UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 26 November 2025

UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 26 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 2 : (UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 26 November (2025)

• Indian Constitution at 76: Why It Still Outpaces Western Models

Indian Constitution at 76: Why It Still Outpaces Western Models

GS Paper 3:

• Artificial Intelligence for Agricultural Transformation

Artificial Intelligence for Agricultural Transformation

Content for Mains Enrichment (CME):

• U-Turn Man of Tamil Nadu

U-Turn Man of Tamil Nadu

Facts for Prelims (FFP):

• Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur

Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur

• United Nations Secretary-General

United Nations Secretary-General

• IMF to Alter Classification of India’s Forex Framework

IMF to Alter Classification of India’s Forex Framework

• INS Mahe

INS Mahe

• LCA Tejas

LCA Tejas

Mapping:

• Arunachal Pradesh

Arunachal Pradesh

UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 26 November 2025

#### GS Paper 2:

Indian Constitution at 76: Why It Still Outpaces Western Models

Source: YT

Subject: Polity

Context: India marks the 76th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution, prompting renewed reflection on its evolution and contemporary relevance.

About Indian Constitution at 76: Why It Still Outpaces Western Models

Indian Constitution Ahead of Its Time:

• India adopted universal adult franchise in 1950 when countries like the US and Australia still denied voting rights to many communities.

• It confronted caste hierarchy from the outset through Articles 15(2), 17 and 23 which targeted discrimination, untouchability and bonded labour in both state and private domains.

• The Constitution institutionalised affirmative action in 1950 for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes which was decades earlier than affirmative action frameworks in the US or South Africa.

• It recognised that social power in India did not lie only with the state but also with communities, caste groups and local hierarchies which required constitutional checks.

Indian Constitution vs Western Constitutional Models:

• Western constitutions mainly restrict state power while India expanded constitutional rights to shield citizens from societal oppression, especially caste-based exclusion.

• Western models rarely included group-differentiated protections at the founding stage while India guaranteed minority cultural and educational rights through Articles 29 and 30.

• Many Western democracies incorporated anti-discrimination protections later in the 1960s and 1970s while India embedded them in the original text through Articles 14 to 17.

• Unlike rigid liberal constitutions, India combined liberal rights with a transformative agenda of social reform through Directive Principles, affirmative action and state-led socio-economic restructuring.

Evolution of the Constitution Since 1950:

• The Supreme Court expanded the meaning of Article 21 into a cluster of rights including privacy (Puttaswamy), environment (Subhash Kumar), education (Mohini Jain) and legal aid (Hussainara Khatoon).

• The Basic Structure Doctrine created in 1973 through Kesavananda Bharati protected democracy, secularism, judicial review and federalism from arbitrary amendment.

• Social justice provisions evolved through the Mandal reforms, 77th and 103rd Constitutional Amendments and ongoing debates on sub-categorisation of OBCs.

• Expansion of minority rights, disability rights, transgender rights and privacy rights emerged through progressive judicial interpretation.

• Federalism strengthened through GST Council jurisprudence, Sarkaria and Punchhi Commission inputs and cooperative-federal mechanisms after economic liberalisation.

Key Challenges to the Indian Constitution Today:

• Caste discrimination, manual scavenging and residential segregation remain prevalent despite constitutional abolitions and anti-atrocity laws.

• Consolidation of executive power risks weakening independent institutions such as the Election Commission, CVC, CBI and regulatory bodies.

• Emergency-era provisions and broad preventive detention powers still allow the state significant coercive authority.

• Balancing religious freedom with gender justice remains difficult as seen in debates around personal laws, Sabarimala and triple talaq.

• Growing digital surveillance, algorithmic decision-making and weak data protection frameworks create new threats to privacy and civil liberties.

• Rising majoritarian narratives challenge the plural ethos that Articles 25 to 30 were designed to uphold.

Way Ahead:

• Strengthen autonomy of constitutional institutions through transparent appointments, fixed tenures and independent funding norms.

• Expand constitutional literacy movements through NCERT revisions, university modules, digital platforms and Constitution Clubs in schools.

• Update privacy, data protection and algorithmic accountability laws in alignment with evolving interpretations of Article 21.

• Implement stronger anti-discrimination laws covering housing, employment and algorithmic bias along with targeted caste-equity audits.

• Promote participatory federalism in which States play a central role in digital governance, climate policy and welfare delivery.

• Expand minority-rights jurisprudence and reinforce linguistic and cultural protections in the face of homogenising pressures.

Conclusion:

India’s Constitution was a transformative project that imagined equality in a deeply unequal society. Its endurance reflects both its visionary design and the institutions that constantly reinterpret it. As India moves toward 2047, constitutional morality, pluralism and social justice must remain the compass for national progress.

Analyze the importance of constitutional morality in a democracy. How can institutions and civil society work together to strengthen it in India?

#### UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 26 November 2025 GS Paper 3:

Artificial Intelligence for Agricultural Transformation

Source: WB

Subject: Agriculture

Context: A new World Bank–led report “Harnessing Artificial Intelligence for Agricultural Transformation” outlines how AI can be responsibly scaled across agrifood systems, especially in low- and middle-income countries.

About Artificial Intelligence for Agricultural Transformation:

Current trends of AI in agriculture:

• Shift to GenAI & multimodal AI: New models combine text, images, satellite data and sensor feeds to give natural-language, local-language advisories and predictive insights for farmers.

• Systems-level adoption: AI is now used across the value chain—crop discovery, advisory, insurance, logistics and market intelligence—rather than in isolated pilots.

• Rapid growth in investments: The AI-in-agriculture market (~US$1.5 bn in 2023) is projected to reach about US$10.2 bn by 2032.

• LMIC-focused experiments: Numerous projects in Africa and Asia now use AI for hyperlocal weather, pest diagnosis, and input optimisation tailored to smallholders.

• “Small AI” on phones: Lightweight models that run on basic smartphones or offline devices are emerging to serve farmers in low-connectivity environments.

Opportunities of AI in agriculture:

• Higher yields & input efficiency: AI-based precision farming, irrigation, and fertilizer tools can cut chemical use (up to ~95% in some drone-based pilots) while raising yields by 20–30%.

• Climate resilience: AI helps breed climate-resilient varieties, model climate risks, and plan cropping patterns using high-resolution agro-ecological and weather data.

• Better incomes & market access: Projects like Saagu Baagu in India show AI advisories can raise farmer income per acre, improve quality and reduce input costs, while tools like Hello Tractor optimise machinery access.

• Inclusive finance & risk mitigation: Alternative credit scoring, AI-based micro-insurance and climate-indexed products can expand formal finance to previously unbanked smallholders.

• Smarter public policy: Governments can use AI for early-warning systems, yield and price forecasting, and targeted subsidies, improving food-security planning and resource allocation.

Initiatives already taken:

• Global AI roadmap by World Bank & partners: The report itself, with 60 use cases, gives a structured roadmap for LMICs on applications, governance and investments.

• Research institutions using AI: IRRI, CIMMYT and others use ML and computer vision to speed up phenotyping and genebank screening, tripling the number of accessions screened while cutting costs.

• Data coalitions & exchanges: Ethiopia’s “Coalition of the Willing” and India’s Agricultural Data Exchange (ADeX) create shared data layers to train local AI models while protecting sovereignty.

• Public–private digital platforms: Initiatives like the Agriculture Information Exchange Platform (AIEP) in Kenya and Bihar pilot GenAI advisory tools in multiple local languages for tens of thousands of users.

Key challenges associated:

• Digital divide & infrastructure gaps: Only a small share of rural populations in regions like Sub-Saharan Africa have reliable internet and electricity, limiting AI deployment and real-time services.

• Data bias and scarcity: Most training data comes from high-income regions; local crops, soils and indigenous practices are under-represented, leading to biased or irrelevant recommendations.

• Low human capital & trust: Many farmers, especially women and older farmers, lack digital skills; distrust of automated advice and language barriers can slow adoption.

• Weak governance & regulation: Clear rules on data ownership, privacy, algorithmic transparency and liability for AI errors are still evolving in most LMICs.

• Risk of exclusion & concentration: Without safeguards, AI could deepen inequalities, create vendor lock-in, or favour large agribusinesses over smallholders in access to insights, finance and markets.

Way ahead:

• Adopt national AI strategies with agri focus: Countries should explicitly integrate agriculture into AI strategies, with budgets, timelines and links to food-security, climate and nutrition goals.

• Invest in digital public infrastructure & connectivity: Expand rural broadband, green data centres, and interoperable registries so that AI tools can plug into common, publicly governed rails.

• Build inclusive data ecosystems: Support Agricultural Data Exchange Nodes and FAIR/open data principles so local data (crops, soils, weather, practices) can safely train context-specific models.

• Strengthen skills and extension systems: Train farmers, extension workers and agri-startups in digital and AI literacy, using local-language, multimodal interfaces and train-the-trainer models.

• Create robust governance & ethical frameworks: Enact laws on data rights, transparency, environmental standards and accountability for AI, using sandboxes and participatory policy-making.

Conclusion:

AI has the potential to significantly boost productivity, resilience, and efficiency across agrifood systems. However, to realise these gains, countries must bridge digital infrastructure gaps, strengthen data ecosystems, build farmer-level capacities, and ensure robust governance. Used responsibly and inclusively, AI can complement wider agricultural reforms and support long-term food security, income growth, and environmental sustainability.

Artificial Intelligence will revolutionize the farming sector in India. Critically comment.

#### UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 26 November 2025 Content for Mains Enrichment (CME)

U-Turn Man of Tamil Nadu

Context: G Manuneethi, widely known as the U-turn Man, is in news for his transformative, low-cost traffic innovations across Tamil Nadu that created multiple signal-free corridors.

About U-Turn Man of Tamil Nadu:

Who he is?

• G Manuneethi is a civil engineer from Theni with over three decades of service in the Tamil Nadu Highways Department and the Road Safety Wing.

• He worked across Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai, Dindigul, Theni, Villupuram and other districts before retiring in 2025.

Key Contributions:

• Introduced simple, low-cost traffic engineering solutions such as roundabouts and shifted U-turns to replace signals in highly congested junctions.

• First major success came in 2021 at Coimbatore’s Lawley Road Junction, where a sandbag-based roundabout cleared chronic congestion within minutes.

• Developed the U-turn model by closing traditional junctions and moving turning points 100 metres away, enabling uninterrupted traffic flow.

Significance:

• Demonstrated that simple design + behavioural flow can outperform expensive infrastructure-heavy solutions.

• Reduced signal waiting time, accidents, fuel consumption and commuter stress across multiple cities.

• Received recognition from senior IAS/IPS officers, and IIT-Madras created an academic report documenting his U-turn system.

Relevance in UPSC Exam Syllabus:

• GS-I: Urbanisation & Infrastructure Challenges

• Case study on urban congestion, traffic behaviour, and low-cost engineering innovations improving city mobility.

• Case study on urban congestion, traffic behaviour, and low-cost engineering innovations improving city mobility.

• GS-II: Governance & Public Service Delivery

• Illustrates evidence-based policymaking, collaborative governance (engineers + police + local bodies), and citizen-centric design.

• Illustrates evidence-based policymaking, collaborative governance (engineers + police + local bodies), and citizen-centric design.

• GS-IV: Ethics, Leadership & Innovation Case Study Showcases integrity, persistence, public service motivation, and innovation for public welfare without seeking recognition.

• Showcases integrity, persistence, public service motivation, and innovation for public welfare without seeking recognition.

#### UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 26 November 2025 Facts for Prelims (FFP)

Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur

Source: PMI

Subject: History

Context: President of India attended the 350th anniversary commemoration of Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur at the Red Fort, New Delhi.

About Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur:

Who he was?

Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur (1621–1675) was the ninth Guru of Sikhism, known for his fearlessness, spiritual depth, and ultimate sacrifice to defend the freedom of conscience.

• Born as Tyag Mal in Amritsar, he was the youngest son of Guru Hargobind Sahib, the sixth Guru.

Early Life:

• Born on 1 April 1621 at Amritsar; trained in martial skills, scriptures, archery, horsemanship, and classical texts like the Vedas/Upanishads.

• Displayed exceptional bravery in the Battle of Kartarpur (1634); earned the title “Tegh Bahadur” (Brave of the Sword).

• Married Mata Gujri (1632); lived at Bakala for over 20 years, meditating in seclusion.

Installation as the Ninth Guru:

• Before his death, Guru Har Krishan uttered “Baba Bakale”, pointing to his successor in Bakala.

• Over 22 claimants tried to occupy the guruship until Makhan Shah Labana identified Tegh Bahadur as the true Guru by testing his divine knowledge of a secret offering vow.

• In August 1664, a Sikh congregation led by Diwan Dargha Mal formally installed him as the ninth Guru.

Major Works & Contributions:

• Extensive Preaching Journeys:

• Travelled across Punjab, UP, Bengal, Bihar, Assam, and Dhaka, spreading Guru Nanak’s message. Established centres of Sikh teaching; dug wells, started langars, and supported poor communities.

• Travelled across Punjab, UP, Bengal, Bihar, Assam, and Dhaka, spreading Guru Nanak’s message.

• Established centres of Sikh teaching; dug wells, started langars, and supported poor communities.

• Founding of Anandpur Sahib:

• Purchased land from Rani Champa of Bilaspur; founded Chakk Nanaki (later Anandpur Sahib) in 1665–72, which became a major Sikh centre.

• Purchased land from Rani Champa of Bilaspur; founded Chakk Nanaki (later Anandpur Sahib) in 1665–72, which became a major Sikh centre.

• Social-Reformist Role:

• Condemned casteism, fanaticism, ritualism, and tyranny. Strengthened Sikh identity through a philosophy rooted in fearlessness (nirbhau) and freedom from enmity (nirvair).

• Condemned casteism, fanaticism, ritualism, and tyranny.

• Strengthened Sikh identity through a philosophy rooted in fearlessness (nirbhau) and freedom from enmity (nirvair).

• Spiritual & Literary Contributions:

• Composed 59 Shabads and 57 Shaloks across 15 Raagas. His hymns form an integral part of Guru Granth Sahib, added by Guru Gobind Singh.

• Composed 59 Shabads and 57 Shaloks across 15 Raagas.

• His hymns form an integral part of Guru Granth Sahib, added by Guru Gobind Singh.

Conflict with Aurangzeb & Execution:

• Under Aurangzeb’s rule, forcible conversions and religious persecutions increased.

• Kashmiri Pandits, led by Pandit Kirpa Ram, sought Guru Tegh Bahadur’s protection.

• Guru decided to sacrifice himself to uphold religious freedom—a stand unique in world history.

• Arrest & Torture:

• Arrested at Ropar; imprisoned at Sirhind and later Delhi. His companions—Bhai Mati Das, Bhai Sati Das, Bhai Dayala—were brutally executed in his presence.

• Arrested at Ropar; imprisoned at Sirhind and later Delhi.

• His companions—Bhai Mati Das, Bhai Sati Das, Bhai Dayala—were brutally executed in his presence.

• Martyrdom (11 November 1675):

• He refused to: Convert to Islam Perform miracles Was publicly beheaded at Chandni Chowk (now Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib). His body was cremated secretly at the site of Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib.

• He refused to: Convert to Islam Perform miracles

• Convert to Islam

• Perform miracles

• Was publicly beheaded at Chandni Chowk (now Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib).

• His body was cremated secretly at the site of Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib.

United Nations Secretary-General

Source: NDTV

Subject: International Relations

Context: The UN has formally begun the process to elect the next Secretary-General to replace Antonio Guterres when his term ends on 31 December 2026.

• Member states have been invited to submit nominations, with a strong push for selecting the first woman Secretary-General in UN history.

About United Nations Secretary-General:

What the UN Secretary-General is?

• The Secretary-General (SG) is the chief administrative officer of the United Nations, as defined under Article 97 of the UN Charter.

• Often described as “equal parts diplomat, advocate, civil servant and CEO”, the SG represents the UN globally and serves as its moral voice.

Legal Basis (Governed By):

• Article 97, UN Charter – SG appointed by the General Assembly on the recommendation of the Security Council.

• Traditional practices such as regional rotation, though not formally binding.

The Selection Procedure Works:

• Nominations Begin:

• Member states nominate candidates after a joint letter from the UNSC President and UNGA President. Increasing emphasis on gender balance and regional diversity.

• Member states nominate candidates after a joint letter from the UNSC President and UNGA President.

• Increasing emphasis on gender balance and regional diversity.

• Security Council Screening:

• The 15-member UN Security Council conducts a series of straw polls (secret ballots). Each member marks a candidate as “encourage”, “discourage”, or “no opinion”. The five permanent members (P5 — US, UK, China, Russia, France) have veto power and their ballots are colour-coded.

• The 15-member UN Security Council conducts a series of straw polls (secret ballots).

• Each member marks a candidate as “encourage”, “discourage”, or “no opinion”.

• The five permanent members (P5 — US, UK, China, Russia, France) have veto power and their ballots are colour-coded.

• Security Council Recommendation:

• A candidate requires 9 votes and no veto. A formal UNSC resolution recommends one name to the General Assembly.

• A candidate requires 9 votes and no veto.

• A formal UNSC resolution recommends one name to the General Assembly.

• General Assembly Appointment: The 193-member UNGA votes (usually a formality) to appoint the candidate as the next Secretary-General.

• Term: 5-year term, renewable (usually once and Guterres is serving his second).

Functions of the Secretary-General:

• Administrative & Executive Roles: Heads the UN Secretariat, supervising over 30,000 staff and managing a core budget (~USD 3.7 billion) and the peacekeeping budget (~USD 5.6 billion).

• Diplomatic & Mediation Role:

• Acts as a global mediator, using “good offices” to prevent or resolve conflicts. Appeals to the world community on humanitarian crises, climate, peace and security.

• Acts as a global mediator, using “good offices” to prevent or resolve conflicts.

• Appeals to the world community on humanitarian crises, climate, peace and security.

• Agenda-Setting Role:

• Brings issues before the Security Council that threaten international peace (Article 99). Launches global initiatives on development, climate action, human rights, gender equality, and humanitarian relief.

• Brings issues before the Security Council that threaten international peace (Article 99).

• Launches global initiatives on development, climate action, human rights, gender equality, and humanitarian relief.

• Symbolic & Advocacy Role: Promotes multilateralism, peace, human rights and sustainable development.

IMF to Alter Classification of India’s Forex Framework

Source: ET

Subject: Economics

Context: The International Monetary Fund is expected to change the way it classifies India’s exchange rate regime, potentially describing it as having “crawling peg” like features in its 2025 Article IV report.

About IMF to Alter Classification of India’s Forex Framework:

What this issue is about?

• The IMF maintains a de facto exchange rate regime classification for all member countries based on how their currencies actually behave in the market, not only on official claims.

• For India, the IMF now likely plans to describe the regime as having crawling peg type features because the rupee is allowed to adjust gradually while the RBI still intervenes to smooth volatility.

What governs IMF exchange rate classification?

• The classification is anchored in the IMF’s Articles of Agreement and its surveillance mandate under Article IV.

• IMF staff apply a uniform global methodology that looks at the actual path of the currency, the scale and pattern of intervention, and the degree of policy commitment to any exchange rate path.

Types of exchange rate classifications relevant for India:

• No separate legal tender: Use of another country’s currency or membership in a currency union. Monetary policy is fully surrendered to the issuing authority of that currency.

• Use of another country’s currency or membership in a currency union.

• Monetary policy is fully surrendered to the issuing authority of that currency.

• Hard pegs and conventional pegs: Currency board arrangements with a legally fixed conversion rate and full foreign asset backing. Conventional fixed peg where the domestic currency is kept within a very narrow band around a central rate using active intervention.

• Currency board arrangements with a legally fixed conversion rate and full foreign asset backing.

• Conventional fixed peg where the domestic currency is kept within a very narrow band around a central rate using active intervention.

• Pegged within horizontal bands: The exchange rate is allowed to move within a somewhat wider announced band around a central rate.

• The exchange rate is allowed to move within a somewhat wider announced band around a central rate.

• Crawling pegs: The central rate is adjusted periodically in small steps, often based on inflation differentials with trading partners or preannounced crawl. Gives some flexibility but still constrains monetary policy like a peg.

• The central rate is adjusted periodically in small steps, often based on inflation differentials with trading partners or preannounced crawl.

• Gives some flexibility but still constrains monetary policy like a peg.

• Crawling bands: A band around a crawling central rate where both the parity and band move over time. Flexibility depends on how wide the band is.

• A band around a crawling central rate where both the parity and band move over time.

• Flexibility depends on how wide the band is.

• Managed float with no predetermined path: Central bank intervenes to smooth volatility but without any announced or systematic path for the currency. Decisions are more judgment based, often linked to reserves, balance of payments and financial stability.

• Central bank intervenes to smooth volatility but without any announced or systematic path for the currency.

• Decisions are more judgment based, often linked to reserves, balance of payments and financial stability.

• Independently floating: Exchange rate is mainly market determined. Intervention is limited to moderating excessive short-term fluctuations rather than targeting any level.

• Exchange rate is mainly market determined.

• Intervention is limited to moderating excessive short-term fluctuations rather than targeting any level.

INS Mahe

Source: PIB

Subject: Defence Exercise

Context: INS Mahe, India’s first Mahe-class Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC), was commissioned into the Indian Navy at Mumbai.

About INS Mahe:

What it is?

• INS Mahe is the lead ship of the indigenously designed Mahe-class ASW Shallow Water Craft, built to conduct anti-submarine warfare in coastal and shallow waters.

• It serves as the first line of coastal defence, supporting larger ships, submarines and naval aviation assets.

Developed By:

• Designed and built by Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL), Kochi.

• Over 80% indigenous content, making it a major milestone in Aatmanirbhar Bharat and indigenous naval capability.

• To detect, track and neutralise submarine threats in India’s littoral zones.

• To enhance India’s coastal security architecture and provide persistent maritime surveillance.

Key Features of INS Mahe:

• ASW Shallow Water Craft: Optimised for operations in coastal, low-depth waters where larger platforms cannot manoeuvre effectively.

• Stealth and readiness: Embodied in its motto “Silent Hunters”.

• Advanced combat suite: A compact yet powerful network of modern weapons high-precision sensors advanced communication systems

• modern weapons

• high-precision sensors

• advanced communication systems

• Superior ASW capability: Can detect, track, and neutralise sub-surface threats with high accuracy.

• Modern systems: Equipped with technologically advanced machinery and integrated control systems.

• Design inspiration: Named after the historic coastal town Mahe on the Malabar Coast Crest features the Urumi (flexible sword of Kalaripayattu) Mascot: Cheetah symbolising speed and focus

• Named after the historic coastal town Mahe on the Malabar Coast

• Crest features the Urumi (flexible sword of Kalaripayattu)

• Mascot: Cheetah symbolising speed and focus

Significance:

• Boosts India’s ASW capabilities: Enhances surveillance and submarine-tracking capacity in crucial littoral waters.

• Strengthens coastal defence: Forms the forward layer of India’s multi-layered maritime security grid.

• Major stride in indigenisation: Reinforces India’s ability to design and build complex naval combatants.

LCA Tejas

Source: TH

Subject: Defence

Context: The LCA Tejas crashed during an aerial display at the Dubai Air Show, leading to the death of IAF pilot Wing Commander Namansh Syal.

About LCA Tejas:

What it is?

• LCA Tejas is India’s indigenous 4.5-generation, all-weather, multi-role light combat aircraft, forming a key element of the IAF’s fighter fleet modernisation.

Developed by: Designed by Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) and produced by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) under the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) programme.

Evolution:

• Conceived in the 1980s as a replacement for the MiG-21 fleet, the LCA Tejas made its first flight in 2001 and was formally inducted into the Indian Air Force in 2016.

• Over time, it has evolved into improved variants such as Tejas Mk-1 and Mk-1A, with the more advanced Tejas Mk-2 currently under development.

Key Features:

• Lightest & smallest in its class: Composite airframe for high maneuverability and reduced weight.

• 4.5-gen avionics: AESA radar, advanced EW suite, digital flight controls, SMFDs, and open architecture mission computer.

• Quadruplex fly-by-wire: Ensures high agility with enhanced pilot control and safety.

• Multi-role capability: Air-to-air, air-to-ground, BVR missiles, precision bombs, and maritime strike roles.

• IFR capability: In-flight refuelling for extended range.

• Variants: Single-seat fighter (IAF/Navy), twin-seat trainer, and advanced Mk-1A with superior sensors and survivability features.

Significance:

• Strengthens Atmanirbhar Defence: A major milestone in India’s indigenous aerospace capabilities.

• MiG-21 replacement: Provides a modern, agile and cost-effective fighter for IAF.

• Export potential: Several countries, including in Asia–Africa, have expressed interest.

#### UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 26 November 2025 Mapping:

Arunachal Pradesh

Source: TOI

Subject: Mapping

Context: India has reaffirmed that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral and inalienable part of India, after China again questioned its status and denied recognising it.

About Arunachal Pradesh:

What it is?

• Arunachal Pradesh is a border state in north-eastern India, popularly called the “Land of the Rising Sun” because it is the first to receive the sun’s rays in India.

• It is the largest state in the North-East Region (NER) by area and is constitutionally a full-fledged State of the Indian Union since 20 February 1987.

Location: Located in the extreme north-east of India.

• International borders: Bhutan, China and Myanmar.

• Indian neighbours: Assam and Nagaland.

Historical Background:

• Colonial & NEFA Phase:

• Modern political history begins after the Treaty of Yandaboo (1826), when Assam came under British rule and the British gradually extended control into the frontier hills. The area was administered as part of the North-East Frontier Tracts, later organised as the North-East Frontier Agency (NEFA). Shimla Convention (1914) between British India, Tibet, and China delineated the McMahon Line, under which the boundary between Tibet and NEFA was recognised by the Tibetan and British side.

• Modern political history begins after the Treaty of Yandaboo (1826), when Assam came under British rule and the British gradually extended control into the frontier hills.

• The area was administered as part of the North-East Frontier Tracts, later organised as the North-East Frontier Agency (NEFA).

• Shimla Convention (1914) between British India, Tibet, and China delineated the McMahon Line, under which the boundary between Tibet and NEFA was recognised by the Tibetan and British side.

• Post-Independence Administrative Evolution:

• After 1947, NEFA was administered under the Governor of Assam on behalf of the President of India, initially under arrangements linked to the Government of India Act, 1935, later via constitutional provisions. NEFA was reorganised into five frontier divisions/districts – Kameng, Subansiri, Siang, Lohit, Tirap – each headed by a Political Officer (later Deputy Commissioner). On 21 January 1972, NEFA became the Union Territory of Arunachal Pradesh under the North Eastern Areas (Reorganisation) Act, 197. An Agency Council and later a Pradesh Council / Provisional Legislative Assembly were created and a Lt. Governor appointed. On 20 February 1987, Arunachal Pradesh was granted statehood under the Arunachal Pradesh Act, 1986, becoming a full-fledged state with its own elected Legislative Assembly and Council of Ministers.

• After 1947, NEFA was administered under the Governor of Assam on behalf of the President of India, initially under arrangements linked to the Government of India Act, 1935, later via constitutional provisions.

• NEFA was reorganised into five frontier divisions/districts – Kameng, Subansiri, Siang, Lohit, Tirap – each headed by a Political Officer (later Deputy Commissioner).

• On 21 January 1972, NEFA became the Union Territory of Arunachal Pradesh under the North Eastern Areas (Reorganisation) Act, 197. An Agency Council and later a Pradesh Council / Provisional Legislative Assembly were created and a Lt. Governor appointed.

• On 20 February 1987, Arunachal Pradesh was granted statehood under the Arunachal Pradesh Act, 1986, becoming a full-fledged state with its own elected Legislative Assembly and Council of Ministers.

Geographical Features:

• Forms part of the Eastern Himalaya, with predominantly mountainous and sub-montane terrain sloping down towards the plains of Assam.

• Altitudinal range: from low-lying foothills and river valleys to high Himalayan peaks, giving rise to sharp climatic variation—from hot and humid in lower valleys with dense forests to cold and even alpine conditions in higher reaches.

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