UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 21 November 2025
Kartavya Desk Staff
UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 21 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 – 21 November (2025)
• India’s Fisheries & Aquaculture
India’s Fisheries & Aquaculture
• Defence Atmanirbharta: Record Production and Exports
Defence Atmanirbharta: Record Production and Exports
Content for Mains Enrichment (CME):
• Hamara Shauchalaya, Hamara Bhavishya Campaign
Hamara Shauchalaya, Hamara Bhavishya Campaign
Facts for Prelims (FFP):
• Geological Survey of India (GSI)
Geological Survey of India (GSI)
• Supreme Court Clarification on Governor’s Powers to Assent Bills
Supreme Court Clarification on Governor’s Powers to Assent Bills
• Cold Wave
Cold Wave
• Second Regional Open Digital Health Summit 2025
Second Regional Open Digital Health Summit 2025
• Index of Eight Core Industries
Index of Eight Core Industries
• Coastal Security Exercise ‘Sagar Kavach’
Coastal Security Exercise ‘Sagar Kavach’
Mapping:
• India Hosts Colombo Security Conclave (CSC) NSA Meet
India Hosts Colombo Security Conclave (CSC) NSA Meet
UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 21 November 2025
#### GS Paper 3:
India’s Fisheries & Aquaculture
Source: TH
Subject: Economy
Context: World Fisheries Day 2025 highlighted India’s rapid rise in fisheries and aquaculture and the FAO’s call for renewed commitment to “India’s Blue Transformation”.
• The FAO representative noted that despite India becoming the world’s 2nd-largest aquaculture producer, sustainability gaps and ecosystem pressures require urgent policy strengthening.
About India’s Fisheries & Aquaculture:
Trends / Data:
• Rapid Output Growth (1980s → 2023): India’s total aquatic production rose from 44 million tonnes (1980s) to 17.54 million tonnes (2022–23), reflecting a seven-fold expansion driven mainly by inland aquaculture.
• India as Global Aquaculture Leader: According to FAO SOFIA 2024, India contributed 23 million tonnes of aquatic animals, becoming the world’s 2nd-largest aquaculture producer after China.
• Shrimp & Marine Export Strength: Marine products exports increased 08%, from USD 0.81 bn (Oct 2024) to USD 0.90 bn (Oct 2025), driven by high-value shrimp aquaculture and better value-addition.
• Inland Aquaculture Driving Growth: Between 2013–14 and 2024–25, total fish output doubled from 96 lakh tonnes to 195 lakh tonnes, with inland fisheries alone growing 140%, becoming India’s key production engine.
• Sectoral Base & Livelihood Footprint: India sustains 30 million livelihoods, with 3,477 coastal fishing villages producing 72% of national output, showing high dependence on coastal ecosystem stability.
Opportunities For India:
• Global Seafood Market Expansion: India’s competitive labour, strong shrimp sector, and GST cuts (12%→5% on key fish products) create a cost advantage for expanding presence in markets like the U.S., EU, and East Asia.
• Blue Economy Potential Through EEZ Rules: New Sustainable Harnessing of EEZ Rules (2025) open deep-sea fishing opportunities for Fish Farmer Producer Organisations, unlocking underutilised high-value pelagic stocks.
• Digital Governance for Traceability: Platforms like ReALCraft, NFDP and the National Traceability Framework can help India meet global compliance norms, improving export premiums and reducing rejection risks.
• Climate-Resilient Aquaculture Models: FAO-supported projects in Andhra Pradesh demonstrate climate-resilient pond systems that reduce footprint, offering models for replication across other coastal States.
• Women-Centric Growth Opportunities: Schemes under PMMSY provide 60% assistance to women, enabling their entry into value-addition, retail fish kiosks, and processing units—strengthening inclusive sectoral growth.
Initiatives Taken:
• PM Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY): With ₹20,312 crore outlay (2020–26), PMMSY created 730 cold storages, 26,348 transport facilities, 6,410 kiosks, boosting national logistics and reducing post-harvest loss.
• Climate-Resilient Coastal Fishermen Villages: 100 existing coastal villages are being upgraded into Climate-Resilient CFVs, adding cyclone-resilient housing, early warning systems, and livelihood diversification support.
• EEZ Sustainable Harnessing Rules, 2025: Rules provide priority access to cooperatives for deep-sea fishing, introduce a digital Access-Pass via ReALCraft, and ban destructive practices to protect marine biodiversity.
• Marine Fisheries Census 2025: Using VyAS-NAV, BHARAT, SUTRA apps, the census geo-references 2 million households across 5,000 villages, creating real-time socio-economic datasets for targeted policy.
• Fisheries Infrastructure Development (FIDF): FIDF (₹7,522 crore corpus) finances ports, cold chains and aquaculture parks; 178 projects worth ₹6,369 crore were approved by July 2025 with interest subvention support.
Challenges Associated:
• Overfishing & Stock Decline: Intensive coastal fishing and juvenile catch deplete nearshore stocks, reducing availability of species like sardines and mackerel across Western and Eastern coasts.
• Habitat Degradation & Pollution: Seagrass loss, coastal sedimentation, and harbour pollution undermine nursery grounds, reducing recruitment of commercially valuable species in high-density coasts.
• IUU Fishing Pressure: Illegal and unregulated fishing vessels frequently operate beyond permitted zones, bypassing catch reporting and undermining fair access for small-scale fishers.
• Post-Harvest Losses & Poor Cold Chains: Despite improvements, India still loses 15–20% of fish post-harvest, lowering export quality due to gaps in hygienic handling, grading, and value-addition practices.
• Limited Access to Credit & Insurance: Small-scale fishers face difficulty obtaining boat repair loans, affordable insurance, and working capital despite PM-MKSSY incentives, restricting technological upgrades.
Way Ahead:
• Strengthen Science-Based Stock Management: Adopt zone-wise stock assessments, seasonal closures, and mesh-size regulation to restore declining coastal stocks and align with FAO’s ecosystem-based approaches.
• Expand Deep-Sea Fisheries Capacity: Modernise cooperative-owned vessels, promote onboard cold storage, and expand training for deep-sea navigation to shift pressure away from overfished coastal waters.
• Build National Traceability & Certification Systems: Implement the National Framework on Traceability across exporters, landing sites, and hatcheries to meet EU/U.S. standards and increase export competitiveness.
• Strengthen Aquaculture Biosecurity: Enforce hatchery certification, disease-free seed systems, and water quality monitoring to reduce disease outbreaks and enhance productivity in inland aquaculture.
• Invest in Climate-Resilient Infrastructure: Upgrade harbours with smart-harbour guidelines, cyclone-resilient structures, early warning systems, and climate-adaptive pond designs to reduce climate vulnerability.
Conclusion:
India’s fisheries and aquaculture are entering a transformative phase marked by rapid growth, digital governance, and global market expansion. Sustained policy reforms, climate-resilient practices, and science-driven management can convert this momentum into long-term sectoral stability. With inclusive support for small fishers and strong institutional backing, India can lead a resilient and globally competitive blue economy.
Can aquaculture help India meet its nutrition and livelihood goals simultaneously? What are the critical gaps in India’s aquaculture supply chain?
Defence Atmanirbharta: Record Production and Exports
Source: PIB
Subject: Economy
Context: India recorded its highest-ever defence production and exports in FY 2024–25 under the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative, marking a major shift towards indigenous manufacturing.
• The Government announced ambitious targets to reach ₹3 lakh crore production and ₹50,000 crore exports by 2029, signalling India’s rise as a global defence exporter.
About Defence Atmanirbharta: Record Production and Exports
Trends / Key Statistics of India’s Defence Industry:
• Record Defence Production: Indigenous defence manufacturing touched ₹1,27,434 crore in FY 2023–24, rising sharply from ₹46,429 crore in 2014–15—a 174% growth driven by sustained policy reforms.
• Highest Ever Overall Output: India’s total defence production for FY 2024–25 reached ₹1.54 lakh crore, reflecting continuous annual expansion across DPSUs, private firms, and MSMEs.
• Rising Defence Exports: Exports climbed to ₹23,622 crore in FY 2024–25, up from less than ₹1,000 crore in 2014, showing India’s growing global competitiveness and platform reliability.
• Private Sector Participation: The private sector’s share grew from 21% to 23% within a year as over 16,000 MSMEs entered the supply chain producing high-value sub-systems and components.
• Massive Domestic Procurement: In FY 2024–25, the Ministry of Defence signed 193 contracts worth ₹2.09 lakh crore, with 177 contracts awarded to domestic companies, boosting self-reliance.
Opportunities for India’s Defence Industry:
• Defence Industrial Corridors: UPDIC and TNDIC attracted ₹9,145 crore actual investment with ₹66,423 crore potential, creating clusters for aerospace, land systems, and advanced manufacturing.
• Expanding Export Markets: India now exports defence products to 80–100 countries, offering opportunities to expand partnerships through training, maintenance, logistics, and technology packages.
• High FDI Inflow Potential: Liberalised norms allowing 74% automatic FDI and 100% through approval make India a preferred destination for foreign OEM collaboration and technology transfer.
• Digital Export Authorisations: An end-to-end digital portal issued 1,762 export approvals in FY 2024–25, reducing clearance time, improving transparency, and raising exporter participation by 17%.
• Innovation Ecosystem: Schemes like the ₹1 lakh crore RDI Scheme, iDEX grants, and DRDO’s TDF (₹500 crore) offer huge opportunities for start-ups and academia to co-develop next-gen defence tech.
Government Initiatives:
• Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020 prioritises Buy Indian–IDDM, speeds clearances, integrates advanced tech (AI, robotics, cyber).
• Defence Procurement Manual (DPM) 2025 streamlines ₹1 lakh crore revenue procurement with uniform rules and digital processes.
• Positive Indigenisation Lists ban imports of thousands of items, encouraging domestic production.
• Reorganisation of Ordnance Factories into seven DPSUs to improve autonomy and efficiency.
• Export Facilitation Reforms: Open General Export Licences, simplified SOPs, digital authorisation, and export promotion cell.
Challenges Associated with India’s Defence Industry:
• Shallow Technological Base: India still lacks indigenous capability in high-end propulsion, sensors, materials, and electronics, leading to 58% of procurement through licensed production.
• Insufficient Production Scale: Despite improvements, domestic output is still too low to meet annual procurement needs, keeping India dependent on foreign OEMs for major platforms.
• Export Limitations of DPSUs: DPSUs have struggled internationally—examples include HAL’s Tejas losing to Korean KF-21 and GRSE losing major global tenders, impacting export ambitions.
• Policy–Implementation Gap: Many reforms announced since 2014 see slow on-ground execution due to bureaucratic delays, lengthy negotiations, and multi-layered compliance pathways.
• Dependence on Imported Components: India relies heavily on foreign suppliers for speciality steels, composites, servos, avionics, and electronics, creating supply-chain vulnerabilities.
Way Ahead:
• Build Deep-Tech Capability: Increase investments in propulsion, stealth materials, seeker technology, and advanced sensors to reduce dependence on foreign components and raise export competitiveness.
• Strengthen Private Industry: Offer long-term procurement commitments, testing infrastructure, and transparent competition so private firms and MSMEs can scale production and innovate freely.
• Boost R&D Spending: Raise defence R&D allocation from <1% to 8–10% of the defence budget, matching global defence leaders and enabling India to design complex strategic platforms.
• Expand Export Diplomacy: Use concessional finance, maintenance hubs, and joint training to enhance India’s attractiveness in African, ASEAN, and Middle Eastern defence markets.
• Accelerate Procurement Reforms: Introduce single-window clearances, real-time PMUs, and digital monitoring to cut procurement delays and ensure timely delivery to the Armed Forces.
Conclusion:
India’s defence sector has entered a decisive phase of self-reliance with record production, exports, and ecosystem growth. To sustain this momentum, India must expand deep-tech capacity, accelerate private-sector participation, and strengthen global partnerships. With consistent reforms, India is poised to emerge as a major global defence manufacturing hub by 2030.
Despite India’s efforts to enhance domestic defence manufacturing, its status as the second-largest arms importer persists. Critically examine the obstacles hindering India’s self-reliance in defence production. Suggest policy measures to address these challenges.
#### UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 21 November 2025 Content for Mains Enrichment (CME)
Hamara Shauchalaya, Hamara Bhavishya Campaign
Context: The Ministry of Jal Shakti launched the nationwide “Hamara Shauchalaya, Hamara Bhavishya” campaign on World Toilet Day 2025.
About Hamara Shauchalaya, Hamara Bhavishya Campaign:
What It Is?
• A national sanitation initiative by the Ministry of Jal Shakti to upgrade rural toilets, enhance their maintenance, and promote community-led sanitation responsibility across Gram Panchayats.
Key Features:
• Toilet Functionality & Repairs: Focus on restoring CSCs (Community Sanitary Complexes) and IHHLs (Individual Household Latrines), including O&M improvements.
• Aesthetic Upgradation: Painting, cleaning, beautification of rural toilets to sustain usage and dignity.
• Awareness Drive: School-based sanitation education, safe faecal waste handling, climate-resilient sanitation practices.
• Community Participation: Involves NSS, NYKS, NCC, senior citizens, Padma awardees & youth groups; felicitation of sanitation workers and on-spot distribution of IHHL sanction letters.
Significance:
• Helps India address post-ODF challenges by shifting focus from toilet construction to long-term sustainability.
• Enhances rural public health by reducing diarrhoeal diseases and improving solid & liquid waste management.
• Builds climate-resilient sanitation systems critical for flood-prone and water-scarce regions.
Relevance in UPSC Exam Syllabus
• GS Paper II – Governance: Role of Government Schemes, service delivery, centre–state collaboration, local governance, and community participation. Policy implementation challenges in sanitation, ODF sustainability, and rural development.
• Role of Government Schemes, service delivery, centre–state collaboration, local governance, and community participation.
• Policy implementation challenges in sanitation, ODF sustainability, and rural development.
• GS Paper III – Environment & Disaster Management: Climate-resilient sanitation, faecal sludge management, water security, and rural hygiene linkages.
• Climate-resilient sanitation, faecal sludge management, water security, and rural hygiene linkages.
• GS Paper I – Society: Impact of sanitation on women’s dignity, social inclusion, public health, and behavioural change.
• Impact of sanitation on women’s dignity, social inclusion, public health, and behavioural change.
#### UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 21 November 2025 Facts for Prelims (FFP)
Geological Survey of India (GSI)
Source: News on Air
Subject: Polity
Context: The Union Minister of Coal & Mines inaugurated GSI’s International Seminar in Jaipur to mark 175 years of the Geological Survey of India (GSI).
About Geological Survey of India (GSI):
What It Is?
• GSI is India’s premier national geoscientific organisation, responsible for geological surveys, mineral exploration, and creation of national geoscience databases. It functions as an attached office under the Ministry of Mines.
Established In: Formally established in 1851.
• Founded primarily to locate coal resources for expanding Indian Railways during British rule.
Historical Evolution:
• Early 1800s: Initial geological work done by Survey of India and Army officers like W. Voysey (first geological map of Hyderabad, 1818–23).
• 1837: Committee for “Investigation of Coal and Mineral Resources” created; John McClelland used the term “Geological Survey of India” in 1848.
• 1851: Under Sir Thomas Oldham, continuous institutional geological work started, marking the true beginning of GSI.
• Over 175 years, it evolved into a national repository of geological and mineral data and a globally respected scientific institution.
Key Functions:
• Geological Mapping & Surveys: Systematic mapping of India’s surface and subsurface geology (ground, airborne, marine surveys).
• Mineral Exploration: Scientific assessment of mineral, energy, and water resources.
• Geohazard Studies: Conduct seismotectonic studies, glaciology, climate-change geostudies, and hazard risk investigations.
• Geotechnical & Geoenvironmental Studies: Support infrastructure planning, land stability, groundwater, and environmental assessments.
• National Geoscience Repository: Maintain spatial databases, remote sensing records, geological archives, museums, and data dissemination platforms.
• International Collaboration: Engage with USGS, BGS, Geoscience Australia, polar agencies, and global earth-science missions.
• Capacity Building & Education: Partnerships with universities, training institutions; popularising geoscience among students and public.
• Coordination Role: Aligns with Central & State agencies for mineral exploration, resource management, and scientific advisory support.
Supreme Court Clarification on Governor’s Powers to Assent Bills
Source: IE
Subject: Polity
Context: The Supreme Court delivered a landmark five-judge Constitution Bench opinion clarifying the powers of Governors and the President regarding assent to state Bills.
About Supreme Court Clarification on Governor’s Powers to Assent Bills:
What it is?
• The case concerns the constitutional process under Articles 200 and 201, which govern how Governors and the President act when a Bill passed by a State Legislature is placed before them for assent.
• Multiple States complained that Governors were withholding or delaying assent, creating legislative paralysis.
Constitutional Powers of the Governor (Article 200):
When a Bill is presented, the Governor has only three options:
• Give Assent
• Withhold Assent AND return the Bill to the Legislature with recommendations (except Money Bills).
• Reserve the Bill for the President’s consideration (mandatory in a few cases, discretionary in others).
The Governor cannot “withhold assent simpliciter” — meaning they cannot keep a Bill pending indefinitely without action.
Major Clarifications Provided by the Supreme Court:
• No indefinite delay: “Prolonged, unexplained, indefinite inaction” by Governors is unconstitutional and subject to judicial review.
• No ‘deemed assent’:
• The SC rejected the earlier ruling suggesting that if a Governor delays assent, the Bill becomes law automatically. Article 142 cannot be used to bypass constitutional procedure.
• The SC rejected the earlier ruling suggesting that if a Governor delays assent, the Bill becomes law automatically.
• Article 142 cannot be used to bypass constitutional procedure.
• Discretion exists — but is limited:
• While Governors exercise discretion under Article 200, they are not bound by Cabinet advice for assent decisions. But this discretion cannot be misused to block elected governments.
• While Governors exercise discretion under Article 200, they are not bound by Cabinet advice for assent decisions.
• But this discretion cannot be misused to block elected governments.
• No judicial timelines: Courts cannot impose fixed deadlines on Governors or the President because the Constitution uses the phrase “as soon as possible”.
• President’s powers under Article 201:
• Similar to the Governor’s powers but operate only when a Bill is reserved. The President’s decision is not justiciable, and courts cannot impose timelines.
• Similar to the Governor’s powers but operate only when a Bill is reserved.
• The President’s decision is not justiciable, and courts cannot impose timelines.
• Courts can review ONLY inaction, not the merits: Courts cannot question why the Governor withheld assent, only whether the process was followed.
• Validity of Laws not bills: Courts cannot adjudicate the constitutional validity of a Bill; only a law enacted after assent can be challenged.
Cold Wave
Source: TH
Subject: Geography
Context: A cold wave has gripped parts of Telangana, with districts like Kohir and Yalal recording temperatures near 8°C—3–5°C below normal.
About Cold Wave:
What is a Cold Wave?
• A cold wave refers to a sharp and unusual drop in minimum temperatures, severe enough to cause physiological stress or danger to humans. It is declared when temperatures fall below defined IMD thresholds in plains or hilly regions.
IMD Criteria for Cold Wave:
• Plains: Minimum temperature ≤10°C and departure –4.5°C to –6.4°C (Cold Wave). Departure ≤ –6.4°C (Severe Cold Wave). Independent of normal: ≤4°C (Cold Wave), ≤2°C (Severe Cold Wave).
• Minimum temperature ≤10°C and departure –4.5°C to –6.4°C (Cold Wave).
• Departure ≤ –6.4°C (Severe Cold Wave).
• Independent of normal: ≤4°C (Cold Wave), ≤2°C (Severe Cold Wave).
• Hilly regions: Minimum temperature 0°C or less.
• Coastal regions: Cold wave when departure ≤ –4.5°C and minimum temperature ≤15°C. Must be observed in at least two stations for two consecutive days.
• Must be observed in at least two stations for two consecutive days.
How a Cold Wave Occurs (Mechanism)?
• Cold waves originate when high-pressure systems over North/Northwest India push cold, dry continental winds
• Clear skies and low moisture allow rapid radiational cooling at night, dropping temperatures sharply over inland regions like the Deccan plateau.
Key Features of Cold Waves:
• Sharp fall in minimum temperatures at night despite warm days (28–31°C in Telangana).
• Enhanced cooling over rural/open landscapes and elevated plateaus.
• Urban areas like Hyderabad experience milder cooling due to urban heat island effect.
• Occur mainly in post-monsoon and winter months (Nov–Feb).
Implications of Cold Waves:
• Increases risk of hypothermia and frostbite among the vulnerable (elderly, homeless, infants).
• Exacerbates pulmonary diseases such as asthma, COPD, and bronchitis due to dry air.
• Surge in common respiratory infections (flu, pneumonia).
• Impacts agriculture through cold stress on crops in northern districts.
Second Regional Open Digital Health Summit 2025
Source: News on Air
Subject: International Relations
Context: India is hosting the second Regional Open Digital Health Summit (RODHS) 2025 in New Delhi, bringing together WHO-SEARO nations to advance interoperable digital health systems.
About Second Regional Open Digital Health Summit 2025:
What it is?
• The Regional Open Digital Health Summit 2025 is a three-day multilateral platform convened by India, WHO-SEARO, UNICEF, and partner governments to accelerate standards-based digital health transformation in South-East Asia.
• It serves as a capacity-building and policy harmonization forum for LMICs in the region.
Objectives:
• Build interoperable, people-centric digital health ecosystems aligned with UHC and SDGs.
• Promote adoption of global standards such as FHIR, open APIs, and open-source health tools.
• Integrate and modernise legacy health information systems, reducing fragmentation.
Key Features of the Summit:
• Two focused tracks: Standards and Digital Public Infrastructure (DPIs).
• Technical sessions and hands-on learning from India’s ABDM, CoWIN, UPI, Aadhaar.
• Showcases on Generative AI in diagnostics, clinical documentation, and health data analytics.
• Focus on interoperability, full-stack digital health architecture, and ecosystem-wide collaboration.
• Demonstrations by innovators such as eClinicalWorks, Google, NiramAI, IIT Delhi, showcasing scalable AI health solutions.
Significance:
• Positions India as a regional leader in Digital Public Infrastructure and open-source digital health.
• Helps SEAR countries move from isolated digital pilots to scalable, interoperable national health systems.
• Strengthens regional preparedness for pandemics and public health emergencies through shared standards and data exchange models.
Index of Eight Core Industries
Source: DH
Subject: Economy
Context: India’s core infrastructure output stagnated in October 2025, recording 0% growth—the worst performance in 14 months.
About Index of Eight Core Industries:
What it is?
• The Index of Eight Core Industries (ICI) is a monthly economic indicator that measures the combined and individual performance of eight crucial infrastructure sectors that drive industrial activity in India.
Published by: Office of the Economic Adviser (OEA)
• Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India
History / Background:
• Introduced to track the health of India’s industrial base and serve as a leading indicator for Index of Industrial Production (IIP).
• Base year: 2011–12, aligned with the base revision of national accounts.
• Over time, it has become a key tool for assessing monthly economic momentum.
Sectors Covered:
The eight core industries are:
These sectors collectively make up 40.27% of the weight of the entire IIP.
Key Features:
• Measures infra-sector performance, reflecting the supply-side strength of the economy.
• Published every month, offering high-frequency economic insights.
• Helps forecast IIP growth trends, influencing policy decisions and industry expectations.
• Tracks both sectoral performance (individual industries) and overall combined index.
• Acts as an early-warn indicator for slowdown or recovery in industrial output.
Coastal Security Exercise ‘Sagar Kavach’
Source: TH
Subject: Defence Exercise
Context: The biannual coastal security exercise ‘Sagar Kavach’ has commenced in Tamil Nadu’s Cuddalore and Villupuram districts, involving multi-agency coastal preparedness drills.
About Coastal Security Exercise ‘Sagar Kavach’:
What it is?
• ‘Sagar Kavach’ is a biannual multi-agency coastal security exercise conducted along India’s coastline to assess real-time preparedness against seaborne threats, intrusions, and infiltration attempts.
• It simulates realistic attacks to gauge vulnerabilities and response efficiency.
Host: Indian Coast Guard.
• To validate Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for coastal security.
• To assess preparedness against threats such as intrusions, sabotage, smuggling, and terrorist infiltration.
Key Features of ‘Sagar Kavach’:
• Conducted twice a year across coastal states and island territories.
• Uses realistic threat simulations such as dummy intruders (Red Force teams), infiltration attempts, and sabotage scenarios.
• Involves sea patrolling, boat inspections, harbour checks, coastline surveillance, and securing high-value targets.
• Trains coastal police in intelligence gathering, interrogation, interception, and patrolling procedures.
• Enhances coordination between military, paramilitary, and civil agencies to build a robust and resilient coastal security architecture.
• Covers coastal villages, harbours, vital installations, rail/bus stations, and sensitive public infrastructure.
• Integrates surface assets, air surveillance, and communication networks across agencies.
#### UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 21 November 2025 Mapping:
India Hosts Colombo Security Conclave (CSC) NSA Meet
Source: TP
Subject: Mapping
Context: India hosted the 7th Colombo Security Conclave (CSC) NSA-level meeting in New Delhi, reaffirming commitment to regional maritime security amid a rapidly evolving Indo-Pacific environment.
• Seychelles also announced its decision to join CSC as a full member, marking an important expansion of the grouping.
About India Hosts Colombo Security Conclave (CSC) NSA Meet:
• What it is? A regional security grouping of Indian Ocean nations focused on cooperative responses to common maritime and transnational security challenges.
• A regional security grouping of Indian Ocean nations focused on cooperative responses to common maritime and transnational security challenges.
• History: Originated in 2011 as the India–Sri Lanka–Maldives Trilateral Maritime Dialogue. Expanded to include Mauritius (2022), Bangladesh (2024) and Seychelles became a full member in 2025. Founding documents & CSC Secretariat were formalised in Colombo, August 2024.
• Originated in 2011 as the India–Sri Lanka–Maldives Trilateral Maritime Dialogue.
• Expanded to include Mauritius (2022), Bangladesh (2024) and Seychelles became a full member in 2025.
• Founding documents & CSC Secretariat were formalised in Colombo, August 2024.
• Members: India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Seychelles and Mauritius.
• Key Features of the 7th NSA Meet: Hosted by India (New Delhi). Attended by NSAs of India, Maldives, Mauritius, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh. Seychelles was an observer and Malaysia as guest.
• Hosted by India (New Delhi).
• Attended by NSAs of India, Maldives, Mauritius, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh. Seychelles was an observer and Malaysia as guest.
• Focus on 5 security pillars: Maritime Safety & Security Counter-Terrorism & Radicalisation Transnational Organised Crime Cybersecurity & Critical Infrastructure Protection HADR (Humanitarian Assistance & Disaster Relief)
• Maritime Safety & Security
• Counter-Terrorism & Radicalisation
• Transnational Organised Crime
• Cybersecurity & Critical Infrastructure Protection
• HADR (Humanitarian Assistance & Disaster Relief)
About Seychelles:
• What it is? A sovereign island nation and archipelagic state in the western Indian Ocean; Africa’s smallest and least populated country.
• A sovereign island nation and archipelagic state in the western Indian Ocean; Africa’s smallest and least populated country.
• Located in: Western Indian Ocean, ~1500 km east of mainland East Africa.
• Capital: Victoria (on Mahé Island).
• Geographical Features: Comprises 115 granite and coral islands. No indigenous population; settled by French (18th century) and later controlled by British until 1976. Volcanic & coral islands, rich marine biodiversity, extensive EEZ critical for India’s SAGAR vision.
• Comprises 115 granite and coral islands.
• No indigenous population; settled by French (18th century) and later controlled by British until 1976.
• Volcanic & coral islands, rich marine biodiversity, extensive EEZ critical for India’s SAGAR vision.
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