CURRENT AFFAIRS 28-29 September, 2025

CURRENT AFFAIRS 28-29 September, 2025

1. FAREWELL TO THE MIG-21 –

• The Indian Air Force (IAF) bid farewell to the legendary Mikoyan-Gurevish MiG-21, marking the end of over six decades of service and celebrating its enduring legacy in India’s defence journey.
• MiG-21: It is a single-engine, single-seater, multi-role supersonic fighter jet developed by the Soviet Union’s Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau. Initially inducted into the Indian Air Force in 1963 as an interceptor, it was later upgraded for ground attack and other fighter roles.
• Versatility: known as the “bird of all seasons”, the MiG-21 excelled as an interceptor, ground-attack aircraft, frontline air defence jet, and trainer, shaping generations of Indian fighter pilots.and shaped India’s air strategy.
• Upgrades & Adaptability: Evolved into variants like Trishul, Vikram, Badal, and Bison. MiG-21 was continuously upgraded with modern radars, avionics, and weapons.
• Legacy & Significance: The MiG-21 symbolized courage, discipline, and patriotism, inspiring platforms like Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas and the upcoming Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA).
• It played decisive roles in the Indo-Pak War (1971) , Kargil conflict, Balakot airstrike, and Operation Sindoor.
• However, It is also known as flying coffin due to its high rate of operational losses and crashes throughout its decades-long service.

2. LADAKH’S PROTEST FOR SIXTH SCHEDULE STATUS –

• Ladakh has witnessed renewed protests demanding statehood and Sixth Schedule status, highlighting discontent among its predominantly tribal population over the lack of constitutional safeguards since its reorganization as a Union Territory in 2019.

What is the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution?

• About: The Sixth Schedule, enshrined in Articles 244(2) and 275(1), is based on the Bardoloi Committee’s recommendations to safeguard tribal governance.
• Provisions: It empowers Governors to establish Autonomous District Councils (ADCs) and Autonomous Regional Councils (ARCs), providing self-rule to tribal areas.
• ARCs allow the Governor to divide an autonomous district into separate regions if it has different Scheduled Tribes.
• Each ADC usually has up to 30 members (26 elected, 4 nominated by the Governor) serving a five-year term (Bodoland Territorial Council in Assam is an exception, it has more than 40 members).
• Currently, the Northeast has 10 ADCs across Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, and Tripura.
• Purpose: The Schedule was designed to protect tribal identity, culture, land, and governance systems in areas where tribal populations are significant, while still keeping them within the broader framework of the Indian Union.

3. INDIA GOVT. APPOINTS FIRST MUSHROOM SCIENTIST TO LEAD BSI –

• In a groundbreaking moment for India’s scientific community, Dr. Kanad Das took charge as the 13th Director of the Botanical Survey of India (BSI) on September 25, 2025, becoming the first mycologist to head the prestigious institute. The BSI, under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), has played a vital role in cataloguing and conserving India’s plant biodiversity since its establishment in 1890. Dr. Das’s appointment signals a significant shift toward recognizing the importance of fungal biodiversity, an often overlooked yet crucial part of India’s ecosystem.

Who is Kanad Das?

• India’s Leading Fungal Taxonomist
• Dr. Kanad Das is internationally renowned for his expertise in the taxonomy of fungi, with more than 165 new species of wild mushrooms and two new genera discovered under his name.
• His academic portfolio includes,
• 170 research papers in reputed journals such as Fungal Diversity, Mycosphere, Nature Scientific Reports, and IMA Fungus
• Eight books authored on wild mushrooms
• 25+ years of experience in botanical sciences
• Key leadership roles at the Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Indian Botanic Garden and Central National Herbarium
• He began his career as a research scholar at BSI’s Dehradun center, exemplifying long-standing commitment and expertise within the organization.

4. TIRUMALA GETS INDIA’S FIRST AI-BASED COMMAND CENTRE FOR PILGRIMS –

• In a groundbreaking move combining technology with spirituality, the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) has launched India’s first AI-powered Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC) at Tirumala. The centre, inaugurated by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on September 25, 2025, aims to revolutionize the way pilgrim traffic, safety, and darshan management are handled at one of the world’s busiest religious shrines.
• This marks a significant leap in adopting Artificial Intelligence (AI) for smart governance in temple management, especially during peak seasons when millions of devotees converge on the holy hill.

What is the ICCC?

• The Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC) is a 24/7 operations hub equipped with cutting-edge technologies to monitor and manage,
• Crowd density
• Queue lengths and wait times
• Real-time darshan flow
• Accommodation updates
• Anomaly detection and emergency response
• Located at the Vaikuntam Queue Complex, the centre operates with unified dashboards and cross-department coordination, ensuring seamless service delivery to pilgrims.

5. AFSPA EXTENDED IN MANIPUR ARUNACHAL NAGALAND REGIONS –

• The Ministry of Home Affairs extended the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in parts of Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, and Nagaland for six more months from October 2025. This follows ongoing ethnic violence and security concerns, especially in Manipur’s valley and hill districts. The Act empowers the armed forces with special authority in disturbed areas to maintain law and order.

AFSPA Extension in Manipur

• Manipur has faced ethnic violence since May 2023. The entire State, except for 13 police station areas in five valley districts, remains under AFSPA. These exclusions include Imphal, Lamphel, City, and others. Earlier, the Act was withdrawn from all valley police stations between April 2022 and April 2023 due to improved security. However, the violence resurgence led to reimposition in six police stations in five districts in November 2024. The hill districts have seen continuous AFSPA coverage for over 30 years. President’s Rule was imposed in Manipur in February 2025 amid the crisis.

AFSPA Status in Nagaland

• In Nagaland, AFSPA continues for another six months in nine districts including Dimapur, Mon, and Phek. Additionally, 21 police station areas across five other districts such as Kohima and Mokokchung remain covered. The Act has been a long-standing security measure in Nagaland due to insurgency and law-and-order challenges.

AFSPA Coverage in Arunachal Pradesh

• The Act remains effective in Arunachal Pradesh’s Tirap, Changlang, and Longding districts. Areas under Namsai, Mahadevpur, and Chowkham police stations in Namsai district, bordering Assam, are also declared disturbed. These regions have witnessed insurgent activities and cross-border tensions.

Legal Provisions and Powers Under AFSPA

• AFSPA, enacted in 1958, grants armed forces special powers in disturbed areas. These include the authority to use lethal force against those violating laws, arrest without warrant, and search premises without prior approval. The Act also protects security personnel from prosecution without Central Government sanction. It aims to enable swift action in areas with serious security threats.

MCQ QUIZ

Q1.   Amrabad Tiger Reserve is located in which state ?

1. a) Telangana
2. b) Odisha
3. c) Jharkhand
4. d) Maharashtra

Q2.   Which institute conducted the first successful wheat cultivation experiment in the Thar desert using ‘soilification’ technology ?

1. a) Banaras Hindu University
2. b) Punjab Agricultural University
3. c) Central Soil Salinity Research Institute
4. d) Central University of Rajasthan

Q3.   What is the theme of World Tourism Day 2025 ?

1. a) Tourism and Cultural Heritage
2. b) Tourism and Digital Innovation
3. c) Tourism and Sustainable Transformation
4. d) Tourism and Economic Growth

Q4.   Which of the following statements about AFSPA are correct ?

1. AFSPA empowers armed forces to search premises without warrant in “disturbed areas.”
2. Under AFSPA, no legal proceedings can be initiated against a member of the armed forces for acts done under the act, unless prior sanction of the State Government is obtained.
3. The “disturbed area” notification under AFSPA can be issued by the Central Government or the Governor of a State (or administrator) or the State Government.

          Select the correct answer:

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 is correct: One of the powers under AFSPA is that in “disturbed areas,” security forces can enter or search any premises without a warrant.
• Statement 2 is incorrect: The law requires prior sanction of the Central Government, not the State Government, for legal proceedings against armed forces personnel for actions under AFSPA. State Government sanction is not sufficient; it’s Central Govt sanction under Section 6.
• Statement 3 is correct: The “disturbed area” notification can be made by the State Government, or the Central Government (or Governor/administrator) under the Act, depending on the law.

Q5.   When the rupee depreciates vis‑à‑vis the dollar, which of the following statements are true ?

1. Imported inflation rises.
2. Export competitiveness improves (in dollar terms).
3. The rupee’s real effective exchange rate (REER) always declines.

          Select the correct answer:

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

Explanation-

• Statement 1 is correct: Rupee depreciation makes imports costlier, passing on costs to consumers (especially for goods like fuel, electronics etc.).
• Statement 2 is correct: In foreign currency terms, Indian goods become relatively cheaper, enhancing export competitiveness.
• Statement 3 is incorrect: The REER (Real Effective Exchange Rate) is determined by taking into account multiple currencies and inflation. It doesn’t always fluctuate—it also depends on other factors.

Answer Key