National Gopal Ratna Awards (NGRA) – 2025

• Awards constituted by the Union Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying.

• Recognise excellence in indigenous cattle and buffalo rearing, and dairy cooperative performance.

• Awards to be presented on November 26, as part of National Milk Day celebrations.

Key Winners (2025)

Best Dairy Farmer (Indigenous Cattle/Buffalo Breeds)

• Aravind Yashavant Patil,

  
  

  Kolhapur, Maharashtra

• Recognised for outstanding contribution to rearing indigenous breeds.

Best Dairy Cooperative Society / Milk Producer Company / Farmer Producer Organisation

• Meenangadi Ksheerolpadaka Sahakarana Sangham Ltd,

  
  

  Wayanad, Kerala

• Awarded for excellence in cooperative dairy management and farmer support.

North Eastern & Himalayan Region Awards

Best Farmer

• Vijay Lata,

  
  

  Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh

Best Cooperative Society

• Kulha Duud Udpadhak Sahkari Samiti,

  
  

  Udham Singh Nagar, Uttarakhand

Trade impacts of Climate Actions Debated at COP30

Context

• In the second week of COP30, developing countries—including India—are demanding greater focus on trade-related climate impacts.

  
  

• Unilateral carbon-related trade measures by developed countries (e.g., EU’s CBAM) have raised concerns among Global South nations.

Key Demands by Developing Countries

• COP30 Presidency released a summary of country positions (without naming them).

  
  

• Developing countries want:

  • Annual dialogue on climate change–related trade restrictive unilateral measures.

    
    

  • Discussions on cross-border impacts of climate policies.

    
    

  • Roundtables in 2026 & 2027 on climate–trade nexus.

    
    

  • Outputs feeding into Global Stocktake 2028.

Why the Trade–Climate Issue Matters

• Trade measures like carbon taxes directly affect developing nations’ exports, competitiveness, and growth.

  
  

• Climate policies of rich nations often have cross-border economic impacts.

  
  

• These divisions may hinder collective action to meet 1.5°C target, which is expected to be breached before 2030 under current emissions trajectory.

  
  

India’s Position at COP30

• Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav will highlight:

  • Climate finance gaps

  • Insufficient support for adaptation and mitigation

  • Concerns over trade barriers disguised as climate tools, such as CBAM

    
    

Launch of the Forum for Climate and Trade Cooperation

• Launched by COP30 President Andrei Lago.

  
  

• Purpose:

  • Provide a dialogue platform on trade–climate issues.

  • Resolve tensions between developed and developing nations.

  • Promote a just, inclusive global climate–trade architecture.

    
    

• Brazil (COP30 host) hopes to use this forum to:

  • Establish a 3-year dialogue process.

  • Bridge divisions and ensure fair global trade rules under climate commitments.

EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) – India’s Concern

What is CBAM?

• A border carbon tax on imports into the EU.

• Importers must pay if imported goods emit more carbon than EU-made equivalents.

  
  

Impact on India

• Full implementation: January 2026.

  
  

• Sectors hit: iron & steel, aluminium, cement, fertilizers, hydrogen, electricity.

  
  

• Indian exporters may pay €301 million (~₹3,000 crore) annually in CBAM fees for iron & steel alone.

  
  

• Creates a competitive disadvantage and serves as a de facto trade barrier

What are UNESCO’s new guidelines for the use of neurotechnology?

Context

• UNESCO issued the first global normative framework on neurotechnology ethics on November 5, 2025; came into force on November 12.

  
  

• Aims to balance innovation with human rights and prevent misuse of brain-related data.

What is Neurotechnology?

• Devices/procedures that access, assess, or act on neural systems (esp. the brain).

• Example: brain–computer interfaces, neural implants, AI-assisted neuroimaging.

• Applications:

  • Detecting tumours, preventing stroke

  • Assistive technologies

  • Mental health and palliative care

  • Cognitive enhancement

Global Investment

• Public investment: >$6 billion (2023).

• Private investment: $7.3 billion (2020).

Why a Global Framework Was Needed

Neurotech Risks

• Profiling individuals using brain signals.

• Brain data used for:

  • Persuasive messaging

  • Political marketing

  • Insurance premium decisions

  • Employment screening (“stress tolerance”, “hidden traits”)

    
    

• Raises fears over:

  • Mental privacy

  • Informed consent

  • Human autonomy

  • Psychological safety

Call for “Neurorights”

• Mental privacy

• Mental integrity

• Cognitive liberty

• Some jurisdictions already acting:

  • Chile protects mental integrity in its Constitution.

  • California (2024) protects brain data from misuse.

Precedents Before UNESCO

OECD Standards (2019)

• First international standards for Responsible Innovation in Neurotechnology.

  
  

• Focused on:

  • Responsible use and tech transfer

  • Patent pools

  • Free licensing for developing countries

  • Ethical commercialisation

UNESCO Bioethics Report (2022)

• Recommended a comprehensive global governance framework for neurotechnology.

UNESCO’s Framework (2025): Core Principles

UNESCO recommends neurotechnology be governed by principles of:

• Beneficence

• Proportionality

• No harm

• Autonomy & freedom of thought

• Protection of neural data (all types)

• Non-discrimination & inclusivity

• Accountability and transparency

• Trustworthiness

• Epistemic justice

• Protection of vulnerable groups (children, elderly)

• Protection of future generations

  
  

Explicit Prohibitions

• No use of brain or non-brain data for:

  • Political manipulation

  • Commercial deception

  • Medical coercion

• No forced brain-data tests in employment or insurance.

Structure of the Framework

Three-pronged strategy

1. Define neurotechnology & neurodata clearly.

2. Values and principles guiding use in sectors like health, education, R&D.

3. Special focus on vulnerable populations.

Batukeshwar Dutt: The Forgotten Revolutionary

Context

• On April 8, 1929, Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt threw harmless bombs in the Central Assembly (now Parliament).

• Aim: Protest colonial repression; slogan: Inquilab Zindabad, “Down with Imperialism”.

• Event triggered huge media attention; Dutt later faded from public memory.

  
  

Early Life

• Born: November 18, 1910 in Burdwan district, Bengal.

• Member of the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA).

• Comrade-in-arms of Bhagat Singh.

Role in the Assembly Bomb Case (1929)

• Purpose of the bombing: "To Make the Deaf Hear" — symbolic protest.

• No intent to harm; used low-intensity bombs.

• Both surrendered, arrested, tried, and convicted.

Years in Prison

• Sentenced to life transportation; imprisoned in:

  • Multan

  • Jhelum

  • Trichinopoly

  • Salem

  • Andamans

    
    

• Undertook multiple hunger strikes, twice fasting over a month for rights of political prisoners.

• In jail during execution of Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, Sukhdev (1931).

  
  

Post-release Life

• Released: 1938.

• Rearrested during Quit India Movement (1942) → spent 4 more years in jail.

• Married Anjali, schoolteacher; settled in Patna.

• Daughter: Bharti, became Professor of Economics.

• Faced severe poverty; coal depot allotted by Bihar government was unviable.

  
  

Minimal Support from the State

• President Rajendra Prasad intervened → Dutt got a token, short-term nomination to Bihar Legislative Council for six months.

India–U.S. LPG Import Deal (2026)

Context

• On 17 November 2025, Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri announced a major LPG import deal with the U.S. Gulf Coast.

• Marks a shift toward long-term, structured energy contracts with the U.S.

  
  

Key Features of the Deal

• Duration: 1-year contract (for 2026).

• Quantity: 2.2 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) of LPG.

• Share in India’s Imports: Accounts for ~10% of India’s annual LPG imports.

• Type of Contract: First “structured contract” for U.S. LPG in the Indian market — indicating stable, predictable supply arrangements rather than spot purchases.

Significance for India

Energy Security

• Diversifies supply sources beyond West Asia.

• Reduces dependence on spot markets which are prone to price volatility.

Strengthening India–U.S. Energy Ties

• Expands bilateral cooperation from crude oil and LNG to LPG.

• Enhances strategic alignment in the energy sector.

Buffer Against Geopolitical Risks

• Alternative to Middle Eastern supply disruptions.

• Ensures a reliable supply chain amidst global conflicts and shipping route vulnerabilities.

Support for Domestic Consumption

• India is the second-largest LPG consumer globally.

• Rising household and commercial LPG demand under schemes like Ujjwala increases need for assured imports.

Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG)

What is LPG?

• A mixture of hydrocarbon gases, mainly Propane (C3H8) and Butane (C4H10).

• Obtained from:

  • Crude oil refining (refinery LPG)

  • Natural gas processing (NG-LPG)

• Stored and transported in pressurised cylinders in liquid form.

Properties

• Clean-burning fuel → low SOx, NOx, particulate emissions.

• High calorific value (46–50 MJ/kg).

• Easily liquefied under moderate pressure.

• Non-toxic but highly flammable.

13th International Tourism Mart (ITM), 2025 – Sikkim

Context

• Arunachal Pradesh CM Pema Khandu inaugurated the 13th International Tourism Mart (ITM) in Gangtok, Sikkim.

• Attended by Tourism Ministers of Assam, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, and other NE states.

  
  

About International Tourism Mart (ITM)

• Flagship annual event of the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India.

• Focus: Promote the North Eastern Region (NER) as a unified tourism destination.

  
  

• Objective:

  • Showcase tourism potential to domestic and international buyers.

  • Facilitate B2B interactions, networking, and tourism collaborations.

IIT Bombay’s AMVG AI Model for Satellite & Drone Image Interpretation

Context

• Researchers at IIT Bombay have developed an advanced AI model that interprets satellite and drone images using natural language prompts.

• Model Name: Adaptive Modality-guided Visual Grounding (AMVG).

• Led by Prof. Biplab Banerjee, Centre of Studies in Resources Engineering.

  
  

What is AMVG?

• An AI-based visual grounding model.

• Allows users to analyse high-resolution remote sensing images through everyday language instructions.

• Bridges the gap between simple object detection (like spotting a cat) and complex satellite imagery interpretation.

  
  

How It Works

• Users enter prompts such as:

  
  

  “Find all damaged buildings near the flooded river.”

  
  

• Model scans hundreds of cluttered, high-resolution images.

  
  

• Provides targeted, accurate results within minutes.

Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) – First Sixth Schedule Tribal Council to Fully Digitise Land Records

Context

• The Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) in Assam has become the first tribal council under the Sixth Scheduleto fully digitise all land records.

• Over 15 lakh land documents (texts + maps) across 8,970 sq. km have been digitised.

  
  

What Was Digitised?

• Land ownership documents

• Land maps (cadastral maps)

• Historical records

• Mutation and settlement records

  
  

Digitisation replaces decades-old manual record-keeping practices.

Provides autonomous councils for tribal areas in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, Mizoram.

Empowers councils to manage:

• Land

• Forests (non-reserved)

• Customs

• Local governance

Number of Tribal Councils: 10

Assam (3):

Karbi Anglong–West Karbi Anglong

Dima Hasao

Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) – set up 2003

Meghalaya (3):

Garo Hills

Khasi Hills

Jaintia Hills

Mizoram (3):

Lai

Mara

Chakma

Tripura (1):

Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC)

India at Deaflympics 2025 – Shooting (10m Air Pistol)

Context

India achieved a double podium in women’s shooting and a silver in the men's event at the 2025 Deaflympics held in Tokyo, Japan.

Women’s 10m Air Pistol

1. Gold – Anuya Prasad, Gold medalist for India.

Scored 241.1 points.

Broke the Deaf Final World Record with this score.

Major achievement highlighting India’s growing dominance in women’s shooting.

2. Silver – Pranjali Dhumal, Secured Silver.

Score: 236.8 points.

Ensured a 1–2 finish for India, marking a double podium.

Men’s 10m Air Pistol

Silver – Abhinav Deshwal

Won Silver for India.

Continues India’s strong performance in pistol events at international competitions.