DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 28th August – 2025

Category: POLITY

Context:  Train 20 lakh tribal “change leaders” through activities like role-play, cognitive tasks, and fish bowl exercises to build problem-solving and motivation.

Objectives

• Part of the Dharti Aba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyaan to strengthen last-mile scheme delivery.

Implementation

• 240 State-level master trainers, 2,750 district trainers, and 15,000+ block trainers will conduct sessions across 324 districts.
• Each village session will involve 15 volunteers, focusing on participatory development.

Key Activities

• “Lighting the candle” (positivity), “fish bowl” (group interaction), and role-play (community issue solving).

Vision & Delivery

• Villagers will draft “Vision 2030” documents, visualized through public murals as governance blueprints.
• Adi Seva Kendras will act as single-window centers for scheme saturation.

Impact

• Aims to foster sustainable, community-driven solutions and improve government scheme delivery in tribal regions.

Learning Corner:

Adi Karmayogi Initiative

• A government programme under Dharti Aba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyaan to strengthen last-mile delivery of schemes in tribal areas.
• Seeks to train 20 lakh tribal “change leaders” through participatory methods like role-play, candle-lighting, cognitive tasks, and fish bowl exercises.
• Multi-tier trainer structure: 240 State-level, 2,750 district-level, and 15,000+ block-level trainers covering 324 districts.
• Each village session involves 15 volunteers to build problem-solving and community leadership.
• Villagers prepare “Vision 2030” documents, visualized through public murals as aspirational governance blueprints.
• Adi Seva Kendras will serve as single-window centers for scheme saturation.
• Focus: community-driven development, participatory governance, and improved scheme utilization in tribal regions.

Dharti Aba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyaan

• A flagship tribal welfare programme launched by the Government of India.
• Aims to ensure last-mile delivery and saturation of government schemes in tribal villages.
• Works on participatory governance by involving tribal communities in identifying local challenges and solutions.
• Includes the Adi Karmayogi initiative, which trains tribal “change leaders” at the village level to drive development.
• Encourages preparation of “Village Vision 2030” documents and community murals to guide planning and governance.
• Establishes Adi Seva Kendras as single-window service centres for welfare schemes.
• Overall focus: empowerment, capacity building, and inclusive development of tribal communities.

Source: THE HINDU

Category: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Context : Defence Minister Rajnath Singh commissioned two multirole stealth frigates — INS Udaygiri and INS Himgiri — at Visakhapatnam

Key Points

• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh commissioned two multirole stealth frigates — INS Udaygiri and INS Himgiri — at Visakhapatnam.
• Part of Project 17A, with 75% indigenous components, reflecting Make in India and Aatmanirbhar Bharat.
• Equipped with advanced weapons, sensors, and propulsion systems; designed by the Navy’s Warship Design Bureau.
• Built with contributions from 200+ MSMEs, generating thousands of jobs.

Strategic Impact

• Enhances India’s maritime strength in the Indian Ocean.
• Useful for maritime security, disaster relief, and humanitarian missions.
• Represents a leap in stealth, design, and indigenous shipbuilding capacity.

Technical Highlights

• Combined diesel/gas propulsion, modern management systems, and high indigenous technology.
• Follow-on to Project 17 Shivalik-class frigates, with major improvements in stealth and combat capability.

Learning Corner:

Frigates

• Definition: Frigates are medium-sized, multi-role warships, smaller than destroyers but larger than corvettes.
• Role: Primarily designed for escorting naval fleets, anti-submarine warfare (ASW), anti-air warfare (AAW), and surface warfare.
• Features: Equipped with modern radar, sonar, surface-to-air missiles (SAMs), anti-ship missiles, and torpedoes. Some carry helicopters for extended ASW capability.
• Advantages: Cost-effective compared to destroyers; versatile in both offensive and defensive naval operations.
• In India: The Indian Navy operates classes such as Shivalik-class (stealth frigates), Talwar-class, and is building advanced Nilgiri-class frigates under Project 17A.
• Global context: Frigates are a key component in modern navies due to their balance of firepower, agility, and affordability.

Indian Defence Projects 

• Project 15A – Kolkata-class Destroyers (INS Kolkata, Kochi, Chennai)
• Project 15B – Visakhapatnam-class Destroyers (INS Visakhapatnam, Mormugao, Imphal, Surat – ongoing)
• Project 17 – Shivalik-class Stealth Frigates
• Project 17A – Nilgiri-class Stealth Frigates (under construction)
• Project 28 – Kamorta-class Anti-Submarine Warfare Corvettes
• Project 75 – Kalvari-class Scorpene Submarines (diesel-electric)
• Project 75I – Next-generation conventional submarines (future, under planning)
• IAC-1 – INS Vikrant (Indigenous Aircraft Carrier)
• IAC-2 (proposed) – Vishal-class Aircraft Carrier

Source:  THE HINDU

Category: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Context: To test the parachute-based deceleration system for safe crew module landing.

Purpose & Method

• An IAF helicopter dropped a 5-tonne dummy crew capsule from 3 km altitude; parachutes deployed in sequence for splashdown simulation.

Agencies Involved

• Supported by Indian Air Force, DRDO, and Coast Guard for materials, safety systems, and recovery.

Importance

• Multiple tests will validate parachute safety, crew escape systems, and subsystems for human certification.
• Future trials will simulate ascent, descent, and on-orbit operations.

Long-term Goals

• Gaganyaan is the foundation for India’s human spaceflight roadmap.
• Targets: Bharatiya Antariksh Station by 2035 and crewed lunar landing by 2040.

Learning Corner:

Gaganyaan Mission

• India’s first crewed spaceflight programme, led by ISRO.
• Objective: Send a 3-member Indian crew to low-Earth orbit (~400 km) for 3 days and return safely.
• Crew module designed with parachute-based deceleration, life-support, and safety systems.
• Supported by IAF (astronaut training), DRDO (life-support & materials), Coast Guard/Navy (recovery ops).
• Multiple tests include: Integrated Air Drop Tests (IADT), Pad Abort Tests, Crew Escape System trials, Uncrewed flights.
• Roadmap:
  • Human spaceflight (Gaganyaan) – foundation stage.
  • Bharatiya Antariksh Station by 2035.
  • Crewed lunar landing by 2040.
• Significance: Boosts Aatmanirbhar Bharat in space technology, human-rating of launch vehicles, and positions India among elite spacefaring nations.

Source: THE HINDU

Category: ECONOMICS

Context: Kuttiyadi Coconut gets GI tag

Unique Qualities

• High-yielding: Starts fruiting in 5 years; over 150 nuts per year.
• Long lifespan: Productive for 100+ years.
• Strong trunk: Pest- and drought-resistant.
• Large fruits: 600–800 g (without husk), thicker kernels, high oil content.
• Aromatic oil: Up to 70% yield, more fragrant than other varieties.

Learning Corner:

Geographical Indication (GI) Tag

• A Geographical Indication (GI) is a sign used on products that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities, reputation, or characteristics essentially linked to that location.
• In India, GI tags are governed by the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999, effective from 2003.
• It provides legal protection against unauthorized use, helps preserve traditional knowledge, and supports economic prosperity for producers.
• Valid for 10 years, and can be renewed.
• Examples: Darjeeling Tea, Mysore Silk, Kashmir Saffron.
• GI tags are granted by the Geographical Indications Registry, Chennai, under the Controller General of Patents, Designs & Trade Marks (CGPDTM), Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

Source: THE HINDU

Category: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Context: Rare Quadruple Star System: UPM J1040-3551 AabBab

• Astronomers have discovered a rare quadruple star system in the Milky Way, made up of two pairs of cold brown dwarfs orbiting two young red dwarf stars.
• Brown dwarfs are celestial objects between planets and stars in size, lacking enough mass for nuclear fusion, and are often called “failed stars.”
• Such a system is extremely rare since fewer than 5% of brown dwarfs are found in pairs.
• The discovery provides new insights into how stars and planets form, as well as the behavior and distribution of celestial bodies in our galaxy.

Learning Corner:

Quadruple Star System

• A quadruple star system consists of four stars bound together by gravity, usually arranged as two close binary pairs orbiting a common center.
• Such systems are extremely rare, especially with brown dwarfs, since most are solitary and fewer than 5% form pairs.
• Studying these systems helps in understanding stellar evolution, binary dynamics, and planetary formation processes.

Source: THE INDIAN EXPRESS

Introduction (Context)

Indian cities have become powerful magnets, pulling in millions of internal migrants each year in search of livelihoods, opportunities, and a better life. 

Despite being indispensable to the urban economy, migrants remain absent from urban planning, governance, and policy agendas.

Migration and Urbanisation in India

• Migration is the movement of people from one place to another, either within the country (internal migration) or across borders (international migration), for reasons such as employment, education, marriage, or distress.
• Migration is expected to contribute to a 40 per cent urbanisation rate by 2030, resulting in an urban population of around 607 million. 
• The Migration in India (2020-2021) report by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation estimates that migrants make up almost one-third of India’s total population and account for 34.6 per cent of the country’s urban residents. 

Economic Contribution of Migrants

• Migrant workers are vital for India’s economy, especially in urban areas that drive growth.
• They form the backbone of multiple sectors, including construction, plantations, mines, manufacturing, hospitality, transport, domestic work, and the rapidly expanding gig and platform-based urban economy. 
• Despite their contribution, migrants are absent from urban planning, governance, and policy agendas. This invisibility leaves them marginalised in destination cities, raising concerns about equity and social justice.

Invisible Migrants in Global Cities: Saskia Sassen concept

• According to Saskia Sassen cities like New York, London, or Tokyo (and even Indian metros) depend heavily on cheap, flexible labour from migrants. These workers clean homes, build skyscrapers, run delivery services, and keep the city running.
• But at the same time, they are not given proper recognition, rights, or a voice in city planning.

Example (India):

During the COVID-19 lockdown (2020), millions of migrants lost jobs overnight. With no transport, housing, or support, they were forced to walk hundreds of kilometers back to their villages. This showed migrants were never really included in urban systems of welfare or planning.

Government has proposed National Migration Policy in 2021 for inclusion of migrants in social security and urban governance; however, it has not been implemented yet.

Other related Concepts

1. Epistemic Violence concept by Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak

• This is not form of physical violence, but a kind of violence through knowledge and ideas. It happens when certain groups (like the poor, migrants, women, or colonised people) are ignored, silenced, or misrepresented in the way knowledge is created or policies are made.
• Example: In the Smart City Mission, the focus is mostly on technology, digitalisation, and modern infrastructure. This creates an “elite vision” of cities, where middle-class lifestyles are seen as the standard.
• Migrants, slum dwellers, and informal workers are left out of this picture, as if they don’t belong to the city.

1. Symbolic Violence – Pierre Bourdieu

• Inequality or unfair treatment is presented as normal, natural, or acceptable, so people don’t even see it as injustice.
• Example: When migrants in cities are denied access to housing schemes, ration cards, or healthcare, it is often dismissed as a “normal bureaucratic issue” (like not having the right documents). But in reality, it is a form of hidden violence because it keeps them excluded while making it look routine.

Why ‘smart’ cities need to be ‘inclusive’?

• The Smart Cities Mission (SCM) was started in June 2015 to improve 100 Indian cities by using modern infrastructure and technology. 
• It focused on things like digitalisation, IT-based services, and surveillance systems to make city life more efficient. 
• As of June 2025, the government reports that 94% of the 8,067 projects under this scheme are completed, with an investment of ₹1.64 lakh crore.

• Most of this money has been spent on visible infrastructure such as metros, flyovers, expressways, and luxury complexes, however, these projects create exclusive spaces. 
• Migrant workers, slum dwellers, and informal workers often get ignored in such planning.
• Researchers point out that the Smart Cities Mission mostly addresses the concerns of middle and upper-class citizens (like faster transport, cleaner neighbourhoods, 
• This means cities are becoming technologically “smart”, but not necessarily socially fair or inclusive.

Example: A new smart bus system may improve transport for office-goers, but if migrant workers living in informal settlements don’t even have proper bus stops near their colonies, they are excluded from the benefits.

Steps needed

• Involve migrants in city development boards, ward committees.
• Ensure portability of ration cards (One Nation One Ration Card), health schemes, and education benefits.
• Provide Social Protection for Migrants such as Housing rights, rental affordability, universal healthcare access.
• Voting rights for internal migrants in destination cities.
• Shift from aesthetic infrastructure to equity-driven planning.
• Prioritise affordable housing, transport, public services.
• Protection of migrant women workers from exploitation.
• Cities must embrace mobility, diversity, and plural identities rather than homogenised elite visions.

Conclusion

Indian cities stand at a critical juncture. The Smart City Mission has achieved infrastructure growth but risks deepening social exclusion. Migrants, despite being the backbone of urban economies, remain invisible in planning and governance.

To ensure social justice and sustainable urbanisation, India must redefine urban citizenship by embracing migrants as rightful stakeholders. Building cities that are inclusive, democratic, and socially just is not just a policy priority but a moral and constitutional imperative.

Mains Practice Question

Q Despite being vital to India’s urban economy, migrants remain invisible in city planning. Analyse the causes and suggest measures to build inclusive cities. (250 words, 15 marks)

Source: UPSC Society Current Affairs 2025: Why inclusive cities are critical need of our time

Introduction (Context)

Prime Minister of Fiji, Sitiveni Ligamamada Rabuka, is on his first official visit to India (since assuming office in 2022). India and Fiji unveiled new initiatives to deepen defence and maritime security cooperation, signalling growing strategic partnership in the Indo-Pacific.

History of India Fiji relations

• India-Fiji relations are based on mutual respect, cooperation, and strong cultural and people-to-people ties.
• India’s links with Fiji began in 1879 when Indian labourers were brought under the indenture system to work on sugarcane plantations. Between 1879 and 1916, around 60,553 Indians were brought to Fiji.
• The indenture system was abolished in 1920.
• India established a commissioner’s post in 1948 to look after the interests of people of Indian origin.
• The post was upgraded to High Commission after Fiji’s independence in 1970.
• Fiji’s PM Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara visited India in 1971, and Indian PM Indira Gandhi visited Fiji in 1981.
• The bilateral relationship received a major boost after PM Modi’s visit to Fiji in November 2014, during which the first FIPIC (Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation) meeting was held.
• India has been a key development partner, supporting Fiji in nation-building, key sectors, and capacity-building initiatives.

Key forums

• FIPIC (Forum for India-Pacific Island Countries):  Launched on 19 Nov 2014 in Suva, Fiji, it is a platform for India and 14 Pacific Island nations to enhance cooperation in trade, climate change, IT, telemedicine, tele-education, and capacity building.
• International Solar Alliance: Fiji became a founding member of the International Solar Alliance (ISA). It is a joint initiative by India and France to promote solar energy deployment, facilitate technology transfer, and mobilize investments among solar-rich countries, especially in the Global South.
• Pacific Small Island Developing States (PSIDS): A group of small island nations in the Pacific Ocean facing unique challenges such as climate change, sea-level rise, and limited resources, collaborating on sustainable development, disaster resilience, and regional security.
• India-Pacific Islands Sustainable Development Conference (IPISDC): A platform organized by India to enhance cooperation with Pacific Island countries on sustainable development initiatives, including IT, youth development, renewable energy, climate change, and capacity-building projects.
• Global Biofuel Alliance (GBA): An international platform aimed at promoting biofuel production and adoption, supporting sustainable energy, climate action, and cooperation among member countries in the renewable energy sector.
• Pharmacopoeial Cooperation: A framework for mutual recognition of pharmacopoeial standards (quality benchmarks for drugs) between countries, enabling easier approval of medicines, regulatory alignment, and establishment of facilities like Jan Aushadhi Kendras.

Indian Diaspora

• The number of Indians living in Fiji is about 2300, mostly engaged in services like IT, management, finance, banking, educational, medical, hotel industry etc. 

India has been a significant development partner for Fiji, providing support in various sectors, including agriculture, healthcare, and education. Initiatives such as the establishment of a Centre of Excellence in IT at Fiji National University and humanitarian aid following natural disasters highlight this cooperation. 

Significance of Fiji for India

• Fiji, located in the South Pacific, is strategically important for India’s Indo-Pacific vision, especially as China expands its presence in the region.
• PM Rabuka has opposed the establishment of a Chinese military base in the Pacific Islands, aligning with India’s strategic interests.
• Fiji’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and maritime position are crucial for regional security and ensuring safe sea lanes of communication (SLOCs).
• Fiji actively supports India in multilateral forums, including the UN, and aligns with India’s vision for a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific.

Key Highlights of the Recent Visit

Defence Cooperation

• Creation of a Defence Attaché post at India’s High Commission in Suva, covering Fiji and the Pacific Islands.
• Announcement of a planned Indian naval port call to Fiji.
• Two sea ambulances gifted to Fijian Military Forces.
• Establishment of a Cyber Security Training Cell in Fiji.
• Commitment to enhance cooperation in peacekeeping operations, military medicine, white shipping information exchange, and capacity building.

Fiji’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)

• India assured support for protection and monitoring of Fiji’s EEZ.
• Planned naval port call will improve maritime interoperability.

Indo-Pacific Partnership

• Both leaders reaffirmed the vision of a free, open, secure, and inclusive Indo-Pacific.
• India expressed support for Fiji’s ‘Ocean of Peace’ initiative.

Health sector

• Supply of medicines under the Jan Aushadhi scheme.
• Declaration of Intent on migration and mobility.
• India and Fiji signed a MoU for a 100-bed Super Specialty Hospital in Suva, marking the largest Indian grant project in the Pacific region.
• The project will include e-Sanjeevani telemedicine services, enabling remote medical consultations and healthcare linkages

Agriculture sector

• India provided 12 drones, 2 soil testing laboratories, and 5 metric tons of cowpea seeds to Fiji. 
• Technical training for Fiji’s sugar industry under ITEC and deployment of experts to the Fiji Sugar Corporation were also planned.

Trade and Investment

• Fiji allowed market access for Indian ghee, and both countries explored logistics, SME development, and economic diversification. 
• A Declaration of Intent was signed to promote professional and student mobility.

Cultural and Educational Cooperation

• A Hindi-Sanskrit teacher was deployed to the University of Fiji
• Training of pundits and Geeta Mahotsav celebrations were conducted to strengthen cultural ties.

Sports Collaboration

• India committed to sending a cricket coach to support sports development in Fiji.

Global and Regional Cooperation

• Fiji reiterated support for India’s UN Security Council permanent membership and a non-permanent seat for 2028–29, and emphasized collaboration through Global South initiatives and FIPIC.

Conclusion

India–Fiji relations are moving from cultural and diaspora ties to a strategic and security partnership in the Indo-Pacific.

Initiatives include defence cooperation, cyber training, healthcare, and climate projects, positioning Fiji at the centre of India’s Pacific outreach.

The partnership strengthens bilateral goodwill and reinforces India as a reliable Indo-Pacific partner amid emerging geopolitical challenges.

Mains Practice Question

Q Discuss the historical and contemporary dimensions of India–Fiji relations. How does the growing strategic partnership contribute to India’s Indo-Pacific vision? (250 words, 15 marks)

Source: India, Fiji unveil steps to boost defence and maritime security ties | India News – The Indian Express