{"id":58127,"date":"2025-10-31T19:03:50","date_gmt":"2025-10-31T13:33:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=58127"},"modified":"2025-11-01T12:12:47","modified_gmt":"2025-11-01T06:42:47","slug":"news-in-short-31-october-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/31-10-2025\/news-in-short-31-october-2025","title":{"rendered":"News in Short \u2013 31 October, 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>Justice Surya Kant to take over as 53rd Chief Justice of India<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS2\/Governance<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>In News<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Justice Surya Kant took over as 53rd Chief Justice of India and he will assume office on November 24, 2025, succeeding Chief Justice BR Gavai.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Appointment of Chief Justice of India<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Chief Justice of India and the other judges of the Supreme Court are appointed by the <strong>President <\/strong>under clause (2) of Article 124 of the Indian Constitution.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The<strong> Chief Justice of India <\/strong>is typically the senior-most Supreme Court judge deemed fit for the role.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Union Law Minister seeks the outgoing CJI\u2019s recommendation, which is then forwarded to the Prime Minister, who advises the President for final appointment.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>For other judges<\/strong>, the collegium recommends candidates, with written opinions from senior judges.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Eligibility&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>To be eligible, a person must be an Indian citizen and either:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>have been for at least five years a Judge of a High Court or of two or more such Courts in succession<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>have been for at least ten years an advocate of a High Court or of two or more such Courts<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>be deemed a distinguished jurist by the President.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#ebecf0\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Do you know?<\/strong><br>&#8211; Article 217, which deals with the appointment of High Court judges, says the President should consult the CJI, Governor, and Chief Justice of the High Court concerned.&nbsp;<br>1. Further, the tenure of a CJI is until they attain the age of 65 years, while High Court judges retire at 62 years.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Process&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>India follows the collegium system for appointing judges, involving the five senior most Supreme Court judges.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Though not mentioned in the Constitution, it evolved through key judgments like the First and Third Judges Cases, shifting appointment power from the executive to the judiciary.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The government may conduct background checks and raise objections, but the collegium\u2019s decision usually prevails.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Seniority is the guiding norm, and the Law Minister forwards the collegium\u2019s recommendation to the Prime Minister, who advises the President for final appointment.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Source :<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/news\/national\/justice-surya-kant-appointed-as-the-53rd-chief-justice-of-india\/article70221463.ece\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">TH<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>Cyprus Ready to be part of IMEC<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS2\/IR\/GS1\/Places<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>In News<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Cyprus Foreign Minister visited&nbsp; India and expressed strong interest in joining the India-Middle East Economic Corridor (IMEC), citing Cyprus\u2019s strategic location, EU membership, and robust shipping sector.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About Cyprus<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img data-dominant-color=\"dfe8ec\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"981\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Cyprus-Ready-to-be-part-of-IMEC-1024x981.webp\" alt=\"Cyprus Ready to be part of IMEC\" class=\"not-transparent wp-image-58142\" style=\"--dominant-color: #dfe8ec; width:470px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Cyprus-Ready-to-be-part-of-IMEC-1024x981.webp 1024w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Cyprus-Ready-to-be-part-of-IMEC-300x287.webp 300w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Cyprus-Ready-to-be-part-of-IMEC-768x736.webp 768w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Cyprus-Ready-to-be-part-of-IMEC-1536x1472.webp 1536w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Cyprus-Ready-to-be-part-of-IMEC.webp 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It is an island nation in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, known for its rich history, natural beauty, and cultural diversity.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It is located about 40 miles south of Turkey and 60 miles west of Syria.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It gained independence from Britain in 1960, but tensions between Greek and Turkish Cypriots have led to a de facto partition since 1974.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Cooperation with India<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>India and the Republic of Cyprus (RoC) share over six decades of strong bilateral relations based on friendship, mutual respect, and cooperation in international fora.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Ties, established in 1962<\/strong>, have expanded across political, economic, and defence spheres.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Both countries support each other in global organizations \u2014 India backs Cyprus\u2019s reunification under <strong>UN resolutions,<\/strong> while Cyprus supports India\u2019s UN Security Council bid and civil nuclear initiatives.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Both sides reviewed the <strong>India-Cyprus Joint Action Plan (2025\u20132029)<\/strong> and discussed regional developments and multilateral cooperation, especially as Cyprus prepares to assume the EU Council Presidency in 2026.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Cyprus also backed the India-EU Free Trade Agreement, highlighting its potential to unlock major economic opportunities.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>India-Middle East Economic Corridor (IMEC)<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/17-04-2025\/india-middle-east-europe-economic-corridor\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/17-04-2025\/india-middle-east-europe-economic-corridor\">IMEC<\/a> was announced during the G20 Summit held in New Delhi in 2023 \u201cto stimulate economic development through enhanced connectivity and economic integration between Asia, the Arabian Gulf, and Europe.\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It is a proposed corridor spanning ship, ship-rail, and road networks to connect India to the Gulf region and the Gulf region to Europe.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source :<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/news\/national\/cyprus-ready-to-be-part-of-imec-foreign-minister-kombos\/article70222736.ece\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>TH<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>US-China Sign Rare Earths Deal<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS3\/Economy&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>In News&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping concluded their meeting in South Korea with an agreement to maintain the <strong>flow of China\u2019s rare earth exports to the US.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What are rare earth elements?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Overview:<\/strong> The term \u201crare\u201d refers to their low concentration in extractable deposits, making mining and processing economically and environmentally challenging.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Types:<\/strong> They are a group of 17 metallic elements, plus scandium and yttrium, known for their high density, melting points, conductivity, and thermal conductance.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Source: <\/strong>They are mainly sourced from bastnasite, loparite, and monazite, and are classified into light (Cerium group) and heavy (Yttrium group) based on atomic numbers.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Distribution:<\/strong>&nbsp; China dominates the global rare earth market, producing 60% of mine output and over 90% of refined products and magnets.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Applications: <\/strong>They are essential in small quantities for a wide range of advanced technologies, including electronics, vehicles , defense systems, renewable energy, and medical devices.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Environmental impact: <\/strong>Processing rare earths relies on toxic chemicals that can pollute soil, air, and water.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Many ores also contain radioactive elements like thorium and uranium, requiring acid treatments that add health and safety risks.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>While cleaner extraction methods exist, they are expensive and not widely used, creating a conflict between meeting demand and reducing environmental damage.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>India\u2019s Status and Steps&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>India holds the world\u2019s third-largest reserves of rare earth elements (REEs), estimated at 6.9 million metric tons, primarily in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Odisha, and Kerala, with monazite sands in Kerala being especially rich.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The government amended the Mines and Minerals Act in 2023 to classify REEs as critical minerals and launched the National Critical Mineral Mission in 2025.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Source :<a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/world\/trump-xi-rare-earths-deal-what-it-means-why-important-10335651\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">IE<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS3\/ Science and Technology<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), researchers identified five carbon-rich compounds surrounding a nascent star called<strong> ST6 in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC).<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC)<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>LMC is a <strong>dwarf irregular satellite galaxy <\/strong>of the Milky Way, located about 160,000 light-years from Earth in the constellation Dorado.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Structure:<\/strong> It is known for its large, glowing nebulae, such as the <strong>Tarantula Nebula, <\/strong>which indicate active star birth.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Star Content: <\/strong>It contains about <strong>30 billion stars<\/strong>, with many young, star-forming regions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Composition:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The LMC has <strong>fewer heavy elements<\/strong> like carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen than the Milky Way.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Such metal-poor conditions mimic those of the early universe, providing a natural laboratory for studying primitive cosmic chemistry.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/technology\/science\/clues-to-lifes-origins-spotted-in-a-galaxy-160000-light-years-from-earth-10333566\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>IE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>Nauradehi Sanctuary<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS3\/ Environment<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary is set to become the third home for cheetahs after Kuno National Park and Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It is located<strong> <\/strong>on a plateau spanning Sagar and Damoh districts in the <strong>Bundelkhand region<\/strong> of <strong>Madhya Pradesh.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It is characterised by<strong> deciduous forests of sal, teak, mahua, bamboo<\/strong> and <strong>bel trees.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It contains extensive grasslands that support a <strong>substantial prey base<\/strong> including antelopes, wild boar, and other herbivores.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What is Project Cheetah?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Project Cheetah is India\u2019s cheetah relocation programme. It aims to bring back independent India\u2019s only extinct large mammal.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The cheetah was <strong>officially declared extinct<\/strong> by the Indian government in <strong>1952.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The first batch of <strong>eight cheetahs<\/strong> arrived in <strong>2022 from Namibia<\/strong> and another batch of <strong>12 cheetahs<\/strong> from <strong>South Africa<\/strong> arrived in 2023 in <strong>Kuno National Park.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Two male cheetahs were moved from Kuno National Park to <strong>Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary in 2025<\/strong>, making it the second home for cheetahs in India as part of Project Cheetah.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/theprint.in\/environment\/nauradehi-to-be-cheetahs-new-home-in-mp-its-preparing-by-expanding-prey-base-relocating-villages\/2643265\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>THE PRINT<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>Exercise Trishul<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS3\/Defence<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>India has launched <strong>Exercise Trishul 2025<\/strong>, a <strong>major tri-service military exercise<\/strong> across <strong>Gujarat and Rajasthan<\/strong>, involving the <strong>Army, Navy, and Air Force<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About the exercise<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Exercise Trishul 2025<\/strong> is the <strong>largest tri-service exercise<\/strong> since the <strong>Operation Sindoor strikes<\/strong> six months ago.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The <strong>Kutch region of Gujarat<\/strong>, near the <strong>Sir Creek border<\/strong>\u2014a long-standing flashpoint with Pakistan\u2014forms the core area of operations.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>More than <strong>20,000 troops,<\/strong> supported by T-90S and Arjun tanks, attack helicopters, missile systems, <strong>Rafale and Sukhoi-30MKI fighters<\/strong>, as well as a <strong>fleet of frigates and destroyers<\/strong>, are conducting joint operations along the western front.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.indiatoday.in\/india\/story\/india-trishul-2025-tri-service-military-exercise-joint-operations-sir-creek-2810756-2025-10-31\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">IT<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><strong>In News<\/strong><\/p>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">Justice Surya Kant took over as 53rd Chief Justice of India and he will assume office on November 24, 2025, succeeding Chief Justice BR Gavai.<\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><strong>Appointment of Chief Justice of India<\/strong><\/p>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">The Chief Justice of India and the other judges of the Supreme Court are appointed by the President under clause (2) of Article 124 of the Indian Constitution.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">The Chief Justice of India is typically the senior-most Supreme Court judge deemed fit for the role.<\/li>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">The Union Law Minister seeks the outgoing CJI\u2019s recommendation, which is then forwarded to the Prime Minister, who advises the President for final appointment.<\/li>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">For other judges, the collegium recommends candidates, with written opinions from senior judges.<\/li>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/31-10-2025\/news-in-short-31-october-2025\" class=\"btn btn-primary btn-sm float-end\">Read\u00a0More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-58127","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-current-affairs"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/58127","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=58127"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/58127\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":58178,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/58127\/revisions\/58178"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=58127"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=58127"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=58127"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}