CURRENT AFFAIRS 26 September, 2025

CURRENT AFFAIRS 26 September, 2025

1. LADAKH PROTESTS –

• Recently, protests in Ladakh have intensified, with demonstrators demanding statehood and inclusion under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.
• Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk ended his 15-day hunger strike after appealing to youth to maintain peace in the five-year-long movement for autonomy.

Background of the Issue

• 2019 Reorganisation: Following the abrogation of Article 370, the Jammu & Kashmir Reorganisation Act divided the former state into two Union Territories — Jammu & Kashmir (with a legislature) and Ladakh (without a legislature).
• Initial Reaction: Unlike J&K, which witnessed unrest, Ladakh initially welcomed UT status, hoping for direct representation and greater autonomy from J&K.

Core Demands of the Ladakh Protest

• Statehood: Full statehood for Ladakh to restore Legislative Powers and secure Self-Governance.
• Sixth Schedule: Inclusion under the Sixth Schedule to protect tribal identity and rights.
• Over 90% of Ladakh’s population belongs to Scheduled Tribes.
• Employment: Establishment of a separate Public Service Commission to tackle rising unemployment.
• Representation: At present Ladakh has only 1 Lok Sabha seat.
• Demand for two Lok Sabha seats (Leh & Kargil separately) and one Rajya Sabha seat for greater voice at the Centre.

Drivers of the Protest

• Loss of Autonomy: reduced autonomy of the Hill Development Councils, the curtailment of decision-making powers under direct central administration.
• Protesters argue existing Hill Development Councils are subordinate to the Lieutenant Governor and lack real autonomy.
• Environmental Stress: Fear of indiscriminate mining and industrialisation in ecologically fragile valleys.
• Border Security: Chinese presence along the LAC and loss of grazing lands for Pashmina shepherds.
• Democratic Deficit: UT status without legislature under direct central administration curtails local participation in governance.
• Job Shortage: the shortage of employment opportunities after delinking from J&K’s recruitment boards.
• A government survey shows 26.5% of Ladakh graduates unemployed, the second-highest in India after Andaman & Nicobar (33%).

2. GLOBAL INNOVATION INDEX 2025 –

• India has climbed to the 38th position among 139 economies in the World Intellectual Property Organization’s (WIPO) Global Innovation Index (GII) 2025, improving from 48th place in 2020.

Global Innovation Index

• The Global Innovation Index (GII), introduced in 2007, was developed to provide comprehensive metrics and methodologies for assessing the wide spectrum of innovations across economies.
• Published annually by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the GII has become a key benchmark for evaluating an economy’s innovation ecosystem.
• Recognized by the UN General Assembly as an authoritative reference for shaping Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) policies.

What are the Key Highlights of the GII 2025?

• India Related Findings: India rose from 81st (2015) to 38th (2025), ranking 1st among lower-middle-income economies and in Central & Southern Asia.
• Its strengths are Knowledge & Technology Outputs (22) and Market Sophistication (38); weaknesses lie in Business Sophistication (64), Infrastructure (61), and Institutions (58).
• Top-Ranked Economies: The top five most innovative economies are Switzerland (1st), Sweden (2nd), USA (3rd), South Korea (4th), and Singapore (5th). China ranked in the top 10 for the first time, securing the 10th position.
• Top Innovation Clusters: The world’s top innovation clusters are Shenzhen–Hong Kong–Guangzhou (1st) in China and Hong Kong, and Tokyo–Yokohama (2nd) in Japan.
• Positive Socioeconomic Impact: Labor productivity rose 2.5% in 2024, global life expectancy reached 73 years, and extreme poverty fell to 817 million, under half of 2004 levels.
• Rapid Technological Advancement: In 2024, technology advanced with notable gains in supercomputing efficiency and battery prices. However, adoption slowed, progress in wind power and genome sequencing lagged, and novel drug development regressed.

3. INDIA TESTS AGNI-PRIME MISSILE FROM RAIL LAUNCHER –

• India recently achieved milestone by successfully test-launching the Agni-Prime intermediate-range ballistic missile from a rail-based mobile launcher system. This launch is the first of its kind in the country and marks India’s advancing strategic deterrence capabilities.

Significance of Rail-Based Missile Launch

• The Agni-Prime missile was launched from a specially designed mobile platform integrated with India’s national railway network. This innovation enables the missile to move across the country without restrictions. It offers cross-country mobility, faster reaction times, and reduced visibility, enhancing strategic flexibility and survivability.

Technical Features of Agni-Prime

• Agni-Prime is a next-generation missile with a strike range of up to 2,000 kilometres. It is solid-fuelled and three-staged, which allows for quicker launch readiness and better control. The missile uses a canister launch system, improving storage, handling, and rapid deployment.

4. L&T, BEL JOIN RACE TO BUILD INDIA’S STEALTH FIGHTER JET –

• India’s push for indigenous defense manufacturing took a major leap with the L&T-Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) consortium formally entering the race to develop the country’s first 5th-generation stealth fighter jet — the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA). This move challenges the longstanding monopoly of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in combat aircraft production and marks a paradigm shift in how India approaches high-end defense platforms. The ₹15,000 crore AMCA programme, developed by the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) under DRDO, aims to produce five prototypes of a next-gen stealth jet within the next five years.

What is AMCA?

• The Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) is envisioned as India’s fifth-generation fighter jet, featuring,

1. Stealth capabilities
2. Supercruise engines
3. Internal weapons bay
4. Sensor fusion
5. Advanced avionics

• Designed to complement the existing Rafale and Su-30MKI fleets, AMCA will play a crucial role in future Indian Air Force operations.
• The project was formally approved by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) in March 2024, with an initial outlay of ₹15,000 crore.

5. MAKE IN INDIA MARKS 11 YEARS OF ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION –

• On September 25, 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Nation marked the 11th anniversary of the Make in India initiative, reflecting on its contributions to India’s economic resilience and self-reliance. Launched on the same day in 2014, Make in India aimed to position India as a global manufacturing hub, boost entrepreneurship, and reduce dependency on imports.

Why Make in India Was Launched

• When launched in 2014, Make in India had three key objectives,
• Increase the share of manufacturing in GDP from around 16% to 25%
• Create 100 million jobs in the manufacturing sector by 2022
• Attract foreign direct investment (FDI) and improve ease of doing business
• The initiative targeted 25 priority sectors, including automobiles, electronics, pharmaceuticals, renewable energy, defence manufacturing, and textiles.

Achievements Over the Past 11 Years

• Manufacturing and Exports Growth
• Despite global disruptions like the COVID-19 pandemic, India’s manufacturing sector has shown resilience:
• India’s merchandise exports crossed $450 billion in FY2024, with engineering goods, electronics, and chemicals leading the growth.
• The PLI (Production-Linked Incentive) schemes, introduced under Make in India’s broader umbrella, have attracted investments across electronics, semiconductors, and pharma.

MCQ QUIZ

Q1.   The Sujalam Bharat Summit is a national initiative led by which ministry ?

1. a) Ministry of Agriculture
2. b) Ministry of Jal Shakti
3. c) Ministry of Environment
4. d) Ministry of Tourism

Q2.   Which ministry launched Viksit Bharat Buildathon 2025, India’s largest school hackathon ?

1. a) Ministry of Education
2. b) Ministry of Skill Development
3. c) Ministry of Science and Technology
4. d) Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports

Q3.   Which is the world’s largest government-funded health insurance scheme that completed seven years on September 23, 2025 ?

1. a) Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana
2. b) National Health Mission
3. c) Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana
4. d) Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana

Q4.   With reference to the Goods and Services Tax Appellate Tribunal (GSTAT), consider the following statements:

1. GSTAT is established under the Central GST Act, 2017 and functions as a common forum for appeals under both Central and State GST laws.
2. The President of the GSTAT must be a serving judge of the Supreme Court or a High Court.
3. From April 2026, the Principal Bench of GSTAT will also function as the National Appellate Authority for Advance Ruling (AAR).

          Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?

1. a) 1 and 2 only
2. b) 2 only
3. c) 1 and 3 only
4. d) 1, 2, and 3

Explanation-

• Statement 1: Correct: GSTAT is a statutory body under Sections 109 and 110 of the CGST Act, 2017. It serves as a common appellate forum under both Central and State/UT GST Acts.
• Statement 2: Incorrect: The President must be a former Supreme Court judge or Chief Justice of a High Court, not a serving judge.
• Statement 3: Correct: From April 2026, the Principal Bench will also act as the National Appellate Authority for Advance Ruling (AAR).

Q5.   With reference to Estonia, consider the following statements:

1. It is a landlocked country located in Northeastern Europe.
2. Estonia is a member of both the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the European Union (EU).
3. Article 5 of the NATO treaty, which Estonia can invoke, pertains to mutual consultation when a member’s territorial integrity is threatened.

          How many of the above statements are incorrect ?

1. a) Only one
2. b) Only two
3. c) All three
4. d) None

Explanation-

• Statement 1 is incorrect. Estonia is not landlocked. It has an extensive coastline along the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Finland. It shares land borders with Russia and Latvia. A key feature of its geography is its maritime access.
• Statement 2 is correct. Estonia strategically aligned with Western institutions after regaining independence. It joined both NATO and the EU in 2004, which is central to its national security and foreign policy.
• Statement 3 is incorrect. The article pertaining to mutual consultation when territorial integrity is threatened is Article 4. Article 5 is the collective defence clause, which states that an attack on one member is an attack on all. This is a much stronger commitment and has only been invoked once in NATO’s history (after the 9/11 attacks).

Answer Key