Current Affairs – November 18, 2025

{GS2 – Polity} 16^th Finance Commission Report

• Context (TH | TOI): The 16^th Finance Commission (2026–31), chaired by Dr Arvind Panagariya, submitted its report to President Droupadi Murmu on 17 Nov 2025, after receiving a one-month extension.

• The recommendations will apply for five years starting 1 April 2026, succeeding the 15^th FC (2021–26) headed by N.K. Singh.

Key Highlights of the Report

• Tax Devolution Formula: Recommends principles for sharing of the divisible tax pool between the Union and States, and its inter-state distribution.
• Grants-in-Aid Framework: Suggests criteria for revenue deficit grants, performance-based grants, and sector-specific support to States.
• Local Governance Financing: Proposes mechanisms to augment State resources for Panchayats and Municipalities, in line with Article 280.
• Disaster Finance Review: Examines utilisation structure under the Disaster Management Act, 2005.
• Extensive Consultations: Conducted state- and UT-level visits to assess fiscal needs, developmental disparities, and regional capacities.

About Finance Commission (FC)

• The FC is a constitutional body constituted by the President under Article 280 of the Constitution.
• It is a Quasi-Judicial body constituted every 5^th year or at such an earlier time as the President deems necessary.
• It consists of a chairman and four other members to be appointed by the President. They are eligible for re-appointment.

Read More > Finance Commission

High-Quality Books!

{GS2 – Polity} 32^nd Meeting of Northern Zonal Council **

• Context (TH): Union Home Minister Amit Shah has chaired the 32^nd meeting of the Northern Zonal Council in Faridabad, Haryana.

• The Northern Zonal Council includes Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, and Chandigarh.

About Zonal Councils

• Zonal Councils are statutory advisory bodies created under the States Reorganisation Act 1956 to facilitate coordination between the states and the Centre.
• Five Plus One: India has five Zonal Councils: Northern, Central, Eastern, Western, and Southern, in addition to a separate North Eastern Council.
• Core Objective: Zonal Councils aim to promote national integration & foster cooperative federalism among states, Union Territories (UTs), and the Union government.
• Secretariat Structure: The State Reorganisation Act 1956 initially mandated that each Zonal Council maintain its own secretariat within its zone.
  • Unified Secretariat: Since 1963, a single Secretariat in New Delhi under the Ministry of Home Affairs has overseen all Zonal Councils.

Composition of Zonal Council

• Statutory Members: Each Council comprises the Union Home Minister, Chief Ministers of all states in the zone, two ministers from each state, and administrators of UTs.
• Advisory Members: Non-voting advisors include a NITI Aayog nominee, the Chief Secretary of each state, and the Development Commissioner of each state.
• Common Chair: Union Home Minister serves as the common chairperson for all five Zonal Councils.
• Vice-Chair: Each Chief Minister becomes vice-chairman of the Council by rotation for one year.
• Rotational Secretary: Chief Secretaries of member states serve as Secretary for each Zonal Council by rotation for one-year terms.

Functioning of Zonal Councils

• Meeting Process: The Chairman determines the meeting schedule, and members submit memoranda with relevant facts to the Secretary for agenda inclusion.
• Issue Screening: Each Council’s Standing Committee of state Chief Secretaries examine issues first. Only unresolved matters are placed before the full Council.
• Decision Mechanism: Decisions are made by a majority vote, and the presiding officer (Union Home Minister) holds a casting vote in the case of a tie. All recommendations remain non-binding.
  • Over the past decade (2014-25), 83% of issues discussed in Zonal Council meetings have been successfully resolved.

Read More> Zonal Councils

{GS2 – IR} Venezuela Seeks Cooperation on Critical Minerals

• Context (TH): Venezuela expressed a strong interest in collaborating with India on critical minerals to expand its economic engagements beyond the oil sector.

About Critical Minerals

• Critical minerals are metallic or non-metallic elements that are vital for a country’s economic growth and national security, but whose supply chains are susceptible to disruption.
• National Lists: Countries compile their own specific critical mineral lists; India has identified 30 critical minerals, including nickel, titanium, vanadium, tungsten, and others.
• Importance: They support India’s clean energy transition by facilitating EV batteries and solar panel manufacturing, which are crucial for achieving the national Net-Zero target by 2070.
• Policy Framework: India has implemented the National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM) under the Ministry of Mines to ensure a secure and sustainable supply of these minerals.

Read More > India-Canada Collaboration on Critical Minerals | CMRIS

{GS2 – IR} Former Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina Sentenced to Death

• Context (IE): Former Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina was sentenced to death in absentia by the International Crimes Tribunal in Dhaka.

• Crackdown Charge: The verdict found her guilty of crimes against humanity during the violent crackdown on student-led protests in July and August 2024.
• Extradition Request: The Bangladesh government has formally requested India to extradite her under the India-Bangladesh Extradition Treaty of 2013.
• Refusal Grounds: India may refuse extradition if the request is unjust, not made in good faith, politically motivated, or involves a military offence.

About the India-Bangladesh Extradition Treaty of 2013

• Dual Criminality: The treaty applies to offences punishable by a minimum of one year’s imprisonment in both countries.
• 2016 Amendment: A subsequent amendment removed the requirement for extensive evidence and allowed an arrest warrant to begin extradition.
• Political Offence: Article 6 permits refusing an extradition request if the offence is deemed to be political in nature.
  • Exceptions: Serious crimes such as murder, abduction, and terrorism cannot be treated as political offences under the treaty.

Read More> India-Bangladesh Extradition Treaty

Read More> India-Bangladesh Relations

{GS3 – Infra} Chennai Port to Procure Green Tug under GTTP *

• Context (TH): The Chennai Port Authority has initiated the procurement process of its first green tug under the Green Tug Transition Programme (GTTP).

• The tug will use a battery-electric propulsion system and include provisions for future upgrades to other cleaner technologies.

About Green Tug Transition Programme (GTTP)

• It is an initiative by India’s Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) to replace diesel-powered tugs with green tugs operating on non-fossil fuels.
• Policy Alignment: It is part of the Panch Karma Sankalp and aligns with the Maritime India Vision (MIV) 2030, Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047, and India’s Net-Zero Target by 2070.

• Nodal Agency: The National Centre of Excellence in Green Port & Shipping (NCoEGPS).
• Technology Path: The transition will begin with battery-electric and hybrid systems, then expands to methanol and green-hydrogen technologies.
• Targets: All tugs at major Indian ports must be green by 2040, and all new tugs after 2033 must meet GTTP standards.
• Implementation: Phase 1 (2024–2027) requires four major ports to get at least two green tugs each; Phase 2 (2027–2030) aims for at least 50% of tug fleets in pilot ports to switch to green operations.
• Significance: The initiative promotes UN SDG 14 and supports India’s green shipbuilding efforts.

Read More > GTTP | India’s Maritime Reforms

{GS3 – Envi} Supreme Court’s Directives on Tiger Safaris and Ecotourism **

• Context (TH): Supreme Court recently held Uttarakhand liable for illegal constructions in Jim Corbett National Park and issued conservation directives for nationwide implementation.

• Demolition Order: The Court ordered the Uttarakhand government to dismantle all unauthorised structures built inside the reserve within three months.
• Ecological Restoration: The state must restore all damaged forest areas under the direct supervision of the Central Empowered Committee (CEC).
• Cost Recovery: The Court applied the “Polluter Pays” principle and directed the recovery of the full restoration cost from the responsible officials and individuals.

Key Directives from the Judgement

New Rules for Tiger Safaris

• Core Ban: Tiger safaris are strictly prohibited in core areas, critical tiger habitats, and all notified tiger corridors. They may operate only on non-forest or degraded forest land within buffer zones.
• Rescue Linkage: Each safari must be linked to a recognised Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre and may house only conflict, injured, or orphaned animals from the same landscape.
  • Zoo Restriction: Procuring animals from zoos solely for tourist display is barred.

Pan-India Tourism & Conservation Directives

• ESZ Notification: All states must notify Eco-Sensitive Zones around every tiger reserve within one year.
  • ESZ Extent: These ESZs must cover all buffer and fringe areas and provide at least a one-kilometre radial cushion where no buffer exists.
• Eco-Tourism Only: Tourism in tiger habitats must follow approved eco-tourism standards. Night-time tourism is strictly prohibited.
• Disturbance Limits: Resorts and safari vehicles must minimise noise and light pollution, and tourists are prohibited from using mobile phones during safaris.

Human-Wildlife Conflict & Staff Welfare

• Disaster Status: The Court directed states to consider classifying human-wildlife conflict as a ‘natural disaster’ to ensure standardised relief measures.
• Compensation Rule: A uniform ex-gratia payment of ₹10 lakh must be provided to the families of victims killed in human-wildlife conflicts.
• Staff Protection: States must provide frontline forest staff with essential facilities and are barred from outsourcing core forest protection duties to private contractors.

{GS3 – S&T} Precision Biotherapeutics **

• Context (TH): DBT–BIRAC has prioritised Precision Biotherapeutics under the BioE³ Policy, signalling a national push for personalised, gene-based and molecular therapies.

Just-Released Books!

Significance of Precision Biotherapeutics

• Targeted Cure Potential: Treats root-cause mutations vs symptomatic care; E.g. CRISPR-based thalassemia therapy (Casgevy) approved by the FDA (2023).
• NCD Treatment Leap: India faces ~65% deaths from NCDs, demanding precision solutions where standard drugs underperform.
• Genomic Fit: High genetic diversity across communities needs India-specific genotype therapies.
• Economic & Innovation Play: Global precision medicine market projected >$22B by 2027, offering biotech startup & IP opportunity.

Challenges Associated with Precision Biotherapeutics

• High Therapy Cost: Gene and cell therapy prices globally range $0.5M–$2M (million) per patient (e.g., Zolgensma ~$2.1M), making it affordable only for <1% of Indian households based on income data.
• Regulatory Ambiguity: India lacks a dedicated CDSCO approval pathway for gene, cell, RNA and genome-edited products, unlike the Japanese fast-track system.
• Insufficient Manufacturing Capacity: India has very limited GMP-grade viral-vector and biologics units, causing high import dependence, whereas China has 800+ ongoing gene/cell therapy trials.
• Specialised Workforce Shortage: India has few clinical geneticists and genomic medicine specialists, compared to >4,000 board-certified medical geneticists in the US, leading to capability bottlenecks.
• Ethical & Data-Privacy Risks: Absence of a specific genomic data protection and biobank law raises risks around IndiGen/GenomeIndia datasets.

Way Forward

• Dedicated Regulatory Pathway: Create a CDSCO Gene–Cell Therapy division with fast-track approvals similar to Japan’s PMDA regenerative model.
• Biomanufacturing Expansion: Build viral-vector and biologics GMP hubs through PLI-Biopharma incentives to cut import dependence and therapy cost.
• Genomic Data Governance: Enact a bio-banking and consent law aligned with EU-GDPR bioethics rules to prevent genomic data misuse.
• Affordability & Insurance Access: Pilot PM-JAY / public-private risk pooling for precision therapies until domestic production reduces prices.
• Specialised Talent Pipeline: Start national genomic-medicine fellowships and AI-biotech training, integrated with DBT-IIT-AIIMS translational tracks.

{Prelims – S&T} Sentinel-6B Satellite *

• Context (IE): Sentinel-6B satellite was launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base (USA) to strengthen global ocean-climate observation and sea-level monitoring accuracy.

About Sentinel-6B

• Primary Objective: High-precision tracking of sea-level rise, ocean temperature and circulation to support climate science, disaster prediction & marine safety.
• Mission Partners: Jointly developed by NASA, NOAA & ESA under the EU Copernicus Programme.
• Twin-Satellite Model: Operates with Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich (2020) to ensure a continuous recording.
• Orbit Details: LEO mission moving at ~7.2 km/s, completing one orbit in ~112 minutes.
• Heritage Lineage: Continues satellite record of TOPEX/Poseidon → Jason-1/2/3 → Sentinel-6 series.
• Significance:
  • Climate Science Backbone: Critical for measuring long-term climate change indicators.
  • Disaster Preparedness: Enhances storm, cyclone, flood & coastal inundation forecasting accuracy.
  • Blue-Economy Support: Helps secure subsea cables, pipelines, ports & shipping routes.

{Prelims – Defence} New Military Garrisons Near the Siliguri Corridor *

• Context (TH): India has established three new military garrisons to strengthen its eastern defence near the Siliguri Corridor.

• The new installations aim to enhance surveillance, rapid response capabilities, and coordination with the Border Security Force (BSF) along the India-Bangladesh border.

About the Three Garrisons

• Bamuni Garrison: The Lachit Borphukan Military Station, the first major Army installation close to the Bangladesh border in Assam.
• Kishanganj Base: Situated in Bihar, it enables rapid troop deployment and logistical support.
• Chopra Base: Located in West Bengal, it focuses on quick response and intelligence integration.

About Siliguri Corridor

• Siliguri Corridor, also known as the “Chicken’s Neck,” is a 60 km long and 22 km wide strip of land in West Bengal.
• It is the only land link connecting mainland India to its seven northeastern states.
• Trade Corridor: It facilitates transit with Nepal and Bhutan, strengthening regional connectivity in accordance with India’s Act East Policy.
• Strategic Risk: Proximity to the China-controlled Chumbi Valley near the India–Bhutan–China tri-junction heightens vulnerability, as shown during the 2017 Doklam standoff.

{Prelims – Exercises} Exercise ‘Ajeya Warrior’

• Context (NOA): The 8^th India–UK joint military exercise ‘Ajeya Warrior’ has started at Mahajan Field Firing Ranges in Rajasthan.
• The flagship exercise has been conducted biennially since 2011.
• Objective: The exercise aims to exchange best practices, enhance tactical proficiency, and improve coordinated responses in complex operational conditions.
• Participation: Indian troops from the Sikh Regiment are training with an equivalent British Army unit.
• Focus Areas: Conducted under a United Nations mandate, the exercise emphasises counter-terrorism operations in semi-urban and restricted environments.
• Significance: The exercise strengthens operational interoperability and supports the ‘India–UK Vision 2035’ roadmap.

{Prelims – Festivals} Raulane Festival

• Context (TOI): The Raulane Festival is celebrated in Himachal Pradesh’s Kinnaur district to honour the Sauni celestial fairies.
• These fairies are considered guardian spirits that protect villages during the harsh winter months.
• Two chosen men representing a divine couple, the groom Raula and the bride Raulane, are central to the festival’s ritual.
• They wear full Kinnauri wool garments and traditional jewellery, with completely masked faces to signify their role as spiritual intermediaries.
• The divine pair carries out a slow ritual dance within the Nagin Narayan temple to seek communion with the Sauni spirits and invoke their blessings.

{Prelims – In News} Adam Chini Rice

• Context (NIE): Scientists from Banaras Hindu University (BHU) developed 23 novel mutant varieties of Adam Chini rice using Mutagenesis.

About Adam Chini

• Overview: Traditional aromatic black rice from eastern Uttar Pradesh; known for sugar crystal-like grains, strong fragrance rivalling Basmati rice and premium cooking quality.
• GI Status: Adam Chini Chawal was awarded a Geographical Indication tag in 2023 (NABARD), the second rice variety from Uttar Pradesh to be granted this distinction, after Kalanamak rice.
• Challenges: Prone to lodging due to its 165 cm height, long 155-day maturity period & low yields of 20-23 quintals/hectare – hindering large-scale cultivation despite high market demand.
• Breakthrough: New mutant varieties have reduced height (105 cm for mutant-14), earlier maturity (120 days for mutant-19) and higher yields (30-35 quintals/hectare for mutant-14, 15, 19 & 20).
  • New varieties enable mass production of Adam Chini, coveted especially in Australia & New Zealand.

Read More > PUSA-44 Rice Variety

{Prelims} One Liners

• Diseases – National Epilepsy Day (TH): National Epilepsy Day is observed in India on November 17 every year to raise public awareness and reduce stigma. Epilepsy is a chronic, noncommunicable neurological disease characterised by recurrent, unprovoked seizures.