

• Indian Railways is supporting the new ‘Aabhar’ online store‘Aabhar’ online store.
• Hosted by – Government e-Marketplace (GeM)
• Objective- It showcases gift items made by

1. Indigenous tribes & handloom weavers
2. One District One Product (ODOP)
3. Geographical Indication (GI)  product makers
4. Central Cottage Industries Emporium (CCIE)
5. Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC)

Significance  –

• It is promoted with the ‘Vocal for Local’ campaign
• It is  aimed at fostering social inclusion and supporting rural artisans, women-led enterprises, and traditional industries.

Digital Marine Fisheries Census 2025

POLITY

Context

• The Union Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying launched the Digital Marine Fisheries Census 2025 by using VYAS –NAV, VYAS – BHARAT and VYAS- SUTRA app.

Digital Marine Fisheries Census 2025

• Digital Architecture: The digital process is powered by three multilingual Android applications developed by the ICAR–Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI):

1. VyAS–NAV: For validation of fishing villages and harbours.
2. VyAS–BHARAT: For household and infrastructure enumeration.
3. VyAS–SUTRA: For real-time supervision and monitoring of data collection.

Kendriya Grihmantri Dakshata Padak

Syllabus: Miscellaneous

Context

• The Kendriya Grihmantri Dakshata Padak has been awarded to 1,466 personnel for the year 2025.

Kendriya Grihmantri Dakshata Padak

• Instituted by – Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
• Key Areas of Recognition – It recognises excellence in Special Operations, Investigation, Intelligence, and Forensic Science.
• It is conferred annually on October 31, marking the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
• The medal is conferred on members of the Police Forces, Security Organisations, Intelligence Wings/Branches, Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), Central Police Organisations (CPOs), and Forensic Science units at the Central, State, and Union Territory levels.