Current Affairs: 26th & 27th October 2025

• Andhra Pradesh bracesfor cyclone as IMD issueshigh alert for 23 districts

Context: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Sunday put the entire administrative machinery on high alert as the India Meteorological Department issued red and orange alerts for 23 of the 26 districts in the State in view of Cyclone Montha.

• The IMD said the deep depression over southeast Bay of Bengal was likely to intensify into a cyclonic storm.Thereafter, it was likely to intensify into a severe cyclonic storm and was very likely to cross the Andhra Pradesh coast between Machilipatnam and Kalinga- patnam around Kakinada in the evening or night.
• While crossing, the severe cyclonic storm could have a maximum wind speed of 90-100 kmph gusting to 110 kmph, it said.
• According to the IMD bulletin, the deep depression lay about 780 km southeast of Kakinada and 790 km south-southeast of Visakhapatnam.
• The Regional Meteorological Centre, Chennai, forecast light to moderate rain in a few places over the Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal regions.
• Heavy rain is likely to occur in isolated places in Chennai, Tiruvallur, Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram, Ranipet, Vellore, Villupuram, Kallakurichi, Cuddalore, Mayiladuthurai and Tiruvannamalai districts and Puducherry.
• Cyclone alert has been issued for Andhra Pradesh, Yanam and adjoining South Odisha coasts so that officials could begin taking precautionary measures.
• Red alert, which indicates a possibility of extremely heavy rainfall, has been sounded for seven districts of Andhra Pradesh — SPSR Nellore, Prakasam, Bapatla, Krishna, West Godavari, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Konaseema and Kakinada.
• The IMD has warned that the sea condition may be ‘very rough’ along and off the Andhra Pradesh and Yanam coasts. It would further worsen, becoming ‘very rough’ to ‘high’.

• Montha is the third severe cyclonic storm after Asani in 2022 and Michaung in 2023 to cross the Andhra Pradesh coast.

• During a teleconference with senior officials, Mr. Naidu reviewed the preparedness of all the departments. He instructed the officials to ensure there was no disruption to power supply, telecom connectivity, or drinking water systems.
• Mr. Naidu urged officials of all departments to ensure there was no loss of life or property. “Alerts should be sent through SMS, social media, IVRS [Interactive Voice Response] calls, and WhatsApp. Ensure that information from the village level reaches the State control room in real time,” the Chief Minister said.
• Mr. Naidu said State and national disaster response teams have already been deployed in the coastal districts, and that predictive models and real-time data were being used for accurate analysis.

• Cyclone Montha: Widespread rainfall forecast till Oct. 30

Context: The India Meteorological Department (IMD), Bengaluru, has forecast fairly widespread rainfall over Karnataka for the next four days owing to Cyclone Montha.

• “Fairly widespread rainfall is expected over Karnataka from October 27 to 30 because of the anticipated cyclone,” IMD, Bengaluru, director.
• The IMD said that a depression over east-central Arabian Sea moved nearly south-westwards with a speed of 13 kmph during the past six hours and lay centered at 8.30 a.m .on Sunday over the same region, about 970 km west to northwest of Mangaluru.
• For coastal Karnataka on October 27, the IMD has forecast heavy to very heavy rain and thundershowers with sustained winds at one or two places over Udupi and Uttara Kannada districts and heavy rain and thundershowers with sustained winds at one or two places over Dakshina Kannada district.
• For north interior Karnataka, it has forecast heavy rain and thundershowers with gusty winds at one or two places over Belagavi and Dharwad districts and light to moderate rain and thundershowers at many places over Bagalkot, Bidar, Gadag, Haveri, Kalaburagi, Koppal, Raichur, Vijayapura, and Yadgir districts.
• For south-interior Karnataka, IMD has forecast heavy rain and thundershowers with gusty winds at one or two places over Shivamogga, Chikkamagaluru, and Hassan districts.
• “Light to moderate rain and thundershowers are likely to occur at a few places over Ballari, Bengaluru (Rural), Bengaluru (Urban), Chamarajanagar, Chickballapur, Chitradurga, Davanagere, Kodagu, Kolar, Mandya, Mysuru, Bengaluru South, Tumakuru and Vijayanagara districts,” IMD said.
• For Bengaluru city and the neighbourhood the forecast for the next 36 hours is generally cloudy skies with light to moderate rain. It added that the maximum and the minimum temperatures are very likely to be around 27°C and 20°C respectively.

• India-ASEAN ties making steady progress, says PM

Context: Modi says strong partnership is emerging as robust foundation for global stability, development; he announces further deepening of cooperation in the domain of maritime security in 2026.

• India-ASEAN strategic partnership has continued to prosper despite the prevailing “era of uncertainties”, Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
• Delivering his opening remarks virtually at the 22nd ASEAN-India summit being held in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur, Mr. Modi described ASEAN as a “cultural partner” of India, and announced further deepening of India-ASEAN cooperation in the domain of maritime security in 2026.
• “Even in this era of uncertainties, India-ASEAN comprehensive strategic partnership has continued to make steady progress. And this strong partnership of ours is emerging as a robust foundation for global stability and development,” the Prime Minister said in his remarks that were telecast to the summit.

‘Shared values’

• Mr. Modi welcomed Timor-Leste as the newest member of ASEAN, and said India and ASEAN together represented nearly one-fourth of the global population and the two sides were connected by “historical ties and shared values”.
• “The 21st century is our century, the century of India and ASEAN,” he said.
• Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who co-chaired the ASEAN-India summit, said India-ASEAN relationship was rooted in the “values of friendship, trust, and shared interests”.
• “Among the issues and matters discussed were efforts to finalise the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA) and the implementation of the ASEAN-India Plan of Action 2026-2030 to strengthen cooperation in trade, investment, education, food security and technological development,” Mr. Ibrahim said.
• He appreciated close ties between India and the ASEAN region in the fields of education, economy, and culture. Mr. Modi said the AITIGA could “unleash the full economic potential” of India-ASEAN relationship.
• Mr. Modi said India and the ASEAN member-states in Southeast Asia were “companions in the Global South”, and promised that India would work with the ASEAN countries to advance digital inclusion, food security, and resilient supply chains “amid global challenges”.
• The Prime Minister referred to India’s active participation in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief activities in the ASEAN region, and said that to deepen maritime relation between the two sides, 2026 would be declared “ASEAN-India Year of Maritime Cooperation”.
• Mr. Modi mentioned the danger posed by terrorism and reminded the need for unity in fighting terror. “At the same time, we are steadily advancing our cooperation in education, tourism, science and technology, health, green energy, and cybersecurity,” he said, highlighting the “shared cultural heritage” and “people-to-people” ties between India and the ASEAN member-states.
• While addressing the heads of governments of the ASEAN region, Mr. Modi conveyed his condolences to the Royal Family and the people of Thailand on the passing of the Queen Mother.
• The ASEAN summit began with the arrival of heads of the member-countries as well as President Donald Trump of the United States.

• U.S. seeks stronger ties with Pakistan, but not at India’s expense, says Rubio

Context:  The U.S. sees an opportunity to expand its strategic relationship with Pakistan but it will not be at the expense of its historic and important ties with India, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said.

• Ahead of his meeting with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar in Kuala Lumpur on Monday, Mr. Rubio, referring to India’s energy ties with Russia, said New Delhi has already expressed a desire to diversify its procurement of crude oil.
• The U.S. Secretary of State was interacting with journalists ahead of his trip to Malaysia for the ASEAN summit.
• Mr. Rubio, to a question on the U.S. ties with Pakistan, said New Delhi is “concerned for obvious reasons” and that Washington’s relationship with Islamabad will not be at the expense of the ties with New Delhi.
• “But, I think they (India) have to understand we have to have relations with a lot of different countries. We see an opportunity to expand our strategic relationship with Pakistan,” he said.
• “I think the Indians are very mature when it comes to diplomacy and things of that nature. Look, they have some relationships with countries that we don’t have relationships with. So, it’s part of a mature, pragmatic foreign policy,” he said.
• “I don’t think anything we’re doing with Pakistan comes at the expense of our relationship or friendship with India, which is deep, historic, and important,” Mr. Rubio added.
• The U.S.-Pakistan ties have witnessed an upswing in the last six months, especially after President Donald Trump’s meeting with Pakistan Army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir following the military conflict between India and Pakistan in May.

India-Russia oil trade

• To another question on if India will be willing to really shove off its purchases of Russian oil for a trade deal with the U.S., Mr. Rubio said New Delhi has already expressed an interest in diversifying its oil portfolio.

• U.K. interested in e-Courts project; team to visit India next week

Context: The United Kingdom has evinced interest in the e-Courts project that seeks to digitise entire court records, and a delegation from that country would be in the national capital next week to interact with top Union Law Ministry officials.

• The ambitious e-Courts project is currently in its third phase with an aim to upgrade the digital infrastructure of subordinate judiciary across the country.
• Officials said a delegation from the United Kingdom will visit the Department of Justice here on November 6 and interact with top officials and members of the e-committee of the Supreme Court.
• The e-committee is the governing body charged with overseeing the e-Courts Project conceptualised under the “National Policy and Action Plan for Implementation of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the Indian Judiciary-2005”.
• Under the ongoing phase three of the project, a total of 3,108 crore documents will be digitised.
• As part of Phase-III, the system will be migrated to cloud technology, and the cost estimated for providing 25 petabytes (according to existing requirement) of cloud storage is ₹1,205.20 crore.
• The project also seeks to establish and expand the scope of virtual courts for the hearing of cases by creating a robust digital infrastructure. A sum of ₹413.08 crore is the cost estimate for the establishment of 1,150 virtual courts.
• Phase three of the project was cleared by the Union Cabinet in September 2023.

• Japan seeks Indian workers but people-to-people ties lag

Context: Japan, with one-third of its population over the age of 65, requires a workforce, academics for research, and a market for its goods, while India, with 65% of its 1.4 billion population under 35, faces rising pressure to create opportunities for its youth.

• Since 1981, when Suzuki Motor Corporation set up a factory in India to manufacture the Maruti car, the Japanese company has been a byword for bilateral ties, Kenichi Ayukawa, executive vice-president and chief global marketing officer, who headed Maruti Suzuki operations in India from 2013 to 2022, says.
• Suzuki was among the first to bring Japanese engineers to India to streamline processes and train Indian workers to build the car. With both New Delhi and Tokyo seeking solutions to Japan’s ageing population and India’s burgeoning youth population, the company is now reversing that trend.
• “Suzuki is now trying to invite a lot of Indians to Japan, training them and helping them develop technology in Japan,” Mr. Ayukawa said, accompanied by Indian scholar and Suzuki executive Chandrali Sarkar. Ms. Sarkar first came to Japan to study at Keio University and has been working on India operations at Suzuki’s Hamamatsu headquarters, about 250 km from Tokyo, since 2022. She noted that while some hesitation among Indians stems from limited Japanese language skills, the broader challenge is unfamiliarity with Japan.
• “Japan should know more about India and vice versa. Especially the next generation needs to connect, and we need more Indian students, engineers, professionals to come to Japan,” said Kenji Hiramatsu, Chairman of the Institute for International Strategy at The Japan Research Institute (JRI), and Japan’s Ambassador to India from 2015 to 2019. “It is important that we change the mindset of Indian youth that Japan is a special partner for India,” he added, noting that the current number of Indians studying in Japan is far below its potential.

Japan opens doors

• According to a parliamentary response from the Indian Ministry of Education last year, Japan ranks 34th among countries where Indian students pursue higher education. Only about 1,500 Indian students are currently registered in Japan, a small fraction of more than 3.3 lakh foreign students in the country.
• Employment figures are similarly modest: about 54,000 Indians work in Japan, one-fourth of the 2.3 lakh Nepali citizens among a total of 23 lakh foreign workers.
• To address this shortfall, Japan is preparing to open its doors to thousands like Ms. Sarkar under an “Action Plan” launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba in August. The plan aims to facilitate five lakh workforce exchanges over the next five years, including the movement of 50,000 skilled personnel from India to Japan.
• Officials in the Cabinet Secretariat and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs point to the “perfect complementarity” between the two countries. Japan, with one-third of its population over the age of 65, requires a workforce, academics for research, and a market for its goods. India, with 65% of its 1.4 billion population under 35, faces rising pressure to create opportunities for its youth amid stricter immigration policies in the U.S., Canada, and Europe, and Chinese restrictions on high-tech and semiconductor exports.
• Despite decades of growing government-to-government and business-to-business ties, the officials said, people-to-people connections between India and Japan continue to lag.

• Satellite for armed forces to be launched next week

Context: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will launch military communications satellite CMS-03 on November 2 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.

• The CMS-03 communication satellite, also known as GSAT-7R, will be launched by the Launch Vehicle Mark 3 (LVM3).

Heavy satellite

• “CMS-03 is a multi-band communication satellite that will provide services over a wide oceanic region including the Indian landmass. CMS-03, weighing about 4,400 kg, will be the heaviest communication satellite to be launched to Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) from Indian soil,” the ISRO said.
• The launch vehicle has been fully assembled and integrated with the spacecraft, and has been moved to the launch pad on Sunday for further pre-launch operations, it added.
• The launch of CMS-03 will be the first by the LVM3 rocket in over two years. The last time the rocket was deployed was in July 2023 to launch the historic Chandrayaan-3 mission from Sriharikota.

• Prepare for Janjatiya Gaurav Divas in November, Centre tells States

Context: In the run-up to the fifth Janjatiya Gaurav Divas on November 15, which will mark the end of tribal icon Birsa Munda’s 150th birth anniversary, the Union government has written to the States, including poll-bound Bihar, and Union Territories, saying they “must organise” commemorative events at the State and district levels from November 1 to 15.

• In a letter sent to the Principal Secretaries of Tribal Welfare Departments in the States and Union Territories last week, the Tribal Affairs Ministry said that since November 15 marked the end of Birsa’s 150th birth anniversary year, “all the States/UTs must participate in celebrating” the occasion.
• “However, States where the model code of conduct is in force are being requested to celebrate the Diwas adhering to the MCC.”
• The letter asked the States and Union Territories to “actively participate” in “inauguration or benefit disbursal targeting tribal populations, launch of tribal-focused schemes, capacity building” and highlighting government schemes such as PM-JANMAN, Dharti Aba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan, and Adi Karmayogi Abhiyan.
• The letter said that for the national-level event at this year’s Janjatiya Gaurav Divas, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected, and participation has been requested of 25 States and Union Territories, excluding Bihar.
• In the suggested activities annexed with the Tribal Affairs Ministry’s letter, the government has recommended the display of “Tribal Village Vision 2030” documents prepared under the Adi Karmayogi scheme, interactions of State VVIPs with PM-JANMAN beneficiaries, and painting exhibition of artworks by students of Eklavya school for tribal students. The list also recommends events like Adi Haats for products made by Van Dhan Vikas Kendras, self-help groups, and tribal artisans.
• The government has also suggested that the States and Union Territories hold campaigns for saturation of individual entitlements and contests in schools, colleges, to celebrate tribal heritage, in addition to arranging health awareness campaigns through Mobile Medical Units.

• Piyush Goyal to visit Brussels today as India-EU trade talks intensify

Context: Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal will visit Brussels on October 27 and 28 to hold high-level discussions with his counterpart in the European Union (EU) to provide “strategic direction and political impetus” to the ongoing negotiations on a free trade agreement between India and the European Union.

• At the same time, a delegation of the European Parliament Trade Committee will be in New Delhi from October 27 to 29 to enhance “mutual understanding amid intensive trade negotiations between the EU and India”.
• According to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Mr. Goyal’s visit to Brussels and meeting with Maroš Šefčovič, Executive Vice-President and European Commissioner for Trade of the European Union, comes at a “crucial stage” in the negotiations.

‘Will cover key areas’

• “Building on the momentum generated by the 14th round of negotiations held earlier this month, the Minister’s visit aims to provide strategic direction and political impetus to the talks,” the Ministry said in a release.
• “Discussions are expected to cover key areas of the proposed FTA, including market access, non-tariff measures, and regulatory cooperation,” the release added. “The visit will also serve to review progress achieved so far and to identify areas requiring further convergence.”
• Mr. Goyal will hold a bilateral meeting with Mr. Šefčovič, which will be followed by a working dinner.
• This will not be considered a formal round of negotiations, but a continuation of discussions.
• While discussions were ongoing between India and the EU, the next formal round of negotiations had not yet been finalised as the issues holding up the deal required continuous communication rather than waiting for a formal round.
• These issues included market access, regulatory cooperation and agricultural sensitivities.
• The delegation of the Trade Committee will include seven members of the European Parliament, according to a press release issued by the European Parliament.
• “The main objective of this visit is to contribute to increasing our mutual understanding amid intensive trade negotiations between the EU and India,” the co-heads of delegation Cristina Maestre and Brando Benifei said in a joint statement. “The mission is timely taking place just a few months ahead of the deadline to conclude negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement by the end of 2025.”
• During their visit to India, the delegation will meet a variety of stakeholders.

• Hanle protects its dark skies and builds a future on stargazing

Context: With the motto ‘come for the mountains, stay for the stars,’ the Hanle Dark Sky Reserve is showing how the Himalayan skies are being preserved today and will be carried forward for future generations, with thousands of new visitors also lending a helping hand to the local economy.

• Astronomy is the oldest of the sciences. The sky is a free resource, and those who live away from city lights are fortunate to enjoy it for their passion, imagination, and even livelihoods.
• That’s the story of Hanle, a small Himalayan village that hosts one of the darkest skies in the world. Its Bortle-1 skies — the highest clarity rating on a nine-point scale — seem to say astronomy is for everyone.
• Located in Ladakh, Hanle is now protected as India’s first dark sky reserve. It’s managed as part of a memorandum of understanding between the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) in Bengaluru, the Union Territory of Ladakh, and the Ladakh Hill Development Council in Leh. Once a region of nomadic people, Hanle is now emerging as a stargazing destination.
• A dark sky reserve is a designated area with an exceptionally clear sky, and maintained that way by minimising light pollution. The Hanle Dark Sky Reserve, a unique government-funded and science-driven sustainable development initiative, is located within the Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary, surrounding the Indian Astronomical Observatory, a research facility operated by IIA.
• The Observatory hosts two optical telescopes, the Himalayan Chandra Telescope and the GROWTH India Telescope (with IIT Bombay), and two Cherenkov telescopes — the High Altitude Gamma-Ray Telescope Array (with the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research) and the Major Atmospheric Cherenkov Experiment (with the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre).
• “Countless clear sky nights, fewer atmospheric particles that absorb the celestial objects’ light, and low light pollution make Hanle an ideal location for astronomical observations,” Dorje Angchuk, the engineer-in-charge of the Observatory, said.
• To minimise light pollution at the reserve, the IIA has distributed lamp shades, blackout curtains, and bulbs of warm tones to all homes and infrastructure in the village, Mr. Angchuk said. In support of astrotourism, IIA scientists have trained 25 local youth, 18 of whom are women, as “Astronomy Ambassadors.” These ambassadors are equipped with telescopes and taught basic astronomy concepts. The night-sky tours they lead for visitors help them with a part-time income.

• Why has IUCN red-flagged the Western Ghats?

Context: The expansive Western Ghats and two national parks in India — Assam’s Manas national park and West Bengal’s Sundarbans national park — have been categorised as being of “significant concern” in the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) list of natural World Heritage sites across Asia.

Why did the IUCN state?

• The IUCN’s World Heritage Outlook 4 report released earlier this month attributes four threats to the loss of habitats and species in South Asia: climate change, tourism activities, invasive alien species, and roads. The report categorises the natural sites as “good”, “good with some concerns”, “significant concern”, and “critical”. The report uses four cycles of conservation assessments undertaken since 2014.
• “Each of these categories not only shows the potential for a site to preserve its values and underlying attributes but also indicates the urgency of measures that need to be taken to improve the conservation outlook and ensure the long-term conservation of all sites,” says the report. The IUCN assessment of over 200 natural and mixed World Heritage sites “offers the most in-depth analyses of threats facing natural World Heritage around the world and their protection and management status,” says Grethel Aguilar, IUCN director general, in the introduction to the report.
• The report points out that the percentage of sites with “a positive conservation outlook has, for the first time, decreased significantly.”

Do we have ‘good’ protected areas?

• Protected areas in South Asia are being usurped rapidly, obliterating natural habitats. Of the 228 sites assessed since 2014, some 63% of sites had a positive outlook in 2014, 2017 and 2020, however, ‘the IUCN World Heritage Outlook 4 shows that in 2025 only 57% of these sites have a positive conservation outlook.”
• The threats are also shapeshifting, “it is …notable that roads and railroads are now among the top five greatest threats to natural World Heritage in Asia, while in 2020 this was not the case.” The other threats include: forest fires, hunting, roadkill, waste disposal, encroachment, illegal logging etc.
• Of the 32 Asian sites categorised as “good with some concerns,” four happen to be in India — The Great Himalayan National Park Conservation Area, Kaziranga National Park, Keoladeo National Park, and Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers National Parks. Khangchendzonga National Park in Sikkim has been rated “good” in its conservation outlook, valuing “attributes [that] are currently in good condition and likely to be maintained for the foreseeable future, provided that current conservation measures are maintained.”
• The Western Ghats, a mosaic of forests and grasslands, are older than the Himalayas and have an exceptionally high level of biological diversity and endemism, habitat to some 325 globally threatened (listed in IUCN’s Red List) flora, fauna, bird, amphibian, reptile and fish species, according to UNESCO. This includes the Nilgiri tahr, a stocky, agile goat found nowhere else in the world.

What makes the Ghats vulnerable?

• The Western Ghats are highly endangered not least by hundreds of hydropower projects such as the proposed ₹5,843 crore Sillahalla Pumped Storage Hydroelectric project in the Nilgiris, which involves constructing dams across River Sillahalla and River Kundah, with an aim to generate 1,000 MW of power for Tamil Nadu’s plains.
• Moreover, tourism is creating problems of garbage, often consumed by wild animals such as elephants and exacerbating conflict. Plantations are replacing natural ecosystems. And climate change has forced fauna to adapt by redistributing themselves from fast-warming lower altitudes to higher reaches, such as in the case of the Nilgiri flycatcher and the black and orange flycatcher. Exotic species are colonising natural forests, such as eucalyptus and acacia (both originally from Australia), which were introduced here during the colonial era. As for the Sundarbans mangroves where tigers swim, salinity, heavy metal contamination, and unsustainable resource extraction threatens the ecosystem. Sea level rise and frequent storm surges reduce mangrove biodiversity, says the report.

Is there hope yet?

• Outside India, seven sites in China have been proclaimed “best protected and managed protected areas,” including the Badain Jaran Desert-Towers of Sand and Lake, Chengjiang Fossil Site, and Mount Huangshan.
• The Natural World Heritage sites make up less than 1% of the Earth’s surface, but nurture more than 20% of mapped global species richness. “This includes over 75,000 species of plants, and over 30,000 species of mammals, birds, fishes, reptiles and amphibians,” says the report.

This report is timely. “The world has agreed to halt biodiversity loss through the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, and the UNESCO World Heritage Convention is uniquely placed to meet these challenges by bridging the gap between nature and culture, and protecting places with extraordinary biodiversity, functional habitats and high ecosystem integrity,” says the report. “This report is more than a health check. It is a guide for action,” says Ms. Aguilar.