UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 15 November 2025

UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 15 November 2025 covers important current affairs of the day, their backward linkages, their relevance for Prelims exam and MCQs on main articles

InstaLinks : Insta Links help you think beyond the current affairs issue and help you think multidimensionally to develop depth in your understanding of these issues. These linkages provided in this ‘hint’ format help you frame possible questions in your mind that might arise(or an examiner might imagine) from each current event. InstaLinks also connect every issue to their static or theoretical background.

Table of Contents

GS Paper 3 : (UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 15 November (2025)

• Conservation as Coexistence

Conservation as Coexistence

GS Paper 4:

• Media Ethics

Media Ethics

Content for Mains Enrichment (CME):

• Saalumarada Thimmakka

Saalumarada Thimmakka

Facts for Prelims (FFP):

• India Unveils First Indigenous High-Precision Diode Laser

India Unveils First Indigenous High-Precision Diode Laser

• 150th Birth Anniversary of Birsa Munda

150th Birth Anniversary of Birsa Munda

• Operation Southern Spear

Operation Southern Spear

• Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Rules, 2025

Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Rules, 2025

• Ammonium Nitrate

Ammonium Nitrate

• DRDO Develops New Generation Man-Portable Autonomous Underwater Vehicles

DRDO Develops New Generation Man-Portable Autonomous Underwater Vehicles

Mapping:

• Lake Turkana

Lake Turkana

UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 15 November 2025

#### GS Paper 3:

Conservation as Coexistence

Source: TFL

Subject: Environment

Context: A recent analysis highlights that India must shift from exclusionary, top-down wildlife protection towards community-rooted conservation.

• The idea of “Conservation as Coexistence” has gained prominence after new evidence showed that biodiversity thrives where local communities remain active stewards.

About Conservation as Coexistence:

What is Conservation?

• Conservation refers to the sustainable management of ecosystems, species, and natural resources so they can renew themselves and support both biodiversity and human well-being.

Types of Conservation:

• Protection-based conservation: Involves creating strictly regulated zones like national parks and sanctuaries where human activity is restricted to prevent disturbances to wildlife habitats and ecological processes.

• Community-based conservation: Local communities manage and protect forests, grazing lands, and water bodies using traditional norms, ensuring sustainable use while maintaining biodiversity.

• Co-management models: Government agencies and local communities jointly plan and manage ecosystems, blending statutory authority with indigenous knowledge for balanced conservation outcomes.

• Landscape-level conservation: Focuses on protecting ecological networks across farms, forests, wetlands, and corridors beyond protected boundaries to sustain wide-ranging species and ecosystem functions.

Existing Conservation Methods in India:

• Protected Areas Network: India designates national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, and tiger reserves to legally safeguard core habitats for flagship species and critical ecosystems.

• Legal Frameworks: Strong laws like the WLPA 1972, Forest Conservation Act 1980, and CAMPA regulate diversion, protection, and regeneration of forests through stringent permitting systems.

• Species-specific Missions: Flagship programs such as Project Tiger, Project Elephant, and Project Snow Leopard target recovery of vulnerable species through habitat protection and scientific monitoring.

• Regulatory Tools & Enforcement: Eco-sensitive zones, anti-poaching squads, and advanced tracking technologies strengthen on-ground enforcement and buffer impacts near protected areas.

• Expansion & Relocation: Protected areas are increasingly expanded, with voluntary relocation of human settlements to reduce human–wildlife conflict and improve habitat integrity.

Limitations of Existing Methods:

• Exclusionary Approach: Eviction and restrictions imposed on indigenous communities sever traditional stewardship systems that historically safeguarded local biodiversity.

• Colonial Mindset: Conservation assumes forests must be “pristine,” ignoring that many Indian ecosystems are cultural landscapes shaped by human–nature interactions over centuries.

• Weak Enforcement: Mining pressures, encroachment, inadequate manpower, and poor surveillance compromise the ecological security of protected areas.

• Human–Wildlife Conflict: Hard boundaries and fencing increase conflict by restricting wildlife movement without addressing the livelihood dependence of local communities.

• High Financial Cost: State-led conservation drains crores annually for patrolling and infrastructure, whereas community-managed forests sustain themselves at minimal cost.

Best Case Studies of Coexistence Conservation:

• Gir Landscape, Gujarat: Nearly half of Asiatic lions now thrive outside Gir National Park due to Maldhari pastoralists’ tolerance, supported by efficient compensation systems and cultural reverence.

• Biate Villages, Jaintia Hills (Meghalaya): Community-managed jhum landscapes showed no deforestation or species decline, even revealing new bird records—highlighting that traditional land use can sustain biodiversity.

Redefining Conservation in India:

• Shift to Inclusive Conservation: Policy must move from fortress-style protection to models that integrate community rights, cultural values, and participatory decision-making.

• Recognising Indigenous Knowledge: Traditional ecological practices, such as rotational farming, sacred groves, and species taboos, must be formally integrated into conservation planning.

• Landscape-scale Governance: Conservation should expand beyond park boundaries by linking forests, farms, pastures, and wetlands into coherent ecological networks that support wide-ranging species.

• Shared Governance & FPIC: Ensuring fair compensation, transparent benefit-sharing, and free, prior, informed consent for local communities builds trust and strengthens long-term conservation outcomes.

Conclusion:

India’s ecological future depends on recognising that people are not external threats but essential partners in conservation. True sustainability emerges where cultural practices, livelihoods, and biodiversity reinforce each other. Conservation must evolve into a model of coexistence—rooted in justice, community wisdom, and shared stewardship of the land.

“Wetland ecosystems are increasingly vulnerable due to anthropogenic pressures”. Analyze the key challenges in wetland conservation in India and suggest innovative strategies for their sustainable management.

#### UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 15 November 2025 GS Paper 4:

Media Ethics

Source: AN

Subject: Applied Ethics

Context: Leaked hospital footage of veteran actor Dharmendra, widely circulated by paparazzi and some media outlets, triggered a public outcry over intrusion into privacy and “death rumours”.

About Media Ethics:

• Media ethics is the set of moral principles and professional standards that guide journalists and media organizations in how they gather, produce, and publish information, balancing freedom of expression with responsibility to the public.

• Core Features:

• Truth & Accuracy: Information must be verified before publication, presented in proper context, and corrected when wrong; respect for truth and the public’s right to know is the first duty of the journalist.

• Objectivity & Fairness: Reports should distinguish fact from opinion, present multiple perspectives where relevant, and avoid deliberate bias or sensational distortion.

• Independence & Integrity: Journalists should resist political, corporate, or personal pressures, avoid conflicts of interest, and not accept bribes or favours that influence coverage.

• Respect for Privacy & Dignity: Media should avoid unnecessary intrusion into private life, particularly in moments of grief, illness, or vulnerability, unless a clear and overriding public interest justifies disclosure.

• Accountability to the Public: Primary responsibility is owed to citizens, not governments or owners; mechanisms like corrections, ombudsmen, and press councils help maintain credibility and answerability.

Need for Strong Media Ethics in Modern Times:

• 24×7 Breaking-News Culture: The race to be “first” often overrides the duty to be “right”, leading to half-verified stories and serious harm.

E.g. In Nov 2025, false rumours of Dharmendra’s death ran across channels before verification, forcing his family into public damage control.

• Digital Virality & social media: One unethical clip or misleading headline can reach millions in minutes, making corrections too late to undo the damage.

E.g. A brutal video from Myanmar was mislabelled as Manipur violence, inflaming tensions before fact-checkers could debunk it.

• Trust Deficit in Institutions: Sensational, partisan coverage erodes trust in media, weakening democracy that depends on shared facts and rational debate.

E.g. The 2024 Reuters Digital News Report flagged declining trust in Indian news, amid polarised coverage of elections and political arrests.

• Infotainment & TRP Pressure: Commercial competition pushes channels towards emotional, intrusive “infotainment” instead of sober, public-interest journalism.

E.g. The leaked ICU video of an ailing Dharmendra in Nov 2025 was aired for shock value, not public interest, triggering outrage over dignity.

• Vulnerability of Celebrities & Ordinary Citizens: High-profile figures, victims, children and patients face voyeuristic coverage that amounts to secondary victimisation.

E.g. After Sushant Singh Rajput’s death, channels aired body images and private chats, violating his and his family’s privacy and dignity.

Reasons for Decline in Media Ethics:

• Commercialisation & TRP/Clicks Race: Ad-driven models reward outrage, glamour and conflict, nudging newsrooms towards sensationalism and intrusive

E.g. Nightly shouting matches in “debates” are crafted to spike TRPs and ad revenue, not to inform viewers meaningfully.

• Weak Self-Regulation: Ethical codes exist but enforcement is weak; penalties are too small to deter profitable unethical content.

E.g. In 2023, the Supreme Court called NBSA fines “toothless” against channels that “go berserk” and earn far more from such broadcasts.

• Ambiguous “Public Interest” Claims: Anything that grabs attention is badged as “public interest”, even when it is just satisfying voyeuristic curiosity.

E.g. Channels justified airing Sushant Singh Rajput’s psychiatric records as “public interest”, widely criticised as pure sensationalism.

• Competitive Paparazzi Culture: Freelance paparazzi chase “exclusives” with little ethical oversight, normalising stalking and non-consensual filming.

E.g. Repeated pleas by Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli not to photograph their child show how celebrity privacy is routinely violated.

• Political & Corporate Influence: Big business and political interests use ownership and ads to shape narratives, sidelining independent, ethical scrutiny.

E.g. Corporate takeovers like that of NDTV sparked concerns that editorial lines could bend towards owners’ political–business interests.

• Audience Fatigue & Normalisation: Constant exposure to unethical formats desensitises viewers, turning once-shocking practices into accepted “industry norms.”

E.g. Prime-time shouting matches, once outrageous, are now routine, signalling how audiences and channels have normalised toxic news culture.

Way Ahead:

• Strengthen Self-Regulation: News organisations should adopt and actually enforce detailed ethics codes, correction policies, and internal review mechanisms; industry-wide press councils must be more active and visible.

• Clear Privacy Protocols: Media houses must define red lines—no filming in ICUs, no publication of sensitive medical images or grief moments without explicit consent and demonstrable public-interest justification.

• Ethics Training & Newsroom Culture: Regular ethics workshops, case-study discussions (like this Dharmendra episode), and editorial checks should be embedded into daily journalistic practice.

• Transparency & Accountability: Visible correction boxes, ombudsmen, public editors, reader feedback columns, and open apologies should become routine tools of accountability.

• Digital & Paparazzi Guidelines: Platform-specific and paparazzi-specific norms—on chasing, filming, children, medical spaces, funerals, and homes—must be jointly framed and enforced by media associations.

• Media Literacy for Citizens: Educating audiences to question sources, reject voyeuristic content, and support ethical outlets increases pressure on media to behave responsibly.

Conclusion:

Episodes like the leaked Dharmendra hospital video show how, without ethics, the right to report can turn into a licence to violate dignity. Media freedom is non-negotiable, but it must travel with truthfulness, restraint, and respect for privacy. Only a culture of strong self-regulation, public scrutiny, and ethical newsroom leadership can ensure that journalism serves people, not just profit.

“Media often shapes public perception during crises”. Analyze the ethical dilemmas faced by media organizations in ensuring responsible reporting while avoiding unnecessary panic.

#### UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 15 November 2025 Content for Mains Enrichment (CME)

Saalumarada Thimmakka: Mother of Trees

Anecdote: On a dusty stretch between Hulikal and Kudur in the 1950s, a childless couple walked miles each day carrying pots of water for saplings no one else believed would survive. Saalumarada Thimmakka, with her husband Chikkaiah, tended to each banyan as though it were the child she never had. Through droughts, grazing cattle, and the mockery of neighbours, she continued nurturing life where none existed. Over time, those saplings rose into a magnificent green corridor—385 banyan trees forming a living monument to quiet perseverance. What began as an act of healing personal sorrow soon blossomed into a movement that reshaped Karnataka’s afforestation policies. Even in her final years, crossing 100, she urged young people to “raise trees like your own children.” Today, those trees stand not just as shade on a highway, but as a testament to how one woman’s hands transformed a landscape and a nation’s environmental imagination.

Relevance in UPSC Exam

Essay:

• Illustrates individual agency, environmental ethics, sustainable development, and community-driven conservation.

• Powerful anecdote for essays on climate change, ecological stewardship, women-led development, grassroots governance, and moral leadership.

• Demonstrates how micro-actions can trigger macro-transformations, fitting themes of “small acts, big impact” and intergenerational responsibility.

Ethics (GS-IV):

• Embodies values of selflessness, perseverance, compassion, environmental stewardship, duty, and social responsibility.

• Perfect case for questions on grassroots leadership, moral courage, public service inspiration, and ethical action without institutional authority.

#### UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 15 November 2025 Facts for Prelims (FFP)

India Unveils First Indigenous High-Precision Diode Laser

Source: PIB

Subject: Science and Technology

Context: India launched its first indigenous high-precision diode laser engineered for quantum communication and computing. It marks a major step in India’s capability to build quantum-grade hardware.

About India Unveils First Indigenous High-Precision Diode Laser:

What it is?

• A compact, high-precision diode laser system engineered for quantum technologies, scientific research, higher-education laboratories, and cutting-edge industrial applications.

• It provides ultra-stable, tunable and long-duration laser output required for quantum experiments and secure communication systems.

Developed by: Prenishq Pvt. Ltd., a deep-tech startup and spin-off from IIT Delhi

• Supported by the National Quantum Mission (NQM)

• To create an indigenous quantum-grade diode laser for secure communication, quantum computing, and high-precision scientific research.

• To strengthen India’s quantum ecosystem and enable quantum-safe digital infrastructure.

Key Features:

• Ultra-Narrow Linewidth & High Beam Quality: Ensures sharp, stable beams ideal for high-resolution quantum sensing and communication tasks.

• Long-Term Frequency & Power Stability: Maintains precise performance over long durations, reducing recalibration needs in labs and field setups.

• Wide Wavelength Range (UV to Near-IR): Supports multiple quantum systems and scientific instruments requiring different operational wavelengths.

• Rugged & Temperature-Controlled: Designed to operate reliably in Indian climatic conditions, ensuring stable quantum output.

• Compact, Lightweight & Low-Power: Portable, energy-efficient architecture makes deployment easy in both labs and mobile platforms.

• Plug-and-Play Integration: Simple setup with minimal configuration enables fast adoption by researchers and educational institutions.

• Free-Space & Fiber-Coupled Output: Flexible delivery options allow use in both optical table experiments and long-distance communication links.

Applications:

• Quantum Communication:

• QKD Backbone: Provides stable, coherent light required for generating quantum keys used in ultra-secure communication. Quantum-Safe Transactions: Enables banks, defence and telecom systems to protect data against attacks from future quantum computers.

• QKD Backbone: Provides stable, coherent light required for generating quantum keys used in ultra-secure communication.

• Quantum-Safe Transactions: Enables banks, defence and telecom systems to protect data against attacks from future quantum computers.

• Photonic Quantum Computing:

• Photon Qubit Control: Generates precise laser pulses to encode, manipulate, and read photonic qubits in quantum processors. Error-Resilient Operations: Low noise and stable frequency improve gate fidelity, reducing errors in optical quantum computation.

• Photon Qubit Control: Generates precise laser pulses to encode, manipulate, and read photonic qubits in quantum processors.

• Error-Resilient Operations: Low noise and stable frequency improve gate fidelity, reducing errors in optical quantum computation.

• Scientific & Industrial Research:

• Precision Spectroscopy: Offers narrow, stable beams for analysing atomic and molecular structures at extremely high resolution. Atomic Clocks & Metrology: Supports next-gen optical clocks and ultra-precise timekeeping, improving navigation and communication systems.

• Precision Spectroscopy: Offers narrow, stable beams for analysing atomic and molecular structures at extremely high resolution.

• Atomic Clocks & Metrology: Supports next-gen optical clocks and ultra-precise timekeeping, improving navigation and communication systems.

150th Birth Anniversary of Birsa Munda

Source: LM

Subject: History

Context: Prime Minister of India and Home Minister paid tribute to Bhagwan Birsa Munda on his 150th birth anniversary, celebrated nationwide as Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas.

About 150th Birth Anniversary of Birsa Munda:

Who He Was?

• Birsa Munda (1875–1900) was a legendary tribal freedom fighter, social reformer, and charismatic leader of the Munda tribe.

• Revered as “Bhagwan” and “Dharti Aaba” (Father of the Earth) for protecting forests, land, and tribal identity.

Birth & Region:

• Born in Ulihatu village, in present-day Khunti district of Jharkhand, located in the Chhotanagpur plateau.

• Spent early years in Chalkad and Kurumbda, also received schooling in Salga and later in Chaibasa.

Contributions to the Munda Movement (Ulgulan)

• Led the Munda Rebellion (Ulgulan – “Great Tumult”) against British oppression, land alienation, forced labour, and missionary interference.

• Fought against the destruction of Mundari Khuntkatti (traditional land system) and the rise of exploitative thikadars (intermediaries).

• Mobilised Oraon, Munda, and Kharia tribes to fight for land rights and self-rule.

• Promoted social reforms — anti-alcoholism, rejection of superstition, and emphasis on hygiene and cultural revival.

• Coined the slogan: “Abua Raj setar jana, Maharani Raj tundu jana” (End the Queen’s rule, establish our own rule).

• Practised guerrilla warfare targeting oppressive colonial structures—police stations, churches, and offices.

Unique Facts About Birsa Munda:

• Originally named Daud Munda after his family’s temporary conversion to Christianity.

• Founded his own socio-religious sect called Birsait, becoming a spiritual leader.

• A gifted musician—played the flute and tuila, and was an active participant in village akhra dances.

• Died young at 25 (1900) in Ranchi jail, yet the rebellion led to the landmark Chhotanagpur Tenancy Act, 1908, which protected tribal land rights.

• His legacy inspires literature, films, folk songs, and a 150-feet statue erected in Jharkhand.

Operation Southern Spear

Source: TH

Subject: Miscellaneous

Context: The United States has launched Operation Southern Spear, a major new military and surveillance campaign targeting Latin American drug-trafficking cartels.

About Operation Southern Spear:

What it is?

• A large-scale U.S. military and intelligence operation deploying unmanned air and sea systems to detect, monitor, and disrupt drug-trafficking networks across the Caribbean and eastern Pacific.

Nation Involved: Led by the United States, under the Department of Defence.

• To neutralize narco-terrorist networks operating in the Western Hemisphere.

• To secure U.S. borders against drug smuggling routes.

• To test and operationalize a hybrid fleet of robotic and manned naval forces as part of Navy modernization.

Key Features of Operation Southern Spear:

• Robotic & Autonomous Systems (RAS): Long-endurance robotic surface vessels, interceptor boats, and VTOL robotic aircraft for round-the-clock surveillance.

• Hybrid Fleet Integration: Combines unmanned systems with traditional warships under the U.S. Navy’s Project 33 for accelerated robotic fleet deployment.

• Expanded Naval Presence: Over a dozen U.S. vessels in the region, including USS Gerald R. Ford, amphibious ships, and a nuclear submarine.

• High-Speed Interdiction: Robotic boats capable of rapid interception of narco-vessels in high-traffic maritime chokepoints.

Significance:

• Major Military Escalation: Largest U.S. naval buildup in the Caribbean in decades, heightening geopolitical tensions.

• Counter-Narcotics Capability Boost: Enhances the U.S.’s ability to monitor and intercept drug shipments across vast oceanic routes.

• Regional Impact: Raises concerns among Latin American nations—especially Venezuela—about potential U.S. interventionism.

Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Rules, 2025

Source: LL

Subject: PIB

Context: The Government of India has officially notified the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Rules, 2025, operationalising the DPDP Act, 2023.

About Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Rules, 2025:

What it is?

• A set of detailed regulatory rules that implement the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, laying out operational procedures for personal data processing, consent, safeguards, compliance timelines and oversight mechanisms.

Enforced through: the Data Protection Board of India, a fully digital adjudicatory body.

• To protect digital personal data while enabling innovation, ease of compliance and economic growth.

• To define obligations of Data Fiduciaries and rights of Data Principals with transparency and accountability.

• To ensure secure, consent-based, purpose-limited and responsible use of personal data.

Key Features of DPDP Rules, 2025:

• Phased Implementation (18 months): Allows organisations, especially MSMEs and startups, adequate time to transition to compliance through a structured timeline.

• Clear, Simple Consent Notices: Data Fiduciaries must issue standalone, plain-language consent notices specifying exact purpose and data use, ensuring informed consent.

• Breach Notification Protocol: Mandates prompt communication to affected individuals after any data breach, explaining nature of the breach, risks, corrective steps and support contacts.

• Special Safeguards for Children & Persons with Disabilities: Verifiable parental consent required for processing children’s data. Consent for persons with severe disabilities must come from lawful guardians. Exemptions only for essential services (education, healthcare, safety).

• Verifiable parental consent required for processing children’s data.

• Consent for persons with severe disabilities must come from lawful guardians.

• Exemptions only for essential services (education, healthcare, safety).

• Transparency & Accountability Requirements: Mandatory display of contact details of a designated officer/DPO. Significant Data Fiduciaries require: Independent audits Data Protection Impact Assessments Technology due-diligence Stricter compliance norms Data Principal Rights Strengthened: Citizens can: Access, correct, update or erase personal data Withdraw consent Nominate another person to exercise rights Data Fiduciaries must respond within 90 days. Consent Managers: Must be Indian entities, enabling individuals to manage and revoke permissions across platforms through a unified interface. Digital-First Data Protection Board: Fully online grievance redressal with app-based complaint filing and tracking; appeals lie with TDSAT. Technology-Neutral, SARAL Design: Follows the SARAL principle—Simple, Accessible, Rational, Actionable—ensuring clarity, ease of compliance, and flexibility for future technologies.

• Mandatory display of contact details of a designated officer/DPO.

• Significant Data Fiduciaries require: Independent audits Data Protection Impact Assessments Technology due-diligence Stricter compliance norms

• Independent audits

• Data Protection Impact Assessments

• Technology due-diligence

• Stricter compliance norms

• Data Principal Rights Strengthened: Citizens can: Access, correct, update or erase personal data Withdraw consent Nominate another person to exercise rights Data Fiduciaries must respond within 90 days.

• Citizens can: Access, correct, update or erase personal data Withdraw consent Nominate another person to exercise rights

• Access, correct, update or erase personal data

• Withdraw consent

• Nominate another person to exercise rights

• Data Fiduciaries must respond within 90 days.

• Consent Managers: Must be Indian entities, enabling individuals to manage and revoke permissions across platforms through a unified interface.

• Digital-First Data Protection Board: Fully online grievance redressal with app-based complaint filing and tracking; appeals lie with TDSAT.

• Technology-Neutral, SARAL Design: Follows the SARAL principle—Simple, Accessible, Rational, Actionable—ensuring clarity, ease of compliance, and flexibility for future technologies.

Ammonium Nitrate

Source: NDTV

Subject: Science and Technology

Context: A massive explosion at the Nowgam police station in Srinagar occurred when seized explosives—primarily ammonium nitrate recovered from a terror-linked doctor in Faridabad—accidentally detonated, killing nine people.

About Ammonium Nitrate:

What it is?

• Ammonium nitrate is a white crystalline chemical compound widely used as a fertilizer and a key ingredient in industrial and improvised explosives.

• It is highly oxidising and becomes explosive when mixed with fuel or other sensitizing agents.

Chemical Formula: NH₄NO₃ – Ammonium Nitrate

Key Features:

• Strong Oxidiser: Does not burn alone but greatly accelerates combustion of other materials.

• Highly Soluble & Hygroscopic: Absorbs moisture easily, dissolves readily in water.

• Thermally Unstable: Can undergo decomposition at high temperatures (melting point 170°C), leading to violent explosions under confinement.

• White Crystalline Solid: Appears similar to common salts, making large quantities difficult to visually identify.

Regulations in India:

• Classified as an explosive under the Explosives Act, 1884 (as per 2011 Gazette notification).

• Governed by the Ammonium Nitrate Rules, 2012, covering manufacture, conversion, bagging, transport, storage, import, and export.

• Any mixture containing over 45% ammonium nitrate is treated as an explosive.

• Requires licences under: IDR Act, 1951 (for industrial manufacture) Ammonium Nitrate Rules, 2012 (for handling, storage, transport, sale, or use)

• IDR Act, 1951 (for industrial manufacture)

• Ammonium Nitrate Rules, 2012 (for handling, storage, transport, sale, or use)

Applications:

• Agriculture:

• Used as a high-nitrogen fertilizer (NPK: 34-0-0). Preferred for its stability and efficient nitrogen release compared to urea.

• Used as a high-nitrogen fertilizer (NPK: 34-0-0).

• Preferred for its stability and efficient nitrogen release compared to urea.

• Industrial Explosives:

• Major ingredient in commercial explosives like ANFO (Ammonium Nitrate Fuel Oil), which accounts for ~80% of explosives used in mining and quarrying. Also used in mixtures like Amatol, Ammonal, Minol, Nitrolite, etc.

• Major ingredient in commercial explosives like ANFO (Ammonium Nitrate Fuel Oil), which accounts for ~80% of explosives used in mining and quarrying.

• Also used in mixtures like Amatol, Ammonal, Minol, Nitrolite, etc.

• Terrorism: Widely misused in Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) due to easy availability and high explosive potential when combined with fuel.

• Niche Uses:

• Instant cold packs: Dissolution in water absorbs heat (endothermic). Experimental use in off-grid cooling systems and as a refrigerant. Previously used in some airbag inflators (now discontinued due to safety concerns).

• Instant cold packs: Dissolution in water absorbs heat (endothermic).

• Experimental use in off-grid cooling systems and as a refrigerant.

• Previously used in some airbag inflators (now discontinued due to safety concerns).

DRDO Develops New Generation Man-Portable Autonomous Underwater Vehicles

Source: IT

Subject: Defence Exercise

Context: DRDO has successfully developed a new generation of Man-portable Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (MP-AUVs) for naval mine countermeasure missions.

About DRDO Develops New Generation Man-Portable Autonomous Underwater Vehicles:

What it is?

• A compact, lightweight autonomous underwater vehicle system that can be carried by personnel and deployed quickly for detecting, classifying, and analysing underwater mines in real time.

Developed by: Naval Science & Technological Laboratory (NSTL), Visakhapatnam — a premier naval systems lab of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

• To strengthen India’s indigenous mine countermeasure (MCM) capability,

• Reduce risk to naval divers and manned vessels,

• Enable fast, autonomous, and networked underwater mine detection.

Key Features:

• Multi-AUV System: Uses multiple portable AUVs working collaboratively during missions.

• Side Scan Sonar + Underwater Cameras: Enables high-resolution imaging and real-time detection of mine-like objects.

• AI-Driven Target Recognition: Deep-learning algorithms autonomously classify threats, reducing operator load and speeding up missions.

• Underwater Acoustic Communication: Allows AUVs to exchange data underwater, enhancing situational awareness and coordination.

• Man-Portable & Rapid Deployment: Lightweight design suitable for quick launch from ships or shore.

• Validated Through Field Trials: Successfully tested in NSTL harbour trials for accuracy, coordination, and mission reliability.

Significance:

• Enhances Naval Mine Warfare Capability: Provides an intelligent, networked, and safer system for mine detection and neutralisation.

• Reduces Risk to Personnel: Minimises the need for divers or manned vessels in high-risk minefields.

• Boosts Indigenous Defence Tech: Strengthens India’s self-reliance under Aatmanirbhar Bharat in critical underwater warfare systems.

#### UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 15 November 2025 Mapping:

Lake Turkana

Source: DTE

Subject: Mapping

Context: A new Nature Scientific Reports study found that falling water levels in East Africa’s Lake Turkana over the past 6,000 years accelerated earthquake activity.

About Lake Turkana:

• What it is? Lake Turkana is the world’s largest permanent desert lake and the fourth-largest of Africa’s Great Rift Valley lakes, known for its unique jade-green waters and active tectonic setting.

• Lake Turkana is the world’s largest permanent desert lake and the fourth-largest of Africa’s Great Rift Valley lakes, known for its unique jade-green waters and active tectonic setting.

• Located in: Located mainly in northern Kenya, with its northern tip extending into southern Ethiopia, situated in the eastern arm of the East African Rift System.

• Geological Features: Formed due to rift-related tectonic activity, with volcanic outcrops shaping much of its eastern and southern shores. Stretches 248 km long, 16–32 km wide, with a depth of up to 73 m. A closed-basin brackish lake fed primarily by the Omo River; levels fluctuate widely with climate changes. Hosts three volcanic islands—North, Central, and South Islands—rich in geological and biological diversity. Known for sudden, intense storms due to basin topography and desert winds.

• Formed due to rift-related tectonic activity, with volcanic outcrops shaping much of its eastern and southern shores.

• Stretches 248 km long, 16–32 km wide, with a depth of up to 73 m.

• A closed-basin brackish lake fed primarily by the Omo River; levels fluctuate widely with climate changes.

• Hosts three volcanic islands—North, Central, and South Islands—rich in geological and biological diversity.

• Known for sudden, intense storms due to basin topography and desert winds.

• Significance: Seismic & Volcanic Research: Located at a key rifting zone providing valuable insights into continental breakup and magma generation. Biodiversity Hotspot: Large populations of Nile perch, tilapia, crocodiles, hippos, and numerous bird species. Cradle of Humankind: Shores contain prehistoric sites like Koobi Fora, with fossils of 200+ early hominins discovered by the Leakeys.

• Seismic & Volcanic Research: Located at a key rifting zone providing valuable insights into continental breakup and magma generation.

• Biodiversity Hotspot: Large populations of Nile perch, tilapia, crocodiles, hippos, and numerous bird species.

• Cradle of Humankind: Shores contain prehistoric sites like Koobi Fora, with fossils of 200+ early hominins discovered by the Leakeys.

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