Current Affairs for 25 December 2025

INSV Kaundinya’s Maiden Overseas Voyage

Why in News ?

The Indian Navy’s stitched sailing vessel INSV Kaundinya is set to undertake her maiden overseas voyage, marking a significant milestone in showcasing India’s ancient maritime traditions and seafaring heritage through a living naval experiment.

Background & Context

India has a long and rich history of maritime trade and cultural exchange, particularly with Southeast Asia, dating back over two millennia. Ancient Indian ships played a crucial role in the spread of commerce, religion, art, and political ideas across the Indian Ocean region.

Recent years have seen renewed efforts to highlight this heritage as part of India’s maritime diplomacy and cultural soft power, aligning with initiatives such as Project Mausam and the broader Indo-Pacific vision.
INSV Kaundinya represents a fusion of archaeology, traditional craftsmanship, and naval expertise, transforming historical knowledge into a functional seafaring vessel.

INSV Kaundinya: Key Features

A stitched sailing vessel, inspired by a 5th-century ship depiction in Ajanta cave paintings

• Constructed without the use of metal nails
• Built using traditional shipbuilding techniques, including:
  • Coconut fibre and coir rope stitching
  • Wooden joinery
  • Natural resins
  • Cotton sails
• Crafted by traditional artisans from Kerala, preserving indigenous maritime skills

Institutional Collaboration

• Joint initiative of:
  • Indian Navy
  • Ministry of Culture
  • Hodi Innovations
• Reflects collaboration between:
  • Defence institutions
  • Cultural heritage bodies
  • Traditional craft communities

Symbolic and Cultural Motifs on the Vessel

• Gandabherunda (mythical two-headed eagle):
  • Symbol of the Kadamba dynasty
  • Represents strength and sovereignty
• Sun motif:
  • Symbol of continuity and life
• Simha Yali on the bow:
  • Mythical lion-like guardian figure in Indian art
  • Harappan-style stone anchor on the deck:
  • Links the vessel to Indus Valley maritime traditions

Significance of INSV Kaundinya

• Demonstrates India’s ancient shipbuilding knowledge
• Revives stitched-ship technology, once prevalent across the Indian Ocean
• Highlights India’s historical role in:
  • Maritime trade
  • Cultural diffusion
  • Navigation and seafaring
• Enhances maritime diplomacy by projecting civilisational continuity
• Serves as a floating symbol of India’s soft power in the Indo-Pacific region

Who Was Kaundinya ?

• A legendary Indian mariner, believed to have sailed to Southeast Asia around 2,000 years ago
• Married Queen Soma
• Founded the Funan kingdom, one of the earliest Indianised states in Southeast Asia
• Symbolises:
  • Early Indian maritime enterprise
  • Cultural and political exchanges across seas

Strategic and Cultural Relevance

• Reinforces India’s image as a historic maritime civilisation
• Complements India’s contemporary emphasis on:
  • Blue Economy
  • Indo-Pacific cooperation
  • Cultural diplomacy
• Encourages preservation of intangible heritage, especially traditional crafts

INSV Kaundinya’s Maiden Overseas Voyage

Why in News ?

The Indian Navy’s stitched sailing vessel INSV Kaundinya is set to undertake her maiden overseas voyage, marking a significant milestone in showcasing India’s ancient maritime traditions and seafaring heritage through a living naval experiment.

Background & Context

India has a long and rich history of maritime trade and cultural exchange, particularly with Southeast Asia, dating back over two millennia. Ancient Indian ships played a crucial role in the spread of commerce, religion, art, and political ideas across the Indian Ocean region.

Recent years have seen renewed efforts to highlight this heritage as part of India’s maritime diplomacy and cultural soft power, aligning with initiatives such as Project Mausam and the broader Indo-Pacific vision.
INSV Kaundinya represents a fusion of archaeology, traditional craftsmanship, and naval expertise, transforming historical knowledge into a functional seafaring vessel.

INSV Kaundinya: Key Features

A stitched sailing vessel, inspired by a 5th-century ship depiction in Ajanta cave paintings

• Constructed without the use of metal nails
• Built using traditional shipbuilding techniques, including:
  • Coconut fibre and coir rope stitching
  • Wooden joinery
  • Natural resins
  • Cotton sails
• Crafted by traditional artisans from Kerala, preserving indigenous maritime skills

Institutional Collaboration

• Joint initiative of:
  • Indian Navy
  • Ministry of Culture
  • Hodi Innovations
• Reflects collaboration between:
  • Defence institutions
  • Cultural heritage bodies
  • Traditional craft communities

Symbolic and Cultural Motifs on the Vessel

• Gandabherunda (mythical two-headed eagle):
  • Symbol of the Kadamba dynasty
  • Represents strength and sovereignty
• Sun motif:
  • Symbol of continuity and life
• Simha Yali on the bow:
  • Mythical lion-like guardian figure in Indian art
  • Harappan-style stone anchor on the deck:
  • Links the vessel to Indus Valley maritime traditions

Significance of INSV Kaundinya

• Demonstrates India’s ancient shipbuilding knowledge
• Revives stitched-ship technology, once prevalent across the Indian Ocean
• Highlights India’s historical role in:
  • Maritime trade
  • Cultural diffusion
  • Navigation and seafaring
• Enhances maritime diplomacy by projecting civilisational continuity
• Serves as a floating symbol of India’s soft power in the Indo-Pacific region

Who Was Kaundinya ?

• A legendary Indian mariner, believed to have sailed to Southeast Asia around 2,000 years ago
• Married Queen Soma
• Founded the Funan kingdom, one of the earliest Indianised states in Southeast Asia
• Symbolises:
  • Early Indian maritime enterprise
  • Cultural and political exchanges across seas

Strategic and Cultural Relevance

• Reinforces India’s image as a historic maritime civilisation
• Complements India’s contemporary emphasis on:
  • Blue Economy
  • Indo-Pacific cooperation
  • Cultural diplomacy
• Encourages preservation of intangible heritage, especially traditional crafts

Road Tunnel Safety Norms After Silkyara Incident

Why in News ?

Following the Silkyara Bend–Barkot Tunnel collapse on NH-134 (Char Dham Mahamarg Pariyojana) in Uttarakhand on 12 November 2023, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has issued comprehensive tunnel safety guidelines.
The collapse trapped 41 workers for 17 days, exposing serious gaps in geological assessment, tunnel design, and emergency preparedness, especially in the fragile Himalayan region.

Background & Context

India’s recent infrastructure push—particularly under Char Dham Connectivity, strategic border roads, and mountain highways—has significantly increased tunnelling activity in geologically young and unstable terrains.

The Himalayas, being a fold mountain system, are prone to:

• Faults and fractures
• High seismicity
• Weak rock mass
• Water ingress and landslides

The Silkyara incident became a watershed moment, highlighting how procedural compliance-driven project execution failed to address ground realities, necessitating a risk-based engineering approach.

Why Tunnel Safety Matters

• Tunnels are critical for all-weather connectivity in:
  • Mountainous regions
  • Snow-bound areas
  • Congested urban zones
  • Strategic and border areas
• India’s expanding highway and strategic road network has amplified geological, human, and disaster risks.
• Tunnel failures can lead to:
  • Loss of life
  • Strategic disruptions
  • Cost overruns and public distrust

MoRTH Tunnel Safety Guidelines: Key Provisions

1. Strengthening Planning & Risk Assessment (DPR, GBR, Risk Register)

Issues Identified

• Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) treated as procedural formalities
• Inadequate geological and geotechnical investigations

Guidelines

• Project authority to verify accuracy and adequacy of geological investigations
• Mandatory preparation of:
  • Geotechnical Baseline Report (GBR)
  • Risk Register (hazards, risks, mitigation measures)
• Adoption of risk allocation principle: “Risk shall be borne by the party best equipped to manage it.”
• GBR and risk register to be shared with bidders to ensure transparency and realistic costing

2. Geological Realities & Design Challenges

Core Concerns

• Tunnel design depends heavily on the ground acting as a support system
• Predicting ground behaviour from limited tests is unreliable, especially in the Himalayas
• Poor geological investigation leads to:
  • Time overruns
  • Cost escalation
  • Structural failures

Special Conditions to be Assessed

• Squeezing and swelling ground
• Rock bursts
• Shallow overburden zones
• Tunnels below perennial streams/nalas
• Hot water ingress
• Toxic or flammable gases (especially in long tunnels)

3. Tunnelling Technologies: NATM vs TBM

New Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM)

• “Design-as-you-go” approach
• Suitable for non-uniform rock conditions
• Controlled blasting
• Mandatory excavation and support sheet after each round

Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM)

• Suitable for uniform geological stretches
• Requires high vigilance against:
  • Roof collapse
  • Sudden water ingress

4. Collapse Risk Zoning & Safety Infrastructure

• Mandatory classification of tunnels into collapse-risk zones
• High-risk zones must include:
  • Np-4 escape pipe (minimum 0.9 m diameter)
  • Mobile rescue containers
  • Fixed rescue containers
  • Minimum 24-hour survival capacity for trapped workers

5. Emergency Response & Human Capacity

• Shift managers to be trained as first responders
• Mandatory Emergency Response Plan (ERP):
  • Prepared in advance
  • Updated weekly based on evolving site conditions
• Emphasis on human preparedness alongside engineering solutions

India’s Tunnel Infrastructure Snapshot

As per MoRTH’s reply in Parliament (December 12, 2024):

• 42 tunnels (60.37 km) completed under 27 NH projects
• 57 tunnels (93.96 km) under implementation in 37 NH projects
• 3 tunnels (9.68 km) approved at a cost of ₹1,962 crore
• One 6-lane PPP project in Maharashtra costing ₹4,501 crore, including 2 tunnels (3.47 km), cleared by the PPP Appraisal Committee

Challenges & Way Forward

Key Challenges

• Weak and non-scientific DPR preparation
• Complex Himalayan geology
• Inadequate on-site emergency preparedness
• Coordination gaps during rescue operations

Way Forward

• Institutionalise scientific, data-driven DPRs
• Integrate real-time geological monitoring
• Conduct periodic independent safety audits
• Clear role definition among:
  • Incident Commander (District Magistrate)
  • Construction agencies
  • Local administration
  • NDRF / SDRF commanders
• Armed Forces to ensure:
  • Technical support
  • Inter-agency coordination
  • Responder safety
  • Use these guidelines as a template for other sectors:
  • Metro rail
  • Hydropower projects

Karbi Anglong Unrest and Sixth Schedule Tensions

Why in News ?

Fresh violence erupted in West Karbi Anglong district of Assam, resulting in two deaths, multiple injuries, arson of shops and markets, suspension of mobile internet services, and imposition of prohibitory orders.
The violence is rooted in long-standing land disputes, particularly over alleged encroachments on Professional Grazing Reserve (PGR) and Village Grazing Reserve (VGR) lands under the jurisdiction of the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC).

Background & Context

Karbi Anglong and West Karbi Anglong are tribal-majority hill districts governed under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, which provides autonomous councils to safeguard tribal identity, land, and customary practices.

Over decades, demographic pressures, migration, and weak land governance have created friction between indigenous Karbi tribes and non-tribal settlers, particularly over land reserved for traditional livelihoods.
The issue has periodically erupted into unrest, reflecting the structural challenges of balancing tribal autonomy with constitutional rights of settlers.

Immediate Trigger of the Violence

Hunger Strike Over Grazing Lands

• For over two weeks, nine Karbi protesters were on a fast unto death at Phelangpi in West Karbi Anglong.
• Demand:
  • Eviction of alleged encroachers from PGR and VGR lands.
• Grazing reserves:
  • Date back to colonial land policies.
  • Are critical for livestock-based tribal livelihoods.

Perception of Arrest

• Protesters were shifted to Guwahati for medical treatment.
• Locals believed they had been arrested, triggering:
  • Stone-pelting
  • Arson
  • Escalation into widespread ethnic violence

Sixth Schedule and Karbi Anglong Governance

• The Sixth Schedule provides autonomous governance to tribal areas in Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, and Tripura.
• Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) has powers over:
  • Land management
  • Forests (excluding reserved forests)
  • Local governance and customary laws
• Objective:
  • Protection of tribal land rights
  • Preservation of ethnic identity and culture

History of Insurgency in Karbi Anglong

• Since the late 1980s, Karbi insurgent groups have operated in the region.
• Initial demand:
  • A separate Karbi state
• Later moderated to:
  • Greater autonomy and empowerment of KAAC
• Legacy of insurgency has:
  • Deepened suspicion of “outsiders”
  • Reinforced ethnic mobilisation around land and identity

The Land Question: PGR and VGR Lands

Encroachment vs Settlement Claims

• Karbi tribal bodies allege large-scale illegal settlements on grazing reserve lands.
• Settlers (including Biharis, Bengalis, Nepalis) claim:
  • Residence for several decades
  • Demand regularisation of land rights

Official Data

• KAAC identified:
  • 1,983 encroaching families in Hawaipur mouza
  • 103 families in Phuloni circle

Political Flashpoint

• Protests intensified after a Bihari Nonia community organisation submitted a memorandum to the President of India, seeking:
  • Legalisation of settlers on grazing lands
• Karbi groups perceived this as:
  • A dilution of Sixth Schedule protections
  • A threat to tribal land security

Legal Constraints on Evictions

• KAAC issued 15-day eviction notices to alleged encroachers.
• Eviction drive stalled due to:
  • A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) pending before the Gauhati High Court
• Authorities cited:
  • Risk of contempt of court if evictions proceeded during judicial consideration

Challenges and Way Ahead

Key Challenges

• Conflict between:
  • Customary tribal land rights
  • Settlers’ claims of long-term residence
  • Weak enforcement and legal ambiguity under the Sixth Schedule
  • Judicial delays in land-related disputes
• Deep mistrust between:
  • Local communities
  • Autonomous councils
  • State administration
  • Risk of ethnic polarisation and spillover violence

Way Forward

• Transparent rehabilitation or relocation policy for long-settled non-tribal populations
• Legal clarity on:
  • Status and protection of PGR and VGR lands
• Strengthening:
  • Institutional capacity of KAAC
  • Conflict resolution mechanisms
  • Time-bound judicial resolution of PILs involving land disputes
• Dialogue-based approach involving:
  • Tribal bodies
  • Settler representatives
  • State authorities
• Deployment of:
  • Early warning systems
  • Community policing to prevent escalation

Why Manufacturing Lags in India

Why in News ?

India’s persistent underperformance in manufacturing growth has come under renewed focus amid debates on structural constraints, public sector wage dynamics, productivity gaps, and their implications for industrial competitiveness and job creation.

Background & Context

Manufacturing has historically been the backbone of economic transformation across countries. Economies such as China and South Korea leveraged manufacturing to absorb surplus labour, raise productivity, and integrate into global trade.

India, however, has followed an atypical development trajectory. While services expanded rapidly, manufacturing failed to emerge as a dominant growth engine. Despite starting the 20th century at development levels comparable to several East Asian economies, India did not witness a sustained manufacturing boom. This divergence has raised concerns about structural weaknesses in India’s industrialisation strategy.

Manufacturing and Structural Transformation

• Manufacturing traditionally enables:
  • Labour absorption from agriculture
  • Productivity enhancement
  • Export diversification
• India’s structural transformation has been services-led, with sectors such as software, finance, and business process outsourcing driving growth.
• Manufacturing’s share in GDP has remained broadly stagnant, limiting its role in employment generation and technological upgrading.
• This pattern challenges conventional development models and raises questions about long-term sustainability.

India’s Manufacturing Performance

• Manufacturing’s contribution to GDP has remained nearly constant for decades and has recently declined relative to services.
• Industrial success has been sporadic and regionally concentrated, failing to generate mass employment.
• Compared to China and South Korea, India’s manufacturing sector lacks:
  • Scale
  • Sophistication
  • Integration into global value chains
• Weak manufacturing growth has constrained absorption of low-skilled labour, contributing to informality and underemployment.

Role of Public Sector Wages

• One explanation for manufacturing stagnation lies in public sector wage policies.
• Relatively high government salaries:
  • Drew workers away from manufacturing
  • Pushed up economy-wide wages
• Manufacturing firms with lower productivity struggled to match these wages, reducing competitiveness.
• Rising public sector incomes also boosted demand for non-tradable goods and services, increasing domestic prices.
• This indirectly hurt manufacturing by making imports relatively cheaper.

Dutch Disease Framework Applied to India

• Traditionally, Dutch disease refers to a resource boom that raises wages and appreciates currency, harming manufacturing exports.
• In India’s case:
  • The “boom” came from high-wage non-tradable government services, not natural resources.
• Higher wages raised domestic prices, leading to real exchange rate appreciation without nominal currency changes.
• Result:
  • Cheaper imports
  • Reduced demand for domestic manufactured goods
• Policy-driven wage increases thus weakened manufacturing incentives, similar to a resource windfall.

Technology and Productivity Constraints

• Economic theory suggests high wages should induce firms to:
  • Innovate
  • Adopt labour-saving technologies
  • Improve productivity
• This process underpinned industrialisation in countries like Britain, Germany, and Japan.
• In India:
  • Manufacturing firms largely failed to upgrade technology
  • Continued reliance on cheap labour persisted
• Limited capital deepening and weak innovation prevented movement up the value chain, undermining global competitiveness.

Uneven Growth and Rising Inequality

• India’s growth has been marked by:
  • Strong services expansion
  • Weak wage growth for a large workforce
• Even high-growth sectors like IT and platform-based services show stagnating entry-level wages.
• Many “unicorns” rely on labour reserves rather than breakthrough innovation.
• Manufacturing stagnation has contributed to:
  • Rising income inequality
  • Weak diffusion of skills and technology
  • Growth without mass employment

Implications for Economic Policy

• Weak manufacturing risks premature de-industrialisation, where services dominate before industrial maturity.
• This limits:
  • Job creation for semi-skilled workers
  • Export diversification
  • Inclusive growth
• Policy focus must include:
  • Improving manufacturing productivity
  • Encouraging technological adoption
  • Aligning wage growth with productivity gains
  • Investing in skills, infrastructure, and industrial clusters

Ancient Circular Labyrinth Found in Maharashtra

Why in News ?

Archaeologists have discovered a large circular stone labyrinth in the Boramani grasslands of Solapur district, Maharashtra, identified as the largest circular stone labyrinth ever recorded in India.
The discovery has generated significant interest due to its unique design, exceptional scale, and its possible links to Indo-Roman trade networks during the Satavahana period.

Background & Context

India’s archaeological landscape continues to reveal evidence of cross-cultural interactions, particularly during the early historic period (circa 1st century BCE to 3rd century CE).
The Satavahana dynasty, which ruled large parts of the Deccan, played a pivotal role in facilitating maritime and overland trade with the Roman world, reflected in coinage, ports, and material culture.

Labyrinth motifs—though rare in India—are globally significant symbols, often associated with ritual movement, cosmology, and symbolic journeys, making the Solapur discovery archaeologically and culturally significant.

India’s Largest Circular Stone Labyrinth: Key Features

• Located in the Boramani grasslands, Solapur, Maharashtra
• Constructed using small, carefully arranged stone blocks
• Comprises multiple concentric circular rings
• Rings guide movement inward towards a tightly coiled spiral at the centre
• The layout reflects:
  • High geometric precision
  • Strong symbolic intent

Archaeological Significance

• Soil accumulation between stone rings indicates the structure has remained undisturbed for several centuries
• Represents a rare physical labyrinth structure, unlike common rock carvings
• The number of circular circuits exceeds all previously known circular labyrinths in India
• Earlier largest circular labyrinth in India had 11 circuits; the Solapur example surpasses this

Cultural and Symbolic Influences

Indo-Roman Linkages

• Design similarities with classical Mediterranean labyrinths
• Comparable motifs found on Roman-era coins and mosaics
• Suggests cultural diffusion through Indo-Roman trade networks during the Satavahana period

Indigenous Symbolism

• Central spiral resembles the Chakravyūha
• Chakravyūha:
  • A complex military formation described in the Mahabharata
  • Symbolises layered defence and strategic entrapment
• Indicates indigenisation of foreign motifs into local symbolic frameworks

Comparison with Other Indian Labyrinths

• Largest square labyrinth in India:
  • Located at Gedimedu, Tamil Nadu
• Solapur site:
  • Largest circular stone labyrinth in India
  • Unprecedented in terms of circular complexity and scale

Mazes vs. Labyrinths: Conceptual Difference

Though often used interchangeably, they are structurally and conceptually distinct

Mazes

• Multicursal
• Multiple paths and decision points
• Designed as puzzles
• Often bounded by walls

Labyrinths

• Unicursal (single path)
• No dead ends or wrong turns
• Path winds through concentric circuits to a central point
• Open design without walls
• Emphasises journey rather than choice

Global Historical Context of Labyrinths

• Labyrinth designs date back over 4,000 years
• Found in:
  • Roman mosaics
  • Caves and cliffs
  • Tombs
  • Medieval European churches
  • Turf-cut landscapes
• The Solapur discovery adds India to the global archaeological map of large-scale labyrinth structures