Daily Current Affairs 2025  

03/10/2025

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CA-03/10/2025

 
Why in news?

• Recently the NIELIT Digital University launched on October 1, 2025, which focuses on industry-aligned courses in emerging digital technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Cybersecurity, Data Science, and Semiconductors.
• The launch included inauguration of five new NIELIT centres in underserved regions across Bihar, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Mizoram, and the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, emphasizing outreach to remote areas.

Features

• Fully online and flexible learning environment accessible anytime and anywhere.
• Industry-relevant programs certified and aligned with frameworks such as the National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF).
• Use of virtual labs, AI-based learning guidance, and digital mentors to enhance student experience.
• Hub-and-spoke model for collaboration with multiple educational institutions and EdTech partners.
• No limits on student seats, breaking conventional capacity constraints in higher education.
• Integration with the Academic Bank of Credits allowing credit transferability and accumulation from diverse institutions.
• Focus on democratizing quality education, especially for students in remote, rural, and underserved regions.

Significance

• Increases access to quality higher education for a larger and more diverse student.
• Offers flexible, personalized education that blends virtual and physical modes (phy-igital) to suit varied learner needs.
• Reduces the financial burden by minimizing the need for physical infrastructure and allowing affordable learning options.
• Enhances employability by focusing the curriculum on current industry demands through partnerships with leading companies.
• Supports government goals of skill development, digital empowerment, and building a future-ready workforce under initiatives like Digital India and Amrit Kaal.
• Promotes international collaboration and recognition of Indian qualifications through a structured digital educational framework.

These digital universities are poised to revolutionize India’s education system, building inclusivity, technology-enabled learning, and addressing structural challenges in conventional education delivery.
 
  
   
Why in news?

• ANRF recently launched an AI-based tool called SARAL (Simplified and Automated Research Amplification and Learning) designed to make scientific research more accessible and understandable. 
• SARAL generates simplified summaries of complex research papers in formats like videos, podcasts, posters, and presentations to reach wider audiences including students and policymakers.

About Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF)

• Established by the ANRF Act, 2023 as an apex body for research strategy in India.
• Focus areas: Natural sciences including mathematics, engineering & technology, environmental & earth sciences, health & agriculture, and interface of humanities & social sciences.
• Provides: strategic direction, funding, and infrastructure support for R&D in educational and research institutions.
• Emphasizes industry collaboration and private sector participation (approx. 70% funding target from private sector).
• Major initiatives include PAIR (Partnerships for Accelerated Innovation and Research), MAHA (Mission for Advancement in High-impact Areas), and ANRF Centres of Excellence (ACE).
• Prioritized domains under MAHA include EV mobility and advanced materials.
• Budget of ?50,000 crore for the 2023-2028 period.
• Merges the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) under it.
• Promotes translational research and international collaborations.
• Supports early-career researchers with grants (e.g., Prime Minister Early Career Research Grant).
• Focus on creating a single-window R&D funding system and enhancing research culture aligned with the National Education Policy.
• Vision includes developing AI and advanced technology platforms to boost sectors like aerospace, drug discovery, climate studies, and materials science.
• The governing board chaired by the Prime Minister guides strategic decisions.

This establishes ANRF as a key institution to boost India's global scientific and technological excellence by fostering innovation, strategic investments, and partnerships across academia, industry, and government.
 
 
   
About

• Thumri music is a semi-classical vocal genre of Indian music known for its emotional expressiveness, primarily focusing on themes of romantic love and devotion.
• It originated and developed significantly during the 19th century in the courts of Lucknow under Nawab Wajid Ali Shah.
• Thumri is distinguished by its tender, lyrical style with a strong emphasis on poetic content and "shringara rasa" (romantic sentiment), often blending spiritual and mundane meanings.

Key characteristics of Thumri music

• Emphasis on emotional expression (bhava) and poetic beauty in the lyrics.
• Flexibility and improvisation in melodic ornamentation like murkis, meends, and gamaks, rather than strict adherence to classical raga rules.
• Use of simple ragas such as Bhairavi, Kafi, Pilu, and Tilang, often with creative blending or transitions between ragas.
• Rhythmic cycles (talas) like dadra (6 beats) and keherva (8 beats), providing a gentle, flowing rhythm.
• Close association with Kathak dance, where music and dance interpret the lyrics and emotions together.
• Two main styles: Bandish Thumri (structured) and Bol Banav Thumri (emotionally free).
• Instrumental accompaniment is minimal, typically including tabla and harmonium, supporting vocal improvisations.

Famous exponents of Thumri include Begum Akhtar, Girija Devi, and Bade Ghulam Ali Khan. The genre continues to evolve, with fusion styles blending Thumri with modern musical elements to appeal to contemporary audiences.
 
 
   
Why in news?
Recently Sir Creek dispute highlights increased tensions and firm warnings from India regarding Pakistan's activities in the area. 
 
About
The Sir Creek dispute is a long-standing territorial and maritime boundary conflict between India and Pakistan along a 96 km tidal creek in the Rann of Kutch, separating Gujarat (India) and Sindh (Pakistan).

Nature of Dispute:

• The core issue concerns differing interpretations of the boundary line within Sir Creek on maritime and land maps and resolutions dating back to colonial times.
• Pakistan claims the entire creek based on the Bombay Government Resolution of 1914, which places the boundary on the eastern flank of the creek.
• India rejects this claim as indicative rather than definitive and argues the boundary follows the mid-channel or center of the creek.
• India invokes the Thalweg Principle of international law stating that borders along navigable waterways should follow the center of the principal navigable channel.
• Pakistan counters that Sir Creek is non-navigable and thus the Thalweg Principle does not apply.

Origin of the Dispute:

• The dispute originated in 1908 due to disagreements between the ruler of the Kutch State and the Sindh government over rights in the creek area, including firewood collection.
• To resolve this, the Bombay Government issued the 1914 resolution containing contradictory clauses: Paragraph 9 stated the boundary lies east of the creek (favoring Pakistan), while Paragraph 10 applied the Thalweg Principle placing it mid-channel (supporting India).
• The Bombay Presidency included both Kutch and Sindh before Sindh became a separate province in 1936.
• After the partition of India in 1947, Kutch remained part of India and Sindh became part of Pakistan, inheriting the unresolved boundary dispute.

Importance of Sir Creek
 
Strategic Importance

• Control over Sir Creek impacts the defense of Pakistan's economic hub Karachi as Pakistan has military installations there.
• India maintains a strong military presence to deter threats and prevent use of the area for terror attacks, as exemplified during the 2008 Mumbai attacks where terrorists used sea routes.

Economic Importance

• Sir Creek covers one of the largest fishing grounds in Asia, supporting thousands of fishermen from Gujarat (India) and Sindh (Pakistan).
• The ongoing boundary dispute causes frequent arrests of fishermen crossing perceived borders, impacting their livelihoods.
• The seabed in this area is believed to contain untapped oil and natural gas reserves, potentially vital for energy security, especially for India seeking to diversify oil imports.

Ecological Importance

• Sir Creek is an ecologically sensitive tidal estuary, home to migratory birds including flamingoes, and forms part of the biodiversity-rich Gulf of Kutch ecosystem.

The dispute's complexity is compounded by economic interests, ecological importance, and security concerns including risks of cross-border militant activities. Talks have been stalled since 2012, and mutual distrust has hardened, making the Sir Creek dispute a critical flashpoint in India-Pakistan relations as of October 2025.
 
  
   
About Trichloroethylene

• Trichloroethylene (TCE) is a chemical compound with the molecular formula C2HCl3.
• It consists of two carbon atoms, one hydrogen atom, and three chlorine atoms arranged as a chlorinated hydrocarbon.
• It is primarily used as an industrial solvent for degreasing metal parts and is also found in printing inks, varnishes, adhesives, rubber processing, paint strippers, and dyeing operations.
• Historically, it was employed as a volatile anesthetic and for food industry uses like coffee decaffeination, but these uses have been discontinued due to health risks.

Health Effects of Trichloroethylene

• Acute Exposure: Short-term inhalation or skin contact with TCE can cause dizziness, headache, confusion, nausea, and respiratory irritation. High concentrations can lead to loss of consciousness or coma.
• Chronic Exposure: Long-term exposure affects multiple organs including the liver, kidneys, and nervous system. It can cause liver damage, kidney toxicity, and neurotoxicity.
• Carcinogenicity: TCE is classified as a human carcinogen. It has been linked to increased risks of kidney cancer, liver cancer, and non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
• Neurological Impact: Studies, including recent ones in 2025, have shown a connection between TCE exposure and an increased risk of Parkinson’s disease due to its neurotoxic effects.
• Immunological Effects: TCE exposure may lead to immunosuppression and autoimmune diseases.
• Routes of Exposure: Mainly via inhalation of fumes, skin absorption, and less commonly ingestion of contaminated water or soil.

Stricter regulations were introduced in the U.S. after scientific evidence confirmed serious health risks from trichloroethylene (TCE), including a newly established link to Parkinson’s disease, leading to phased bans and longer compliance deadlines.
 
 
   
Why in news?
The National Pulses Mission, officially called the "Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses," is a six-year central initiative approved by the Union Cabinet to boost domestic pulse production.
 
Key features of the National Pulses Mission

• Objective: To achieve self-sufficiency (Aatmanirbharta) in pulses by reducing import dependency, increasing domestic production, and ensuring better income for farmers (].
• Duration and Budget: The mission spans six years, from 2025-26 to 2030-31, with a total financial outlay of Rs 11,440 crore (web4]
• Production Targets:
  • Increase pulse production from 24.2 million tonnes in 2024-25 to 35 million tonnes by 2030-31.
  • Expand cultivated area to 310 lakh hectares.
  • Improve yield to 1130 kg per hectare.
• Focus Crops: Major pulses like tur (arhar), urad (black gram), masoor (lentil), moong (green gram), and chana (gram).
• Implementation Strategy:
  • Adopt a cluster-based approach across 416 districts to tailor interventions.
  • Promote use of high-yield, pest-resistant, climate-resilient seed varieties.
  • Develop and expand post-harvest infrastructure and processing units with subsidies.
  • Focus on rice fallow areas, intercropping, and crop diversification for optimal land use.
• Market and Procurement:
  • Guarantee 100% procurement of tur, urad, and masoor at MSP through agencies like NAFED and NCCF.
  • Establish mechanisms to monitor global pulse prices to safeguard farmers’ confidence.
• Additional Initiatives:
  • Strengthening seed systems and seed hubs.
  • Improving irrigation facilities like micro-irrigation and rainwater harvesting.
  • Engaging Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) and ICAR institutes for farmer training.
  • Promoting modern farming techniques, including precision farming and soil health monitoring.
• Expected Outcomes:
  • Increased domestic pulse production boosting food security and farmer incomes.
  • Reduced import reliance, saving foreign exchange.
  • Environmental benefits through crop diversification and soil health improvement.

Overall, the National Pulses Mission is a comprehensive, multi-faceted initiative aimed at transforming India’s pulse sector into a self-reliant, sustainable, and profitable system for farmers, while ensuring nutritional security for the population.
 
  

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