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Journalism of Courage
Every Monday, we bring you UPSC Current Affairs Pointers—a concise, exam-focused guide to help you stay ahead in your Prelims and Mains preparation.
If you missed the UPSC Current Affairs Pointers of the past week | October 27 to November 2, 2025, read it here.
— Amid uproar, Phool Waalon Ki Sair (procession of the florists), an annual festival symbolising communal harmony in the national capital, has received permission to be held at its original venue, Aam Bagh in Mehrauli.
— The week-long festival is unique as the Hindu and Muslim communities together offer the floral chaadar and pankha at the Dargah of Khwaja Bakhtiar Kaaki in Mehrauli. Another floral pankha and chhatra (canopy) is offered at the ancient temple of Devi Yogmaya in Mehrauli.
— The festival has its origins in the early 19th century, when the Mughal empire was beginning to decline. Prince Mirza Jahangir had fired at the British resident and was exiled to Allahabad.
— His mother, Mumtaz Mahal Begum, promised that once her son returned she would walk barefoot from the Red Fort to the dargah of Khwaja Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki in Mehrauli to offer her gratitude.
— When her prayers were answered, it is said, local flower-sellers scattered flowers along her route and made floral fans (pankhas) which were offered at both the Kaki dargah and Yogmaya Temple.
— From this act grew an annual fair instituted in 1811, bringing together people of different faiths in a syncretic celebration. It was halted during British rule in 1942 and revived in 1962 by then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.
— President Droupadi Murmu attended a special session of the Uttarakhand Assembly, where Speaker Ritu Khanduri Bhushan presented her with a Ramman mask and a book on the centuries-old festival celebrated in the state’s Garhwal region.
— Ramman is a festival celebrated annually in late April during Baisakhi at the twin villages of Saloor-Dungra in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli. It is dedicated to the tutelary god, Bhumiyal Devta, a local divinity whose temple houses most of the festivities.
— The festival involves theatrical performances of the Ramayana and local legends, in which people sing songs and wear masks while dancing. There are 18 different types of masks made of Bhojpatra, Himalayan birch, that performers wear during the event.
— In 2009, Ramman was inscribed in the list of UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
— Prime Minister Narendra Modi kicked off the year-long commemoration of the song Vande Mataram on 7th November, marking its 150 years. It is being organised by the Ministry of Culture.
— The programme marked the formal launch of the year-long nationwide commemoration – November 7, 2025 to November 7, 2026 – celebrating 150 years of the composition written by Bankim Chandra Chatterji in 1875.
— The national song “Vande Mataram” by Bankimchandra Chatterji was written on Akshaya Navami which was on November 7, 1875.
— Vande Mataram first appeared in the literary journal Bangadarshan as part of his novel Anandamath.
— The song, invoking the motherland as the embodiment of strength, prosperity and divinity, gave poetic expression to India’s awakening spirit of unity and self-respect. It soon became an enduring symbol of devotion to the nation.
— On January 24, 1950, the Constituent Assembly of India unanimously adopted ‘Vande Mataram’ as the national song.
— The two-day National Urban Conclave was organised at Yashobhoomi, New Delhi, on 8-9 November 2025.
— It brings over participants that including policymakers, urban planners, experts, and stakeholders, to deliberate on the theme “Sustainable Urban Development and Governance” through intensive brainstorming sessions across six thematic areas.
— During the inaugural session, the Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs, Shri Manohar Lal, launched the Dumpsite Remediation Accelerator Programme (DRAP), the Swachh Bharat Mission – Knowledge Management Unit (KMU), and Urban Invest Window (UiWIN).
— To mark the centenary celebrations of Indian hockey on November 7, Hockey India organised a major event at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium in New Delhi, with parallel events taking place across more than 550 districts in India.
— On November 7, 1925, hockey got a formal structure in India with the creation of the national federation. In 2009, it was replaced by Hockey India. It is the official governing body entrusted with overseeing all hockey-related activities—both men’s and women’s—across the country.
— It is affiliated with the International Hockey Federation (FIH), the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), and the Asian Hockey Federation (AHF).
— The Indian Hockey team has won 13 Olympic medals, including 8 gold, 1 silver, and 4 bronze.
— Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while speaking at the National Conference on Strengthening Legal Aid Delivery Mechanisms, organised by the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) to mark the Legal Services Day, said, “Ease of Doing Business and Ease of Living are truly possible only when Ease of Justice is also ensured.”
— National Legal Services Day is observed annually on November 9. This day serves as a platform to promote legal awareness and ensure access to justice for all citizens, especially those from marginalised communities.
— National Legal Services Day, started in 1995 by the Supreme Court of India, aims to provide free legal help and support to the weaker sections of society.
— The 9th of November is celebrated annually by all Legal Services Authorities as “Legal Services Day” in accordance with the call made by Chief Justice A.S. Anand in the First Annual Meet.
— The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) will soon release black spot data for 2023 and 2024. It aims to prevent road accidents and fatalities.
— It is based on its ambitious Electronic Detailed Accident Report (e-DAR)/Integrated Road Accident Database (iRAD) system, which was developed to collect real-time data entered by state police.
— Black spots on National Highways (NHs) are critical stretches where high rates of accidents are recorded.
— Under the existing system, a 500-m stretch is categorised as a black spot if there have been either five or more accidents involving fatalities or grievous injuries, or 10 deaths within a 3-year period.
— The iRAD/e-DAR system was rolled out during 2021 and 2022 for different states.
— e-DAR captures road accidents in real time and geo-tags them through an app on phones or tablets used by first responders, which is the police.
— The last black spot series was calculated for 2020-22 and a total of 1,330 critical stretches were identified.
— During the National Urban Conclave 2025, Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs, Shri Manohar Lal, launched the Dumpsite Remediation Accelerator Programme (DRAP).
— It is a year-long, mission-mode initiative aimed at fast-tracking the remediation of remaining dumpsites across urban India.
— The programme seeks to reclaim valuable urban land for community and infrastructure development, thereby advancing India’s vision of achieving “Lakshya Zero Dumpsites” by September 2026.
— Under the programme, cities would be offered additional financial support for remediation and waste processing projects; corporate and public sector undertakings would be roped in for supporting the projects; Central and state road agencies would be asked to use the inert waste for road construction projects; and political and administrative leaders would be asked to “adopt” one of the dumpsites.
— During the conclave, Manohar Lal also launched UiWIN – an initiative of HUDCO, under the guidance of MoHUA.
— It will serve as a one-stop investment facilitation platform for enabling local bodies to raise private funds. It will help cities identify projects, mobilise capital and implement the project, as per the Ministry.
— The government on October 28 approved the terms of reference (ToR) of the Eighth Central Pay Commission after having announced its formation in January this year.
— It will revise the salaries of nearly 50 lakh central government employees and allowances of 65 lakh pensioners, which will come into effect from January 1 next year.
— The Eighth Central Pay Commission will be headed by Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai, a former Supreme Court judge and the chairperson of the Press Council of India.
— A Pay Commission is constituted by the central government approximately every decade to revise the salary structure of its employees and determine pension payments. Since 1947, seven Pay Commissions have been established.
— As per the Terms of Reference, the Eighth Pay Commission will have to keep in view the economic conditions in the country and the need for fiscal prudence, the need to ensure that adequate resources are available for developmental expenditure and welfare measures.
— One additional term has been added this time, to keep in view the unfunded cost of non-contributory pension schemes. This is significant in the backdrop of continuing demands for restoration of the Old Pension Scheme.
— As Uttarakhand marked 25 years of its formation on November 9, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah extended greetings to the people of the state. Along with multiple development projects, Modi launched a commemorative postal stamp on the occasion.
— Uttarakhand, carved out of Uttar Pradesh, became India’s 27th state on November 9, 2000. The day is celebrated every year as the state’s foundation day.
— Two infiltrators were killed in a gunfight while trying to cross over into the valley in the Keran sector of north Kashmir’s Kupwara on 8th November under Operation Pimple.
— Infiltration attempts by militants traditionally increase during October and November as they try to sneak into the valley before the snow closes the mountain passes and makes any movement across the Line of Control (LoC) difficult.
— On 7th November, the Supreme Court directed that stray dogs be removed “forthwith” from the premises of educational institutions, hospitals, sports complexes, bus stands and depots, and railway stations to “a designated shelter, after due sterilization and vaccination in accordance with the animal birth control rules”.
— The Court stated that directions be “implemented uniformly across India” with “status compliance certificates within a period of eight weeks”. It will consider the compliance reports on January 13, 2026.
— Recently, the US and China have agreed to strengthen communication, maintain stability in bilateral ties, and “set up military-to-military channels to deconflict and de-escalate any problems that arise”.
— Washington’s engagement with Beijing at the military level, where it will now be in talks with the Chinese military, will be watched with some concern in capitals of the region, especially in Delhi, Tokyo, and Canberra
— The People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) has officially inducted Fujian, China’s third aircraft carrier, and its most advanced one yet.
— The Fujian is China’s third aircraft carrier, with a flat flight deck and electromagnetic catapults for take-offs that make it a potentially far more powerful naval weapon than China’s first two Russian-designed carriers.
— Electromagnetic catapults, part of the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS), use electric power to launch aircraft from a carrier’s deck. Unlike traditional steam catapults, EMALS provides smoother acceleration, enabling the launch of heavier and more advanced aircraft.
— US President Donald Trump said that Kazakhstan will join the Abraham Accords to normalize relations between Israel and Muslim-majority nations.
— Kazakhstan already has full diplomatic relations and economic ties with Israel, meaning the move would be largely symbolic.
— The Abraham Accords are a series of agreements to normalise the relationship between Israel and Arab countries. These were signed in September 2020. The UAE and Bahrain became the first Arab countries to formally recognise Israel since 1994.
— Later, Morocco also agreed to normalise relations with Israel, taking the number of Arab countries that recognised the Jewish state to five, with Egypt and Jordan being the only ones to do it earlier.
— The Indian Navy has formally commissioned the INS Ikshak into its fleet at the Naval Base in Kochi. This is the third vessel of the Survey Vessel (Large) [SVL] class and the first to be based at the Southern Naval Command.
— According to Ministry of Defence, the name ‘Ikshak’, means ‘Guide’ in Sanskrit which defines “the ship’s role as a sentinel of precision and purpose”.
— Built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Ltd, Kolkata, INS Ikshak is equipped with state-of-the-art hydrographic and oceanographic equipment, including a high-resolution multi-beam echo sounder, Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV), Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV), and four Survey Motor Boats (SMBs).
— The vessel embodies over 80% indigenous content, underscoring the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative and collaborative synergy between GRSE and Indian Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).
— Last month, it came to light that India no longer operates its erstwhile overseas Ayni airbase in Tajikistan that gave it a strategic heft in central Asia.
— Ayni was India’s only full-fledged overseas base, and its location offered India a military foothold in central Asia and leverage over Pakistan. Its presence projected influence in the region dominated by major powers like Russia and China.
— The airbase was also used by India to evacuate its nationals after the Taliban took control of Kabul in August 2021.
— It is located around 20 km from Afghanistan’s Wakhan Corridor, which shares a boundary with the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and with China’s Xinjiang province.
— It is understood that the Tajikistan government was reluctant to renew the lease for the airbase owing to pressure from Russia and China. The withdrawal of Indian presence was carried out subsequently, but quietly. The matter only came to light last month.
— The standing committee of the National Board for Wildlife (SC-NBWL) has recommended reinstating the Rhesus Macaque species of monkeys under Schedule II of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
— The recommendation has been made to prevent cruelty, exploitation, and illegal trade of Rhesus Macaque.
— The IUCN Red List status of Rhesus Macaque is Least Concern.
— Typhoon Kalmaegi brings rain and destruction in Vietnam and the Philippines. It is locally known as Tino.
— Kalmaegi is the 13th typhoon to form in the South China Sea this year. Vietnam and the Philippines are highly vulnerable to tropical storms and typhoons due to their locations along the Pacific typhoon belt, regularly experiencing damage and casualties during peak storm seasons.
— Tropical cyclones have different names depending on their location and strength. They are known as hurricanes in the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico, the North Atlantic Ocean and the eastern and central North Pacific Ocean. In the western North Pacific, they are called typhoons.
— The UN Climate Change Conference COP30 is happening in Belém, Brazil, from 6-21 November.
— Brazil, on 6th November, formally launched the TFFF, which is designed as a “payment-for-performance” model that uses agreed satellite monitoring standards and systems to reward tropical forest countries with a continuing source of funding as long as they preserve their forests.
— TFFF aims to mobilise around USD 125 billion through public and private investment, using returns to pay nations that conserve forests. Brazil made the first $1 billion investment in the facility
— The valuation of environmental preservation through the TFFF stems from the understanding that ecosystems such as the Atlantic Forest, the Amazon, and the Congo and Mekong basins are essential to sustaining life, as we know it today.
— The tropical forests are home to more than 80% of the world’s terrestrial biodiversity. Therefore, they provide ecosystem services to humanity on a global level. What the TFFF seeks is for the world to remunerate part of these services. It is to remunerate forests as the basis of life, as the basis of the economy, for our well-being
(Just FYI: UPSC has consistently included questions on health and diseases in its examinations over the years. For instance, in 2014, a question about the Ebola virus appeared in the Prelims, and in 2017, a question about the Zika virus was featured. Therefore, it is crucial to stay updated on diseases that are currently in the news.)
— In the first such case reported from any Indian zoo, Shankar, the lone African elephant at the National Zoological Park in Delhi, died in September due to the rare rodent-borne virus — encephalomyocarditis virus (EMCV).
— Studies suggest that African elephants are particularly susceptible to the virus, with outbreaks reported worldwide in captivity and in the wild.
— The virus can be transmitted by food or water contamination caused from feces or urine of a rodent species.
| About Shankar: The 29-year-old bull elephant — brought from Zimbabwe in November 1998 — was a diplomatic gift to former President of India Shankar Dayal Sharma. After spending 13 years in solitary confinement, the elephant died on September 17 in its enclosure. |
(Just FYI: Noting historical personalities’ anniversaries aids UPSC prep. UPSC often includes such personalities in questions, so revisiting their lives refreshes your static syllabus.)
— Prof Vaidyeswaran Rajaraman, who is credited with establishing the first professional course in computer science in India at IIT Kanpur in 1965, dies at the age of 92.
— A Bhatnagar Prize winner, Rajaraman was also honoured with a Padma Bhushan in 1998, besides several other awards.
— American molecular biologist James Dewey Watson, most noted for his discovery of the structure of DNA, has died at the age of 97.
— Watson and his co-author Francis Crick, in a 1953 academic paper in Nature, proposed the double helix structure of the DNA molecule.
— Nine years later, Watson, Crick, and Maurice Wilkins were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine “for their discoveries concerning the molecular structure of nucleic acids and its significance for information transfer in living material”.
— Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan won the country’s disputed election with more than 97% of the vote.
— Her two main opponents had both been prevented from running, leaving her virtually unopposed.
— Zohran Mamdani won the New York City’s Mayor election to become the first Muslim and first South Asian mayor in the USA.
— Mamdani was born in Kampala, Uganda, to renowned academic Mahmood Mamdani, a Ugandan scholar of Indian heritage, and acclaimed filmmaker Mira Nair, best known for ‘Monsoon Wedding’ and ‘The Namesake’.
— Spiritual leader Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has been honoured with the 2025 World Leader for Peace and Security Award by the Boston Global Forum (BGF) and the AI World Society (AIWS) for his contributions to peace-building, reconciliation and humanitarian service.
— The award marks the 10th anniversary of the World Leader for Peace and Security Award (2015-2025), which celebrates world leaders who embody moral courage, visionary governance and compassion in advancing global peace and ethical progress.
(Just FYI: With the unpredictability of the UPSC examinations and questions like the ICC World Test Championship question 2021, you can’t be sure of anything. It is wise to know what it is and not go into too much detail.)
— At the ISSF World Championships in Cairo, Egypt, the Indian shooters bagged four medals – one gold, one silver and two bronze – on the opening day of the competition.
— Army shooter Ravinder Singh won the gold in men’s 50m pistol – a non-Olympic shooting event – while also helping India win the team silver in the event.
— In the women’s 10m air rifle – an Olympic event – Olympian Elavenil Valarivan also picked up two medals by striking bronze in both the individual and team categories.
— Elavenil Valarivan also became only the third Indian shooter after Anjum Moudgil (silver in 2018) and Mehuli Ghosh (bronze in 2023) to win an individual medal in the women’s 10m air rifle event at the World Championships.
(Source: Olympics.com)
(Note: The best way to remember facts for UPSC and other competitive exams is to recall them through MCQs. Try to solve the following questions on your own.)
(1) Which of the following statements correctly describes the Black spots on National Highways?
(a) A 500-m stretch is categorised as a black spot if there have been either five or more accidents involving fatalities or grievous injuries.
(b) A 300-m stretch is categorised as a black spot if there have been either ten or more accidents involving fatalities or grievous injuries.
(c) A 500-m stretch is categorised as a black spot if there have been 30 deaths within a 3-year period.
(d) A 300-m stretch is categorised as a black spot if there have been 20 deaths within a 2-year period.
(2) Ramman is a religious festival of which state?
(a) Madhya Pradesh
(b) Odisha
(c) Uttarakhand
(d) Gujarat
(3) In India, Legal Services Authorities provide free legal services to which of the following types of citizens? (UPSC CSE 2020)
1. A person with an annual income of less than Rs.1,00,000
2. Transgender with an annual income of less than Rs. 2,00,000
3. Member of Other Backward Classes (OBC) with an annual income of less than Rs. 3,00,000
4. All Senior Citizens
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 3 and 4 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 1 and 4 only
| Prelims Answer Key |
| 1. (a) 2. (c) 3. (a) |
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