Current Affairs 08 November 2025
Failure to supply Written Grounds of Arrest Renders the Arrest Illegal: Supreme Court (SC)
- In Mihir Rajesh Shah vs. State of Maharashtra & Anr, SC held that failure to furnish such an information would be violative of the Fundamental Rights under Article 21.
- Right to be Informed of the Grounds of Arrest: It is a fundamental and mandatory safeguard under Article 22(1) of the Constitution and applies to all offences including those under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
- Hence, the ruling expands the constitutional safeguards to all statutes ending the perception of such protection being limited to only special laws like Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) or Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
Wildlife Institute of India(WII) releases its 1st Pan-India Assessment and Monitoring of Endangered Species (Vultures)
- Geographic Scope: The survey documented vulture presence at 216 sites across 17 states.
- Contraction of Range: It revealed absence of nesting in nearly 70% of historical sites previously known across the country.
- Dependence on Protected Areas (PAs): PAs hold 54% of all documented nests.
- Species specific findings
- Indian Vulture (Gyps indicus): Found mainly in Madhya Pradesh & Rajasthan (largest at Mukundra Hills); reliant on secure cliff sites
- White-rumped Vulture (Gyps bengalensis): Concentrated in Kangra Valley, Himachal Pradesh
- Slender-billed Vulture (Gyps tenuirostris): Breeding mostly in Upper Assam
- Red-headed Vulture (Sarcogyps calvus): Found in Madhya Pradesh; depends on dense, undisturbed forests; population extremely low and fragmented.
Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY)
- It is a flagship scheme for skill certification, being launched to help Indian youth take up industry-relevant skill training to get better livelihoods.
- Ministry: Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship
- Launched: 2015
- Presently, PMKVY is in its fourth phase, PMKVY 4.0.
- Components: It includes Short Term Training(National Skill Qualification Framework aligned Courses), Special Projects and Recognition of Prior Learning.
- Geographical coverage : Special attention to aspirational, backward, border, tribal and Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) affected districts
Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam, 1980.
- Penal Compensatory Afforestation (CA): Charged on an equal extent of the forest land involved in violation.
- Penal CA are efforts in addition to legally mandated CA for non-forestry use of forest for infrastructure projects.
- Rationalise the applicability of Penal CA with penal NPV measures under the Van Adhiniyam.
- NPV is the quantification of environmental services provided for the forest area diverted for non-forestry purposes.
GPS Spoofing
- It is a type of cyberattack that transmits false GPS (Global Positioning System) signals to mislead navigation systems.
- Function: It exploits the weak signals of GPS satellites by overpowering them with fake signals, making receivers show false locations.
- Threats: It can disrupt aviation, logistics, telecom, energy, and defense sectors.
Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG)
- Nature: Constitutional Body established under Article 148 of the Constitution
- Appointment: by the President through a warrant under the President’s hand and seal.
- Term: six years or until he/she reaches age of 65 (whichever comes first).
- Removal: by President following the same procedure and on the same grounds as those applicable to a Supreme Court judge.
- Conditions of Service: The CAG’s salary and service conditions are decided by Parliament and cannot be altered to his disadvantage after appointment.
- Expenses: Administrative costs, salaries, allowances, and pensions charged to the Consolidated Fund of India.
Understanding the ‘Chicken’s Neck’
- The Siliguri Corridor, or ‘Chicken’s Neck,’ connects India’s Northeast to the rest of the country and is only 20–22 km wide.
- India has established new garrisons at Bamuni, Kishanganj, and Chopra to secure the corridor.
- The corridor is bordered by Nepal, Bangladesh, and Bhutan, making it strategically critical.
- India plans to link Jogbani–Biratnagar–New Mal Junction by rail to improve connectivity.
Melania Trump Honoured with Fox Nation’s ‘Patriot of the Year’ Award
- The ‘Patriot of the Year’ award is Fox Nation’s top annual honour, launched in 2019.
- Melania Trump received the award for her humanitarian work and support for the ‘Take It Down Act’.
- Donald Trump was the previous year’s recipient of the same title.
- Other award categories include Heroism, Salute to Service, and Young Patriot.
Supreme Court Orders Removal of Stray Dogs from Public Spaces
- The Supreme Court bench comprised Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta, and N.V. Anjaria.
- Stray dogs are to be removed from schools, hospitals, bus stands, and railway stations.
- Captured dogs must not be released back after sterilisation.
- Highway patrol teams will remove stray cattle from national and state highways.
