Current Affairs – September 29, 2025

{GS1 – Geo – EG – Mineral Resources} Discovery of Natural Gas in Andaman Basin

• Context (TH | TOI | PIB): Oil India Ltd (OIL) has reported the first occurrence of hydrocarbons during its ongoing exploration in the Andaman Basin, announced by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.

Strategic Significance for India

• India imports 88% of its oil and 50% of its gas, and a commercial find here could significantly reduce energy vulnerability.
• Adds a new frontier beyond conventional basins (Krishna-Godavari, Cambay, Mumbai Offshore), diversifying India’s hydrocarbon base.
• Establishing Andaman as a hydrocarbon hub enhances India’s strategic weight in the Bay of Bengal and Indo-Pacific energy map.
• Potential to create local employment and attract global investment in deep-sea exploration.
• Natural gas, a cleaner fuel, aligns with India’s energy transition goals and commitments under the COP agreements.

Read More > Distribution of Petroleum and Mineral Oil in India | Great Nicobar Project

{GS2 – Polity – Bodies – Constitutional} Attorney General of India *

• Context (TH): Senior advocate R. Venkataramani has been reappointed as the Attorney General of India for a two-year term by the Ministry of Law and Justice.

• The Attorney General (AG) of India is the highest legal officer of the Union Government under Article 76 of the Constitution.
• Appointment & Eligibility: Appointed by the President on the advice of the Government; he must be qualified to serve as a judge of the Supreme Court.
• Tenure: No fixed term; he serves at the pleasure of the President and can be dismissed at any time.
• Functions: Advises the Government of India on legal matters, represents the Union in the Supreme Court and High Courts, and performs legal duties assigned by the President.
• Parliamentary Rights: He has the right to participate in proceedings of both Houses of Parliament under Article 88, but does not have the right to vote.

{GS2 – IR – Issues} BLA Listing as a Terrorist Organisation

• Context (IE): The US, France, and UK placed a technical hold at the UNSC 1267 Sanctions Committee, delaying the move to blacklist Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and its suicide wing, Majeed Brigade.

• Rationale: The three permanent UNSC members argued that BLA has no established ties to Al Qaeda or Islamic State, preventing Pakistan’s listing attempt despite China’s support.

About BLA and Majeed Brigade

• BLA: It is an armed separatist group founded around 2000 that began a violent insurgency in 2004, seeking Baloch self-determination within Pakistan.
• Majeed Brigade: It is the suicide attack unit of the BLA, formed in 2011; it has claimed responsibility for major assaults, including the Gwadar Port Authority attack and the 2025 Jaffar Express hijacking.
• Terror Listing: The United States designated the Balochistan Liberation Army as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist group in 2019 and added the Majeed Brigade to its terrorist list in 2024.

Read More > Balochistan Insurgency

{GS3 – Agri – Dairy} India’s Dairy Sector **

• Context (PIB): India has consistently been the top milk producer, contributing approximately 25% of the world’s supply.

Landscape of India’s Dairy Sector

• Dairy is India’s top agricultural product, contributing 5% to the GDP and supporting over 8 crore farmers.
• Milk production increased by 63.56%, from 146.30 MT to 239.30 MT between 2014–15 and 2023–24, with an average annual growth of 5.7%, while productivity also surged by 26.34% during this time.
• Per capita availability has increased by 48%, reaching over 471 grams per person per day in 2023–24, compared to the world average of 322 grams per person per day.
• India achieved a 27.39% increase in bovine productivity from 2014 to 22, the highest in the world, surpassing countries such as China and Germany.
• The cooperative dairy sector in India is extensive and well-organised, with 22 federations and 25 Milk Producer Organisations (MPOs), covering 2.35 lakh villages and involving 1.72 crore farmers.
• Women make up nearly 70% of the dairy workforce, with 35% actively involved in cooperatives; there are 48,000 women-led societies and 16 MPOs operated entirely by women.

Government Schemes and Initiatives

• Rashtriya Gokul Mission: It is a Central Sector Scheme launched in 2014 to enhance milk productivity through genetic improvements and conservation of indigenous cattle breeds.
• NPDD: The National Programme for Dairy Development, launched in 2014 and restructured in 2021, develops infrastructure for milk procurement, processing, and marketing nationwide.
• NLM: The National Livestock Mission, realigned in 2021–22, promotes employment, entrepreneurship, and productivity in the livestock sector.
• LHDCP: The Livestock Health and Disease Control Programme (2024–26) enhances animal health through vaccination and disease prevention.
• AHIDF: The Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund, launched in 2020 under Atmanirbhar Bharat, promotes investment in dairy processing and value-addition infrastructure.
• White Revolution 2.0: It will be implemented over five years from 2024-25 to 2028-29 to increase cooperative milk procurement by 50%.

Read More on India’s Dairy Sector: Significance & Challenges

{GS3 – Envi – Conservation} Cold Desert Biosphere Reserve included in UNESCO Biosphere Network *

• Context (TH | DD): India’s Cold Desert Biosphere Reserve in Himachal Pradesh’s Lahaul-Spiti has been added to UNESCO’s World Network of Biosphere Reserves (WNBR).

Key Highlights

• With this, India has 13 biosphere reserves joining a network of 785 sites in 142 countries, which protect about 5% of the planet.
• São Tomé and Príncipe became the first state with its entire territory designated as a biosphere reserve.
• The decision was taken at the 37^th session of UNESCO’s Man & Biosphere (MAB) Programme in Paris.

About Cold Desert Biosphere Reserve

• India’s first high-altitude cold desert biosphere reserve, recognised as one of the coldest and driest ecosystems within UNESCO’s WNBR.
• Location: The reserve spans 7,770 sq. km and lies in the Himalayas, extending from Ladakh (Leh and Kargil districts) north to Kinnaur (including Spiti Valley and Kinnaur in Himachal Pradesh) in the south.
• Covers Pin Valley National Park, Kibber Wildlife Sanctuary, and Chandratal Wildlife Sanctuary.

Biodiversity

• Hosts 732 vascular plant species, including 30 endemic and 157 near-endemic to the Indian Himalayas.
• Flora: Willow-leaved sea-buckthorn, Himalayan birch, Persian juniper.
• Fauna: Snow leopard, Himalayan ibex, blue sheep, Himalayan wolf, and birds like the Himalayan snowcock and golden eagle.

{GS3 – Envi – Species} IUCN Recognises Dugong Conservation Reserve *

• Context (TH): The IUCN World Conservation Congress 2025 in Abu Dhabi recognised India’s first Dugong Reserve in Palk Bay as a global model for marine biodiversity conservation.

About Dugong Conservation Reserve

• India’s First: The Tamil Nadu government notified the reserve in 2022 under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. This is India’s first sanctuary for protecting dugongs.
• Location: This area covers 448 sq. km in northern Palk Bay and acts as a buffer between the Gulf of Mannar and other coastal ecosystems in Tamil Nadu.
• Seagrass Meadow: Its 12,250 hectares of seagrass meadows serve as the primary feeding ground for dugongs, while also sequestering blue carbon and supporting artisanal fisheries.
• Conservation Model: The reserve pioneers a community-led seagrass restoration project utilizing bamboo coir frames; recognised by the IUCN as a scalable, low-cost model suitable for South Asia.

About Dugong (Dugong dugon)

• The dugong, often called the “sea cow,” is the only marine mammal that exclusively feeds on plants.
• Dugongidae Family: It is the only surviving species in the Dugongidae family. Their close relative, Steller’s Sea Cow, was hunted to extinction in the 18th century.
• Physical Adaptation: Its cylindrical body, paddle-like flippers, rounded snout, and muscular upper lip are adapted for grazing on seagrass beds.
• Demographic Vulnerability: Dugongs can live up to 70 years but reproduce very slowly. Calves are born only every 3 to 7 years.
• Preferred Habitat: They thrive in warm, shallow, sheltered coastal waters less than ten meters deep. Dense seagrass beds provide food and shelter.
• Dietary Impact: An adult dugong consumes 30 to 40 kilograms of seagrass daily, which helps keep seagrass meadows healthy and prevents sediment overgrowth.
• Global Distribution: Dugongs inhabit warm waters of the Indian and Pacific Oceans, with a major population in northern Australia and the Arabian Gulf.
• Indian Range: A small population is found in Palk Bay, Gulf of Mannar, Andaman Nicobar Islands, and Gulf of Kutch. They are extinct in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.
• Ecosystem Role: By grazing continuously, dugongs act as “ecosystem engineers.” They support seagrass health, help fish nurseries, and maintain the coastal food web.
• Primary Threats: Gillnet entanglement, vessel collisions, habitat loss, and illegal hunting.
• Conservation Status: IUCN: Vulnerable; CITES: Appendix I; WPA: Schedule I.

Source: IUCN

{GS3 – Envi – Laws} Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency (CAFE) Norms **

• Context (IE): The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) has released the draft Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency (CAFE) norms to align India’s vehicle emission regulations with international standards.

About the Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency (CAFE)

• CAFE specifies average fuel efficiency targets for all passenger vehicles sold by a manufacturer.
• Scope: These rules apply to M1 passenger cars, which have up to nine seats and weigh no more than 3,500 kilograms.
• Nodal Agency: The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) enforces compliance under the Energy Conservation Act, 2001. It was first notified in 2017.
• Objective: The norms aim to decrease India’s oil imports and lower carbon emissions while promoting the use of electric, hybrid, and flex-fuel vehicles.
• Credit System: Manufacturers can earn, trade, or carry forward CAFE credits to meet emission targets.

New Efficiency Targets

• Measurement: The efficiency target is measured as petrol-equivalent litres per 100 kilometres (L/100 km). [while mileage indicates distance travelled per litre (km/L).]
• Formula Basis: It is calculated using the formula: [0.002 × (W – 1170) + C]. Here, W represents fleet weight, and 1170 and 0.002 are fixed constants.
• Progressive Tightening: The constant “C” decreases from 3.7264 in FY28 to 3.0139 in FY32. This results in stricter fuel efficiency standards over time.
• Mileage Impact: Meeting CAFE limits cuts fuel use and improves mileage. Lighter vehicles have lower average fuel efficiency targets.

Benefits for Small Cars

• Emission Relief: Small petrol cars receive an extra reduction of 3 g/km CO₂, with a maximum limit of 9 g/km each reporting year.
• Eligibility Criteria: This benefit is for cars weighing less than 909 kilograms, with engines up to 1,200 cc, and measuring shorter than 4,000 millimetres.
• Policy Rationale: Compact cars have limited options for improving efficiency, so targeted flexibility helps avoid placing an unfair burden on them.

Super Credit for EVs

• Super credits are regulatory incentives under CAFE that allow each cleaner vehicle to be counted multiple times when calculating average emissions across all vehicles sold.
• Implication: This inflated count lowers a manufacturer’s reported average CO₂ emissions.
• Multiplier Values: One EV or range-extender EV counts as three vehicles; plug-in hybrids count as 2.5; strong hybrids count as 2; flex-fuel ethanol cars count as 1.5.

Carbon Neutrality Factor (CNF)

• The Carbon Neutrality Factor (CNF) is a percentage reduction applied to a vehicle’s tailpipe CO₂ emission rate based on its fuel type.
• Rationale: By lowering reported CO₂ emissions, CNF encourages the use of cleaner fuels and boosts the share of low-carbon options in its fleet.
• CNF Rates: Petrol with a 20-30% ethanol blend gets an 8% CNF. Strong hybrids and flex-fuel ethanol cars receive 22.3%. CNG cars get 5% or the notified CBG percentage, whichever is higher.

Emission Pooling

• Emission pooling allows up to three manufacturers to combine their fleets and be regarded as a single entity under CAFE rules.
• Mechanism: The combined fleet must meet the efficiency standard collectively, with one designated pool manager legally responsible under the Energy Conservation Act, 2001.
• Compliance Benefit: Pooling allows manufacturers with higher-emission fleets to offset them with the cleaner fleets of partner companies, easing overall compliance burdens.

{GS3 – IS – Laws} AFSPA Extended in Manipur, Arunachal and Nagaland

• Context (TH): The Ministry of Home Affairs extended the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958, in parts of Manipur, Nagaland, and Arunachal Pradesh for six more months.

• Manipur: The whole state was declared ‘disturbed area,’ except for 13 police stations in five valley districts, due to ethnic violence since May 2023.
• Nagaland: AFSPA retained in nine districts and 21 police stations across five additional districts because of the ongoing Naga armed insurgency.
• Arunachal Pradesh: Three whole districts and select police stations in Namsai district (adjoining Assam) remain under AFSPA, citing cross-border militant activity.

About the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958

• Declaration: Section 3 of the act empowers the Centre, Governor, or UT Administrator to declare disturbed areas through a Gazette notification. These declarations must be reviewed every six months.
• Special Powers: Section 4 of the act authorizes armed forces to use lethal force, make arrests without warrants, and search premises to restore public order.
• Assembly Ban: AFSPA prohibits gatherings of five or more people in disturbed areas to prevent unlawful mobilizations and potential escalations.
• Immunity Clause: Section 6 restricts the prosecution of personnel without prior Central approval, balancing operational freedom with accountability concerns.
• Review Mechanism: Each extension requires re-evaluation of current conditions, ensuring AFSPA remains temporary and not perpetual.

Read More > Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958

{GS3 – S&T – Tech} BSNL’s Swadeshi 4G Network *

• Context (TH | PIB): PM Modi inaugurated BSNL’s first fully indigenous 4G (5G-ready) telecom stack, achieving a major milestone toward Aatmanirbhar Bharat.

• PM also launched the 100% 4G Saturation Mission under Digital Bharat Nidhi, a mission-mode project connecting around 29,000-30,000 villages.

Key Features of the Indigenous 4G Stack

• Collaboration: C-DOT developed the core network, Tejas Networks provided the Radio Access Network, and TCS carried out integration.
• Cloud-native and software-first approach ensures scalability and smooth migration to 5G.
• Future-ready design with 5G-enabled infrastructure, lowering replacement costs in upcoming rollouts.
• Focus on inclusive connectivity by extending services to remote, tribal, and hilly regions, enabling access to education, telemedicine, and farmer advisories.

Bharat 6G Vision & Policy Initiatives

• Bharat 6G Vision (2030): With affordability, sustainability, and universality principles.
• Bharat 6G Alliance: Collaboration between academia, research institutions, and industry.
• 100 5G Labs established in academic institutions to nurture innovation.
• The Telecom Technology Development Fund (TTDF) supports telecom R&D By July 2025, 275 crore had been sanctioned for 104 projects across academia, start-ups, and MSMEs.

Read More > Internet Connectivity in India | India’s Digital Economy | Satellite Internet

{GS3 – S&T – Space} AstroSat Completes 10 Years of India’s Space Observatory *

• Context (TH): AstroSat, India’s first dedicated multi-wavelength space observatory launched by PSLV-C30 (XL) in 2015 from Sriharikota, has completed a decade of operations.

About AstroSat

• Multi-Wavelength Coverage: Simultaneous observation in Visible, Ultraviolet (UV), Low-energy X-ray, and High-energy X-ray bands.
• Payloads: Ultra Violet Imaging Telescope (UVIT), Large Area X-ray Proportional Counter (LAXPC), Cadmium–Zinc–Telluride Imager (CZTI), Soft X-ray Telescope (SXT), and Scanning Sky Monitor (SSM).

• The Mission Operations Complex (MOX) at ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC), Bengaluru, is responsible for managing the satellite throughout its operational life

Credit: ISRO

Major Contributions & Discoveries

• Provided fresh insights into compact celestial objects such as black holes and neutron stars.
• Enabled observations of Proxima Centauri, the nearest star system to Earth.
• The first detection of Far Ultraviolet (FUV) photons from galaxies was achieved at 9.3 billion light-years away.
• Contributed extensive data to the global astronomy community, strengthening India’s role in collaborative research.

Read More > India’s Satellite Launch Vehicles