Current Affairs – October 31, 2025

{GS1 – A&C} International Aryan Summit 2025

• Context (NOA): The International Aryan Summit 2025 will take place in New Delhi as part of the Jyana Jyoti Festival.

• The Jyana Jyoti Festival, also known as the International Arya Mahasammelan, marks the 200^th birth anniversary of Maharshi Dayanand Saraswati and the 150^th anniversary of the Arya Samaj.

Maharshi Dayanand Saraswati

• Dayanand Saraswati was born as Mool Shankar on February 12, 1824, in Tankara, Gujarat.
• Vedic Revivalism: He founded the Arya Samaj in 1875 and gave the slogan “Back to the Vedas.”
• National Vision: He was the first to use the term “Swaraj” in 1876; He promoted Swadeshi and supported Hindi as a unifying national language.
• Social Reform: He launched the Shuddhi Movement to reconvert Hindus who had embraced other religions for revival.
• Intellectual Works: His major writings include Panchmahayajya Vidhi, Satyarth Prakash, Veda Bhashya, and Veda Bhashya Bhumikā.

Arya Samaj

• The Arya Samaj (1875) was established in Bombay as a significant Hindu reform movement.
• Philosophy: It rejects idol worship, ritualism, and caste discrimination, advocating a return to the moral and spiritual principles outlined in the Vedas.
• Social Reforms: The Samaj led campaigns against untouchability, child marriage, and promoted widow remarriage and female education.
• Legacy: Leaders like Mahatma Hansraj and Lala Lajpat Rai established the network of Dayanand Anglo-Vedic (DAV) schools to combine modern Western education with traditional Vedic values.
  • The first DAV School was established in Lahore (now Pakistan) in 1886.

Read More > Swami Dayanand Saraswati

{GS2 – MoFPI} Integrated Cold Chain and Value Addition Infrastructure Scheme **

• Context (PIB): The Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) has highlighted the significant impact of the Integrated Cold Chain and Value Addition Infrastructure (ICCVAI) Scheme in reducing post-harvest losses of perishable commodities.

About Integrated Cold Chain and Value Addition Infrastructure (ICCVAI) Scheme

• ICCVAI is a demand-driven central sector scheme administered by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY)
• Objective: To create an integrated cold chain from farm to consumer, minimise post-harvest spoilage and increase farmers’ income.
• Financial Assistance: Provides grants or subsidies of up to ₹10 crore per project for setting up integrated cold chain systems.
  • Covers 35% of eligible project costs in general areas and 50% in ‘difficult areas’ (e.g., Northeast, Himalayan regions, IITDP areas, and Islands), as well as for SC/ST groups, FPOs, and SHGs.
• Scope: Encompasses perishable sectors like horticulture, dairy, meat, poultry, marine or fish products.
  • Fruits, vegetables, and shrimp are excluded and covered under the Operation Greens scheme.
• Eligible Entities: Project Implementing Agencies (PIAs) may include individuals, FPOs, FPCs, NGOs, PSUs, cooperatives, SHGs, and private firms.
• Implementation Condition: Applicants must link ‘Farm-level Infrastructure’ with a ‘Distribution Hubs’ and/or ‘Refrigerated Transport Systems’ to qualify for financial assistance.

Key Components of the Scheme

1. Farm-Level Infrastructure: Facilities for pre-cooling, weighing, sorting, grading, and packaging.
2. Processing Centres: For blast freezing, individual quick freezing, milk chilling, and meat/fish processing.
3. Distribution Hubs: Multi-product, multi-temperature storage and controlled-atmosphere warehouses
4. Refrigerated Transport: Reefer vans, insulated tankers, mobile refrigerated containers, etc.
5. Food Irradiation Units: Ionising radiation technology to preserve food and extend shelf life.

{GS2 – MoC} KOYLA SHAKTI Dashboard and CLAMP Portal *

• Context (PIB): The Ministry of Coal launched the KOYLA SHAKTI Dashboard and the Coal Land Acquisition, Management, and Payment (CLAMP) Portal to promote transparent digital governance.

KOYLA SHAKTI Dashboard

• The KOYLA SHAKTI or Smart Coal Analytics Dashboard (SCAD) is a unified digital platform that integrates the entire coal value chain from mine to market in one interface.
• Key Feature: It consolidates data on coal production, logistics, dispatch, and consumption to enable real-time coordination among stakeholders.
• Vision: The dashboard enhances transparency, efficiency, and innovation aligned with Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Minimum Government, Maximum Governance principles.

CLAMP Portal

• The Portal is a unified digital solution to streamline the full land acquisition processes in coal sector.
• Key Feature: It digitises the entire land acquisition process to keep centralised, transparent records, ensuring fair and timely payouts and reducing delays.
• Institutional Efficiency: The portal improves interoperability in land management across Coal Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs).

{GS2 – IR} India-Nepal Power Transmission Agreements

• Context (TT | NOA): India and Nepal signed two major agreements to build new high-capacity cross-border power transmission corridors.

• The agreements were signed between India’s POWERGRID and Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) to form two joint venture (JV) companies, one in each country.

• The joint ventures will facilitate the construction of two 400 kV double-circuit transmission lines — Inaruwa (Nepal)–New Purnea (India) and Lamki (Dododhara, Nepal)–Bareilly (India).

• Objective: To enhance regional energy cooperation and trade, strengthen grid connectivity, and facilitate clean energy exchange.
• Significance: The projects align with the India-Nepal Joint Vision Statement on Power Sector Cooperation (2022) and support shared goals of energy security.

Read More > India-Nepal Relations

{GS3 – IE} Modernising Cross-Border Payments

• Context (IE): The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has issued a draft circular proposing reforms to speed up credit of inward foreign remittances.

Key Proposals by RBI

• Same-Day Credit Rule: Banks must credit inward remittances received during forex market hours on the same day, and after-hours receipts by the next business day.
• Straight-Through Processing (STP): RBI mandates end-to-end automated crediting of remittances post-risk checks to eliminate manual delays.
• Real-Time Reconciliation: Banks should reconcile their nostro account credits every 30 minutes instead of relying on end-of-day statements.
• Customer Notification: Beneficiaries must be immediately informed of receipts; those received post-closing should be notified at the start of the next business day.
• Digital Platforms: Banks to offer online portals for uploading documents, exchanging information, and tracking FX transaction progress in real time.

Read More > Cross-Border Payments

{GS3 – IE} NITI Aayog’s ‘Reimagining Manufacturing’ Report **

• Context (PIB): NITI Aayog’s Frontier Tech Hub released a report, “Reimagining Manufacturing: India’s Roadmap to Global Leadership in Advanced Manufacturing”, in collaboration with CII and Deloitte.

• Strategic Vision: The report outlines a 10-year plan (2026-2035) to transform India’s manufacturing sector through technology integration and innovation.
• Primary Goals: It aims to raise manufacturing’s GDP share to over 25% (from 17%) by 2035, create 100 million jobs, and position India among the top three global hubs.
• Technology Scope: Thirteen high-impact sectors across five clusters are prioritised for adopting AI, ML, robotics, digital twins, and advanced materials.
  • Five Clusters: Engineering, Consumer Products, Life Sciences, Electronics, and Chemicals.
• Economic Risk: Delayed adoption of frontier technologies may cost India $270 billion by 2035 and $1 trillion by 2047 in potential GDP gains.
• Policy Integration: It recommends including “Advanced Manufacturing” as a key pillar of the upcoming National Manufacturing Mission.

Key Structural Challenges Identified

• GDP Gap: Manufacturing contributes just 17% to India’s GDP, far below East Asia’s 25-30% share during its industrial growth.
• R&D Deficit: India invests less than 1% of its GDP in research and development, whereas China invests over 2%.
• Qualitative Deficit: Skill shortages, weak 5G coverage, and limited smart industrial parks hinder automation and the adoption of advanced technologies.
• Productivity Stagnation: India’s total factor productivity stands at 2.2%; to meet the 2035 targets, it must rise above 5.5%.
• Regulatory Lag: Fragmented data policies and unclear technology standards obstruct long-term investments and digital industrialisation.

Key Recommendations of the Report

• Frontier Institute: Establish a Global Frontier Technology Institute for R&D coordination, certification, and technology transfer.
• Smart Parks: Develop 20 plug-and-play industrial zones with 5G connectivity and testing infrastructure to attract investors.
• Digital Backbone: Build a national industrial IoT framework for real-time data sharing, predictive maintenance and operational efficiency.
• Champion Model: Encourage large firms to mentor MSMEs through cluster-based innovation networks and shared digital platforms.
• Service Transition: Support manufacturers in shifting from product-based to integrated service-oriented operations using AI and IoT systems.
• State Missions: Launch state-specific skilling programs aligned with local industrial strengths, such as robotics in Tamil Nadu or green mobility in Maharashtra.

{GS3 – Agri} Declining Interest in Soybean Cultivation *

• Context (TH): Madhya Pradesh, India’s largest soybean producer, recorded a 10% decline in acreage between 2023 and 2024, as young farmers are abandoning soybean farming.

Key Issues Faced by Farmers

• MSP Gap: Farmers often sell produce at 35–40% below the Minimum Support Price (MSP); the state’s Bhavantar Yojana, designed to bridge price gaps, does not fully offset income losses.
• Low Profitability: Rising costs of fertilisers, diesel, and labour have significantly increased cultivation expenses, while market returns have remained stagnant, narrowing profit margins.
• Import Threat: Prospective imports of cheaper soybeans and soybean meal from the United States create market uncertainty about price declines and reduced competitiveness.
• Weak Infrastructure: Insufficient storage and drying facilities at government mandis lead to post-harvest losses; the lack of affordable cold storage leaves small farmers vulnerable to price crashes.
• Yield Loss: Climate change-driven irregular rainfall and low-quality seeds have significantly reduced yields, often to less than half of previous harvests, undermining long-term viability.
• Debt Dependence: Nearly 70% of soybean farmers depend on seasonal loans for inputs, often resulting in “distress sales” immediately after harvest to repay debts.

Way Forward

• Price Assurance: Strengthen procurement systems and enforce MSP implementation through digital platforms like e-NAM.
• Seed Modernisation: Expand ICAR-certified seed distribution and promote climate-resilient varieties like NRC 142 to improve productivity and yield.
• Import Policy: Maintain quantitative restrictions on soybean and soymeal imports while promoting domestic processing and value addition.
• Diversification: Encourage soybean–maize–pulse crop rotation through targeted subsidies to enhance soil fertility and ensure stable farmer incomes.
• Agro-Processing: Support start-ups and Farmer-Producer Organisations (FPOs) to develop soy-based foods, feed, and biofuels to expand non-oil demand.

Read More > Soybean in India

{GS3 – S&T} Introducing Artificial Intelligence in Schools **

• Context (PIB | TH): The Ministry of Education has announced the introduction of an Artificial Intelligence (AI) curriculum for Classes 3 and above beginning from the 2026–27 academic year.

• Policy Alignment: The curriculum will align with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 while promoting the vision of ‘AI for Public Good’.

Benefits of Introducing AI in Schools

• Cognitive Development: AI-based education encourages creativity, computational reasoning, and problem-solving skills among young learners.
• Workforce Preparedness: Early AI exposure develops necessary skills vital for future employability in an AI-integrated world.
• Personalised Learning: AI-driven tools tailor lessons to individual learning styles and incorporate accessibility features like speech-to-text and real-time translation to support diverse learners.
• Teacher Efficiency: Automating routine tasks like grading enables educators to dedicate more time to focus on student engagement and mentorship.
• Ethical Literacy: Educating about AI ethics in schools raises awareness of bias, privacy, and fairness, promoting responsible use.

Risks and Challenges

• Cognitive Dependency: Overreliance on AI tools can diminish students’ analytical abilities and impede the development of critical thinking skills.
• Social Disconnection: Excessive use of AI tools can weaken student–teacher and peer interactions, reducing opportunities for social and emotional growth.
• Digital Divide: High costs of AI infrastructure hinder adoption in under-resourced areas. Additionally, low-income students lack devices, connectivity, and digital skills, which worsens educational inequalities.
• Academic Integrity: Generative AI tools make plagiarism and cheating easier, undermining the reliability and credibility of traditional assessment systems.
• Data Ethics: AI systems trained on biased datasets can reinforce stereotypes and lead to unfair evaluations. Large-scale data collection also raises significant concerns over privacy and data security.

Way Forward

• Problem-Centric Design: Introduce AI tools to solve specific educational challenges, such as enhancing comprehension or lowering grading time.
• Teacher Training: Institutionalise continuous professional development to equip teachers with AI literacy and responsible integration practices.
• Human Oversight: Implement the “human-in-the-loop” approach for all critical decision-making, ensuring educators remain responsible for the final decisions.
• Hybrid Learning: Encourage blended classrooms by combining traditional and digital methods to maintain continuity during connectivity gaps.
• Performance Evaluation: Track measurable outcomes such as engagement levels, feedback speed, and skill improvement to assess AI’s educational efficacy.
• Equity and Inclusion: Prioritise affordable digital infrastructure and localised content development to ensure nationwide access and participation.

Read More > Artificial Intelligence

{Prelims – Eco} Foreign Rush for Indian Banks

• Context (IE): Global financial institutions have invested billions in Indian banks, insurers, and NBFCs, signalling confidence in India’s cleaned-up and fast-growing financial sector.

Why Global Giants Are Investing in Indian Banks?

• High Growth Potential: India’s banking sector grew 31% YoY in 2024, generating $46 billion in net income, among the fastest globally (McKinsey).
• High Credit growth: It remains above 16%, outpacing most Asian peers.
• Market Scale: Over 400 million underbanked citizens and an expanding retail credit base.
• Policy Liberalisation: FDI limits raised to 74% in private banks and 100% in insurance.
• Macroeconomic Fundamentals: India’s GDP projected to grow 6.8% (RBI, 2025); stable monetary policy and cleaned-up balance sheets attract long-term capital.

Read More > India’s Financial Sector

{Prelims – Species} Venkatadri slender gecko (Hemiphyllodactylus venkatadri)

• Context (TOI): Zoological Survey of India identified Hemiphyllodactylus venkatadri, a new slender gecko species from Andhra Pradesh’s Seshachalam Biosphere Reserve.

• This is the second slender gecko species recorded from Andhra Pradesh, after H. arakuensis.

About Hemiphyllodactylus venkatadri

• H. venkatadri, also known as the Venkatadri slender gecko, is a small, slender gecko species endemic to the Tirumala hills of Seshachalam Biosphere Reserve.
  • It is named after the sacred Venkatadri Hills, where it was found.

• Appearance: The gecko has a mottled brown to grey body with irregular speckling; Its adhesive toe pads help it move on vertical surfaces.
• Habitat: It is an arboreal species that shelters under Tendu bark during the day, usually 1.5–3 meters above the ground.

About Seshachalam Biosphere Reserve

• Seshachalam Biosphere Reserve is a tropical dry mixed deciduous forest located in the southern Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh.
• UNESCO Status: It was declared a Biosphere Reserve under the UNESCO Man and Biosphere (MAB) Programme in 2010, making it the first such reserve in Andhra Pradesh.
• Red Sanders: The reserve is famous for its large population of endemic and valuable Red Sanders trees.
• Wildlife: Golden gecko, leopards, sloth bears, Indian giant squirrels, slender lorises, etc.

{Prelims – Envi} AmazonFACE Project

• Context (DD): Ahead of COP30 in Belem (Brazil), the AmazonFACE project near Manaus simulates CO₂-rich atmospheres to study how the Amazon rainforest adapts to rising carbon levels.

About AmazonFACE Project

• It simulates future atmospheric CO₂ levels to observe impacts on photosynthesis, water vapour release, and carbon absorption in tropical rainforests.
• The project is supported by Brazil’s federal government and the U.K.
• Working Mechanism:
  • Six steel rings fumigate 50–70 trees each with CO₂ levels projected for 2050–2060.
  • Sensors record canopy gas exchange and microclimate data every 10 minutes.
  • Three untreated rings serve as baselines to compare ecosystem response.

{Prelims – DM} National Crisis Management Committee *

• Context (PIB): Recently, the NCMC reviewed the preparedness for the approaching cyclonic storm over the Bay of Bengal.

About National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC)

• Constituted under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, the NCMC is the apex body for coordinating the Centre’s response to major disasters and crises.
• Chairperson: The Cabinet Secretary heads the committee.
• Members: Union Home Secretary, Defence Secretary, Secretary (Coordination) in the Cabinet Secretariat, and a Member & Head of Department from the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).
• Function: The NCMC serves as the highest-level body for strategic decision-making, inter-ministerial coordination, and real-time response management during severe disaster situations.

{Prelims – Defence} Exercise Trishul *

• Context (NDTV): India launched Exercise Trishul, a large-scale tri-service war game along its western border with Pakistan, with a focus on the disputed Sir Creek region.

• It is a 12-day drill involving the Army, Navy, and Air Force, taking place across Rajasthan and Gujarat.
• Objective: To test tri-service coordination and validate newly inducted indigenous tech & weapons.
• Scale: Over 20,000 Army personnel supported by T-90 tanks, BrahMos missile units, and Prachand helicopters operate alongside naval frigates and destroyers for amphibious and maritime drills.
• Key Feature: The Air Force is conducting high-tempo ‘Mahagujrat’ operations, deploying Rafale and Sukhoi-30MKI fighters, as well as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), among others.
• Significance: The exercise incorporates indigenously developed systems and weapons platforms, highlighting India’s “Atmanirbharta” (self-reliance) in defence technology.