UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 28 November 2025

UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 28 November 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 – 28 November 2025)

1. G20 Johannesburg 2025: Strong Outcomes, Weak Great-Power Commitment

 Content for Mains Enrichment (CME):

1. Bamboo Scaffolding

 Facts for Prelims (FFP):

1. Tex-Ramps Scheme

2. National Green Tribunal (NGT)

3. Superbugs

4. IMF Gives ‘C’ Grade for India’s National Accounts Statistics

5. Auramine O

6. Cyclone Ditwah and Cyclone Senyar

 Mapping:

1. 37,000-year-old Bamboo from Manipur

UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 28 November 2025

GS Paper 2:

G20 Johannesburg 2025: Strong Outcomes, Weak Great-Power Commitment

Source:  IE

Subject:   International Relations

Context: The 2025 Johannesburg G20 Summit exposed a sharp geopolitical split, with the US, China and Russia absent and South Africa pushing through a declaration over US objections.

About G20 Johannesburg 2025: Strong Outcomes, Weak Great-Power Commitment

G20: Origin And Evolution

1. Origin in Financial Crises: The G20 began as a forum of Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors after the Asian Financial Crisis (1997–98) to stabilise global finance.
2. Upgrade after 2008 Crash: In 2008, after the Lehman Brothers collapse, it was elevated to Leaders’ Summit level to coordinate responses to the Global Financial Crisis.
3. From G8 to G20 Core: The G7/8 could no longer manage crises alone, so key emerging economies like China, India, Brazil, Saudi Arabia were brought in, creating a de-facto “economic security council”.
4. Mandate Expansion: Over time, the G20 moved beyond finance to cover trade, climate, health, food security, energy transition, digital governance and development.
5. Platform for Emerging Powers: For countries like India, Brazil, South Africa, G20 became a crucial stage to seek influence amid slow UN reforms and a stagnant UNSC expansion agenda.

G20 Johannesburg Leaders’ Declaration 2025:

1. 122-Paragraph Document: Members agreed a 122-para-Declaration covering climate finance, UNSC reform, debt, gender, youth, Africa-centric development and critical minerals.
2. UNSC Reform Push: It calls for reforming the UNSC to better represent Africa, Latin America and Asia-Pacific, reflecting today’s power realities instead of 1945 structures.
3. Climate & Finance Commitments: Leaders endorsed scaling climate finance from “billions to trillions”, just transitions and support for vulnerable economies under the Paris Agreement.
4. Debt & Cost of Capital: A Cost of Capital Commission was launched to tackle unfair risk premia on Global South borrowers and address Africa’s USD 1.8 trillion debt burden.
5. Social Targets: The Declaration adopted the Nelson Mandela Bay Target (cut NEET youth share by 5% by 2030) and a goal of 25% gender parity in labour force participation by 2030.
6. Critical Minerals Framework: Leaders welcomed a G20 Critical Minerals Framework to secure sustainable, diversified mineral value chains and local beneficiation in developing countries.
7. Mission 300 & Energy Access: The summit backed Mission 300 to bring electricity to 300 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa by 2030, linking energy access with development.

Opportunities In The G20:

1. Platform for Global South: With AU as a member and South Africa as host, G20 2025 gave Africa and the broader Global South greater voice in setting global economic priorities.
2. Economic Governance Reforms: It can drive reforms in IMF–World Bank voting shares, lending norms and debt restructuring, making finance fairer for developing countries.
3. Technology & AI Governance: It offers a forum to shape rules on AI, data governance, digital public infrastructure and critical minerals, preventing techno-monopolies.
4. Security & Drug-Terror Nexus: G20 can coordinate responses to terror financing, drug trafficking (e.g., fentanyl) and cyber threats that cut across regions.
5. India’s Agenda-Shaping Role: India uses G20 to promote African skills initiatives, healthcare response teams, traditional knowledge repositories and space data sharing, becoming a norm-setter.

Geopolitical Tensions & Erosion Of G20’s Role:

1. Absence of Big Three: With Trump, Xi and Putin skipping Johannesburg, the summit tilted towards “middle powers”, weakening the forum’s clout on core strategic issues.
2. Trump’s Unilateralism: Trump’s tariff wars, suspicion of multilateralism, and preference for bilateral deals (e.g., G2 with China, G8+Russia) undercut the logic of G20 collective action.
3. US–South Africa Clash: The US opposed climate and debt language, refused to join the declaration, and accused Pretoria of “weaponising” its presidency, breaking G20’s consensus norm.
4. Argentina’s Late Exit: Argentina, led by Javier Milei, withdrew support over references to Middle East conflict, exposing ideological and geopolitical fissures inside the grouping.
5. Europe’s Ukraine Focus: European leaders framed Ukraine as the defining security crisis, while many Global South states foregrounded Gaza and humanitarian issues, deepening narrative divides.

Way Ahead For The G20:

1. Re-centering Economic Mandate: The G20 must refocus on macro-financial stability, debt sustainability, trade and climate finance, areas where its decisions directly shape outcomes.
2. Bridging North–South Agendas: It needs deliberate coalitions to reconcile European security concerns (Ukraine) with Global South priorities (debt, Gaza, development, climate justice).
3. Rebuilding US–G20 Engagement: Durable relevance requires re-engagement of the US and other great powers, even while preserving space for African and Asian voices.
4. Deliverables Over Declarations: Credibility now depends on implementable initiatives—actual climate finance, debt swaps, SDR re-channelling, infrastructure and energy projects—not just communiqués.
5. Synergy with UN & Regional Forums: G20 outcomes should feed into UN processes (COP, SDG Summit) and complement bodies like EAS, AU, BRICS, not compete with them.
6. Institutionalising Inclusivity: Permanent mechanisms for Global South consultation, civil society inputs, and vulnerable country representation can anchor G20’s legitimacy beyond big power politics.

Conclusion:

The 2025 Johannesburg summit delivered strong Africa-focused outcomes, yet lacked commitment from major powers. Without the US, China and Russia, the G20’s role as the world’s economic steering forum will weaken further. Sustaining its relevance now needs renewed big-power engagement, stronger Global South leadership and real, actionable results.

UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 28 November 2025 Content for Mains Enrichment (CME)

Bamboo Scaffolding

Context: A massive fire in Hong Kong’s Tai Po apartment complex killed over 65 people, with bamboo scaffolding reported to have accelerated the spread of the blaze.

About Bamboo Scaffolding:

• What it is?
  • A traditional construction support system made of interlocked bamboo poles tied with nylon or plastic straps, used as temporary platforms for workers in building repairs or construction.
• How it works?
  • Bamboo poles are cut, dried, and tied together in a grid-like frame; they are anchored to buildings and wrapped with protective mesh, forming lightweight yet strong external scaffolds even on tall structures.
• Why it is widely used?
  • Extremely lightweight, flexible, and strong, making it ideal for Hong Kong’s dense urban spaces.
  • Cheaper and faster to assemble than metal scaffolding.
  • A long-standing cultural and skilled-trade tradition in Hong Kong’s construction sector.
• Limitations:
  • Highly combustible when dry, increasing fire-spread risk in high-rises.
  • Mechanical strength varies due to natural material differences.
  • Deteriorates faster than metal scaffolding and is less suitable for long-duration or high-rise renovation works.
  • Mesh covering can ignite quickly unless fire-retardant.

Relevance To UPSC Exam Syllabus:

• GS-1 (Culture & Geography)
  • Bamboo scaffolding as a traditional construction technique → link to cultural heritage and urban architecture in East Asia.
• GS-3 (Disaster Management & Environment)
  • Fire hazards, safety standards and urban risk mitigation in high-rise buildings.
  • Discussions on sustainable materials vs. safety concerns.

UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 28 November 2025 Facts for Prelims (FFP)

Tex-Ramps Scheme

Source:  PIB

Subject: Government Schemes

Context: The Government of India has approved the Tex-RAMPS Scheme to strengthen research, innovation and data systems in the textiles sector.

About Tex-Ramps Scheme:

• What It Is?
  • A Central Sector Scheme focused on research, assessment, monitoring, planning, and start-up support for the textiles sector.
• Ministry: Implemented fully by the Ministry of Textiles, Government of India.
• Aim: To future-proof India’s textiles and apparel ecosystem through innovation, data systems, capacity building and start-up support.
• Key Components:
  • Research & Innovation: Supports advanced R&D in smart textiles, sustainability, process efficiency and emerging textile technologies.
  • Data, Analytics & Diagnostics: Builds strong data systems including employment mapping, supply chain studies and the India-Size project.
  • Integrated Textiles Statistical System (ITSS): A real-time analytics platform enabling structured monitoring and evidence-based decisions.
  • Capacity Development: Enhances State-level planning, best-practice sharing, workshops and creation of a strong knowledge ecosystem.
  • Start-up & Innovation Support: Funds incubators, hackathons and academia–industry partnerships to boost textile entrepreneurship
• Key Features:
  • ₹305 crore outlay for 2025–31: Co-terminus with next Finance Commission cycle for long-term continuity.
  • Central Sector Scheme: Fully funded by the Ministry for uniform nationwide implementation.
  • Focus on smart, sustainable textiles: Aligns India’s textile sector with global technology and green manufacturing trends.
  • Structured monitoring: ITSS ensures real-time visibility into sector performance.
• Significance:
  • Boosts Global Competitiveness: Helps Indian textiles compete on quality, technology and sustainability.
  • Strengthens R&D Ecosystem: Creates a robust pipeline of innovations in smart and technical textiles.
  • Improves Policymaking: High-quality data enhances sectoral planning and targeted interventions.

National Green Tribunal (NGT)

Source:  NIE

Subject: Environment

Context: The NGT has directed the CPCB, Kerala SPCB and Plantation Corporation of Kerala to trace hundreds of missing barrels of banned pesticide Endosulfan.

About National Green Tribunal (NGT):

What it is?

• A specialised judicial body for speedy disposal of environmental disputes, functioning with expertise in environmental science and law.

Established in: Set up on 18 October 2010 under the National Green Tribunal Act, 2010 to provide dedicated and time-bound environmental justice.

Aim: To ensure effective environmental protection, conservation of natural resources, and provide relief and compensation for environmental damage.

Jurisdiction:

• Handles civil cases involving substantial environmental questions linked to laws listed in Schedule I (e.g., Water Act, Air Act, EPA, Forest Conservation Act, Biodiversity Act).
• The following important Acts are NOT within NGT’s jurisdiction:
  • Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Wildlife crimes, poaching, sanctuary matters fall outside NGT’s powers and go to regular courts.
  • Indian Forest Act, 1927: Issues of forest offences, transit rules, and forest land rights are not heard by the NGT.
  • Forest Rights Act, 2006 (FRA): Claims, titles, individual/community forest rights are outside NGT jurisdiction.
• Has appellate jurisdiction over decisions relating to environmental clearances, pollution control orders, and biodiversity benefit-sharing disputes.

Governance Structure:

• Chairperson: Head of the Tribunal – must be a retired Supreme Court Judge or Chief Justice of a High Court and appointed by the Central Government in consultation with the CJI.
• Judicial Members: Retired Judges of SC/HC and handle adjudication of environmental disputes based on legal principles.
• Expert Members: Specialists in environmental science, forestry, pollution control, or related fields; ensure interdisciplinary decision-making.

Powers & Functions:

• Can provide relief, compensation, and restitution for victims of pollution, environmental damage, and hazardous substance accidents.
• Applies the polluter pays, precautionary, and no-fault liability principles while awarding compensation.
• Not bound by the Civil Procedure Code; guided instead by principles of natural justice for faster adjudication.
• Aims to decide cases within six months, reducing burden on High Courts and the Supreme Court.
• Can enforce environmental rights, impose penalties, direct restoration work, and monitor compliance with its orders.

Superbugs

Source:  TOI

Subject:   Science and Technology

Context: ICMR’s AMRSN Report 2024 warns that common infections in India—UTIs, pneumonia, sepsis, diarrhoea—are becoming harder to treat as routine antibiotics fail.

• Superbugs like coli, Klebsiella, Acinetobacter and Pseudomonas now show high resistance to fluoroquinolones, cephalosporins and even last-line carbapenems.

About Superbugs:

What is a Superbug?

• A superbug is a bacteria or fungus that becomes resistant to multiple antibiotics or antifungals, making routine infections extremely difficult to treat.

How Superbugs Form?

• They evolve resistance due to misuse/overuse of antibiotics, incomplete dosing, hospital overexposure to high-end drugs, and gene transfer between microbes.

Types of Common Superbugs:

• Bacterial: coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, MRSA, CRE.
• Fungal: Candida auris, Aspergillus fumigatus with rising antifungal resistance.

Symptoms of Superbug Infections:

• Symptoms vary by organ but include persistent fever, chills, septic shock, painful skin lesions, breathing difficulty, extreme fatigue, rapid heart rate or low blood pressure.

Implications:

• Treatment Failure: Even strong antibiotics stop working, forcing toxic or expensive drug combinations.
• Higher Mortality: ICU infections like ventilator-associated pneumonia become life-threatening.
• Longer Hospital Stays: Patients require prolonged isolation, raising healthcare burden.
• Economic Loss: Increased cost of treatment, lost productivity, and higher burden on public hospitals.
• Threat of Untreatable Infections: Everyday illnesses could become fatal like in the pre-antibiotic era.

Significance:

• Highlights urgent need for India-wide antibiotic stewardship and infection-control protocols.
• Signals rising global AMR threat, jeopardising SDG targets on health and well-being.
• Calls for surveillance strengthening, new drug discovery, and regulated antibiotic sales.

IMF Gives ‘C’ Grade for India’s National Accounts Statistics

Source:  DC

Subject:  Economy

Context: The IMF’s latest Article IV review has given India’s national accounts statistics a ‘C’ grade, citing methodological weaknesses.

• Regarding India’s main inflation measure, the Consumer Price Index, the IMF graded India a ‘B’, which means the data provided “have some shortcomings but are broadly adequate for surveillance”.

About IMF Gives ‘C’ Grade for India’s National Accounts Statistics:

• What the Grade Means?
  • A ‘C’ grade indicates that while data is available regularly, methodological shortcomings hamper effective economic surveillance and cross-country comparability.
• Reasons Stated by IMF:
  • Outdated Base Year (2011–12): GDP and CPI rely on an old consumption and production structure that no longer reflects the modern economy.
  • Use of WPI as Deflators: Lack of a full Producer Price Index (PPI) forces reliance on wholesale prices, weakening real GDP estimation.
  • Production vs Expenditure Gaps: Large and recurring discrepancies suggest under coverage of expenditure data and informal sector activity.
  • Limited Seasonal Adjustment: Quarterly GDP lacks robust seasonal adjustment, affecting interpretation of growth trends.
  • Need for Better Statistical Techniques: IMF points to scope for improved modelling practices in national accounts.

About India’s National Accounts Statistics (NAS):

• What It Is?
  • A comprehensive macroeconomic database published by MoSPI that provides GDP, GVA, consumption, savings, investment and related aggregates at current and constant prices.
• Methodology Used:
  • UN System of National Accounts (SNA-2008): India follows globally accepted standards for compiling macroeconomic aggregates.
  • Income Approach (Primary): GDP estimated using incomes earned by households, enterprises and government.
  • Expenditure Approach (Supplementary): Estimates GDP based on consumption, investment, government spending and net exports.
  • Sectoral GVA Method: Computes value added across agriculture, industry and services at current and constant (2011–12) prices.
• Key Indicators Published:
  • GDP & GVA—sector-wise and aggregate.
  • Consumption Expenditure—private and government.
  • Gross Capital Formation (GCF)—machinery, construction, valuables.
  • Savings & Investment Rates across sectors.
  • National Income, Disposable Income & Per-Capita Indicators.

Auramine O

Source:  NDTV

Subject:  Miscellaneous

Context: Auramine O, a banned industrial yellow dye, has again been detected in food products during State food safety inspections and academic studies.

About Auramine O:

• What It Is?
  • Auramine O is a synthetic diarylmethane-based yellow dye used in industrial and microbiological processes, not permitted as a food colour under Indian regulations.
• Composition: A bright yellow diarylmethane compound, appearing as yellow needle-like crystals; insoluble in water but soluble in ethanol and DMSO.
• Applications:
  • Textile, leather & printing industries: Used as an industrial colourant due to its bright hue and low cost.
  • Microbiological staining: Stains acid-fast bacteria like Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Auramine–Rhodamine method).
  • Laboratory reagent: Used as a fluorescent alternative to Schiff reagent.
  • Paper & ink manufacturing: Applied for colouring and fluorescence-based applications.
• Issue Of Misuse In Food:
  • Enters food chain illegally as vendors use cheap industrial-grade colour to imitate turmeric/saffron or enhance sweets.
  • Sold through unregulated chemical markets, making access easy for small manufacturers.
  • Many vendors are unaware of restrictions, while some knowingly bypass enforcement due to weak surveillance.
• Implications:
  • Toxicity Risks: Linked to liver/kidney damage, enlarged spleen, endocrine disruption, and mutagenic effects.
  • Carcinogenic Potential: Classified by IARC as possibly carcinogenic to humans.
  • Chronic Exposure Threat: Recurring ingestion can lead to long-term genetic and metabolic disorders.
  • Regulatory Challenge: Weak lab capacity and uneven enforcement make nationwide elimination difficult.

Cyclone Ditwah and Cyclone Senyar

Source:  ITV

Subject:  Geography

Context: Cyclone Ditwah has formed over the southwest Bay of Bengal and is moving towards Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Puducherry.

• Around the same time, a separate system in the Strait of Malacca intensified into Cyclone Senyar, triggering very heavy rain over parts of Andaman & Nicobar Islands and South India.

About Cyclone Ditwah and Cyclone Senyar:

About Cyclone Ditwah:

• What it is & where formed:
  • Cyclone Ditwah is a tropical cyclonic storm that formed over the southwest Bay of Bengal, rapidly intensifying from a depression to a cyclonic storm in less than 24 hours.
  • It is Yemen’s recommended name.

About Cyclone Senyar:

• What it is & where formed:
  • Cyclone Senyar originated from a low-pressure system near Malaysia/Strait of Malacca over the South Andaman Sea and adjoining region of Bay of Bengal, which intensified into a depression and further strengthened.
  • It is UAE’s recommended name.
• Current status: Senyar later weakened over the Strait of Malacca, but the moisture and remnant circulation helped feed ongoing rain systems over South India and the Bay.

Why More Cyclones Form in Bay of Bengal During Retreating Southwest Monsoon?

1. Very Warm Sea Surface Temperatures (SSTs)
   • The Bay of Bengal retains high SSTs (~28–30°C or more) after the summer monsoon, providing huge latent heat, which is the primary fuel for cyclogenesis in October–November.
2. High Moisture & Humidity:
   • Abundant moisture inflow from equatorial Indian Ocean and Bay creates a deep, humid troposphere, favourable for strong convection and low-pressure formation.
3. Shift of ITCZ & Monsoon Trough:
   • The Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) and monsoon trough shift southwards over the Bay in the retreating phase, creating a preferred zone of convergence and vorticity for cyclones.
4. Low Vertical Wind Shear:
   • In October–early November, upper-level winds become comparatively less hostile over the Bay, with reduced vertical wind shear, allowing nascent systems to organise into depressions and cyclones.
5. Remnant Monsoon Lows Re-intensify:
   • Monsoon depressions and lows moving from land back over the warm Bay waters during withdrawal often re-intensify into deep depressions/cyclones, especially in central and southwest Bay.
6. Bay of Bengal vs Arabian Sea Contrast:
   • The Bay is smaller, semi-enclosed and receives large river inflows (Ganga–Brahmaputra, etc.), maintaining warmer, stratified surface waters compared to the Arabian Sea, making it more cyclone-prone in this season.

UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 28 November 2025 Mapping:

37,000-year-old Bamboo from Manipur

Source:  PIB

Subject:  Mapping

Context: Scientists from BSIP (DST) discovered a 37,000-year-old thorny bamboo fossil in the silt-rich deposits of the Chirang River, Manipur, revealing the earliest evidence of thorniness in Asian bamboo.

About 37,000-year-old Bamboo from Manipur:

• What it is?

• • A remarkably preserved Ice Age–era bamboo fossil belonging to the genus Chimonobambusa, found with clear thorn scars, nodes and buds — features that almost never fossilise due to bamboo’s hollow, fragile structure.

• Discovery:

• • Microscopic analysis confirmed it as Chimonobambusa manipurensis, showing traits similar to modern thorny bamboos like Bambusa bambos.

• Significance:

• • Earliest fossil evidence of thorny bamboo in Asia, proving that herbivore-defence traits evolved before or during the Ice Age.
  • Shows that Northeast India acted as a climatic refugium while harsh Ice Age conditions wiped bamboo out from regions like Europe.
  • Offers rare insight into palaeoclimate, plant evolution, and biodiversity resilience in the Indo-Burma hotspot.
  • Preservation of delicate structures (thorn scars, buds) marks a major palaeobotanical milestone, helping reconstruct ancient ecosystems.

About Manipur:

• Location:

• • Manipur lies on India’s eastern frontier, positioned between 23.83°N–25.68°N latitudes and 93.03°E–94.78°E longitudes.
  • It covers an area of 22,327 sq. km, comprising a central valley surrounded by highlands.

• Neighbouring States & Nations: Myanmar (Burma), Nagaland, Assam, Mizoram and Myanmar.
• Geographical Features:

• Manipur consists of two major physical regions:
• Hills (≈ 90% of total area)
  • Surround the valley on all sides, forming a protective mountain ring.
  • Higher elevations in the northern ranges, gradually decreasing toward the south.

• Valley (≈ 10% of the area)

• • The central Manipur Valley sits at about 790 metres above sea level.
  • The valley slopes gently southward, forming a natural drainage pathway.

• Chirang River:
  • The Chirang River in Manipur’s Imphal Valley hosts silt-rich sediment deposits that preserve plant remains, including the newly discovered 37,000-year-old bamboo fossil.

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