Current Affairs 23 October 2025
Rudra Brigades, Bhairav Battalions, Shaktibaan and Divyastra
The Indian Army has embarked on an ambitious restructuring and modernisation programme titled the ‘Decade of Transformation (2023–2032)’, aimed at reshaping the force into a more agile, technology-driven, and integrated fighting machine. Announced during Vijay Diwas on 26 July 2025 by the Chief of Army Staff, General Upendra Dwivedi, this initiative represents the most remarkable structural reform in decades. The programme encompasses the establishment of new combat formations such as Rudra Brigades, Bhairav Battalions, Shaktibaan and Divyastra units—each designed to enhance the Army’s offensive and defensive capabilities through technological integration and multi-domain operations.
Rangarajan Poverty Line
- Biggest Improvements: Odisha and Bihar showed the largest decline in poverty levels since 2011-12, with rural poverty in Odisha falling from 47.8% to 8.6% and urban poverty in Bihar falling from 50.8% to 9.1%.
- Smallest Declines: Kerala and Himachal Pradesh showed the least decline in poverty percentages because their poverty levels were already low.
- Rural and Urban Extremes: In 2022-23, rural poverty was lowest in Himachal Pradesh (0.4%) and highest in Chhattisgarh (25.1%). Urban poverty was lowest in Tamil Nadu (1.9%) and highest in Chhattisgarh (13.3%).
- Consumption Pattern Changes: The study acknowledges that consumption patterns changed between 2011-12 and 2022-23, suggesting that poverty baskets and lines may need further updates in the future.
NASA Confirms Earth’s New Quasi-Moon
NASA has confirmed the presence of a new quasi-moon orbiting Earth. The object, officially named 2025 PN7, is a small asteroid that has been accompanying Earth on its journey around the Sun since the 1960s. Discovered by the Pan-STARRS observatory in Hawaii, this cosmic neighbour is expected to stay in Earth’s orbit until around 2038, before drifting away into space.
Indian Wolf
- Oldest Lineage: The Indian wolf was earlier grouped under the umbrella genus of the grey wolf (Canis lupus), but genetic studies reveal that the Indian wolf’s lineage diverged, making it the most ancient extant lineage among wolves globally.
- Ecological Niche: Unlike forest-dwelling species, Indian wolves are adapted to arid and semi-arid open habitats such as grasslands and scrublands, often misclassified as “wastelands” in land use policy.
- Conservation Status of Indian Wolf:
- IUCN Red List: Vulnerable (likely to be).
- Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972
