News Summary · 3 minutes read
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.
India elevates relations with Ethiopia to ‘Strategic Partnership’
PM Modi visited Ethiopia on 16-17 December 2025.
Key highlights
- PM Modi was conferred with Ethiopia’s highest honour, the ‘Great Honor Nishan of Ethiopia’.
- Dena hunuu: means goodbye in the Amharic language → PM Modi concluded his address to the joint session of the Ethiopian parliament with these words.
- Amharic: official language of Ethiopia.
- Bilateral ties have been elevated to a Strategic Partnership.
- Several agreements were signed, including the establishment of a data centre by India at Ethiopia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
- Indian companies have invested over USD 6.5 billion in Ethiopia, especially in manufacturing and pharmaceuticals → created over 75,000 local jobs.
- India–Ethiopia bilateral trade stood at US$ 550.19 million in FY 2024–25, with Indian exports valued at over US$ 476 million.
PM Modi interacting with MPs of Ethiopia after addressing the Ethiopian Parliament. Photo: X/@narendramodi
Aravali — new definition, significance, concerns, and conservation efforts
The Aravali is the world’s oldest mountain range. It stretches across 700 km from Delhi to Gujarat.
New definition
Recently, the Supreme Court accepted the new definition of the Aravali Hills and Ranges proposed by the Environment Ministry’s committee to protect them. According to it:
- Aravali Hills consist of any landform in the Aravalli districts with an elevation of 100 meters or more from the local relief, determined by the lowest contour line encircling the landform.
- Entire landform within that contour—including the hill, supporting slopes, and associated features, regardless of gradient, forms part of the protected Aravalli Hills.
- Aravalli Range forms when two or more Aravalli Hills lie within 500 meters of each other, measured from the outermost points of their lowest contour lines.
- Intervening area, delineated by buffers and intersection lines between hills, along with associated landforms like hillocks and slopes, is included in the Range.
Significance
- Acts as a crucial ecological barrier against the Thar Desert to prevent the desertification of the Indo-Gangetic plains.
- Stabilises regional climate: channels monsoon winds for better rainfall, moderates temperatures via elevations, and traps dust/PM2.5 through vegetation.
- Supports biodiversity: home to several plant species, birds, and animals, including migratory wildlife → also functions as a wildlife corridor.
- Enhances the groundwater-recharge systems.
- Source of rivers such as the Chambal, Sabarmati, Banas, and Luni.
- Holds economically significant minerals such as sandstone, limestone, marble, granite, lead, zinc, copper, gold, and tungsten.
Concerns
- New Definition of Aravali: excludes lower ridges and scrublands (90%+ area), weakening the conservation efforts.
- Illegal mining: persistent unauthorised quarrying for stone and sand damages ecosystems.
- Desertification: mining and deforestation erode the natural barrier against the Thar Desert.
- Degraded groundwater recharge zones: causing aquifer depletion, dried wells, and crop failures in Haryana-Rajasthan farmlands.
- Habitat fragmentation and biodiversity loss: urban sprawl and encroachments are disrupting wildlife corridors and increasing animal-human-wildlife conflicts.
Conservation efforts
- Aravalli Green Wall Project: launched by the Environment Ministry in 2023 and expanded in 2025 → aims to create a 5-km-wide green buffer (native trees) across the Aravalli range.
- The Supreme Court mandated sustainable mining plans in November 2025’s judgment.
- Haryana’s EU-sponsored Aravalli Hills Rehabilitation (1991-2000): plantations, soil-water conservation via trenches and check dams, and fencing barren hills.
- Civil society efforts like the “Aravalli Bachao” movement.
Quick Picks for Pre and Mains
- Both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha have passed the Sabka Bima Sabki Raksha (Amendment of Insurance Laws) Bill 2025 → seeks to allow 100% FDI in the insurance sector.
- Of the 10.13 lakh govt schools across India, 5,149 have ZERO students.
- 2nd WHO Global Summit on Traditional Medicine: jointly organised by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Ministry of Ayush in New Delhi.
- DESERT CYCLONE–II: India–UAE Joint Military Exercise, being held in Abu Dhabi from December 18 to 30.