Current Affairs – October 30, 2025

{GS2 – Governance} Rashtriya Ekta Diwas *

• Context (PIB): Rashtriya Ekta Diwas (National Unity Day) is observed annually on October 31 to commemorate the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

• The Ekta Diwas 2025 celebrations will feature a grand parade in Ekta Nagar, Gujarat, alongside the nationwide ‘Run for Unity’ and the ‘Unity March’ to promote national cohesion.
• The year 2025 marks Sardar Patel’s 150^th birth anniversary and the 10^th anniversary of the Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat (EBSB) initiative.

About Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel

• Vallabhbhai Patel (1875-1950), born in Nadiad, Gujarat, was a prominent nationalist leader and the first Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister of independent India.
• Agrarian Struggles: He led the Kheda Satyagraha (1918), demanding tax relief for drought-affected farmers, and the Bardoli Satyagraha (1928) against unfair taxation, earning the title “Sardar.”
• National Integration: He became known as the “Iron Man of India” for unifying 565 princely states into the newly independent Indian Union.
• Civil Services: He established the modern All India Services as the “Steel Frame” to protect India’s unity and integrity. This earned him the popular title, “Patron Saint of Indian Civil Servants.”

About Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat (EBSB)

• The initiative was launched on 31 October 2015 by the Government of India to promote ‘unity in diversity’ among States and Union Territories.
• Objective: Strengthen emotional bonds, promote integration, celebrate cultural diversity, and encourage interstate partnerships.
• Key Initiatives: EBSB promotes unity through the Bhasha Sangam App (multilingual learning), Yuva Sangam (student exchanges), Kashi Tamil Sangamam (cultural bonding), and digital campaigns on the EBSB Portal showcasing inter-state activities.

Read More > Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel

{GS2 – MoCI} Export of GI-Tagged Indi and Puliyankudi Limes *

• Context (NOA): Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) exported the Geographical Indication (GI) tagged Indi and Puliyankudi limes to the UK for the first time.

About Indi Lime

• Indi limes are primarily grown in the Vijayapura district of Karnataka. They thrive in semi-arid climates and black cotton soils.
• They are known for their superior quality, zesty aroma, high juice yield, and balanced acidity.
• These limes are used in cooking and are also valued in traditional medicine and cultural practices.
• It officially received the GI tag in 2023, safeguarding its regional identity and export potential.

About Puliyankudi Lime

• Puliyankudi limes are grown in Tamil Nadu’s Tenkasi district, known as the “Lemon City of Tamil Nadu.”
• These limes, particularly the Kadayam variety, are characterised by their thin peel, strong acidity, high ascorbic acid content, and juice percentage of around 55%.
• Rich in vitamin C and antioxidants, they support immunity and digestion while ensuring superior quality.
• It received the GI tag in 2025 for its unique regional and nutritional characteristics.

{GS2 – MoSJE} Rehabilitation Council of India

• Context (PIB): The Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI) has announced reforms to enhance transparency, efficiency, and inclusivity within the rehabilitation ecosystem nationwide.

• Key reforms: Includes free and extended registration for professionals, the establishment of Centres of Excellence, and comprehensive examination reforms such as faster supplementary exams.
• Significance: These reforms reaffirm RCI’s commitment to empowering students and professionals, aligning with the vision of Jan Vishwas (trust-based governance) and the Ease of Doing Business.

About RCI

• The RCI is a statutory body under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, established as a society in 1986 and granted statutory status in 1993.
• Objective: To regulate and standardise the training policies and programs for professionals working with persons with disabilities.
• Mandate: To maintain the Central Rehabilitation Register and oversee the service delivery of personnel working in the fields of Rehabilitation and Special Education.

{GS2 – Social Sector} SC Directs NHRC to Monitor Mental Health Authorities

• Context (TH): The SC has directed the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to monitor the functioning of Central and State Mental Health Authorities, ensuring effective implementation of the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017.

• The decision follows a 2018 petition highlighting the inhumane treatment of mentally ill prisoners at a faith-based asylum in Badayun, Uttar Pradesh.

About the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017

• It replaced the Mental Health Act, 1987, and aligns Indian law with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
• Its core aim is to provide mental healthcare and protect the rights of persons with mental illness.
• Definition: Mental illness covers substantial disorders of thinking, mood, perception, orientation or memory that grossly impair judgement, behaviour or ability to meet ordinary life demands (includes conditions linked to alcohol/drug use).
• It Provides for:
  • Establishment of Central and State Mental Health Authorities.
  • Creation of Mental Health Review Boards.
  • Right to access affordable and quality mental healthcare, and;
  • Decriminalisation of suicide attempts by individuals with mental illness.

Read More > Mental Health in India

{GS2 – IR} New Strategic EU–India Agenda

• Context (TH): The EU has a proposal to link India’s Carbon Credit Trading Scheme (CCTS) with the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM).

• This linkage aims to shield Indian exporters from double taxation and foster equitable North–South collaboration in climate policy.

About the Carbon Credit Trading Scheme (CCTS)

• Launched by the Ministry of Power under the Energy Conservation (Amendment) Act, 2022.
• To establish a domestic carbon market to incentivise and regulate the reduction of GHG emissions.
• The CCTS assigns a carbon credit to each tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e) reduced, effectively putting a price on emissions and encouraging businesses to adopt cleaner technologies.
• Under this initiative, carbon credit certificates are issued by the BEE to entities that exceed their emission reduction targets.

About the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM)

• CBAM is a proposed EU carbon border tax on imports from countries with carbon-intensive production methods.
• CBAM, which will start in 2026, is a part of the “Fit for 55 in 2030 package”.
• Initially, it will be imposed on the most carbon-intensive imports, i.e., iron and steel, cement, fertilisers, aluminium, hydrogen, and electricity.

Significance of the India–EU Carbon Market Linkage

• Export Competitiveness: Prevents Indian exporters from facing double penalties, vital for sectors like steel and aluminium, which are worth $8.5 billion in exports to the EU.
• Climate Leadership: Helps in achieving Paris Agreement goals and targeting net-zero by 2070.
• Green Industrial Transition: Encourages adoption of cleaner tech in energy-intensive sectors.

{GS3 – IE} Urban Planning in India Must Evolve Beyond Land Use

• Context (IE): The current urban planning framework remains confined to land-use regulation and lacks an integrated approach that connects economic planning, climate resilience, and resource sustainability.

Limitations of Current Urban Planning

• India’s planning framework dates back to colonial-era sanitation reforms introduced during the 19th-century plague outbreaks. The system continues to focus narrowly on zoning and land allocation.
• Projections are typically based on past population trends rather than forward-looking economic and employment data.
• Cities are treated as physical spaces to manage rather than economic hubs to empower. The result is a static planning system disconnected from India’s growth ambitions and climate imperatives.

Need for a New Planning Paradigm

• Economic Vision: Planning should begin with identifying the economic drivers, industry clusters, services, logistics, or innovation zones, for the next 20-50 years.
  • This vision should determine expected job creation, population growth, and corresponding infrastructure needs.
• Natural Resource Budgeting: Each city must undertake a natural resource audit, mapping water, land, and energy availability against projected demand.
  • Urban development must respect a city’s carrying capacity, ensuring sustainable consumption.
• Environmental Integration: Each city needs a climate action plan outlining emission-reduction pathways and resilience measures against extreme events.
  • Urban Master Plans must integrate an air pollution management plan, addressing transport-related emissions and industrial impacts.
• Urban Mobility: A Comprehensive Mobility Plan (CMP) should promote public transport, cycling, and walking to curb congestion and air pollution.
  • Transit-oriented development (TOD) and mixed-use zoning can reduce travel distances and emissions.
• Balanced Urbanisation: Promoting Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities will help decongest metros, create jobs locally, and distribute economic opportunities more equitably.
  • Smaller cities must be integrated into regional growth corridors, as they can host manufacturing and logistics hubs at lower costs.

Read More > India’s Urban Transition | National Plan to Build New Cities | Urban Doom Loop

{GS3 – Agri} Revised Nutrient-Based Subsidy

• Context (ET): The Union Cabinet approved revised nutrient-based subsidy (NBS) rates on phosphatic and potassic (P&K) fertilizers for the 2025-26 Rabi season.

• Increased Allocation: A total subsidy of ₹37,952 crore was approved for the 2025-26 Rabi season, marking a 55% increase from ₹24,000 crore in 2024-25.
• Rate Adjustment: Subsidy rates for phosphorus (P) and sulphur (S) were increased, while nitrogen (N) and potash (K) rates remained unchanged.

About the Nutrient-Based Subsidy (NBS) Scheme

• The Nutrient-Based Subsidy (NBS) is a central sector scheme administered by the Department of Fertilizers under the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers.
• Objective: Ensures affordable access to non-urea fertilizers while promoting balanced nutrient use and sustainable soil health.
• Subsidy Basis: Provides a fixed subsidy per kilogram of nutrient content for nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potash (K), and sulphur (S); urea remains outside the NBS regime.
• Pricing System: The pricing of phosphatic and potassic (P&K) fertilisers is decontrolled, allowing Manufacturers and importers to set Maximum Retail Prices (MRPs).
• Additional Support: Offers extra subsidies for fertilizers fortified with secondary or micronutrients such as zinc and boron.
• DBT Framework: Subsidies are paid to fertilizer companies via the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system, based on retail sales data from PoS devices.
• Rate Review: An inter-ministerial committee reviews the NBS rates annually or biannually.

Read More> Nutrient-Based Subsidy | Subsidies in India

{GS3 – Envi} India Surpasses 500 GW Power Capacity **

• Context (PIB): India’s power sector reached two major milestones as total installed capacity exceeded 500 GW and renewables provided over 50% of the national demand.

• Total Capacity: The total installed electricity capacity reached 500.89 GW in September 2025.
  • Energy Composition: Non-fossil fuel sources contributed 256.09 GW (51%), while fossil fuel sources stood at 244.80 GW (49%).
• Renewable Distribution: Solar energy accounted for the largest share at 127.33 GW, followed by wind energy at 53.12 GW.
• Capacity Expansion: Between April and September 2025, India added 28 GW of non-fossil capacity and 5.1 GW of fossil-based capacity.
• COP26 Milestone: India achieved its COP26 Panchamrit target of 50% installed non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030, five years ahead of schedule.

Government Schemes Driving Power Sector Growth

• PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana (PMSGMBY): Expands decentralised solar capacity through rooftop panels on one crore households.
• PLI Scheme for Solar PV Modules: Targets 39,600 MW of integrated domestic solar PV manufacturing capacity under Tranche-II.
• PM-KUSUM Scheme: Promotes rural solar power by developing 10,000 MW of grid-connected plants on farmers’ land.
• National Green Hydrogen Mission (NGHM): Targets to create 5 MMT annual green hydrogen capacity by 2030, supported by ~125 GW renewable energy capacity.
• Green Energy Corridors (GEC): Upgrades transmission networks to absorb surplus renewable power from Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Ladakh, creating over 200 GW capacity.
• Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS): Offers up to 40% early-stage capital funding for large-scale battery storage projects.

Challenges of India’s Power Sector

• Financial Distress: State-owned DISCOMs face recurring losses due to tariff-cost mismatches, inefficiencies, and delays in subsidy disbursal.
• AT&C Losses: Aggregate Technical and Commercial (AT&C) losses due to theft, poor metering, and billing inefficiencies remain around 17% (more than twice the global average).
• Coal Dependency: Heavy reliance on coal (~75%) for power generation exposes the sector to price volatility, supply disruptions, and logistical constraints.
• Procedural Delays: Slow approvals, land acquisition disputes, and inconsistent land records hinder timely project execution and deter private investment.
• Insufficient Storage: Inadequate energy storage capacity limits renewable integration and prevents a consistent, round-the-clock electricity supply.

Read More > India’s Power Sector

{GS3 – Envi} Microbial Link to Arsenic Contamination in Rice **

• Context (TH): A recent study found that the types of microbes in rice paddies primarily determine arsenic contamination in rice and the resulting crop losses.

• The study highlights the importance of monitoring various chemical forms of arsenic in rice to enhance food safety standards worldwide.

Key Findings of the Study

• Microbial Ratio: The balance between arsenic‑methylating bacteria (which increase risk) and demethylating archaea (which detoxify) determines arsenic’s toxicity more than the total arsenic content in soil.
• Arsenic Conversion: Methylating bacteria convert inorganic arsenic into highly toxic organic forms, such as dimethylarsinic acid (DMA) and dimethylated monothioarsenate (DMMTA).
• Health and Crop Risk: The toxic organic forms of arsenic pose significant health risks to humans and cause a physiological disorder called straighthead disease in rice.
  • Straighthead disease risk rises when the methylating-to-demethylating microbe ratio exceeds 1.5.

• Soil Age Factor: Younger paddy soils, less than 700 years old, contain more methylating microbes, while older soils have more detoxifying demethylating archaea.
• India’s Vulnerability: Newly developed paddy fields in eastern and southern states face a higher risk of straighthead disease than older, microbially balanced fields.

Read More > Arsenic Contamination in Rice

{Prelims – Geo} Loktak Hydroelectric Project *

• Context (IT): The modernisation and repair work for the Loktak Hydroelectric Project (LHP) in Manipur has been postponed due to significant logistical challenges.

About Loktak Hydroelectric Project (LHP)

• The LHP is a multipurpose project located in Manipur with an installed capacity of 105 MW.
• Commissioned in 1983, it is operated by the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC).
• The project is located on Loktak Lake, which receives inflows mainly from the Khuga and Imphal rivers.
• The Ithai Barrage is a key component of the project, serving as an artificial reservoir to maintain consistent water levels for reliable power generation.

{Prelims – Species} Early Triassic Species of Coelacanth

• Context (SCI): Palaeontologists in China discovered a new fossil species, Whiteia anniae, which belongs to the ancient coelacanth genus Whiteia.

• Importance: Found in Early Triassic marine layers (~249 million years old), it marks the first Whiteia fossil discovered in Asia.

About Coelacanth

• The coelacanth is an ancient deep-sea fish lineage once thought extinct since the Cretaceous period (~66 million years ago). A living specimen was rediscovered off the coast of South Africa in 1938.
• Lobe-Finned: They have fleshy, paired fins that move in alternating, limb-like motion (similar to four-limbed vertebrates).
• Intracranial Joint: Their skull contains a unique hinge that allows them to expand their mouths to engulf large prey.
• Rostral Organ: An electrosensory snout organ aids nocturnal hunting by detecting faint electrical fields.
• Habitat Range: They inhabit deep, volcanic underwater caves between 90 and 700 meters, often near the Comoros and Indonesian coasts.
• Hunting Behaviour: Coelacanths are nocturnal ambush predators feeding on fish and cephalopods; they conserve energy by drifting passively.
• Living Species: There are two distinct living species
  1. West Indian Ocean Coelacanth: Found along the Comoros Islands and East African coasts. IUCN: Critically Endangered; CITES: Appendix I.
  2. Sulawesi Coelacanth: Native to the waters around Sulawesi and Papua in Indonesia. IUCN: Vulnerable; CITES: Appendix I.

{Prelims – S&T} Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS *

• Context (ET): Astronomers have detected 3I/Atlas, a celestial object currently moving toward the Sun, with scientists estimating a ~40% chance that it is an interstellar Comet.

About 3I/Atlas Interstellar Comet

• Designation: In 3I/Atlas, the “3I” denotes it as the third confirmed interstellar object after 1I/ʻOumuamua (2017) and 2I/Borisov (2019).
• Discovered by: Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS), a NASA-funded survey.
• Current Trajectory: Moving toward perihelion (closest approach to the Sun), projected in 2026.
• Speed: Estimated to be tens of km/s, too high for an ordinary bound comet.

Read More > Comet

{Prelims – S&T} Negative Effects of Antibiotic Combination Therapy

• Context (TH): A recent study highlighted how combining antibiotics, rather than enhancing treatment, can sometimes reduce effectiveness and accelerate antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

Key Findings of the Study

• While combining antibiotics may seem like a way to fight resistant bacteria, such combinations can sometimes result in “antagonism,” where drugs interfere with each other’s effects.
• Different Mechanisms:
  • Bacteriostatic antibiotics (like tetracycline) stop bacterial growth.
  • Bactericidal antibiotics (like ciprofloxacin) kill actively dividing bacteria.
  • When used together, the bacteriostatic drug halts bacterial division, preventing the bactericidal one from working effectively.
• Study Findings: Researchers found that tetracycline slowed bacterial metabolism in E. coli, reducing ciprofloxacin’s ability to destroy bacterial cells, leading to higher bacterial survival.
• Resistance Risk: Using unnecessary or poorly designed combinations can accelerate the emergence of “superbugs,” which are bacteria resistant to multiple antibiotics.