Daily Current Affairs 2025  

23/10/2025

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CA-23/10/2025

About the SOAR Programme
The Skilling for AI Readiness (SOAR) Programme is an initiative launched by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) in India in July 2025. Its objective is to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) learning into the school education and vocational training ecosystem, targeting students from classes 6 to 12 and educators across India. 
 
Key Highlights of the SOAR Programme

• Target Audience: School students from classes 6 to 12 and educators across India.?
• Curriculum: The programme offers three foundational 15-hour modules for students focusing on basic AI, machine learning, data literacy, and ethical AI use, alongside a 45-hour module for teachers on AI pedagogy and integration.?

Objectives:

• Foster early exposure to AI concepts to build confidence and interest in tech careers.
• Promote inclusive access to high-demand AI skills regardless of socio-economic background, rural-urban divides, or gender.?
• Empower educators with proper tools, curricula, and training for effective AI instruction.?

Significance

• The SOAR programme is a vital component of India’s long-term vision—Viksit Bharat 2047—to foster a digitally inclusive, innovative, and self-reliant nation.
• It aims to narrow the digital divide, boost AI literacy from an early age, and create a future-ready workforce capable of contributing to sectors such as healthcare, manufacturing, finance, and education.?

Conclusion
Overall, SOAR represents India's proactive approach to integrating artificial intelligence into education and skill development to ensure the youth are equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary for emerging AI-driven industries, thereby positioning India as a global hub for AI innovation and digital talent.

  Why in news?
Indian Scops-Owl highlights a rare and remarkable first-ever sighting near the Daroji Sloth Bear Sanctuary in Karnataka. 
 
About Indian Scops-Owl

• Scientific Name: Otus bakkamoena
• Size: 17-25 cm in height, wingspan around 45 cm
• Appearance: Stocky body, round head, short tail, prominent ear tufts
• Color: Grey-brown or rufous morphs with intricate patterns for camouflage
• Eyes: Large, bright yellow for enhanced night vision
• Habitat: Forests, scrublands, agricultural areas, gardens, and urban areas throughout South Asia
• Behavior: Nocturnal; active at night, roosts during the day in tree holes or dense foliage
• Diet: Insects, small mammals, reptiles, birds; opportunistic hunter
• Nesting: Uses tree cavities or abandoned nests; lays 2-5 eggs
• Vocalization: Soft single note "whuk?" or frog-like call for communication
• Distribution: Found in India (except high Himalayas), Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Iran
• Conservation Status: Least Concern; stable population but threatened by habitat loss
• Other: Can mimic calls of other owls; often hard to spot due to camouflage

  Why in news?
The President of India visited to the temple on October 22, 2025,
 
Key facts about Sabarimala Temple:

• Deity: Lord Ayyappa, revered as Dharma Sastha.?
• Pilgrimage & Significance: Among the largest annual pilgrimages globally, drawing 40–50 million devotees yearly.?
• Rituals: Pilgrims traditionally observe a strict 41-day penance called Mandalam before visiting, involving abstinence and austerity.?
• Important Festivals: Major events include Mandalapooja (Nov–Dec), Makaravilakku (mid-Jan), and Vishu Vilakku (April).?

Sabarimala case

• Traditionally, women aged 10 to 50 were prohibited from entering the temple to preserve Ayyappa's celibacy.?

• The exclusion of women violates the Right to Equality (Article 14) and the Right to Freedom of Religion (Article 25) of the Indian Constitution.?
• Lord Ayyappa devotees constitute a separate religious denomination, which would influence the religious freedom aspect.?

Supreme Court Judgment (2018)

• The exclusion was challenged legally in 1991 and later escalated through petitions filed in the Supreme Court in 2006, culminating in a landmark judgment in 2018.?

• On September 28th, 2018, a 5-judge Bench of the Supreme Court delivered a verdict ruling the practice of excluding women as unconstitutional by a 4:1 majority.?
• The Court held that:
  • The practice of banning women aged 10-50 violates their fundamental rights under Articles 14, 15, and 25.?
  • The custom is not an 'essential religious practice' under Article 25.?
  • The exclusion was deemed discriminatory and unconstitutional.?

This case is seen as a significant step towards gender justice, though it also highlighted tensions between tradition and constitutional principles.
 



  Why in news?
After Two years the scientists from the National Bureau of Agricultural Insect Resources (NBAIR), released a tiny parasitic wasp Anagyrus lopezi into South India’s tapioca fields, the crop that once faced near devastation from an invasive pest is now thriving again.
 
Key facts and significance:

• Anagyrus lopezi is a tiny parasitic wasp used as a biological control agent to combat the cassava (Tapioca) mealybug pest.
• The wasp lays eggs inside the mealybug, and its larvae consume the pest from within, naturally reducing its population without harming other crops.
• It was imported from the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Benin, West Africa.
• The wasp has been successfully used in West Africa since the 1980s, reducing cassava mealybug populations by 80–90% and saving cassava crops.
• It was introduced in South India recently and has helped restore tapioca yields damaged by mealybugs.
• Anagyrus lopezi is a highly host-specific parasitoid, making it an eco-friendly alternative to chemical pesticides.

Tapioca (Cassava) cultivation in India

• It is a major horticulture crop cultivated in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Puducherry.
• It is cultivated throughout the tropical world for its tuberous roots, from which cassava flour, breads, tapioca, a laundry starch, and an alcoholic beverage are derived

Climatic Conditions Required for Tapioca (cassava)

• Thrives best in tropical, warm humid climate.
• Well-distributed rainfall of over 100 cm (1000 mm) per annum.
• Optimal temperature range 25°C to 32°C.
• Can tolerate temperatures up to 40°C; growth reduces below 18-20°C.
• Cannot withstand frost; growth stops below 10°C.
• Suitable elevation up to 1000 meters.
• Requires full sunlight for optimal growth.
• Well-drained soil, preferably red lateritic loam with pH 5.5 to 7.0.

  Why in news?

• At the CMS COP14 hosted by Uzbekistan in October 2025, Central Asian nations endorsed a new six-year Work Programme (2025–2031) under the Central Asian Mammals Initiative.
• It aims to strengthens transboundary conservation of 17 key migratory mammal species, such as the snow leopard, saiga antelope, Asiatic cheetah, Persian leopard, wild yak, and Przewalski’s horse, across 14 countries.

About Central Asian Mammals Initiative (CAMI)

• The Central Asian Mammals Initiative (CAMI) is a regional conservation framework launched in 2014 at the 11th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP11) to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS).
• It is designed to halt the population decline and ensure the long-term survival of 17 iconic migratory mammal species across 14 Central Asian countries, which include Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.

Main Features

• Transboundary Cooperation: CAMI fosters collaboration among 14 range states, integrating government agencies, NGOs, scientific institutions, and local communities to coordinate conservation actions across national borders.
• Priority Landscapes & Corridors: It focuses on protecting critical habitats and ecological corridors essential for sustaining migratory routes.
• Science and Policy Integration: CAMI blends scientific research, monitoring, and cross-border policy harmonization to address threats effectively.
• Support and Partnerships: Supported by international organizations such as the IUCN, WWF, and the CMS Secretariat to strengthen ecosystem connectivity.?

Significance

• CAMI represents a unified regional approach recognizing that migratory mammal conservation transcends political borders.
• It addresses critical conservation challenges which no single country can solve alone, enhancing the protection of biodiversity and ecosystem health.
• The initiative contributes to global biodiversity goals under the United Nations Environment Programme, reinforcing sustainable development through the conservation of migratory species.

  Why in news?
Fiji has been officially validated by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the 26th country to eliminate trachoma as a public health problem on October 20, 2025. 

About Trachoma
Trachoma is a bacterial eye infection caused by Chlamydia trachomatis. Here are the key points about it:

• Causes & Spread: Transmitted through contact with infected eye, nose, and throat secretions, often via hands, towels, clothing, and flies.?
• Symptoms:
  • Early stages resemble conjunctivitis with redness, irritation, eye discharge, and eyelid swelling.?
  • Repeated infections lead to scarring of the inner eyelid, causing inward turning eyelashes (trichiasis) that scratch the cornea.?
  • Advanced disease may cause corneal opacity and eventual blindness.?
• Stages:
  • Initial follicular inflammation with lymphoid follicles.
  • Intense inflammation, eyelid scarring, and inward eyelashes.
  • Corneal scarring and opacity leading to blindness if untreated.?
• Prevalence: Most cases occur in poor, developing regions, predominantly affecting children and women.?
• Prevention & Treatment:
  • Improved hygiene, access to clean water, and antibiotic treatment (azithromycin, tetracycline) are primary measures.?
  • Surgery may be necessary for trichiasis to prevent blindness.?
• Global Impact: Responsible for approximately 1.9 million cases of blindness globally, especially in Africa, Asia, and parts of the Middle East.

Why in news?
In recent conflicts, notably the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the missile has been supplied in large quantities to Ukraine and used effectively to hit strategic targets inside Russia, including industrial sites and military infrastructure.

About

• The Storm Shadow missile is a Franco-British long-range, air-launched cruise missile designed for precision deep strikes on high-value, well-defended targets such as command centers, bunkers, airfields, ports, and critical infrastructure.
• It was jointly developed by MBDA UK and MBDA France, entering service around 2003, and is also known as SCALP-EG in France.

Key features of the Storm Shadow 

• Weight about 1,300 kg with a 450 kg BROACH warhead.
• Range exceeding 250 km.
• Subsonic speed (around Mach 0.8), powered by a Microturbo TRI 60-30 turbojet engine.
• Launch compatible with multiple aircraft including the Eurofighter Typhoon, Dassault Rafale, Mirage 2000, Panavia Tornado, and the Su-24 used by Ukraine.
• Advanced guidance combining inertial navigation, GPS, terrain reference navigation (TERPROM), and an imaging infrared seeker for terminal phase precision.
• Fire-and-forget capability with pre-programmed mission.
• Low observable stealth design, enabling it to evade enemy air defenses.
• The missile can operate in all weather conditions and low-altitude flight to minimize detection.

 



  Why in news?

• To honour the bond between brothers and sisters, Ningol Chakkouba Festival is celebrated every year on the second day of the lunar month of Hiyangei in the Meitei calendar.
• Department of Fisheries, Manipur, organises the Annual Fish Fair cum Fish Crop Competition on the day ahead of the Ningol Chakouba festival.

About Ningol Chakkouba Festival

• The festival derives its name from "Ningol" (married women) and "Chakouba" (invitation for feast).?

• On this day, married daughters are formally invited by their brothers and parents to their paternal home for a grand feast.?
• Gifts are exchanged, and family ties, especially between brothers and sisters, are reinforced through joyful reunion.?
• Invitations are sent in advance, historically using betel leaves and betel nuts.?
• Though secular, the festival plays a significant role in strengthening familial bonds and social unity.?
• In recent years, the festival has also symbolized hope and solidarity among communities especially during times of crisis in Manipur.?

Historical Origin

• The custom traces its roots to the era of King Nongda Lairen Pakhangba, when royal feasts were held for siblings.?
• Reputedly, it became associated with married women during the reign of King Chandrakirti, who adapted the tradition so sisters could gather together without him visiting each household.?

   

Why in news?
Kali Tiger Reserve recorded a rare sighting of a striped hyena inside the safari zone near Dandeli, Uttara Kannada district, Karnataka. This sighting is notable because hyenas are typically found in drier areas of North Karnataka and not in the Western Ghats, where Kali Tiger Reserve is located.
 
Key ecological features:

• The reserve is part of the Western Ghats, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.?
• Vegetation comprises mainly moist deciduous and semi-evergreen forests, with patches of evergreen in the valleys. It hosts diverse flora including teak, silver oak, bamboo, and medicinal plants.?
• The Kali River runs through the reserve, serving as the main water source for the region and lending its name to the park.?

Wildlife and biodiversity:

• Famous as a habitat for Bengal Tigers, rare Black Panthers, Indian Elephants, leopards, gaurs (Indian bison), sloth bears, dholes (wild dogs), sambar, spotted deer, wild boar, langurs, macaques, and many reptiles and birds.?
• It is notable for all four hornbill species and rich birdlife, making it a popular destination for birdwatchers.?
• Recent wildlife records include the sighting of a striped hyena in the forest.

 

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