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News In Short 11-12-2025

In News

  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi honoured  the courage of those who participated in the historic Assam Movement on Swahid Diwas.

    • Swahid Diwas 

  • It is observed annually on December 10 to honour those who sacrificed their lives during the Assam Movement – a mass agitation launched in 1979 by the Assam Students’ Union (ASU) and the All Assam Gana Sangram Parishad (AAGSP) against large-scale infiltration from Bangladesh. 
  • The movement culminated in 1985 with the signing of the historic Assam Accord, ensuring detection and deportation of illegal foreigners and guaranteeing constitutional, legislative, and administrative safeguards to protect Assamese identity, culture, and heritage.

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    Global Environment Outlook

    Context

  • The Global Environment Outlook, Seventh Edition: A Future We Choose (GEO-7), was released during the seventh session of the United Nations Environment Assembly in Nairobi.

    • About

  • GEO-7 is UNEP’s flagship assessment published for the first time in 1997. 
  • It is a major scientific report that reviews the planet’s environmental health, policy effectiveness, and future trends, providing crucial, participatory, science-based data to guide global environmental action and policy.

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    Protected Marine Areas Not Part of Offshore Blocks

    In News

  • The Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) informed Parliament that offshore mining blocks were identified only after excluding all Marine Protected Areas and key biodiversity zones. 

    • Background

  • The Centre’s plan to auction 13 offshore mining blocks — including sand off Kerala, lime mud off Gujarat, and polymetallic nodules near Great Nicobar — sparked protests in Kerala, where fishing communities and the state assembly opposed the move, citing threats to marine life and livelihoods. 
  • The government stated that mining can proceed only with detailed environmental management plans.
  • 65% of defence equipment is now manufactured domestically, a significant shift from the earlier 65-70% import dependency.

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    Make in India in Defence Sector

    Context

  • Despite high expectations, the defence announcements during the Russian President’s visit did not materialise as India is more focused towards self-reliance in defence manufacturing.

    • India’s Shift in Defence Sector

  • Defence Budget: The defence budget has seen a steady rise, growing from ₹2.53 lakh crore in 2013–14 to ₹6.81 lakh crore in 2025–26. 
  • Production: India, once heavily dependent on arms imports, now has a defence production value of ₹1.51 lakh crore, up from ₹46,000 crore in 2014.
  • 65% of defence equipment is now manufactured domestically, a significant shift from the earlier 65-70% import dependency.

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    Aditya-L1 Joins Global Effort To Study the Solar Storm

    Context

  • India’s solar observatory Aditya-L1 along with six U.S. satellites, has revealed unusual behaviour of the May 2024 solar storm called “Gannon’s storm” triggered by a series of giant explosions on the Sun known as Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs).

    • What is a Solar Storm?

  • The solar storm is composed of a series of giant explosions on the Sun, known as coronal mass ejections (CMEs).  
  • A CME is like a massive bubble of hot gas and magnetic energy thrown out from the Sun into space. 
  • When these bubbles hit Earth, they can shake earth’s magnetic shield and cause serious trouble for satellites, communication systems, GPS, and even power grids.

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    World Inequality Report 2026 Released

    Context

  • The 3rd edition of the World Inequality Report highlights widening gaps in wealth, income, climate responsibility, and global financial flows, with India showing high levels of concentration at the top.

    • Key Findings of Report

  • Global Inequality Trends: The top 10% globally own three-quarters of all wealth; 
  • The bottom 50% hold just 2%;
  • The top 1% control 37% of global wealth, 18 times more than the bottom half of the world combined.
  • Gender Inequality: Women earn only 61% of men’s income per working hour (excluding unpaid work).

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    Deepavali Added to UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List

    Context

  • Deepavali has been inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity during the 20th Session of the Intergovernmental Committee, held in New Delhi.

    • About Deepavali

  • Deepavali, also known as Diwali, is celebrated on Kartik Amaavasya, which typically falls in October or November. 
  • Residences, thoroughfares, and temples are illuminated with numerous oil lamps.
  • The festival opens with Dhanteras, when families purchase metalware or essentials as symbols of prosperity.
  • It is followed by Naraka Chaturdashi.
  • The third day is the highlight of Deepavali- the sacred Lakshmi-Ganesha Puja.

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    News In Short 10-12-2025

    In News

  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute to C. Rajagopalachari popularly known as Rajaji on his birth anniversary (10th December).

    • C. Rajagopalachari

  • Early Life and Education: 
  • He was a  close associate of Mahatma Gandhi.
  • Completed Bachelor of Law (1899) and began practicing law in Salem.
  • Early political consciousness was shaped by Curzon’s Partition of Bengal (1905) and Tilak’s call for Swaraj.

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    AI–copyright Overhaul with ‘One Nation, One Licence, One Payment’ Model

    Context

  • The DPIIT-led committee has released a working paper titled ‘One Nation, One License, One Payment: Balancing AI Innovation and Copyright’.

    • About

  • The DPIIT-led committee has recommended a “hybrid model” of compensation for use of copyrighted content in AI training.
  • If implemented, India would become the only country to prescribe a statutory licensing regime for AI developers, with royalty rates prescribed by a government-appointed committee.

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    US Unveils National Security Strategy 2025

    In News

  • The US has released the National Security Strategy (NSS) 2025, marking a decisive departure from post-Cold War American foreign policy frameworks to the “Make America Great Again (MAGA)” agenda at the heart of U.S. global strategy.

    • How does MAGA shape the new NSS?

  • Focused national interest: Only issues directly affecting core US security and prosperity are treated as strategic; the document explicitly criticises earlier “global domination” ambitions.
  • Regional Priorities: It puts the Western Hemisphere at the top, announcing a “Trump Corollary” to the Monroe Doctrine to re‑assert US pre‑eminence in the Americas, curb Chinese and other extra‑regional influence.
  • The Monroe Doctrine was a foreign policy principle declared by US President James Monroe in 1823, asserting that the Western Hemisphere was closed to future European colonization, the US would oppose any European intervention in independent American states.
  • Primacy of nations and sovereignty: It asserts the nation‑state as the fundamental unit, defends US sovereignty against international institutions and “transnationalism”, and encourages all states to put their own interests first.

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