Current Affairs – November 27, 2025

{GS2 – Governance} Rare Earth Permanent Magnet Manufacturing Scheme **

Context (TH | NOA): The Union Cabinet of India has approved a landmark scheme to establish domestic manufacturing facilities for Rare Earth Permanent Magnets (REPMs).

More About the Scheme

The scheme combines Production-Linked Incentives and capital subsidies to create an integrated supply chain of REPMs to reduce import dependence.
Nodal Agency: Overseen by the Ministry of Heavy Industries with assistance from relevant bodies.
Objective: To create domestic manufacturing capacity of 6,000 Metric Tons per Annum (MTPA).
Duration: It is planned for 7 years, including a 2-year phase to establish the REPM manufacturing facility and 5 years of sales-linked incentives.
Significance: It strengthens the automotive supply chain, supports the nation’s Net Zero 2070 commitment, and aligns with the Viksit Bharat 2047 vision.

About Rare Earth Permanent Magnets (REPMs)

REPMs are the strongest permanent magnets available commercially, made from alloys of rare earth elements (REEs).
Global Production: China controls about 90% of global production and processing of REPMs.
Types: There are mainly two categories
1. NdFeB Magnets: Neodymium-iron-boron magnets offer the highest magnetic strength but have lower temperature resistance than samarium–cobalt units.
2. SmCo Magnets: Samarium-Cobalt magnets have lower strength but are highly durable, making them suitable for aerospace, medical, and military uses.
Key Applications: They are essential for wind-turbine generators, electric vehicles (EVs), small electronic devices, and medical and defence systems like MRI units and precision-guided weapons.

REEs are a group of 17 chemically similar metallic elements that exhibit unique magnetic properties when alloyed with transition metals such as iron and cobalt.

{GS2 – Governance} Aadhaar Deactivation Drive

Context (PIB | DD): Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has deactivated over 2 crore Aadhaar numbers of deceased individuals to prevent identity misuse.

About Aadhaar

Identity Proof: A 12-digit Unique ID issued by UIDAI to every resident of India, linking biometric and demographic data.
- Launched in 2009, backed by the Aadhaar Act 2016. It is not proof of citizenship.
Coverage: Over 133 crore enrolments, with ~99.9% adult coverage; mandatory for several government services including PAN-Aadhaar linkage, income-tax filing and Direct Beneficiary Transfer (DBT) targeting.
myAadhaar Portal: UIDAI’s unified online platform offering e-KYC, biometrics/demographic update, Aadhaar download, & reporting of deaths (integrated with Civil Registration System in multiple States).

About UIDAI

Status: A statutory authority under the Aadhaar Act 2016, functioning under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY), responsible for issuing and managing Aadhaar numbers.
Functions: Oversees enrolment, authentication, data security, grievance redressal, and regulation of Aadhaar usage across public and private systems.
Data Protection: Mandates encryption, tokenisation, Virtual ID, biometric/OTP authentication, and prohibits re-assignment of Aadhaar numbers to prevent fraud and duplication.

Read More > Aadhaar

{GS2 – MoPNG} Surging LPG Consumption of India

Context (IANS | FE): India’s LPG consumption has surged to 31.3 MMT in FY25, supported by expanded household access under Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) and rising refill demand.

Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG): Fuel mix of propane and butane (~40:60 ratio) stored under pressure as liquid; used for cooking, industry & transport.

Trends in India’s LPG Sector

Rising Demand: LPG consumption increased from 21.6 MMT (FY17) to 31.3 MMT (FY25) & is projected to reach 33–34 MMT in FY26.
Policy Impact: Household access expanded under Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana as refill rates rose from 3.9 to 4.5 cylinders/yr, fuelled by better affordability, delivery networks and increasing reliance on LPG.
Commercial Uptake: Industrial and commercial use grew from ~10% to ~16% of total demand, driven by food services, institutional kitchens and MSME clusters.
Supply Gap: Domestic production rose from 11.2 MMT to 12.8 MMT (FY17–FY25) but imports climbed to ~20.7 MMT, keeping import dependence at 55–60%.
Import Diversification: Middle East supplies ~91–93% of imports; the new India-US LPG agreement (2.2 MTPA) reduces regional reliance and strengthens energy security.

About Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana

Overview: Launched in 2016 as a central sector scheme under the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas to provide deposit-free LPG connections to women in low-income households.
- It aims to safeguard household health by reducing indoor air pollution by replacing unclean cooking fuels with clean and more efficient LPG.
Eligibility: Adult women from BPL, SC/ST, Antyodaya, SECC-listed households, forest dwellers, migrants and island residents are eligible. Male members and households with no adult females are ineligible.
Achievements: Over 10.33 crore new LPG connections and more than 238 crore cylinder refills availed in 9 years.

Read More > Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana

{GS2 – IR} India–UAE Third CEPA Joint Committee Meeting

Context (PIB): India and the UAE successfully convened the third meeting of the Joint Committee under the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) in New Delhi.

The CEPA was signed in 2022 to liberalise and integrate the economies of both nations. The India-UAE Joint Commission acts as the main body to assess progress and coordinate CEPA-related actions.

Key Highlights

Trade Target: Recognising the rise in bilateral trade, both countries reaffirmed their commitment to achieve USD 100 billion in non-oil, non-precious metal trade by 2030.
Gold TRQ: India informed the UAE about a competitive online bidding system for gold Tariff Rate Quota allocations under CEPA.
Regulatory Talks: Discussions covered pharmaceutical trade facilitation, early signing of the Food Safety MoU, and anti-dumping measures to promote smooth trade.

A TRQ is a two-tiered trade policy mechanism that allows a specific quantity of a product to be imported at a lower (or zero) tariff rate.

India–UAE Relations

Trade: UAE is India’s third-largest trading partner and second-largest export destination. Bilateral trade exceeded USD 100 billion in FY 2024–25, rising 19.6% year-on-year.
Investment: UAE sovereign funds committed USD 75 billion to Indian infrastructure, supported by the Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) signed in 2024.
Energy Security: UAE remains India’s fourth-largest crude oil supplier and the only country storing oil in India’s Strategic Petroleum Reserves.
Defence Ties: Cooperation involves high-level dialogues, exercises such as Desert Cyclone and Zayed Talwar, and maritime security coordination.
Climate Partnership: India and the UAE jointly launched the Global Green Credit Initiative (GGCI) to promote sustainable practices globally.
Diaspora: The 3.5 million Indian diaspora in the UAE strengthens cultural ties. The BAPS Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi symbolises mutual respect and cultural diplomacy.

{GS3 – Envi} Digital Sequence Information

Context (DTE): Digital Sequence Information (DSI) has become a key negotiation topic at the ongoing 11^th Governing Body Meeting of the ITPGRFA in Lima, Peru.

About Digital Sequence Information (DSI)

Digital Sequence Information (DSI) refers to the digital representation of genetic material obtained from biological samples.
Data Scope: It includes nucleic-acid sequences, protein structures, metabolic profiles, epigenetic markers, and other annotated biological information.
Data Storage: DSI is stored in global public repositories such as GenBank (USA), EMBL-EBI (UK), and the DNA Data Bank (Japan) under the INSDC.
- INSDC: The International Nucleotide Sequence Database Collaboration (INSDC) is a global partnership that provides unified, open, and standardised public access to nucleotide-sequence data.
Scientific Use: It enables genetic analysis without physical samples by utilising open-access databases and synthetic biology tools.
ABS Gap: DSI remains outside bilateral Access and Benefit-Sharing (ABS) systems under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and Nagoya Protocol.
Cali Fund: COP16 (2024) in Colombia created the Cali Fund to administer fair and equitable benefit-sharing from commercial DSI use.

Advantages of DSI

Accelerated Research: DSI speeds up scientific research by removing the need to collect biological samples for each study physically.
Rapid Sharing: Global access to digital genetic data enables quicker development of diagnostics, vaccines, and targeted treatments.
Reduced Barriers: Open-access database reduces research costs and eliminates the transport and permitting barriers linked to physical genetic material.
Targeted Therapies: Large-scale digital analysis helps identify disease-specific markers for precise therapeutic design.

Challenges with DSI

Unfair Access: Open-access databases allow commercial users to use genetic data without fair benefit-sharing with the source countries
Regulatory Uncertainty: The absence of a legally binding definition and harmonised global rules complicates policy implementation.
Traceability Challenge: Determining the origin and commercial pathway of a specific DSI sequence is expensive, complicated, and often impractical.
Capacity Gap: Many developing countries lack adequate sequencing infrastructure and bioinformatics expertise, restricting their ability to leverage DSI.

International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA)

ITPGRFA is a legally binding treaty adopted by the FAO in 2001 to conserve and share plant genetic resources for food and agriculture (PGRFA).
Objective: The treaty ensures that farmers and breeders can access the genetic material required to create new crop varieties and strengthen global food security.
Current Status: It came into force in 2004 and currently includes 155 contracting parties, comprising 154 countries and the European Union.
- India’s Membership: India ratified the treaty in 2002 through the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights (PPV&FR) Act, 2001 and the Biological Diversity Act 2002.
MLS Mechanism: The treaty establishes a Multilateral System (MLS) that provides rule-based access to 64 Annex-I food and forage crops for research, breeding, and conservation.
- SMTA Regulation: Access under the MLS is regulated by Standard Material Transfer Agreements (SMTA), and users cannot claim intellectual property rights over MLS material.

{GS3 – S&T} Digital Sovereignty **

Context (IE): India faces rising geopolitical pressure over data flows, digital taxation and Big Tech regulation, as major powers push for rules that may limit national policy space.

The debate now centres on choosing between digital sovereignty, digital submission, or remaining vulnerable to external control of data and digital infrastructure.

Current Scenario of India’s Digital World

India has over 850 million internet users, making it the world’s second-largest digital market.
The digital economy contributes $500 billion to GDP and is projected to cross $1 trillion by 2030.
India faces rising cyber vulnerability, with 1.3 million cyber incidents in 2024 (CERT-In).
India’s Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) Aadhaar, UPI, DigiLocker, and ONDC have become a global model for low-cost, high-scale digital delivery.

Need for Digital Sovereignty for India

Data Power: National control over data enables economic value creation and strategic autonomy. E.g., global data economy valued at $3 trillion+ (OECD 2024).
Policy Autonomy: Safeguard India’s sovereign right to design digital taxation without external pressure. E.g. OECD’s Pillar-1 negotiations explicitly preserve national policy space.
Security Safeguards: Reduces vulnerability to foreign financial and digital chokepoints. E.g. SWIFT-based exclusion of Russia/Iran demonstrated geopolitical risks.
Tech Development: Enables growth of indigenous AI, semiconductor and platform ecosystems. E.g. India’s Digital Public Infrastructure is estimated to add $100 bn/year (World Bank).

Challenges Faced in Acquiring Digital Sovereignty

US Dominance: Western control of financial and digital rails limits Indian bargaining power. E.g. 90% of global digital ads revenue captured by US platforms.
FTA Pressures: Proposed digital trade clauses restrict India’s right to regulate data flows. E.g. the US is demanding the removal of data localisation and limits on digital taxes.
Talent Drain: Indian tech workforce fuels global valuations without domestic dividends. E.g. India contributes 12% of global AI talent, but value accrues abroad.
Digital Dependency: The Indian digital ecosystem is dominated by foreign cloud, OS, and payment stacks. E.g. 80% cloud market is controlled by three US firms.

Way Forward

Data Localisation: Strengthen regulated data storage norms to safeguard sensitive national information. E.g. the EU’s GDPR localisation framework that tightly governs personal-data transfers.
Sovereign Compute: Build robust national cloud platforms and advanced chip fabrication units to ensure long-term technological independence. E.g. France’s GAIA-X sovereign cloud project.
FTA Red Lines: Reject digital-trade clauses that curb India’s powers over domestic digital regulation and protect policy space. E.g. WTO’s General Exceptions permit safeguarding national regulatory autonomy.
Domestic Champions: Promote Indian digital enterprises through incentives and market access support to build competitive ecosystems. E.g. China’s government-backed rise of Alibaba and Tencent.

{Prelims – Envi} Biomass Pellets *

Context (NOA): The Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) inaugurated a biomass pellet plant in Haryana, supporting mandated biomass blending in thermal power plants.

About Biomass Pellets

Overview: Solid renewable fuel made from compressed organic material such as agricultural residue, energy crops, industrial waste and untreated wood.
- Compression removes moisture from the material, increasing its energy density and making it a viable fuel with high combustion efficiency.
Torrefaction: Biomass heated at 250-350°C without oxygen, producing hydrophobic, high-energy pellets with better storability but higher processing cost.
- Non-torrefied biomass is shredded and pelletized with binders (e.g., sawdust, molasses); cheaper to produce but lower durability and moisture resistance.
Usage: Thermal power plants must blend 5-10% biomass pellets with coal, using refined pellets with coal-like calorific value as part of the mandated fuel mix.
Benefits: Biomass pellets reduce air pollution from stubble burning, supplement income for farmers, support rural jobs, and replace a portion of coal with a cleaner renewable fuel.
Environmental Impact: Lower NOx, SOx and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) emissions compared to coal, but associated with fine particulate pollution during combustion.

Read More > India’s Biofuel Push

{Prelims – Species} Manchurian Walnut Tree (Juglans mandshurica)

Context (TOI): Recently, scientists identified strong weed-killing potential in the leaves of the Manchurian Walnut tree (Juglans mandshurica).

Along with the allelopathic compound juglone found in all walnut species, the leaves also contain a potent natural herbicide called 2Z-decaprenol.

About the Manchurian Walnut Tree

The Manchurian walnut tree is a cold-resistant, fast-growing deciduous tree native to Northeast Asia.
Soil Preference: It prefers deep, moist, well-drained loamy soils rich in organic matter in cool temperate regions.
Morphology: The tree produces large compound leaves (often 60-80 cm) and an extremely thick, uniquely textured nut shell.
Habitat Preference: The species thrives in temperate broadleaf forests, particularly along riverbanks, moist valleys, and shaded mountain slopes.
Cold Tolerance: It is the most cold-resistant walnut species, surviving winter temperatures down to at least –40°C.
Growth Pattern: The trees grow rapidly in early years and may live for up to 300 years. It can grow 1-2 meters per year for the first 20 years.
Distribution: Manchurian Walnut is native to Northeast China, the Korean Peninsula, eastern Russia, and northern Japan.
Human-Use: Its durable hardwood is used in furniture and cabinetry, while its nuts provide edible kernels and oil.

{Prelims – S&T} India’s First Private Orbital Rocket Vikram-I *

Context (IT): PM Narendra Modi unveiled Vikram-I, India’s first private orbital rocket developed by Hyderabad-based Skyroot Aerospace.

Vehicle Design: Vikram-I is a four-stage, 20-metre-tall launch vehicle designed to serve the small-satellite market.
- The rocket can carry 350 kg to low Earth orbit (LEO) or 260 kg to sun-synchronous orbit (SSO).
Structural Build: It uses an all-carbon fibre body and 3D-printed engines to reduce overall weight and enhance strength.
Stage Propulsion: The first three stages use ‘Kalam’ solid-fuel motors, while the upper stage operates on ‘Raman’ hypergolic engines.
Rapid Turnaround: The system supports complete assembly and launch within 24 hours from any designated launch site.
Launch Legacy: Vikram-I follows Skyroot’s 2022 launch of India’s first-ever private (sub-orbital) rocket, Vikram-S.

Orbital Rocket: An orbital rocket lifts a payload from Earth into a stable orbit. It must reach a horizontal velocity of about 28,000 km/h (17,500 mph) to remain in orbit.
Suborbital Rocket: It follows a ballistic parabolic path and returns to Earth. It cannot achieve orbit because its speed and trajectory are insufficient for sustained orbital motion.

{Prelims – S&T} Safran Aircraft Engine Services India Facility

Context (NOA): PM Modi inaugurated the Safran Aircraft Engine Services India (SAESI) facility in Hyderabad to provide world-class engine maintenance and repair services.

He also laid the foundation stone for an adjacent Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) facility for the M88 engines that power Rafale fighter jets.

About SAESI Facility

It is designed to service LEAP (Leading Edge Aviation Propulsion) engines, which power commercial aircraft like the Airbus A320neo and Boeing 737 MAX.
Capacity: The state-of-the-art facility aims to service up to 300 LEAP engines annually after reaching full operational capacity by 2035.
Significance: It is a major step towards realising Aatmanirbharta (self-reliance) in the aviation sector and establishing India as a global aviation hub.

The LEAP engine offers fuel-efficient, reliable propulsion for commercial aircraft, reducing CO₂ emissions, lowering operating costs, and minimising environmental impact.

Read More > India’s Aviation Sector

{Prelims – Diseases} H5N5 Bird Flu *

Context (DTE): For the first time, a human has died due to the H5N5 avian influenza virus in the USA.

About H5N5 Avian Influenza

Type: Influenza A virus subtype found primarily in wild waterfowl and poultry.
Genetic Makeup:
- H5: Haemagglutinin subtype (surface protein enabling cell entry)
- N5: Neuraminidase subtype (surface protein enabling viral release)
Difference from H5N1: Genome sequencing indicates H5N5 is genetically distinct from currently circulating H5N1 strains. Same H5 subtype but different N subtype (N5 vs N1). WHO data show that H5N1 human cases have exceeded 860 since 2003, while H5N5 has only had one confirmed case (in 2025).
Transmission to Humans: Extremely rare; this is the first confirmed human infection. It occurs mainly through direct contact with infected birds. No evidence of human-to-human transmission so far.
Symptoms: High fever, Severe respiratory illness, neurological symptoms and rapid deterioration.
Treatment: Treatment relies on early use of neuraminidase inhibitors such as oseltamivir to reduce severity, supported by hospital-based care for respiratory distress.

{Prelims – Diseases} Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Context (TH): Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is in focus due to rising global burden (projected +69% cases by 2040) and its inclusion under India’s National Policy for Rare Diseases (NPRD), 2021.

About Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Nature: A progressive motor neuron disease (also called Lou Gehrig’s disease) causing degeneration of brain and spinal motor neurons, leading to muscle atrophy, paralysis and respiratory failure.
- Over 90% cases are sporadic, with onset typically from 55-75 years, and higher prevalence in males. Average life expectancy after diagnosis is 3-5 years.
Symptoms: Early signs include fasciculations, limb weakness, dysarthria and dysphagia; advanced stages cause breathing difficulty, immobility, and may co-occur with frontotemporal dementia (FTD-ALS).
Causes: Etiology unclear; linked to genetic mutations (e.g., C9ORF72), smoking, hypertension, and possible glial cell dysfunction.
Treatment: Confirmed via Electromyography, nerve conduction, MRI, biopsies; no cure developed yet. Management includes multidisciplinary therapy, assistive devices, and palliative respiratory support.

Fasciculation is involuntary twitching of muscles, Dysarthria is slurred speech due to impaired motor control and Dysphagia is difficulty swallowing caused by weakened throat muscles.

Read More > Rare Diseases

{Prelims – Sports} India to Host 2030 Commonwealth Games

Context (NOA): Ahmedabad has been granted hosting rights for the 2030 Commonwealth Games by delegates of Commonwealth nations during the General Assembly in Glasgow.

This is the second time India will host the Games; New Delhi previously hosted the 2010 edition.
This decision further supports India’s goal to host the 2036 Olympic Games.

The Commonwealth Games is a multi-sport event held every 4 years among Commonwealth countries. Birmingham (UK) hosted the 2022 Games, and Glasgow (Scotland) will host the 2026 edition.