Legal Current Affairs for 15 November 2025

TB Burden: In 2024, 87% of world’s TB patients were concentrated in 30 countries, with the highest rates found in India (25%).
Global TB Incidence Rate: Net reduction of 12% from 2015-2024.
Global TB Deaths: Net reduction of 29% from 2015-2024.
Multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB): Remained a public health crisis and a health security threat.

Mandatory Registration: No seed, except farmers’ variety and the one produced exclusively for export purpose, shall be sold unless registered.
Regulation of the sale of seeds: Seed varieties to conform to Indian Minimum Seed Certification Standards.
Central Seed Committee: Constituted by the Central Government with its Headquarters in New Delhi.
It shall offer advice on matters relating seed programming, planning, seed development, production, storage, processing, export and imports, etc.
State Seed Committees: To be constituted by State Government consisting of Chairman and not more than 15 members appointed or nominated by State Government.
Registration Sub-Committees: To recommend kind or variety of seeds for registration after scrutinising their claims.
National Register on Seed Varieties: It is a register of all Kinds or Varieties of seed kept under the control and management of the Registrar.
Establishment of Central and State Seed Testing Laboratories: Equipped with Seed Analysts and Inspectors.
Offences and Punishment: Proposes stringent penal provisions with offences in three categories, namely, trivial, minor and major, with major offences carrying a maximum penalty of Rs. 30 lakh with imprisonment.

Iran is facing the worst drought in around six decades, with major dams in the country at critically low levels.

Political Features

Land Boundaries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Turkmenistan (North); Afghanistan and Pakistan (East); Iraq and Turkey (West).
Water Boundaries:Caspian Sea (North), Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman (South).
Geographical Features
Major Mountains: Zagros, Elbrus, etc.
Highest point: Mt. Damavand.
Rivers/Water Bodies: Kārūn, Sefid, etc.
Lake Urmia, an endorheic salt lake, is the largest lake in Middle East.

The report is published by Global Carbon Project.
India is the third largest emitter of carbon at 3.2 billion tonnes annually (2024), led by the U. S. (4.9 billion tonnes) and China (12 billion tonnes).
In per person terms, it is 2.2 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year, the second lowest of 20 of the largest economies globally.

Saranda, known as the “land of seven hundred hills,” is a lush Sal forest in Jharkhand.
It is a part of Chhotanagpur bio-geographic zone and the landscape merges with forests of Odisha and Chhattisgarh.
Tribes: Ho, Munda, Uraon, Santhal etc.
Chief rivers draining the area include Karo, Koina, Lailor etc.
Important for movement of Central Indian elephant population and is home to unique orchids.
Ligarda swamp hosts rare vegetation, palms, wild bananas, ferns, and Piper species.

Location: Eastern Ladakh.
Situated at a height of nearly 13,000 feet and very close to the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
Importance: Directly overlooks critical approaches including Depsang Plains, Pangong Tso sector, and Chushul Valley.
Built by: Border Roads Organisation (BRO).
Fourth major airbase in Ladakh: Complementing Leh, Kargil and Thoise.

Inserted by 52nd Amendment Act, 1985 as Tenth Schedule to prevent political defections.
Grounds for Disqualification of Members
Voluntarily giving up party membership.
Voting or abstaining from voting contrary to party directions.
Elected Member: On joining any political party.
Nominated Member: On joining a political party after the expiry of six months.
Exception:
Merger: If ≥2/3 of party legislators agree to merge with another party.
Role of Speaker/Chairman: Their Decision on questions of disqualification is final.
Judicial Review Over Speaker’s Decisions: Courts should have the authority to intervene if Speaker delays action. (Kihoto Hollohan v. Zachillhu (1992)).

Singapore holds the strongest passport in 2025 with access to 193 destinations.
South Korea and Japan follow with 190 and 189 destinations respectively.
Thirteen European countries share fourth place with access to 187 destinations.
Passport strength is measured by visa-free and visa-on-arrival access worldwide.