Daily Current Affairs for UPSC IAS: 20th November 2025

Semeru Volcano:

A volcano on Indonesia’s main island of Java erupted recently, throwing ash and gas kilometres into the sky and forcing officials to raise the alert status to its highest level.

• Semeru Volcano is located in East Java, Indonesia.
• It is one of the most active volcanoes in Indonesia.
• At 3,676 metres (12,060 feet), it is the highest peak on Java Island and sits on the Pacific “Ring of Fire”.
• It lies at the southern end of a volcanic massif extending north to the Tengger caldera.
• Summit topography is complicated by the shifting of craters from NW to SE.
• Semeru, also known as Mahameru, has erupted numerous times in the past 200 years, including a deadly episode in 2021 that killed 62 people and buried villages in hot ash.
• It is known for its regular ash explosions that typically occur at intervals of 10-30 minutes.

Curacao:

With a population of just 156,000, Curacao has qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, becoming the smallest country in history to reach the tournament.

• Curacao is an island country situated in the south Caribbean Sea, about 60 km north of the coast of Venezuela.
• It is also a territorial country of the Netherlands.
• The country includes the main island of Curacao and the island of Klein Curacao, which cover a combined total area of 171 square miles.
• Although physiographically part of the South American continental shelf, Curaçao and neighboring islands off the northern coast of South America are usually considered to constitute the southwestern arc of the Lesser Antilles.
• Until the Netherlands Antilles was dissolved in October 2010, the country was one of its island territories and was governed as the “Island Territory of Curacao.”
• Currently, Curacao is administered by an independent government established by the people of Curacao and is fully autonomous in most matters, except those outlined in the Charter for the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
• The head of state is the Dutch monarch, represented by a governor, and the head of government is the prime minister.
• Once colonised by the Dutch for decades, Curacao has transformed into a thriving tourist destination and an important oil-refining hub.
• The capital is Willemstad. The center of the city, due to its unique architecture, has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Languages: Papiamento, Dutch, English
• According to the 2023 census (published in January 2025), the population stands at 156,115, with a sex ratio of 81.9 men for every 100 women.

BvS10 Sindhu:

Infrastructure major Larsen & Toubro Ltd. (L&T) and BAE Systems recently bagged a contract from the Indian Army for supply of BvS10 Sindhu – a specialised all-terrain armoured vehicle, according to a regulatory filing.

• The BvS10 is a well-known articulated all-terrain vehicle used by several European militaries.
• The BvS10 is already in service with the armed forces of Austria, France, the Netherlands, Sweden, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom.
• It’s also on order for the German Army and has been selected for the US Army’s Cold Weather All-Terrain Vehicle (CATV) program.
• Its design allows for two connected vehicle sections that help it cross difficult terrain that conventional wheeled or tracked vehicles struggle with.
• BvS10 Sindhu is an upgraded variant of the BvS10 with adaptations tailored specifically for India’s terrain and climate.
• L&T will manufacture the BvS10 Sindhu at its Armoured Systems Complex in Hazira, Gujarat, with technical and design support from BAE Systems Hägglunds (a Swedish business unit of BAE Systems, focused on military ground vehicles), the original manufacturer of the BvS10 platform.
• The Sindhu variant can be reconfigured for multiple purposes: troop transport, command post, ambulance, recovery, logistics, or even a weapons-armed version.
• This flexibility is ideal for the Indian Army’s diverse mission needs.
• It’s customized for India’s extreme terrain: high-altitude regions, deserts, marshlands, and flood-prone zones.
• The vehicle is also amphibious, able to operate in water or flooded terrain.

BIRSA 101 Gene Therapy:

The Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology launched India’s first indigenous “CRISPR” based gene therapy for Sickle Cell Disease and named it BIRSA 101.

• BIRSA 101 is India’s first indigenous CRISPR-based gene therapy, designed to treat Sickle Cell Disease (SCD).
• The therapy has been named Birsa-101 in honour of the tribal leader Birsa Munda.
• It is developed by the CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB).
• It utilizes the CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing tool to correct the genetic mutation causing Sickle Cell Disease.
• It is priced significantly lower than global CRISPR treatments, making it more accessible to the poorest populations.
• Birsa-101 precisely corrects the mutations in the genetic code that causes the disease.
• The therapy has to be given as a one-time infusion, after which the body should start producing normal red blood cells instead of sickle-shaped ones.
• Sickle Cell Disease is a genetic condition that leads to the body’s red blood cells becoming rigid, sickle-shaped, and less capable of carrying oxygen.
• The shape of the blood cells can also lead to blockages in blood flow, leading to acute episodes of pain, chronic pain, organ damage, anaemia, infections, and strokes.
• A person can be a carrier and not have a disease.
• The likelihood of a child having the disease increases if both parents are carriers or one parent has the disease and the other is a carrier.

HDFC Bank tops Kantar BrandZ’s 2025 list of India’s most valuable brands:

HDFC Bank has once again claimed the title of India’s most valuable brand, overtaking Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), according to the 2025 Kantar BrandZ Most Valuable Indian Brands Report. With a brand value of $44.9 billion, HDFC Bank tops a list that reflects both long-term equity and fresh brand momentum in India’s rapidly evolving consumer landscape. This report also crowns Zomato as the fastest-rising brand for the second consecutive year, as it continues to expand beyond its food delivery roots.HDFC Bank last led the BrandZ rankings in 2021 before TCS overtook it in 2022. Its comeback in 2025 is being attributed to a mix of post-merger consolidation with HDFC Ltd, aggressive digital innovation, and deep consumer trust.

Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development for 2024:

Former Chile President Michelle Bachelet was awarded with the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development for 2024.

• Indira Gandhi Peace Prize was instituted in the memory of the former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by a trust in her name in 1986.
• It is also known as the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament, and Development.
• It consists of a monetary award of 25 lakh rupees along with a citation.
• It is awarded annually to a person or organization without any distinction of nationality, race or religion, in recognition of creative efforts towards:
  • Promoting international peace and disarmament, racial equality, and goodwill and harmony among nations;
  • Securing economic co-operation and promoting a new international economic order;
  • Accelerating the all-round advancement of developing nations;
  • Ensuring that the discoveries of science and modern knowledge are used for the larger good of the human race; and
  • Enlarging the scope of freedom and enriching the human spirit.

Leonardo DiCaprio to Receive Desert Palm Achievement Award:

Leonardo DiCaprio, one of Hollywood’s most celebrated actors, will receive the Desert Palm Achievement Award (Actor) at the upcoming Palm Springs International Film Festival, scheduled for January 3, 2026. This recognition comes for his powerful performance in Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest film, One Battle After Another, affirming DiCaprio’s enduring reputation for portraying emotionally rich and transformative characters

Cambridge Dictionary names “parasocial” Word of the Year 2025:

The Cambridge Dictionary has chosen “parasocial” as its Word of the Year for 2025, recognizing the growing public interest in one-sided emotional relationships that people form with celebrities, influencers, and artificial intelligence systems. This selection reflects a broader cultural shift in how people interact emotionally with figures and technologies they’ve never met, especially in an era dominated by social media and digital companionship. Parasocial refers to a one-way emotional connection that someone forms with a person or character who is unaware of their existence

Nitish Kumar Sworn In As Historic 10th Term As Bihar CM:

Nitish Kumar, the Janata Dal (United) chief, was sworn in as Chief Minister for an unprecedented 10th term. The swearing-in ceremony at Patna’s Gandhi Maidan drew some of the country’s most influential political leaders, following the BJP-led NDA’s emphatic victory in the recently concluded Assembly elections. With the NDA securing a robust mandate of 202 seats, the political landscape in Bihar enters a new era marked by promises of development, governance continuity, and renewed alliances.