Current Affairs 19 October 2025
Global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) 2025 Report Released
Global Headcount: Of 6.3 billion people across 109 countries, 1.1 billion (18.3%) live in acute multidimensional poverty. 43.6% face severe poverty with deprivation in half or more MPI indicators. 83.2% live in sub-Saharan Africa (565 million) and South Asia (390 million). Multidimensional Poverty in India: It has fallen to 16.4% (2019–2021) from 55.1% (2005-06), lifting approximately 414 million people out of poverty.
Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019
- Definition: A transgender person is someone whose gender identity does not align with the gender assigned at birth.
- Recognition of identity: The Act provides right to a self-perceived gender identity; a Certificate of Identity issued by the DM confers rights under the Act.
- Prohibition Against Discrimination: In Education, employment, residence etc.
- Measures by Government: Formulate welfare schemes to ensure full participation E.g. Vocational training, Healthcare
- Establishment of National Council for Transgender Persons
Venezuela (Capital -Caracas)
- Location – Located at the northern end of South America.
- Venezuela is bounded by the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean to the north, Guyana to the east, Brazil to the south, and Colombia to the southwest and west.
- It administers a number of Islands in Caribbean such as La orchila islands
- Climate: Hot and humid tropical climate which is more moderate in the highlands.
- Major river & water body – Orinoco river (empties in Atlantic ocean) Rio Negro (drains in amazon river ), Lake Maracaibo (Largest lake in South America) etc.
- Highest waterfall in the world: i.e. Angel fall on Churún River
- It has the world’s largest oil reserves and a large amount of gas reserves
Bathou Religion or Bathouism
- It is the traditional faith of the Bodo people (Indigenous community mainly found in Assam and North Bengal).
- Bathou means ‘Five Principles’: It is based on the belief that the world is composed of 5 elements (similar to Panchabhuta), namely, Ha (Earth), Dwi (water), Or (Fire), Bar (Air), and Okhrang (Sky).
- The religion places emphasis on the need to respect nature and preserve equilibrium.
- Bathouism worships the Almighty in the name of Bathou Bwrai who is also called Sibwrai, Siu Bwrai , Jiu Bwrai and Nuathari.
- Bathou Bwrai is symbolized by the Sijou plant.
FAO Celebrated 80 Years of Partnership with India on World Food Day 2025.
- About FAO (HQ: Rome, Italy)
- Established in 1945, it is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger.
- Membership: 195 Members (194 countries and European Union).
- Flagship Publications of FAO:
- The State of the World’s Forests
- The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World
- The State of Food and Agriculture
Recently, FSSAI issued an order under Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 banning all beverages from using the term ORS in their name which do not adhere to WHO standards.
About ORS
- It’s a mixture of salt and sugar that is dissolved in clean water to treat dehydration caused by severe diarrhoea, heat stroke or any other illnesses.
- Fixed formula of ORS: (Adopted by WHO and UNICEF)
- Sodium chloride (2.6 g/L); Glucose, anhydrous (13.5 g/L); Potassium chloride (1.5 g/L); Trisodium citrate, dihydrate (2.9 g/L)
- It was first developed in 1971 by Dilip Mahalanabis, an Indian public health specialist.
