DAILY GK 12 NOV 2025
1.
KHANGCHENDZONGA NP RATED ‘GOOD’ BY IUCN
·
Khangchendzonga National Park(NP), in
Sikkim, has been rated ‘Good’ by the International
Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in the 4th edition
of its World Heritage Outlook, making it the only Indian natural
heritage site to receive such recognition.
·
IUCN World Heritage
Outlook 2025 was released at the IUCN World Conservation Congress 2025 in
October 2025 in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
·
This latest edition of
outlook has assessed 271 natural and mixed world heritage sites including
231 natural sites and 40 are mixed sites, across 115 countries.
·
The IUCN World Heritage
Outlook 4 report highlights climate change, tourism, invasive species, and
road development as key threats to South Asia’s biodiversity, classifying
sites as “Good,” “Good with Some Concerns,” “Significant Concern,” or
“Critical” based on conservation status and urgency of action.
·
Kaziranga NP (Assam),
Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers NP (Uttarakhand), and the Great
Himalayan NP Conservation Area (Himachal Pradesh, HP) have been rated ‘Good
with Some Concerns’ by the IUCN, reflecting effective conservation
with minor challenges.
·
Western Ghats, Manas
Wildlife Sanctuary (Assam), and the Sundarbans
(West Bengal, WB) have been rated as ‘Significant Concern’,
indicating pressing conservation issues that require immediate attention.
2.
INDIA AND ECUADOR SIGNED PACT
·
India and Ecuador signed
a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), aimed at
bolstering cooperation between their diplomatic training institutions,
in Quito, Ecuador.
·
Union MoS Margherita
and his counterpart Gabriela Sommerfeld jointly inaugurated the resident
Embassy of India in Quito, the capital city of Ecuador.
3.
WSSD-2 HELD IN DOHA, QATAR
·
Union
Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, Ministry of
Labour & Employment (MoL&E) and Ministry of
Youth Affairs & Sports (MoYAS), led the Indian delegation at the 2nd
World Summit for Social Development (WSSD-2), hosted
by the State of Qatar in its capital city Doha.
·
The 3-day long summit was held under the chairmanship of HH
The Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad.
Al Thani, Amir of the State of Qatar.
·
The World Social Summit,
under the title ‘Second World Summit for Social Development’ was
convened by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) through Resolutions
78/261 and 78/318.
·
The
summit concluded successfully with the adoption of “Doha Political
Declaration”.
·
Through this declaration,
countries pledged to eradicate poverty, create decent work, combat
discrimination, expand access to social security, and protect human rights.
4.
BANGLADESH JOINED UN WATER CONVENTION
·
Bangladesh became the 1st South Asian country as
well as 56th country globally, to join the United
Nations (UN) Water Convention which is officially known as the Convention
on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes.
·
It
is a unique legally binding instrument which aimed at promoting the
sustainable management of share water resources and the implementation of
the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
·
The
UN Water Convention was formally adopted in Helsinki, Finland in 1992 but
officially came into force in 1996.
·
It
was initially negotiated as a regional framework for the pan-European
region.
·
Following
an amendment to the convention, it has been opened for all member states UN,
since March 2016.
5.
BILATERAL HAJ AGREEMENT WITH SAUDI ARABIA FOR HAJ 2026
·
Union
Minister Kiren Rijiju, Ministry of Minority Affairs (MoMA)
and Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs (MoPA), signed the Bilateral
Haj Agreement for Haj 2026 with Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al Rabiah,
Minister of Hajj and Umrah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
·
Haj Agreement 2026: Finalized India’s pilgrim quota at 1,75,025,
marking a milestone in India–Saudi Arabia cooperation.
6.
UNESCO ADOPTS WORLD’S FIRST GLOBAL ETHICAL
FRAMEWORK FOR NEUROTECHNOLOGY
·
The
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) adopted
the “Recommendation on the Ethics of Neurotechnology”, the world’s first
global ethical framework for neurotechnology, during its 43rd General
Conference held in Paris, France.
·
The framework is set to
take effect on 12 November 2025.
·
Purpose: The framework sets safeguards to harness
neurotechnology for societal benefit while protecting human rights.
·
Data Protection: The standards define “neural data” as a distinct
category requiring protection.
·
Comprehensive Recommendations: Over 100 guidelines cover
personal rights, medical applications, and speculative scenarios, including
potential misuse like marketing to people during dreams.
·
The
neurotechnology sector is projected to exceed USD 30 billion by 2030.
·
UNESCO aimed to eliminate the “Wild West” scenario, where mental privacy, manipulation,
and inequality could be out of control.
7.
PRESIDENT DROUPADI MURMU’S VISIT TO ANGOLA
·
The
President of India Droupadi Murmu was on a
four-day official visit to Angola at the invitation of Angolan President
João Manuel GonçalvesLourenço, marking the first-ever visit by an Indian
President to the country.
·
The visit marks the 40th anniversary
of diplomatic relations between India and Angola, established in 1985,
and coincides with Angola’s 50th Independence Day celebration on November
11, 2025.
·
President Droupadi Murmu addressed
the National Assembly of Angola in Luanda, marking the first
Indian head to address the national assembly of Angola.
·
A Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU) was signed between the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry
& Dairying (MoFAHD), Government of India (GoI), and Angola’s Ministry
of Fisheries and Marine Resources.
·
MoU was signed between
the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), GoI,
and Ministry of External Relations, Angola.
·
During
the visit, India proposed to finalise a USD 200 million Line of Credit (LoC)
to Angola, aimed at supporting joint projects in the defence and energy
sectors.
8.
WHO’S GLOBAL TB REPORT 2025
·
The
World Health Organisation (WHO) released its
latest Global Tuberculosis (TB) Report 2025.
·
As
per the report, India’s TB incidence rate (new cases
emerging each year) declined by 21% i.e. from 237 per lakh population (in
2015) to 187 per lakh population (in
2024), which is almost double the rate of decline observed globally (i.e. at
12%).
·
Despite one of the
largest global reductions in TB incidence, India has not yet reached the
government’s 2025 target of 77 cases per lakh population.
·
As
per the WHO’s report, tuberculosis remains one of the world’s deadliest
infectious diseases, causing over 1.2 million deaths and affecting
approximately 10.7 million people in 2024.
·
The global TB incidence
rate fell by 1.7% in 2024, reaching
131 cases per 1 lakh population compared to the 2023 rate.
·
The
report further highlighted that together, 8 countries accounted
for 67% of global TB cases in 2024, led by India
(25%), followed by Indonesia (10%), the Philippines (6.8%), China (6.5%),
Pakistan (6.3%), Nigeria (4.8%), the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
(3.9%), and Bangladesh (3.6%).
·
The
report revealed that South-East Asia (SEA) region
registered the highest rate of TB cases i.e. at 34% (in
2024) compared to all regions; followed by the Western Pacific (27%), Africa
(25%), Eastern Mediterranean (8.6%), the Americas (3.3%) and Europe
(1.9%).
·
Globally,
the number of people falling ill with TB decreased to 10.7
million in 2024, marking an improvement of nearly 2% compared
to 2023.
·
Global Death Rate: As per the report, the global rate of deaths
caused by TB also declined by 3% i.e. from 1.27
million people (in 2023) to 1.23 million people (in 2024).
9.
PM NARENDRA MODI’S VISIT TO BHUTAN
·
Prime
Minister (PM) Narendra Modi was on a two-day
official visit to Bhutan at the invitation of His Majesty Jigme Khesar Namgyel
Wangchuck, the King of Bhutan.
·
PM
Narendra Modi and King Jigme Khesar jointly inaugurated the 1,020-Megawatt
(MW) Punatsangchhu-II Hydroelectric Project, a run-of-the-river scheme on the
Punatsangchhu River, at Thinleygang in WangduePhodrang district (Bhutan), marking
the bilateral cooperation in hydropower between India and Bhutan.
·
The project is built with
Indian financial and technical assistance, encompassing 70% loan assistance and
30% grant, amounting to around Rs. 7,290 crores.
·
A Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) was signed to strengthen cooperation between India
and Bhutan in Renewable E energy (RE).
·
An MoU
was signed to strengthen cooperation in the field of health and medicine,
covers areas, including medicines and medical devices, maternal health,
prevention and treatment of all major diseases, traditional medicine, digital
health and telemedicine, and joint research and training of health
professionals.
·
An MoU was signed
between PEMA Secretariat (Bhutan) and National Institute of Mental Health and
Neurosciences (NIMHANS) India, to help both Institutions work together
to train mental health professionals and develop local mental health courses to
improve services and support research.
10.
INDIA-NEPAL SIGNS LOE TO BOOST RAIL
CONNECTIVITY
·
India and Nepal exchanged a Letter of
Exchange (LoE) to amend the Protocol to the Treaty
of Transit, marking a significant enhancement in rail-based trade
connectivity between the two nations.
·
The
amended protocol enables direct rail connectivity between Jogbani (India)
and Biratnagar (Nepal) for both containerized and bulk cargo, allowing
seamless transport from the ports of West Bengal (WB) and Visakhapatnam, Andhra
Pradesh (AP) to the Nepal Customs Yard in Morang district near Biratnagar.
·
The
liberalization also extends to trade corridors such as Kolkata–Jogbani, Kolkata–Nautanwa
(Sunauli) and Visakhapatnam–Nautanwa (Sunauli),
thereby strengthening multimodal trade connectivity.
