Daily Current Affairs – 25 October 2025

Explore the Daily Current Affairs 25 October 2025, relevant for UPSC exam. Also download quick REVISION NOTES.

Key issues:

1. India’s existing child protection framework (laws, policies, and schemes) neglects pharmacovigilance for children’s medicines.
2. Countries like EU and the US have specific acts incentivizing paediatric research, while India operates only on general norms.
3. Children’s unique physiology requires dedicated paediatric drug guidelines, which India lacks.
4. Over-the-counterdrugs misuse and poor caregiver awareness exacerbate risks.

Recommendations:

1. Essential Medicine Lists for Children (EMLc) should be regularly updated.
2. Regulation of over-the-counter (OTC) drugs for children.
3. Stronger monitoring mechanisms, education for caregivers, and zero tolerance toward substandard drugs.
4. Use of indigenous Indian data for paediatric drug research rather than relying on adult-based or foreign data.

Way forward:

1. Legislative Framework: Create a Paediatric Drug Safety Act (like the US BCPA or EU’s PUMA). Define clear standards for dosage, formulation, and approval for child-specific medicines.
2. Regulatory Strengthening: Improve coordination between central and state agencies. There should be mandatory quality audits and batch testing for paediatric formulations.
3. Data and Research: Develop Indian-specific pharmacological data and trials. Fund child-focused pharmaceutical R&D through incentives.
4. Awareness and Training: Educate caregivers and pharmacists on dosage, side effects, and safe administration. Ban sale of unsafe or substitute drugs for children.
5. International Cooperation: Align with WHO and global child safety frameworks. Ensure safe exports to protect India’s pharma reputation.
6. Ethical & Governance Dimension: Adopt zero tolerance for negligence and corruption in drug regulation. Uphold child rights as per Article 39(f) and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

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Major concerns:

1. Port capacity does not guarantee cargo traffic. Rather, successful trans-shipment hubs depend on network connectivity, feeder links, and cargo base, not just infrastructure. Example – (a) Vallarpadam Transshipment Terminal (Kochi): Built to attract container traffic from Colombo, but struggled because it lacked feeder services and cargo base — high capacity but low traffic. (b) Krishnapatnam Port (Andhra Pradesh): Initially focused on container trade but reverted to bulk cargo due to poor shipping line commitment.
2. Great Nicobar lacks a hinterland, industrial support, feeder services, and logistical ecosystem, making it commercially impractical.
3. Its geographical remoteness (1,200 km from mainland India) raises operational costs and limits economic feasibility.
4. Strategic justification (countering China, enhancing maritime security) could be met through existing facilities like INS Baaz, without a costly commercial port.
5. It is environmental fragility location and involve indigenous displacement risks.

Way Forward:

• Realistic appraisal: Infrastructure must align with logistical and economic realities.
• Environmental safeguards: Protect Great Nicobar’s fragile ecosystem and indigenous tribes.
• Strategic clarity: Separate military objectives from commercial projects.
• Integrated planning: Strengthen mainland ports (Vizhinjam, Vadhavan) with better regulatory efficiency.
• Participatory governance: Conduct transparent consultations with local communities and environmental experts.

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Soybean:

• Soybean (Glycine max) is a leguminous oilseed and protein crop.
• It is called the “Golden Bean” and is a key part of India’s edible oil and animal feed economy.
• It was introduced on a large scale in India during the 1970s–80s, especially in Madhya Pradesh, which today contributes ~40% of national production.

Key Issues in Soyabean sector:

1. Yield Decline:
   • Earlier: 4 quintals/acre → Now: 2–2.5 quintals/acre.
   • Causes: poor seeds, soil exhaustion, erratic rainfall, wildlife damage.
2. Price Crisis:
   • MSP ₹5,328/quintal vs. market ₹3,000–₹3,500.
   • No effective procurement.
3. Import Threat:
   • U.S. soybean cheaper ($380/tonne vs. India’s $620).
   • Imports could destroy domestic market & industry (₹6–₹7 billion investment at risk).
4. Policy Gaps:
   • Bhavantar Bhugtan Yojana ineffective — differences in model price & average price.
   • Farmers claim “duplicity” in government promises vs. outcomes.
5. Declining Cultivation:
   • Oilseed sowing down by 10.62 lakh ha; soybean alone down 9.1 lakh ha in 2025.
6. Socio-economic Impact:
   • Farmers leaving agriculture, indebtedness rising.
   • Youth disinterest in farming (migration to other sectors).
7. Scientific Perspective:
   • ICAR promotes R&D, start-ups, and food-based soybean products.
   • Only 18–19% of soybean used for oil — mostly a protein crop.
   • Potential for value addition & diversification.

Constitutional & Policy Links:

1. Article 38 & 39(b): Promote economic justice & equitable distribution of resources.
2. Article 48: Modernize agriculture using scientific methods.
3. Doubling Farmers’ Income Goal (2022) – policy failure highlighted.
4. National Mission on Edible Oils (NMEO-OP): aims to boost oilseed production but needs better execution.

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About Gyan Bharatam Mission:

Gyan Bharatam Mission is a national initiative to preserve, digitise, and disseminate India’s vast manuscript heritage, integrating tradition with technology for future generations.

The mission aims to create a National Digital Repository (NDR) — a unified digital platform to make manuscripts accessible globally.

Activities under the Mission:

1. Survey & Cataloguing – Creating detailed metadata and inventories.
2. Conservation & Capacity Building – Training in preservation techniques.
3. Technology & Digitisation – Scanning, OCR, metadata creation, digital repository management.
4. Linguistics & Translation – Translating manuscripts from classical languages (Sanskrit, Pali, Tamil, Persian, etc.).
5. Research & Publication – Scholarly editions and critical studies.
6. Outreach – Awareness programmes, exhibitions, and cultural collaborations.

Significance of the Mission:

Dimension	Significance
Cultural	Revives India’s ancient knowledge systems in Vedas, Ayurveda, astronomy, philosophy, etc.
Educational	Promotes interdisciplinary research in Indology, linguistics, and history.
Digital India	Contributes to digital cultural infrastructure and heritage preservation.
Soft Power	Showcases India’s civilizational heritage globally through digitised access.
Employment	Creates jobs for archivists, translators, conservators, and researchers.

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Daily Current Affairs 25 October 2025

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