Daily Current Affairs- 17th October 2025

Daily Current Affairs- 17th October 2025

Why rising gold prices make Indian households richer

In the News: India’s massive household gold reserves estimated at over 25,000 tonnes have surged in value due to the sharp rise in global gold prices through 2025. This rise has effectively increased the nominal wealth of Indian households, especially in rural areas where gold remains a key store of value and financial security.

Key Points:

• Household Gold Holdings: Indian households collectively own more than 25,000 tonnes of gold, making India one of the largest private holders of the metal globally. As gold prices rise, the rupee value of this stockpile increases significantly, boosting overall household balance sheets.
• Wealth Effect: Every 10% rise in global gold prices adds nearly ₹10 trillion to India’s household wealth. This appreciation strengthens families’ perceived financial stability and contributes to higher consumer confidence, particularly in rural regions.
• Collateral Value and Borrowing: The rise in gold prices enhances the collateral value of household gold holdings. This enables individuals to secure larger gold loans or better terms from banks and non-banking financial companies, supporting liquidity and small-scale entrepreneurship.
• Inflation Hedge: Gold acts as a hedge against inflation and currency depreciation. During periods of economic uncertainty, its rising value protects real household purchasing power and safeguards long-term savings.
• Economic Implications: While the increase in gold prices raises nominal wealth, it does not create new productive assets. Economists caution that the perceived wealth gain may not translate into real growth unless leveraged for investment or income-generating activities.

Vivek Menon First Asian Chair of IUCN Species Survival Commission

In the News: Indian wildlife conservationist Vivek Menon has been appointed as the first Asian Chair of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Species Survival Commission (SSC). His election marks a historic moment for Asian representation in global biodiversity governance and conservation leadership.

Key Points:

• Historic Appointment: Vivek Menon, founder and CEO of the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), became the first Asian to head the IUCN Species Survival Commission—one of the world’s most influential conservation bodies.
• About IUCN SSC: The SSC coordinates the work of over 10,000 experts globally, spread across 180 specialist groups, focusing on assessing the status of species, updating the IUCN Red List, and developing conservation action plans.
• Role and Responsibility: As Chair, Menon will guide global initiatives to protect endangered species, promote sustainable biodiversity policies, and strengthen collaboration among scientists, governments, and conservation organizations.
• Significance for India and Asia: His appointment reflects growing recognition of Asia’s leadership in wildlife conservation. It highlights India’s expertise in species recovery, anti-poaching efforts, and habitat restoration on a global stage.

Tomahawk Missiles

In the News: The United States has approved the sale of Tomahawk Block V cruise missiles to India under a major defence agreement in 2025. The acquisition marks a significant milestone in enhancing India’s long-range precision strike capabilities, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region, strengthening interoperability between the Indian and U.S. navies.

Key Points:

• Defence Agreement: The U.S. government approved the sale of Tomahawk Block V missiles to India as part of expanding bilateral defence cooperation. These missiles will be integrated into Indian Navy destroyers, including the Visakhapatnam-class and Kolkata-class warships.
• Missile Capabilities: The Tomahawk Block V is a long-range, precision-guided, subsonic cruise missile with a strike range exceeding 1,600 km. It is capable of engaging both land-based and maritime targets with exceptional accuracy.
• Strategic Importance: The addition of Tomahawks significantly enhances India’s maritime strike capability, enabling it to project power deep into the Indo-Pacific and improve deterrence in strategic sea lanes.
• Operational Flexibility: These missiles can be launched from ships or submarines, providing multi-platform operational flexibility and supporting India’s “sea-denial” and “sea-control” strategies.
• Technological Advantage: The Block V variant features advanced navigation systems, improved target recognition, and network-enabled warfare capabilities, allowing real-time retargeting and high precision even in GPS-denied environments.
• Geopolitical Context: The acquisition aligns with India’s growing role in the Quad security framework (India, U.S., Japan, Australia) and enhances interoperability with allied naval forces in ensuring a free, open, and rules-based Indo-Pacific.
• Manufacturer: The Tomahawk is developed by Raytheon Technologies, a U.S.-based defence major, and has been extensively used by the U.S. and allied forces for strategic strike missions since the 1990s.

India’s Trade Deficit Hits $32.15 Billion in September 2025

In the News: India’s trade deficit widened to $32.15 billion in September 2025, marking its highest level in 16 months, as exports declined amid robust import demand. The growing gap was primarily driven by a surge in crude oil, gold, and electronics imports, while merchandise exports slowed due to weak global demand.

Key Points:

• Record Deficit: India’s trade deficit for September 2025 stood at $32.15 billion, compared to $28.3 billion in August 2025, reflecting mounting import pressures and weaker outbound shipments.
• Export Performance: Merchandise exports fell 5.4% year-on-year to $34.5 billion, led by declines in engineering goods, chemicals, and textiles, affected by soft global orders and price corrections in key commodities.
• Rising Imports: Imports surged 8.2% to $66.65 billion, driven by higher demand for crude oil, gold, and electronic goods, with global energy prices remaining elevated and festive-season gold purchases contributing to import growth.
• Sectoral Trends: The rise in electronics and energy imports reflects India’s continued dependence on high-value imports for manufacturing and mobility sectors, despite ongoing efforts to promote domestic production through the PLI scheme.

India–South Korea Hold First Bilateral Naval Exercise IN–RoKN

In the News: India and South Korea conducted their first-ever bilateral naval exercise, IN–RoKN 2025, off the coast of Busan, marking a major milestone in their maritime defence cooperation. The exercise reflects the growing strategic partnership between the two Indo-Pacific democracies, focused on ensuring regional stability and a rules-based maritime order.

Key Points:

• Exercise Overview: The inaugural edition of IN–RoKN 2025 was held between the Indian Navy and the Republic of Korea Navy (RoKN) to strengthen operational coordination and maritime interoperability.
• Participating Ships: From India, INS Delhi (guided missile destroyer) and INS Shakti (fleet tanker) participated, while South Korea deployed RoKS Dae Jo Yeong and RoKS Hwacheon, highlighting both sides’ advanced surface combatant capabilities.
• Exercise Scope: The drills included anti-submarine warfare, surface maneuvers, communication exercises, replenishment-at-sea, and formation sailing, aimed at refining joint operational tactics and enhancing maritime domain awareness.
• Strategic Objectives: IN–RoKN 2025 emphasized both nations’ shared vision of a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific, in alignment with broader regional frameworks such as the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI) and ROK’s Indo-Pacific Strategy.
• Significance for Defence Cooperation: The exercise builds upon existing defence ties, including naval ship visits, high-level exchanges, and cooperation in shipbuilding, cybersecurity, and maritime technology.
• Regional Importance: The collaboration contributes to Indo-Pacific security architecture, promoting coordinated responses to challenges such as piracy, illegal fishing, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) operations.

India and Indonesia Begin 5th Samudra Shakti Naval Exercise

In the News: India and Indonesia have begun the 5th edition of their bilateral naval exercise ‘Samudra Shakti 2025’ in the Java Sea, reinforcing their shared commitment to maritime security, regional stability, and a free and open Indo-Pacific. The exercise marks another milestone in the growing strategic and defence cooperation between the two nations.

Key Points:

• Exercise Overview: The fifth edition of Samudra Shakti 2025 brings together the Indian Navy and the Indonesian Navy (TNI AL) for advanced maritime drills aimed at enhancing interoperability and operational synergy.
• Participating Vessels: The Indian Navy deployed INS Kiltan and INS Kadmatt, both anti-submarine warfare corvettes, while Indonesia participated with KRI Sultan Iskandar Muda and maritime patrol aircraft, demonstrating combined naval capability.
• Exercise Components: The exercise includes surface warfare, air defence operations, joint boarding drills, replenishment-at-sea, and tactical manoeuvres, focusing on strengthening tactical coordination and response to maritime threats.
• Strategic Significance: Samudra Shakti 2025 underscores the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between India and Indonesia and aligns with India’s Act East Policy and the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI).
• Maritime Security Focus: The exercise enhances cooperation in maritime domain awareness, anti-piracy operations, and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) missions, improving regional disaster response capabilities.
• Regional Importance: Conducted in the Java Sea, the drill holds strategic significance for maintaining freedom of navigation and ensuring the security of critical sea lanes in the Indo-Pacific region.

UN Reports Record CO2 Rise in 2024

In the News: The United Nations’ World Meteorological Organization (WMO) reported that global carbon dioxide (CO₂) concentrations reached a record 423.7 parts per million (ppm) in 2024, marking the highest levels ever recorded in human history. The findings were published in the UN’s Greenhouse Gas Bulletin, raising serious concerns over continued fossil fuel dependence and deforestation despite global climate commitments.

Key Points:

• Record CO₂ Levels: Atmospheric CO₂ concentrations rose by 2.8 ppm in 2024, reaching 423.7 ppm, surpassing all previous records since systematic monitoring began. This level is about 50% higher than pre-industrial concentrations.
• Causes of the Rise: The WMO attributed the surge to persistent fossil fuel combustion, industrial activity, and large-scale deforestation, which continue to release massive amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
• Other Greenhouse Gases: Alongside CO₂, concentrations of methane (CH₄) and nitrous oxide (N₂O) also increased significantly, exacerbating global warming and destabilizing weather patterns across continents.
• Impact on Climate Goals: The UN warned that the current emissions trajectory is incompatible with the Paris Agreement target of limiting global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, heightening risks of severe climate impacts.
• Regional and Global Effects: Rising CO₂ levels contribute to record heatwaves, intensified droughts, sea-level rise, and extreme weather events, disproportionately affecting vulnerable populations and ecosystems.
• Call for Action: The WMO urged nations to accelerate the transition to renewable energy, end fossil fuel subsidies, and enhance carbon sequestration efforts through afforestation and sustainable land-use practices.

Sundarbans’ SAIME Model Wins FAO Global Recognition

In the News: The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations has recognized the SAIME (Sustainable Aquaculture in Mangrove Ecosystem) model from the Indian Sundarbans as a global best practice for community-led mangrove restoration and sustainable livelihood development. The model integrates ecological conservation with economic empowerment in one of the world’s most climate-vulnerable regions.

Key Points:

• Global Recognition: The FAO honoured India’s SAIME model for its success in combining mangrove restoration with sustainable aquaculture, making it an exemplary nature-based solution for climate resilience and ecosystem restoration.
• Model Origin: Developed by local communities in partnership with the West Bengal Forest Department, the SAIME initiative focuses on restoring degraded mangrove habitats while creating livelihood opportunities through sustainable fish and crab farming.
• Community Participation: The project empowers local villagers—particularly women and small-scale fishers—to manage aquaculture ponds linked with mangrove plantations, ensuring income generation alongside environmental protection.
• Ecological Benefits: The model enhances biodiversity, carbon sequestration, and coastal protection against cyclones and tidal surges, strengthening natural defences in the fragile Sundarbans delta ecosystem.
• Socio-Economic Impact: By linking conservation with livelihood development, SAIME reduces economic vulnerability, improves food security, and promotes sustainable resource management in climate-sensitive coastal areas.
• Global Importance: FAO identified SAIME as one of the world’s most effective nature-based livelihood initiatives, aligning with the UN’s Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021–2030) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
• Future Expansion: Encouraged by international recognition, the initiative is set to be replicated across other coastal regions of India and potentially adapted in Southeast Asian mangrove ecosystems.