UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS

On August 21, 2025, India's Foreign Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar met Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow. The visit came at a time when the US has imposed additional sanctions on India regarding energy trade. The purpose of this meeting was not only to strengthen trade relations but also to discuss global energy security, multilateral cooperation and protection of Indian interests.

Israel's approval of the expansion of the 'E1 Settlement Plan' on the occupied West Bank has drawn strong reactions from various countries, given its implications on the two-state solution and the Middle East peace process.

Global geopolitics is changing and traditional power alignments are changing due to conflicts, economic instability and changing alliances. India needs to deal with these changes to safeguard its interests.

The Government of India has issued an important notification through the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) imposing a complete ban on the import of certain jute products and ropes from Bangladesh by land route. Now these products will be imported only from Nhava Sheva port in Maharashtra.

The decades-long Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in the South Caucasus region led to deep mistrust, violence and political instability between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

India and Russia have a decades-old strategic and privileged partnership. Global geopolitical turmoil, particularly the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the recent strain in India-US relations, has given this partnership further importance.

For the first time in 2025, the BIMSTEC Traditional Music Festival was organized at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi.

On 16 July 2025, the United States deported immigrants from five countries to the African nation of Eswatini.

The European Union Council has allowed Bulgaria to adopt the Euro currency from January 1, 2026.

On June 22, the US attacked Iranian nuclear installations, which has been named 'Operation Midnight Hammer'.