Daily Current Affairs 2025  

15/10/2025

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CA-15/10/2025

 
Why in news?

• A significant decline is seen in the population of Asian elephant in India, with the latest estimate at 22,446 individuals, marking an approximately 18% to 25% drop since the 2017 count. 
• The decline in population is attributed primarily to habitat loss, fragmentation, and increasing human-elephant conflicts.
• Development activities such as agriculture expansion, mining, infrastructure projects like highways and railways, and habitat encroachment have reduced and fragmented elephant habitats. 

Key Facts about Asian elephant

• Scientific name: Elephas maximus?
• Endangered status: IUCN Red List since 1986?
• Adult weight: 2,700–5,200 kg for females, up to 6,800 kg for males?
• Lifespan: Up to 60 years in the wild?
• Social structure: Matriarchal herds, solitary or bachelor males?

Indian context
 
Habitat

• Asian elephants in India inhabit diverse habitats including grasslands, tropical evergreen, semi-evergreen, moist and dry deciduous forests, and scrublands.
• The Indian elephant population is estimated around 22,446 as per the 2021-25 census, mainly concentrated in the Western Ghats, North Eastern Hills, Shivalik Hills, Gangetic plains, and Central India.
• However, less than 25% of their range falls within protected areas; much habitat lies outside these zones.?

Threats

• The biggest threats to Asian elephants in India include habitat loss and fragmentation caused by expanding human populations, agriculture, mining, infrastructure development.
• Human-elephant conflict arises as elephants raid crops and enter human settlements, leading to sometimes fatal retaliation.
• Poaching for ivory and body parts, although less than in African elephants, also remains a concern.?

Conservation measures

• Project Elephant (launched 1992) supports states in protecting elephant populations, their habitats, and migratory corridors.
• Initiatives to mitigate human-elephant conflict through community engagement and alternative livelihood support.
• Strengthening of anti-poaching measures.
• Conservation programs like the Asian Elephant Conservation Programme (AECP) focus on scientific research, population monitoring, and conflict mitigation.

 
 
   
Why in news?

• India and Mongolia have recently elevated their bilateral ties to a strategic partnership, marked notably on the 10th anniversary of this status during the Mongolian President Khurelsukh Ukhnaa's visit to India in October 2025. 
• The partnership underscores India's role as Mongolia's “Third Neighbor,” supporting Mongolia’s development independent of its immediate neighbors China and Russia, and aligns with India's Act East and Indo-Pacific policy goals.

Key aspects of the India-Mongolia strategic partnership in 2025

• India is funding Mongolia's first oil refinery project with a $1.7 billion line of credit, marking India's largest overseas development project.
• MoU between Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council and Mongolia’s Arkhangai Province.
• Defence cooperation is extensive, with India training Mongolian armed and border security forces.
• Cultural and spiritual cooperation features prominently, including sending Sanskrit teachers to Mongolia's Gandan Monastery and digitizing ancient Buddhist manuscripts.
• Economic and technological collaboration aims to explore joint ventures in critical minerals, rare earths, clean energy, and digital technology, supporting resilient supply chains.
• Free e-visas for Mongolian citizens, humanitarian aid, immigration cooperation, and restoration of Mongolian heritage sites.

Significance of Mongolia for India

• Mongolia is strategically located between Russia and China, and India views it as a key "Third Neighbor," .
• Strengthening ties with Mongolia supports India's Act East Policy and Indo-Pacific strategy, promoting regional stability and a rules-based order.?

• India trains Mongolian armed forces and maintains a Defence Attaché, fostering military ties that complement India's broader security and defense partnerships in Asia.?

• Mongolia's vast mineral and rare earth resources are critical for India’s resource diversification and supply chain resilience.

• Historic spiritual and cultural connections, particularly through Buddhism, cement a unique and longstanding relationship, fostering people-to-people ties.

In essence, Mongolia is a vital partner for India, fostering a comprehensive relationship that advances India’s geopolitical interests, security objectives, economic diversification, and cultural diplomacy.
 
 
   
Why in news?
The Naying Hydroelectric Project is a proposed 1000 MW hydropower plant planned on the Siyom (Yomgo) river in Arunachal Pradesh.

Key features of project

• Developed by the North Eastern Electric Power Corporation (NEEPCO). 
• A 108-meter-high concrete dam.
• A 7.08 km long head race tunnel with a diameter of 10.6 meters.

Siyom river

• The Siyom river is a right-bank tributary of the Brahmaputra River, flowing through Arunachal Pradesh.
• The Mouling National Park lies on the east bank of this river, near the project site.

The Naying project is part of Arunachal Pradesh's strategic hydro power mission under the Decade of Hydro Power (2025-35), aiming to add 19 GW capacity and contribute to India's clean energy and net-zero goals.
 

 
   
Why in news?

• Live Cases” Dashboard of LIMBS was inaugurated by Union Minister of State for Law and Justice on October 13, 2025.
• It offers detailed information on cases scheduled to be heard in the next seven days across the Supreme Court, High Courts, and other courts involving various ministries.

Key features and benefits of LIMBS

• Hosting a vast database of live cases; as of 2025, it covers over 7.23 lakh cases from 53 ministries and departments.
• Providing real-time data visualization of court cases and an overview of upcoming hearings to enable proactive decision-making and inter-ministerial coordination.
• Sending timely alerts and SMS prompts to officials for action, improving case management speed and reducing litigation volume.
• Supporting data-driven decision-making and legal audits to enhance governance and ease of doing business.
• Serving as a paperless, green, low-cost web technology solution accessible 24/7.

This initiative promotes transparency, accountability, and efficiency in government litigation management and aligns with the Prime Minister’s directive to reduce government litigation.
 
 
   
Why in news?
Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has announced plans to extend the range of next-generation beyond visual range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM) Astra Mark 2 to over 200 kilometers, surpassing earlier targets of around 160 km. 
 
About Astra Mark 2

• The Astra Mark 2 is a long-range air-to-air missile capable of engaging multiple aerial threats at extended distances.

• Range: The missile’s effective range is over 200 km.
• Speed: It can reach speeds of approximately Mach 4.5.
• Propulsion: It is powered by a dual-pulse solid rocket motor.
• Seeker System: The missile uses an indigenous active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar seeker.
• Electronic countermeasures enable the missile to resist jamming.

• The Astra Mark 2 missile is intended for integration the Sukhoi Su-30MKI, indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas, and other platforms.

• Astra Mark 2 elevates India’s air-to-air missile capabilities to be on par with leading global powers.

This missile plays a critical role in India’s strategic deterrence and air dominance, especially in regions with contested airspace.
 
 
   
Why in news?

• Impatiens Rajibiana is a newly discovered species of balsam flower belonging to the family Balsaminaceae.
• It was discovered recently in the natural forests of Shergaon in the West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh, India, at an elevation of over 2,000 meters. 

About Impatiens Rajibiana

• The plant grows in moist, shaded forest areas at an elevation above 2,000 meters.
• Arunachal Pradesh is a biodiversity hotspot and has seen the discovery of over 16 new balsam species recently, including Impatiens godfreyi and Impatiens sashinborthakurii.
• Impatiens rajibiana adds to the rich floral diversity of the eastern Himalayas and reinforces the need for conservation of these ecologically important habitats.
• The discovery was led by Dr. Krishna Chowlu and her research team at BSI.
• The species is unique to the Shergaon region, and its identification involved detailed morphological and molecular studies.

This finding highlights Arunachal Pradesh’s ecological uniqueness and biodiversity richness as part of the Eastern Himalaya Biodiversity Hotspot.
 
 
   
Why in news?
Mission Drishti is an upcoming Indian space mission by the Bengaluru-based space-tech startup GalaxEye, planned to launch in early 2026.

• It is the world’s first multi-sensor Earth observation (EO) satellite developed by the Indian space-tech startup by IIT Madras GalaxEye.
• The satellite is planned to launch in early 2026 and is designed for advanced geospatial analysis across sectors like defense, disaster management, agriculture, and environmental monitoring.
• It aligns with India’s "Make in India" and "Atmanirbhar Bharat" initiatives and is the largest privately built satellite in India, weighing 160 kg.?

Key Features

• First satellite worldwide to fuse SAR and optical sensors on one platform.
• Offers uninterrupted, all-weather, real-time Earth observation data.
• Resolution of about 1.5 meters.
• Weighs 160 kg.
• Mission includes plans to deploy 8-12 satellites by 2029.
• Successfully underwent structural tests at ISRO’s U R Rao Satellite Centre, proving its resilience to space conditions.
• Built for speed, reliability, and AI-readiness to support fast and accurate decision-making.?

• Provides high-resolution imagery unaffected by clouds, darkness, or adverse weather.

Significance

• The mission overcomes the usual compromise between optical imaging (which is weather-dependent) and SAR imaging (which is reliable but harder to interpret) by fusing both sensor types.
• The technology was successfully demonstrated on a previous payload launched in December 2024 (GLX-SQ), validating the onboard SyncFusion Imaging System for real-time SAR and optical image fusion.?

 

   
Why in news?

• Scientists at the Raman Research Institute (RRI), Bengaluru, have developed a breakthrough technique to detect toxic molecules like Rhodamine B at extremely low concentrations using the "coffee-stain effect."
• The RRI technique uses Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) amplified by the natural coffee-stain pattern of dried droplets containing gold nanorods.

About the RRI Rhodamine-B Detection Research

• Rhodamine B is a banned synthetic dye in food due to its toxic effects on skin, eyes, respiratory system, and its environmental persistence.
• Monitoring illegal use of Rhodamine B is difficult as it often occurs in very low concentrations undetectable by standard techniques.
• The RRI technique uses Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) amplified by the natural coffee-stain pattern of dried droplets containing gold nanorods.
• Gold nanorods aggregate in a ring pattern during evaporation, creating hotspots that amplify the Raman signal, enabling detection of extremely low dye levels (down to 1 part per trillion).
• The technique is simple, cost-effective, and potentially applicable with portable devices for field testing.
• Beyond Rhodamine B, this approach could detect other contaminants in food, water, and the environment, aiding regulatory and public health efforts.

Health and Environmental Relevance of Rhodamine B

• Causes DNA damage and mutations, linked to cancerous growths in animal studies.
• Can provoke allergic reactions and skin pigmentation changes on prolonged exposure.
• Persistent environmental pollutant, challenging to detect in natural water bodies.

 

   
Why in news?
The fifth edition of Samudra Shakti is currently being hosted by the Indian Navy at Visakhapatnam from October 14 to 17, 2025, involving ships such as INS Kavaratti from India and KRI John Lie from Indonesia. 
 
Key points of Exercise Samudra Shakti:

• Bilateral maritime exercise between India and Indonesia aimed at enhancing interoperability, strengthening mutual understanding, and sharing best practices between the two navies.
• The exercise underscores the shared commitment of both nations to maintaining stability and peace in the Indo-Pacific region.

• It is a bilateral naval exercise conducted under India's Act East Policy framework, initiated in 2018.
• The exercise is designed to boost cooperation in maritime security and operational capabilities between the Indian and Indonesian navies.
• Exercise phases include a harbour phase with activities such as cross deck visits, joint yoga sessions, friendly sports fixtures, and professional exchanges.
• The sea phase involves complex maritime operations like helicopter operations, air defense drills, weapon firing exercises, and visit, board, search, and seizure (VBSS) operations to increase tactical coordination.
• Participants in recent editions included Indian Navy's INS Kavaratti (Anti-Submarine Warfare Corvette) and Indonesian Navy ship KRI John Lie (Corvette with integral helicopter).
• The exercise fosters camaraderie, professional rapport, and strategic signaling to reinforce regional maritime stability in the Indo-Pacific.

 
 
   
Why in news?

• The "One State: One Global Destination" initiative is a strategic tourism development program launched by the Government of India, aiming to develop at least one world-class tourist destination in every Indian state and Union Territory (UT). 

• This ambitious plan was discussed and endorsed during a two-day meeting of State Tourism Ministers in Udaipur in October 2025, with the objective of transforming India's tourism landscape on a global scale.

 
Key Aspects of the Initiative

• Objective: To create a portfolio of 50-60 globally benchmarked tourist destinations across India, each aligned with international standards for experience, infrastructure, and sustainability.?
• Strategy: Emphasis on private sector-led development of tourism hubs, involving incentives and a Destination Maturity Model to promote excellence in destination management and visitor experience.?
• Implementation: States and UTs showcased their plans for developing iconic destinations, focusing on infrastructure, experience design, and sustainable tourism practices.?
• Government’s Role: The central government, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has emphasized collaborative federalism and partnership with the private sector to realize this vision, including performance-linked incentives.?

Significance and Broader Impact

• The initiative aligns with the broader vision of "Viksit Bharat" (Developed India) by 2047, aiming to boost tourism, generate employment, and promote regional development.?
• It aims to attract global tourists while also enriching domestic tourism by introducing unique destinations across the country, leveraging India’s diverse culture, history, and natural beauty.?
• The development of these destinations is expected to foster economic growth, improve infrastructure, and diversify India’s tourism offerings on a international standard.

 

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