18 October 2025 Current Affairs (With PDF)

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IUCN World Conservation Congress 2025

Overview

• Location: Abu Dhabi, UAE
• Frequency: Once every four years
• Hosted by: International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
• Significance: The Congress hosts the Members’ Assembly — the highest decision-making body of the IUCN.

Key Outcomes & Resolutions

1. Strategic Vision:

• Approved a 20-year Strategic Vision and new 4-year programme (2025–2029).

2. Abu Dhabi Call to Action:

Accelerate action across five key areas –

• Nature as foundation of well-being
• Strengthening multilateralism
• Justice and inclusion
• Knowledge and innovation
• Scaling up finance for nature & climate action

3. New Members:

• 100+ new members, including six new states – Armenia, Tajikistan, Marshall Islands, Gabon, Tuvalu, Zimbabwe.

4. Policy on Synthetic Biology:

• First-ever global policy acknowledging both benefits (e.g. restoring lost diversity) and risks (e.g. ecological imbalance).

5. Fossil Fuels (Motion 042):

• Recognized fossil fuel production as a direct threat; urged a global phase-out treaty and just transition.

6. Wildlife Trade (Motion 108):

• Called for regulating commercial trade in wild animals kept as pets.

7. Ecocide (Motion 061):

• Recognized ecocide—deliberate environmental destruction—as an international crime under the International Criminal Court (ICC).

About IUCN

• Founded: 1948
• HQ: Gland, Switzerland
• Membership: 1,400+ members (governments, NGOs, research bodies); India is a member.
• Governance: Members’ Assembly — highest governing body. IUCN Council — principal body between Congress sessions.
• Key Instruments: IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, World Heritage Outlook, World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA)

Restructuring of GST Raises Concerns Over States’ Fiscal Health

The recent restructuring of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) framework has led to the abolition of the GST Compensation Cess, sparking concerns among States regarding potential revenue losses and the erosion of fiscal autonomy.

About GST Compensation Cess

• Introduced to compensate States for revenue shortfalls arising from the implementation of GST.
• Its abolition removes a key fiscal buffer, increasing pressure on States already struggling with expenditure commitments and limited taxation powers.

Challenges in States’ Fiscal Autonomy

1. Erosion of Fiscal Powers

• GST consolidated indirect taxation under a centrally dominated GST Council, limiting States’ independent taxation capacity.

2. Expenditure–Revenue Mismatch

• States handle key sectors—law and order, health, and education—but revenue-raising powers remain centralised, creating a structural fiscal imbalance.

3. Decline in Tax Devolution

• States’ share in Gross Tax Revenue has declined due to rising cesses and surcharges, which are excluded from the divisible tax pool.

4. Finance Commission Concerns

• Some States argue that the tax devolution formula tends to penalise fiscally efficient or progressive States, affecting incentives for sound fiscal management.

5. Dependence on Central Transfers

• Central transfers constitute ~44% of States’ total revenue; for some (e.g., Bihar), dependence reaches up to 72%, affecting fiscal flexibility and liquidity.
• This high dependence can also trigger political frictions, particularly for opposition-ruled States.

Way Forward

1. Reforming Tax-Sharing Principles

Adopt restructured devolution mechanisms to restore States’ fiscal space and strengthen cooperative federalism.

2. Sharing of Direct Tax Base

Consider allowing States a share in Personal Income Tax collections, aligning with their expenditure responsibilities.

3. Greater Fiscal Autonomy

Explore models like Canada’s fiscal federalism, where subnational governments collect and spend a major share of total revenues, ensuring balance and flexibility.

4. Monitoring Fiscal Health

Introduce tools like a Fiscal Health Index to track States’ financial stability and promote proactive fiscal management.

Sundarbans Aquaculture Model Wins FAO Global Recognition

The Sustainable Aquaculture in Mangrove Ecosystems (SAIME) model, developed by the Nature Environment and Wildlife Society (NEWS), has received Global Technical Recognition from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

About the SAIME Initiative

• Type: Multi-Stakeholder Partnership (MSP)
• Objective: To strengthen sustainable shrimp aquaculture as a foundation for protecting mangrove ecosystems in South Asia.
• Focus Region: The Sundarbans, a UNESCO World Heritage Site shared by India and Bangladesh.

Key Features

• Promotes ecosystem-based, climate-adaptive aquaculture integrating native black tiger shrimp species.
• Enhances livelihood resilience of brackish-water farmers through training, standardization, and certification.
• Integrates mangroves as blue carbon sinks, contributing to climate mitigation by sequestering carbon naturally.
• Facilitates market access and fair pricing via branding and farmer institutions.
• Supported by Global Nature Fund (GNF), in partnership with Naturland e.V. and Mercedes Benz.
• Implements Integrated Mangrove Aquaculture (IMA) — a low-impact model involving low stocking density and minimal feed input.

Significance

• Promotes sustainable aquaculture aligned with the Blue Economy and SDG-14 (Life Below Water).
• Demonstrates a conservation-linked livelihood model balancing ecology and economy.
• Enhances climate resilience of coastal and mangrove-dependent communities.

About the Sundarbans

• World’s largest mangrove forest, located at the delta of the Ganga, Brahmaputra, and Meghna rivers, along the Bay of Bengal.
• The only mangrove ecosystem housing a significant tiger population.
• Characterized by a network of tidal creeks, mudflats, and salt-tolerant flora.

India’s Mangrove Coverage (ISFR 2023):

• Total: 4,991.68 km² (≈0.15% of India’s geographical area).
• Top States: West Bengal (42.45%), Gujarat (23.66%), Andaman & Nicobar Islands (12.39%)

State Mining Readiness Index (SMRI) 2025

The Ministry of Mines has released the State Mining Readiness Index (SMRI) to assess and compare the performance of States in the mining sector.

About Index

1. Objective:

• To evaluate the readiness and contribution of States in advancing India’s mining sector, encouraging policy reforms, and promoting sustainable mining practices.

2. Key Evaluation Parameters:

• Auction Performance of mining blocks
• Early Mine Operationalization post-auction
• Exploration Thrust for non-coal minerals
• Adoption of Sustainable Mining Practices

3. Coverage:

• Focuses on non-coal minerals, emphasizing efficiency, transparency, and environmental responsibility in the sector.

State Classification

States have been categorized into three groups based on their mineral endowment:

International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV)

A recent report by GRAIN highlighted that an increasing number of Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) are compelling nations to align with the standards set under the 1991 UPOV Convention, raising concerns over farmers’ seed rights and national sovereignty in plant variety protection.

About UPOV

• Establishment: 1961 | Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland
• Full Form: International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants
• Nature: An intergovernmental organization promoting a uniform system of Plant Variety Protection.

Objectives & Functions

• Mission: To encourage the development of new plant varieties by granting Breeders’ Rights—a form of intellectual property—to innovators.
• Purpose: To ensure innovation in agriculture and enhance global food security through legal protection of plant varieties.

UPOV Convention, 1991

• Strengthened breeders’ rights by extending the duration and scope of protection.
• Made farmers’ privilege—the right to save, exchange, and reuse seeds—optional for member countries, often limiting traditional farming practices.

India’s Position

• Not a UPOV Member.
• Instead, India follows a sui generis system through the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights (PPV&FR) Act, 2001, which uniquely safeguards both breeders’ and farmers’ rights, ensuring balance between innovation and livelihood security.

Commonwealth Games 2030: Ahmedabad Recommended as Host City

Ahmedabad has been proposed as the host city for the centenary edition of the Commonwealth Games in 2030, marking a potential milestone for India in global sporting events.

About the Commonwealth Games

• Inception: The first edition was held in Hamilton, Canada, in 1930.
• Nature: A multi-sport international event featuring athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations.
• Frequency: Conducted every four years.

Key Facts

• Recent Edition: 2022 – Birmingham, United Kingdom
• Upcoming Edition: 2026 – Glasgow, Scotland
• Headquarters: London, United Kingdom
• Governing Body: Commonwealth Sport (formerly known as the Commonwealth Games Federation)
• Membership: 72 nations and territories participate under the Commonwealth banner.

Significance of 2030 Edition

• The 2030 Games will mark 100 years since the first Commonwealth Games.
• Hosting the event would position India as a major global sports hub and reinforce its commitment to international sporting cooperation.

Google AI Model Offers Breakthrough Pathway in Cancer Treatment

• Google DeepMind, in collaboration with Yale University, has unveiled an advanced AI model — C2S-Scale (Cell2Sentence-Scale 27B) — that represents a major leap in data-driven cancer research.
• The model successfully generated a novel hypothesis on cancer cell behavior, later experimentally validated in living cells, highlighting AI’s potential as a collaborator in scientific discovery.

Key Highlights

• Understanding Cellular Language: C2S-Scale deciphers complex cellular communication by translating biological signals into meaningful patterns.
• AI as a Scientific Partner: The model functions as a “digital scientist,” capable of generating and verifying testable biological hypotheses.
• Accelerating Drug Discovery: By simulating vast drug–cell interactions, the model identified Silmitasertib as a promising drug that enhances immune response against tumors.
• Precision Medicine: Supports development of personalized cancer therapies tailored to individual genetic and cellular profiles.
• Patient-Centric Innovation: AI-driven chatbots can further improve patient engagement through real-time information, lifestyle guidance, and post-treatment support.

Scheme for Innovation and Technology Association with Aadhaar (SITAA)

The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has launched the Scheme for Innovation and Technology Association with Aadhaar (SITAA) to enhance the Aadhaar ecosystem’s technological robustness and security.

About SITAA

1. Nodal Agency:

• UIDAI, under the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY)

2. Aim:

• To strengthen India’s digital identity ecosystem and counter emerging security threats such as deepfakes, spoofing, and presentation attacks.

3. Key Focus Areas:

• Biometric authentication innovations
• Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML)–based security solutions
• Data privacy and protection mechanisms
• Advanced biometric and liveness detection technologies

4. Pilot Phase:

• The program will begin with pilot projects focusing on:
• Face liveness detection
• Presentation attack detection
• Contactless fingerprint authentication

Significance

• Promotes cutting-edge R&D partnerships with startups, academia, and industry.
• Aims to ensure secure, inclusive, and future-ready digital identity infrastructure for India.

State of Finance for Forests 2025 Report

In News

The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) has released the first-ever “State of Finance for Forests 2025” report, providing a global assessment of public and private investment in forests during 2023.

Key Findings

1. Forest Finance Gap:

• There is an annual finance gap of US$ 216 billion between existing financial flows and the investment needed to meet global forest targets by 2030.

2. Investment Requirements:

• Annual investment must triple to US$ 300 billion by 2030.
• It must increase sixfold by 2050, from US$ 84 billion in 2023.

3. Funding Sources:

• Governments remain the primary contributors, providing 91% of total forest finance in 2023.

4. Role of Nature-Based Solutions (NbS):

Achieving global climate and biodiversity goals requires expanding nature-based solutions over:

• 1 billion hectares by 2030
• 1.8 billion hectares by 2050

Significance

• Highlights urgent need to mobilize private finance for forest conservation and restoration.
• Underscores the role of forests as key carbon sinks and biodiversity reservoirs for meeting Paris Agreement and Global Biodiversity Framework targets.

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