UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 30 September 2025

UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 30 September 2025 covers important current affairs of the day, their backward linkages, their relevance for Prelims exam and MCQs on main articles

InstaLinks :  Insta Links help you think beyond the  current affairs issue and help you think multidimensionally to develop depth in your understanding of these issues. These linkages provided in this ‘hint’ format help you frame possible questions in your mind that might arise(or an examiner might imagine) from each current event. InstaLinks also connect every issue to their static or theoretical background.

Table of Contents 

GS Paper 2 : (UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 30 September (2025)

1. Trump’s Gaza Peace Plan

2. South-South and Triangular Cooperation

 Content for Mains Enrichment (CME):

1. Trends in India’s Dairy Sector

Facts for Prelims (FFP):

1. Siphon-Powered Desalination

2. The Wassenaar Arrangement

3. The National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS)

4. India Discovers Natural Gas near Andaman Island

 Mapping:

1. Venezuela

UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 30 September 2025

GS Paper 2:

Trump’s Gaza Peace Plan

Syllabus: International Relation

 Source:  TH

Context: Prime Minister of India welcomed Donald Trump’s 20-point Gaza peace proposal, calling it a pathway to long-term peace in West Asia.

• The plan seeks an immediate ceasefire, hostage release, and Gaza reconstruction, backed by Arab and Western leaders.

About Trump’s Gaza Peace Plan:

What it is

• It is a diplomatic framework designed to end the 2023–25 Israel–Hamas war through ceasefire, disarmament, and reconstruction.
• It envisions Gaza as a “New Gaza” special economic zone, monitored internationally until Palestinian governance reforms occur.

Key Features:

1. Immediate Ceasefire: Israel to halt military operations once Hamas agrees; battle lines will freeze for stability.
2. Hostage–Prisoner Swap: Hamas to release all hostages (alive and dead) within 72 hours; Israel to release 2,000+ Palestinian detainees.
3. No Forced Displacement: Palestinians will not be expelled from Gaza, ensuring protection of demographic and human rights.
4. No Role for Hamas: Hamas excluded from future governance; members disarming will get amnesty or safe passage abroad.
5. Board of Peace: An international body led by Trump and Tony Blair to oversee Gaza’s governance and reconstruction.
6. International Stabilisation Force: A multinational force, with Arab states, to maintain peace and train Palestinian police.
7. Economic Zone: Gaza to be developed as a special economic hub with preferential trade and aid-driven reconstruction.
8. Conditional Palestinian Statehood: Offers a “political horizon” for Palestinian statehood once Palestinian Authority (PA) reforms and security guarantees are ensured.

Positives

• Ceasefire mechanism: Provides immediate relief from war, halting civilian casualties and destruction.
• Hostage resolution: Builds confidence by addressing one of the most sensitive humanitarian issues first.
• Regional support: Arab states, EU, and India backing the plan give it multilateral legitimacy.
• Reconstruction plan: Prioritises rebuilding of homes, infrastructure, and economy in war-ravaged Gaza.
• Global oversight: International monitors reduce mistrust and enhance accountability between Israel and Palestine.

Challenges:

• Hamas’ acceptance: Radical factions may refuse disarmament or reject exclusion from power.
• Israeli scepticism: Israel fears security loopholes and doubts Palestinian Authority’s ability to govern effectively.
• Implementation hurdles: Managing prisoner swaps, aid distribution, and ceasefire compliance is complex.
• Political fragility: Deep divisions between Hamas and Palestinian Authority could stall any governance arrangement.
• Statehood ambiguity: The plan avoids a clear timeline for Palestinian sovereignty, risking long-term discontent.

Way Ahead:

• Consensus-building: U.S., UN, and Arab nations must collectively pressure both sides to honour commitments.
• Stronger oversight: UN agencies and Arab monitors should guarantee transparent aid delivery and ceasefire compliance.
• Inclusive Palestinian reforms: Strengthening the Palestinian Authority and involving civil society will ensure legitimacy in governance.
• Two-state linkage: Gaza’s redevelopment must be tied to progress towards a viable two-state solution for durable peace.

Conclusion:

The Gaza peace plan is a rare diplomatic opening but fragile without Hamas’ compliance and Israel’s security reassurances. For durable peace, it must evolve into a just pathway for Palestinian statehood. A balance of humanitarian relief, reconstruction, and political reform is the only sustainable way forward in West Asia.

South-South and Triangular Cooperation

Syllabus: International Relations

Source:  TH

Context: On September 12, 2025 (UN Day for SSTC), calls were made to reform and strengthen South-South and Triangular Cooperation as a tool for achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda.

About South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC):

What it is?

• South-South Cooperation (SSC): Collaboration among developing countries to share knowledge, skills, technology, and resources for mutual growth.
• Triangular Cooperation (TrC): Partnerships between developing countries supported by developed nations or multilateral agencies.
• Recognised as a complement, not substitute, to North-South cooperation.

Origin:

• Formalised under the Buenos Aires Plan of Action (BAPA), 1978.
• UN adopted Sept 12 as International Day for SSTC, marking BAPA’s anniversary.

Aim:

• Foster self-reliance and collective resilience among developing nations.
• Strengthen capacity to design solutions tailored to local contexts.
• Promote mutual benefit, solidarity, and equality in development cooperation.

Functions:

• Capacity-building, knowledge-sharing, and technology transfer: Helps developing nations build skills, share best practices, and access affordable technology to solve local development challenges.
• Voice in global governance: Strengthens the collective bargaining power of the Global South in shaping international policies and multilateral institutions.
• Regional and interregional cooperation: Encourages countries to pool resources and collaborate across regions to tackle common issues like climate change, health crises, and trade barriers.
• Complement to aid: Provides an alternative to traditional aid by offering mutual support without conditionalities, enhancing resilience and self-reliance.

Significance:

• Development Impact: Promotes low-cost, innovative, and scalable models directly aligned with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
• Global South Solidarity: Encourages collective ownership, reducing dependence on developed nations while empowering Southern nations to shape solutions.
• Resilience: Provides practical solutions in food security, disaster preparedness, climate adaptation, and public health systems.
• Equity: Counters unequal conditionalities of traditional aid by ensuring fairness, sovereignty, and respect for domestic priorities.

India’s Role in SSTC:

• Philosophy: Guided by Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, India projects solidarity and inclusiveness in global cooperation.
• ITEC programme: Trains professionals from 160+ countries, boosting skills in governance, IT, agriculture, and health.
• India-UN Development Partnership Fund (2017): Financed 75+ projects across 56 developing nations, especially LDCs and small island states.
• Digital diplomacy: Exported innovations like Aadhaar, UPI, and digital platforms, offering scalable governance solutions abroad.
• Voice of Global South Summits & AU in G20: Amplified South’s concerns globally while championing Africa’s integration into decision-making forums.
• India-WFP partnership: Innovations like Grain ATMs, fortified rice, and ration optimisation showcase India as a model for other developing nations.

Challenges to SSTC:

• Funding constraints: Shrinking humanitarian and development budgets limit scalability of projects.
• Capacity gaps: Many developing nations lack infrastructure, institutions, or skilled manpower to absorb innovations effectively.
• Consensus issues: Absence of a common global framework hampers monitoring, evaluation, and accountability.
• Geopolitical pressures: North-South power imbalances and aid politicisation undermine SSTC’s neutrality.
• Execution barriers: Difficulty in adapting local success stories into diverse regional contexts limits replication.

Way Ahead:

• Expand scope: Bring new areas like digital economy, AI regulation, and climate financing under SSTC.
• Strengthen institutions: Establish dedicated SSTC platforms and secretariats for knowledge exchange and project coordination.
• Innovative financing: Mobilise funds via private sector, diaspora bonds, and pooled Southern resources to overcome budget gaps.
• Triangular leverage: Involve developed nations and multilateral bodies for expertise while keeping Southern nations in the lead.
• Monitoring & accountability: Develop transparent, SDG-linked reporting mechanisms for better tracking of projects and outcomes.

Conclusion:

South-South and Triangular Cooperation is no longer just a diplomatic slogan, but a development lifeline for billions. India’s leadership gives it a unique opportunity to shape equitable global partnerships. With stronger institutions and innovation, SSTC can become a true pillar of the 2030 Agenda.

UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 30 September 2025 Content for Mains Enrichment (CME)

Trends in India’s Dairy Sector

Context: India continues to hold 1st position in global milk production, contributing nearly 25% of the world’s supply.

• Dairy sector contributes 5% to GDP, employing over 8 crore farmers, with milk production rising 63.56% in the last decade.

About Trends in India’s Dairy Sector:

1. Rising Production: Milk output grew from 146.3 MT (2014-15) to 239.3 MT (2023-24), at an annual growth rate of 5.7%.
2. Per Capita Supply: Availability rose by 48%, reaching 471 g/person/day (well above world average of 322 g).
3. Bovine Productivity: Productivity increased by 27.39% (2014–22), the highest globally, aided by schemes like Rashtriya Gokul Mission.
4. Women’s Role: Nearly 70% of workforce are women, with 48,000+ women-led dairy cooperatives enhancing inclusive growth.
5. Technological Adoption: Over 565 lakh AI procedures and 38,000+ MAITRIs deployed; IVF, sex-sorted semen, and progeny testing modernise dairy genetics.
6. White Revolution 2.0: Aims to set up 75,000 new dairy cooperatives, ensure sustainability, and scale procurement to 1007 lakh kg/day by 2028-29.

Relevance in UPSC Exam Syllabus:

• GS-III (Economy): Agriculture, allied sectors, rural development, food security, cooperative movements.
• GS-II (Governance): Role of SHGs, women-led cooperatives, inclusive rural development.
• Essay & Ethics: Dairy as a model for “Nutrition + Livelihood Security” and women’s empowerment.

UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 30 September 2025 Facts for Prelims (FFP)

Siphon-Powered Desalination

Source:  PIB

Context: Indian Institute of Science (IISc) researchers have developed a siphon-powered desalination system that converts seawater into clean drinking water faster and cheaper.

About Siphon-Powered Desalination:

What it is?

• A thermal desalination system that uses the principle of siphonage to continuously draw, evaporate, and condense seawater into potable water.

Developed by: Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru

How it works?

• Composite siphon: Fabric wick + grooved metal surface draws seawater.
• Gravity flow: Flushes away salt before crystallization.
• Thin film evaporation: Water spreads on heated metal, evaporates.
• Ultra-narrow air gap: Just 2 mm away, vapor condenses on cooler surface.
• Multistage stacking: Recycles heat through multiple evaporator–condenser pairs for higher efficiency.

Key Features:

• Efficiency: Produces >6 liters of potable water/m²/hour under sunlight (several times higher than solar stills).
• Materials: Low-cost — aluminum and fabric.
• Energy use: Runs on solar or waste heat; fully off-grid compatible.
• Durability: Handles extremely salty water (up to 20% salt) without clogging.
• Scalable & Sustainable: Suitable for villages, disaster zones, island nations, and coastal areas.

Significance:

• Water Security: Helps address drinking water scarcity in water-stressed and off-grid regions.
• Innovation Leap: Overcomes long-standing issues of salt buildup and scaling limits in solar desalination.
• Sustainable Development: Low-cost, eco-friendly solution aligned with SDG-6 (Clean Water and Sanitation).

The Wassenaar Arrangement

Source:  TH

Context: The Wassenaar Arrangement faces calls for reform as its export-control framework struggles to regulate cloud services, SaaS models, and digital surveillance technologies.

About The Wassenaar Arrangement:

What it is?

• A multilateral export control regime on conventional arms and dual-use goods/technologies.
• Established in 1996 at Wassenaar, Netherlands as a successor to CoCom (Cold War era control system).
• Not a treaty but its voluntary, consensus-based coordination mechanism.

Origin:

• Set up to promote transparency and responsibility in sensitive technology transfers.
• Headquarters: Vienna, Austria with a small permanent Secretariat.

Key Nations Involved:

• 42 participating states including:
  • Major powers: US, UK, France, Germany, Russia, Japan.
  • Emerging economies: India, South Africa, Mexico, Republic of Korea.

Aim:

• Prevent destabilizing build-up of arms and sensitive technologies.
• Ensure items are not diverted to terrorists, rogue regimes, or proliferation networks.
• Balance between security concerns and legitimate trade/innovation.

Key Features:

• Control Lists: Dual-Use Goods & Technologies and Munitions List.
• Information Exchange: Members report transfers/denials every six months.
• Decision-making: By consensus, ensuring national discretion.
• Scope Expansion: Since 2013, includes intrusion software and cyber-surveillance tools.

India and Wassenaar Arrangement:

• Joined in 2017, boosting its entry into global non-proliferation regimes.
• Incorporated control lists into SCOMET framework (Special Chemicals, Organisms, Materials, Equipment and Technologies).

Issue:

• The Wassenaar Arrangement, built in the 1990s to control physical exports of arms and dual-use goods, has not adapted to the digital era.
• Modern technologies like cloud services, SaaS, AI, and cyber-surveillance tools often bypass its framework, creating grey areas and loopholes.

The National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS)

Source:  NIE

Context: India’s first National Security Strategy (NSS) is in its final drafting stage and is expected to be completed by December 2025.

• The National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) is finalising the document, which integrates key areas like defence, cyber, and internal security.

About The National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS):

What it is?

• NSCS is the secretariat of the National Security Council (NSC) — the apex advisory body on internal and external security matters.
• Functions as the core strategic planning body for India’s national security.

Origin: Created in the late 1990s, post-Kargil security reviews.

Headed by: The National Security Advisor (NSA), who holds the rank of Cabinet Minister.

• NSA is the Secretary of the NSC and chief of the NSCS.

Aim:

• Provide strategy, direction, and long-term vision for India’s security preparedness.
• Ensure coordinated action across ministries and agencies dealing with national security.

Members:

• Three Deputy NSAs – drawn from Indian Foreign Service, Indian Police Service, and Armed Forces.
• Military Adviser – coordinates with Ministry of Defence, oversees induction of technologies.
• National Maritime Security Coordinator (NMSC) – liaises with coastal states, Coast Guard, and maritime agencies.
• Additional NSA (ANSA) – position now activated to streamline functioning.

Functions and Powers:

• Drafts and reviews the National Security Strategy and related doctrines.
• Advises NSC on internal security, external threats, cyber resilience, economic security, and hybrid warfare.
• Coordinates intelligence, defence, and diplomatic inputs for integrated security planning.
• Holds powers to access Cabinet papers, generate Cabinet notes, and participate in policy-making.
• Acts as the nerve centre of India’s strategic and security decision-making ecosystem.

India Discovers Natural Gas near Andaman Island

Source:  TH

Context: Oil India Ltd (OIL) has announced the discovery of natural gas in the Andaman Shallow Offshore Block.

• This marks the first reported hydrocarbon find in the region, potentially reducing India’s heavy import dependence on oil and gas.
  

About India Discovers Natural Gas near Andaman Island:

What it is?

• Natural gas reserves identified in Vijayapuram-2 exploratory well under the Open Acreage Licensing Policy (OALP).
• Gas samples confirmed 87% methane content, showing commercial potential after further testing.

Located in:

• Offshore block 9.20 nautical miles (17 km) from the Andaman east coast.
• Water depth: 295 metres, drilling depth: 2,650 metres.

Key Features of Andaman Islands:

• Geography: Archipelago of 300+ islands forming part of Andaman & Nicobar Union Territory, located in the Indian Ocean about 1,370 km east of mainland India.
• Major Islands: North, Middle, and South Andaman (together called Great Andaman) + Little Andaman. Nicobars lie further south.
• Topography: Series of dome-shaped hill ranges, highly dissected terrain and Saddle Peak (737 m) is the highest.
• Ecology: Rich in tropical rainforests, mangroves, coral reefs, and biodiversity hotspots; home to indigenous tribes like the Sentinelese, Jarawa, Onge, Great Andamanese.
• Strategic Location: Controls sea lanes of communication (SLOCs) in the Bay of Bengal, lying at the junction of the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea.
• Geological Setting: Islands formed of sandstone, limestone, and shale (Paleogene–Neogene age).
• Disaster Prone: Located in a seismically active zone — severely impacted during the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami.

Recent Oil Discovery:

• First hydrocarbon occurrence in the Andaman basin during ongoing exploration.
• Intermittent flaring observed at 2,212–2,250 metres depth.

UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 30 September 2025 Mapping:

Venezuela

Source:   NDTV

Context: Venezuelan President is preparing to declare a state of emergency in response to what he calls US “aggression,” after American forces destroyed suspected Venezuelan drug boats and deployed warships near its coast

About Venezuela:

• Located in: Northern end of South America, occupying a triangular area larger than France and Germany combined.
• Capital:
• Border Nations: Guyana, Brazil, Colombia, Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean.
• Key Features:
  • Physiographic Diversity:

• • • Andes Mountains – Includes Bolívar Peak (4,978 m), highest in Venezuela.
    • Orinoco River Basin & Llanos – Core for agriculture, cattle ranching, hydro-power.
    • Lake Maracaibo – Largest Lake in South America; major oil hub.
    • Guiana Highlands & Angel Falls – Mineral-rich plateaus; world’s tallest waterfall (979 m).

• Natural Resources:

• • • World’s largest proven oil reserves (economic backbone).
    • Rich in iron ore, gold, diamonds and hydroelectric potential.

• Strategic Location:

• • • Long Caribbean coastline with key islands (Margarita, Los Roques, La Tortuga).
    • Acts as a gateway between South America and the Caribbean/North America.

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