Daily Current Affairs: GCCs, Veer Bal Diwas & Kimberley Process

📅 Date: 28 December 2025 (Sunday)

Welcome to today's comprehensive update. We are covering major shifts in India's job market with GCCs, deep-diving into history with Veer Bal Diwas and the Santhali language, and exploring critical environmental challenges like invasive species and malaria vectors.

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1. Economy: Global Capability Centres (GCCs)

Global Capability Centres (GCCs) have emerged as the primary engine sustaining India’s technology job market, a stark contrast to the hiring slowdown witnessed by traditional large IT firms.

About Global Capability Centres

GCCs, also known as Captive Centres, are offshore offices or subsidiaries set up by multinational corporations (MNCs) to handle various business processes and services. They connect organizations to a global pool of top-tier talent equipped with the latest technology.

• Scope of Work: These centres handle tasks ranging from IT support, R&D, and data analytics to finance and HR.
• Evolution: Originally set up for cost benefits (customer support/data processing), GCCs have evolved into strategic hubs driving innovation and digital transformation.
• Hubs in India: Key locations include Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune, Chennai, Mumbai, and NCR. India is an ideal location due to its abundant skilled labor and lower operational costs.

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2. Space Exploration: T Chamaeleontis

Astronomers have used archival data from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (MIRI instrument) to study the young star T Chamaeleontis.

Key Facts about the Star

• Location: A sun-like star in the southern constellation of Chamaeleon, about 350 light-years from Earth.
• Size: Approximately 70% the size of the Sun.
• The Disk: It is surrounded by a planet-forming disk (circumstellar disk).
• The Discovery: The disk contains a wide gap, likely carved out by an emerging protoplanet. This gap is significant as it allows scientists to study how young planets interact with their environment during formation.

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3. Culture: Santhali Language & The Constitution

President Droupadi Murmu recently released the Constitution of India in the Santhali language at Rashtrapati Bhavan. This highlights the importance of one of India's most ancient living languages.

About Santhali Language

• Classification: It belongs to the Munda branch of the Austroasiatic language family (distinct from Indo-European). It is related to Ho, Mundari, and Korku.
• Speakers: Spoken by the Santhal tribe (approx. 7 million people) in Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal, and Bihar. It is also spoken in Nepal and Bangladesh.
• Script: It uses the Ol Chiki script, developed in 1925 by Pandit Raghunath Murmu.
• Constitutional Status: Included in the Eighth Schedule via the 92nd Amendment Act, 2003.

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4. History: Veer Bal Diwas

The Prime Minister recently addressed the Veer Bal Diwas programme in New Delhi, observed on December 26.

Historical Context

• Purpose: To honor the martyrdom of Sahibzada Zorawar Singh ji and Sahibzada Fateh Singh ji, the youngest sons of Guru Gobind Singh Ji (10th Sikh Guru).
• The Event: During the siege of Anandpur fort by Mughal forces, the young Sahibzadas were captured. They refused to abandon their faith and were bricked alive on December 26, 1704.

About Guru Gobind Singh Ji

• He became the 10th Guru after the demise of Guru Tegh Bahadur.
• He founded the Khalsa and the Five ‘K’s (Kesh, Kanga, Kara, Kirpan, Kachera).
• He declared the Guru Granth Sahib as the eternal holy scripture of Sikhism.

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5. Environment: The Silent Invasion of Lantana camara

Global warming is facilitating the spread of Lantana camara, a silent invader affecting large parts of the world.

• What is it? An invasive broadleaf evergreen shrub native to Central and South America.
• Introduction to India: Introduced in the early 18th century by the British as an ornamental plant.
• Harmful Impact:
  • It releases chemicals into the soil that suppress other vegetation.
  • Its leaves, flowers, and berries are toxic to livestock.
  • It forms dense meshes preventing the growth of native plants.
• Usage: Its biomass can be used for furniture, fuelwood, and organic compost.

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6. Geography: Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)

Fisher-folk have urged the Centre for representation in policymaking regarding responsible fishing in the EEZ.

Understanding EEZ

• Definition: An area extending 200 nautical miles (approx 370 km) from a nation's coast.
• Legal Basis: Adopted through the 1982 UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea).
• Rights: The coastal nation has sovereign rights to explore, exploit, conserve, and manage natural resources (living and non-living) in the water, seabed, and subsoil.

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7. Health Alert: Anopheles stephensi & Urban Malaria

The Health Ministry’s Malaria Elimination Technical Report 2025 highlights a threat to India’s 2030 malaria elimination goal: the invasive Anopheles stephensi mosquito.

• Origin: Southeast Asia and the Arabian Peninsula.
• The Threat: Unlike other vectors, it is highly adapted to urban environments. It breeds in tiny amounts of water year-round.
• Transmission: It transmits both Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax parasites.
• Seasonality: Abundant in summer months (June-August).

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8. Biodiversity: Kanger Valley National Park

A quick look at one of India's unique biodiversity hotspots.

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9. Public Health: Rabies Crisis

According to 'One Health', India accounts for 20,000 of the 59,000 global rabies deaths annually.

• Nature: Vaccine-preventable, zoonotic, viral disease affecting the central nervous system (CNS).
• Fatality: Once clinical symptoms (like hydrophobia or paralysis) appear, rabies is 100% fatal.
• Transmission: Via saliva (bites/scratches) of infected mammals (dogs, bats, etc.).
• Prevention: Vaccinating dogs is the most cost-effective strategy.

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10. International Trade: Kimberley Process (KP)

India has been selected to Chair the Kimberley Process starting 1 January 2026. This will be India's third term as Chair (previous: 2008, 2019).

• Objective: To prevent the trade of "Conflict Diamonds" (rough diamonds used by rebel groups to finance wars).
• Structure: It is a tripartite initiative involving governments, the diamond industry, and civil society.
• KPCS: The Certification Scheme came into effect in 2003 under a UN mandate.
• Members: 60 participants (including the EU).

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11. Consumer Safety: New BIS Standard for Incense Sticks

On National Consumer Day 2025, a new standard for Agarbattis was released.

• Standard: IS 19412:2025.
• Objective: To ensure safety by restricting harmful insecticidal chemicals like alethrin, permethrin, and fipronil.
• Scope: Covers machine-made, hand-made, and traditional masala agarbattis.

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Stay updated! Focus on the "Ol Chiki script" for Art & Culture and the "200 nautical miles" limit for EEZ in your exam preparation.