Yearender 2025 | Nepal’s GenZ Protest, Axiom-4 Mission, Ghibli Trend: Top 10 issues that made headlines

Click here to read more about the 50 Years of Emergency: From causes to constitutional implications.

#2 Axiom-4 mission

After spending 18 days on the International Space Station and orbiting around the Earth 288 times, Indian astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla and his three colleagues on the Axiom-4 mission splashed down in the Pacific Ocean on 15th July after a 20-hour journey from the International Space StationThis mission not only strengthens India’s foray into human spaceflight but also showcases its growing contribution to space research through a series of significant experiments led by Shukla aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

Click here to read more about the Axiom-4 mission.

#3 Nepal’s GenZ Protest 

September 8 and 9 marked two major days in Nepal’s modern political history, which saw a Gen Z-led movement against social media bans and corruption that ended up toppling the government after the mostly leaderless protests spilled over into Kathmandu’s streets. As the protests intensified, Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli resigned on September 9. The President accepted the resignation and also dissolved Parliament. Former Supreme Court justice Sushila S Karki was sworn in as Nepal’s interim Prime Minister on September 12. 

Protesters stand atop the Singha Durbar, the seat of Nepal’s government in Kathmandu, during a protest; a screengrab showing protesters outside the Parliament building. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha, ANI)

Click here to read more about the Nepal’s GenZ Protest and India-Nepal Relations.

#4 Ranveer Allahbadia controversy — ‘Obscenity’ laws, Hicklin Test

During an episode of India’s Got Latent, hosted by comedian Samay Raina,  Ranveer Allahbadia made a crude joke that caught attention for being offensive. The remark quickly triggered outrage, leading to FIRs being filed in two states — Maharashtra and Assam. While the show was intended for a limited audience, clips went viral, intensifying the backlash. As criticism mounted, Allahbadia issued a public apology, admitting that he overstepped. In response to the controversy, Samay Raina removed all videos of the show to curb further scrutiny.

Click here to read more about the Ranveer Allahbadia controversy — ‘Obscenity’ laws, Hicklin Test and more.

#5 Trump’s reciprocal tariffs announcement

Tariffs are taxes or duties imposed by a government on imported goods and services. (Photo: AP)

US President Donald Trump celebrated April 2 as America’s “Liberation Day” by announcing “reciprocal tariffs” against all major trading partners. Two sets of tariffs were announced. One, a base tariff of 10% against all countries, which represents a sharp increase from the pre-Trump 2.0 tariff rate of around 2.5%. Then there were country-specific tariffs. Amid global pushback, Donald Trump announced a 90-day pause on tariffs; later, it kicked in on August 27.

Click here to read more about the Trump’s reciprocal tariffs. 

#6 Ghibli trend

As artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot ChatGPT upgraded its 4o model on March 25 to include native image generation capabilities, featuring a “natively multimodal model capable of precise, accurate, photorealistic outputs”. Users replicated various popular artistic styles, most notably the distinctive animation of Studio Ghibli. The ChatGPT-converted Ghibli-style photos became viral on social media platforms. However, the trend also highlighted legal and ethical concerns about AI tools trained on copyrighted creative works and what that means for the future livelihoods of human artists. In this context, an old clip of Miyazaki has resurfaced in which he has expressed strong reservations about using AI to create art. In 2016, Miyazaki said he was disgusted by AI-generated animation and called it an “insult to life itself”.

Beyond the copyright concern, Ghibli trend also raised ethical dilemma on the AI replacing art. (Image sources: @sama, @mygovindia/X)

Click here to read more about the Ghibli trend and Indian Painting styles.

#7 Chola dynasty and Rajendra I’s achievements

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Gangaikonda Cholapuram in Ariyalur district, which was once the Chola capital, on July 27 and unveiled a commemorative coin and inaugurated an exhibition on Rajendra Chola’s northern conquest. The Union Ministry of Culture also hosted a four-day festival in the town commemorating 1,000 years of Rajendra Chola’s maritime expedition to Southeast Asia and the commencement of the construction of the Gangaikonda Cholapuram temple. Rajendra I, the maritime monarch of the Chola dynasty, inherited a powerful kingdom from his father Rajaraja I and expansion of the Chola empire continued under him. 

The Cholas are considered as one of the longest recorded dynasties in world history.

Click here to read more about the Chola dynasty and Rajendra I’s achievements: Insights into governance, society, architecture, and more.

#8 India 4th largest economy 

In the International Monetary Fund (IMF) World Economic Outlook April 2025, India was positioned as the fourth-largest economy globally, on par with Japan, the IMF forecasts India to be the fastest-growing major economy over the next two years, maintaining a significant advantage over both global and regional competitors despite the adjustment in growth projections. 

Click here to read more about the largest economies and understand GDP.

#9 From Caste to its Census

The Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA) on April 30 approved the inclusion of caste data in the upcoming population census. Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw made the announcement, underscoring the constitutional framework that makes Census a Union subject. The move revives a long-standing debate over caste-based enumeration and its use in governance, policy, and politics. 

Click here to read more about the Caste Census.

#10 India’s New 4 Labour Codes

More than five years after Parliament cleared the four labour codes-  – Code of Wages (2019), Industrial Relations Code (2020), Code on Social Security (2020) and Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code (2020) – replacing 29 central labour laws, the government has moved ahead with their implementation. Effective from November 21, the four labour codes seek to ease regulations and compliance norms for employers and ensure uniformity in wage structure and social security protection for workers.

Click here to read more about India’s New 4 Labour Codes.

Post Script

Dear Readers,

2026 will witness new developments in most of the stories mentioned above. You can keep a watch on these themes and many other topics that will be in the news by following the UPSC Issue at a Glance initiative of UPSC Essentials. We explore a new topic in a Q&A format which is relevant for your competitive exams in particular and knowledge in general. Read the articles of the series in the UPSC section of the Indian Express.

For your queries and suggestions write at roshni.yadav@indianexpress.com

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