Skip to main content
UnlockIAS

UPSC Current Affairs

13 topicsGS-1: 2GS-2: 4GS-3: 7
0/13 done
GS-3Economy

2.NITI Aayog Trade Watch Report (Trade Performance)

PIB

What & Where

Flagship quarterly analytical report “Trade Watch” by NITI Aayog, India

Tracks merchandise + services trade, export competitiveness, bottlenecks, GVC participation

4th edition (Q4 FY 2024-25) released in New Delhi

Quick Facts for MCQs

Economic Angle

  • TradeValue USD1.73 tn shows resilience amid global headwinds
  • ServicesExports driven by IT, aviation, finance offset merchandise gap
  • ImportBasket tilts to electronics, machinery, CEPA-linked gold

Regional Dynamics

  • NorthAmerica strongest market; EU, GCC, ASEAN record muted growth
  • UAE climbs import ranks via CEPA gold inflows; Russia slips
  • China remains tech goods hub despite diversification efforts

Policy Focus

  • Report guides Make in India, PLI tweaks, logistics reforms
  • Granular region/product data supports FTA, CEPA negotiations
  • Identified bottlenecks channel evidence-based export strategy

Key Data Points

FeatureData-Point
Publication frequencyQuarterly
Current editionQ4 FY 2024-25 (4th)
Publishing bodyNITI Aayog
Total trade valueUSD 1.73 trillion
YoY trade growth+6 %
Merchandise exportsUSD 823 billion
Merchandise importsUSD 908 billion
Services exportsRecord USD 387.5 billion
Top export regionNorth America – 25 % share, +25 % YoY
2nd-largest import supplierUAE (overtook Russia)
Key import surgeChina for electronics & machinery
GS-1EnvironmentQuick Bite

4.Severe Cyclone Shakhti in Arabian Sea (Arabian Sea Cyclone)

Indian Express

What & Where

Cyclone Shakhti: severe cyclonic storm over central–southern Arabian Sea, wind ~100 kmph.

Cyclone definition: rapid air circulation around low-pressure core; anticlockwise in Northern Hemisphere, clockwise in Southern.

Key geography: Arabian Sea warm pool (SST ≥ 27 °C) + Madden–Julian Oscillation active phase drives genesis.

Quick Facts for MCQs

Formation Conditions

  • Warm SST: central–southern Arabian Sea acts as permanent heat reservoir.
  • MJO phase: enhances moisture, lowers wind shear, boosts convection.
  • Low-pressure seed: intensifies under favourable thermodynamic and dynamical settings.

Classification

  • IMD scale: low pressure → depression → deep depression → cyclonic storm → Severe Cyclonic Storm → higher categories.
  • Damage potential: categories aligned with WMO guidelines for uniform warnings.
  • Shakhti currently sits at Severe Cyclonic Storm tier.

Naming Protocol

  • Panel: 13 NIO countries submit names; used sequentially, basin-agnostic.
  • Donation: Shakhti contributed by Sri Lanka.
  • Re-use rule: names retired only if cyclone extremely deadly/costly.

Key Data Points

FeatureData-Point
Current cyclone nameShakhti (proposed by Sri Lanka)
BasinArabian Sea, North Indian Ocean
IMD intensity labelSevere Cyclonic Storm
Approx. wind speed100 km h⁻¹
Minimum SST trigger27 °C
Key atmospheric aidMadden–Julian Oscillation active phase
Naming authorityWMO-ESCAP Panel on Tropical Cyclones
Member countries13
Naming orderPre-set list, column-wise sequence
NH rotation directionAnticlockwise

Related UPSC Prelims PYQs

CAPF_GAI, NDA_GAT 2022PYQ 1

Nisarga, Gati, Nivar, Tauktae and Yaas are names of

CAPF_GAI, NDA_GAT 2021PYQ 2

किस देश द्वारा चक्रवात 'ताउते' (Tauktae) का नामकरण किया गया था?

GS-3Scheme

5.Tigers Outside Reserves Project (Tiger Conservation)

Hindustan Times

What & Where

National initiative “Tigers Outside Tiger Reserves” (TOTR) to secure dispersing tigers in non-reserve landscapes.

Span 2025-28; ₹88.7 crore; centrally steered by NTCA, executed via state forest divisions.

Coverage 80 forest divisions across 17 tiger-range states, emphasising buffers and corridors adjoining high-density reserves.

Quick Facts for MCQs

Tech & Schemes

  • AI algorithms predict tiger movement; alerts linked to GPS-enabled patrolling for quick response.
  • Camera traps and analytics standardised across 80 divisions for uniform monitoring protocols.
  • CoE-HWC to develop scalable AI conflict-prediction models for diverse species.

Community Outreach

  • Rapid Response Teams recruit local youth, supplied with rescue kits, tranquiliser gear, dedicated vehicles.
  • “Bagh Mitra” programme conducts village meetings, jungle camps, school modules on coexistence ethics.

Institutional Setup

  • NTCA oversight; Chief Wildlife Wardens & State CAMPA channel funds and field execution.
  • Periodic progress audited through NTCA’s M-STrIPES digital platform.

Species-Specific Projects

  • Dolphin Phase II targets Ganga & Indus river dolphins plus marine cetaceans.
  • First-ever national frameworks launched for Sloth Bear and Gharial recovery, focusing habitat protection and conflict mitigation.

Key Data Points

FeatureData-Point
Parent ministryMoEFCC
Central coordinatorNational Tiger Conservation Authority
Project window2025-2028
Financial outlay₹88.7 crore
Geographical spread80 forest divisions, 17 states
Key statesMP, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Uttarakhand, Assam, Kerala, TN, WB, Arunachal
Main aimReduce human–tiger conflict outside reserves
Core toolsAI early-warning, camera traps, GPS patrolling, data analytics
Community armRapid Response Teams & “Bagh Mitra” outreach
Parallel launchesDolphin Phase II, Sloth Bear, Gharial, CoE-HWC
CoE-HWC locationSACON, Coimbatore
GS-3S&T

6.Nobel Prize for Peripheral Immune Tolerance (Immunology Nobel)

Hindustan Times

What & Where

Nobel Medicine Prize: top biomedical award by Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institute, Stockholm

Focus 2025: peripheral immune tolerance via Regulatory T cells (Tregs) and FOXP3 gene

Geography: laureates from Japan, USA; findings first proven in mice, influencing global medicine

Quick Facts for MCQs

Cellular Discovery

  • Sakaguchi 1995 identified CD4+CD25+ cells preventing autoimmune pathology in thymectomised mice
  • Tregs act as immune police, suppressing overactive effector T cells
  • Absence of Tregs triggers multi-organ inflammation

Genetic Control

  • Brunkow and Ramsdell linked scurfy phenotype to single X-linked FOXP3 mutation
  • FOXP3 expression converts conventional T cells into suppressive Tregs
  • Human FOXP3 loss produces IPEX syndrome

Clinical Applications

  • Cancer strategy; deplete intratumoral Tregs to enhance checkpoint inhibitors and CAR-T efficacy
  • Autoimmunity; expand or engineer FOXP3+ Tregs for Type 1 diabetes, IBD, MS, lupus
  • Transplantation; Treg infusion may permit reduced lifelong immunosuppression

Key Data Points

FeatureData-Point
Year2025
Prize money≈ SEK 11 million
LaureatesSakaguchi, Brunkow, Ramsdell
Discovery focusPeripheral immune tolerance
Key cell typeRegulatory T cells (Tregs)
Master geneFOXP3
Animal modelScurfy mice
Human syndrome linkIPEX
Immune control levelsCentral vs Peripheral
Major applicationsCancer, Autoimmunity, Transplantation

Related UPSC Prelims PYQs

GS1 2007PYQ 1

What is the broad area in which the Nobel Prize winners for the year 2006 in Physiology or Medicine worked to get the prize?

GS-3S&T

7.Phosphine Detected on Brown Dwarf Wolf 1130C (Astronomical Phosphine)

NYT

What & Where

Detection: JWST identified phosphine in atmosphere of brown dwarf Wolf 1130C

Object: Wolf 1130C, metal-poor failed star in constellation Cygnus, orbits with a white dwarf companion

Significance: First-ever phosphine spotting beyond planets, yet brown dwarfs remain non-habitable

Quick Facts for MCQs

Space Technology

  • Telescope: JWST NIRSpec delivered high-resolution IR spectra of Wolf 1130C
  • Technique: 4.5 µm absorption lines confirmed PH₃ presence
  • Temperature: Brown dwarf atmospheres ~1000 K, challenging molecule survival

Chemistry & Production

  • Biological: Earth microbes produce PH₃ in oxygen-poor landfills, wetlands, animal guts
  • Abiotic: Metal-poor, oxygen-deficient atmospheres or white-dwarf nuclear reactions synthesize PH₃
  • Hazard: PH₃ flammable, lethal above 10 ppm, strict handling protocols required

Astrobiology

  • Biosignature: PH₃ implies life only when alternative sources ruled out
  • Habitability: Brown dwarfs lack solid surface, intense heat negates life prospects
  • Comparison: 2020 Venus PH₃ claim debated, Wolf 1130C widens search scope

Key Data Points

FeatureData-Point
JWST instrumentNIRSpec infrared spectrograph
Target objectBrown dwarf Wolf 1130C
ConstellationCygnus
Brown dwarf mass range13–80 Jupiter masses
Core fusion abilityCannot sustain hydrogen fusion
Companion starWhite dwarf Wolf 1130AB
Phosphine formulaPH₃
Physical natureColorless, flammable, highly toxic gas
Terrestrial bio-sourceAnaerobic microbes in oxygen-poor niches
Abiotic synthesisWhite phosphorus + alkali or metal phosphide hydrolysis
Industrial usesGrain fumigant; semiconductor dopant
Earlier planetary sightingVenus atmosphere, 2020
GS-3S&TQuick Bite

8.Diethylene Glycol Contamination in Cough Syrup (Drug Contamination)

Economic Times

What & Where

Coldrif syrup; Bhopal FDA detected 46.28 % Diethylene Glycol (DEG), far above 0.1 % limit.

Diethylene Glycol; colourless, sweet industrial solvent used in brake fluids, antifreeze, illicitly as drug diluent.

Oversight in India under Drugs & Cosmetics Act 1940 and Rules 1945; incident spurred multi-state bans.

Quick Facts for MCQs

Health Hazard

  • DEG ingestion; abdominal pain, vomiting, kidney failure, nervous system injury, possible death.
  • Sweet taste masks toxicity, heightening accidental or pediatric poisoning risk.

Legal & Policy

  • Act 1940 requires licensing for import, manufacture, sale, distribution of all drugs and cosmetics.
  • Rules 1945 assign schedules; stipulate storage, labelling, dispensing and prescription conditions.

Regulatory Action

  • FDA findings triggered Madhya Pradesh Coldrif ban under Section 26-A; other states alerted for recall.
  • Manufacturers face suspension, prosecution, and product testing across nationwide supply chain.

Key Data Points

FeatureData-Point
Permissible DEG in medicines≤ 0.1 %
DEG found in Coldrif sample46.28 %
State lab detecting violationFDA, Bhopal
Core statute invokedDrugs & Cosmetics Act, 1940
Complementary rules yearDrugs & Cosmetics Rules, 1945
Legitimate industrial use of DEGBrake fluids, antifreeze
Key health outcome of DEG intakeAcute renal failure
GS-2Infrastructure

9.Pasni Deep Water Port Proposal (Strategic Port)

IT

What & Where

Pasni: small deep-water harbour with fish harbour, cargo jetty, PMSA base in Gwadar district, Balochistan

Proposal: US-operated commercial terminal to export critical minerals from nearby Reko Diq belt

Location: Arabian Sea, ~70 mi east of Gwadar, ~100 mi from Iran border, ≈300 km to Chabahar

Quick Facts for MCQs

Geostrategic Triangle

  • Connectivity: Pasni–Gwadar–Chabahar forming competitive maritime triangle in Arabian Sea
  • US-Footprint: Provides Washington presence near China BRI node and Iran gateway

Economic Angle

  • Diversification: Pakistan seeks US FDI to lessen China BRI reliance
  • Infrastructure: Planned rail link to Reko Diq copper-gold belt for bulk haulage
  • Supply-Chains: Focus on defence and green-tech minerals enhancing export revenues

Security Dimension

  • Official-Line: Pakistan labels project non-military, purely commercial
  • India-Concern: Nearby location complicates surveillance, logistics and intelligence on western seaboard

Key Data Points

FeatureData-Point
Country proposingPakistan
Proposed operatorUnited States (private finance)
Investment sizeUSD 1.2 billion
Port typeDeep-water, multipurpose
Province/DistrictBalochistan, Gwadar district
Distance to Gwadar Port~70 miles east
Distance to Iran–Pakistan border~100 miles
Distance to Chabahar Port≈300 km
Target exportsCopper, antimony, neodymium
GS-2Misc

10.UNESCO Director General Election (UNESCO Leadership)

DH

What & Where

Director-General of UNESCO: top executive authority of UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

Chosen through secret-ballot election by 58-member Executive Board; four-year term, renewable once

2025-2029 term won by Egypt’s Khaled El-Enany, pending 194-member General Conference ratification

Quick Facts for MCQs

Election Process

  • Nomination by member states; Executive Board evaluates candidates
  • Secret ballot requires absolute majority; name forwarded to 194-member General Conference
  • Term limit: four-year tenure, renewable once, maximum two consecutive terms

Functions & Powers

  • Oversight of education, culture, science programmes, including World Heritage conservation
  • Policy execution of General Conference and Executive Board decisions; global spokesperson duties
  • Resource mobilisation critical after US withdrawal removed about 8 % of budget

Significance

  • Representation of African-Arab bloc strengthened with first Egyptian UNESCO chief
  • Challenges include funding shortfalls and political polarisation within multilateral system
  • Revival expectations for organisational credibility during 2025 – 2029 administration

Key Data Points

FeatureData-Point
DG term length4 years, renewable once
Electing bodyExecutive Board, 58 members
Voting methodSecret ballot, absolute majority
2025 ballot scoreEl-Enany 55 vs Matoko 2
Country of DG-electEgypt
US voting stanceAbstained
Confirming bodyGeneral Conference, 194 members
Service period2025 – 2029
GS-3Security

11.Proposed Gaza International Stabilization Force (Gaza Stabilization)

Indian Express

What & Where

Multinational Force: proposed security mission for post-war Gaza Strip, named International Stabilization Force (ISF)

Temporary Role: acts as internal security arm of U.S.-supervised Palestinian transitional committee

Deployment Zone: covers Gaza sectors vacated by Israeli Defense Forces to oversee security transition

Quick Facts for MCQs

Security Dimension

  • Patrol Duty: ISF maintains law and order in IDF-evacuated Gaza sectors
  • Disarmament Drive: confiscates and destroys Hamas weapons, blocks smuggling corridors
  • Milestone Checks: verifies demilitarisation benchmarks before each Israeli withdrawal phase

Governance & Oversight

  • U.S. Supremacy: force controlled by Board of Peace chaired by U.S. President
  • Transitional Setup: embedded within technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee
  • Sunset Clause: mission concludes once reformed Palestinian police fully operational

Geopolitical Angle

  • Arab Role: regional states invited for manpower and funding under U.S. command
  • Non-UN Precedent: first multinational Gaza stabilisation mission outside UN umbrella
  • De-escalation Path: structured security handover aimed at preventing Hamas resurgence

Key Data Points

FeatureData-Point
Proposal year2025
Parent planU.S. 20-point Comprehensive Plan to End Gaza Conflict
Supervising bodyBoard of Peace chaired by U.S. President
Mandate typeNon-UN multinational stabilisation force
Core objectiveDemilitarise Gaza and block Hamas or militia resurgence
GS-1Misc

13.ILO State of Social Justice Report (Global Social Justice)

ILO

What & Where

Report: “The State of Social Justice 2025”, ILO’s global review before 2nd World Summit for Social Development.

Focus: 30-year progress on poverty, labour, protection, inequality under 4 pillars—rights, opportunity, distribution, transitions.

Geography: Worldwide assessment with India spotlighted for poverty reduction and persistent informality.

Quick Facts for MCQs

Global Trends

  • Poverty-drop: Extreme poverty down to 10%; working poverty 7% after 1995.
  • Child-labour: Halved to 106 million; social-protection exceeds half the world.
  • Trust-erosion: Confidence in governments, unions, firms falling since 1982.

Inequality Metrics

  • Wealth-skew: Top 1 % holds 20 % income, 38 % wealth.
  • Gender-gap: Wage parity 78 %; closure needs 50-100 years.
  • Birth-bias: 55 % income outcomes tied to country of birth.

India Snapshot

  • Poverty-cut: Multidimensional measure fell to 11 % by 2022-23.
  • Informality: >80 % workforce lacks formal contracts; e-Shram enrolled 55 crore.
  • Capability-gains: Secondary completion 79%; female literacy 77%.

ILO Prescriptions

  • Mainstream-justice: Embed equity across finance, trade, climate, health.
  • Invest-people: Universal education, lifelong up-skilling, fair minimum wages.
  • Fair-transitions: Climate/digital shifts to create decent, protected work.

Key Data Points

FeatureData-Point
Release year2025
Extreme poverty39 % (1995) → 10 % (2025)
Child labour (5-14 yr)250 mn → 106 mn
Working poverty28 % → 7 %
Social-protection cover>50 % global population
Top 1 % income share20 % (wealth 38 %)
Gender wage ratioWomen 78 % of men
Inequality due to birth55 % income variance
Global informal workers58 % workforce
India multidimensional poverty29 % (2013-14) → 11 % (2022-23)
India female LFPR37 % (PLFS 2024-25)

Ready to practice?

Test your knowledge with our UPSC test series.

Start Free Trial