UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 18 December 2025
Kartavya Desk Staff
UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 18 December 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 1&2:
• Supreme Court Guidelines on Dowry-Related Violence
Supreme Court Guidelines on Dowry-Related Violence
GS Paper 1:
• The Changing Patterns of India’s Student Migration
The Changing Patterns of India’s Student Migration
Content for Mains Enrichment (CME):
• UNESCO Makes A Strong Case for Mother-Tongue Instruction
UNESCO Makes A Strong Case for Mother-Tongue Instruction
Facts for Prelims (FFP):
• Rhinoceros (Rhino)
Rhinoceros (Rhino)
• Nuclear Energy Mission
Nuclear Energy Mission
• India’s BRICS presidency 2026
India’s BRICS presidency 2026
• Global Declaration on Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs) and Mental Health
Global Declaration on Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs) and Mental Health
• Exercise DESERT CYCLONE–II 2025
Exercise DESERT CYCLONE–II 2025
Mapping:
• Kunar River
Kunar River
UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 18 December 2025
GS Paper 1 & 2:
Supreme Court Guidelines on Dowry-Related Violence
Source: B&B
Subject: Social issues and Polity
Context: In State of Uttar Pradesh vs Ajmal Beg (2025), the Supreme Court set aside an acquittal in a dowry death case and issued comprehensive guidelines to strengthen enforcement against dowry-related violence and deaths.
About Supreme Court Guidelines on Dowry-Related Violence:
What is the judgment about?
The Supreme Court delivered a landmark ruling addressing the social, constitutional and criminal dimensions of dowry-related violence. It emphasised that dowry, even when disguised as “gifts”, violates women’s dignity, equality and right to life.
Case name: State of Uttar Pradesh vs Ajmal Beg (2025)
Key judicial findings:
• Restoration of conviction: The Court set aside the Allahabad High Court’s acquittal and restored trial court convictions under Sections 304B & 498A IPC, read with Section 113B, Indian Evidence Act.
• Sociological analysis: Dowry has evolved from voluntary gifts to a coercive, institutionalised system linked to hypergamy and patriarchy.
• Across religions: The practice cuts across communities; even Islamic mehr has been diluted by parallel dowry demands.
• Constitutional violation: Dowry violates Articles 14, 15 and 21, making its eradication a constitutional imperative.
Current status and data on dowry in India:
• Scale of the problem: ~7,000 dowry deaths annually (NCRB average).
• Criminal justice gap: Only ~4,500 cases charge-sheeted yearly; 67% investigations pending over 6 months (2022).
• Low convictions: Barely ~100 convictions annually from ~6,500 trial cases.
• Regional concentration: ~80% cases from UP, Bihar, Jharkhand, MP, Odisha, Rajasthan, WB and Haryana.
• Urban distress: Delhi accounts for ~30% of dowry deaths among major cities.
Supreme Court–issued guidelines to curb dowry violence:
• Value-based education: Governments to integrate constitutional values of equality and dignity in school curricula to address dowry at the social-conditioning stage.
• Strengthen enforcement machinery: Proper appointment, empowerment and visibility of Dowry Prohibition Officers across States.
• Capacity-building of institutions: Regular sensitisation training for police and judicial officers on social and psychological aspects of dowry crimes.
• Fast-track justice: High Courts to review long-pending cases under Sections 304B and 498A IPC and ensure time-bound disposal.
• Community-level awareness: District administrations and District Legal Services Authorities (DLSAs) to run outreach programmes, especially beyond formal education systems.
• Monitoring and compliance: Judgment to be circulated to States and High Courts, with continued judicial monitoring.
Challenges to eradication of dowry:
• Social acceptance disguised as ‘gifts’: Dowry continues under cultural legitimacy, weakening detection and enforcement despite statutory prohibition.
Eg: State of U.P. v. Ajmal Beg (2025) noted dowry’s transformation from voluntary gifts into an institutionalised coercive practice.
• Patriarchal marriage markets: Grooms are monetised based on education, income and status, normalising pre-marriage financial extraction.
Eg: A 2025 Bengaluru case saw ₹50 lakh and a luxury car demanded just before marriage, triggering FIR after the groom absconded.
• Weak enforcement capacity: Dowry Prohibition Officers remain under-staffed, under-empowered and largely invisible at the district level.
Eg: In December 2025, the Supreme Court criticised States for failing to operationalise DPOs under the Dowry Prohibition Act.
• Judicial delays and low convictions: Prolonged trials dilute deterrence and erode victims’ faith in justice.
Eg: A 2025 Supreme Court verdict restored conviction in a 2001 dowry death case after two decades of pendency.
• Cross-community diffusion of dowry: Dowry has spread across religions, overriding doctrinal safeguards meant to protect women.
Eg: The Supreme Court (Dec 2025) observed dowry’s diffusion into Muslim marriages, reducing mehr to a nominal formality.
Way ahead:
• Zero-tolerance enforcement: Time-bound investigation and prosecution must replace procedural laxity.
Eg: Supreme Court (Oct 2025) directed High Courts to fast-track pending cases under IPC 304B and 498A.
• Community-led norm change: Social sanction is essential to delegitimise dowry beyond legal deterrence.
Eg: The 2025 Model Women-Friendly Gram Panchayats initiative institutionalised Mahila Gram Sabhas nationwide.
• Economic empowerment of women: Financial autonomy reduces vulnerability to dowry-linked coercion and violence.
Eg: Courts increasingly combine dowry cases with residence and maintenance relief under the Domestic Violence Act.
• Data-driven policing: Evidence-based targeting can improve investigation quality and accountability.
Eg: In 2025, experts highlighted that only ~4,500 of 7,000 dowry death cases reach charge-sheet stage annually.
• Monitoring judicial compliance: Continuous oversight is needed to translate judicial directions into systemic reform.
Eg: In late 2025, the Supreme Court mandated High Courts to map pendency from the oldest to newest dowry cases.
Conclusion:
The Supreme Court’s 2025 judgment reframes dowry eradication as a constitutional duty, not merely a social reform. Legal rigor, institutional capacity and social transformation must move together to end dowry violence. Only sustained enforcement combined with deep cultural change can secure dignity and equality for women.
Q. “Dowry is a manifestation of gender inequality and commodification of women”. Analyze the structural and cultural barriers to eliminating dowry in Indian society, and propose a multi-dimensional strategy to address this entrenched practice. (15 M)
#### UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 18 December 2025 GS Paper 1:
The Changing Patterns of India’s Student Migration
Source: TH
Subject: Demography and associated issues
Context: India is witnessing a sharp rise in self-financed student migration, with overseas enrolment projected to reach 13.8 lakh in 2025.
• Recent debates highlight rising debt, underemployment and “brain waste”, questioning the developmental gains of this trend.
About The Changing Patterns of India’s Student Migration:
What it is?
• Student migration now represents a mass middle-class phenomenon, driven less by elite scholarships and more by self-financed education loans and family savings.
Recent trends:
• By December 2025, 82 lakh Indian students were studying across 153 countries, with Germany and France emerging as cost-effective alternatives, as Germany alone recorded ~49% growth amid tighter rules in traditional hubs.
• The Kerala Migration Survey (2023–24) shows student migration doubling from 29 lakh (2018) to 2.5 lakh (2023), now forming 11.3% of all emigrants, while Gulf labour migration has stagnated.
• In 2023–24, Kerala’s outward education remittances touched ₹43,378 crore, nearly 20% of its inward labour remittances, marking a measurable economic strain on households.
• In 2024–25, stricter norms in Canada, the US, UK and Australia saw Canada’s study-visa approval rate fall to ~30%, triggering a 23% YoY drop in education remittances as families deferred overseas plans.
Factors Causing the Change in Migration Patterns:
• Aspirational mobility and PR pathways: Students increasingly choose destinations that offer post-study work and residency options, even at higher costs, viewing education as a migration ladder rather than a learning goal.
Eg: In 2024–25, Australia and Germany saw higher Indian enrolments due to clearer PR pathways despite rising visa fees.
• Gaps in domestic education–employment linkage: Weak alignment between Indian degrees and labour-market needs pushes graduates to seek foreign credentials for employability.
Eg: The India Skills Report 2024 found only 51% of Indian graduates employable, fuelling the “degree-plus-visa” strategy.
• Aggressive recruitment networks: Unregulated agents prioritise commissions over student outcomes, steering aspirants to low-quality overseas institutions.
Eg: In 2024, Punjab Police cracked down on hundreds of fake immigration firms after 700 students faced deportation threats from Canada.
• Normalisation of self-financed migration: Middle-class families increasingly accept high debt as a legitimate investment in global mobility.
Eg: RBI (2024) recorded a sharp rise in LRS remittances under “Education” and “Maintenance of Close Relatives”.
Challenges Associated with Student Migration:
• Deskilling and underemployment: Highly educated students often end up in low-skill jobs due to restrictive visa regimes and weak placement support.
Eg: UK’s 2024 limits on skilled-visa switching pushed Indian STEM graduates into gig-economy work.
• Reverse remittances and household debt: Instead of earning abroad, students drain domestic savings and incur long-term family debt.
Eg: Education loans averaged ₹35–40 lakh in 2024, often mortgaging ancestral land in Punjab and Haryana.
• Exploitation and informal labour: Financial stress forces students into unsafe housing and undocumented work.
Eg: Canada’s 2024 housing crisis led to “hot-bedding” and illegal warehouse jobs among Indian students.
• Mental health and social stress: Isolation, debt pressure and insecurity severely affect student well-being.
Eg: Indian consulates in the US and Canada reported a surge in distress calls in 2024 after violent incidents.
• Brain waste instead of brain gain: Failure to secure skilled jobs results in debt-burdened returns rather than knowledge transfer.
Eg: Many returnees face “circular migration failure”, coming back with loans instead of advanced skills.
Way Ahead:
• Regulate education recruitment agents: Mandatory registration and penalties can curb fraud and misinformation.
Eg: Proposed amendments to the Punjab Prevention of Human Smuggling Act target unregistered study-abroad consultants.
• Strengthen pre-departure counselling: Transparent guidance can align expectations with ground realities.
Eg: MEA’s “Surakshit Jaaye, Prashikshit Jaaye” (2024) campaign educates aspirants on risks and rights.
• Bilateral education accountability frameworks: Structured mobility agreements reduce uncertainty and exploitation.
Eg: India-Australia MATES programme provides regulated visa quotas for young professionals.
• Improve domestic higher education outcomes: Quality global education at home can reduce forced migration.
Eg: Foreign university campuses at GIFT City, Gujarat, offer international degrees at lower cost.
• Promote return and reintegration pathways: Returning talent must be absorbed into India’s innovation ecosystem.
Eg: VAIBHAV Fellowship links diaspora and returnees with Indian R&D institutions.
Conclusion:
India’s student migration reflects rising aspirations but also growing structural vulnerabilities. Without regulation and domestic reform, the promise of global education risks turning into debt-driven underemployment. A balanced approach is needed to convert student mobility into genuine human capital gain rather than brain waste.
Q. How does migration affect social empowerment of vulnerable groups? Discuss with reference to rural-urban mobility. (10 M)
#### UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 18 December 2025 Content for Mains Enrichment (CME)
UNESCO Makes A Strong Case for Mother-Tongue Instruction
Context: UNESCO released its flagship report “Bhasha Matters: The State of the Education Report for India 2025”, strongly advocating mother-tongue based instruction in India.
• The report calls for a national mission on Mother-Tongue Based Multilingual Education (MTB-MLE) to improve equity, learning outcomes and linguistic inclusion.
About UNESCO Makes A Strong Case for Mother-Tongue Instruction:
Key recommendations of UNESCO (India Education Report 2025)
• National mission on MTB-MLE: Establish a coordinated national framework with strong Centre–State institutional alignment.
• State-level language-in-education policies: Operationalise clear MTB-MLE policies adapted to local linguistic realities.
• Teacher capacity building: Recruit and train teachers with multilingual competence; reform pre-service and in-service teacher education.
• Learner-centred pedagogy: Design flexible language pathways responsive to students’ linguistic backgrounds.
• Community and indigenous knowledge integration: Institutionalise community participation and local knowledge systems in schooling.
• Multilingual learning materials: Develop quality textbooks, assessments and resources in multiple languages across grades.
• Gender-responsive approach: Embed MTB-MLE across middle, secondary and alternative schooling with gender sensitivity.
• Digital public infrastructure: Use digital platforms to support multilingual teaching, learning and teacher mentoring.
• Inclusive language technologies: Invest in translation tools, speech technologies and AI while bridging the digital divide.
• Sustainable financing: Ensure equitable funding for multilingual education and language-responsive technologies.
Relevance with UPSC syllabus:
• GS Paper I – Society
• Linguistic diversity, social inclusion, preservation of cultural identities.
• Linguistic diversity, social inclusion, preservation of cultural identities.
• GS Paper II – Governance & Education
• Education policy, federalism in language policy, role of international institutions like UNESCO. Inclusive education, equity in learning outcomes, marginalised and tribal communities.
• Education policy, federalism in language policy, role of international institutions like UNESCO.
• Inclusive education, equity in learning outcomes, marginalised and tribal communities.
• GS Paper IV – Ethics
• Respect for diversity, dignity, cultural rights and social justice in public policy.
• Respect for diversity, dignity, cultural rights and social justice in public policy.
#### UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 18 December 2025 Facts for Prelims (FFP)
Rhinoceros (Rhino)
Source: TH
Subject: Species in News
Context: A recent international study shows that rhino dehorning has reduced poaching by nearly 75–78% in African reserves, offering a cost-effective conservation tool.
About Rhinoceros (Rhino):
• What it is? The rhinoceros is a large, herbivorous mammal belonging to the family Rhinocerotidae. It is one of the oldest surviving megafauna, dating back millions of years.
• The rhinoceros is a large, herbivorous mammal belonging to the family Rhinocerotidae.
• It is one of the oldest surviving megafauna, dating back millions of years.
• Habitat: Rhinos occupy diverse ecosystems depending on species:
• Rhinos occupy diverse ecosystems depending on species:
• Grasslands and savannahs Tropical and subtropical forests Swamps, riverine areas, and shrublands
• Grasslands and savannahs
• Tropical and subtropical forests
• Swamps, riverine areas, and shrublands
• Types of rhinos (5 species):
• White rhino (*Ceratotherium simum*): Africa Black rhino (*Diceros bicornis*): Africa Greater one-horned (Indian) rhino (*Rhinoceros unicornis*): India & Nepal Javan rhino (*Rhinoceros sondaicus*): Indonesia Sumatran rhino (*Dicerorhinus sumatrensis*): Indonesia
• White rhino (*Ceratotherium simum*): Africa
• Black rhino (*Diceros bicornis*): Africa
• Greater one-horned (Indian) rhino (*Rhinoceros unicornis*): India & Nepal
• Javan rhino (*Rhinoceros sondaicus*): Indonesia
• Sumatran rhino (*Dicerorhinus sumatrensis*): Indonesia
• Key characteristics:
• Horn made of keratin, not bone (same protein as hair and nails) Herbivorous, feeding on grasses, leaves, shoots, and roots Poor eyesight but strong hearing and smell Semi-aquatic behaviour in some species (Indian rhino) Slow reproduction, making recovery difficult after population loss
• Horn made of keratin, not bone (same protein as hair and nails)
• Herbivorous, feeding on grasses, leaves, shoots, and roots
• Poor eyesight but strong hearing and smell
• Semi-aquatic behaviour in some species (Indian rhino)
• Slow reproduction, making recovery difficult after population loss
• Conservation status:
• Critically Endangered: Javan, Sumatran, Black rhino Vulnerable: Greater one-horned rhino Near Threatened: White rhino
• Critically Endangered: Javan, Sumatran, Black rhino
• Vulnerable: Greater one-horned rhino
• Near Threatened: White rhino
• Significance:
• Biodiversity value: Rhinos are keystone species, shaping grassland and forest ecosystems through grazing and seed dispersal. Ecological balance: Their feeding behaviour maintains habitat heterogeneity, supporting smaller species. Cultural and heritage value: The Indian rhino features in Assam’s natural heritage, especially Kaziranga National Park. Indicator of governance: Rhino conservation reflects state capacity, anti-poaching enforcement, and community participation. Global conservation symbol: Rhino protection is central to global efforts against illegal wildlife trade, alongside elephants and tigers.
• Biodiversity value: Rhinos are keystone species, shaping grassland and forest ecosystems through grazing and seed dispersal.
• Ecological balance: Their feeding behaviour maintains habitat heterogeneity, supporting smaller species.
• Cultural and heritage value: The Indian rhino features in Assam’s natural heritage, especially Kaziranga National Park.
• Indicator of governance: Rhino conservation reflects state capacity, anti-poaching enforcement, and community participation.
• Global conservation symbol: Rhino protection is central to global efforts against illegal wildlife trade, alongside elephants and tigers.
Nuclear Energy Mission
Source: TOI
Subject: Government Scheme
Context: Government informed Parliament that India will operationalise at least 5 indigenously designed Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) by 2033 under the Nuclear Energy Mission, backed by ₹20,000 crore.
About Nuclear Energy Mission:
What it is?
• A national mission framework to scale up nuclear power through advanced and indigenous technologies, with a strong thrust on SMR R&D and deployment alongside large reactors.
Announced in: Union Budget 2025–26 as a dedicated push for R&D and deployment of SMRs, with a clear 2033 milestone.
• Scale-up target: Reach about 100 GW nuclear power capacity by 2047 to support India’s long-term energy transition.
• SMR target: At least 5 indigenous SMRs by 2033 for clean, reliable, decentralised nuclear power.
Key features:
• Big R&D push: ₹20,000 crore for research, design, development and deployment of SMRs (FY 2025–26).
• Indigenous SMR pipeline: BARC has initiated design work on BSMR-200 (200 MWe), SMR-55 (55 MWe), and a high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (~5 MW) for hydrogen generation.
• Industrial decarbonisation focus: SMRs are positioned for captive power, repowering retiring fossil units, and remote/off-grid applications.
• Capacity roadmap with roles: Public sector expected to contribute ~58–60 GW, with the remainder envisaged via public/private participation under the evolving policy framework.
• NPCIL-led rollout + partnerships: NPCIL’s roadmap includes indigenous PHWRs and foreign cooperation; and the NTPC–NPCIL JV is part of enabling nuclear expansion.
Significance:
• Clean baseload power: Nuclear provides 24×7 firm electricity, supporting grid stability as renewables scale up.
• Net Zero pathway: Helps India progress toward Net Zero 2070 by cutting lifecycle emissions compared to fossil generation.
India’s BRICS presidency 2026
Source: TH
Subject: International Organisation
Context: Brazil has formally handed over the BRICS (18th) presidency to India for 2026, amid global trade frictions and geopolitical tensions.
About India’s BRICS presidency 2026:
What it is?
• India will serve as the rotating (pro tempore) Chair of BRICS in 2026. As Chair, India will set priorities, convene meetings, and host the annual summit for the year.
Established in:
• Origins (BRIC): Political dialogue began with the BRIC Foreign Ministers’ meeting in 2006 (UNGA sidelines).
• Leaders’ summit start: The first summit of heads of state/government took place in 2009 (Yekaterinburg).
• BRICS formed: South Africa joined in 2011, turning BRIC into BRICS.
Headquarters: No permanent HQ and it works as an informal coordination platform with a rotating presidency.
• The New Development Bank (NDB) is headquartered in Shanghai, China.
Members: Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia.
How is the BRICS Presidency decided?
• Not elected by voting. The BRICS presidency is rotational, not chosen through an election.
• Rotation principle: The chairmanship rotates annually among member countries, traditionally following the alphabetical order of the acronym “BRICS”.
• Tenure: Each presidency runs from 1 January to 31 December of the year.
• Role of the President country: Sets the annual agenda and priorities Chairs meetings at all levels (Sherpas, Ministers, Leaders) Hosts the BRICS Summit
• Sets the annual agenda and priorities
• Chairs meetings at all levels (Sherpas, Ministers, Leaders)
• Hosts the BRICS Summit
Official language of BRICS: No single official language is prescribed in the BRICS Charter.
Key functions of BRICS:
• Political coordination: Builds common positions on major global issues and pushes for a fairer world order.
• Economic and financial cooperation: Promotes trade, investment coordination, and reform of global financial governance.
• Development finance: Uses institutions like the NDB to fund infrastructure and sustainable development in EMDCs.
• People-to-people pillar: Expands cultural, academic, youth and civil society engagement across members.
• Bridge-building for Global South: Provides a platform where developing countries amplify shared priorities.
Significance of India’s BRICS presidency:
• India can steer agendas on development finance, health, and technology equity.
• India can strengthen calls for reform of institutions like UN, IMF, World Bank, WTO.
Global Declaration on Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs) and Mental Health
Source: WHO
Subject: International Organisation
Context: World leaders at the 80th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted a historic global political declaration that jointly addresses noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and mental health for the first time.
About Global Declaration on Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs) and Mental Health:
What it is?
• The Global Declaration on NCDs and Mental Health is a political declaration adopted by UN Member States to accelerate prevention, control and care of NCDs and mental health conditions through an integrated approach.
• It represents the first UN declaration to treat NCDs and mental health together, recognising their shared risk factors and societal impact.
Published by:
• United Nations General Assembly (UNGA)
• Adopted during the Fourth UN High-Level Meeting on NCDs and Mental Health (2025)
Targets (to be achieved by 2030):
The declaration introduces first-ever global “fast-track” outcome targets:
• 150 million fewer tobacco users
• 150 million more people with hypertension under control
• 150 million more people with access to mental health care
Key features:
• Integrated health approach: Treats NCDs and mental health as interconnected challenges driven by common risk factors such as unhealthy diets, tobacco, alcohol, physical inactivity and air pollution.
• Expanded scope of NCDs: Covers new areas including oral health, lung health, childhood cancer, kidney and liver diseases, and rare diseases.
• Focus on emerging risks: Addresses environmental determinants (air pollution, clean cooking, lead exposure) and digital harms (excessive screen time, harmful online content, misinformation).
• Stronger regulation: Emphasises regulation of e-cigarettes, novel tobacco products, unhealthy food marketing to children, front-of-pack labelling, and elimination of industrial trans fats.
• System-level national targets: Calls for strong primary healthcare, affordable essential medicines, financial protection, multisectoral national plans, and robust surveillance systems.
• Whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach: Encourages engagement of civil society, youth, persons with disabilities, and people with lived experience.
Significance:
• Addresses the world’s leading causes of premature death and disability, affecting people across all countries and income groups.
• Prioritises vulnerable groups such as climate-affected populations, Small Island Developing States (SIDS), and humanitarian settings.
Exercise DESERT CYCLONE–II 2025
Source: PIB
Subject: Defence
Context: An Indian Army contingent has departed for the India–UAE Joint Military Exercise DESERT CYCLONE–II (2025) to be held in Abu Dhabi.
About Exercise DESERT CYCLONE–II 2025:
What it is?
• DESERT CYCLONE–II is the second edition of the bilateral joint military exercise between the Indian Army and the UAE Land Forces, aimed at enhancing operational cooperation.
Host country: United Arab Emirates (Abu Dhabi)
Participating nations:
• India: 45 personnel from a battalion of The Mechanised Infantry Regiment
• UAE: Personnel from 53 Mechanised Infantry Battalion, UAE Land Forces
• To train jointly for sub-conventional operations under a UN mandate.
• To prepare forces for peacekeeping, counter-terrorism and stability operations in urban environments.
Key features:
• Training in fighting in built-up areas (FIBUA).
• Heliborne operations and detailed joint mission planning.
• Integration of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) and Counter-UAS techniques.
• Focus on urban warfare scenarios and joint tactical drills.
Significance:
• Strengthens bilateral defence ties and military diplomacy between India and the UAE.
• Enhances mutual understanding of tactics, techniques and procedures (TTPs).
#### UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 18 December 2025 Mapping:
Kunar River
Source: NDTV
Subject: Mapping
Context: Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities have approved plans to divert water from the Kunar (Chitral) River toward the Darunta Dam, raising fears of reduced downstream flows into Pakistan.
About Kunar River:
What it is?
• The Kunar River, known as the Chitral River in Pakistan, is a major transboundary Himalayan River flowing through Pakistan and Afghanistan.
• It is a key component of the Indus Basin system, supporting irrigation, drinking water, and hydropower.
Origin:
• Source: Chiantar Glacier in the Hindu Kush Mountains
• Location: Northern Chitral region, Pakistan
Course and flow:
• Rises in Chitral (Pakistan) as the Chitral/Mastuj River
• Enters Afghanistan at Arandu, where it is called the Kunar River
• Flows through Kunar and Nangarhar provinces
• Merges with the Kabul River near Jalalabad
• The Kabul River then flows back into Pakistan and joins the Indus River near Attock
Countries it flows through: Pakistan → Afghanistan → Pakistan (via Kabul–Indus system)
Tributaries of the Kunar River:
• Pech River (major tributary)
• Lotkoh River
Kunar River is a tributary of: Kabul River, which is itself a tributary of the Indus River
Key features:
• Transboundary river: Shared by Pakistan and Afghanistan, with strategic and geopolitical importance.
• Glacial-fed system: Around 60–70% of its discharge originates in Pakistan, making upstream changes critical for downstream users.
• Economic significance: Vital for irrigation, drinking water, and hydropower in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and eastern Afghanistan.
• Security sensitivity: The basin lies in a conflict-prone border region, linking water stress with security risks.
• No legal framework: Unlike the Indus Waters Treaty, no bilateral treaty governs Kunar waters, increasing the risk of water disputes.
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