19 November 2025 Current Affairs (With PDF)

Stay updated with 19 November 2025 Current Affairs on this page! We bring you the most relevant and important news updates from around the world and India, specially curated for competitive exams and different entrance exams. Today's Current Affairs cover all significant national and international headlines, legal updates, economic news, and environmental highlights to boost your preparation. With our crisp, to-the-point coverage, you can confidently tackle current affairs questions in your exams.

SC Warns Telangana Speaker for Delay in MLA Disqualification Under the Tenth Schedule

In Padi Kaushik Reddy vs. State of Telangana (2025), the Supreme Court criticised the prolonged delay by the Telangana Assembly Speaker in deciding MLA disqualification petitions.

The Court reiterated that the Speaker does not enjoy constitutional immunity when acting as a tribunal under the Tenth Schedule.

About the Tenth Schedule (Anti-Defection Law)

1. Background:

• Added by the 52nd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1985.
• Designed to curb political defections and protect the integrity of legislative bodies.

2. Grounds for Disqualification:

A legislator may be disqualified if they:

• Voluntarily give up membership of their political party.
• Vote/abstain contrary to party whip without prior permission.
• (Nominated members): Join a political party after 6 months of taking seat.
• (Independent members): Join any political party after election.

3. Exception:

• Merger Provision: A merger is valid only if two-thirds of the members of a legislature party agree to merge with another party.

4. Significance of the Anti-Defection Law:

• Prevents corruption-driven defections.
• Strengthens stability of governments.
• Curbs the “Aaya Ram, Gaya Ram” culture.
• Protects voter mandate from being undermined.

Role of the Speaker under the Tenth Schedule

• Speaker/Chairman decides disqualification petitions.
• Acts as quasi-judicial tribunal, not as a political functionary.
• However, Speakers have often delayed decisions to favour ruling parties.

Supreme Court Position

1. Kihoto Hollohan v. Zachillhu (1992):

• Speaker’s decisions are subject to judicial review.
• Speaker acts as a tribunal, no absolute immunity.

2. Rajendra Singh Rana v. Swami Prasad Maurya (2007):

• Speaker cannot retain petitions indefinitely to defeat the purpose of the law.

3. Keisham Meghachandra Singh v. Speaker, Manipur (2020):

• Disqualification petitions should ideally be decided within 3 months, except in extraordinary circumstances.

Why SC Issued Warning in This Case

• The Court observed undue delay by the Telangana Speaker in deciding defection petitions.
• Reaffirmed that the Speaker’s inaction can be judicially corrected.
• Stressed that constitutional offices must uphold neutrality and timeliness.

Supreme Court Issues Strong Directions for Protection of Tiger Reserves

The Supreme Court issued a set of binding directions to strengthen tiger conservation and reduce rising Human–Wildlife Conflicts (HWCs) driven by habitat fragmentation, degraded forests, infrastructure projects, and unregulated tourism.

Key Directions Issued by the Supreme Court

1. Tiger Safari Restrictions:

• Allowed only in non-forest or degraded forest land within buffer zones.
• Strict ban on tiger safaris in Core (critical) tiger habitats and Designated tiger corridors

2. Ban on Night Tourism:

• All forms of night tourism prohibited in core/critical tiger habitats.

3. Prohibited Activities in Buffer/Fringe Areas:

The Court barred the following activities:

• Commercial mining
• Polluting industries
• Major hydroelectric projects
• Introduction of exotic species
• Low-flying aircraft
• Commercial firewood extraction

4. Mandatory Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ) Notification:

• All tiger reserves must have ESZs notified by the Union Environment Ministry (based on state proposals), as per 2018 guidelines under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.

5. Tiger Conservation Plans (TCPs):

• States must prepare or revise their TCPs within prescribed timelines.
• Core and buffer areas to be notified within 6 months.

6. Human–Wildlife Conflict (HWC) Classification:

• States must treat HWC incidents as natural disasters, enabling fast relief through disaster response mechanisms.

7. Uniform Compensation:

• ₹10 lakh compensation for human deaths due to HWCs across all states.

8. HWC Mitigation Guidelines:

• NTCA must draft national guidelines within 6 months.
• States must adopt and implement them.

About Tiger Reserves in India

Tiger reserves are legally protected areas established under Project Tiger (1973) for ensuring long-term survival of tigers and their habitats.

1. Structure:

• Core Area: Critical habitat, strictly protected
  - No tourism or commercial activity allowed
• Buffer Area: Surrounds core zone
  - Sustainable, regulated human use
  - Limited tourism permitted

2. Declaring Authority:

• States propose reserves.
• National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) (statutory body under Wildlife Protection Act, 1972) approves and notifies them.

3. Total Tiger Reserves in India:

• 58 reserves.

Prime Minister Calls for a 10-Year National Pledge to Overcome Colonial Mindset Rooted in Macaulay’s Legacy

The Prime Minister urged citizens to take a 10-year national pledge to eliminate the colonial mindset that took root after Thomas Babington Macaulay’s Minute on Education (1835), which reshaped India’s education system and cultural worldview.

Background: Macaulay’s Influence

1. In 1835, British MP T.B. Macaulay introduced the Minute on Indian Education advocating:

• Promotion of English education
• Replacement of traditional systems based on Sanskrit, Persian, Arabic, and Indian knowledge traditions

2. Result: Indigenous intellectual and cultural ecosystem weakened.

3. Mahatma Gandhi later said India’s ancient education was “a beautiful tree that was destroyed.”

Colonial Mindset in India: Key Dimensions

1. Language:

• English dominance in courts, universities, and administrative systems.
• Creates aspiration but also exclusion for non-English speakers.

2. Cultural Conditioning:

• Western dress, food, arts, and lifestyle practices became markers of “modernity.”
• Indigenous knowledge systems portrayed as inferior.

3. Laws & Institutions:

• Many laws (e.g., IPC 1860, sedition law, colonial forest laws) were designed for control, not service or rights.

4. Economic Systems:

• Colonial economic models emphasized extraction, private capital, and dispossession, creating long-term impoverishment.

5. Knowledge and Research Systems:

• Traditional sciences, medicine, mathematics, and governance models were sidelined.

Cognitive Decolonisation: The Way Ahead

1. Policy-Level Reforms:

• National Education Policy (NEP 2020) promotes Indian languages and knowledge systems.
• Reforms of colonial-era laws (e.g., Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita replacing IPC).

2. Cultural Revival:

Promotion of indigenous identity and symbols:

• Rajpath → Kartavya Path
• International Yoga Day
• Sengol installed in the New Parliament to mark civilisational continuity.

3. Behavioural and Psychological Shift:

• Strengthening Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliance in innovation, research, governance).
• Community-led environmental ethics through Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment).
• Encouraging confidence and pride in Indian civilisational ethos.

Ten Years Since the Last India–Africa Forum Summit (IAFS): Opportunities & Challenges

It has been 10 years since IAFS-III (2015). No summit has been held since, highlighting the need to reassess India–Africa relations, especially amid changing global geopolitics.

Past IAFS Summits

• IAFS-I (2008)
• IAFS-II (2011)
• IAFS-III (2015) - largest, attended by all 54 African nations

Focus: Development partnership, capacity building, trade, technology, and political cooperation.

Opportunities in India–Africa Relations

1. Trade & Investment:

• AfCFTA: Creates the world’s largest free trade area → single market for goods & services.
  Opportunity: Scale for Indian businesses in pharma, ICT, automobiles, agriculture.
• India is Africa’s 3rd largest trading partner (after EU & China).
• Bilateral trade crossed $100 billion (recent years).

2. African Growth Story:

• Africa has been among the fastest-growing regions globally.
• Expanding middle class, rapid urbanisation & young population → huge market potential.

3. Soft Power & Capacity Building:

• India’s strong development partnership:
  - ITEC training (160+ countries).
  - Pan-African e-Network (tele-education, tele-medicine).
  - IIT campuses, scholarships, skill training.
• Healthcare diplomacy → pharmaceutical exports & digital health support.

4. Global Governance & Representation:

• India advocates African representation in global bodies: Key support behind African Union’s G20 membership.
• Enhances India’s leadership in the Global South narrative.

5. Technology & DPI:

• India’s Digital Public Infrastructure (UPI, Aadhaar stack) can help Africa digitally leapfrog.
• Cooperation in fintech, cybersecurity, digital IDs, governance tools.

Challenges in India–Africa Relations

1. China Factor & Debt Politics:

• China’s massive infrastructure financing → political leverage & risks of debt trap diplomacy.
• India’s comparatively smaller financial footprint limits its competitiveness.

2. Project Delays & Bureaucratic Bottlenecks:

• Indian development projects often slowed by: Delayed implementation, Over-centralisation, Limited scale compared to China
• These reduce India’s credibility and commercial momentum.

3. Political Instability:

• Rise in military coups (West & Central Africa).
• Fragile democratic transitions → impact on Indian investments & safety of diaspora.

4. Maritime & Security Challenges:

• Piracy, narco-trafficking, maritime terrorism in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
• Impacts India’s energy & trade routes (SLOCs).

UN CyberCrime Treaty (UN Convention Against Cybercrime)

The Supreme Court has asked the Centre to decide on ratifying the UN CyberCrime Treaty amid increasing digital arrest scams and cyber-fraud cases.

About the UN CyberCrime Treaty

It is the first universal, legally binding international framework for:

• Collection, preservation and sharing of electronic evidence
• For all serious offences, whether cyber-dependent or traditional crimes using digital tools.

Criminalisation Provisions

The Treaty requires member states to criminalise:

• Cyber-dependent offences (core cybercrimes) e.g., unauthorized access, data/system interference
• Online fraud and identity-related crimes
• Online child sexual abuse and exploitation
• Non-consensual sharing of intimate images (e.g., deepfakes, revenge porn)

Adoption & Institutional Details

• Adopted by: United Nations General Assembly
• Secretariat: UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)

Significance

• Provides a common global legal standard at a time when cybercrimes are borderless.
• Enhances cooperation on: Cross-border digital evidence, Cybercrime investigations, Mutual legal assistance
• Particularly relevant for India, which faces increasing: Digital arrest scams, Online financial fraud, AI-driven identity crimes

Earth System Sciences Council

The Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) has set up the Earth System Sciences Council (ESSC) to provide unified and streamlined governance across its autonomous scientific institutions.

About ESSC

Purpose

• To integrate and coordinate the functioning of five autonomous MoES institutes.
• To break institutional silos and ensure a whole-of-government approach to Earth system science.
• To enhance collaboration, efficiency, and policy alignment across MoES institutions.

Governance

• Chairperson: Union Minister for Earth Sciences.
• Enables uniform and centralised oversight across institutions.
• Uses common committees, shared administrative systems, and a unified annual report.

Structure

Institutes retain their individual mandates, but:

• Follow harmonised procedures,
• Participate in joint scientific planning,
• Share infrastructure, talent, and research outputs.

Significance

1. Strengthens:

• Climate services & climate modelling
• Weather forecasting & disaster preparedness
• Ocean and atmospheric research
• Polar research and environmental monitoring

2. Improves public outreach, scientific communication, and service delivery.

3. Positions India to respond better to climate risks, extreme weather, and environmental challenges.

Initial Public Offering (IPO)

India’s Chief Economic Advisor has raised concerns that IPOs are increasingly being used as exit routes for early-stage investors (VCs/PEs) rather than for raising long-term productive capital, which is their original purpose.

What is an Initial Public Offering (IPO)?

• An IPO is the process by which a privately held company offers its shares to the public for the first time in the primary market.
• Once listed, the company becomes a publicly traded entity.
• IPOs help companies raise long-term or indefinite-maturity capital without repayment obligations.

Purpose of IPOs

• Raise capital for: Expansion, R&D, Debt reduction, Working capital
• Provide liquidity and a market-determined valuation.

Concern Highlighted by CEA

1. Increasing trend where:

• Early investors use IPOs mainly to exit their investments profitably.
• Only a smaller portion of IPO proceeds goes to the company for growth.

2. This reduces the developmental and productive role of equity markets.

Types of IPO

1. Fixed Price Issue:

• Price of shares is pre-determined and disclosed in the prospectus.

2. Book Building Issue:

• No fixed price.
• A price band is declared (e.g., ₹100–₹120).
• Investors bid within this range; the final price is discovered based on demand.

LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas)

India signs its first structured LPG supply deal with the U.S. for 2.2 MTPA (≈10% of India’s annual LPG demand) for 2026.

About LPG

1. Composition:

• Typically: 50–60% Propane + 40–50% Butane
• Ratio varies by season and supply conditions (higher propane in winter for better vaporisation).

2. India’s LPG Supply Structure:

• Domestic production: ~12.8 million tonnes (≈35%)
• Imports: >21 million tonnes (≈65%) - India is the world’s 2nd-largest LPG importer.

3. Major Import Sources:

• Qatar (largest)
• UAE
• Kuwait
• Saudi Arabia

U.S. now becomes a key structured long-term supplier after the 2025 deal.

16th Finance Commission (2026–31)

The 16th Finance Commission has submitted its Report for the period 2026–31 to the President of India.

About the 16th Finance Commission

• Constituted by: President of India under Article 280(1) of the Constitution.
• Chairman: Arvind Panagariya (Former Vice-Chairman, NITI Aayog)

Terms of Reference (ToR)

The Commission is mandated to recommend:

1. Tax Devolution:

• Distribution of net proceeds of taxes between Union and States (Vertical Devolution).
• Allocation of the States' share among the individual States (Horizontal Devolution).

2. Grants-in-Aid (Article 275):

• Principles governing: Grants-in-aid to States & revenue requirements of States

3. Strengsthening Local Bodies’ Finances:

• Measures to augment the Consolidated Fund of States to support Panchayats and Municipalities, based on recommendations of State Finance Commissions.

Ajeya Warrior – 2025

The 8th edition of the India–UK Joint Military Exercise ‘Ajeya Warrior-25’ has begun in Rajasthan.

Key Facts

1. Started:

• 2011

2. Frequency:

• Biennial (held every two years)

3. Participants:

• Indian Army & British Army

4. Mandate:

• Conducted under a United Nations mandate

5. Focus Area:

• Counter-terrorism operations
• Semi-urban and urban warfare
• Sub-conventional operations

6. Aim:

• Enhance interoperability
• Exchange best practices
• Strengthen defence cooperation between India and the UK

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