Prelims Current Affairs includes BrahMos supersonic missiles, SAIEE 2021–25, Air Quality Management (CAQM), International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Species Survival Commission (SSC), Khelo India University Games (KIUG) 2025, United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF), IUCN Tech4Nature Award 2025, Fisher Friend Mobile App (FFMA) and Real-Time Flood Forecasting and Spatial Decision Support System (RTFF & SDSS).

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

1. 22ND ASEAN–INDIA SUMMIT

Current Context: The 22nd Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)–India Summit was held in Malaysia. India and ASEAN had earlier elevated their ties from a Strategic Partnership to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) in 2022.

ABOUT THE SUMMIT

• Key Outcomes:

  • Support for ASEAN–India Plan of Action (2026–2030) to implement CSP.

  • Adoption of ASEAN–India Joint Leaders’ Statement on Sustainable Tourism.

  • 2026 designated as “ASEAN–India Year of Maritime Cooperation.”

  • Proposal to establish a Centre for Southeast Asian Studies at Nalanda University.

  • Plan to host East Asia Summit Maritime Heritage Festival at Lothal, Gujarat.

ADDITIONAL FACT

• Timor Leste joins ASEAN as the 11th member.

• Founded: 1967 in Bangkok, Thailand through the ASEAN Declaration (Bangkok Declaration).

• Members: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, and Timor Leste.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

2. KAFALA SYSTEM ABOLISHED BY SAUDI ARABIA

Current Context: Saudi Arabia has abolished the Kafala system, benefiting about 13 million foreign workers, including 2.6 million Indians.

ABOUT KAFALA SYSTEM

• A worker sponsorship programme where employers had full control over workers’ legal status, residency, travel, and employment.

• The system tied each Kafeel (sponsor) to a migrant worker.

CONCERNS

• Criticised as a form of modern-day slavery.

• Employers exploited the system by confiscating passports, restricting movement, and denying job changes.

SIGNIFICANCE

• The abolition promotes labour rights, human dignity, and employment mobility in the Gulf region.

GEOGRAPHY

3. KUNAR RIVER DAM PROJECT

Current Context: Afghanistan has announced plans to construct a dam on the Kunar River, obstructing its flow into Pakistan.

ABOUT KUNAR RIVER

• Main tributary of the Kabul River, which later joins the Indus River in Pakistan.

• Origin: Glaciated Hindu Kush Mountains in Chitral, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (Pakistan).

• Flow: Into Afghanistan, merges with Kabul River.

• Main Tributaries: Bashgal (Landiasind) and Pech River.

ENVIRONMENT

4. CYCLONE MONTHA

Current Context: Cyclone Montha is forming over the southeast Bay of Bengal and is expected to intensify into a Severe Cyclonic Storm (SCS) by 28 October 2025.

Affected States: Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Telangana, Kerala, and Chhattisgarh.

HOW TROPICAL CYCLONES FORM

1. Low-Pressure Zone: Warm ocean waters heat the air, creating a low-pressure area.

2. Convection & Cloud Formation: Moist air rises, cools, and condenses into storm clouds.

3. Cyclonic Circulation: Earth’s rotation (Coriolis force) causes spiraling winds.

4. Intensification: If sea surface temperature > 27°C and wind shear is low, it strengthens into a cyclone.

SIGNIFICANCE

• Highlights the increasing frequency of tropical cyclones due to climate change and the need for improved early warning systems.

APPOINTMENTS

5. JUSTICE SURYA KANT TO BECOME 53RD CHIEF JUSTICE OF INDIA

Current Context: Justice Surya Kant has been recommended to become the 53rd Chief Justice of India (CJI), succeeding Chief Justice Bhushan R. Gavai upon his retirement on 23 November 2025.

ABOUT JUSTICE SURYA KANT

• Born: 10 February 1962

• Elevated to Supreme Court: 24 May 2019

• Expected Retirement: 9 February 2027

• State of Origin: Haryana — first-ever CJI from the state.

• Previous Position: Chief Justice of Himachal Pradesh High Court.

AWARDS

6. RASHTRIYA VIGYAN PURASKAR 2025

Current Context: The Government of India announced the recipients of the Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar 2025, the nation’s highest civilian award in science, technology, and innovation.

ABOUT THE AWARD

• Instituted by: Government of India

• Purpose: Recognises outstanding contributions in science, technology, and innovation.

CATEGORIES:

1. Vigyan Ratna – Lifetime achievement in science.

2. Vigyan Shri – Exceptional individual contributions.

3. Vigyan Yuva–Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar – For scientists under 45 years.

4. Vigyan Team Award – For collaborative research efforts.

2025 HONOUREES

Vigyan Ratna (Posthumous):

• Prof. Jayant Vishnu Narlikar – Physics.

Vigyan Shri Awardees:

• Dr. Gyanendra Pratap Singh – Agricultural Science

• Dr. Yusuf Mohammad Seikh – Atomic Energy

• Dr. K. Thangaraj – Biological Sciences

• Prof. Pradeep Thalappil – Chemistry

• Prof. Aniruddha Bhalchandra Pandit – Engineering Sciences

• Dr. S. Venkata Mohan – Environmental Science

• Prof. Mahan Mj – Mathematics and Computer Science

• Shri Jayan N – Space Science and Technology

Vigyan Yuva–Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Awardees:
Recognising young emerging scientists –
Dr. Jagdis Gupta Kapuganti, Dr. Satendra Kumar Mangrauthia, Shri Debarka Sengupta,
Dr. Deepa Agashe, Dr. Dibyendu Das, Dr. Waliur Rahaman, Prof. Arkaprava Basu,
Prof. Sabyasachi Mukherjee, Prof. Shweta Prem Agrawal, Dr. Suresh Kumar,
Prof. Amit Kumar Agarwal, Prof. Surhud Shrikant More, Shri Ankur Garg,
Prof. Mohanasankar Sivaprakasam.

Vigyan Team Award:

• CSIR Aroma Mission Team – For excellence in agricultural science research.

7. INDIAN-ORIGIN SUNIL AMRITH WINS BRITISH ACADEMY BOOK PRIZE 2025

Current Context: Renowned historian Sunil Amrith, of Indian origin, has won the 2025 British Academy Book Prize for his book “The Burning Earth: An Environmental History of the Last 500 Years.”

ABOUT THE AWARD

• Cash Prize: £25,000

• Recognises: Exceptional non-fiction works that deepen understanding of global history, culture, and society.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

• Profession: Historian

• Field: Environmental and Global History

• Known For: Connecting climate, migration, and social change through historical analysis.

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