News In Short - UPSC Current Affairs 2025

Nayi Chetna 4.0 Campaign

Context: Recently, the Union Minister of Rural Development and Agriculture and Farmers Welfare launched Nayi Chetna 4.0 in New Delhi to advance gender equality and strengthen women’s empowerment.

More on the News

The campaign promotes gender equality and aims to empower rural women through Self-Help Groups under DAY-NRLM.
An inter-ministerial joint advisory was unveiled to ensure convergent action between twelve Ministries and Departments and to adopt a whole-of-government approach towards eliminating gender discrimination and violence.

• An Inter-Ministerial Tripartite MoU–Letter of Intent was unveiled between the Ministries of Women and Child Development, Law and Justice, and Rural Development for the Violence-Free Village Initiative.

The initiative aims to create model villages where girls and women have access to safety, rights, and empowerment opportunities.

Objectives of Nayi Chetna 4.0

The campaign aims to strengthen community efforts to address gender-based violence and support women’s dignity and safety.
The campaign promotes safe mobility for rural women and recognises them as essential contributors to household and community economies.
The initiative addresses unpaid care work through shared community responsibility and awareness.
The campaign enhances access to assets, credit, markets, and skills to expand rural women’s entrepreneurial and livelihood opportunities.
The programme advocates gender-responsive policies and budgets to ensure women’s participation in local decision-making.

BIMSTEC Meeting on Maritime Security Cooperation

Context: Recently, the National Security Council Secretariat (New Delhi) hosted the fourth meeting of BIMSTEC Expert Group on Maritime Security Cooperation, under the chairmanship of Vice Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta (Retd.), National Maritime Security Coordinator from 24-25 November 2025.

About BIMSTEC

The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is a regional organisation that was established on 06 June 1997 with the signing of the Bangkok Declaration.
It aims to accelerate the economic growth and social progress in the Bay of Bengal region through joint endeavours in a spirit of equality and partnership.
Initially, it is known as BIST-EC (Bangladesh-India-Sri Lanka-Thailand Economic Cooperation), the organisation now comprises seven Member States with the admission of Myanmar on 22 December 1997, and Bhutan and Nepal in February 2004.
Members: Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bhutan and Nepal.

137th birth anniversary of Ganesh Vasudev Mavalankar

Context: The Lok Sabha Speaker paid tributes to Shri Ganesh Vasudev Mavalankar, the first Speaker of Lok Sabha, on his birth anniversary on 27 November.

About Ganesh Vasudev Mavalankar

G.V. Mavalankar was born on 27 November 1888, in Baroda and later pursued higher education in Ahmedabad, where he earned a degree in science followed by a first-class law degree.
He began his career as both a lawyer and a professor of law, gaining recognition for his scholarly discipline and commitment to public life.
From 1920 to 1922 he joined the national movement and actively joined major campaigns such as the Non-Cooperation Movement and the Khaira No-Rent movement, for which he faced multiple imprisonments.
In 1921–1922, he served as the Secretary of the Gujarat Provincial Congress Committee.
In 1937, he was elected as the Speaker of the Bombay Province Legislative Assembly.
In January 1946, he was elected President of the Central Legislative Assembly.
From 1946 to 1950, he served as the Speaker of the Constituent Assembly (Legislative) and oversaw crucial legislative debates during the drafting of the Constitution.
Between 1950 and 1952, he became the Speaker of the Provisional Parliament after the Constitution came into effect.
On May 15, 1952, he was unanimously elected as the first Speaker of the First Lok Sabha.
From 1952 to 1956, he shaped parliamentary conventions, established key committees such as the Rules Committee and the Business Advisory Committee, and introduced practices like the discussion on the President’s Address and Motion of Thanks.
During this period, he also contributed to educational development and served as the founder and president of the Ahmedabad Education Society.
In 1956, he passed away while serving as the Speaker of the Lok Sabha.

India and Indonesia Move Closer to BrahMos Missile Agreement

Context: India and Indonesia are advancing discussions on a major defence agreement for the BrahMos missile system to deepen strategic and security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific.

About BrahMos Missile

Developed jointly by India’s DRDO and Russia’s NPO Mashinostroyeniya, the BrahMos missile is the only supersonic cruise missile in the world capable of speeds up to Mach 2.8 (around 3,450 kmph). It is capable of precise strikes against land, sea, and coastal targets.
The missile has been operationalised across all three Indian defence services and was used during Operation Sindoor for striking designated targets.
BrahMos Aerospace is working to export the next-generation version to several countries in Africa and West Asia.

Tetrapod-Shaped Nanoparticles

Context: Recently, researchers from IIT Bombay, IIT Madras and IIT Kanpur reported that tetrapod-shaped nanoparticles reduce the viscosity of polymers and could enable easier and less energy-intensive plastic processing.

Key Highlights of the Study

The study finds that tetrapod-shaped nanoparticles lower polymer viscosity and make molten plastics easier to melt, mix and shape during industrial processing.
The team explains that long polymer chains avoid the inner curves of a tetrapod, which reduces chain crowding and allows smoother sliding of polymer molecules.
The researchers confirm through control experiments that spherical and rod-shaped nanoparticles increase viscosity and only tetrapods ease polymer flow.
The study uses simulations to show how nanoparticle geometry affects polymer behaviour and flow patterns at the microscopic level.
The work indicates that nanoparticle shape can be used to tune viscosity for coatings, adhesives or 3D printing materials that need precise flow control.
The researchers note that the mechanical and thermal properties of polystyrene remain unchanged after adding tetrapods, which shows that the polymer’s stability is not compromised.

25th Summer Deaflympics 2025

Context: Recently, the Prime Minister of India congratulated the Indian Deaflympians for their extraordinary performance at the 25th Summer Deaflympics 2025 held in Tokyo, Japan.

About Deaflympics 2025

The Deaflympics is an international multi-sport event for deaf athletes that is held every four years under the International Committee of Sports for the Deaf.
The Games featured 21 sports and used visual communication systems such as starting lights, flags and International Sign for all competitions.
It was topped by Ukraine, followed by the United States and Japan.
The participation rules require athletes to have a minimum hearing loss of fifty-five decibels in the better ear without any hearing aid.
India made its Deaflympics debut in 1965 and entered the 2025 edition with fifty-two medals in its historical tally.

Chanakya Defence Dialogue-2025

Context: Recently, the President of India inaugurated the third edition of ‘Chanakya Defence Dialogue-2025’ in New Delhi.

M	T	W	T	F	S	S
1	2	3	4	5	6	7
8	9	10	11	12	13	14
15	16	17	18	19	20	21
22	23	24	25	26	27	28
29	30	31