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Important topics and their relevance in UPSC CSE exam for October 15, 2025. If you missed the October 14, 2025, UPSC CSE exam key from the Indian Express, read it here.
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.
Mains Examination: General Studies-II: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.
What’s the ongoing story: India on Tuesday decided to fund an oil refinery project, give training to Mongolian armed forces, give free e-visas to Mongolian citizens and have cultural ties between Ladakh and a province of the east Asian nation as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and visiting Mongolian President Khurelsukh Ukhnaa met Tuesday.
Key Points to Ponder:
— What is the history of India-Mongolia bilateral relations?
— What are the areas of cooperation between both the nations?
— What is the significance of Mongolia in India’s “Act East” and “Neighbourhood First” policies?
— Read about the India-Mongolia Joint Military Exercise.
— Map work: Location of Mongolia.
Key Takeaways:
— After the bilateral meeting at Hyderabad House, PM Modi said the two countries had elevated their ties to a strategic partnership of about 10 years. They signed 10 pacts in the area of cultural exchange, immigration cooperation, promotion of cooperatives, humanitarian aid, geology and mineral resources, yoga and renovation of the Bogd Khan Palace.
— “India has been a strong and reliable partner in Mongolia’s development. The Oil Refinery Project, supported by India’s $1.7 billion line of credit, will strengthen Mongolia’s energy security. It is India’s largest development partnership project globally, with over 2,500 Indian professionals working alongside Mongolian counterparts,” Modi said.
— Terming the two nations “spiritual siblings” as they share the age-old bond of Buddhism, the PM said, “Next year, the holy relics of two great disciples of Lord Buddha — Sariputra and Maudgalyayana — will be sent from India to Mongolia.”
— He said, “We have also strengthened our cooperation in skill development. Through the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Centre of Excellence for IT and the India-Mongolia Friendship School, the aspirations of Mongolia’s youth are reaching new heights.”
— President Khurelsukh planted a banyan tree in honour of his late mother as part of the initiative “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam”. He hailed India’s leading role in the clean energy sector and specifically referred to the New Delhi-led International Solar Alliance.
— MEA’s Secretary (East) P Kumaran said, “Critical minerals and renewable energy… Mongolia has large reserves of coking coal… and India buys coking coal from a variety of partners including Canada, Indonesia, Australia etc. Mongolia offers itself as a potential partner for this. The difficulty of course happens to be the fact that Mongolia is landlocked and depends on ports and neighboring countries to be able to ship out the coal. Most of their coal is currently exported to China.”
Do You Know:
— The 17th edition of India-Mongolia Joint Military Exercise NOMADIC ELEPHANT is being conducted in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, from 31st May to 13th June 2025.
— It is an annual event conducted alternately in India and Mongolia. The 2024 edition was conducted at Umroi, Meghalaya.
UPSC Prelims Practice Question Covering similar theme:
(1) India-Mongolia Joint Military Exercise is:
(a) Ex SHAKTI
(b) Ex KHANJAR
(c) Ex EKUVERIN
(d) Ex NOMADIC ELEPHANT
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.
Mains Examination: General Studies-I: Indian culture will cover the salient aspects of Art Forms, literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times.
What’s the ongoing story: In the days to come, this nondescript 12th-century monument, which contains the ruins of the first city of Delhi — Rai Pithora — will make its mark in public memory for another reason: as the spot where Lord Buddha’s Piprahwa relics will be exhibited for the first time since they were excavated from ancient Kapilvastu nearly 130 years ago.
Key Points to Ponder:
— Read about Buddhism and its Sects.
— What are Piprahwa gems, and what is their cultural significance?
— What are stupas?
— What are the famous Buddhist stupas in India?
— What is the Buddhist circuit?
Key Takeaways:
— Likely to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi this month, the Qila Rai Pithora exhibition, being put up by the Ministry of Culture, will boast yet another first — the Piprahwa jewels will be displayed alongside the Buddhist relics in possession of Kolkata-based Indian Museum and objects of similar significance from various other museums, including New Delhi’s National Museum.
— The Piprahwa relics, comprising gems and jewels, were discovered in 1898 by William Claxton Peppe during the excavation of a stupa in Uttar Pradesh’s Piprahwa village, in present-day Siddharthnagar district. In possession of his great-grandson Chris Peppe, the relics were repatriated to India recently, after their scheduled auction at Sotheby’s Hong Kong was stopped.
— Considered sacred in Buddhist heritage, the Piprahwa relics, deposited by the Sakyas, Lord Buddha’s kin, also comprise his bone fragments, crystal caskets and gold ornaments. While the repatriated Peppe collection holds 349 precious gem relics and gold objects, Indian Museum’s collection includes 221 gem relics, six reliquaries (a container with the relics of a holy person) and one coffer.
— The gem relics, which feature intricately carved lotus flowers, leaves and the Buddhist Triratna (three jewels) symbol, have been crafted from a variety of semi-precious stones and metals, including carnelian, amethyst, topaz, garnet, coral, crystal, shell and gold, among others.
— While telling the story of Lord Buddha’s life and tracing his footsteps in India through historical and archaeological objects at the Mehrauli venue, the Ministry will also focus on repatriation of India’s cultural heritage.
— The Sotheby’s auction was stopped in the nick of time, via multiple legal notices by the Ministry. For two months, the Ministry worked discreetly with Sotheby’s and the Peppe family to get these relics back to India from Hong Kong, a territory with a huge Chinese influence.
— Devised by the Ministry, the return of these jewels has become a new model in heritage repatriation — wherein a public-private partnership was allowed for their journey back home. Philanthropist Pirojsha Godrej had stepped in to acquire these jewels at an undisclosed cost.
Do You Know:
— Buddhism emerged in India around the fifth-sixth centuries BC during a period that scholars call “the second urbanisation of India”, a time of great socio-cultural change in the Gangetic plains. It emerged, along with other heterodox traditions such as Jainism, as a response to Vedic Hinduism’s highly rigid and ritualistic ways.
— Buddhism prescribes the three gems (triratna) as the means of liberation. These are:
1. Knowledge (Prajñā),
2. Conduct (śila), and
3. Meditation (samādhi)
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
📍Knowledge Nugget | Conclave on Buddhism: Must-know teachings, paths, and sects of Buddhism for UPSC Exam
📍What are the Piprahwa relics, and why is India trying to stop their auction?
📍Sacred Buddhist Piprahwa gemstones
UPSC Prelims Practice/Previous year Question Covering similar theme:
(2) With reference to the Piprahwa relics recently in the news, consider the following statements:
1. The Piprahwa site is located in present-day Bihar, near the Indo-Nepal border.
2. The relics discovered at Piprahwa are believed to be of Mahavira (Vardhamana) and were found in a stone coffer.
3. The Piprahwa gemstones were kept privately and entirely in the UK before the auction.
Which of the statements given above is/are not correct?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
(3) Consider the following: (UPSC CSE 2019)
1. Deification of the Buddha
2. Treading the path of Bodhisattvas
3. Image worship and rituals
Which of the above is/are the feature/features of Mahayana Buddhism?
(a) 1 only
(b) 1 and 2 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.
Mains Examination: General Studies-III: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.
What’s the ongoing story: India’s Asian elephant population is estimated to be 22,446, according to the results of the much-delayed Synchronous All India Elephant Estimation (SAIEE) 2021–25, released Tuesday.
Key Points to Ponder:
— Know about elephants and their types.
— Read about the Synchronous All India Elephant Estimation.
— What is the Project Elephant?
— What are the Elephant reserves in India?
— What is the Conservation status of Asian elephants?
— What is human-animal conflict?
— What are the issues related to elephant conservation in India?
— What are the initiatives taken by the government?
Key Takeaways:
— Compared to the last all-India estimate in 2017 (27,312), the population is lower by 4,065 elephants, or 17.81%. However, the population report added a caveat that the two figures are not directly comparable due to a change in methodology, and said the latest estimate should be treated as a “new baseline.”
— As per the latest data, elephant numbers remain highest in the Western Ghats (11,934), followed by the North Eastern Hills and Brahmaputra floodplains (6,559), Shivalik Hills and Gangetic plains (2,062), and Central India and Eastern Ghats (1,891).
— Among states, Karnataka continues to harbour the largest population (6,013), followed by Assam (4,159), Tamil Nadu (3,136), Kerala (2,785), Uttarakhand (1,792), and Odisha (912).
— The latest report flags a range of threats across elephant habitats. In the Western Ghats, once home to a contiguous population, elephants are increasingly disconnected due to changing land use, including expanding coffee and tea plantations, invasive plant species, farmland fencing, and rapid development projects.
— It calls for better connectivity between elephant habitats and stronger law enforcement to ensure the species’ long-term survival, particularly in the Northeast.
— In the Western Ghats, Shivalik Hills, and Brahmaputra plains, where elephants are most abundant, the report highlights habitat loss, fragmentation, and disruption of traditional corridors caused by railway lines, roads, power infrastructure, encroachments, and other land-use changes.
— In Central India, mining pressures dominate as a major concern. The report also points to plant invasions, human-induced disturbance, and conflict with local communities as persistent challenges requiring cooperative engagement.
— The latest exercise adopted a new methodology modelled on the tiger estimation framework, in which forested habitats across 20 states were divided into smaller blocks or cells to record elephant signs and other indicators such as vegetation, presence of other mammals, and human disturbance.
— What distinguishes SAIEE 2021–25 is the use of a genetic mark–recapture model, where elephant dung samples are collected and analysed in laboratories to identify unique individuals. Using over 20,000 dung samples, scientists identified 4,065 unique elephants across major landscapes.
— Since elephants lack distinctive physical markings like tigers’ stripes, DNA extracted from dung allows researchers to identify individuals and estimate population density. The genetic data, combined with ground surveys, feeds into a mathematical model to derive the final estimate of abundance.
Do You Know:
— Earlier elephant censuses relied on a mix of direct sightings, counts at waterholes, and dung-decay methods, where population density was inferred from how quickly dung was deposited and decayed. In recent rounds, this approach was refined by combining dung-decay data with sample block counts in 5 sq km areas, and then using extrapolation to estimate elephant numbers across larger landscapes.
— For SAIEE 2021–25, India’s forests were divided into 100 sq km cells, further subdivided into 25 sq km and 4 sq km grids, which is a design borrowed from the tiger estimation program used since 2006. Data on elephants and other species have been collected under this framework largely for mapping distribution and relative abundance.
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
📍Elephants as symbol of wealth and power in Indian culture
Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
(4) With reference to Indian elephants, consider the following statements: (UPSC CSE 2020)
1. The leader of an elephant group is a female.
2. The maximum gestation period can be 22 months.
3. An elephant can normally go on calving till the age of 40 years only.
4. Among the States in India, the highest elephant population is in Kerala.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 4 only
(c) 3 only
(d) 1, 3 and 4 only
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.
Mains Examination: General Studies-II: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests.
What’s the ongoing story: Despite major oil producers’ grouping OPEC and its allies raising production by reinstating output that was curtailed earlier, the sense among industry watchers is that crude oil prices have stayed at levels higher than what would be normally expected in the prevailing market situation. The reason, they say, is the world’s largest oil importer China, which has been heavily stockpiling crude and thereby absorbing additional global oil supply.
Key Points to Ponder:
— What are the factors behind China’s crude oil stockpiling?
— What are the major crude oil producing countries?
— What are the implications of China’s strategic oil stockpiling on global oil markets?
— What is OPEC?
— Read about India’s strategic oil reserves.
Key Takeaways:
— According to some estimates, China put nearly 160 million barrels of crude—worth over $10 billion—into storage in the first nine months of 2025. The purchases were made by China’s state-owned refiners as well as private or independent refiners. And oil industry analysts and experts expect the trend to continue well into 2026.
— But why is China stockpiling so much crude, particularly when markets are expected to be well-supplied in the coming months? Like with various Chinese policies, Beijing has not publicly spelt out its reasons, and its oil sector is not exactly transparent.
— Experts and analysts say that for China, the reasons are likely rooted in the quest for energy security amid the prevailing geopolitical volatility, risk of tougher Western sanctions against suppliers Russia and Iran, the China-US tariff war, and even the possibility of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan. And all that in a subdued oil price environment—prices have largely stayed under $70 per barrel since April.
— Had China not gone on its stockpiling overdrive, international oil prices would most certainly have dropped lower.
— China is known to take a very long-term view on key commodities, and given oil prices have been rather subdued this year and the fact that China has a lot of unutilised—and still growing—storage capacity, Beijing appears to be taking a strategic view from the lens of energy security.
— It is no secret that China buys about a fifth of its oil from the likes of Iran and Venezuela—countries that have been sanctioned by the US, or from Russia, where, at least formally, a price cap is in place. Despite the curbs, China has managed to keep a healthy flow of oil from these countries, particularly Iran and Russia. The Donald Trump administration has signalled tougher sanctions against these countries, which could potentially increase risks for the Chinese independent refiners, and disrupt supplies.
— The ongoing trade tensions between the US and China are also seen as a factor in shaping China’s stockpiling strategy. China depends heavily on imports for ethane and propane, which are key petrochemical feedstocks. It was importing substantial volumes from the US, but the trade war has significantly disrupted those flows. With a large oil stockpile, China can balance its petrochemical feedstock imports and reduce import dependence as those feedstocks can be manufactured locally from crude oil.
— China’s stockpiling of oil has also led to some speculation in certain sections about the possibility of an invasion of Taiwan. While oil industry analysts and experts haven’t really listed it among the most plausible reasons yet, there are murmurs that it could very well be a factor. China’s aggressive stance and increasing military activity, including exercises, around Taiwan have many believing that Beijing may be preparing for war. If a potential invasion of Taiwan is indeed on the horizon, then stockpiling makes a lot of sense for Beijing.
— A conflict would most certainly lead to sanctions and curbs from the US and its allies—like on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine—and could lead to a blockade of the Taiwan Strait, a maritime choke point critical for China’s energy imports. A major disruption or blockade of the Strait could have a debilitating impact on China’s energy supply chain.
Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
(5) The term ‘West Texas Intermediate’, sometimes found in news, refers to a grade of (UPSC CSE 2020)
(a) Crude oil
(b) Bullion
(c) Rare earth elements
(d) Uranium
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.
Mains Examination: General Studies-II: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests, Indian diaspora.
What’s the ongoing story: The October 13 hostage-prisoner swap between Israel and Hamas, momentous for bringing an end to the long-running hostilities, marks only the first step on a long road to stability and security in West Asia. That is why, immediately after his address to Israel’s Knesset, US President Donald Trump, at the forefront of the renewed push for peace, flew to Egypt to co-chair an international summit in Sharm el-Sheikh.
Key Points to Ponder:
— What are the key highlights of Sharm el-Sheikh summit?
— What is the 20-point Gaza ceasefire agreement?
— What are the challenges in the fulfillment of the Gaza ceasefire agreement?
— What is India’s reaction to this agreement?
— What are India’s interests in the region?
— What is the history of India’s relationship with Israel and Palestine?
— Read about Hamas.
— Map work: Location of Gaza, Israel and other countries in West Asia.
Key Takeaways:
— The breadth of the global commitment to peace was evident in the presence of more than 20 world leaders, including the heads of state/government of France, Britain, Italy, Canada and Germany.
— The joint statement issued at the conclusion of the summit, signed by Egypt, Qatar, Turkey and the US, welcomed the progress achieved in Gaza and pledged “to work collectively to implement and sustain this legacy”. Although any reference to Palestinian statehood was conspicuously missing, it affirmed that a lasting peace would be one in which “both Palestinians and Israelis” have their “fundamental human rights protected, security guaranteed and dignity upheld”.
— Washington’s choice of words, which places Palestinians and Israelis on an equal footing, is a long-awaited recognition of Palestinian identity and dignity.
— One of the most striking moments at Sharm el-Sheikh was the warm exchange between Trump and Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas, who only weeks earlier had been denied a US visa, which prevented him from attending the UNGA session during which multiple countries recognised Palestinian statehood. These developments must ultimately lead to the Palestinian people having a seat at the table.
— There is a lot yet to be done. Although the first phase of the ceasefire agreement has been implemented, there is no clarity on when or where Phase 2 negotiations — aimed at the reconstruction of Gaza and lasting security for the region — will begin, despite Trump’s exuberant declaration at the summit that “Phase 2 has started”.
— The most pressing issue, which could undo much of the recent progress, remains Hamas and its weapons. If Hamas refuses to disarm, relinquish control of Gaza, and make way for a reformed PA as outlined in Trump’s 20-point plan, it would hand Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the justification he needs to resume military action (remember how he discarded the January ceasefire in March).
— Israel, for its part, will have to exercise diplomatic flexibility and resist the temptation to respond to the inevitable roadblocks with renewed aggression. And Trump, who has thus far demonstrated the political will to end the conflict, must not take his eyes off the larger goal articulated in the joint statement: “A future of enduring peace.” It is a rare opportunity, it must not be lost.
Do You Know:
— For India, peace in the region is important, for its diaspora, its economic interests and its strategic needs. There are about 18,000 Indians in Israel, about 5,000-10,000 in Iran, and some 90 lakh in the region as a whole.
— The region provides India with 80 per cent of its oil supplies. Also, major Arab countries have been keen to invest in the Indian economy; those plans will get a boost with peace. Then there is the India-Middle East-Europe Economic corridor, which India has high hopes from.
— India hopes to reap the dividends from peace in the region, which is beneficial for its access to Europe and Central Asia, and its economic and trade corridor. That was evident during the post-Abraham Accords period, since the first Trump administration, and the formation of an economic grouping like the I2U2 with India, Israel, US and UAE as its members.
Highlights of Trump’s 20-point Gaza peace plan
— The 20-point document released by White House calls for an immediate ceasefire, an exchange of hostages held by Hamas for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, a staged Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, Hamas disarmament and a transitional government led by an international body.
— According to the plan, Hamas would have no part in administering Gaza, and all its military infrastructure — including tunnels – would be dismantled. Hamas members who pledge to live peacefully would be granted amnesty, and those who wish to leave Gaza would be allowed to do so.
— The international security force would ensure Hamas’ disarmament and keep order. It would also train Palestinian police to take over law enforcement.
— Humanitarian aid would be allowed to flow into Gaza in large amounts and would be run by “neutral international bodies”, including the UN and the Red Crescent.
— The US, Arab and international partners will develop a temporary International Stabilization Force (ISF) to deploy immediately in Gaza.
— The plan envisages the governance structure of Gaza — what is doctrinally called the “The Day After plan”. This says that Gaza will be governed under the “temporary transitional governance” of a “technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee”, responsible for delivering the day-to-day running of public services and municipalities for the people in Gaza.
— The plan says that a guarantee will be provided by regional partners to ensure that Hamas and its factions comply with their obligations and that New Gaza poses no threat to its neighbours or its people.
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
📍After Sharm El-Sheikh: easy part over, peace plan test begins
📍India has stakes in Gaza’s peace
Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
(6) The term “two-state solution” is sometimes mentioned in the news in the context of the affairs of (UPSC CSE 2018)
(a) China
(b) Israel
(c) Iraq
(d) Yemen
Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme:
“India’s relations with Israel have, of late, acquired a depth and diversity, which cannot be rolled back.” Discuss (UPSC CSE 2018)
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| Google pledges $15 bn for AI hub in Andhra, its largest outside US | Google will invest $15 billion over five years to set up an artificial intelligence (AI) data centre in Andhra Pradesh, in what would be its biggest investment yet in the country. The tech giant has partnered with the Adani Group and Airtel to build the infrastructure for the project, which also includes the construction of a new international subsea gateway. The data centre will come up in the port city of Visakhapatnam and will be a part of Google’s global network of AI centres spread across 12 countries. |
| Minimum unemployment period for premature PF settlement hiked | The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has increased the time period for availing premature final settlement of provident fund during unemployment as well as final settlement from the existing two months to 12 months.
The minimum time period for final pension withdrawal has also been increased from two months to 36 month. These changes — along with a relaxation in withdrawal norms for education, illness, housing and special circumstances — are expected to come into effect in the next 1-2 months, a government official said on Tuesday. The changes in the minimum period for withdrawal only affect 75 per cent of the PF contribution, as new provisions require members to maintain a minimum of 25 per cent of the contribution at all times. The move is aimed at boosting existing pension corpus levels that tend to get depleted due to complete withdrawals only after two months of unemployment. |
| New NSG hub in Ayodhya to boost counter-terror response, says Shah | A new NSG hub is being established in Ayodhya to strengthen counter-terror response in the region, Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced on Tuesday.
The move is part of the Centre’s plan to overhaul the operational framework of the National Security Guard (NSG) with expanded regional readiness, Shah said while addressing the 41st Raising Day event of the anti-terror commando force at its headquarters in Manesar. |
| After World Bank, IMF also cuts India’s FY27 GDPgrowthforecast by 20 bps | The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Tuesday lowered its GDP growth forecast for India for 2026-27 by 20 basis points (bps) to 6.2 per cent, days after the World Bank announced a similar cut. However, like the World Bank, the IMF also raised its forecast for the current fiscal by 20 bps, it said in an update to its World Economic Outlook (WEO) report. |
| PRELIMS ANSWER KEY |
| 1. (d) 2. (d) 3. (d) 4. (a) 5. (a) 6. (b) |
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