31 Oct 2025: Current Affairs Today | #currentaffair #upsc #generalawareness #upscexam #iasprelims
31 Oct 2025: Current Affairs Today | The Hindu Newspaper Analysis | Daily Current Affairs For UPSC short notes 👇 🟢 1. India–Norway Maritime Partnership (GS II & GS III) Key Highlights: Strengthened by the India-EFTA TEPA agreement (effective Oct 1, 2025). Focus areas: green shipping, digital maritime solutions, shipbuilding, maritime training, and gender inclusion. India’s participation in Nor-Shipping 2025 in Oslo featured its first-ever India Pavilion. Cochin Shipyard secured 14 vessel orders from Norway’s Wilson ASA. Norway aims to reduce domestic shipping emissions by 50% by 2030. India and Norway collaborate under the India-Norway Task Force on Blue Economy (est. 2019). Women’s inclusion promoted via Maritime SheEO Conference. Indian seafarers are the second-largest nationality on Norwegian-controlled vessels. ⚓ 2. Chabahar Port & US Sanctions Waiver (GS II) Strategic Importance: India received a 6-month waiver from US sanctions (effective Oct 29, 2025). Enables humanitarian supplies to Afghanistan via Chabahar. India-Iran signed MoU in 2015 for developing Shahid Beheshti Port. Chabahar offers India access to Central Asia, bypassing Pakistan. First waiver was granted in 2018 under Trump administration. 🐆 3. Cheetah Relocation Project – Nauradehi Sanctuary (GS III & Prelims) Sanctuary Details: Nauradehi to become MP’s third cheetah habitat after Kuno and Gandhi Sagar. Cheetahs to be imported from Namibia. Spread across 1197 sq.km in Sagar, Damoh, and Narsinghpur districts. Natural habitat of Indian wolf (Canis lupus pallipes). Declared Tiger Reserve in 2024. 🐆 4. Cheetah Reintroduction Project (GS III & Prelims) Project Overview: Launched on 17 Sept 2022 to restore extinct cheetah population (extinct since 1952). Implemented by NTCA, MP Forest Dept., WII, and experts from Namibia & South Africa. Kuno National Park: First release site; declared NP in 2018. Gandhi Sagar WLS: Savanna-like ecosystem, ideal for cheetahs; resembles Maasai Mara in Kenya. 🌫️ 5. CAQM & Delhi Pollution Control Measures (GS III & Prelims) Immediate Actions: From Nov 1, only BS-VI, CNG, LNG, and EVs allowed into Delhi. Ban on older commercial vehicles to combat rising smog levels. Cloud seeding trials failed due to low moisture. NOC limit lifted for deregistered vehicles to allow relocation outside NCR. 🏛️ 6. About CAQM (Prelims) Institutional Details: Established via ordinance in 2020, formalized by CAQM Act, 2021. Replaced EPCA (1998). Statutory body with powers to issue binding directions. Coordinates air quality efforts across Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, UP. Composition includes members from CPCB, ISRO, civil society, and central ministries. ⚖️ 7. Justice Surya Kant – 53rd Chief Justice of India (GS II) Career Timeline: Will assume office on 24 Nov 2025, tenure till Feb 2027. Born in Hisar, Haryana; Law degree from MDU Rohtak (1984). Youngest Advocate-General of Haryana (2000). Elevated to Punjab & Haryana HC Judge (2004), then HP HC Chief Justice (2018). Supreme Court Judge since May 2019. Executive Chairman of NALSA since May 2025. 🌴 8. Great Nicobar Island Project & Environmental Debate (GS III) Project Details: ₹92,000 crore mega project: port, airport, township, power plant. Covers 160 sq.km, including 30 sq.km forest land inhabited by Nicobarese & Shompen tribes. Centre claims no tribal displacement; project covers only 18% of Great Nicobar. Plans to translocate 16,000 coral colonies; monitor remaining 4,500. 51 active megapode nests identified; 30 to be lost, rest conserved. Environmental clearance includes monitoring till 2052. Next NGT hearing: 7 Nov 2025. 🌐 9. Trump–Xi G-2 Summit & Quad Implications (GS II & IR) Geopolitical Impact: US–China summit in Busan, South Korea led to tariff reduction on China (to 47%). India & Brazil now face highest tariffs (50%). Emergence of G-2 narrative raises concerns over Quad’s relevance. India favors multipolar world, not US–China duopoly. Trump plans to visit China in April 2026; Quad summit in India unlikely in 2025.
