11^th November 2025

1. Tropical Forest Forever Facility (TFFF): Recently, a new global fund called the Tropical Forest Forever Facility (TFFF) was launched at the COP30 summit in Belém, Brazil, to protect tropical forests.

• About TFFF: Aims to raise $125 billion and function as a self-financing investment fund, offering financial rewards to up to 74 tropical forest countries for conserving existing old-growth forests.

• Funding structure: $25 billion expected from wealthy governments and philanthropies.
  - $100 billion expected from private investors.
  - Investments will be placed in a diversified portfolio (e.g., government and corporate bonds), and annual returns will be paid to participating countries.
• Forest conservation performance will be verified through satellite remote sensing, ensuring transparency and low monitoring costs.
• Purpose: To make standing forests more economically valuable than deforestation, countering incentives for land clearing for agriculture like soy cultivation.
• The initiative emphasizes leadership by Global South nations, giving them a stronger role in global forest governance.

2. Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues (Amendment) Rules, 2025: Recently, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare notified the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues (Amendment) Rules, 2025, thereby strengthening the National Organ Transplant Programme.

• Key Highlights: The amendment is aimed at improving access to cornea donation and corneal transplantation services across India.

• A key change is the removal of the mandatory requirement of Clinical Specular Microscopy equipment in corneal transplantation centres.
• This decision follows expert review and stakeholder consultations.
• The change is expected to reduce infrastructural and operational barriers, especially for smaller eye hospitals and centres in rural and semi-urban regions.
• The amendment is intended to increase the number of functioning corneal transplant centres, improve availability of services, and encourage higher cornea donation rates
• Overall, the reform aims to strengthen and expand the cornea donation and transplantation ecosystem in a sustainable manner.

3. Rift Valley Fever (RVF): Recently, the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed an outbreak of Rift Valley Fever (RVF) in Mauritania and Senegal in West Africa.

• About RVF: Caused by a Phlebovirus of the Phenuiviridae

• It mainly infects livestock such as sheep, goats, cattle, and camels.
• Humans can contract the virus through: Direct contact with infected animals and bites from infected mosquitoes
  - There is no evidence of human-to-human transmission.
  - Various mosquito species can act as vectors, depending on the region.
• The disease was first identified in the Rift Valley region of Kenya in the 1930s.
• It subsequently spread throughout sub-Saharan Africa.
• In 1977, it reached Egypt, and in 2000, it spread beyond Africa to Saudi Arabia and Yemen.
• Symptoms: In about 90% of infections, RVF causes a mild flu-like illness appearing 2–6 days after exposure.
  - A small number of cases progress to severe disease involving the eyes, brain, or liver.
• Treatment: There is no specific antiviral cure. Management focuses on supportive care to relieve symptoms and prevent complications.

4. Sal Tree: Recently, researchers from the Environment Department of Himachal Pradesh University (HPU), Shimla, identified the Sal tree (Shorea robusta) as one of the most effective natural air purifiers for combating pollution.

• About Sal Tree: One of India’s oldest and sturdiest native tree species, often referred to as the “Sentinel of the Forests” due to its long lifespan and resilience.

• Natural Distribution: Found widely in Uttarakhand, the Terai belt of Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and West Bengal.
• Temperature Tolerance: Survives extreme variations—from 5°C in winter to 40–45°C in summer.
• Soil & Rainfall: Thrives in well-drained, light loamy soil with 1,000–3,000 mm of annual rainfall.
• Climate: Prefers warm, humid regions and grows at elevations up to 1,500 metres.
• Longevity: Can live for up to 100 years, requiring minimal care and watering, making it ideal for hilly landscapes.
• Role in Pollution Control: Dust & Particle Trapping: Its thick, wax-coated leaves effectively capture soot, carbon particles, and airborne pollutants.
  - Air Detoxification: High chlorophyll content enables the tree to tolerate and neutralize harmful gases such as carbon monoxide and sulphur dioxide.
  - Natural Canopy Filter: The dense foliage acts as a natural air filtration system, reducing suspended pollutants and improving air quality.

5. MITRA SHAKTI: Recently, the 11th edition of the India–Sri Lanka joint military exercise MITRA SHAKTI-2025 commenced at the Foreign Training Node in Belagavi, Karnataka.

• Key Highlights: India is participating with 170 personnel mainly from the RAJPUT Regiment; Sri Lanka is represented by 135 personnel mainly from the GAJABA Regiment.

• Personnel from the Indian Air Force (20) and Sri Lankan Air Force (10) are also part of the exercise.
• The primary aim is to rehearse joint conduct of Sub-Conventional Operations under Chapter VII of the UN mandate, focusing on counter-terrorism cooperation.
• Training will include raid and search operations, search-and-destroy missions, heliborne operations, Army Martial Arts Routine (AMAR), combat reflex shooting, and Yoga.
• The exercise involves use of drones, counter-unmanned aerial systems, and helicopters, along with training on helipad security and casualty evacuation.
• Joint drills aim to strengthen interoperability, improve coordination in peacekeeping contexts, and minimize operational risk.
• Both sides will share best practices and enhance defence cooperation, thereby reinforcing strong bilateral military relations between India and Sri Lanka.

6. India-Vietnam: Recently, the 15th India-Vietnam Defence Policy Dialogue took place in Hanoi, co-chaired by India’s Defence Secretary and Vietnam’s Deputy Minister of National Defence.

• Key Highlights: Both sides reviewed progress in hydrography cooperation, capacity building and training, UN peacekeeping cooperation, port calls, ship visits, and collaboration in areas such as Artificial Intelligence and shipyard upgrades.

• New areas identified for deeper cooperation include cyber security, real-time information exchange, military medicine, and expert exchanges.
• A Memorandum of Agreement was signed to establish cooperation in submarine search and rescue operations.
• A Letter of Intent was signed to enhance defence industry collaboration, including Transfer of Technology, joint R&D, joint ventures, high-tech defence production, and expert exchanges.
• Both sides agreed to hold the next meeting on defence industry cooperation in December 2025.
• India's Defence Secretary also held discussions with Vietnam’s Minister of National Defence to reinforce strategic outcomes of the dialogue.
• The 16th Defence Policy Dialogue will be hosted by India in 2026.
• The dialogue advances key goals under the India-Vietnam Joint Vision Statement 2030 and strengthens their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
• Vietnam remains central to India’s Act East Policy and Indo-Pacific strategic framework.

7. Riverbank Erosion: Recently, riverbank erosion in northern Bangladesh, particularly in Kurigram, has been displacing thousands of families each year.

• Key Highlights: Residents of chars (temporary river islands formed by sediment) are forced to relocate repeatedly, sometimes multiple times in a single year.

• Climate change is intensifying erosion: Melting Himalayan glaciers increase river flow.
  - Erratic monsoon patterns lead to sudden floods and droughts.
  - The Brahmaputra, Teesta, and Dharla rivers are becoming more unpredictable.
• Bangladesh contributes less than 0.5% of global carbon emissions, yet is highly vulnerable to climate impacts.
• Many families lose homes, farmland, livestock, and livelihoods, creating a cycle of displacement and poverty.
• Women face greater burdens, from loss of safety and privacy to increased caregiving responsibilities during relocations.
• The World Bank estimates 1 in 7 Bangladeshis may be displaced by climate-related disasters by 2050.
• Adaptation measures include: Geobags to reinforce riverbanks (shown to reduce erosion in some chars).
  - Raised villages to withstand seasonal floods.
  - Community-led resilience strategies.

8. Women as the “Largest Minority”: Recently, the Supreme Court described women as the “largest minority” in India, highlighting their declining representation in Parliament and State legislatures.

• Key Highlights: The observation was made by Justice B.V. Nagarathna, the only woman judge on the current Supreme Court bench, while hearing a petition on the delay in implementing the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam (106th Constitutional Amendment).

• The law, passed in 2023, grants 33% reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies but has not yet been implemented.
• The Court questioned why women cannot be given greater political representation even without reservation.
• Justice Nagarathna cited Article 15(3), which empowers the State to take affirmative action for women’s advancement.
• Petitioners argued that delaying women’s reservation until after the next census and delimitation (which currently have no fixed dates) results in indefinite postponement of the law.
• The reservation is intended to last for 15 years, after which Parliament may extend it.
• The petitioner compared this case with past constitutional amendments (73rd, 74th, 77th, and EWS quota) that were implemented without waiting for census-based seat reallocation.
• The Court has issued notice to the Union government, seeking clarification on the timeline for census and delimitation.

9. Conservation Abandonment: Recently, a study cautioned that “conservation abandonment”, meaning the rollback or ineffective implementation of conservation commitments, is threatening the achievement of global biodiversity goals.

• Key Findings: The warning comes at the mid-point to achieving the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework target of protecting 30% of global land and seas by 2030.

• Conservation abandonment includes: Paper parks (protected on paper but not enforced).
  - PADDD events (Protected Area Downgrading, Downsizing, Degazettement).
• Analysis of 3,749 PADDD events across 73 countries (1892–2018) showed that protections were reversed over an area the size of Greenland.
• Two-thirds of conservation rollbacks were linked to industrial-scale resource extraction (mining, oil, large infrastructure).
• Although $87–200 billion is spent annually on conservation, at least one-third of initiatives collapse within a few years due to weak continuity, funding gaps, or political shifts.
• The study emphasizes that ecological recovery requires decades, meaning abandoned efforts may erase years of conservation progress.
• Without urgent reforms to ensure long-term protection, monitoring, and financing, global goals to stop biodiversity loss and keep warming under 5°C will be jeopardized.