UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 6 December 2025

UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 6 December 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 1 : (UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 6 December 2025)

1. 70th Death Anniversary of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar

GS Paper 2:

2. Digital Constitutionalism

 Content for Mains Enrichment (CME):

1. 23rd India–Russia Annual Summit

Facts for Prelims (FFP):

1. Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)

2. Open Market Operation (OMO) Purchase

3. India Hosts 20th UNESCO’s Inter-Governmental Committee

4. Exercise Harimau Shakti

5. Niger becomes 1st African country to eliminate onchocerciasis

 Mapping:

1. Barcelona Convention

UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 6 December 2025

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GS Paper 1:

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70th Death Anniversary of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar

Source:  News on Air

Subject: History

Context: India observed the 70th death anniversary (Mahaparinirvan Diwas) of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, commemorating his lasting contributions to constitutional governance, social justice, and economic thought.

About 70th Death Anniversary of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar:

Who He Was?

• B.R. Ambedkar (1891–1956) was a jurist, economist, social reformer, and chief architect of the Indian Constitution. He led pioneering movements against caste discrimination and laid the foundations of India’s modern democratic and economic institutions.

Early Life & Education:

• Born on 14 April 1891 in Mhow (MP) into a socially oppressed Mahar family; faced severe caste discrimination since childhood.
• Completed B.A. from Bombay University; supported by a Baroda State scholarship for higher studies abroad.
• Earned PhD from Columbia University, D.Sc. from London School of Economics, Bar-at-Law in London—becoming one of India’s most accomplished scholars of his time.
• His early works—Castes in India, Evolution of Provincial Finance, Problem of the Rupee—established him as a global intellectual.

Contributions to India’s Freedom Movement & Social Reform:

• Led Mass Movements Against Untouchability: Ambedkar transformed the social reform landscape by leading historic civil rights agitations, most notably the Mahad Satyagraha (1927) where Dalits asserted their right to drink water from a public tank. This marked the first organised anti-caste mass mobilisation challenging notions of purity–pollution.
• Fought for Temple Entry and Religious Equality: He spearheaded the Kalaram Temple Satyagraha (1930) in Nashik to demand Dalit entry into Hindu temples. This campaign directly confronted religious exclusion and became a symbol of the struggle for dignity and the right to worship.
• Represented Depressed Classes at Round Table Conferences: At the Round Table Conferences (1930–32) in London, Ambedkar was the foremost voice for Dalits. He articulated their political grievances, demanded separate electorates for adequate representation, and successfully internationalised the issue of caste discrimination.
• Negotiated the Poona Pact (1932): Ambedkar’s negotiations with Mahatma Gandhi led to the Poona Pact, replacing separate electorates with reserved seats for Dalits in legislatures. This became the basis of modern affirmative action in India and ensured political empowerment within a joint electorate.
• Championed Labour Rights and Social Justice During Colonial Rule: As Labour Member in the Viceroy’s Executive Council (1942–46), Ambedkar introduced 8-hour workdays, paid leave, maternity benefits, dispute resolution systems, and welfare funds—advancing both workers’ rights and social justice during the freedom struggle.
• Contribution to Drafting the Constitution: B.R. Ambedkar ensured the Constitution embodied justice, liberty, equality and fraternity by designing a strong framework of fundamental rights, federalism and an independent judiciary. He introduced safeguards such as abolition of untouchability, reservations, minority protections and social welfare principles.

Contributions to India’s Economic Thought:

• Father of Monetary Economics in India: His book The Problem of the Rupee (1923) shaped modern monetary policy and directly influenced the creation of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in 1934.
• Fiscal Federalism Pioneer: His 1921 thesis on provincial finance laid the intellectual foundation for India’s Finance Commission and fiscal decentralisation.
• Labour Reforms (as Labour Member, 1942–46): Introduced 8-hour workday, maternity benefits, labour welfare funds, and set up Employment Exchanges across India.
• Water & Power Resource Planning: Spearheaded key institutions such as the Central Water Commission, Damodar Valley Project, and promoted multi-purpose river projects for national development.
• Anti-inflation and welfare economics: Emphasised monetary stability and warned that inflation disproportionately harms the poor—echoing principles in today’s inflation-targeting framework.

Organisations Associated with Ambedkar:

• Bahishkrit Hitkarini Sabha (1923): Upliftment of oppressed communities.
• Independent Labour Party (1936): Advocated labour rights and social justice.
• Scheduled Castes Federation (1942): Political mobilisation of marginalized groups.
• Republican Party of India (announced 1956): Vision for an egalitarian polity (formed after his death).

Literary Contributions:

• Ambedkar’s works span economics, sociology, politics, religion, and law. Key texts include:

• • Annihilation of Caste
  • The Problem of the Rupee
  • Who Were the Shudras?
  • Buddha and His Dhamma
  • Essays on Untouchables and Untouchability
  • Buddha or Karl Marx
• Critical journals: Mooknayak, Bahishkrit Bharat, Janata, Samata

• These writings shaped India’s intellectual, social, and constitutional landscape.

Ambedkar’s Last Days:

• Declining Health (1954–56): From 1954 onward, Ambedkar suffered from diabetes, weakened eyesight, and deteriorating physical health. Despite this, he continued his academic writing, parliamentary work, and Buddhist studies.
• Completion of The Buddha and His Dhamma: In the final months of his life, he worked intensely to complete his last and most profound book, “The Buddha and His Dhamma”, laying the philosophical foundation of Navayana Buddhism. The book was published posthumously in 1957.
• Historic Conversion to Buddhism (14 October 1956): Ambedkar and over 5 lakh followers embraced Buddhism in Nagpur, marking a revolutionary social and spiritual movement. He saw conversion as the final step in rejecting caste oppression and reclaiming dignity.
• Final Writings and Reflections: In his last speeches and writings, Ambedkar expressed concern about rising casteism, economic inequality, and the gap between constitutional ideals and social reality. He warned that “political democracy cannot last unless there lies at the base of it social democracy.”
• Mahaparinirvan (6 December 1956): Ambedkar passed away peacefully in his sleep at his residence, 26 Alipur Road, Delhi, at the age of 65. His death anniversary is observed as Mahaparinirvan Diwas.
• Cremation and Memorial at Chaitya Bhoomi: His funeral drew lakhs of followers, and his ashes were enshrined at Chaitya Bhoomi, Mumbai, which has since become an iconic pilgrimage site for Ambedkarites.
• Bharat Ratna (1990): Ambedkar was posthumously awarded India’s highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna, for his monumental contributions to nation-building, constitutional design, social justice, and economic thought.

Conclusion:

Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s legacy extends far beyond drafting the Constitution—he laid the moral, economic, and institutional foundation of modern India. His life remains a testament to the transformative power of knowledge, courage, and constitutionalism. Seven decades after his passing, Ambedkar’s ideas continue to light the path towards a more just, equitable, and dignified society.

 

Tags: 70th Death Anniversary of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, Mahaparinirvan Diwas, Ambedkar Biography, Ambedkar Contributions, Architect of Indian Constitution, Ambedkar Economic Thought, Ambedkar Social Reform, Ambedkar and Dalit Rights, Ambedkar Freedom Movement, Ambedkar Organisations.

 

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UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 6 December 2025 GS Paper 2:

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Digital Constitutionalism

Source:  TH

Subject:  Polity and Governance

Context: The government’s rapid rollback of its directive mandating the Sanchar Saathi app—after concerns over consent, surveillance and data misuse—has reignited national debate on digital constitutionalism.

About Digital Constitutionalism:

What it is?

• Digital constitutionalism refers to the application and extension of core constitutional principles—liberty, dignity, equality, privacy, due process, proportionality, and rule of law—to digital spaces, technologies, and governance systems.

Concept Origin:

• Emerged globally as digital platforms began influencing rights, political participation, and state power.
• Gained prominence after landmark privacy rulings such as the 2017 Puttaswamy judgment in India and the EU’s GDPR (2018), which emphasised digital rights, data control, and state accountability.
• Academic discourse traces it to early concerns about unchecked digital surveillance, algorithmic governance, and platform dominance.

Features Of Digital Constitutionalism:

• Rights-based digital governance: Embeds privacy, dignity, autonomy, and equality into digital systems, ensuring technology aligns with constitutional values.
• Limits on surveillance power: Ensures state and corporate monitoring is lawful, necessary, proportionate, and subject to independent oversight.
• Algorithmic transparency: Mandates audits, explainability, and public disclosure of data practices to prevent arbitrary or hidden decision-making.
• Meaningful consent: Requires informed, voluntary, and specific consent mechanisms that give real control over the use of personal data.
• Anti-discrimination safeguards: Ensures AI systems are tested for bias so that digital tools do not reinforce caste, gender, racial or socio-economic inequalities.

Laws Governing Digital Rights In India:

• Article 21 – Privacy as a fundamental right: The Puttaswamy (2017) judgment requires all digital intrusions to meet legality, necessity, and proportionality tests.
• Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023: Governs data fiduciaries, consent, and storage but offers broad exemptions to the state, weakening citizen protections.
• IT Act, 2000 & IT Rules 2021/23: Regulate intermediaries, cybersecurity, and platform liability, though they prioritise governance over individual rights.
• Aadhaar Act, 2016: Governs biometric identity and mandate’s purpose limitation after Supreme Court scrutiny to prevent mass surveillance misuse.
• No dedicated surveillance law: Current interception relies on outdated Telegraph Act (1885) and IT Act (2000), lacking modern judicial oversight and safeguards.

Challenges Associated With Digital Constitutionalism:

• Unchecked surveillance: Facial recognition, metadata tracking, and biometric monitoring operate without judicial warrants or transparent safeguards.
• Weak consent: Click-through, uninformed consent models erode user autonomy and enable excessive data collection by the state and private actors.
• Government exemptions: Broad powers under DPDP Act reduce accountability and allow disproportionate data access without adequate checks.
• Algorithmic opacity and bias: Black-box AI systems produce discriminatory outcomes, disproportionately affecting women, minorities, and the poor.
• Lack of oversight institutions: India lacks an independent authority to audit algorithms, monitor surveillance practices, or enforce digital rights.

Way Ahead:

• Enact a modern surveillance law: Ensure all monitoring requires judicial warrants, proportionality assessments, and independent audits.
• Establish a Digital Rights Commission: Empowered to review algorithms, oversee data practices, investigate violations, and issue binding directions.
• Strengthen DPDP Act: Narrow state exemptions, enhance user remedies, mandate strict retention limits, and ensure greater transparency.
• Regulate algorithms: Require impact assessments, periodic bias audits, and explainability norms for all high-risk AI systems used in public functions.
• Expand digital literacy: Enable citizens to understand data rights, identify risks, and effectively challenge digital governance abuses.

Conclusion:

As governance becomes increasingly data-driven, constitutional values must anchor digital transformation. Without strong safeguards, surveillance and algorithmic opacity threaten liberty, equality, and democratic accountability. Digital constitutionalism is essential to ensure that technology remains a tool of empowerment rather than a quiet instrument of control.

 

 

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UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 6 December 2025 Content for Mains Enrichment (CME)

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23rd India–Russia Annual Summit

Context: The 23rd India–Russia Annual Summit concluded with a joint statement reaffirming the Special & Privileged Strategic Partnership.

About 23rd India–Russia Annual Summit:

What it is?

• The Annual Summit is the highest-level institutional dialogue between India and Russia, where the Prime Minister and the Russian President review bilateral ties and set strategic directions.
• The 2025 Summit marked 25 years of the Strategic Partnership (2000–2025).

Key Outcomes of the Joint Statement:

• Strategic Partnership Reaffirmed: Both leaders reiterated commitment to a time-tested, trust-based partnership, emphasising mutual respect for core interests and a shared vision for a multipolar world.
• Programme 2030 Adopted: A comprehensive roadmap to deepen cooperation in trade, technology, defence, energy, space, nuclear, and connectivity till 2030.
• Boost to Trade & Payments System:

• • Push for USD 100 billion bilateral trade by 2030.
  • Decision to deepen trade settlement using national currencies, interoperability of payment systems, and central bank digital currencies.

• Defence & Military-Technical Cooperation Upgraded:

• • Shift toward joint R&D, co-development and co-production under Make in India.
  • Support for spare-part manufacturing in India for Russian-origin equipment.
  • Continued momentum in exercises like INDRA-2025 and trilateral training.

• Major Energy Cooperation:

• • Strengthening ties in oil, gas, LNG, petrochemicals, coal gasification, and long-term fertilizer supply.
  • Agreement to fast-track pending investment issues.

• Connectivity Corridors Advanced:

Commitment to scale up infrastructure for:

• • International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC)
  • Chennai–Vladivostok Maritime Corridor
  • Northern Sea Route (Arctic)

• Civil Nuclear & Space Cooperation:

• • Progress on Kudankulam NPP units and discussions on a second nuclear site.
  • Joint collaboration in nuclear fuel cycles, localization, and reactor technology.
  • Enhanced cooperation between ISRO–Roscosmos, including human spaceflight, satellite navigation, and rocket engines.

• Skilled Mobility Agreement Signed: Facilitates regulated mobility of Indian skilled workers to Russia.
• Global & Regional Issues:

• • Russia reaffirmed support for India’s permanent UNSC seat.
  • Both sides strengthened cooperation in G20, SCO, BRICS, counter-terrorism, and climate change.
  • Strong condemnation of terrorism, referencing Pahalgam attack (India) & Crocus City attack (Russia).

Relevance in UPSC Exam Syllabus:

GS-II (International Relations & Governance)

• Bilateral Relations: Summit outcomes illustrate India’s strategic autonomy & major-power relations.
• Global Governance: Support for UNSC reform directly links to India’s role in global governance.

GS-III (Economy, Technology, Security)

• Economic Growth: Programme 2030 links to inclusive growth, trade diversification & logistics.
• Science & Tech: Space, nuclear and critical-tech R&D connect to syllabus on S&T applications.

 

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UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 6 December 2025 Facts for Prelims (FFP)

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Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)

Source:  ET

Subject: Polity

Context: IndiGo’s mass flight cancellations forced the DGCA to grant a one-time exemption from the new Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) rules, raising questions about the regulator’s authority and decision-making process.

About Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA):

What it is?

• The DGCA is India’s statutory civil aviation regulator responsible for ensuring aviation safety, airworthiness, and compliance with global standards.

Established in:

• Originally created in 1927 (as a government organization)
• Became a statutory body in 2020 under the Aircraft (Amendment) Act.

Ministry:

• Functions under the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA).

Aim: To promote safe, efficient and reliable air transportation through proactive safety oversight, effective regulation, and alignment with ICAO international standards.

Key Functions of DGCA:

• Safety Oversight & Regulations:

• • Frames and enforces Civil Aviation Requirements (CARs).
  • Conducts surveillance, audits and spot checks of airlines, airports, MROs and training organisations.

• Aircraft & Airport Certification:

• • Registers civil aircraft.
  • Issues Certificates of Airworthiness.
  • Certifies and inspects aerodromes for safety compliance.

• Licensing:

• • Issues licences to pilots, AMEs, ATCOs, cabin crew, flight dispatchers etc.
  • Conducts examinations and skill checks.

• Accident & Incident Investigation:

• • Investigates incidents and serious incidents (up to 2250 kg AUW).
  • Implements safety management and prevention programmes.

• Air Transport Regulation:

• • Grants Air Operator Certificates (AOC).
  • Regulates domestic and international scheduled and non-scheduled flights.

• ICAO Coordination:

• • Ensures Indian aviation rules comply with ICAO standards.
  • Participates in USOAP audits and harmonisation of global norms.

• Training Oversight: Approves flying schools, AME schools, simulator centres and aviation training institutes.
• Dangerous Goods & ANS Oversight:

• • Certifies operators handling dangerous goods.
  • Regulates air navigation services and coordinates civil–military airspace use.

Significance of DGCA:

• Ensures Passenger Safety: Through strict oversight of aircraft, crew rest, maintenance and airport standards.
• Maintains Operational Discipline: Keeps airlines compliant with safety rules, training norms and technical requirements.
• Balances Safety and Capacity: Recent FDTL rollback highlights its role in negotiating between safety norms and operational feasibility.

 

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Open Market Operation (OMO) Purchase

Source:  BS

Subject:  Economy

Context: The RBI announced a ₹1 trillion OMO purchase along with a $5 billion dollar–rupee swap to inject durable liquidity into the banking system as the rupee weakened past 90/$ amid foreign outflows.

About Open Market Operation (OMO) Purchase:

What is an OMO Purchase?

• An Open Market Operation (OMO) purchase is when the RBI buys government securities from banks and financial institutions to inject durable liquidity into the financial system.
• It increases bank reserves, lowers short-term interest rates, and supports smooth monetary transmission.

Purpose of OMO Purchases:

• Inject durable and long-term liquidity into the banking system.
• Smoothen monetary transmission so lending rates fall in line with policy cuts.
• Stabilise money-market rates such as the Weighted Average Call Rate (WACR).

Types of Open Market Operations:

1. Expansionary OMO (Liquidity Injection):
   • RBI buys government securities.
   • Increases in bank reserves lead to lower interest rates, which will stimulate lending/investment.
2. Contractionary OMO (Liquidity Absorption):

1. • RBI sells government securities.
   • The reduction in money supply leads to a rise in interest rates, which in turn cools inflation.

3. Special OMOs / Operation Twist:

1. • RBI buys long-term bonds and sells short-term ones simultaneously.
   • Used to shape the yield curve without changing overall liquidity.

How OMO Purchases Work?

• Assessing Liquidity Conditions: RBI monitors currency pressure, capital flows, call money rates, and banking liquidity.
• Announcing OMO Auctions: RBI notifies the quantity (e.g., ₹1 trillion) and maturity of securities it will purchase.
• Buying Government Securities: Banks sell bonds to the RBI in the auction.
• Settlement: RBI pays banks → their reserves increase → system liquidity expands.
• Market Impact:
  • More liquidity lowers overnight rates.
  • Bond yields soften.
  • Rupee money-markets stabilise even during dollar demand shocks.
  • Transmission improves across banks

Significance of OMO Purchases:

• Strengthens Rupee Liquidity During Currency Stress: Foreign outflows reduce rupee liquidity; OMO purchases replenish it.
• Supports Monetary Transmission: Ensures lending rates move in line with repo rate decisions.
• Stabilises Bond Markets: Prevents disorderly spikes in yields that raise government borrowing costs.
• Enhances Banking System Liquidity: Banks get durable funds, enabling more lending to businesses and households.

 

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India Hosts 20th UNESCO’s Inter-Governmental Committee

Source:  PIB

Subject:  International Organisation

Context: India is hosting the 20th Session of UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage at the Red Fort, New Delhi.

About India Hosts 20th UNESCO’s Inter-Governmental Committee:

What is this Committee?

• The Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) is a 24-member UNESCO body created under the 2003 ICH Convention to promote, supervise and operationalize safeguarding of intangible heritage globally.

Host Venue: Red Fort (Lal Qila), New Delhi

Structure of the Committee:

Composition:

• 24 Member States, elected by the General Assembly of States Parties.
• Seats allocated by equitable geographical representation across six UNESCO regional groups.
• Each State must nominate experts qualified in ICH fields.

Term:

• Members serve four-year terms: Each elected State Party remains on the Committee for a fixed four-year period to ensure continuity in safeguarding work.
• Every two years, half the members are replaced: A staggered renewal system maintains institutional memory while introducing fresh perspectives regularly.
• No consecutive terms allowed: States cannot be re-elected immediately, preventing monopolisation and promoting broader global participation.

Functions of the Committee:

• Promote the objectives of the 2003 Convention: Ensures global commitment to preserving living heritage and strengthening community-based safeguarding.
• Provide guidance on best safeguarding practices: Offers States technical advice and models to improve preservation of traditions and cultural expressions.
• Prepare operational directives and ICH Fund plans: Drafts rules, procedures and financial guidelines for effective implementation of the Convention.
• Examine nominations for the Representative List: Evaluates cultural elements proposed by States to highlight global diversity and awareness.
• Evaluate elements for the Urgent Safeguarding List: Identifies traditions at risk and determines their eligibility for immediate safeguarding measures.

About Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH):

What is ICH?

• Intangible Cultural Heritage refers to living traditions, expressions, skills and knowledge transmitted across generations — including performing arts, rituals, festivals, crafts, oral expressions and social practices.

Origin:

• Concept institutionalised in the 2003 UNESCO Convention for Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage (entered into force in 2008).

• Created global ICH Lists to protect living traditions and encourage community participation.
• Lists include:
  • Representative List
  • Urgent Safeguarding List
  • Register of Good Safeguarding Practices

• India currently has 15 elements on UNESCO’s Representative List.

 

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Exercise Harimau Shakti

Source: PIB

Subject: Defence

Context: India and Malaysia have begun the 5th edition of Exercise Harimau Shakti 2025 at Mahajan Field Firing Range, Rajasthan.

About Exercise Harimau Shakti:

• What It Is?
  • Exercise Harimau Shakti is a bilateral military training exercise conducted between the Indian Army and the Royal Malaysian Army to strengthen coordination in counter-insurgency and peacekeeping operations.
• Nations Involved:

• • India: Represented mainly by troops from the DOGRA Regiment.
  • Malaysia: Represented by the 25th Battalion, Royal Malaysian Army.

• Host location: Mahajan Field Firing Range, Rajasthan (India).
• Key Features:

• • Focus on Sub-Conventional Operations under UN Chapter VII mandates.
  • Joint drills on cordon and search, heliborne operations, search and destroy missions, and securing helipads.
  • Practice of casualty evacuation, counter-terrorist tactical responses, and coordinated small-team operations.
  • Inclusion of Army Martial Arts Routine (AMAR), combat reflex shooting, and yoga for physical conditioning.
  • Exchange of best practices to improve tactical proficiency and operational synergy.

• Significance:

• • Enhances interoperability between Indian and Malaysian forces in peacekeeping and counter-terror scenarios.
  • Strengthens bilateral defence cooperation and military diplomacy.
  • Improves readiness for UN peacekeeping roles, ensuring safer and more coordinated ground operations.

 

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Niger becomes 1st African country to eliminate onchocerciasis

Source:  News on Air

Subject:  Science and Technology

Context: Niger has officially become the first African country to eliminate onchocerciasis (river blindness), as declared by the government and verified by the World Health Organization (WHO).

About Niger becomes 1st African country to eliminate onchocerciasis:

• What is Onchocerciasis?
  • Onchocerciasis, or river blindness, is a neglected tropical parasitic disease caused by the filarial worm Onchocerca volvulus, transmitted by infected blackflies breeding near fast-flowing rivers.
• Vector: Simulium blackflies found near rapidly flowing rivers and streams.
• Origin:

• • Over 99% of global cases occur in sub-Saharan Africa and Yemen.
  • Smaller endemic pockets exist on the Brazil–Venezuela border.
  • Onchocerciasis is the second leading infectious cause of blindness, after trachoma.

• Key Features:

• • Caused by chronic microfilarial infection producing intense inflammation.
  • Leads to severe itching, disfiguring skin changes (“leopard skin”), and progressive eye damage.
  • Adult worms live 10–15 years, making long-term treatment essential.
  • Community-level morbidity includes blindness, reduced productivity, and increased poverty risk.

• Symptoms:

• • Skin: severe itching, rashes, skin thickening, depigmentation.
  • Eyes: lesions leading to impaired vision and eventual permanent blindness.
  • Nodules: firm subcutaneous lumps containing adult worms.
  • Early infection in children is linked to epilepsy in certain regions.

• Treatment: The primary treatment is Ivermectin (Mectizan), given once or twice yearly for 10–15 years.

 

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UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 6 December 2025 Mapping:

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Barcelona Convention

Source:  UNEP

Subject: Environment

Context: At COP24 of the Barcelona Convention in Cairo, EU countries and Mediterranean partners adopted strengthened commitments to protect the Mediterranean Sea.

About Barcelona Convention:

• What it is?

• • The Barcelona Convention is a legally binding UNEP-led regional environmental agreement for protecting the Mediterranean Sea against pollution and promoting sustainable coastal and marine management.

• Adopted in: 16 February 1976 (Convention for the Protection of the Mediterranean Sea Against Pollution)
• Entered into force: 1978
• Amended & renamed: 1995 as the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment and Coastal Region of the Mediterranean
• Aim:

• • Prevent, reduce, combat and eliminate pollution from land-based, marine and atmospheric sources.
  • Promote sustainable development through coordinated regional action.
  • Support Mediterranean states in implementing protocols dealing with dumping, emergencies, land-based sources, protected areas, offshore pollution, hazardous waste, and coastal zone management.

About Mediterranean Sea:

What it is?

• A semi-enclosed, intercontinental sea between Europe, Asia, and Africa, covering ~2.5 million km² and accounting for ~0.7% of global ocean area; a biodiversity hotspot and cradle of ancient civilizations.

Neighbouring Nations:

• The Mediterranean is bordered by:

• • Europe: Spain, France, Monaco, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Montenegro, Albania, Greece
  • Asia: Turkey, Cyprus, Syria, Lebanon, Israel
  • Africa: Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco

• Connected to major water bodies via:

• • Atlantic Ocean through Strait of Gibraltar
  • Black Sea through Dardanelles–Marmara–Bosporus system
  • Red Sea through Suez Canal

Geological Features:

• Formed by tectonic convergence of the African and Eurasian plates.
• Divided by the Sicily submarine ridge into western and eastern basins.
• Contains major basins: Alborán, Algerian, Tyrrhenian (west); Ionian, Levantine (east).
• Deepest point: Calypso Deep (5,267 m) in the Ionian Sea.
• Hosts major islands including Sicily, Sardinia, Corsica, Crete, Cyprus, Lesbos, and Mallorca.

 

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