UPSC/KPSC Current Affairs: 9th & 10th November 2025

Centre rules out Kuki-Zo groups’ demand for U.T.
The demand rose in talks with Home Ministry on Nov. 7; insurgent groups told the officials that coexistence within Manipur was no longer possible; Centre terms the proposal ‘unacceptable’
Kuki-Zo insurgent groups in Manipur on Saturday said that they held talks with the Union Home Ministry this week, “focusing on the core demand for a Union Territory with a Legislative Assembly” for Kuki-Zo areas, insisting that “coexistence” within the State was not possible.

This comes just two months after the groups signed a Suspension of Operations (SoO) pact with the Union and State governments.

However, the Centre’s representative in the talks said it was not possible to accept their demand, according to both the insurgent groups and a Ministry source.

The two umbrella groups — the Kuki National Organisation (KNO) and the United People’s Front (UPF) — said the talks were held on November 6 and 7, with the MHA being represented by its Northeast Adviser, A.K. Mishra.

In a statement, the SoO groups said that on November 6, the discussions centred on the implementation of the September 4 tripartite agreement, where they demanded that the administration and governance issues in Kuki-Zo inhabited districts should be addressed. “The second day (November 7) focused on the political demand for U.T. with legislature,” the statement said.

According to the SoO groups, Mr. Mishra reiterated that the current policy does not support creation of new Union Territories. He stressed the need for consultations with other communities in Manipur, they said.

An MHA source said that talks with the insurgent groups will continue, to find a negotiated political solution in consultation with all communities, but the demand for a U.T. with legislature was not possible.

The talks covered issues of land, forests, customs, and development, along with mutual confidence-building measures to be pursued alongside the regular political dialogue, the groups said. They urged the MHA to take concrete steps to protect traditional tribal land rights.

“They also urged Government to remove administrative hurdles related to the succession of village chiefs after their demise, and to simplify procedures for land registration and deed processing, which currently require travel to Imphal—an area that has become inaccessible and unsafe for the Kuki-Zo community since the outbreak of ethnic violence,” the SoO groups said.

On September 4, the MHA had announced that the tripartite pact, in limbo since February 2024, had been signed with renegotiated terms and new ground rules. The new terms said that security forces would conduct verification of cadres, de-list and deport foreign nationals, and the relocation of camps run by the insurgent groups. The September 4 agreement, the latest version of the SoO pact in place since 2008, reiterated the territorial integrity of Manipur but inserted a new clause: “negotiated political settlement within Constitution of India.”

The pact had been periodically extended annually until February 29, 2024 when the Manipur government refused to extend the tripartite pact following the eruption of ethnic violence between the tribal Kuki-Zo and Meitei people on May 3, 2023. Former Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh had claimed that the SoO groups had violated the ground rules of the pact. Before May 3, 2023, the SoO groups had been demanding autonomous territorial councils within Manipur. Post-violence, however, the demands have changed.

On Saturday, the SoO groups said that they had highlighted the historical justifications for their political demand, noting that the Kuki-Zo Hills had never been under the control of the Manipur State Durbar before Independence.

Ahead of COP, India says it will join forest protection initiative
At the Leaders’ Summit in Belem, Brazil, where heads of state have converged ahead of the climate conference beginning Monday, India said it would join the Tropical Forest Forever Facility (TFFF) as an ‘Observer’.

The TFFF is the latest measure drummed up to incentivise global finance to invest in limiting net global carbon emissions. The plan is that countries with tropical forests are paid annually for keeping their forests standing. A secretariat called the TFFF and an investment fund called the Tropical Forest Investment Fund will invest sponsor money in emerging market bonds and avoid fossil fuels, coal, and any sector linked to deforestation.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva called on world leaders to establish a road map to end dependence on fossil fuels, and honour international commitments by 2030 to triple renewable energy capacity and double energy efficiency.

Dinesh Bhatia, India’s Ambassador to Brazil, called TFFF a “significant step” towards collective global action for the preservation of tropical forests.

The TFFF offers a new, budget-neutral model of nature financing that rewards countries protecting forests yearly with $4 per hectare protected. Investors’ initial contributions are invested by the TFIF, and the returns on those investments are used to pay back the original investors in full.

Brazil, the COP30 host, has announced a $1 billion contribution, and Colombia has pitched in with $250 million. France, China, and the UAE have expressed support but have not made financial commitments.

It is essential for countries to leave Belém with NDCs (Nationally Determined Contributions) aligned with the 1.5°C mission committed to in Dubai, Mr. da Silva said.

The Brazilian President also launched the Belém commitment to quadruple the use of sustainable fuels by 2035 and emphasised the need for debt-for-climate swaps to support developing nations.

From 2005 to 2020, India reduced the emission intensity of GDP by 36%, Indian Ambassador Bhatia said.

India had expanded its forest and tree cover, Mr. Bhatia said, and the additional carbon sink of 2.29 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalent was created between 2005 and 2021. He reiterated India’s position that affordable finance, technology access, and capacity-building were essential for implementing ambitious climate targets in developing countries.

State to introduce AI as part of reforms for district judiciary
As the use of artificial intelligence (AI) spreads across sectors, the Karnataka government is coming up with a legislation to allow use of AI to streamline the justice delivery system in the district judiciary.

This is expected to enhance speed, accuracy, transparency, accessibility and objectivity in judicial process.

The implementation of AI will be a coordinated effort between the State government and the Karnataka High Court under the proposed “Karnataka District Judiciary Reforms Bill, 2025”, which covers other aspects of judiciary reforms too. The legislation will allow AI to be implemented in case filing and registration, case management, legal research assistance, document processing and predictive analytics for administration.

With fast track courts

The AI-driven measure is proposed along with the proposed establishment of fast track courts. Cases involving farmers, unemployed, job deprived people, agrarian disputes including land, agricultural loans, crop insurance and tenancy issues, is proposed to be transferred to fast track courts that are expected to dispose of cases within 12 months.

“The Bill had come before the Cabinet but had been deferred. The Finance Department is yet to give approval for setting up of proposed fast track courts. It is likely to be tabled in the ensuing Winter Session of the Legislature,” a government source said.

According to sources, the district judiciary reforms had been pending for sometime, and that Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H.K. Patil had taken interest by holding consultation before the draft was formulated. “The legislation will be in line with latest technology development, but with enough safeguards,” the source said.

Safeguards

As part of the safeguard against the misuse, the proposed legislation bars district judiciary from using AI system to predict, recommend or influence the outcome of judicial decision and AI inputs cannot be treated as evidence or legal opinion. To ensure data protection and confidentiality, the AI system to be used should comply with standards of data security, privacy and confidentiality that will be prescribed by the High Court. The proposed legislation bars sharing of any personal or sensitive judicial data with any external agency without the High Court’s approval. The AI digital audit trail will be maintained, and the High Court will prepare and lay before the legislature an annual AI utilisation and impact report, the Bill says.

As per the proposed provision, the High Court will constitute an artificial intelligence and judicial innovation committee to oversee deployment, ethical use and periodic auditing of AI tools in the justice delivery system. To impart training, the Karnataka Judicial Academy will have training modules in AI literacy, digital ethics and technology assisted adjudication.

Other reforms

The Bill also seeks to establish Bureau of District Judicial Reforms, a permanent body that will review and recommend reforms in recruitment, training, infrastructure, case management and performance evaluation. Among others, it will recommend integration of technology such as AI assisted screening, to expedite selection of judges, prepare list of vacancy every year and anticipated vacancy for four years.

The Bill also proposes the State government to take up construction of at least 500 new court halls and 300 residential units for judicial officers by 2050 in underserved taluks.

Regulation of adjournments and norms for injunction
The Hindu Bureau Bengaluru
To prevent unnecessary adjournments, Civil Procedure Code Karnataka Amendment Act, 2025, is proposed to be adhered to strictly. As per the provision of the proposed Bill, adjournments must be requested in writing with reasons, and if the reasons are found to be frivolous, the court could impose a minimum fine of ₹5,000. Repeated adjournments will be flagged and annual report on adjournment rates per court will be generated and submitted to the High Court. Judges with low adjournment rate will be eligible for performance incentive.

The Bill also lays down guidelines for passing injunctions and stay orders in cases involving public interest and safety.

PM flags off Vande Bharat trains on four new routes
Modi launches Varanasi-Khajuraho Vande Bharat train in Varanasi, along with three newservices on the Ernakulam-Bengaluru, Lucknow-Saharanpur and Firozpur-Delhi routes
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday flagged off four new Vande Bharat Express services from the Banaras railway station in Varanasi.

Mr. Modi inaugurated the Banaras-Khajuraho Vande Bharat train, and virutally flagged of three services which will operate on the Ernakulam-Bengaluru, Lucknow-Saharanpur, and Firozpur-Delhi routes.

Mr. Modi, who represents the Varanasi Lok Sabha constituency, described the new trains as instrumental in regional connectivity, mobility, reducing travel time, and increasing access to economic activities. “These Vande Bharat trains will enhance connectivity and provide greater comfort to citizens. They will reduce travel time, enhance regional mobility, promote tourism, and support economic activity across the country,” the Prime Minister said.

“Every country that has achieved significant progress and development, infrastructure advancement has played a pivotal role. India too is rapidly striding on this path. Trains such as Vande Bharat, Namo Bharat, and Amrit Bharat are laying the foundation for the next generation of Indian Railways. Vande Bharat is a train made by Indians, for Indians, and of Indians, one that fills every Indian with pride,” he added.

The PM said India had embarked on a mission to enhance its resources for a developed India, and these trains were set to become milestones in that journey.

Boost to U.P.’s economy

Mr. Modi touched upon the development in Uttar Pradesh, saying it significantly enhanced pilgrimage. “Developmental initiatives in Uttar Pradesh have significantly enhanced pilgrimage over the past 11 years. In the last year alone, 11 crore devotees travelled to Varanasi for darshan of Baba Vishwanath. Following the establishment of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, more than 6 crore individuals have visited the temple of Ram Lalla,” he said, pointing out that these pilgrims have injected thousands of crores of rupees into Uttar Pradesh’s economy.

“This surge has created ongoing earning opportunities for hotels, traders, transport companies, local artists, and boat operators throughout the State. Consequently, numerous young individuals in Varanasi are now embarking on new business ventures, ranging from transport services to Banarasi sari enterprises,” he said.

U.P. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said the Vande Bharat trains would make travel faster with modern facilities. “Under your [PM’s] guidance, Uttar Pradesh is entering a new era of rapid connectivity and cultural unity. This gift you are giving in the form of Vande Bharat trains will make travel faster, modern and comfortable and will also provide an opportunity for cultural exchange,” the Minsiter added.

Centre notifies rules for deep-sea fishing
Rules for sustainable harnessing of fisheries in EEZ aims to give priority to fishermen cooperative societies, fish farmer producer organisations

The Union Government on Saturday notified the rules for ‘Sustainable Harnessing of Fisheries in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)’ to give priority to fishermen cooperative societies and fish farmer producer organisations (FFPOs) for undertaking deep-sea fishing operations and managing technologically advanced vessels. “The EEZ rules will not only facilitate deep-sea fishing but will also contribute to enhancing seafood exports by emphasising value addition, traceability, and certification,” the Union Fisheries Ministry said in a release.

The rules has defined “operator” as an individual or enterprise, or FFPOs or Fisheries Cooperatives (including multi-state cooperatives), that controls the operation or management of a fishing vessel or who has assumed the responsibility for its operation.

The rules added that the Centre would take steps to provide training and capacity-building of traditional and small-scale fishers including fisheries cooperatives, Self Help Groups and FFPOs to enhance skills for deep sea fishing and value-chain efficiencies.

The Ministry said the initiative is expected to open new horizons for the country’s marine fisheries sector through the creation of modern infrastructure and the introduction of the mother-and-child vessel concept, allowing mid-sea transshipment under an effective monitoring mechanism of RBI regulations. “In island regions of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep, which together account for 49% of India’s EEZ area, the use of mother and child vessels will give boost to the export of high-quality fish,” the Ministry said.

A spokesman for the Seafood Exporters Association of India said the rules should define juvenile and illegal fishing and must ensure that a proper catch certification is provided by the Marine Products Export Development Authority. “We need to have a proper catch certification and the country must promote sustainable fishing practices to help us get new markets,” he said.

The rules prescribe that the applications for catch certificate and health certificate shall be submitted through designated online portals of the respective agencies, which shall be duly integrated with the ‘ReALCRaft’ portal for verification and processing of vessel and catch-related information. The Centre said the EEZ Rules take a firm stand against harmful fishing practices such as LED light fishing, pair trawling and bull trawling to protect the marine ecosystem and ensure equitable fishing opportunities.

“To conserve biodiversity, a minimum legal size for fish species will also be prescribed and Fisheries Management Plans will be developed in consultation with stakeholders including State governments to restore declining fish stocks. Mariculture practices such as sea-cage farming and seaweed cultivation will also be promoted as alternate livelihoods in order to reduce fishing pressure in nearshore areas while increasing production without compromising environmental integrity,” it said.

How is AI going to be regulated in India?
What are the government’s India AI Governance Guidelines? Why have guidelines become necessary? What is the key thrust? How do the guidelines look at AI models for Indian circumstances? What are the concerns it raises about AI usage and intellectual property rights?

On November 5, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) unveiled the India AI Governance Guidelines, a 66-page document outlining an approach to regulating and promoting the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies in Indian society. The guidelines’ launch marks one of the many steps the government is taking in the months leading up to the AI Impact Summit 2026, to be hosted by India in New Delhi.

What do the guidelines seek to accomplish?

The guidelines flow from the government’s need to have a consistent way to regulate the AI industry and the use of its tools, especially in the light of their growing usage in India, the world’s second largest user of Large Language Models (LLMs) like ChatGPT after the U.S. “India’s goal is to harness the transformative potential of AI for inclusive development and global competitiveness, while addressing the risks it may pose to individuals and society,” the guidelines say. In previous multilateral AI summits in Bletchley Park (U.K.), Seoul and Paris, governments have generally agreed on rough starting points to managing the spread of LLMs and AI in their countries: watch out for and classify the risks that can emerge, create policies for who will be responsible when something goes wrong, and conduct safety research among other things.

The guidelines outline a strategy for India to approach this process. An earlier draft framework was prepared by a subcommittee under a Principal Scientific Adviser-led advisory group. These guidelines, however, have been finalised by a committee set up by MeitY in July, separate from that subcommittee. The committee is led by Balaraman Ravindran, who who leads the Centre for Responsible AI (CeRAI) at IIT Madras.

What do the rules recommend?

On the back of principles like people-centricity, accountability, fairness, and understandability (of AI models), the guidelines recommend setting up lines of communication between different parts of the government, like Ministries, sectoral regulators, standards setting agencies, etc. It is recommended that these groups meet often and suggest changes to the law, voluntary commitments, put out standards, and “[i]ncrease access to AI safety tools.” The overarching inter-ministerial body would be the proposed “AI Governance Group”. Beyond the Ministries, the framework recommends the RBI for the financial industry (the RBI has put out its own FREE-AI Committee report for the banking and finance industry in August), bodies like NITI Aayog, and standards organisations like the Bureau of Indian Standards.

The guidelines also include some advice to the private sector, namely to “ensure compliance with all Indian laws; adopt voluntary frameworks; publish transparency reports; provide grievance redressal mechanisms; [and] mitigate risks with techno-legal solutions.” Many of the safety-related recommendations rely on the AI Safety Institute (AISI), a framework that is in place in many countries, including in India; while there is no physical institute, the government has designated a group of academia brought together under the IndiaAI Mission as an online AISI.

A key differentiator from similar AI policies elsewhere is the emphasis the guidelines put on building infrastructure and making it accessible. The policy recommends that State governments “increase AI adoption through initiatives on infrastructure development and increasing access to data and computing resources.” On the other hand, the recommendations join other countries’ concerns around AI and intellectual property, and recommend legal changes in the copyright law to address the issues coming up in that area. The guidelines also reiterate other India-specific priorities that the government has expressed, such as building AI models for Indian languages: one recommendation pushes for the “use of locally relevant datasets to support the creation of culturally representative models and applications”.

Are the guidelines consistent with what the government is planning around AI?

The Union government has largely followed a hands-off approach to pre-emptive AI regulation, as is the case in most countries around the world, with one sharp exception: the issue of deepfakes. “Content authentication,” as the guidelines put it, is a pressing issue, the guidelines say. In the weeks leading up to the guidelines, MeitY proposed rules that would require social media companies to label synthetically (AI-generated) images and videos.

There are other parts of the guidelines that are in line with what MeitY has already been doing: for instance, the IndiaAI Mission under the Ministry is already procuring Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) for a common compute facility and sharing access to that compute capacity with researchers and startups.

Another recommendation, to “[s]upport the integration of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) with AI with policy enablers,” also seems in motion: the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), which manages Aadhaar, easily India’s most recognisable example of DPI, has formed a committee this month to deliberate how to use AI to add value to the ID number.

While the guidelines are a result of the government’s main AI policymakers’ deliberations (such as Additional Secretary Abhishek Singh), IT Secretary S. Krishnan said at the launch that if evolving circumstances demanded quick action outside the framework envisioned by this document, the government “won’t hesitate” to act quickly, such as by passing a stringent law.

• Ensuring mills pay what is mandated is a tough task

Context: This is owing to the ownership pattern of sugar mills in Karnataka, many of which are owned by powerful families from across the political spectrum, and the prevailing Central laws.

• The Karnataka government managed to mediate and end the nine-day farmers’ protest in the northern districts by announcing an additional ₹100 in the fair and remunerative price (FRP) for sugarcane, which now stands at ₹3,300, including ₹50 each to be contributed by the State government and sugar mills.
• However, given the ownership pattern of sugar mills in the State, with many being owned by powerful families from across the political spectrum, and the prevailing Central laws, the truce looks fragile.
• The order on the revised FRP was issued after over several rounds of discussions with farmers, and the Chief Minister’s meeting with farmers and mill representatives. The farmers had demanded ₹3,500 per tonne apart from cutting and transportation charges.
• The challenge before the State government now is to make the factories pay the mandated price of ₹3,250 per tonne for a sugar recovery rate of 10.25% across the State. The Centre had fixed FRP of ₹3,400 per tonne last year, and the factories paid between ₹2,700 and ₹2,900 per tonne, apart from cutting and transport charges.

Reluctance to pay

• Government sources say that some factory owners, including the Nirani brothers — Murugesh Nirani, former Minister and BJP leader, and Hanumant Nirani, MLC — strongly opposed the Chief Minister’s suggestion. They argued that a ₹50 increase in the base price meant a loss of ₹100 crore and that their conglomerate would not be able to absorb it.

• In Karnataka, of the total 81 sugar mills, one is in the public sector and 11 in the cooperative sector. The rest are in the private sector.

• The Nirani family alone controls around 20 factories in north and south Karnataka. Most of the privately owned/ managed sugar mills are with highly influential political families, either associated with the Congress or the BJP and in some cases both, which has historically prevented governments from taking tough decisions.

2025 FRP

• The 2025 FRP order issued by the Centre considers a basic sugar recovery of 10.25%, up from the 2024 FRP order that fixed 9.5% as the basic recovery rate. The 2025 order asks factories to pay ₹34.6 extra, for every one percent increase in recovery. Factories can deduct a similar amount in case of lower recoveries.

• Recovery is a complex issue and depends on the variety of the crop, the time of harvesting, and use of efficient machinery in the factories.
• Another former Minister and BJP leader Ramesh Jarkiholi, whose family owns or manages a few sugar factories, said that the average recovery in Karnataka is only 10.5%, while the average recovery in Maharashtra is between 11% and 12%.
• “Only factories that get higher recovery of sugar can pay higher prices, which we cannot,’’ he said. His brother Satish Jarkiholi is a Minister in the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government.

What laws regulate

• The guiding laws are another issue. “The sugar mill owners reminded the State government that most laws regulating sugar and sugarcane were Central Acts.
• The policies and executive orders controlling export of sugar and byproducts, and ethanol blending were issued and modified by the Centre, they said.
• A factory owner from Belagavi said that his two units had multi-State licences and were regulated by the Central Sugar Ministry and not the State government,” a senior officer and member of the Karnataka Agricultural Price Commission said.
• This subtly indicated the owners’ stance on the State government’s role in handling sugarcane protest by pointing out at its limited jurisdiction. “Most millers were reluctant to follow the government’s instructions on higher prices,” admitted an official.

Alternative crops

• There have been in recent years some experiments for promoting alternative sugar-yielding crops. Nirani Sugars is encouraging the cultivation of red sorghum, a 90-day crop for sugar production on pilot plots in Bagalkot and Vijayapura.
• This is a short-duration crop compared to the 12-month long sugarcane. It is easier to harvest and the sugar recovery is as good as sugarcane.
• “This may lead to reduced dependence on sugarcane in northern Karnataka districts where rainfall is less than 800 mm,” said an official from the factory in Mudhol in Bagalkot district.

Cost of cultivation

• Two reports submitted by agricultural economists of the University of Agriculture Sciences, Dharwad and Bengaluru, to the Karnataka Agricultural Price Commission put the cost of cultivation of sugarcane at ₹55,000 per acre for own land and ₹80,000 per acre for leased land.
• The Indian Sugar Mills Association has urged the Union government to hike the minimum support price of sugar to ₹40.2 per kg, as the production cost of sugar at the FRP of ₹3,550 per tonne of sugarcane comes to ₹40.2 per kg. They point out that the MSP now stands at ₹31, as last revised in 2019. ISMA members say the cost of producing ethanol from molasses was ₹66 and from sugar was ₹70. These are less than or equal to the procurement prices.

• Schemes for Brahmin community

Context: Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dinesh Gundu Rao has announced new initiatives under the Vipra Self-Employment Direct Loan Scheme during the Acharyatraya Jayanthi celebration held in Bengaluru recently.

• Under this scheme, members of the Brahmin community can avail themselves of loans up to ₹2 lakh to start self-employment ventures. Beneficiaries will receive a 20% subsidy, while the remaining amount is repayable at 4% interest over 34 installments.
• R.V. Deshpande, chairman of the Administrative Reforms Commission, launched the Chanakya Administrative Training Scheme aimed at encouraging Brahmin graduates to prepare for IAS/KAS exams.
• The scheme offers up to ₹1 lakh in fee reimbursement through Direct Benefit Transfer.

• Aditya-L1 gets a close look at eruptions from the sun

Context: Scientists from IIA and NASA study very first spectroscopic observations of coronal mass ejection in the visible wavelength range; the solar observatory is expected to observe more such eruptions.

• Using the Visible Emission Line Coronagraph (VELC) payload aboard India’s first dedicated space-based solar mission, Aditya-L1, scientists at the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), along with NASA, have collaborated to estimate the crucial parameters of a coronal mass ejection (CME), very close to its lift-off from the sun.
• Scientists associated with the project said that these are the very first spectroscopic observations of a CME in the visible wavelength range.
• They said that the unique spectroscopic observations with the VELC has let them study the CMEs very close to the sun’s visible surface itself, for the first time.
• “In addition, it provides a sustained view of the sun for 24 hours every day because of being at the sun-earth Lagrangian L1 location where the sun never sets,” they said.
• Taking advantage of these factors, V. Muthupriyal, VELC project scientist, and her colleagues at the VELC payload operations centre at the IIA estimated the electron density, energy, mass, temperature and speed of a CME very close to the sun.

Vital statistics

• R. Ramesh, senior Professor at the IIA and principal investigator of the VELC project, the observations are by far the closest to the sun where spectroscopic observations of a CME in the visible wavelength range have been obtained with a space coronagraph.
• His team calculated that there are about 370 million electrons per cubic centimetre in the CME observed with the VELC. The corresponding number for the non-CME corona near the sun is much less, in the range 10-100 million electrons per cubic centimetre.
• “The CME energy in the present case is approximately 9.4 * 10^21 joules. The mass in the CME is nearly 270 million tons. For comparison, the mass of the iceberg that sank the Titanic is estimated to be 1.5 million tons. The initial speed of the CME is 264 km/sec. The CME temperature is 1.8 million degrees on the Kelvin scale,” Professor Ramesh said.

More eruptions

• He added that though there are observations of CMEs at comparatively larger distances from the sun, with instruments other than the VELC, an understanding of the parameters of a CME in relation to how much is lost from the sun during a CME per se is crucial, and the unique near-sun spectroscopic observations with the VELC is precisely providing us the necessary data.
• Professor Ramesh added that with the sun nearing the maximum activity phase of the current sunspot cycle 25 and with the VELC now stabilised in its operations, more energetic eruptions from the sun are expected to be observed.

• Transparency must in issues of religious oppression: SC judge

Context: The Supreme Court judge Justice Sanjay Kumar has observed that the state must show obvious transparency and fairness while dealing with issues involving religious oppression and secularism.

• “India has developed its own interpretation of secularism, wherein the state neither supports any religion nor penalises the profession and practice of any faith. This being the ideal, the state machinery must tailor its actions accordingly but the inescapable fact remains that such state machinery ultimately comprises members of different religions and communities.
• Therefore, transparency and fairness in their actions must be manifest in matters even remotely touching upon secularism and religious oppression,” Justice Kumar wrote in a recent order.
• Justice Kumar’s remarks came in his separate opinion rejecting a plea by the Maharashtra government to review a September 2025 judgment of the Supreme Court.
• The judgment had directed the constitution of a Special Investigation Team (SIT), comprising equal parts Muslim and Hindu police officers, to investigate allegations of murder and assault made by a 17-year-old Muslim boy against the backdrop of the Akola riots of 2023.
• Justice Satish Chandra Sharma, the second judge on the Bench, agreed with the State government, and concluded that the judgment required a re-look, thus rendering a split opinion on the review petition.
• The case concerned a complaint made by a teenager, Mohammad Afzal Mohammad Sharif, who allegedly witnessed four men attacking a man in an autorickshaw during riots in May 2023.
• The men assaulted the boy, leaving him with head injuries. But Afzal mustered the courage to go to the police station to file a complaint about the murder and the assault on him. However, the police had taken no notice of him.
• The murder victim was later identified as Vilas Mahadevrao Gaikwad, who had been plying the autorickshaw owned by a Muslim. Afzal had stated that Gaikwad was killed under the mistaken impression that he was a Muslim.

• Assam Bill proposes 7-year jail term for polygamy

Context: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday said that the State Cabinet has approved a Bill to ban polygamy, for which convicts may face up to seven years of rigorous imprisonment.

• However, there may be some exceptions for the Sixth Schedule areas.
• Addressing a press conference after a Cabinet meeting here, Mr. Sarma said the government will also create a new fund to compensate the victims of polygamy so that they do not face hardship in continuing with their lives.
• “The Assam Cabinet today approved a Bill to ban polygamy. The Bill will be called ‘The Assam Prohibition of Polygamy Bill, 2025’. It will be tabled in the Assembly on November 25,” he added.
• Climate change, imbalance in fertilizer use impacts soil’s organic carbon: ICAR studyA detailed study conducted by eight scientists of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), including its Director-General, Mangi Lal Jat, has found that the unscientific use of fertilizers and climate change are contributing to degradation of organic carbon in arable areas of the country.
• The study, primarily coordinated by the ICAR’s Indian Institute of Soil Science in Bhopal, has used 2,54,236 soil samples from 620 districts covering 29 States to reach the conclusions. A research paper based on the six-year study started in 2017 has been published now in the England-based international research journal Land Degradation & Development.
• Organic carbon was not only part of the chemistry of the soil, but it covered all the aspects of the physics, chemistry and biology of soil. He said a study published by the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organisation about 25 years ago flagged this issue, but the samples were very low.
• “In this study, we have taken samples extensively, and the sample collection was well designed. We have covered both arable and barren land, mostly arable land,” he said.

Carbon dynamics

• The study has found that if the organic carbon is low, then the deficiency of micronutrients in the soil is high, and if the organic carbon is high, the deficiency is low. The team used an earlier study that said rainfall and temperature determined organic carbon.
• “We correlated this across the country. We found that organic carbon is highly correlated with the elevation. If the elevation of the land is high, then the organic carbon content is high. But if we move from hills to low land, then the organic carbon content is low,” he added.
• Mr. Shukla said organic soil carbon is negatively correlated with temperature. “For example, in Rajasthan and Telangana, the temperature is very high and their organic carbon content is low,” he added.
• The study noted that irrespective of the crops and cropping patterns, temperature, rainfall and elevation are the three important factors which decide the organic carbon concentration in the soil. The team of scientists developed an ‘agri-ecological base’ map to assess the impact of cropping systems and the use of fertilizers on organic carbon.
• The scientists have prepared a map which can help in making policy decisions, particularly for the carbon credit and assessing the land degradation.
• “We found that wherever imbalanced fertilizer application was there, then the organic carbon contained in the soil had declined. Haryana, Punjab, and parts of western Uttar Pradesh have intensified the fertilizer application, skewed towards urea and phosphorus, which was mostly scientific application, and it has negatively impacted organic carbon in the soil,” the scientist added.
• The study noted that climate change also has an impact on organic carbon. “If the temperature is rising, then there are chances that soil organic carbon will decline further in future, and that will not only impact soil health, but will also impact the carbon credit and heat emission from soil.” Mr. Shukla said.

• COP30: beginner’s guide on what to expect from the climate summit

Context: COP30 is being called the ‘Implementation COP’ because it is expected to translate commitments into action. Guided by the Global Stocktake, the summit focuses on energy, industry, and transport transitions; stewardship of forests, oceans, and biodiversity; and transformation of food systems.

• A decade has passed since the member countries of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) adopted the Paris Agreement — a milestone global pact that committed them to keeping the world’s average surface temperature from rising well under 2ºC and striving to limit it to 1.5ºC above pre-industrial levels.
• However, climate finance has lagged, global emissions continue to rise, and the gap between pledges and practice has only widened since.
• Against the backdrop of record-breaking heat, intensifying climate impacts, and mounting public frustration with global inaction, the 30th Conference of the Parties (COP30) to the UNFCCC begins in Belém, Brazil, today.
• It is both symbolic and strategic that COP30 is being hosted in Belém, which is a point of entry to the Amazon rainforest. The Amazon is one of the world’s largest and most important carbon sinks (estimated at 150-200 billion tonnes) and biodiversity reserves on the planet — and it is threatened by deforestation and land conversion to non-forest use. As a result, it is tipping towards irreversible decline.
• Equity and inclusion are central to climate negotiations. But paradoxically, even before the negotiations began, COP30 faced an unexpected test: inclusion. This is because Belém has limited logistical options, leaving hotel room rates to skyrocket and rendering it difficult for representatives from low-income nations and civil society organisations to participate. Such logistical exclusions have, in some ways, undercut the moral weight of the process.

‘Implementation COP’

• For starters, COP30 is being called the ‘Implementation COP’ because it is expected to be a watershed event where commitments are expected to be translated into concrete action. Guided by the Global Stocktake (GST) — which is a mandatory review that countries have to undertake every five years to assess their progress on addressing climate change, identify gaps, and draft plans — COP30 is expected to advance mitigation, adaptation, and means of implementation.
• Its programme will thus focus on six key areas, including energy, industry, and transport transitions; stewardship of forests, oceans, and biodiversity; transformation of food systems; resilience in cities, infrastructure, and water; and human and social development.
• The Baku-to-Belém Roadmap on Climate Finance is a plan led by the COP presidency, developed by Azerbaijan and Brazil under the UNFCCC’s guidance, to show how countries and institutions could scale finance for developing nations to at least $1.3 trillion a year by 2035.
• It’s less a binding pledge and more a menu of actions to inform negotiations after the $300-billion New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) decision at COP29. Now, as the first major stocktake after the Roadmap, participants are looking at COP30 to set a new collective goal for 2035. In addition to revisiting emission reduction and climate finance goals, it’s also expected to reaffirm the fact that protecting forests and indigenous communities is central to global climate resilience.

Ultimately, COP30 will seek to mobilise all actors to accelerate climate action.

Adaptation in negotiations

• Climate adaptation is imperative for the survival of millions of people in the Global South. But because adaptation is context-specific, what works in a coastal delta is unlikely to work in a mountain village. As a result, negotiations surrounding the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA) have been difficult. The GGA aims to establish quantifiable goals and metrics for resilience, organise funding that matches the need, and create a system for accounting and quantifying adaptation outcomes. This long-delayed framework is expected to be established at COP30.
• As discussions progress, experts around the world emphasise the need to consider local and indigenous knowledge systems in this process. Across India, for example, traditional seed varieties, water-harvesting structures, and community-based ecosystem restoration efforts offer proven models of resilience.

Finance: the missing piece

• Under the Paris Agreement, economically developed countries pledged $100 billion per year to finance climate action in developing nations. At COP29, a breakthrough agreement called the NCQG on Climate Finance was reached. This target is expected to triple climate finance from $100 billion to $300 billion annually by 2035 and scale up finance from all actors, both public and private, to $1.3 trillion per year by 2035.
• However, it should be noted that the $300 billion is significantly less than the estimated trillions of dollars needed by economically developing countries, with the latter arguing that the use of “all actors” to scale up finance has diluted the common but differentiated responsibilities principle, which also includes historical emissions. “All actors” means every potential source of climate finance, not just developed-country governments. It lumps together public treasuries, multilateral development banks, private investors, philanthropies, sub-national authorities, and even developing countries’ own private sectors.
• The Loss and Damage Fund, set up in COP28, is also grossly underfunded, receiving less than a billion dollars against an annual need running into hundreds of billions of dollars. For developing countries, this finance is an enabler of ambition, enhancing preparedness for extreme climate events, expanding climate-resilient agriculture, and accelerating the adoption of renewable energy.
• COP30 is expected to finalise the reporting requirements and financing arrangements under the NCQG. One looming question at Belém is: will a credible pathway emerge for moving from the $300 billion to the $1.3 trillion target and build confidence in developing countries? And will Belém also finalise the modalities of finance: who will pay, who will gain, and how it will be accounted for?

Transition and ambition

• Transitions must be fair as economies move towards net zero (i.e. that humans add no net greenhouse gases to the atmosphere over a period; emissions are reduced almost to zero, and any residual sources are balanced by removals, e.g. restoring forests and carbon capture) — and transformation can’t be fuelled solely by finance. Access to reasonably priced technology and capacity building are equally important for many developing countries, be it efficient water systems, resilient crops, or clean energy, which are frequently hindered by high costs or intellectual property issues.
• Beyond promises, COP30 should lead to North-South collaborations for training, innovation, and technology sharing. Otherwise, climate transition runs the risk of becoming yet another area of inequality. In countries like India, investments in low-carbon manufacturing, renewable energy, ecosystem restoration, green skills development, small businesses, and alternative livelihoods must all be part of a “just transition.”
• Countries were expected to update their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) through 2035 and submit them by February 2025. However, according to Climate Action Tracker, many countries are yet to submit their reports. The ones submitted so far account for only 19% of global emissions.
• Negotiations at COP30 are expected to address the insufficient ambition of climate targets and reveal whether countries are prepared to put aside rhetoric and match science and ambition, a significant challenge in the absence of climate finance.

Climate-nature nexus

• A key spotlight of Belém is the long-overdue integration of climate and biodiversity agendas. Brazil is pushing for an innovative financing model for conservation, known as the ‘Tropical Forest Forever Facility’. The proposal aims to compensate more than 70 developing countries with tropical forests for their efforts to preserve them.
• This growing recognition that climate and biodiversity crises are interlinked could make climate finance more effective, directing funds to ecosystem restoration, agroforestry, and community-led conservation.

India at COP30

• At Belém, India will be championing climate justice and the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, urging developed nations to take the lead in emission cuts and financial support. In fact, at the mid-year climate talks in Bonn, India played a pivotal role in coordinating the G77+China bloc of developing countries to advocate for a fair and predictable finance goal under the NCQG framework.
• This positioning reinforces India’s role as both a responsible power and a representative of broader southern concerns while serving as a bridge between the Global North and South.
• However, while India’s domestic targets are ambitious, efforts in the institutional landscape remain a work in progress, as reflected in initiatives such as green budgeting, sovereign green bonds, and the proposed national carbon market expected by 2026.
• This gap must be viewed in the context of India’s developmental realities, which continue to shape its climate choices and actions.
• The stakes could not be higher at COP30. The Amazon setting underscores the urgency of protecting the world’s ecosystems while tackling emissions. For India, it is a moment to shape the conversation, striking a balance between domestic imperatives and global responsibilities.
• What unfolds in Belém will go a long way towards determining whether the international community can still bend the curve of emissions and whether emerging economies, such as India, can secure the space and support they need for economic growth that is resilient to climate change.