News Summary · 5 minutes read
Shri Piyush Goyal with his Canadian counterpart Maninder Sidhu during 7th India-Canada Ministerial Dialogue. Photo: X/@PiyushGoyal
Stay ahead in your UPSC CSE preparation with our daily News Summary. Designed to save time, it highlights key national and international events from leading newspapers and government websites.
Bihar Assembly Election – 2025
- Held from 6 to 11 November 2025 to elect 243 members of the Bihar Legislative Assembly.
- Voter turnout: 67.13%, the highest since the state’s first election in 1951.
- National Democratic Alliance (NDA) secured 202 seats.
- For the first time, NDA’s BJP became the single largest party in Bihar’s Assembly with 89 seats.
- NDA’s Janata Dal (United) won 85 seats.
- The opposition Mahagathbandhan, led by Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), won only 35 seats.
Centre notifies Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Rules, 2025
- Notified on 14 November 2025, marking the full operationalisation of the DPDP Act, 2023.
- DPDP Act:
- Follows the SARAL design— Simple, Accessible, Rational and Actionable.
- Guided by 7 core principles: consent and transparency, purpose limitation, data minimisation, accuracy, storage limitation, security safeguards, and accountability.
- Key Terms under DPDP Act
- Data Fiduciary: an entity that decides why and how personal data is processed.
- Data Principal: individual to whom the personal data relates → a parent/lawful guardian in case of children or disable (who cannot act independently).
- Data Processor: any entity that processes personal data on behalf of a Data Fiduciary.
- Consent Manager: an entity that provides a single, transparent and interoperable platform through which a Data Principal may give, manage, review or withdraw consent.
- Appellate Tribunal: The Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT), which hears appeals against decisions of the Data Protection Board.
- Penalties Under the DPDP Act, 2023
- Failure to maintain reasonable security safeguards: up to ₹250 crore penalty
- Not notifying the Board or affected individuals of a personal data breach and violations relating to children: up to ₹200 crore penalty.
- Any other violation: up to ₹50 crore penalty.
- DPDP Act has revised Section 8(1)(j) of the RTI Act.
- Restricts the disclosure of personal information through RTI requests unless there is a strong public interest that clearly outweighs the privacy concerns → aligns with the recognition of privacy as a fundamental right affirmed by the Supreme Court’s K.S. Puttaswamy judgment (2017).
- Section 8(2) of the RTI Act still applies, allowing disclosure if public interest in transparency is demonstrably stronger than potential harm to privacy.
- Key highlights of DPDP Rules 2025
- 18-month phased compliance timeline.
- Data Fiduciaries have to issue consent notices that explain the specific purpose for which personal data is being collected/used.
- Consent Managers must be Indian companies.
- Personal Data Breach Notification: Data Fiduciaries must promptly inform affected people, explaining the nature and possible consequences, steps taken to address it and contact details for assistance.
- Special safeguards for children and persons with disabilities.
- Data Fiduciaries must display contact information to help individuals raise queries. Significant Data Fiduciaries have enhanced obligations such as independent audits, and they must comply with govt-specified restrictions on certain categories of data, including localisation.
- Right to access, correct, update or erase personal data and to nominate another person to exercise these rights → Data Fiduciaries must respond to such requests within 90 days.
- Data Protection Board of India (4 members): fully digital → appeals will be heard by Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT).
Indian Military Heritage Festival (IMHF) 2025
- 3rd edition hosted by the United Service Institution of India (USI) in New Delhi on 14-15 November 2025.
- Inaugurated by Raksha Rajya Mantri Shri Sanjay Seth.
United Service Institution of India (USI)
- Founded in 1870.
- Aim: furtherance of interest and knowledge in the art, science and literature of the defence services.
- USI – Centre for Military History and Conflict Studies (CMHCS): only centre of its kind dedicated to the study of Indian military history, conflict and the preservation of India’s military heritage.
Quick Picks
- India is negotiating Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with the European Union, the USA, Oman, New Zealand, Chile, Peru, and some other countries to facilitate the free flow of capital, goods and services.
- Thadou people: Thadou language-speaking Kuki people, primarily inhabiting Manipur → largest single tribal group in Manipur.
- Gujarat’s Ambaji marble: got Geographical Indication (GI) tag for its high-quality → known for strength and high calcium content.
- GI tag is given by GI Registry (Chennai) under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
- GI tag recognises products that possess unique qualities linked to their geographical origin.
- India-Canada Joint Statement was issued as part of the 7th Ministerial Dialogue on Trade and Investment (11-14 November 2025) between the Trade Ministers of India and Canada.
- India-Canada bilateral trade (goods + services) reached US$23.66 bn in 2024, with merchandise trade valued at nearly US$8.98 bn, a 10% increase over the previous year.
- Ministers agreed for partnerships in critical minerals, clean energy, aerospace and dual-use capabilities.
- Operation Southern Spear: recently announced by the US to combat drug trafficking networks in the Western Hemisphere, primarily Latin America and the Caribbean region → involves advanced naval and robotic assets to disrupt narco-terrorism.
- Strait of Hormuz: connects Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman → surrounded by Iran (north) and Musandam Peninsula (south) of Oman and the UAE.
Map: Strait of Hormuz. Credit – World Atlas
- Doce River: Brazil → recently a court in London held BHP Group (mining company ) liable for a 2015 dam collapse that released contaminants into the Doce river, causing an ecological disaster.
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