Constitution Day 2025

• On 26 November 2025, India observed Constitution Day with a national function in the historic Central Hall of Samvidhan Sadan, marking the adoption of the Constitution in 1949.

Event Led by the President:

• The President of India will preside over the national Constitution Day function in the Central Hall, with the Vice-President and Lok Sabha Speaker addressing the gathering before the President’s speech.
• The event will include the national reading of the Preamble, led by the President, reaffirming India’s commitment to constitutional values.
• The Legislative Department will digitally launch the Constitution of India in nine regional languages: Malayalam, Marathi, Nepali, Punjabi, Bodo, Kashmiri, Telugu, Odia and Assamese.
• A commemorative booklet, “The Art and Calligraphy of India’s Constitution”, showcasing calligraphy and artwork from the original Constitution, will also be released.

Constitution Day:-

• Constitution Day (Samvidhan Diwas) marks 26 November 1949, the day the Constituent Assembly adopted the Constitution of India.
• The document came into force on 26 January 1950, chosen to commemorate the Purna Swaraj Declaration of 1930.
• It was officially designated as Constitution Day in 2015 to honour Dr B.R. Ambedkar’s 125th birth anniversary year to promote constitutional literacy and civic awareness.
• The day honours the work of the Constituent Assembly, chaired by Dr Rajendra Prasad, with Dr B.R. Ambedkar as Chairman of the Drafting Committee.

Important Facts About the Indian Constitution

• The Indian Constitution is the longest national constitution, with the original manuscript spanning 251 pages and containing detailed provisions unmatched globally.
• It took 2 years, 11 months and 18 days for the Constituent Assembly to finalise the Constitution.
• The original document was not printed; it was handwritten in beautiful calligraphic script by Prem Behari Narain Raizada, a renowned master calligrapher.
• Every page carries intricate borders and artwork created by Nandalal Bose and his team from Santiniketan, showcasing Indian motifs, historical symbols and cultural themes.
• Two identical handwritten versions were created, one in English and one in Hindi, both preserved in helium-filled cases in the Parliament Library.
• The manuscript was inscribed on special parchment sheets (16 × 22 inches), designed to last up to a thousand years, and the full document weighs about 3.75 kg.

Election to the next Secretary- General of UNSC

• The UN has formally begun the process to elect the next Secretary-General to replace Antonio Guterres when his term ends on 31 December 2026. Member states have been invited to submit nominations, with a strong push for selecting the first woman Secretary-General in UN history.

UN Secretary-General :

• The Secretary-General (SG) is the chief administrative officer of the United Nations, as defined under Article 97 of the UN Charter.
• Often described as “equal parts diplomat, advocate, civil servant and CEO”, the SG represents the UN globally and serves as its moral voice.

Legal Basis (Governed By):

• Article 97, UN Charter – SG appointed by the General Assembly on the recommendation of the Security Council.
• Traditional practices such as regional rotation, though not formally binding.

The Selection Procedure Works:

1. Nominations Begin:

• Member states nominate candidates after a joint letter from the UNSC President and UNGA President.
• Increasing emphasis on gender balance and regional diversity.

2. Security Council Screening:

• The 15-member UN Security Council conducts a series of straw polls (secret ballots).
• Each member marks a candidate as “encourage”, “discourage”, or “no opinion”.
• The five permanent members (P5 — US, UK, China, Russia, France) have veto power and their ballots are colour-coded.

3. Security Council Recommendation:

• A candidate requires 9 votes and no veto.
• A formal UNSC resolution recommends one name to the General Assembly.

4. General Assembly Appointment: The 193-member UNGA votes (usually a formality) to appoint the candidate as the next Secretary-General.

• Term: 5-year term, renewable (usually once and Guterres is serving his second).

Functions of the Secretary-General:

• Administrative & Executive Roles: Heads the UN Secretariat, supervising over 30,000 staff and managing a core budget (~USD 3.7 billion) and the peacekeeping budget (~USD 5.6 billion).
• Diplomatic & Mediation Role: Acts as a global mediator, using “good offices” to prevent or resolve conflicts. Appeals to the world community on humanitarian crises, climate, peace and security.
• Agenda-Setting Role: Brings issues before the Security Council that threaten international peace (Article 99).
• Launches global initiatives on development, climate action, human rights, gender equality, and humanitarian relief.
• Symbolic & Advocacy Role: Promotes multilateralism, peace, human rights and sustainable development.

IMF to Alter Classification of India’s Forex Framework

• The International Monetary Fund is expected to change the way it classifies India’s exchange rate regime, potentially describing it as having “crawling peg” like features in its 2025 Article IV report.

What this issue is about?

• The IMF maintains a de facto exchange rate regime classification for all member countries based on how their currencies actually behave in the market, not only on official claims.
• For India, the IMF now likely plans to describe the regime as having crawling peg type features because the rupee is allowed to adjust gradually while the RBI still intervenes to smooth volatility.

What governs IMF exchange rate classification?

• The classification is anchored in the IMF’s Articles of Agreement and its surveillance mandate under Article IV.
• IMF staff apply a uniform global methodology that looks at the actual path of the currency, the scale and pattern of intervention, and the degree of policy commitment to any exchange rate path.

Types of exchange rate classifications relevant for India:

1. No separate legal tender:

• Use of another country’s currency or membership in a currency union.
• Monetary policy is fully surrendered to the issuing authority of that currency.

2. Hard pegs and conventional pegs:

• Currency board arrangements with a legally fixed conversion rate and full foreign asset backing.
• Conventional fixed peg where the domestic currency is kept within a very narrow band around a central rate using active intervention.

3. Pegged within horizontal bands:

• The exchange rate is allowed to move within a somewhat wider announced band around a central rate.

4. Crawling pegs:

• The central rate is adjusted periodically in small steps, often based on inflation differentials with trading partners or preannounced crawl.
• Gives some flexibility but still constrains monetary policy like a peg.

5. Crawling bands:

• A band around a crawling central rate where both the parity and band move over time.
• Flexibility depends on how wide the band is.

6. Managed float with no predetermined path:

• Central bank intervenes to smooth volatility but without any announced or systematic path for the currency.
• Decisions are more judgment based, often linked to reserves, balance of payments and financial stability.

7. Independently floating:

• Exchange rate is mainly market determined.
• Intervention is limited to moderating excessive short-term fluctuations rather than targeting any level.

Sanchar Saathi

• The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) reports that Sanchar Saathi has enabled the recovery of over 50,000 stolen handsets nationwide in October for the first time.
• Total device recoveries exceeded 7 lakhs, with monthly recoveries rising by 47% (June–October 2025),
• Karnataka and Telangana emerged as top-performing states, each exceeding 1 lakh recoveries.

Sanchar Saathi:

• Sanchar Saathi is a citizen-centric initiative by DoT to empower mobile subscribers, strengthen their security, and help them combat telecom-related fraud and identity theft.
• The Sanchar Saathi portal was launched in 2023, and the Mobile App was introduced in January 2025.
• The system detects new SIM insertions in blocked devices, alerting the registered user and the concerned police station for quick recovery.

Key Features:

• CEIR: Central Equipment Identity Register enables blocking and tracing of lost or stolen devices across all telecom providers.
• Know Your Connections: It allows users to verify the mobile connections registered in their name (e.g., using Aadhaar details) and to report unauthorised or unnecessary ones.
• Chakshu: The facility enables citizens to report suspected fraudulent calls, SMS, or WhatsApp communications related to potential cybercrimes or financial fraud.
• Know Your Mobile: This service lets users verify a mobile handset’s authenticity by entering its IMEI number to check its status (blacklisted, duplicate, or normal) before buying.
• ASTR: The AI and Facial Recognition-powered Solution for Telecom SIM Subscriber Verification enables the blocking of any number acquired using fake, forged, or multiple documents.

Auramine O

• Auramine O, a low-cost industrial yellow dye classified as a possible human carcinogen, continues to appear in Indian food products despite being legally prohibited.

Auramine O:

• Chemical Identity: A synthetic dye derived from dimethylaniline-formaldehyde condensation that appears as yellow crystalline flakes soluble in organic solvents.
• Regulatory Status: Classified as non-permitted for food use under FSSAI; similarly restricted by EU, US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and East Asian regulators due to toxicity risks.
• Industrial Applications: Used in textiles, leather, paper, printing inks, & fluorescent microbiological staining; no authorised role in foods or edible commodities.
• Health Hazards: Linked to hepatic-renal toxicity, splenomegaly, mutagenicity, & labelled Group 2B (possible carcinogen) by the International Agency for Research on Cancer based on animal evidence.
• Adulteration Pattern: Commonly detected in sweets, turmeric, and street snacks to enhance colour; persists due to informal supply chains, weak market surveillance, and low-cost availability.

Ram Temple Flag Hoisting Ceremony

• PM Narendra Modi hoisted the saffron flag — the Dharma Dhwaj, atop the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, marking the completion of the temple’s construction.

Ram Mandir

• It is a three-story temple built in the traditional Nagara style of architecture, prevalent in North India.
• Mandap Layout: The complex contains five main halls — Nritya, Rang, Sabha, Prarthana, and Kirtan.
• Spatial Features: The Singh Dwar on the eastern side is the main entrance; Garbhagriha (sanctum sanctorum) houses the infant Ram idol; and the first floor has a Shri Ram Darbar.
• Construction Material: It mainly uses pink Bansi Paharpur sandstone; granite is used in plinths, while White Makrana marble and coloured marble are used in inlay work.
• Iron-Free Structure: The construction does not use iron or steel to prevent corrosion, thereby lowering the overall carbon footprint.

November 26 - National Milk Day

• November 26 is observed as National Milk Day, commemorating the birth anniversary of Dr. Verghese Kurien.
• Dr Kurien, born on 26 November 1921 in Kozhikode, Kerala, led Operation Flood and is known as the “Father of the White Revolution“ in India.
• White Revolution, or Operation Flood, launched in 1970, is world’s largest dairy development programme, transforming India from a milk-deficient country into the world’s largest milk producer.
• Anand Model: He pioneered the Anand cooperative model, where farmers managed milk procurement, processing, and marketing, removing middlemen and increasing producer incomes.
• Institution Building: He established key institutions, including the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) in 1965 and the GCMMF, which manages the Amul brand.
• Awards: He received the Ramon Magsaysay Award, World Food Prize, Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Vibhushan for his contributions.

Australia to become first country to ban social media for children under 16 years

• From December 10, 2025, social media companies such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, etc. can be fined up to AUD 50 million for failing to remove such accounts from their platforms.

What are the concerns regarding social media usage in children?

• Mental Health: Children addicted to social media often show increased rates of anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem.
• Physical Health: Exposure to certain content promotes sedentary behavior, eating disorders and unattainable beauty ideals leading to issues like disrupted sleep patterns, obesity etc.
• Social development: Constant use of the virtual platforms reduces face-to-face interactions leading to social isolation, strained family relations and inability in emotional regulation.
• Online safety concerns: Social media makes children susceptible to cyberbullying, harmful content, and online sexual predators.

Potential negative effects of the ban -

• Limit development of digital skills: Limits positive impacts of using social media such as creative expression, collaborative learning via educational content, interest-based networking, etc.
• May push children to unsafe places on the Internet E.g. Dark Web
• Alternative approaches to tackle social media addiction in children
• Restricted usage:  E.g. allowing access to educational and creative learning streams.
• Children-focused platforms: E.g. Instagram Teen accounts with built-in protections.
• Adopting Best Practices: E.g. Digital De-Addiction (D-DAD) centres of Kerala police provide free counselling to kids with digital addiction.

Sovereign AI on the rise as nations move to reduce dependence on global superpowers

• As the U.S. and China compete for AI dominance, other countries, including India, are pursuing Sovereign AI to stay secure and competitive.
• Sovereign AI is a nation's capacity to produce artificial intelligence using its own infrastructure, data, and workforce.

Why are countries pursuing sovereign AI?

• Economic Advantage: AI is projected to generate trillions of dollars in economic dividends and productivity gains, currently benefitting Global North at the expense of Global South.
• Strategic Autonomy: AI is becoming a pillar of economic and military power. Countries don’t want to be dependent on the US or China for foundational AI models and computing power.
• Data Sovereignty: To ensure critical data (citizens’ data, defense, infrastructure, healthcare) stays within national control and is not processed by foreign tech giants. E.g. US based models such as ChatGPT, Grok, etc.
• Cultural Preservation: Sovereign foundation models, such as Large Language models (LLMs), can be trained on local datasets (e.g. dialects, societal practices) to promote inclusiveness and revitalize indigenous languages.

What are the challenges for India?

• Foreign dependency: For technology, components and infrastructure. E.g. silicon chips.
• Funding: To setup large AI factories, a huge sum of money is required both from private and public sector at the initial stage.
• Skilled workforce: India lacks the high-skilled manpower required for manufacturing advance chips and AI LLM development.