30 November 2025

• Scientists successfully tested adenine base editing to fix mutations causing beta-thalassemia, with India accounting for a major share of global thalassemia carriers.
• India's first indigenous flying trainer Hansa-3 (NG), developed by CSIR-NAL, features a 620 nautical mile range and glass cockpit optimised for Commercial Pilot Licence training.
• The Department of Telecommunications directed OTT communication apps to implement SIM binding within 90 days to prevent misuse of Indian mobile numbers by overseas criminals.
• Short Neck Clam from Ashtamudi Lake, Kerala became India's first Marine Stewardship Council certified fishery.
• The Lowy Institute's Asia Power Index 2025 ranked India third overall after the United States and China, with economic capability as India's strongest measure.

GS area: GS-3 (biotechnology, health, genetic science)

Scientists have successfully used adenine base editing to correct the genetic mutations that cause beta-thalassemia, an inherited blood disorder. The technique modifies a single DNA base without cutting the double helix, offering a safer alternative to conventional gene editing.

• Thalassemia: an inherited blood disorder in which the body produces abnormal or insufficient haemoglobin. Haemoglobin is the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen. Reduced haemoglobin production causes anaemia.
• Beta-thalassemia: the specific form caused by mutations in the beta-globin gene. Severe forms require blood transfusions every two to four weeks and iron chelation therapy to remove excess iron from the blood. The only permanent cure is stem cell or bone marrow transplantation.
• Global and India burden: beta-thalassemia is more common in the Mediterranean basin, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. India has approximately 40 million thalassemia trait carriers and sees an estimated 10,000 to 15,000 thalassemia major births annually.
• Adenine base editing (ABE): a precision gene editing technique that converts an adenine (A) DNA base to an inosine (I) (read as guanine) at a specific location. Unlike CRISPR-Cas9, it does not create double-strand breaks in the DNA, reducing the risk of off-target mutations.
• Mechanism in thalassemia: the technique corrects the specific point mutation in the beta-globin gene that causes the haemoglobin deficiency. The edited cells can then be reintroduced into the patient.
• Distinction from gene therapy: conventional gene therapy adds a functional copy of the defective gene. Base editing corrects the original mutation itself, which is a more precise intervention.
• Regulatory pathway in India: gene editing therapies fall under the New Drugs and Clinical Trials Rules 2019 and require CDSCO approval. India's 2022 gene editing exemption covers plants but not human therapeutic applications.

Revises topic: Biotechnology, human genetics, gene editing.

GS area: GS-3 (defence technology, aeronautics, indigenisation)

Hansa-3 (NG) is India's first indigenous flying trainer aircraft. Designed and developed by the CSIR-National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL) in Bengaluru, it is intended for ab-initio pilot training leading to the Commercial Pilot Licence.

• Developer: CSIR-National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL), Bengaluru. NAL is a laboratory of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research under the Ministry of Science and Technology.
• Configuration: two-seater, low-wing monoplane with side-by-side seating.
• Engine: Rotax 912 iS with Digital Engine Control Unit. Rotax is an Austrian aero-engine manufacturer. The digital control unit improves fuel efficiency and engine management.
• Performance specifications: range of 620 nautical miles; endurance of 7 hours; maximum cruise speed of 98 KCAS (Knots Calibrated Airspeed).
• Cockpit: glass cockpit with digital flight instrument displays replacing conventional analogue gauges. Bubble canopy for improved visibility.
• Target use: Commercial Pilot Licensing (CPL) training requires a defined number of flight hours. Hansa-3 (NG) provides a cost-effective indigenous platform for those hours.
• Predecessor: Hansa-3 was the earlier variant. The NG (Next Generation) designation indicates significant upgrades in avionics and structural design.
• Strategic relevance: India imports most training aircraft. An indigenous trainer reduces foreign exchange outgo and builds domestic aerospace manufacturing capability.

Revises topic: CSIR, aeronautics, indigenous defence manufacturing.

GS area: GS-3 (biodiversity, food security, international treaties)

The International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture governs access to and benefit-sharing from plant genetic resources used in agriculture. Indian farmers are urging the government to reject proposed expansions of the treaty's multilateral system.

• Adoption: adopted on 3 November 2001 at the 31st Session of the FAO Conference in Rome.
• Entry into force: 29 June 2004.
• Legal character: the only legally binding international agreement specifically on plant genetic resources for food and agriculture.
• Scope: currently applies to 64 crops and forages listed in Annex I. These include major staples such as wheat, rice, maize, sorghum, potato, and cassava.
• Multilateral System of Access and Benefit-sharing (MLS): the treaty's core mechanism. Countries place Annex I crops into a common pool. Researchers and breeders can access genetic material from the pool under a Standard Material Transfer Agreement. Recipients cannot claim intellectual property rights (IPR) that restrict access to the materials in the form received.
• Indian farmers' concern: proposed expansions would bring additional crops into the MLS. Farmers' organisations argue that this exposes Indian landraces and traditional varieties to appropriation through downstream plant breeding patents.
• India's plant genetic wealth: India is a mega-diversity country and a Vavilov centre of origin for several major crops including rice, chickpea, and mango.
• Complementary law: the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers' Rights Act, 2001 is India's domestic framework for balancing breeders' rights with farmers' rights to save and exchange seeds.

Revises topic: Biodiversity treaties, food security, farmers' rights.

GS area: GS-3 (cybersecurity, technology regulation), GS-2 (governance)

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) directed OTT communication applications to implement SIM binding within 90 days, linking app accounts to the active SIM cards of registered users.

• OTT communication apps covered: WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, Snapchat, and similar services that provide voice, messaging, or video calling over the internet.
• SIM binding definition: SIM binding links a user's app account to the specific SIM card registered to their mobile number. The app checks that the SIM associated with the account is active and present in the device before allowing use.
• Problem addressed: cybercriminals operating from outside India use Indian mobile numbers obtained from inactive or abandoned SIM cards to conduct financial fraud, phishing, and impersonation via OTT apps.
• How the threat works: a fraudster acquires a SIM registered to an Indian number, activates an OTT account, conducts fraud, and abandons the number. SIM binding would prevent continued use of accounts linked to inactive SIMs.
• Banking context: banking and UPI payment apps already enforce active-SIM rules as part of the RBI's digital payment security framework. OTT apps are being brought in line with this standard.
• Regulatory basis: DoT exercises authority over telecommunications services and spectrum under the Telecommunications Act, 2023, which replaced the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885.

Revises topic: Cybersecurity, digital regulation, telecommunications.

GS area: GS-3 (fisheries, environment, certification systems)

The Short Neck Clam fishery of Ashtamudi Lake, Kerala became India's first Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified fishery. The certification validates that the fishery is managed sustainably.

• Species: Paphia malabarica. Common name: Short Neck Clam. An estuarine bivalve mollusc.
• Habitat: Ashtamudi Lake, a Ramsar-designated wetland in Kollam district, Kerala.
• Research body: ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI), Kochi, led the stock assessment and recovery programme that enabled MSC certification.
• Species biology: fast-growing species with a lifespan of approximately 3 years. Sexual maturity reached in the first year at approximately 30 mm shell length. Peak spawning occurs from December to February.
• Export profile: approximately 80% of the harvest is exported to Vietnam, Malaysia, and Thailand, where it is processed for seafood markets.
• Threats: declining populations due to water pollution in the lake, competition from the invasive Charru mussel (Mytella strigata), and climate-driven changes in salinity and water temperature.
• MSC certification: the Marine Stewardship Council is an international non-profit organisation that certifies sustainable fisheries against ecological standards covering stock health, ecosystem impact, and management effectiveness.
• Ashtamudi Lake: a Ramsar site (wetland of international importance) covering approximately 614 square km in Kollam district. Kerala's second-largest lake.

Revises topic: Fisheries management, biodiversity, Kerala ecology.

GS area: GS-2 (international relations, power rankings, strategic affairs)

The Lowy Institute released the 7th edition of its Asia Power Index 2025. India ranked third overall among 27 countries and territories, behind the United States and China.

• Publisher: Lowy Institute, an Australian think tank based in Sydney.
• Edition: 7th annual edition. Published each year since 2018.
• Coverage: 27 countries and territories across the Indo-Pacific and Asia.
• Methodology: 131 indicators across 8 thematic measures. The measures are economic capability, military capability, resilience, future resources, diplomatic influence, defence networks, economic relationships, and cultural influence.
• India's ranking: 3rd overall after the United States (1st) and China (2nd).
• India's strongest measures: economic capability and future resources (India's long-term demographic dividend and market size).
• India's weakest measure: defence networks (ranked 11th). Defence networks measure the depth and reach of a country's defence alliances and partnerships. India's non-alliance tradition constrains this score.
• Methodological note: the index measures power comprehensively across hard and soft dimensions, not just military capability. This distinguishes it from simpler rankings that focus on GDP or defence spending alone.

Revises topic: India's global standing, power indices, Indo-Pacific.

GS area: GS-1 (art and culture, world heritage sites, ancient India)

The Ellora Caves were highlighted in the context of India's tourism push to increase arrivals at UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

• Location: near Ellora village (also spelled Verul), 30 km northwest of Aurangabad (now Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar) in Maharashtra.
• UNESCO designation: declared a World Heritage Site in 1983.
• Scale: 34 rock-cut monasteries and temples excavated into a 2 km stretch of basalt cliff face.
• Dating: 6th to 10th century CE. Created over approximately 400 years by different dynasties.
• Religious traditions represented: Buddhist (Caves 1-12), Hindu (Caves 13-29), and Jain (Caves 30-34). All three traditions are present at the same site, demonstrating religious coexistence in medieval India.
• Kailasanatha Temple (Cave 16): the centrepiece of Ellora. One of the world's largest monolithic rock-cut structures. Carved top-down from a single basalt cliff over an estimated 18 years. Commissioned by Rashtrakuta king Dantidurga (or his successor Krishna I) in the 8th century CE.
• Comparison with Ajanta: Ajanta Caves (approximately 100 km away) are older (2nd century BCE to 5th century CE) and exclusively Buddhist. Ellora is younger and multi-religious.

Revises topic: Art and architecture, world heritage sites, Indian culture.

GS area: GS-2 (Indian Constitution, judiciary, constitutional interpretation)

Chief Justice Surya Kant reflected on the significance of the 1973 Kesavananda Bharati judgment at the inauguration of the International Mooting Academy at O.P. Jindal Global University.

• Kesavananda Bharati v. State of Kerala (1973): the Supreme Court ruled (7-6) that Parliament has the power to amend any provision of the Constitution but cannot alter its basic structure. This is the foundational case of Indian constitutional law.
• 13-judge bench: the largest bench ever constituted by the Supreme Court. The bench sat for 68 working days, making it also the longest constitutional hearing.
• Basic structure: the Court did not exhaustively list what constitutes basic structure. Elements recognised in subsequent cases include supremacy of the Constitution, republican and democratic form of government, secularism, separation of powers, judicial review, and federalism.
• "Indianisation" of jurisprudence: CJI Surya Kant observed that India is developing a distinctive jurisprudential tradition drawing from both British common law and US constitutional interpretation but increasingly departing from both to reflect Indian social and constitutional realities.
• Context of the statement: the International Mooting Academy at O.P. Jindal Global University is designed to build skills in constitutional argument among young lawyers.
• Golaknath case (1967): the predecessor case in which the Supreme Court held (6-5) that Parliament could not curtail or abridge Fundamental Rights through amendments. Kesavananda Bharati overruled Golaknath on this narrow point while establishing the larger Basic Structure Doctrine.

Revises topic: Indian Constitution, Basic Structure Doctrine, judicial review.

GS area: GS-3 (space science, planetary exploration)

NASA's Perseverance rover recorded electrical activity in the Martian atmosphere for the first time, adding to a growing list of scientific firsts from the Mars 2020 mission.

• Mission: NASA Mars 2020 Mission. Rover name: Perseverance.
• Landing: 18 February 2021 at Jezero Crater, Mars. Jezero Crater is an ancient lake bed selected for signs of past habitability.
• Latest achievement: detected electrical activity (analogous to lightning) in the Martian atmosphere for the first time. Mars's thin atmosphere and dust storms were known to generate static electricity; direct measurement confirms it.
• Earlier firsts: recorded sounds on the Martian surface (first audio from another planet). Created oxygen from carbon dioxide using the MOXIE (Mars Oxygen In-Situ Resource Utilisation Experiment) instrument. This proved the concept of extracting breathable oxygen on Mars.
• Ingenuity Helicopter: carried to Mars by Perseverance. Became the first powered aircraft to achieve controlled flight on another planet (18 April 2021).
• Power system: Multi-Mission Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (MMRTG). Converts heat from the radioactive decay of plutonium-238 into electricity. Not dependent on solar panels, enabling operation in dust-storm conditions.
• Sample caching: Perseverance is collecting and sealing rock core samples in titanium tubes for eventual return to Earth by a future joint NASA-ESA Mars Sample Return mission.

Revises topic: Space exploration, planetary science, ISRO and NASA missions.

• MOXIE instrument on Perseverance produced approximately 6 grams of oxygen per hour during tests, enough for roughly 10 minutes of breathing. It proved the concept that future missions could produce oxygen on Mars rather than carrying it from Earth.
• Ashtamudi Lake supports livelihoods of approximately 3,000 fishing families in Kollam district. Short Neck Clam harvesting is a community-managed activity with traditional fishing rights.
• Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers' Rights Act (PPV&FR Act), 2001: protects farmers' rights to save, use, sow, resow, exchange, share, and sell farm produce of a protected variety. Farmers can use their own saved seed even of protected varieties, which is broader than farmers' rights under UPOV (Union internationale pour la protection des obtentions végétales) conventions.
• Adenine Base Editing was pioneered by David Liu's laboratory at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard. It expands the toolkit of gene editing beyond CRISPR-Cas9 by enabling single-base corrections without the DNA strand break that creates off-target risk.