Current Affairs – December 03, 2025

{GS1 – A&C} Swargadeo Chaolung Sukapha

Context (PIB): Every year, Assam Day (2 December) is celebrated to honour Chaolung Sukapha.
Chaolung Sukapha was the founder of the Ahom Kingdom (1228 AD) and is known as the ‘Architect of Greater Assam’.
Origin: He was a Tai prince of the Shan tribe, from Mong Mao (present-day Yunnan, China or the Upper Myanmar region).
First Capital: He established his first principality at Charaideo in Upper Assam.
- Charaideo was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site (WHS) in July 2024.

Key contributions of Chaolung Sukapha

Political Policy: He promoted reconciliation with indigenous groups like the Moran and Barahi tribes and supported intermarriage between the Ahoms and local communities.
Administration: He divided the kingdom into khels or phoids, each led by an officer responsible for providing a fixed number of paiks; he created the high ministerial posts of Buragohain and Borgohain.

Economic Contribution: He introduced wet-rice cultivation, turning the floodplains into productive farmland that became the backbone of the kingdom’s agrarian economy.
Cultural Legacy: Interaction between the Tai-Ahom language, religion, and traditions formed a unique composite Assamese culture, later documented in the ‘buranjis’.

Paiks were able-bodied adult males who provided compulsory labour or military service in exchange for rent-free, non-hereditary, non-transferable cultivable land called ga-mati.
The buranjis (meaning “a storehouse of knowledge about the past”) were comprehensive historical chronicles, initially written in the Tai-Ahom language and later mainly in Assamese.

{GS2 – MoCA} Low Acceptance Rate of the PM Internship Scheme

Context (TH): The Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) told the Lok Sabha that only 20% of the 1.65 lakh internship offers under the Prime Minister’s Internship Scheme were accepted by candidates.

Of the accepted offers, 20% of candidates quit their internships prematurely.

Factors Behind Lower Acceptance Rate

Geographical Mismatch: Opportunities are concentrated in major industrial or urban centres located far from candidates’ hometowns.
Longer Duration: The compulsory 12-month duration exceeds typical 3–6-month skill-building programmes that align with academic breaks or short transition periods.
Role Mismatch: A mismatch between candidates’ aspirations and tasks assigned resulted in limited interest in the offered roles.
Low Stipend: The ₹5,000 monthly stipend is insufficient to meet living costs, especially for candidates who need to relocate.
Job Prospects: The scheme does not guarantee post-internship employment. Very few participants received full-time job offers during the pilot.

About PM Internship Scheme

The Prime Minister’s Internship Scheme is a central-sector scheme that offers a 12-month paid internship to Indian youth in the top 500 Indian companies.
Core Objective: The scheme aims to bridge the gap between academic learning and industry requirements through hands-on workplace exposure.
- Target: It plans to deliver one crore internships over a five-year implementation period (2024-29).
Implementing Body: The Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) administers the scheme through a dedicated Prime Minister’s Internship Scheme (PMIS) Cell.
Company Selection: The initial list of top 500 companies was chosen based on their average Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) expenditure.
Duration: The internship spans 12 months, with at least six months spent in a real job environment.
Financial Support: Interns receive a ₹5,000 monthly stipend, a ₹6,000 one-time joining grant, and insurance coverage under relevant government schemes.

Eligibility Conditions

Eligibility Criteria: Applicants must be Indian citizens aged 21 to 24 with Class 10/12, ITI, polytechnic diploma, or bachelor’s degree qualifications.

Work-Income Condition: Candidates must not be in full-time employment or formal education, and annual family income must be below ₹8 lakh.

Ineligibility: Graduates from premier institutions (IITs, IIMs), higher qualifications (CA, MBBS, MBA), or with immediate family in government service, are not eligible.

Read More> PM Internship Scheme

Context (IE | WHO): The World Health Organisation (WHO) issued its first global guidelines on the use of Glucagon-Like Peptide‑1 (GLP-1) medicines for the treatment of obesity in adults.

GLP-1 Drugs: Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists are medications that lower blood sugar and support weight loss. These drugs mimic the natural GLP-1 hormone, stimulate insulin secretion, reduce appetite, and lower glucagon levels.

About the Guidelines

Key Recommendations: The guidelines provide two conditional recommendations owing to uncertain long-term safety, high costs, and limited health system capacity.
- GLP-1 Therapies: Medicines like liraglutide, semaglutide, and tirzepatide may be used for long-term treatment, except in pregnant women.
- Intensive Behavioural Interventions: GLP‑1 therapies must be combined with structured diet improvement programs and regular physical activity interventions.
Lifelong Care Model: WHO recognises obesity as a chronic disease and emphasises medication as part of a comprehensive, lifelong approach.
Three-Pillar Strategy: The guidelines recommend strong population-level policies, targeted screening and early interventions, and lifelong, person-centred care for sustained health outcomes.
Health Equity Gap: The guideline emphasises the importance of fair access and affordability, projecting that increased production will benefit fewer than 10% by 2030.

About Obesity

WHO defines obesity as having a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or higher in adults.
Global Burden: Obesity affected over 1 billion people and contributed to 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024.
India Burden: NFHS‑5 shows that obesity affects 24% of women and 25% of men nationwide.
Future Projections: The number of people with obesity is projected to double by 2030, with estimates exceeding 163 million people for India.

{GS3 – IE} National Strategy for Financial Inclusion 2025-2030

Context (ET | BS): The Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) released the new National Strategy for Financial Inclusion (NSFI) 2025-2030.

About NSFI

It is a comprehensive plan to expand financial access and usage across India over the next five years.
The NSFI is based on five strategic objectives, collectively known as ‘Panch-Jyoti’ (Five Lights).
It has been developed under the Technical Group on Financial Inclusion and Financial Literacy (TGFIFL), in consultation with various stakeholders.

Panch-Jyoti: A five-pillar strategy focusing on equitable financial services, women-led inclusion, finance–livelihood integration, financial education, and stronger customer protection.

Key Focus Areas

Last‑Mile Delivery: Ensure every revenue centre has at least one banking outlet (branch, Digital Banking Unit, or fixed-point Business Correspondent).
Business Correspondents: Provide fair pay for BCs and utilise their networks to distribute insurance, pensions, and mutual funds; a medium-term goal is achieving 30% women BCs.
Digital Innovation: Explore programmable Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) for targeted credit flows and pilot its offline functionality in low-connectivity areas.
Social Security: Integrate all banks and insurers onto the Jansuraksha portal for seamless enrolment and claims processing under PMJJBY and PMSBY.
Product Development: Design bundled financial products, including combined life, health, accident, and property insurance for underserved users.

Read More > Financial Inclusion in India

{GS3 – Envi} Bioremediation in India **

Context (TH): With conventional clean-up failing due to high cost and huge waste loads, bioremediation offers a low-cost, scalable, and nature-driven solution that is becoming the need of the hour.

About Bioremediation

Definition: Bioremediation is the use of microorganisms, algae, fungi, or plants to degrade, neutralise, or remove pollutants from soil, water, or air.
Mechanism: Microbes treat pollutants as “food”, converting them into non-toxic by-products like CO₂, water, organic acids, or safer metal forms.
Types: In-situ remediation, where treatment is at the contaminated site, and Ex-situ remediation, where contaminated material is taken to a treatment facility

Why Does India Need Bioremediation?

Toxic Rivers: Daily discharge of untreated sewage and industrial effluents. E.g., CPCB 2024 reports ~72% of India’s river stretches are polluted.
Industrial Legacy Waste: Oil spills, chemical dumps, pesticide residues contaminate soil and groundwater. E.g., 1,700+ contaminated sites identified by CPCB (2023).
Heavy Metal Hotspots: Chromium, arsenic and lead levels exceeding safe limits in many industrial clusters. E.g. Kanpur tannery belt groundwater exceeds WHO chromium limits by 100–250x.
Low-cost Alternative: Cheaper than physical clean-up or chemical neutralisation. E.g., Costs drop by 60–70% vs conventional remediation (MoEFCC estimate).

Challenges in Scaling Bioremediation

Site Variability: One microbial strain rarely suits multiple locations due to different pH. E.g., a CSIR study (2023) found that over 58% of microbial formulations failed when transferred from lab to field sites.
Lack of Standards: No unified national protocol on microbial testing for contaminated sites. E.g. CPCB report (2024) noted that only 6 states have operational guidelines for industrial bioremediation projects.
Regulatory Ambiguity: Slow clearance for GM microbes and CRISPR organisms. E.g. Less than 15% of DBT bioremediation projects received field-testing approvals in 2022–24.
Monitoring Risks: GM organisms could create invasive microbial dominance if not tracked. E.g. MoEFCC pilot monitoring (2023) showed 3 out of 10 GM microbe field trials required early termination.

Way Forward

National Standards: Create microbe approval and application protocols under the MoEFCC. E.g. EPA’s USA Superfund bioremediation guidelines (USA).
Regional Hubs: Build state-level bioremediation centres linking IITs, CSIR labs, industry and local bodies. E.g., China’s soil pollution remediation clusters.
Startup Incubation: Scale DBT–BIRAC funding for biotech startups providing microbial kits for sewage plants and landfills. E.g., EU Horizon Bioremediation fund model.
Community Training: Use local workers and municipal teams to apply bio-formulations and track results. E.g. Kenya community-based phytoremediation in wetlands.

{GS3 – Envi} CPCB Finds Chemical Dust Suppressants More Effective Than Water

Context (IE): A Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)-commissioned study found that chemical dust suppressants reduce particulate matter more effectively than water.

About Chemical Dust Suppressants

Definition: Chemical dust suppressants are specialised agents applied to exposed surfaces to reduce airborne dust emission.
Mechanism: They bind loose particles or increase their weight, preventing them from becoming airborne.

Common Types of Chemical Suppressants

Calcium chloride and magnesium chloride absorb moisture to keep surfaces consistently moist.
Acrylic and vinyl-acetate polymers form adhesive surface films that lock dust particles in place.
Wood pulp lignosulfonates act as organic binders that hold soil particles together.
Anionic surfactants lower water’s surface tension to help water spread and coat particles.
Petroleum or bituminous emulsions harden into a surface crust that prevents particle lift-off.

Advantages of Chemical Suppressants

Higher Efficacy: Chemical suppressants show 50-60% dust reduction, compared to water’s 25-30%.
Longer Duration: Their effect lasts several hours, while water remains effective for only 10-15 minutes.
Finer Dust: They reduce PM10 & PM2.5 more effectively than water, which loses impact as surfaces dry.
Lower Cost: A six-hour treatment costs ₹100, compared to water’s ₹2,160 for the same duration.

Disadvantages of Chemical Suppressants

Limited Use: Their scope is limited by their tendency to weaken quickly under heavy traffic and footfall.
Health Concerns: Excessive or poorly regulated use may cause mild respiratory or skin irritation.
Environmental Risk: Repeated application can harm soil quality, groundwater, and nearby vegetation.
Weather Dependent: Their performance varies with humidity and moisture levels; extreme weather can render them ineffective.

{GS3 – S&T} Nuclear Power in Space **

Context (TH): USA plans to deploy a small nuclear reactor on the Moon by the early 2030s under its Lunar Fission Surface Power Project, signalling a shift toward nuclear-based energy systems.

Solar power is limited due to 14-day lunar nights and dust conditions, making compact fission reactors and nuclear propulsion central to future long-duration Moon and Mars missions.

Need for Nuclear Power in Space

Lunar Nights: ~336 hours of darkness on Moon make solar power insufficient for continuous operations.
Mission Reliability: Nuclear systems operate independently of sunlight, temperature, or dust, ensuring 24×7 energy for habitats, labs, drilling units, and mobility systems.
High Power Demand: Industrial In-Situ Resource Utilisation (ISRU) (fuel, oxygen, water extraction) requires 1MW+ continuous power, beyond solar capabilities.

ISRU stands for in-situ resource utilisation, meaning using local space resources, such as lunar ice, to produce essentials such as oxygen, water, fuel, and construction materials.
Its core aim is to cut launch costs and make space missions more sustainable.

Technologies Behind Nuclear Power in Space

Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTGs): They convert heat from the decay of Plutonium-238 into electricity, typically producing 100–300 watts; used in Voyager, Cassini and Curiosity.
- However, they cannot support human habitats or industrial systems due to their low power output.
Compact Fission Reactors: Shipping-container-sized reactors generating 10–100 kW of continuous energy; enable heating, 3D-printing, oxygen generation, and communications on Moon/Mars.
Nuclear Thermal Propulsion (NTP): Hydrogen propellant is heated by a nuclear reactor and pushed out of a nozzle for high thrust; used in DARPA’s DRACO mission.
Nuclear Electric Propulsion (NEP): Reactor produces electricity which ionises propellant (Xenon), enabling years of slow, efficient thrust, ideal for deep space cargo missions.

Legal Framework for Nuclear Power in Space

Outer Space Treaty (1967): Bans nuclear weapons in celestial bodies and allows peaceful nuclear power systems. Article IX of the treaty enforces non-appropriation and “due regard” to other states.
Liability Convention (1972): Absolute liability for nuclear damage caused on Earth/aircraft. Fault-based liability for damage in space but unclear on reactor failures beyond Earth orbit.
UN Principles (1992): Non-binding guidelines for pre-launch safety analysis, emergency notification in case of malfunctions, and to prevent release of radioactive materials in all conditions.

Issues Within the Current Legal Framework

No binding technical standards for launch safety or end-of-life disposal.
No rules on nuclear “safety zones” on Moon/Mars, risking territorial claims.
No inspection mechanism like the IAEA for space nuclear systems.
No environmental protection protocol for lunar soil, ice craters, or Martian regolith.

Key Risks in Using Nuclear Power in Space

Launch Failure Risk: A rocket crash involving nuclear material could contaminate Earth’s atmosphere. NASA’s RTG missions estimate a ~1 in 1,250 launch accident probability.
Radiation Leakage: Reactor malfunction on the Moon or Mars could affect ice deposits and regolith chemistry. Permanently shadowed craters contain an estimated 600 million tonnes of lunar ice.
Dual-Use Potential: Compact reactors can power both peaceful missions and military satellites. E.g. U.S. and China already testing nuclear propulsion for deep-space military logistics.
Legal Vacuum: No binding international rules for reactor disposal or post-mission waste management.

Way Forward

Update Protocols: Modernise UN Principles (1992) to include reactor propulsion & disposal standards. E.g. add inspection rules like IAEA safeguards.
Environmental Zones: Establish protected “no radioactive contamination” areas on Moon/Mars. E.g. Antarctic Treaty style environmental compliance protocols.
Institutional Mechanism: Create a global oversight mechanism for reactor design certification & safety audits. E.g. “Space Nuclear Safety Agency” under UN COPUOS.
Launch Liability: Define strict liability for lunar re-entry accidents involving reactors. similar to International Oil Pollution Compensation Funds.

India’s Strategic Opportunity

RTG Fuel Capability: India can develop Plutonium-238 production for safe long-duration power sources. India has PHWR fuel cycle experience, rare among spacefaring nations.
Norm-Setting Diplomacy: India can propose UN safety and inspection protocols for nuclear propulsion missions similar to India’s leadership in UNSC 1540 non-proliferation frameworks.
Deep-Space Leadership: Indigenous reactors can enable permanent lunar bases and crewed Mars missions beyond 2035. This aligns with ISRO’s Chandrayaan follow-up and Gaganyaan roadmap.
ISRO–DAE Synergy: Joint R&D between ISRO & Department of Atomic Energy can develop compact space reactors. India already operates 23 nuclear reactors, showcasing a strong engineering base.

Read More > Major Military Exercises of India

{Prelims – Geo} Alaknanda Galaxy Discovered in Early Universe *

Context (IE): Indian researchers at Pune have discovered a Milky Way–like spiral galaxy, Alaknanda, from the early universe ≈1.5 billion years after the Big Bang.

About Spiral Galaxies

Definition: Spiral galaxies are rotating systems of stars, gas, and dust shaped like a disk with spiral arms winding outward from a central bulge.
Structure: They typically have three major components — a dense central bulge, a flat rotating disk with spiral arms, and an extended halo of stars and dark matter. E.g., Milky Way is a barred spiral galaxy, with a central bar-shaped bulge.

About Galaxy “Alaknanda”

Location: A massive spiral galaxy with two well-defined spiral arms located ~12 billion light-years away, dating to when the universe was just 10% of its current age.
Named by Researchers: Named “Alaknanda” after the Himalayan river; researchers saw it as a “sister” to Mandakini (another name for the Milky Way).
Instrument: Discovered using James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), NASA’s most powerful space observatory launched in December 2021.
Future Study Tools: Follow-up observations planned using Atacama Large Millimetre/submillimetre Array (ALMA) in Chile to study gas motion and galaxy kinematics.
Significance of the Discovery: It challenges early models as Early-universe galaxies were expected to be chaotic, hot, clumpy and turbulent, not well-organised spirals.

{Prelims – Species} Rock Eagle-Owl *

Context (IE): The Telangana Forest Department halted quarrying activities after discovering a Rock eagle-owl nest containing five eggs on a cliff.

About Rock Eagle-Owl (Bubo bengalensis)

The Rock eagle-owl, also known as the Indian or Bengal eagle-owl, is a large horned owl species endemic to the Indian Subcontinent.
Appearance: It is characterised by brown-grey plumage, a distinct white throat patch, deep orange-yellow eyes, and prominent horn-like ear tufts.
Habitat Preference: The owl inhabits rocky outcrops, scrub forests, ravines, and semi-arid landscapes. It strictly avoids humid evergreen forests and extremely arid regions.
Distribution: The range spans the Indian Subcontinent, including India, Nepal, Bangladesh, & Pakistan.
Ecological Role: As an apex predator, it regulates rodent populations and acts as a natural pest controller in agricultural landscapes.
Nesting Behaviour: It does not build nests; instead, it lays eggs in scrapes on bare soil, natural ledges, or rocky cliffs.
Threats: Habitat loss, electrocution on powerlines, illegal trade, superstition-driven persecution, etc.
Conservation Status: IUCN: Least Concerned, CITES: Appendix II, WPA: Schedule I

{Prelims – Defence} DRDO Rocket-Sled Test *

Context (PIB): The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully carried out a high-speed rocket-sled test of a fighter aircraft escape system.

A rocket-sled test is a dynamic testing method that uses a rocket-propelled sled on a precisely aligned track to simulate real flight or impact conditions in a controlled environment.
Objective: Assess the performance and reliability of a fighter aircraft escape system for aircrew recovery.
Mechanism: The test employed a Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), accelerated to a precisely controlled velocity by solid propellant rocket motors.
Location: It was conducted at the Rail Track Rocket Sled (RTRS) facility of the Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory (TBRL) in Chandigarh.
Collaboration: The test was carried out in partnership with Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
Significance: It is a significant milestone for India’s indigenous defence capability, positioning India among an “elite club of nations” with in-house escape-system testing expertise.

{Prelims – Exercise} Exercise EKUVERIN

Context (NOA): The 14^th edition of the annual India-Maldives bilateral military exercise EKUVERIN is set to take place in Kerala from Dec 2^nd to 15^th.

About Exercise EKUVERIN

Exercise EKUVERIN (meaning ‘Friends’ in the Dhivehi language) is the annual bilateral military exercise between India and the Maldives, initiated in 2009.
Conducted alternately in India & Maldives; 14^th edition (2025) is being held in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, between the Indian Army and the Maldives National Defence Force.
It focuses on enhancing interoperability for counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism operations across semi-urban, jungle and coastal terrain, with increasing integration of niche technologies.
India also participates in Exercise Ekatha – an annual joint naval exercise with the Maldives and Exercise Dosti – a trilateral maritime exercise between the coast guards of India, the Maldives and Sri Lanka.

{Prelims – Events} Kashi Tamil Sangamam 4.0

Context (NOA): Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath inaugurated the fourth edition of Kashi Tamil Sangamam in Varanasi.

About Kashi Tamil Sangamam

Inception: Launched in 2022 by the Ministry of Education to revive ancient civilizational and cultural ties between Varanasi (Kashi) and Tamil Nadu under the spirit of ‘Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat.’
Format: Month-long event in Varanasi featuring seminars, cultural performances, temple visits, cuisine exhibitions and academic exchanges.
Fourth Edition: Begins 2 December 2025 under the theme “Learn Tamil – Tamil Karkalam”, with over 1,400 delegates from Tamil Nadu participating.
Organisers: Coordinated by the Ministry of Education with IIT-Madras and Banaras Hindu University as knowledge partners, supported by the Uttar Pradesh government.

Historical Ties Between Kashi and Tamil Nadu

Tamil Shaivite Saints like Appar, Sambandar and Sundarar referenced Kashi in the Thevaram hymns, reinforcing Varanasi as a sacred geography in Tamil Bhakti literature.
Tamil scholars historically travelled to Kashi for Vedic, Sanskrit & philosophical studies, with institutions like Kashi Vidvat Parishad hosting Tamil Pandits.
Many temples in Tamil Nadu symbolically link to the original Kashi Vishwanath tradition (E.g., Kashi Vishwanath replicas in Thanjavur and Kumbakonam).
Continuous south-north pilgrimage routes recorded for centuries, with large Tamil pilgrim settlements historically documented in Varanasi

Read More > Bhakti Movement

{Prelims – In News} New PMO Complex Named Seva Teerth *

Context (TH): The new complex housing the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) under the Central Vista redevelopment project will be named Seva Teerth.

The complex, earlier called Executive Enclave, includes the Prime Minister’s Office, Cabinet Secretariat, National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) and India House.
The renaming aligns with recent changes, such as Rajpath into Kartavya Path and Race Course Road into Lok Kalyan Marg, reflecting a broader shift toward service-oriented institutional nomenclature.

About Prime Minister’s Office (PMO)

Apex executive support office assisting the Prime Minister in administration; created as PM’s Secretariat in 1947 and renamed Prime Minister’s Office in 1977.
Structure: Led politically by the Prime Minister and administratively by the Principal Secretary, with Secretaries, Joint Secretaries and other staff drawn mainly from civil services on a tenure basis.
Functions: Coordinate with ministries, states, key constitutional authorities & manage matters requiring the PM’s approval.