11 November 2025

• A decade after the Paris Agreement (2015), the climate crisis has deepened, hitting South Asia hardest through floods, heatwaves, and landslides.
• The COP30 Summit in Belém, Brazil, focuses on implementation and adaptation amid weakening multilateralism.
• The COP30 Special Envoy for South Asia held consultations across Bhutan, Nepal, Maldives, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh to shape a regional climate agenda.
• With the U.S. again exiting the Paris deal, developing countries are leading regional climate action.

Key Points

• Implementation Deficit: Only 65 countries submitted enhanced NDCs; just 5% of 203 post-2015 initiatives met targets (CEEW).
• Regional Cooperation: Focus on renewables, resilient agriculture, and adaptation mainstreaming via BIMSTEC, BRICS, CDRI.
• Adaptation Priority: ADB warns heat days (>35°C) may double by 2100, intensifying regional health and livelihood stress.
• Finance Gap: The $100 bn annual target remains unmet; “Baku–Belém Roadmap to $1.3 T” seeks clarity on timelines and accountability.
• Technology Divide: Less than one- third of global climate-tech projects directly benefit Asia or Africa.
• Non-State Role: Subnational governments, private sector, civil society, and youth must drive scalable climate action.

Static Linkages

• Paris Agreement (2015): Legally binding UNFCCC accord to limit global warming below 2°C.
• Article 4(3): Mandates progressive enhancement of NDCs.
• Green Climate Fund (GCF): UNFCCC mechanism (2010) for mitigation/adaptation finance.
• CBDR-RC Principle: Core equity norm in global climate law.
• CDRI (2019): India-led initiative for resilient infrastructure.

Critical Analysis

• Opportunities
  • South Asia shows pragmatic, necessity-driven leadership.
  • Emerging tools: debt-for-nature swaps, blended finance.
  • Non-state actors expand accountability.  Digital tech improves transparency.
• Challenges
  • Finance and trust deficits from developed nations.  
  • Complex fund access for LDCs.
  • Weak monitoring and overlapping frameworks.  
  • Exclusion from technology flows.
• Stakeholders
  • Developing nations demand climate justice; developed nations seek transparency; civil society and business push for inclusive, sustainable pathways.

Way Forward

• Establish a South Asian Climate Cooperation Forum under SAARC/BIMSTEC.
• Launch a South Asian Resilience Finance Facility for community-based adaptation.
• Triple adaptation finance with clear accountability.  Integrate NDCs with national development and SDGs.
• Promote technology equity via regional data hubs.  Reinforce “Delivery as the currency of trust” through transparent reporting.

• In October 2025, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) seized El-Fasher, the Sudanese Army’s last base in Darfur, unleashing mass killings, rapes, and destruction, including at a maternity hospital.
• Over 12 million people displaced and tens of thousands killed since Sudan’s civil war began in April 2023.
• The UN calls it the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.
• The RSF, backed by the UAE, controls most of Darfur; the Sudanese Army, supported by Egypt, holds other regions.

Key Points

• RSF Origins: Evolved from the Janjaweed militia accused of genocide against non-Arab communities under Omar al-Bashir.
• Political Breakdown: After Bashir’s fall (2019) and the 2021 coup, tensions grew when the army sought RSF’s integration, sparking war.
• Famine and Displacement: UNHCR (2025) estimates 12+ million displaced; Darfur faces famine-like conditions.
• Regional & Global Role:
  • Egypt supports the army; UAE allegedly arms the RSF.
  • External actors like Wagner Group worsen instability.
• UN & ICC Response: Calls for investigations into war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Static Linkages

• State failure and ethnic conflict — classic signs of institutional collapse.
• Responsibility to Protect (R2P) under UN Charter 2005 mandates collective response to genocide.
• Fourth Geneva Convention (1949) bans targeting civilians and medical facilities.
• India’s stance: Non-interference, but supports UN-led peacebuilding.
• Darfur conflict (2003–2008) remains a case study in genocide and humanitarian intervention

Critical Analysis

• Stakeholders & Concerns
  • UN/NGOs: Humanitarian access blocked; war crimes mounting.
  • Regional Powers: Egypt and UAE turning conflict into proxy war.
  • Sudanese Civilians: Facing famine, displacement, and targeted violence.
• Challenges
  • Fragmented militias; arms inflow; no central authority.
  • Weak enforcement of sanctions and ICC mandates.
  • Repeated breakdown of ceasefire agreements.

Way Forward

• Diplomatic pressure for ceasefire via UN, AU, Arab League.
• Arms embargoes and accountability under ICC.  Humanitarian corridors to secure civilian aid.
• Regional cooperation to end proxy involvement.
• India’s role: Advocate peace through UN peacekeeping and Global South platforms.
• Long-term fix: Inclusive political settlement and security sector reform.

CELEBRATING INDIA-BHUTAN FRIENDSHIP

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

• Bhutan’s former King Jigme Singye Wangchuck (K4) turns 70 on November 11, 2025.
• PM Narendra Modi will attend celebrations in Thimphu, marking K4’s legacy and strong India–Bhutan ties.
• The visit coincides with the inauguration of the Punatsangchhu-II Hydroelectric Project (1,020 MW) — a major symbol of bilateral cooperation.

Key Points

• K4 ruled 1972–2006, introduced Gross National Happiness (GNH) and modernised Bhutan.
• Strengthened India–Bhutan relations, including military cooperation and Operation All Clear (2003).
• Hydropower Partnership:
  • India funded and built projects; Bhutan repays through electricity exports.
  • Punatsangchhu-II now operational, to be inaugurated jointly by Modi and K5.
  • Future projects to involve private Indian firms like Tata Power and Adani Power.
• India remains Bhutan’s largest trade and development partner, supporting infrastructure, education, and monasteries.
• Bhutan continues to play a key role in India’s Himalayan security framework.

Static Linkages

• India–Bhutan Friendship Treaty (1949), revised in 2007 for greater Bhutanese autonomy.
• Project Dantak (1961): BRO built Bhutan’s key road network.
• Hydropower exports: ~25% of Bhutan’s GDP; ~90% exported to India.
• GNH philosophy: Bhutan’s unique development model balancing progress and well-being.
• Bhutan adopted constitutional monarchy in 2008.

Critical Analysis

• Strengths:
  • Model of trust-based diplomacy and people- to-people connect.
  • Hydropower ensures economic interdependence.
  • Shared Buddhist culture enhances soft power.
• Concerns:
  • Bhutan’s hydropower debt and environmental stress.
  • China’s influence via border talks.
  • Limited economic diversification beyond hydropower.

Way Forward

• Diversify cooperation into IT, education, sustainable tourism.
• Develop green financing for new projects.  Strengthen border connectivity under Neighbourhood First.
• Deepen people-level partnerships through culture and youth programs.

NEW HORIZONS

• COP30 to the UNFCCC has begun in Belém, Brazil (Nov 2025), marking a decade since the Paris Agreement (2015).
• Expected focus: Implementation, especially on finance, adaptation, and carbon markets.
• The U.S. has again exited the Paris Agreement, adopting a more hostile stance toward multilateral climate action.
• Brazil, as host, has proposed a Global Climate Council to strengthen UN mechanisms.
• Major developing nations — India, China, Brazil, South Africa (BASIC) — face calls to lead with higher ambition.

Key Points

• Paris Goals: Keep warming well below 2°C, aim for 1.5°C.
• Emissions Gap: UNEP (2024) projects a 2.8°C rise by 2100 under current policies.
• Finance Gap: Developed nations’ $100 billion annual pledge still unmet; only $83.3 billion delivered (OECD 2023).
• Clean Energy Momentum: Global investment in clean energy now exceeds fossil fuel (IEA 2024).
• U.S. Resistance: Opposed the IMO’s shipping decarbonisation plan, undermining collective action.
• Brazil’s Priorities: Amazon forest finance, carbon market reform (Article 6), and renewed adaptation funding.
• India’s Focus: Climate justice, LiFE Mission, Green Credit Programme (2023), and equitable carbon space.

Static Linkages

• UNFCCC (1992): Framework for global cooperation on climate change.
• Kyoto Protocol (1997): Legally binding targets for developed nations.
• Paris Agreement (2015): Voluntary Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
• CBDR Principle: Recognises unequal historical emissions.
• Article 6: Enables international carbon trading.
• India’s Framework: NAPCC, eight national missions, and Clean Energy Cess.

Critical Analysis

• Opportunities
  • Brazil’s push for implementation and finance can revive credibility.
  • Clean energy investment shows market-led transition.
  • Developing economies can shape new climate leadership.
• Challenges
  • U.S. withdrawal weakens collective trust.
  • Finance gap and loss & damage fund uncertainty persist.
  • Protectionist trade measures (CBAM) could hurt developing nations.
  • Fragmented developing country front reduces negotiating strength.
• Stakeholders
  • Developed nations: Prefer voluntary, market finance.
  • Developing nations: Demand predictable, grant-based aid.
  • Private sector: Seeks stable carbon pricing.
  • Civil society: Calls for accountability and transparency.

Way Forward

• Create accountable climate finance systems.
• Institutionalize Climate Council for tracking commitments.
• Deepen South-South clean tech cooperation.
• Align LiFE and Green Credit with global standards.
• Reform carbon market rules for equity and transparency.
• Build State-level climate resilience mechanisms.

• In Tamil Nadu’s recent super-specialty counselling, over 50% of DM/MCh seats remained vacant, mirroring a national trend of waning interest among young doctors.
• Long duty hours, low pay, medico-legal stress, and lack of autonomy are driving graduates away from intensive specializations.
• This reflects a systemic crisis in India’s medical workforce — especially in public hospitals serving the poor.

Key Points

• CBME (2019) by the National Medical Commission (NMC) aimed to produce patient- ready doctors but turned overly mechanical with checklist-based learning.
• Corporate dominance reduced avenues for private practice and autonomy.
• Doctor mental health: Suicide rates are 2–3 times higher than the general population (Indian Journal of Psychiatry, 2022).
• Seat vacancies: NMC data (2024) show 40%+ of super-specialty seats vacant nationwide.
• Public impact: Shortage of specialists cripples tertiary care and widens inequality in access.

Static Linkages

• Directive Principles (Art. 47): Duty of the State to improve public health.
• Concurrent List, Entry 25: “Education, including medical education.”
• National Health Policy 2017: Calls for expanding postgraduate capacity and incentivizing rural service.
• NITI Aayog’s Strategy for New India @75: Stresses specialist retention and workforce reform.
• 2nd ARC (Personnel Administration): Recommends performance-based incentives for professionals in public service.

Critical Analysis

• Pros
  • CBME ensures structured learning and clinical accountability.
  • Corporate hospitals increased technological access.
  • Mental health awareness among doctors is improving.
• Cons
  •  Mechanical training curbs curiosity.  Specialist pay disparity persists.
  • Burnout and litigation risks discourage high-stress branches.
  • Rural hospitals face severe specialist shortages.  Corporate employment limits entrepreneurship.
• Stakeholders
  • Doctors: Seek fair workload, pay, and mental health safety.
  • Government: Faces shrinking specialist pool and SDG-3 risks.
  • Patients: Especially rural poor, lose access to advanced care.
• Ethical Angle
  • Tension between public service and personal well- being.
  • Denial of fair conditions violates principles of justice and dignity in healthcare.

Way Forward

• Incentivize specialists: Higher pay scales, rural allowances.
• Work-hour regulation: Enforce IMA norms and adequate rest.
• Career growth: Fast-track promotions and research incentives.
• Curriculum reform: Review CBME through student feedback.
• Mental health support: Establish institutional counselling units.
• Flexible practice: Public–private partnership models for retention.

CLEAN AIR PROTEST MUST BE HEARD

Context of the News

• On Sunday, Delhi’s AQI crossed 400 (“severe”) across several zones.
• Hundreds gathered at India Gate, demanding clean air as a citizen’s right — a rare civic mobilisation on pollution.
• The protest highlights a shift from passive tolerance to public accountability in environmental governance.
• It coincides with the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP, 2019), which targets a 40% cut in PM2.5/PM10 by 2026 (MoEFCC).

Key Points

• AQI 401–500 = “Severe”: Causes respiratory distress, especially in children and elderly.
• NCAP covers 131 non-attainment cities with monitoring and reduction plans.
• CPCB 2024 Data: Delhi’s PM2.5 averaged ~185 µg/m³, about 30x WHO limits (5 µg/m³).
• Judicial Oversight: SC and NGT demand coordinated pollution control.
• Significance: The India Gate protest reframes pollution as a political and rights issue, not a seasonal inconvenience.

Static Linkages

• Art. 21: Right to Life = Right to Clean Air (Subhash Kumar vs. State of Bihar, 1991).
• Art. 48A, 51A(g): Environmental protection as duty of State and citizens.
• Air Act, 1981: Legal framework for CPCB/SPCBs.
• NGT Act, 2010: Judicial enforcement of environmental laws.
• SDGs 3 & 13: Health and climate action.
• World Bank (2023): India loses ~1.4% of GDP to air pollution.

Critical Analysis

• Pros:
  • Reasserts citizen agency and environmental justice.
  • Encourages political accountability for clean air.
  • Builds public pressure for effective NCAP outcomes.
• Cons:
  • Fragmented responsibility among Centre, states, and local bodies.
  • Weak enforcement and data opacity.  Economic–environment trade-offs.
  • Short-lived public engagement post-crisis. Ethical Lens:
  • Equity: Clean air as universal right, not privilege.
  • Intergenerational justice and civic responsibility.

Way Forward

• Make NCAP targets legally binding; publish annual “State of Air” report.
• Transparent, real-time data via CPCB dashboards.
• Strengthen urban planning, EV push, and green buffers.
• Institutionalise citizen feedback systems.
• Create regional air-shed authorities for NCR coordination.

SC UPSETS BALANCE ON STRAY DOGS

Context of the News

• In August 2025, the Supreme Court allowed sterilised and vaccinated stray dogs to return to their localities.
• In November 2025, it reversed this stance, ordering immediate removal of strays from schools, hospitals, bus stands, railway stations, and sports complexes.
• The Court cited 37 lakh dog bite cases in 2024, highlighting public safety concerns.
• The decision departs from the earlier balanced approach and revives debate over humane control vs public health.

Key Points

• Order: Capture, sterilise, vaccinate, and shelter stray dogs within 8 weeks.
• Population: India has 6–8 crore stray dogs (Livestock Census 2019).
• Causes: Poor waste management, careless pet ownership, unregulated feeding.
• Legal Basis: Animal Birth Control (Dogs) Rules, 2023 under Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960.
• Implementation: Responsibility of Urban Local Bodies under 74th Amendment (12th Schedule).

Static Linkages

• Article 48 & 48A: Duty of State to protect animals and environment.
• Article 51A(g): Duty of citizens to show compassion to living creatures.
• Municipal Role: Public health and animal control under Constitutional mandate.
• National Health Policy 2017: Emphasises zoonotic disease prevention.
• Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI): Nodal body under Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying

Critical Analysis

• Pros:
  • Strengthens public safety and accountability of local bodies.
  • Addresses rising bite incidents and administrative apathy.
• Cons:
  • Limited shelter space, lack of funds and manpower.
  • May violate humane and scientific ABC norms.  
  • Potential conflict among stakeholders.
• Stakeholders:
  • Public: Safety, hygiene concerns.
  • Animal Welfare Groups: Fear of cruelty, disruption.
  • Local Bodies: Resource constraints.
  • Judiciary: Seeks balance between safety and compassion.

Way Forward

• Expand ABC infrastructure with ULB and NGO coordination.
• Use data-based mapping for bite-prone zones.
• Dedicated municipal funds and awareness on responsible ownership.
• Enforce ABC Rules 2023 with humane oversight.