18^th October 2025

1. Henley Passport Index 2025: Recently, India’s passport dropped five places to the 85th position in the Henley Passport Index 2025, indicating reduced visa-free access for Indian citizens.

• Key Highlights: Singapore retains the first position, offering visa-free access to 193 destinations.

• Other Leading Countries: South Korea (190) and Japan (189) follow closely behind.
• European countries such as Germany, Italy, Spain, Luxembourg, and Switzerland occupy the next set of ranks with access to 188–189 destinations.
• The S. has dropped out of the top 10 for the first time in 20 years, ranking 12th with 180 visa-free destinations.
• Afghanistan remains at the bottom (106th), providing visa-free access to only 24–26 countries.
• India’s 85th rank marks a five-place decline from 2024, indicating reduced global mobility compared to other nations.

• About Henley Passport Index: A global ranking that measures the strength of passports based on how many destinations holders can visit without obtaining a visa in advance.

• It is compiled using data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
• The index serves as an indicator of a country’s diplomatic reach, economic influence, and global mobility.
• A stronger passport implies greater visa-free access, symbolizing international confidence and cooperation with the issuing nation.

2. Rotavac: Recently, India’s indigenous rotavirus vaccine, Rotavac, has markedly reduced cases of rotavirus-associated gastroenteritis among children nationwide.

• About Rotavac is an indigenous oral vaccine introduced in 2016 under India’s Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP).

• Administered at 6, 10, and 14 weeks of age.
• Provided free of cost to all eligible beneficiaries under the UIP.
• Key Findings: Effectiveness: 54% under real-world conditions — matching the 54% efficacy reported during phase 3 clinical trials.
  - Sustained protection during the first two years of life, the period of highest rotavirus risk.
  - Substantial decline in paediatric rotavirus hospitalisations observed post-vaccine introduction.
• Public Health Context: Rotavirus causes severe gastroenteritis by damaging intestinal cells.
  - Responsible for 128,500 child deaths annually
  - India accounts for one-fifth of these global rotavirus-attributed deaths.

3. UN-GGIM-AP: Recently, India secured election as the Co-Chair of the Regional Committee of the United Nations Global Geospatial Information Management for Asia and the Pacific (UN-GGIM-AP), serving a three-year term until 2028.

• About UN-GGIM-AP: One of the five regional committees under the UN Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management (UN-GGIM).

• It serves as the highest intergovernmental platform for formulating joint decisions and setting strategic directions on the production, accessibility, and utilization of geospatial information across national, regional, and global policy frameworks.
• Established in 1995 as the Permanent Committee on GIS Infrastructure for Asia and the Pacific (PCGIAP). Renamed UN-GGIM-AP in 2012, following the creation of UN-GGIM in 2011.
• Objective: To tackle global challenges through the effective use of geospatial information.
• Membership: Comprises 56 countries represented by their National Geospatial Information Agencies from the Asia-Pacific region.
• Functions: Promotes economic, social, and environmental benefits through the effective use of geospatial data. Focuses on regional cooperation, capacity building, and shared technological solutions.

4. Wildlife Pet Trade: Recently, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) identified the wildlife pet trade and environmental crimes such as illegal logging, mining, and pollution as major threats to global biodiversity and climate stability.

• About Wildlife Pet Trade: The IUCN recognised the commercial trade in wildlife as pets as a major driver of species decline and extinction.

• Both legal and illegal trades have expanded rapidly due to increased access to remote habitats and rising demand for exotic pets.
• Impacts Highlighted: Severe animal suffering from poor capture, transport, and housing conditions.
  - High rates of disease, injury, and mortality among traded species.
  - Public health risks from zoonotic pathogen spillovers.
  - Certain species risk becoming invasive, threatening native ecosystems, agriculture, and livestock.
  - Trade often linked to organised crime and corruption.
• IUCN called for a shift from the current “negative list” approach (where trade is allowed unless restricted) to a “positive list” approach — only permitting trade in species explicitly deemed safe and sustainable.
• This precautionary model aligns with the CITES framework and strengthens the regulation of live animal trade.

5. Scheme for Innovation and Technology Association with Aadhaar (SITAA): Recently, the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) launched the Scheme for Innovation and Technology Association with Aadhaar (SITAA) to strengthen the digital identity ecosystem and counter cybersecurity threats like deepfakes, spoofing, and presentation attacks.

• About SITAA: The initiative aims to foster collaboration among startups, academic institutions, and industry leaders to co-develop secure, scalable, and globally benchmarked solutions that enhance the Aadhaar authentication framework.

• Focuses on advancements in biometric technologies, authentication mechanisms, artificial intelligence, and data privacy to reinforce the reliability of Aadhaar-based verification systems.
• The pilot phase of SITAA introduces three innovation challenges targeting key aspects of Aadhaar authentication security:
  - Face Liveness Detection: Invites startups to design software development kits (SDKs) for both passive and active face liveness detection.
  - Presentation Attack Detection (PAD): Encourages academic and research institutions to propose AI/ML-based PAD solutions capable of identifying print, replay, mask, morph, and deepfake attacks.
  - Contactless Fingerprint Authentication: Seeks SDKs enabling fingerprint authentication via standard smartphone cameras or affordable imaging devices.

6. Chiron: Recently, astronomers discovered a developing ring system around the icy celestial body Chiron, shedding light on the behavior and evolution of small bodies in the outer solar system.
   
   

• About Chiron: Belongs to a group of celestial objects known as Centaurs, which orbit the Sun between Jupiter and Neptune. These bodies display characteristics of both asteroids and comets.

• Discovery: It was discovered in 1977 by astronomer Charles Kowal.
• Key Features: Size and Orbit: Approximate diameter: 200 kilometers (125 miles).
  - Orbital period: About 50 years to complete one revolution around the Sun.
• Ring System: Observations revealed that Chiron is surrounded by four distinct rings.
  - The three inner rings are embedded within a dusty, disk-like structure encircling the object.
  - These rings are likely composed of water ice mixed with small rocky particles, resembling the composition of Saturn’s rings.
• Composition: Primarily made of rock, water ice, and complex organic compounds.

7. Digital Arrest Scams: Recently, the Supreme Court took suo motu cognisance of the alarming surge in digital arrest scams across the country.

• Key Highlights: Court’s Observation: The misuse of fake judicial orders “strikes at the very foundation of public trust” in the judiciary.

• Such acts must be viewed with utmost seriousness as they erode confidence in legal institutions.
• Nature of the Scam: Digital arrest scams involve cybercriminals impersonating officials from the police, CBI, or judiciary.
  - Victims are intimidated and coerced through fake calls, video conferences, or forged documents.
  - Targets often include senior citizens, who are pressured into transferring money under the pretext of avoiding legal trouble.
• Immediate Concern: The incident revealed a new digital threat that blends cyber fraud with identity forgery, posing challenges for law enforcement and judicial credibility.

8. National Equal Opportunity Policy for Transgender Persons: Recently, the Supreme Court rebuked the Centre and States for neglecting transgender inclusion and appointed a committee to draft a National Equal Opportunity Policy for Transgender Persons.

• NALSA Judgment Reference: The Bench noted that despite the 2014 NALSA judgment and the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019, implementation has been negligible.

• Court Observations: The State’s inaction was termed as intentional and stemming from societal stigma.
  - The right to equality (Article 14) includes reasonable accommodation, obligating the State to ensure equal protection for all.
  - Discrimination can occur through omission, not just direct action.
  - Court noted serious inertia among States — only Odisha and Kerala have enacted comprehensive transgender policies as mandated under the 2019 Act.
• Key Directions Under Article 142: All States/UTs must:
  - Designate appellate authorities for transgender rights appeals.
  - Create transgender welfare boards.
  - Establish district-level protection cells under the DM and DGP.
  - All establishments must appoint complaint officers as per the 2019 Act.
  - State Human Rights Commissions will act as the grievance authority where no such forum exists.
  - Set up a nationwide toll-free helpline to report violations.

9. Project Trinetra: Recently, the Akola Police in Maharashtra launched Project Trinetra (Targeted Risk-based Insights for Next-crime Estimation & Tactical Resource Allocation).

• About Project Trinetra: India’s first AI-based predictive policing system to forecast and prevent repeat crimes.

• Objectives: To predict and prevent repeat crimes through data-driven offender risk assessment.
  - To transition policing from reactive to preventive, enhancing operational efficiency and strategic deployment.
  - To establish ethical, transparent, and citizen-centric law enforcement systems in line with national governance reforms.
• Key Features: Repeat Offender Risk Scoring (RORS): Employs machine learning models to assign risk scores to repeat offenders.
  - Granular Dashboard: Offers real-time visualisation of risks across police stations, crime sections, and regions.
  - Significance: Project Trinetra represents a transformative step in Indian policing, merging data science, ethics, and governance to make law enforcement more predictive, preventive, and participatory.