Daily Current Affairs (DCA) 5&6 October, 2025

Daily Current Affairs Quiz
5 & 6 October, 2025

National Affairs

1. India–UK Conduct Bilateral Naval Exercise KONKAN-2025

Source: News on Air

Context:

Exercise KONKAN-2025, a bilateral naval exercise between the Indian Navy and the Royal Navy (UK), commenced off the western coast of India on 5 October 2025. The exercise reaffirms both nations’ commitment to a secure, open, and free Indo-Pacific and aligns with the India–UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership outlined in Vision 2035.

Key Highlights:

• Duration & Phases:
  • Conducted in two phases (5–12 October 2025) — Harbour Phase and Sea Phase.
• Harbour Phase (5–8 October):
  • Includes professional interactions, cross-deck visits, sports fixtures, and cultural exchanges.
  • Joint Working Group meetings and Subject Matter Expert (SME) exchanges to strengthen operational understanding.
• Sea Phase (9–12 October):
  • Involves complex maritime operations, including:
    • Anti-Air, Anti-Surface, and Anti-Submarine Warfare drills.
    • Flying operations and seamanship evolutions.
  • Focus on interoperability and joint mission capability across domains.
• Forces Involved:
  • Indian Navy: Carrier Battle Group led by INS Vikrant along with other surface, sub-surface, and air assets.
  • Royal Navy: UK Carrier Strike Group (CSG-25) led by HMS Prince of Wales, with participation from Norway and Japan.
• Follow-up Exercise:
  • After KONKAN-2025, UK CSG-25 will conduct a one-day aerial defence exercise with the Indian Air Force on 14 October 2025.

2. Landslides in India

Source: TOI

Context:

Heavy rainfall in Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts (West Bengal) triggered multiple landslides, killing at least 14 people and damaging key infrastructure, including the Dudhia Bridge and Teesta Bazaar link road. The incident highlights the increasing frequency of climate-induced disasters in the fragile Eastern Himalayan region.

About Landslides:

• A landslide is the downward movement of rock, soil, or debris along slopes under the influence of gravity.
• Triggered when shear stress exceeds the shear strength of slope materials.

Key Causes:

• Heavy rainfall, earthquakes, deforestation, unplanned construction, and road cutting.
• Human interference in fragile terrains accelerates slope instability.

Impacts:

• Destroys roads, bridges, and settlements, isolates communities, and disrupts vital supply and communication networks.

India’s Vulnerability to Landslides:

• Around 13% of India’s land area (0.42 million sq. km) is landslide-prone, per the Geological Survey of India (GSI).
• Major high-risk regions: Himalayas, Northeastern Hills, Western Ghats, Nilgiris, and Eastern Ghats.
• The Northeast alone accounts for 42% of the total hazard zone due to:
  • Steep gradients, fragile geology, and intense monsoon rainfall.
  • Unregulated construction and deforestation.

Darjeeling Landslides – Causes and Impact:

Aspect	Details
Geographical Factors	• Located in the Eastern Himalayas, composed of young, unconsolidated rocks highly prone to erosion. • Intense monsoon rains cause waterlogging and weaken soil cohesion. • Unscientific infrastructure projects (road cutting, tunneling for hydropower, etc.) disturb natural drainage systems. • The region is seismically active, increasing the risk of slope failure and landslides.
Policy Implications	• The crisis calls for a pan-Himalayan sustainable development policy that integrates land-use planning, ecological zoning, and climate adaptation. • Focus on geo-hazard mapping, early warning systems, and green infrastructure for long-term resilience.

NDMA Guidelines on Landslide Management:

Component	Details
1. National Landslide Risk Management Strategy (2019)	• Focuses on vulnerability mapping, hazard zonation, and early warning systems. • Utilizes IMD rainfall data and ISRO terrain imagery to forecast slope instability. • Aims to integrate disaster risk reduction (DRR) with regional development planning.
2. Landslide Hazard Zonation (LHZ) Maps	• Prepared at a 1:50,000 scale by the Geological Survey of India (GSI). • Provides scientific input for urban planning, infrastructure siting, and land-use regulation. • High-resolution maps are being digitized for inclusion in state GIS portals.
3. Mitigation Measures	• Slope stabilization using vegetative cover and bio-engineering methods. • Drainage improvement to prevent water accumulation and loss of soil cohesion. • Construction of retaining walls, gabion structures, and surface protection works. • Relocation of habitations and facilities from chronic slide-prone zones.
4. Institutional Collaboration	• NDMA coordinates with GSI, NRSC (ISRO), DST, and CSIR institutions. • Development of real-time GIS-based monitoring systems and data-sharing platforms. • Emphasis on capacity building, community awareness, and state-level implementation frameworks.

3. Unified National Employment Framework

Source: TH

Context:

India’s employment challenge has re-emerged as a national policy priority as experts from the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) urged the government to create a Unified National Employment Framework (NEF). The proposal aims to synchronize skilling, industrial, and labour policies to address job–skill mismatches and ensure inclusive growth amid rapid economic and technological changes.

Key Trends in Employment:

• Demographic Advantage:
  • India is expected to add 133 million workers by 2050, forming 18% of the global workforce.
  • The demographic window will peak by 2043, demanding urgent job creation strategies.
• Rise of Informal and Gig Sectors:
  • Gig economy jobs projected to reach 9 crore by 2030, but most lack social security and formal benefits.
• Urban Job Distress:
  • Automation and post-pandemic migration have widened rural–urban employment gaps.
• Low Female Participation:
  • Female Labour Force Participation Rate (FLFPR): below 35% (PLFS 2024) despite growing education levels.

Need for a Unified Employment Framework:

• Fragmented Schemes: Existing job, skill, and welfare programmes operate in silos, reducing efficiency.
• Demographic Urgency: Delay in reforms may erode the demographic dividend opportunity.
• Economic Inclusivity: A unified policy can ensure balanced, gender-sensitive, and tech-driven employment.
• Policy Coherence: Aligns trade, industrial, and labour policies toward measurable job outcomes.

Major Government Initiatives (Ongoing):

• Skill India Mission & PMKVY:
  • Target to skill 40 crore youth through short-term and industry-oriented courses.
• National Career Service (NCS) Portal:
  • A digital employment exchange linking job seekers, employers, and counsellors.
• Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme:
  • Promotes manufacturing-led employment via performance-based sectoral incentives.
• Labour Codes (2020):
  • Consolidated 29 labour laws into 4 codes for ease of compliance and enhanced worker protection.
• Gig and Platform Worker Schemes:
  • Expanding social security coverage to informal and gig sector workers.

Way Forward:

• Integrated National Employment Policy:
  • Merge central and state employment programmes into a coordinated framework.
• MSME and Gig Worker Focus:
  • Provide credit access, digital enablement, and safety nets for these job-rich sectors.
• Skill–Industry Alignment:
  • Reform higher education and vocational training to match AI, robotics, and green industry demands.
• Inclusive Job Creation:
  • Introduce urban employment guarantees and women-centric job incentives.
• Real-Time Labour Data:
  • Create a Unified Labour Observatory for real-time monitoring of workforce dynamics.

4. IUCN World Conservation Congress 2025

Context:

India is set to release its first-ever National Red List of Endangered Species at the IUCN World Conservation Congress (WCC) 2025, scheduled in Abu Dhabi, UAE. This marks a major milestone in India’s biodiversity conservation framework, aligning national efforts with global sustainability goals.

About IUCN World Conservation Congress 2025

• Organiser: International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
• Nature: A quadrennial global summit bringing together governments, civil society, indigenous communities, scientists, and the private sector.
• Objective: To determine global priorities for biodiversity protection, climate action, and sustainable development.
• Host Country: United Arab Emirates (UAE)
• Previous Edition: Held in Marseille, France (2021), focusing on post-pandemic recovery and climate resilience.

Historical Background

• The first IUCN Congress was convened in 1948, the same year IUCN was established.
• India has been an IUCN State Member since 1969 and has consistently contributed to global biodiversity and conservation dialogues.

Themes of IUCN Congress 2025

• Scaling Up Resilient Conservation Action: Enhancing ecosystem restoration and species protection initiatives.
• Reducing Climate Overshoot Risks: Strengthening global climate mitigation to prevent ecological tipping points.
• Delivering on Equity: Ensuring inclusivity and community participation in conservation efforts.
• Transitioning to Nature-Positive Economies: Promoting circular economy, sustainable production, and green finance.
• Disruptive Innovation and Leadership: Leveraging technology, AI, and youth engagement for conservation breakthroughs.

5. Arunachal Pradesh Launches First Commercial Coal Mine at Namchik-Namphuk

Source: Mint

Context:

Arunachal Pradesh has launched its first-ever commercial coal mining operation at the Namchik-Namphuk coal block in Changlang district, marking a major step toward harnessing the state’s natural resources and supporting India’s Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India) energy strategy.

About Namchik-Namphuk Coal Block

• Location: Changlang district, southeastern Arunachal Pradesh, within the Upper Assam coal belt.
• Reserves: Estimated 1.5 crore tonnes of coal reserves, enabling long-term production.
• Significance:
  • Will create local employment and help curb illegal coal extraction in the region.
  • Developed under the eco-sensitive initiative “Mission Green Coal Regions”, focusing on land reclamation and afforestation post-mining.
  • Aligned with the PM EAST Vision — Empower, Act, Strengthen, Transform — to promote inclusive and balanced development in the Northeast region.

About Commercial Coal Mining in India

• Definition: Commercial coal mining allows private companies to extract and sell coal in the open market, ending Coal India Ltd.’s monopoly.
• Origin:
  • Introduced under the Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Act, 2015.
  • Operationalised in 2020 as part of the AatmaNirbhar Bharat reforms.
• Objective:
  • Enhance competition and efficiency in coal production.
  • Strengthen energy security and self-reliance.
  • Attract private investment and create jobs in the mining sector.

Banking/Finance

1. India Considers Early Warning Framework to Prevent Corporate Insolvency

Source: Mint

Context:

The Ministry of Corporate Affairs and the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) are exploring the introduction of a pre-insolvency early warning system aimed at identifying financial distress signals before defaults occur. This follows a suggestion by the Supreme Court during the Mansi Brar Fernandes vs Shubha Sharma & ANR case.

Key Highlights:

Objective

• Enable companies and lenders to monitor early signs of financial distress.
• Pre-empt insolvency rather than addressing it post-default under the current Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC).
• Reduce load on the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) by resolving issues before formal proceedings.

Proposed Features

• Early stress indicators: Financial ratios, continuous disclosure obligations, sector-specific red flags.
• Mandatory risk reporting: Directors and auditors may need to report distress signs to regulators and creditors.
• Pre-insolvency mediation and restructuring: Structured platforms for promoters, creditors, and regulators to explore solutions before default escalates.
• Sector-based triggers: IBBI could introduce industry-specific early interventions.

Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI)

The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) is the key regulatory authority overseeing India’s insolvency resolution framework under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC), 2016. It plays a critical role in maintaining creditor confidence, improving the ease of doing business, and strengthening the financial system’s stability.

About IBBI

• Establishment: 1st October 2016
• Statutory Authority Under: Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC), 2016
• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Parent Ministry: Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA)

2. RBI’s AI Committee Report Sets Roadmap for Ethical, Responsible, and Inclusive Use of AI in Indian Banking

Source: BS

Context:

The Financial Regulation and Ethics in AI (FREE) Committee report by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) provides a framework for harnessing AI in banking while managing risks and ethical challenges. The report aims to balance innovation with accountability, ensuring AI adoption drives financial inclusion, operational efficiency, and improved risk management.

Key Highlights:

• Governance and Accountability:
  • Strong governance mechanisms for AI adoption in banks.
  • Clear accountability for AI models and policy oversight.
  • Banks expected to monitor, report, and mitigate algorithmic bias to ensure fairness, diversity, and inclusivity.
• Opportunities for Banking:
  • Faster loan processing and credit scoring.
  • Improved risk management and regulatory compliance.
  • Integration with India’s Digital Public Infrastructure (Aadhaar, UPI, account aggregators) to expand credit availability and financial inclusion.

Critical Implementation Areas:

• Vendor Liability & Responsibilities:
  • Responsibility allocation between banks and AI vendors needs clarity.
  • Pre-market assessments and robust contracts are currently unspecified, requiring shared frameworks to avoid disputes.
• Data Readiness:
  • High-quality data and upgraded legacy systems are essential.
  • Cloud migration and compliance with BCBS 239 principles recommended for data governance, integrity, and a single source of truth.
  • Collaboration between banks and regulators needed to standardize and share costs.
• Sector-Specific AI Models:
  • Tailored AI solutions for banking and public infrastructure present efficiency and inclusion opportunities.
  • Challenges: model ownership, data privacy, and secure data sharing.
• Metrics for Fairness:
  • Banks and RBI must define measurable standards for fairness, diversity, and inclusivity in AI outcomes.

Significance / Implications:

• Marks a watershed moment in Indian banking, formalizing AI governance while encouraging innovation.
• Provides a clear roadmap for integrating AI with financial inclusion, particularly through digital public infrastructure.
• Encourages banks to adopt a proactive approach to ethical AI, mitigating bias, ensuring fairness, and strengthening trust.
• Success depends on collaboration among banks, vendors, and regulators, particularly on data quality, model governance, and privacy protection.

3. DARPG Rankings Spotlight Customer Service Improvements in Indian Banking and Insurance

Context:

The Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) monitors and ranks government ministries and departments based on the redress of citizen complaints via the Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS).

Financial sector entities, particularly under the Department of Financial Services (DFS), are seeing significant improvements in grievance handling.

The rankings encourage better customer service, faster grievance resolution, and improved public trust in banks and insurers.

Key Highlights:

Category	Key Highlights
Overall DFS Performance	• Banking Division: Ranked 14th (↑ from 24th in April 2025). • Insurance Division: Ranked 12th (↑ from 30th in April 2025). • Pension Reforms Division: Achieved Top Rank (↑ from 14th in April 2025). • Grievances Addressed: 74.38% • Appeals Resolved: 60.22%
Complaint Volume & Resolution	• Total Banking Grievances: 22,013 • Resolved: 16,985 cases (≈77%). • Turnaround Time (TAT): Majority resolved within 21 days; only 155 exceeded TAT. • PSBs: Only 24 complaints exceeded TAT. • NBFCs/Private Banks: 89 complaints exceeded TAT. • Appeals: PSBs had no appeals pending beyond 30 days; NBFCs/private banks had 20 pending.
GRAI Index Metrics (Revised 2025 Framework)	• Efficiency (55%) – Resolution within 21 days, average resolution time, and pending grievances. • Feedback (35%) – Customer satisfaction levels and appeal trends. • Organisational Commitment (10%) – Adequacy of grievance-handling staff vs. complaint volume. • Note: Domain knowledge parameter was removed in the revised assessment.
Top-Ranked Banks (August 2025)	Public Sector Banks (PSBs): • 1st – Indian Overseas Bank • 2nd – Bank of India Private Sector Banks: • 1st – Yes Bank • Lowest – IndusInd Bank • Karur Vysya Bank – Best among smaller private banks.
Insurance Companies Rankings (August 2025)	• 1st: New India Assurance (↑ from 7th in July 2025). • 2nd: Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) – consistent rank for July & August 2025.

4. RBI’s Digital Payment Authentication Overhaul to Enhance Security and User Convenience

Source: TOI

Context:

India’s digital payments ecosystem has grown rapidly, but concerns over fraud and cyber risks remain. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has issued new digital payment directions, effective April 2026, introducing a risk-based authentication (RBA) framework for banks. The framework aims to strengthen security, reduce consumer friction, and align India’s payment system with international best practices.

Key Highlights:

• Shift from OTP-centric system:
  • Maintains mandatory two-factor authentication (2FA).
  • Moves away from a static one-time password (OTP) approach to dynamic, risk-based checks.
• Risk-Based Authentication Features:
  • Uses signals such as device compromise, transaction behaviour, location, and history to detect anomalies.
  • Allows transaction-specific measures, reducing false rejections and enhancing fraud detection.
  • Additional verification applied only when transactions appear suspicious (e.g., new device, odd timing, overseas).
  • Routine transactions like bill payments and small purchases remain seamless.
• Alternative Authentication Methods:
  • Banks can offer biometrics, device-binding, or other methods as one of the two authentication factors.
  • Supports a layered, zero-trust approach, improving security without creating friction.
• Implementation Challenges:
  • Banks may need to upgrade systems to incorporate AI-driven fraud detection and behavioural analytics.
  • Potential rural-urban divide due to limited smartphone access in rural areas; OTPs remain important.
  • Legal and regulatory considerations must be addressed alongside technical upgrades.

5. RBI May Allow Real Estate Projects to Access Offshore Loans to Boost Dollar Inflows

Source: ET

Context:

Historically, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has resisted allowing external commercial borrowings (ECBs) in real estate due to lessons from the 1997 Asian financial crisis, where foreign currency debt in property markets caused major economic disruptions in Thailand, South Korea, and Indonesia. RBI’s draft ECB policy now signals a major shift, proposing that all real estate projects eligible for foreign direct investment (FDI) can access ECBs.

Key Highlights:

• Eligibility Expansion:
  • Previously, ECBs were limited to large projects such as industrial parks, integrated townships, and SEZs.
  • The draft allows any real estate project approved for FDI to raise ECBs.
  • ECBs will not be allowed for “real estate business” (trading in properties) or construction of farmhouses, aligning with FDI restrictions.
• Motivation for the Change:
  1. Boost Dollar Inflows:
     • ECBs can increase dollar supply, countering pressures from foreign portfolio investor (FPI) sell-offs and export tariffs.
  2. Real Estate Sector Maturity:
     • Regulatory reforms like RERA and REITs have deepened transparency and risk management.
  3. Industry Lobby:
     • Entry of large corporates into real estate projects has likely influenced policy direction.
• Lender Relaxation:
  • Current rule: ECB lenders must comply with FATF or IOSCO regulations.
  • Draft proposal: Any person resident outside India can be a “recognised lender,” simplifying cross-border lending.
• Business Implications:
  • Land Acquisition: Builders can use ECBs to purchase land for commercial or residential projects, reducing reliance on Joint Development Agreements (JDAs).
  • LLPs and NRIs: Limited liability partnerships (LLPs) can borrow from NRI partners, expanding funding options.

6. India Expands UPI Reach to Qatar

Source: BL

Context:

India has extended the international reach of its Unified Payments Interface (UPI) by launching the facility at Lulu Group stores in Qatar, following its introduction at duty-free outlets in Hamad International Airport last month. This marks another milestone in India’s effort to globalize its digital payment ecosystem through NPCI International Payments Ltd (NIPL).

Key Highlights:

• Launched by: Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry.
• Partnership: NPCI International Payments Ltd (NIPL), Qatar National Bank (QNB), and Japanese payment gateway NETSTARS.
• Purpose: To enable seamless, real-time, and low-cost UPI payments for Indian residents and tourists in Qatar.
• Significance:
  • Qatar becomes the 8th country to accept UPI payments.
  • Aims to strengthen India–Qatar trade and financial integration.
  • Facilitates faster, cost-effective cross-border capital movement and remittances.
• Beneficiaries: Around 8.3 lakh Indians living in Qatar, who will now experience faster and cheaper money transfers.

About Unified Payments Interface (UPI)

• Launched: 2016 by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).
• Function: Enables instant, real-time fund transfers between bank accounts through mobile platforms using QR codes or phone numbers.

Facts To Remember

1. Takaichi set to be Japan’s first woman PM

Conservative Sanae Takaichi hailed a “new era” on Saturday after becoming head of Japan’s ruling party, putting her on course to become the country’s first woman Prime Minister.

2. PM Modi launches ₹62,000-crore schemes targeted at Bihar youth

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday launched various youth-focused initiatives estimated at more than ₹62,000 crore, with a focus on poll-bound Bihar, from New Delhi.

3. Veteran Congress leader Rameshwar Dudi passes away

A veteran Congress leader and former Leader of the Opposition in the Rajasthan Assembly, Rameshwar Dudi, died at his residence in Bikaner after a prolonged illness. He was 62.

4. Ekta and Soman bag silver; Praveen wins a bronze as India swells tally

Ekta Bhayan became the 18th medallist as India surpassed its best-ever performance at the World Para Athletics Championships on the penultimate day of action here.

5. Manish and Vaishnavi are national champions

Manish Sureshkumar and Vaishnavi Adkar were authoritative in emerging as champions in the Fenesta National tennis championship.

6. India signs off with four medals on final day

India won four medals to wrap up its most successful outing ever at the World Para Athletics Championships, finishing with 22 medals on a dramatic final day that saw medals being upgraded and a sprint run again because of technical faults.

7. INDIA FINISH WITH ‘SILVER LINING’

Girl power drove India’s medal rush on the final day of the World Para Athletics Championships, with Simran Sharma and Preethi Pal lighting up the track with their silver-winning performances before javelin thrower Navdeep Singh concluded the hosts’ successful campaign by achieving another podium finish, winning a silver medal at the JLN Stadium evening.

8. Telangana Tops UPI Usage Intensity; Peer-to-Merchant Transactions Driving Cash Decline

The Unified Payments Interface (UPI) has emerged as India’s most widely adopted digital payments platform, driving a structural shift from cash to digital transactions. Its adoption is reshaping payment behaviour, particularly for low-value, everyday transactions, and contributing to the decline in cash demand across the economy.

9. India adds nearly 17 crore jobs in six years as unemployment dips to 3.2%

Around 17 crore jobs have been added to the workforce in India over six years. As per the Labour and Employment Ministry, employment in India rose to 64 crore 33 lakh in 2023-24 compared to 47 crore 50 lakh in 2017-18, a net addition of 16 crore 83 lakh jobs over six years.