UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 15 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 2:
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Right to Disconnect Bill, 2025: Re-defining Work–Life Boundaries
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Courts as Guardians, Not Regulators: Preserving Free Speech in India
Content for Mains Enrichment (CME):
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Empanel Heritage Conservation Architects
Facts for Prelims (FFP):
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Natyashastra
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Emperor Perumbidugu Mutharaiyar II
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Brazil have identified the youngest rhynchosaur
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Dandami Maria Tribe
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Bondi Beach
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National Energy Conservation Awards
Mapping:
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Jordan
UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 15 December 2025
GS Paper 2:
Right to Disconnect Bill, 2025: Re-defining Work–Life Boundaries
Source: ET
Context: The Right to Disconnect Bill, 2025, a Private Member’s Bill introduced by NCP MP Supriya Sule, has reignited debate on work–life balance and employee well-being in India’s digital work culture.
About Right to Disconnect Bill, 2025: Re-defining Work–Life Boundaries:
What it is?
- The Right to Disconnect Bill, 2025 seeks to grant employees a statutory right to disengage from work-related communications outside agreed working hours, protecting personal time in an era of constant digital connectivity and remote work.
Key Features of the Bill
- Legal right to disconnect: Section 7 guarantees every employee the right to ignore work-related calls, emails, or messages after contractual work hours without fear of disciplinary action.
- Defined ‘out-of-work hours’: Clearly defines time beyond agreed work schedules, reducing ambiguity and employer overreach.
- Employees’ Welfare Authority: Establishes a central authority to oversee implementation, protect employee dignity, and promote work–life balance.
- Negotiation charter: Mandates employer–employee charters specifying out-of-work communication protocols and mutually agreed exceptions.
- Overtime compensation: Section 11 provides overtime pay at normal wage rates if employees voluntarily respond after hours.
- Digital well-being measures: Requires awareness programmes, counselling services, and Digital Detox Centres, especially for remote work environments.
- Penalties for non-compliance: Imposes a financial penalty of 1% of total employee remuneration on violating organisations, acting as a strong deterrent.
Need for Such a Law in India:
- Always-on work culture: The spread of smartphones, remote work, and digital platforms has dissolved fixed work hours, making employees perpetually accessible and eroding clear boundaries between professional and personal life.
- Mental health concerns: Extended digital availability has led to rising cases of burnout, anxiety, and work-induced stress, particularly among young professionals and gig workers lacking institutional safeguards.
- Power asymmetry at workplaces: Employees often hesitate to ignore after-hours communication due to hierarchical pressures, performance appraisals, and job insecurity, resulting in involuntary overtime and silent exploitation.
- Global legislative precedent: Countries such as France, Belgium, Ireland, and Australia have legally recognised the right to disconnect, demonstrating its feasibility as a labour-rights protection in modern economies.
- Productivity over presenteeism: The law encourages a shift from measuring work by hours logged to outcomes delivered, improving efficiency, innovation, and long-term employee engagement.
Challenges Associated:
- Diverse work models: India’s economy spans manufacturing, IT, gig work, and global services, making uniform regulation difficult for sectors requiring time-zone coordination or emergency responsiveness.
- Enforcement difficulties: Monitoring informal digital communications such as WhatsApp messages or late-night calls poses practical and evidentiary challenges for regulators.
- SME compliance burden: Small and medium enterprises may face difficulties in framing charters, maintaining compliance records, and absorbing potential financial penalties.
- Risk of regulatory rigidity: Overly strict provisions could limit operational flexibility during peak business cycles, emergencies, or client-driven deadlines.
- Private Member’s Bill limitation: Without government sponsorship, private member’s bills rarely become law, restricting immediate legislative impact despite policy relevance.
Way Ahead:
- Phased and sector-specific adoption: Introduce differentiated norms based on sectoral needs, allowing flexibility for global teams while protecting routine employees from digital overreach.
- Tripartite dialogue mechanism: Structured consultations among government, employers, and worker representatives can help create balanced, enforceable, and context-sensitive norms.
- Soft-law approach initially: Guidelines under existing labour codes can test feasibility and acceptance before formal statutory backing.
- Behavioural and cultural change: Awareness campaigns must promote responsible digital communication norms among managers and employees alike.
- Integration with labour and health policies: Link the right to disconnect with occupational health, mental well-being, and productivity frameworks for holistic workforce protection.
Conclusion:
The Right to Disconnect Bill, 2025 reflects the evolving realities of India’s digital workforce and the growing need to protect mental well-being. While legislative and practical challenges remain, the Bill has sparked a vital conversation on humane, sustainable work cultures. Balancing flexibility with dignity at work will be key to future labour governance in India.
Courts as Guardians, Not Regulators: Preserving Free Speech in India
Source: TH
Subject: Polity
Context: Recent observations by the Supreme Court in Ranveer Allahbadia vs Union of India (2025), suggesting new regulatory mechanisms for online content, have triggered debate on whether courts should protect free speech or inadvertently regulate it.
About Courts as Guardians, Not Regulators: Preserving Free Speech in India
What is Free Speech?
- Freedom of speech and expression is the right to express opinions, ideas, beliefs, and information through speech, writing, art, or digital platforms without undue interference.
- It is foundational to democracy, enabling dissent, accountability, informed choice, and the free exchange of ideas.
Constitutional Provisions Backing Free Speech:
- Article 19(1)(a): Guarantees the right to freedom of speech and expression to all citizens.
- Article 19(2): Permits reasonable restrictions only on specific grounds—sovereignty and integrity of India, security of the State, public order, decency or morality, defamation, contempt of court, and incitement to an offence.
- The grounds under Article 19(2) are exhaustive, not illustrative.
Role of Courts in Handling Free Speech:
- Constitutional umpire: Courts are tasked with examining whether restrictions on speech are reasonable and constitutionally valid, not with crafting regulatory frameworks or prescribing policy solutions.
- Guardian against prior restraint: Judicial scrutiny must prevent pre-censorship or blanket controls, ensuring speech is restricted only after demonstrable harm and strict constitutional justification.
- Doctrine of separation of powers: Law-making and policy formulation belong to the legislature and executive, while courts must confine themselves to interpretation and review.
- Rights-balancer within Article 19(2): Courts may balance free speech with other rights only within the expressly listed grounds under Article 19(2), avoiding expansion through judicial creativity.
Challenges from Regulation of Free Speech in India:
- Risk of prior restraint: Broad or preventive regulations can silence expression before any actual violation occurs, undermining democratic debate and dissent.
- Vague and subjective standards: Indeterminate terms like “morality” or “offensiveness” enable arbitrary enforcement, leading to inconsistent and biased restrictions.
- Chilling effect on speech: Fear of prosecution, takedowns, or sanctions discourages citizens and media from exercising legitimate criticism or unpopular opinions.
- Judicial overreach: When courts extend cases into policy-making domains, they risk weakening constitutional boundaries and democratic accountability.
- Digital regulation complexity: Online speech involves scale, speed, and technological nuances, requiring expertise beyond traditional judicial capacity.
Key Cases and Judgments:
- Sahara India v. SEBI (2012): The Court held that pre-censorship must be avoided and postponement of publication permitted only as a last resort under strict standards.
- Kaushal Kishor v. State of UP (2023): A Constitution Bench clarified that Article 19(2) grounds are exhaustive, and no new restrictions can be judicially added.
- Common Cause v. Union of India (2008): The Court cautioned against judicial attempts to solve policy problems beyond institutional competence.
- Adarsh Cooperative Housing Society v. Union of India (2018): The Court refused to mandate disclaimers, affirming that content regulation lies with statutory authorities after due process.
- Shreya Singhal v. Union of India (2015): Section 66A of the IT Act was struck down for vagueness and its chilling effect on free expression.
Way Ahead:
- Judicial restraint: Courts must limit themselves to constitutional review, preserving their role as protectors rather than regulators of speech.
- Clear legislative standards: Any restriction must be precise, narrowly tailored, and strictly aligned with Article 19(2).
- Post-facto remedies over pre-censorship: Democracies should prioritise content takedown and penalties after due process rather than preventive bans.
- Comparative democratic practices: India can adopt models from the EU, UK, and Australia that focus on removal mechanisms without surveillance-driven control.
- Robust free speech jurisprudence: Courts must consistently reaffirm that freedom is the rule and restriction the exception.
Conclusion:
Free speech is the lifeblood of democracy, protected by Article 19(1)(a) and constrained only by Article 19(2). Courts must act as guardians, not regulators, ensuring that fear of regulation does not replace freedom. Constitutional fidelity, judicial restraint, and precise law-making are essential to preserve liberty in the digital age.
UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 15 December 2025 Content for Mains Enrichment (CME)
Empanel Heritage Conservation Architects
Context: The Ministry of Culture has initiated a process to empanel heritage conservation architects for the upkeep, conservation, and restoration of ASI-protected monuments.
About Empanel Heritage Conservation Architects:
What it is?
- A heritage (conservation) architect is a specialised professional trained in the restoration, conservation, and management of historic structures, ensuring preservation of architectural integrity, materials, and cultural value in line with established conservation norms.
The Initiative:
- The Ministry of Culture has begun empanelling qualified conservation architects to form a national pool approved by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
- This allows donors, corporates, and private entities to directly engage ASI-approved professionals for conservation works funded through the National Cultural Fund (NCF).
Key Features of the Initiative:
- Donor flexibility: Donors can choose architects from the ASI-approved panel for monuments of their choice.
- ASI oversight mandatory: ASI will continue to monitor all projects to ensure compliance with scientific conservation standards.
- Defined responsibilities: Empanelled architects will prepare Detailed Project Reports (DPRs), design conservation methods, provide project management support, and supervise execution.
- Execution mechanism: Actual restoration work will be carried out by agencies selected by donors, subject to ASI approval.
- Eligibility criteria: Architects must have prior experience in conserving or restoring heritage structures over 100 years old.
- Tenure: Empanelment valid for three years, with annual performance review.
Relevance in UPSC Examination Syllabus
- GS Paper I – Indian Culture
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- Conservation of ancient monuments and heritage sites.
- Role of institutions like ASI in cultural preservation.
- GS Paper II – Governance
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- Public–private partnerships in governance.
- Role of government policies in heritage management.
UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 15 December 2025 Facts for Prelims (FFP)
Natyashastra
Source: PIB
Subject: Art and Culture
Context: During the 20th Session of UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Committee for Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) in New Delhi, IGNCA organised an academic programme on Natyashastra.
About Natyashastra:
What it is?
- The Natyashastra is the foundational Sanskrit treatise on drama (natya), dance (nritya and nritta), music (sangita), aesthetics, and stagecraft in the Indian tradition.
- It is regarded as the Natya Veda (Fifth Veda)—intended to communicate ethical, aesthetic, and social values to all sections of society through performance.
Authored by: Traditionally attributed to Bharata Muni.
Language: Composed in Classical Sanskrit, primarily in śloka (verse) form, with a few prose explanations in later recensions.
History and Composition:
- Broadly dated to c. 200 BCE – 200 CE (scholarly consensus range).
- The text evolved from an oral performance tradition before being codified.
- The most influential classical commentary is Abhinavagupta’s Abhinavabharati (c. 10th–11th century CE).
Key features of the text:
- Consists of 36 chapters (some traditions count 37).
- Covers the entire lifecycle of theatrical production.
- Rasa theory (core contribution): Explains aesthetic experience through Rasa–Bhava framework; classical rasas include Shringara, Hasya, Karuna, Raudra, Veera, Bhayanaka, Bibhatsa, Adbhuta (later tradition adds Shanta).
- Four-fold acting tools (Abhinaya): Describes Angika (body), Vachika (speech), Aharya (costume/props), Sattvika (inner emotion) as essential to performance.
- Dramaturgy & stagecraft: Details plot construction, roles, performance styles, theatre space, costumes, make-up, and direction—making it a complete production manual.
- Dance & gesture codification: Elaborates mudras/hastas, body positions, facial/eye movements, and units like karanas, enabling standardised training.
- Integration of arts: Treats performance as a synthesis of music + rhythm + movement + expression, making “theory and praxis” inseparable.
Significance:
- Civilisational foundation: Provides the theoretical base for India’s classical performing arts ecosystem—dance, theatre, music pedagogy and aesthetics.
- Cultural continuity: Helps reinterpret classical forms for contemporary theatre and performance training without breaking tradition.
Emperor Perumbidugu Mutharaiyar II
Source: PM India
Context: Prime Minister of India has welcomed the release of a commemorative postage-stamp honouring Emperor Perumbidugu Mutharaiyar II (Suvaran Maran), recognising his administrative excellence and patronage of Tamil culture.
About Emperor Perumbidugu Mutharaiyar II:
Who he was?
- Perumbidugu Mutharaiyar II, also known as Suvaran Maran or Shatrubhayankar, was a prominent ruler of the Mutharaiyar lineage who ruled during c. 705–745 CE.
Kingdom Associated With:
- Belonged to the Mutharaiyar dynasty, a powerful Tamil ruling lineage.
- Functioned as feudatories of the Pallavas, particularly under Pallava king Nandivarman II.
- Controlled the central Cauvery region, including Thanjavur, Tiruchirappalli, Pudukkottai, Perambalur, and surrounding areas.
- Ruled primarily from Tiruchirappalli, exercising authority for nearly four decades.
Key Contributions:
Administrative & Military Achievements:
- Known as a formidable administrator with strategic foresight and governance stability.
- Fought several battles alongside Pallava forces, helping maintain regional order during Pallava decline.
Temple Building & Architecture:
- The Mutharaiyars were among the early temple builders of Tamil Nadu, contributing to rock-cut and structural temples.
- Their architectural innovations influenced the early Chola temple tradition, even before the rise of Vijayalaya Chola.
Cultural & Religious Patronage:
- Patronised Shaivism, while also hosting philosophical debates involving Jain scholars such as Acharya Vimalachandra, reflecting religious pluralism.
- Supported Tamil language, literature, and religious institutions, as evidenced by inscriptions.
Public Works:
- Inscriptions attest to his contributions to temple endowments, irrigation systems, and agrarian infrastructure, strengthening the Cauvery delta economy.
Significance:
- Historical significance: Represents the rise of powerful regional chieftains during the weakening of imperial Pallava authority.
- Cultural legacy: Acts as a bridge between Pallava and Chola traditions, especially in temple architecture and governance.
- Social relevance: Revered as an icon by the Mutharaiyar community, classified among Most Backward Classes (MBCs) in Tamil Nadu.
Brazil have identified the youngest rhynchosaur
Source: DD News
Subject: Miscellaneous
Context: Palaeontologists in Brazil have identified the youngest rhynchosaur ever recorded, based on a hatchling fossil of Macrocephalosaurus mariensis.
About Brazil have identified the youngest rhynchosaur:
What it is Macrocephalosaurus mariensis?
- Macrocephalosaurus mariensis is a species of rhynchosaur—beaked, herbivorous, archosaur-like reptiles belonging to the clade Rhynchosauridae.
- It lived during the Late Triassic period (Carnian stage) and is known exclusively from southern Brazil.
Habitat:
- Fossils are found in the Santa Maria Formation, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
- Rhynchosaurs were among the dominant land herbivores in Gondwana during the Triassic.
Key characteristics:
- Beaked skull adapted for plant-based diet.
- Highly specialised dentition with multiple tooth rows; adults show extreme tooth wear due to herbivory.
- Diagnostic features include a single maxillary sulcus, two rows of dentary teeth, and an open infraorbital foramen.
- Adult individuals could reach over 2 metres in length, whereas the newly found hatchling skull measures less than 2.5 cm.
- Juvenile specimen shows unworn teeth, indicating death shortly after hatching.
Significance:
- Represents the first perinate (newborn) fossil of Hyperodapedontinae, the most diverse rhynchosaur sub-clade.
- One of the oldest archosauromorph hatchlings recorded from continental settings.
- Provides insights into early reptile development, growth patterns, and life history during the Triassic.
Dandami Maria Tribe
Source: TH
Subject: Art and Culture
Context: The Bison Horn Maria dance of the Dandami Madia (Maria) tribe of Bastar, Chhattisgarh, has drawn attention for its enduring cultural vitality despite modern influences.
About Dandami Maria Tribe:
Who they are?
- The Dandami Maria, also known as Bison Horn Maria or Khalpati Maria, are a tribal community belonging to the broader Gond (Koytorias) ethnic group.
- They are recognised for their distinctive ceremonial dance and headgear resembling bison horns, which has become a cultural marker of their identity.
Origin:
- The Dandami Maria trace their lineage to the ancient Gondwana region, once spread across central India.
- They identify as part of the Gond tribal tradition, one of the oldest indigenous groups of the Deccan plateau.
- Linguistically, they speak Dandami Maria, with many also using Gondi dialects, an oral language of Dravidian origin.
Habitat and Distribution:
- Predominantly inhabit the Bastar region of southern Chhattisgarh, especially in Darbha, Tokapal, Lohandiguda, Dantewada, and surrounding forested tracts.
- Their settlements are closely integrated with dense forests, shaping their subsistence patterns, rituals, and worldview.
- They practice agriculture, supplemented by hunting and fishing.
Key Cultural Characteristics:
- Bison Horn Maria Dance:
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- Performed by both men and women during festivals, rituals, and communal gatherings.
- Men wear horn-shaped bamboo headgear decorated with bison or cattle horns, feathers, cowries, and cloth strips, along with bead necklaces and ankle bells.
- Women wear handwoven saris, heavy silver and brass jewellery, coin ornaments, and ceremonial crowns.
- Social and Cultural Life:
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- The ghotul (youth dormitory) plays a vital role in socialisation, cultural transmission, and community cohesion.
- Distinct hairstyles, traditional ornaments, and ceremonial objects such as tobacco boxes and combs are culturally significant.
- They permit divorce and widow remarriage, reflecting flexible social norms.
Significance:
- Represents a living tribal heritage that preserves Gond identity and pre-Aryan cultural traditions.
- Embodies a nature-centric worldview, celebrating hunting traditions, seasonal cycles, and forest deities like Budhadev and Danteshwari Mai.
Bondi Beach
Source: TOI
Subject: Geography
Context: Australia was shaken by a deadly terror-linked mass shooting at Sydney’s Bondi Beach during a Jewish festival, prompting the government to consider tougher gun laws.
About Bondi Beach:
What it is?
- Bondi Beach is a world-famous ocean beach and adjoining suburb in Sydney, known for its surf culture, tourism, and public recreation. It is among the most visited beaches in Australia and a major symbol of the country’s coastal lifestyle.
Location:
- Situated 7 km east of Sydney’s Central Business District (CBD).
- Lies in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney within the Waverley Council local government area.
- Neighbouring suburbs include North Bondi, Bondi Junction, Rose Bay, and Bellevue Hill.
Key features:
- Natural setting: Crescent-shaped sandy beach facing the Tasman Sea, popular for surfing and swimming.
- Cultural prominence: Featured in global TV series such as Bondi Rescue and Bondi Vet.
- Demographics: Historically multicultural, with a strong Jewish community and migrant heritage.
- Indigenous heritage: Traditionally inhabited by Bidjigal, Birrabirragal, and Gadigal Aboriginal peoples.
- Name origin: Derived from the Dharawal word “Bondi”, meaning a loud thud, like waves crashing on rocks.
Significance:
- Tourism & economy: A key contributor to Sydney’s tourism-driven economy and international image.
- Cultural history: Site of major social movements, including early 20th-century debates on public decency and beach culture.
- Public safety relevance: The recent attack highlights challenges of urban security, counter-terrorism, and public space safety.
National Energy Conservation Awards
Source: HT
Subject: Miscellaneous
Context: The President of India felicitated the winners of the National Energy Conservation Awards (NECA) 2025 on National Energy Conservation Day at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.
About National Energy Conservation Awards:
What it is?
- The National Energy Conservation Awards (NECA) are annual national-level awards that recognise industries, institutions, establishments, and innovators for outstanding achievements in energy efficiency and reduction of energy consumption while maintaining or improving productivity.
Launched in:
- Instituted in 1991 (under the Energy Conservation framework)
- Presented annually on 14 December, observed as National Energy Conservation Day
Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Power
Implementing Agency: Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE)
- BEE was established under the Energy Conservation Act, 2001
Aim:
- Promote energy conservation and efficiency across sectors of the economy.
- Encourage adoption of energy-efficient technologies and practices.
Key Features of NECA 2025:
- Wide sectoral coverage: Industry, Buildings, Transport, Institutions, Appliances, Innovation, and Professionals
- High participation: 558 applications received across categories
- New category introduced: Social Media Influencers & Digital Content Creators to promote behavioural change through digital outreach
- Transparent selection process:
- Technical Committee (headed by Member–Thermal, CEA)
- Award Committee chaired by Secretary (Power)
Significance of NECA:
- Energy security: Promotes “energy saved = energy produced” approach without resource depletion.
- Climate action: Supports India’s decoupling of GDP growth from GHG emissions.
- Policy alignment: Complements schemes like PAT, Standards & Labelling, RCO, and ADEETIE.
UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 15 December 2025 Mapping:
Jordan
Source: TH
Subject: Mapping
Context: Prime Minister of India has embarked on a three-nation tour (Jordan–Ethiopia–Oman) beginning with Jordan, marking 75 years of India–Jordan diplomatic relations.
About Jordan:
What it is?
- Jordan is a constitutional monarchy in Southwest Asia (West Asia), ruled by King Abdullah II ibn Al Hussein. Despite being a relatively young state (independent since 1946), it occupies an ancient land with deep biblical, classical, and Islamic civilisational history.
Capital: Amman is the capital and largest city.
- Historically known as Philadelphia during the Roman period and earlier associated with the Ammonites (13th century BCE).
Neighbouring Nations: Syria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Israel and the West Bank.
- It also has a 26 km coastline on the Gulf of Aqaba, providing maritime access via Al-ʿAqabah, its only port.
Geological Features:
Jordan has three major physiographic regions:
- Eastern Desert: Part of the Syrian–Arabian Desert, covering over four-fifths of the country, dominated by basalt, sandstone, and granite.
- Uplands east of the Jordan River: Elevated plateau rising to Mount Ramm (1,754 m), the country’s highest point.
- Jordan Valley: Part of the Great Rift Valley, descending to the Dead Sea (≈430 m below sea level), the lowest natural point on Earth.
- The Jordan River drains into the Dead Sea, shaping regional hydrology and agriculture.
Significance:
- Geopolitical importance: Located at the crossroads of West Asia, bordering conflict-prone regions yet known for relative political stability.
- Cultural heritage: Home to globally significant sites such as Petra (Nabataean capital) and Qasr Amrah (UNESCO World Heritage Sites).
- India–Jordan relations: Strong civilisational, cultural, and people-to-people ties; cooperation spans trade, defence, education, culture, and diaspora engagement.
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