Daily Current Affairs | 12 November 2025
Daily Current Affairs (12 November 2025) – significant updates include India’s participation in Exercise Malabar 2025 to enhance Indo-Pacific security, insights from the Periodic Labour Force Survey showing modest improvements in employment rates, and a Nationwide Digital Life Certificate campaign to empower pensioners digitally. Notable global initiatives such as the Tropical Forest Forever Facility are also highlighted.
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Exercise Malabar 2025 | UPSC CSE
Why in News: The Indian Naval Ship (INS) Sahyadri, an indigenously designed and built Guided Missile Stealth Frigate, has reached Guam in the Northern Pacific Ocean to participate in the multilateral Exercise Malabar-2025. The deployment underscores India’s strong naval presence in the Indo-Pacific and its commitment to cooperative maritime security.
About Exercise Malabar
- Origin: Began in 1992 as a bilateral naval exercise between India and the United States.
- Evolution: Expanded in 2007 to include Japan, and later Australia, transforming into a four-nation maritime exercise.
- Participants: India, the United States, Japan, and Australia — the same four nations forming the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad).
- Objective: To enhance interoperability, build mutual trust, and strengthen maritime cooperation among the participating navies to ensure a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific.
Source: PIB
Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) | UPSC CSE
Why in News: The National Statistical Office (NSO), under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), has released the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) Quarterly Bulletin for July–September 2025, providing key insights into India’s labour market conditions.
Key Highlights (July–September 2025)
- Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR): Increased marginally to 55.1% (from 55.0% in the previous quarter) for persons aged 15 years and above.
- Worker Population Ratio (WPR): Rose slightly from 52.0% (April–June 2025) to 52.2% in July–September 2025, indicating higher employment engagement.
- Unemployment Rate (UR): Declined from 5.4% to 5.2%, suggesting a marginal improvement in job availability and labour absorption.
About the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS):
- Introduced by: NSO, MoSPI
- Purpose: To provide reliable and timely estimates of employment, unemployment, and labour participation in both rural and urban areas.
- Frequency: Monthly, quarterly, and annual reports under the Current Weekly Status (CWS) and Usual Status (ps+ss) frameworks.
The revised PLFS methodology (effective from January 2025) now provides monthly and quarterly estimates for both rural and urban India, enhancing the timeliness and granularity of labour statistics.
Objectives of the Redesigned PLFS:
- Monthly Indicators: Generate monthly LFPR, WPR, and UR for rural and urban India under the CWS framework.
- Quarterly Indicators: Extend quarterly estimates to rural areas (earlier only for urban).
- Annual Estimates: Continue providing yearly estimates under both Usual Status (ps+ss) and Current Weekly Status (CWS).
Key Concepts:
- Usual Status: Activity status based on a reference period of the last 365 days before the survey.
- Current Weekly Status (CWS): Activity status based on a reference period of the last 7 days before the survey.
- Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR): Percentage of the population aged 15 years and above who are either employed or unemployed.
- Worker Population Ratio (WPR): Percentage of the population aged 15 years and above who are employed.
- Unemployment Rate (UR): Percentage of the labour force that is unemployed but actively seeking work.
Source: PIB
Digital Life Certificate – Jeevan Pramaan Patra | UPSC CSE
Why in News: The Department of Pension & Pensioners’ Welfare (DoPPW) under the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions is organizing the Nationwide Digital Life Certificate (DLC) Campaign 4.0 from 1st to 30th November 2025.
The campaign is a key part of the Government’s mission toward Digital Empowerment of Pensioners and promoting Ease of Living through Digital India.
About the Digital Life Certificate (DLC) / Jeevan Pramaan Patra
- Launched: 2014
- Objective: To enable pensioners to submit their annual life certificate online without physically visiting banks or pension offices.
- Platform Name: Jeevan Pramaan — a biometric-enabled digital service for pensioners.
- Technology: Uses Aadhaar-based biometric authentication to verify pensioners’ identity and generate a secure, digitally signed Life Certificate.
- Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions
- Implementing Department: Department of Pension and Pensioners’ Welfare (DoPPW)
Source: PIB
MITRA SHAKTI 2025| UPSC CSE
Why in News: The 11th edition of the Joint Military Exercise “MITRA SHAKTI 2025” has commenced at the Foreign Training Node, Belagavi (Karnataka). The exercise involves participation from the Indian Army and Indian Air Force along with the Sri Lankan Army and Sri Lankan Air Force, strengthening the long-standing defence partnership between the two neighbouring nations.
About Exercise MITRA SHAKTI
- Type: Bilateral Joint Military Exercise
- Participants: India and Sri Lanka
- Edition: 11th (2025)
- Venue: Foreign Training Node, Belagavi, Karnataka
Source: PIB
Tropical Forest Forever Facility (TFFF) | UPSC CSE
Why in News: Why in News: At the COP30 Climate Summit in Belém, Brazil, world leaders launched the Tropical Forest Forever Facility (TFFF) — a new $125 billion investment fund aimed at rewarding developing tropical forest nations for conserving their old-growth forests.
The TFFF marks a major global initiative to align financial incentives with forest conservation, particularly for tropical nations that host the planet’s richest biodiversity and carbon sinks.
What is the TFFF?
The Tropical Forest Forever Facility (TFFF) is a permanent, self-financing investment fund designed to generate sustainable financial returns that are then distributed to developing countries for keeping their forests intact.
- Total Target Corpus:$125 billion
- $25 billion → From wealthy governments & philanthropists
- $100 billion → From private investors
- Fund Model:
- The corpus will be invested in diversified financial portfolios (sovereign & corporate bonds).
- Annual returns will be distributed as performance-based payments to countries maintaining forest cover.
- Verification: Payments will be based on satellite remote sensing data, ensuring accuracy and transparency.
- Beneficiaries:
Up to 74 developing tropical forest countries with significant old-growth forest coverage.
Key Contributions Announced (So Far)
| Contributor | Contribution | Period / Notes |
| Brazil | $1 billion | Host nation & key tropical forest country |
| Indonesia | $1 billion | Major rainforest nation |
| Colombia | $250 million | Amazon region contributor |
| Norway | $3 billion | Over 10 years |
| Netherlands | $5 million | – |
| Portugal | €1 million | – |
Why Was TFFF Launched?
Deforestation is often economically incentivized, while standing forests offer non-monetized ecological benefits (carbon sequestration, rainfall regulation, biodiversity conservation).
Core Goal: To make conservation financially competitive with deforestation by ensuring that the economic value of standing forests exceeds that of cleared land.
TFFF therefore:
- Creates monetary rewards for preserving forests.
- Aligns global investment returns with climate-positive outcomes.
- Supports the goals of the Paris Agreement and UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Concerns and Criticisms
- Market Dependency:
- The TFFF relies heavily on financial market returns (bonds, investments).
- A global market crash could reduce or halt payments (as seen during 2008–09 or COVID-19 crises).
- Accountability Gap:
- The TFFF operates outside the UNFCCC framework, meaning it is not legally binding on developed nations.
- This could let wealthy countries evade their formal climate finance commitments.
- Equity Issues:
- Payments depend on verified forest cover, which might disadvantage countries with lower technical capacity or those already facing deforestation pressures.
Source: Indian Express
Meghalayan Age | UPSC CSE
Why in News: When we think of Meghalaya, misty hills, caves, and cascading waterfalls come to mind — but this northeastern state has also earned a rare distinction: it lends its name to the youngest age in Earth’s geological history, the Meghalayan Age.
Officially recognised in 2018 by the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS), the Meghalayan Age represents the most recent chapter of the Holocene Epoch — a reminder that India now features in the Earth’s official geological calendar.
What is the Meghalayan Age?
- Time Period: The Meghalayan Age began 4,200 years ago (around 2200 BCE) and continues to the present.
- It marks the latest subdivision of the Holocene Epoch, which started about 11,700 years ago, following the end of the last Ice Age.
- The Meghalayan period was defined by a catastrophic, century-long global drought, which led to the collapse of several ancient civilisations.
How It Was Discovered: The Mawmluh Cave Connection
- The Mawmluh Cave near Cherrapunji (Sohra), Meghalaya, became the Global Boundary Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) — the official reference point for the start of the Meghalayan Age.
- Inside this cave, scientists studying stalagmites (mineral formations growing upward from the cave floor) found a distinct oxygen isotope signature, indicating a sharp drop in monsoon rainfall.
- This evidence matched data from other parts of the world, confirming a global climatic event — a prolonged drought around 2200 BCE.
Global Impact: A Drought that Changed History
The 4.2-kiloyear event (the Meghalayan drought) triggered widespread climatic upheaval:
- Collapse of ancient civilisations, including:
- The Akkadian Empire in Mesopotamia,
- The Old Kingdom of Egypt, and
- The Indus Valley Civilisation in South Asia.
- Massive changes in monsoon patterns and global agriculture.
- Migration of populations and shifts in cultural centres.
Scientific Classification
- Eon: Phanerozoic
- Era: Cenozoic
- Period: Quaternary
- Epoch: Holocene
- Age: Meghalayan (the youngest of three Holocene ages)
| Holocene Subdivision | Time Before Present (Years) | Key Event |
| Greenlandian | 11,700 – 8,200 | End of last Ice Age |
| Northgrippian | 8,200 – 4,200 | Cooling event |
| Meghalayan | 4,200 – Present | Global drought and collapse of civilisations |
Why It Matters
- The Meghalayan Age is the first geological age named after an Indian location.
- It underscores the importance of India’s geological heritage and the global significance of the Indian monsoon system.
- It also highlights how climate change has shaped human civilisation since ancient times — offering lessons for our modern world facing similar challenges.
Source: Indian Express
Non-Consensual Intimate Imagery (NCII) | UPSC CSE
Why in News: The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has issued a Standard Operating Procedure (SoP) to strengthen India’s response mechanism against the circulation of Non-Consensual Intimate Imagery (NCII) — including intimate, morphed, or deepfake images shared online without consent.
This framework establishes a victim-centric, time-bound, and coordinated approach for swift removal of such content, mandating takedown within 24 hours of reporting.
What is NCII?
Non-Consensual Intimate Imagery (NCII) refers to any private, intimate, or sexually explicit image or video of an individual that is shared, created, or modified (morphed/deepfaked) and circulated online without consent.
It includes both real and digitally altered content that violates privacy and dignity.
Key Features of the SoP
- Uniform National Framework: Provides clear operational procedures for victims, intermediaries, and law enforcement agencies.
- 24-Hour Takedown Rule: Online platforms (social media or content-sharing intermediaries) must remove or disable access to reported NCII content within 24 hours of receiving a valid complaint.
- Victim-Centric Approach: Ensures confidentiality, psychological counselling, and legal aid through support centres and online portals.
Multiple Reporting Avenues for Victims
Victims can report NCII-related content through any of the following channels:
- One Stop Centres (OSCs): Provide on-ground assistance including help in filing complaints on the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP), legal aid, and psychological counselling.
- Intermediaries: Victims can report directly through in-app reporting tools or contact the Grievance Officer of the concerned platform.
- National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP):
- Website: cybercrime.gov.in
- Helpline: 1930 Enables individuals to report cybercrimes, including NCII cases.
- Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs): Victims can lodge a First Information Report (FIR) or complaint at local police stations for immediate on-ground intervention.
Institutional Coordination and Oversight
- Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C), MHA: Acts as the central aggregator for NCII complaints.
- Maintains a secure NCII hash bank (database of flagged images) to prevent re-uploads of the same content.
- Department of Telecommunications (DoT):
- Works with Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to block offending URLs and domains.
- MeitY:
- Monitors compliance by intermediaries and oversees inter-agency coordination.
Source: PIB
Mandatory Biometric Update (MBU) | UPSC CSE
Why in News: After waiving all charges for Mandatory Biometric Update (MBU) in Aadhaar for children, the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) will use behavioural insights to enhance adoption of MBU.
Background and Purpose: Under Aadhaar enrolment rules, children below the age of five receive an Aadhaar based on demographic data and a photograph only, as their fingerprints and iris scans are not captured due to immature biometrics. When the child turns five years old, biometric data—fingerprints, iris, and photo—must be mandatorily updated; this is termed MBU-1. Another update is required at age 15, known as MBU-2.
Earlier Rule: The first and second MBUs, if carried out between the ages of 5–7 years and 15–17 years respectively, were already free. Beyond these age windows, a fee of ₹125 per MBU was charged.
New Provision: With this waiver, MBU is now free for all children aged 5–17 years, irrespective of when it is performed within that age range.
What is Aadhaar Biometric? Aadhaar is a 12-digit unique identification number issued to residents of India by UIDAI, serving as proof of identity and address. Aadhaar biometrics include unique physical and behavioural identifiers used for authentication.
Types of Aadhaar Biometrics:
- Fingerprint Data: Scans of all ten fingers are captured, recording unique ridge and swirl patterns.
- Iris Scan Data: High-resolution images of both irises (coloured part of the eyes) are taken, ensuring high accuracy even when fingerprints are unclear due to age, manual work, or medical reasons.
Schedule for Mandatory Biometric Updates:
- At age 5: First biometric recording (photo, fingerprints, and iris) and de-duplication process are carried out; Aadhaar number remains the same.
- At age 15: Second biometric update with the same parameters is required to ensure data accuracy.
Blue Aadhaar (Baal Aadhaar): UIDAI issues a Blue Aadhaar Card, also called Baal Aadhaar, for children below 5 years. It carries no biometric data and serves as a unique identity proof for young children until their first MBU at age five.
Source: PIB
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