Daily Current Affairs

• No national plan for phasing out coal
• Continued coal expansion
• Social and environmental issues linked to large renewable projects

• Achieving 50% installed non-fossil energy capacity
• Boosting rooftop solar
• Strengthening carbon markets and green finance

• Weak carbon pricing
• Fossil fuel subsidies
• Missing interim climate targets
• Limited citizen participation

The top three spots were left empty again, as no country met the criteria for a “very high” rating.

• 1. Lund University (Sweden)
• 2. UCL
• 3. University of Edinburgh
• 4. University of British Columbia
• 5. LSE
• 6. Imperial College London
• 7. UNSW
• 8. McGill University
• 9. University of Manchester

• 103 universities ranked
• 26 institutions entered the list for the first time
• India ranks 4th globally in representation

Nearly 2,000 universities from 106 countries were evaluated. The ranking, introduced in 2023, assesses ESG (Environmental, Social & Governance) impact metrics.

• Crop damage caused by wild animals such as: Elephants, Wild boars, Nilgai, Deer, Monkeys
• Paddy fields damaged due to flooding or waterlogging

• Announced by the Union Agriculture Ministry.
• Aims to support farmers located near forests or flood-prone zones.
• Ensures faster settlement of claims and broader financial protection against previously excluded risks.

• Addresses the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance caused by excessive and inappropriate use of antibiotics.
• Multi-sector collaboration (human, animal, environmental health)
• Private sector involvement
• Stronger regulatory systems
• Improved surveillance
• Public awareness campaigns

The initiative strengthens India’s fight against AMR at national and global levels.

• British Council will design cultural programmes and host a UK artist.
• Air India Express, the Official Travel Partner, will introduce a Boeing 737-8 with Tsüngkotepsü tribal livery.
• Air India Express will provide 15% flight discounts to promote tourism.

Nagaland CM Neiphiu Rio emphasized the partnership’s value in promoting indigenous art, increasing global engagement, and encouraging cultural tourism.

• Ability to digitally carry Aadhaar
• Masked Aadhaar number
• Biometric locking
• QR-based verification
• Storage of up to five Aadhaar profiles linked to a single mobile number

Aims to enhance secure digital identity access for residents.

• Goal: Train 1 crore Indians in basic and ethical AI literacy.
• Features Indian case studies and real-life AI applications.
• Lessons useful for employment, academics, and daily life.

• FutureSkills Prime
• iGOT Karmayogi
• Other learning platforms

Learners earn a Government-issued certificate. The initiative aims to make India an AI-aware and future-ready society.

• Driving science-based policymaking
• Promoting regional scientific data
• Pushing for AI-based efficiency in Codex processes

• Fresh dates
• Curry leaves
• Pesticide residue limits
• Revival of the cashew kernel standard

• Recognises water conservation initiatives
• Efficient water usage models
• Community-driven water management

The President noted India’s cultural reverence for water and increasing threats of water scarcity and climate-driven stress. She highlighted the construction of 35 lakh groundwater recharge structures under the JSJB effort.

• Honours his long-standing leadership in Total Quality Management (TQM)
• Customer-centric innovation
• Workforce engagement
• Previously led TVS Motor to become the first non-Japanese two-wheeler company to win the Deming Prize.

• Increasing global manufacturing share from 3% → 25%
• Creating 100 million jobs
• Positioning India among the world’s top 3 manufacturing hubs

• Aims to unify nations under the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) to advance global conservation.
• Participants will include big cat range countries and countries aligned with conservation and climate security.

• Tiger, Lion, Leopard, Snow Leopard, Jaguar, Cheetah, Puma

Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav announced collaboration opportunities to enhance biodiversity protection and improve climate resilience.

• About 2.2 MTPA will be supplied by companies such as Chevron, Phillips 66, and TotalEnergies.
• Imports will be priced using the Mont Belvieu benchmark.

• Benefits: Strengthens India’s energy security, supplier diversification, and India–US trade relations.
• Challenges: Higher freight charges and more propane-heavy composition requiring adjustments in blending.

One-sided emotional bonds individuals develop with:

• Celebrities
• Influencers
• Fictional characters
• Increasingly, AI chatbots and virtual companions

• Coined in 1956 by sociologists Donald Horton and Richard Wohl.
• Cambridge updated the definition to better reflect today’s digital context.
• Such relationships can offer comfort and motivation but also bring risks such as emotional dependence, unrealistic expectations, and distancing from real-world relationships.

• Advanced reasoning and agentic intelligence
• 1 million-token context window
• Planning and decision-support capabilities

• Integrated across: Google Search, Gemini app, AI Studio, Vertex AI, Google Antigravity
• Benchmark achievements:
• 1501 Elo on LMArena
• 91.9% GPQA Diamond
• 87.6% Video-MMMU

Deep Think mode (upcoming) promises further improvement.

• Developed by BARC and Cologenesis Pvt. Ltd.
• DCGI-approved and clinically validated
• Accelerates healing, reduces infection, and enhances blood circulation

• DAE also launched Ferrocarbonatite (FC) – BARC B140, India’s first Certified Reference Material (CRM) for rare earth elements.
• Supports mineral exploration, extraction processes, and scientific accuracy in rare earth research.

• “My Day, My Rights”
• “For Every Child, Every Right”

• Commemorates the 1959 Declaration of the Rights of the Child.
• Also marks the 1989 UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), the most widely ratified human rights treaty (196 countries).

• Led by UNICEF, the 2025 campaign emphasizes children’s voices in health, education, climate issues, and digital safety.
• Tackles continuing issues like abuse, poverty, and child labour.
• Note: India separately celebrates Children’s Day on 14 November.