Daily Current Affairs 2025  

26/12/2025

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CA-26/12/2025

• Location: Spread over 65 acres near the banks of the Gomti River, Hardoi Road, Lucknow.
• Design: Shaped like a lotus, symbolizing the BJP’s election symbol.
• Statues: Features three towering bronze statues of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Deen Dayal Upadhyay, and Shyama Prasad Mookerjee.
• Cost: Constructed at an approximate cost of ₹230 crore.
• Facilities: Includes landscaped gardens, open-air theatre, multipurpose halls, rally grounds, ceremonial gates, helipads, cafeteria, and pathways.
• Purpose: Built as a national inspirational complex, symbolizing India’s vision of self-respect, unity, and service.

• Enacted by: Parliament of India in 1954, effective from 1 January 1955
• Purpose: To provide a special form of marriage for people irrespective of religion, caste, or faith.
• Applicability:
  • Indian citizens in India
  • Indian nationals abroad
• Nature: Secular law — marriages under this Act are not governed by personal religious laws.

• Conditions for Marriage (Section 4):
  • Minimum age: 21 years (male), 18 years (female)
  • Neither party should have a living spouse
  • Parties must be mentally sound and capable of giving valid consent
  • Not within prohibited degrees of relationship
• Procedure:
  • Notice of intended marriage given to Marriage Officer (Section 5)
  • Publication of notice in Marriage Notice Book (Section 6)
  • Objections can be raised within 30 days (Section 7)
  • Marriage solemnized after declaration by parties and witnesses (Section 11)
  • Certificate of marriage issued (Section 13)
• Registration of Other Marriages (Chapter III):
  • Marriages celebrated under other customs can be registered under this Act for legal recognition
• Divorce & Succession:
  • Provides grounds for divorce similar to other marriage laws.
  • Succession governed by the Indian Succession Act, not personal religious laws.

• Interfaith & Inter-caste Marriages: Offers a neutral legal path for couples from different backgrounds.
• Legal Protection: Ensures rights in inheritance, divorce, and legitimacy of children.
• Secular Framework: Promotes equality by bypassing religious restrictions.

Aspect	Special Marriage Act, 1954	Personal Religious Laws (e.g., Hindu Marriage Act, Muslim Law)
Applicability	All Indians, regardless of religion	Specific to followers of respective religions
Nature	Secular, uniform law	Religion-based, varies across communities
Succession	Governed by Indian Succession Act	Governed by respective personal laws
Interfaith Marriage	Allowed	Often restricted or requires conversion
Divorce Grounds	Uniform provisions	Vary depending on religion

• Social Opposition: Interfaith couples often face societal resistance.
• Legal Delays: Objection period (30 days) can be misused to harass couples.
• Documentation: Requires strict compliance with notice and verification procedures.

• Language & Script: The Constitution is translated into Santhali, using the Ol Chiki script, which was created in the 20th century specifically for Santhali.
• Cultural Significance: The release coincided with the centenary of the Ol Chiki script, adding symbolic importance.
• Recognition: Santhali was included in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution through the 92nd Amendment Act, 2003, giving it official status among India’s recognized languages.
• Impact: It strengthens constitutional awareness and democratic participation among tribal communities.

• Empowerment: Santhali-speaking people across Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal, and Bihar can now access the Constitution in their mother tongue, fostering inclusivity.
• Education: It will aid students, educators, and civil society groups in spreading constitutional literacy in tribal regions.
• Identity: This strengthens cultural pride and validates the role of indigenous languages in India’s democratic framework.

• The 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami was one of the deadliest disasters in history, prompting India to establish its own early warning system.
• The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, was tasked with setting up and operating the centre.

• Real-time seismic stations: Detect undersea earthquakes that may trigger tsunamis.
• Bottom Pressure Recorders (BPRs): Installed in the deep ocean to measure changes in water pressure caused by tsunami waves.
• Tide gauges: Monitor sea-level changes along the coast.
• Decision Support System (DSS): Uses scenario databases and vulnerability models to assess risk and issue advisories.
• Communication network: Advisories are disseminated to government agencies, coastal communities, and international partners using multiple channels.

• India’s centre is recognized as a Regional Tsunami Service Provider (RTSP) by UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC).
• It provides tsunami warnings to 25 Indian Ocean countries, making it a critical hub for regional disaster preparedness.

• India is implementing the UNESCO-IOC “Tsunami Ready” programme, ensuring coastal villages are trained and equipped for emergencies.
• By 2025, India will have over 100 tsunami-ready villages, the highest in the Indian Ocean region.

• Challenge: Maintaining real-time accuracy across vast oceanic areas.
• Importance: Saves lives by issuing warnings within minutes of detection.
• Future goal: Expand community resilience and integrate advanced AI-driven modelling for faster predictions.

• Definition: Fine-grained mud located about 6,000 meters below the Pacific seabed, enriched with rare earth elements such as dysprosium, terbium, and yttrium.
• Importance: These elements are essential for electric vehicles, wind turbines, defense systems, and consumer electronics.
• Discovery: Large deposits were identified near Minamitorishima Island, southeast of Tokyo.

• Test Mining (Jan–Feb 2026): Japan will attempt the world’s first continuous lifting of rare-earth mud from 6,000 meters depth, targeting 350 metric tonnes per day.
• Goal: Build a domestic supply chain for rare earths to reduce reliance on China.
• Technology: Using the deep-sea vessel Chikyu to assess feasibility.
• Timeline: Japan plans to scale up extraction and processing by 2027.

Aspect	Potential Benefits	Key Challenges
Supply Security	Reduces dependence on China, strengthens Japan’s industrial resilience	Requires massive investment in refining & magnet manufacturing
Economic Impact	Could unlock new domestic industry for critical minerals	High costs of deep-sea mining and uncertain commercial viability
Technology	First-of-its-kind continuous extraction system	Technical risks in lifting mud from extreme depths
Environment	Monitoring impacts during tests	Long-term ecological effects on seabed ecosystems remain unproven

• China’s Dominance: Currently supplies ~90% of global rare earths, tightening export controls.
• Strategic Race: Japan, US, and EU are exploring alternatives to secure critical minerals.
• Future Outlook: Even if extraction succeeds, midstream processing and downstream manufacturing (magnets, batteries) remain bottlenecks.

• Environmental: Deep-sea ecosystems are fragile; sediment plumes and biodiversity loss are major concerns.
• Economic: Without scalable refining, raw mud extraction alone won’t solve supply chain dependence.
• Geopolitical: Rare earths are a strategic resource; seabed mining could reshape global power dynamics.

• Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC) is a chronic liver disease characterized by inflammation, fibrosis, and scarring of the bile ducts inside and outside the liver, leading to bile flow obstruction.
• This progressive condition often results in cholestasis, cirrhosis, and eventual liver failure if untreated.
• Liver transplantation remains the only definitive cure.​

• Many patients experience no early symptoms, with diagnosis prompted by abnormal liver tests.
• Common signs include fatigue, intense itching (pruritus), jaundice, abdominal pain, and enlarged liver or spleen.
• Advanced cases may involve fat-soluble vitamin deficiencies, gallstones, or bacterial cholangitis.​

• The exact cause is unknown but involves genetic susceptibility, immune dysregulation, and possible environmental triggers like gut bacteria.
• PSC strongly associates with inflammatory bowel disease, especially ulcerative colitis (up to 70-80% of cases).
• It predominantly affects men aged 30-40.​

• Elevated alkaline phosphatase and gamma-glutamyl transferase indicate cholestasis. Imaging like MRCP or ERCP reveals characteristic "beaded" bile duct strictures.
• Liver biopsy may confirm fibrosis but is not always needed.​

• No medical therapy halts progression; ursodeoxycholic acid manages symptoms but lacks proven disease-modifying effects.
• Endoscopic interventions treat strictures, while complications like cholangiocarcinoma (10-20% risk) require surveillance.
• Median survival without transplant is about 10 years.​

• Location: Kamchatka Peninsula, Russian Far East
• Type: Stratovolcano (cone-shaped, steep-sided)
• Height: ~2,882–3,020 meters (9,455–9,910 ft)
• Name Meaning: “Bezymianny” translates to Nameless in Russian
• Volcanic Group: Part of the Kliuchevskoy Volcanic Group, near Kamen and Klyuchevskaya Sopka
• First Major Eruption: March 30, 1956, after being dormant for ~1,000 years
• Bezymianny is part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, contributing to global volcanic activity monitoring.

• The 1956 eruption was catastrophic, involving a massive flank collapse similar to Mount St. Helens in 1980. It reshaped the volcano’s structure and created a horseshoe-shaped crater.
• Since then, Bezymianny has developed a lava dome that frequently grows and collapses, producing pyroclastic flows and ash plumes.
• It is considered one of the most active volcanoes in Kamchatka, with eruptions occurring multiple times per year.

• Cultural roots: The haka originates from the Māori, the indigenous Polynesian people of Aotearoa (New Zealand).
• Mythology: It is linked to Tāne-rore, the son of the sun god Tama-nui-te-rā and summer goddess Hine-raumati. The shimmering air on hot days is said to be Tāne-rore dancing, symbolized by trembling hand movements in haka.
• Purpose: Traditionally performed to welcome guests, celebrate achievements, honor the deceased, or protest. It embodies pride, unity, and defiance.

• Movements: Stamping feet, slapping thighs and chest, rhythmic chanting (waiata), and fierce facial expressions (like protruding tongue and wide eyes).
• Group performance: Usually performed collectively, emphasizing solidarity and shared identity.
• Types of haka: Some are ceremonial, others are war dances meant to challenge opponents.

• The All Blacks rugby team made haka famous worldwide by performing it before international matches.
• It has become a symbol of New Zealand’s cultural pride and resilience, often showcased at political events, protests, and ceremonies.

• Type: Intermediate-range SLBM (Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missile)
• Developer: Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)
• Manufacturer: Bharat Dynamics Limited
• Launch Platform: Arihant-class nuclear-powered submarines
• Range: ~3,500 km
• Warhead Capacity: Up to 2,500 kg (nuclear-capable)
• Engine: Two-stage solid rocket motor
• Guidance System: Inertial navigation + GNSS (mid-course), TERCOM (terminal)

• Sea-Based Deterrence: The K-4 enhances India’s second-strike capability, meaning India can retaliate even if land-based systems are compromised.
• Stealth Advantage: Submarine launch allows India to strike while remaining hidden underwater, making it harder for adversaries to detect.
• Part of Nuclear Triad: Complements land-based (Agni series) and air-based nuclear delivery systems, completing India’s nuclear triad.
• Extended Reach: With 3,500 km range, India can target adversaries deep inside hostile territory from the Indian Ocean.

Missile	Type	Launch Platform	Range	Warhead Capacity	Status
K-4	SLBM	Arihant-class submarines	3,500 km	~2,500 kg	Tested, awaiting induction
K-15 (Sagarika)	SLBM	Arihant-class submarines	750 km	~1,000 kg	Operational
Agni-III	Land-based IRBM	Road/Rail mobile launchers	3,500 km	~2,500 kg	Operational
Agni-V	Land-based ICBM	Road/Rail mobile launchers	5,000–5,500 km	~1,500 kg	Operational

• Operational Induction Pending: The K-4 still requires further test-firings before full deployment.
• Submarine Fleet Expansion: India’s Arihant-class submarines are limited in number; expanding the fleet is crucial for sustained deterrence.
• Strategic Balance: Enhances India’s deterrence posture against regional adversaries, but also raises questions about arms race dynamics in South Asia.

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