UPSC Daily News Summaries: Essential Current Affairs, Key Issues and Important Updates for Civil Services

A quick look at all the current affairs topics making headlines on October 7, 2025 and the possible questions for the exam.

1. Delhi govt to urge SC to allow green firecrackers

The Delhi government announced on Monday that it will approach the Supreme Court seeking permission to allow green firecrackers on Diwali this year, seeking to revive a policy that failed miserably between 2018 and 2020 when enforcement proved impossible and air quality gains were negligible, if not entirely missing. Chief minister Rekha Gupta, speaking at the Delhi secretariat, said the government would request the court permit “certified green firecrackers” to balance “public sentiments and environmental protection.” Delhi’s firecracker policy has oscillated for years. A comprehensive ban was first implemented in 2017 following a Supreme Court inquiry. The court allowed green firecrackers in 2018, but the government imposed annual blanket bans during winter from 2020 onward after enforcement collapsed. The Supreme Court asked the Union environment ministry for Delhi’s stance on firecracker bursting. The government will share its position during the next hearing on October 8.

UPSC daily summaries

Possible Question

Critically evaluate the effectiveness of “green firecrackers” as a pollution control measure. How should policy balance cultural practices with environmental and public health concerns?

2. Bihar polls to be held in two phases, Nov 14 decision day

Roughly 74.3 million people across 243 constituencies in Bihar will vote in Assembly polls across two phases on November 6 and 11, the Election Commission of India (ECI) announced on Monday. Elections in India’s third most populous province rested on a razor’s edge five years ago – the difference between the two major coalitions was less than 12,000 votes. The votes will be counted on November 14. The elections will also have ramifications beyond Patna. For the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), it is yet another opportunity to show that its unexpected setback in the 2024 general elections was merely a blip, and continue its march of Assembly elections victory after Haryana and Maharashtra. It will also pull the rug from underneath the campaign agenda of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who has spent months alleging irregularities in India’s voting and vote counting mechanism. For the Opposition, the elections offer a chance to stem the tide of losses that followed its stellar performance in the 2024 general elections and win a major state with enormous political heft.

Possible Question

Discuss the role of the Election Commission in ensuring free and fair elections in India. What challenges does it face in states with deeply entrenched caste and identity politics?

3. Supreme Court: India now ‘haven’ for foreigners overstaying illegally

The Supreme Court on Monday said India seemed to have become a “haven” for foreigners who overstay illegally, as it came down strongly on an Israeli man living in Goa with a Russian partner while dismissing his plea seeking to stop their two minor daughters from being sent back to Russia. A bench of justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi refused to entertain the petition filed by Dror Shlomo Goldstein, who claimed to be the father of the two girls, calling it a “publicity interest” and “frivolous” litigation. “This country has become a haven for all kinds of people. Anybody comes and stays here endlessly,” Bench said during the hearing, questioning how the Israeli national was sustaining himself in India. “Why are you in India despite being Israeli? What is your source of livelihood? We do not want to comment on your activities but how are you surviving in Goa?” the court asked.

Possible Question

Examine the challenges posed by illegal immigration and overstaying of foreigners in India. What policy mechanisms are needed to address humanitarian concerns while safeguarding national security?

4. Nobel for 3 scientists behind immune breakthrough

US-based Mary Brunkow and Fred Ramsdell, and Japan’s Shimon Sakaguchi have been awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for discoveries on how the immune system self-regulates, which have led to potential therapies for cancer and autoimmune diseases. The scientists’ work laid the foundation for a new field of research and potential treatments by identifying “the immune system’s security guards” that prevent the body from harming itself. The work took place over several decades. Sakaguchi paved the way with his discovery of a new class of T cells — the white blood cells that play a crucial role in our defenses. These regulatory T cells help turn the immune response down after it eliminates an invader and prevent other T cells from attacking healthy ones. Brunkow and Ramsdell built on this, when they found a faulty gene on mice with severe autoimmune disease caused by a mutation after radiation. They named it Foxp3, and it turned out to be key to regulating T cell function as well as the cause of a rare inherited autoimmune disease called IPEX syndrome. Two years later, Sakaguchi was able to show that the Foxp3 gene controls the development of regulatory T cells.

Possible Question

What is the significance of research on regulatory T-cells in advancing medical science? How can India strengthen its research ecosystem to contribute to such global breakthroughs?

5. Crisis grips France as new premier abruptly resigns

France’s new Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu resigned after less than a month in office and less than 24 hours after naming a new government that prompted a key coalition ally to withdraw support. The move plunged the country further into political crisis and left President Emmanuel Macron with few options. The presidency said in a statement on Monday that Macron, who has been hitting record lows in opinion polls, has accepted the resignation. Lecornu had replaced his predecessor, François Bayrou, on September 9 to become France’s fourth prime minister in barely a year during a prolonged period of political instability. Lecornu is now the shortest-serving prime minister in the history of the Fifth Republic, which started in 1958. French politics have been in disarray since Macron called snap elections last year that produced a deeply fragmented legislature. Far-right and left-wing lawmakers hold over 320 seats at the National Assembly, while the centrists and allied conservatives hold 210, with no party having an overall majority.

Possible Question

Analyse how political instability in key European states like France impacts India’s foreign policy and economic engagement with the European Union.

Editorial Snapshots

A. Battle for Bihar and beyond

The results of the elections in Bihar, India’s third most populous State, will shape power equations both in Patna and Delhi, and influence perceptions in other Assembly elections due next year. Bihar’s politics is in a phase of transition. Since the advent of Mandal politics, electoral politics here have revolved around the two poles of Lalu Prasad and Nitish Kumar. An ailing Lalu has left the RJD leadership to his son, Tejashwi Yadav, and this election is also likely to be the swansong of Nitish, whose Mandal plus sushasan (good governance) politics involved smart coalition building, patronage, and assurance of the rule of law. Their retreat will open up the political space in Bihar, and the outcome in November will offer clues about the state’s post Mandal future. The duo kept politics in Bihar, unlike in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh, tethered firmly to caste, and mostly avoided faith. Nitish broadened the framework of identity politics to include gender by tailoring public policy and affirmative action. Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj Party has sought to transcend the identity trope and sell a politics of hope by focussing on development. The two national parties, the BJP and Congress, have little to contribute, despite the former having a substantial cadre presence and a crowd-puller in Prime Minister Narendra Modi. What will Bihar’s political future hold?

Possible Question

How has Mandal politics shaped Bihar’s social and political landscape? Assess the prospects for development-oriented politics in the state’s evolving electoral context.

B. An act of vandalism in the highest court

The attempt to hurl a shoe at Chief Justice of India (CJI) BR Gavai in the Supreme Court on Monday morning is an unfortunate but inevitable consequence of continual political attempts to keep the communal pot simmering. The attempt by the lawyer, identified as Rakesh Kishore, and his utterance, “Sanatan ka apman nahi sahenge (We will not tolerate any insult to Sanatan) while he attempted to remove his shoe, lay bare his sympathies and motivation. Though the CJI has decided not to take any action against the lawyer, this newspaper believes that an attack on the leader of the Indian judiciary (and that too, a Dalit jurist) should not be left without a probe. The incident is linked to a controversy earlier this year, when a bench of CJI Gavai and justice K Vinod Chandran declined to entertain a plea filed by a man who sought directions to restore a seven-foot beheaded idol of Lord Vishnu at Khajuraho. During the hearing, the CJI had reportedly told the petitioner’s lawyer: “Go and ask the deity itself to do something now,” while declaring that the Archaeological Survey of India had to give permission. Despite his clarification later that he respected all religions, social media has remained vitiated with a profusion of disparaging comments about the CJI and the top court. The outrageous attack is the result of this manufactured controversy and should serve as a lesson to authorities in acting against elements that try to erode the public standing of institutions.

Possible Question

What are the implications of rising hostility and misinformation against judicial institutions in India? Suggest measures to safeguard judicial dignity and strengthen public trust in the judiciary.

Fact of the day

Airlines add 1,700 flights ahead of festive season: With the festive season around the corner, airlines are gearing up to operate more than 1,700 additional flights across key routes to address the travel rush. The move comes after the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) stepped in to ensure sufficient capacity and prevent a sharp rise in airfares ahead of Diwali. The airlines have responded to the regulator’s call. IndiGo, India’s largest carrier, will operate around 730 extra flights across 42 sectors. Air India and Air India Express will together add nearly 486 additional flights across 20 sectors, while SpiceJet will deploy about 546 extra flights across 38 routes, the DGCA said. These additions are aimed at easing congestion and improving availability, especially on popular routes such as Delhi to Mumbai, Delhi to Bengaluru, and Mumbai to Chennai, as people head back home to their families to bring in the festive season. DGCA said they will maintain “rigorous oversight” of both fares and seat availability to protect passengers’ interests. Airfares often witness a steep surge during Diwali and year-end holidays, with passengers booking last minute tickets facing the highest hikes. Ahead of Durga Puja, flights to Kolkata also reportedly witnessed a surge in ticket prices.