Daily Current Affairs

October 27, 2025

Current Affairs

E-Waste Recycling Through Urban Mining

Context: India generated 1.75 million tonnes of e-waste in 2023–24, equivalent to 16% of Europe’s total, highlighting the immense potential for urban mining and critical raw material (CRM) recovery.
Urban mining refers to extracting valuable materials such as gold, copper, lithium, and cobalt from discarded electronic devices and other waste products.

E-Waste Data in India

  • Generation: 1.75 million tonnes (↑72.5% since 2019–20).
  • Recycling Rate: Improved from 22% (2019–20) to 43% (2023–24).
  • Metal Recovery: From every tonne of e-waste — Gold: 300 g, Silver: 1 kg (Circular Economy Report, 2023).

Significance of Urban Mining

  • Economic Potential: Proper recycling can generate ₹20,000–₹25,000 crore annually (CPCB, 2024).
  • Job Creation: Expected to create 5 lakh green jobs in recycling sectors (NITI Aayog, 2024).
  • Critical Resource Security: Reduces dependence on imports of lithium, cobalt, and rare earths — essential for EVs and electronics.
  • Circular Economy Boost: Helps achieve SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) and supports Mission LiFE for sustainable lifestyles.

Challenges

  • Technological Gaps: India lacks advanced CRM extraction and smelting facilities.
  • Governance Overlap: Responsibilities divided between MoHUA (urban sanitation) and MoEFCC (waste management).
  • Low Segregation: Only 25% of waste is segregated at source (CPCB, 2023).
  • Informal Sector Exclusion: Around 15 lakh waste pickers remain outside formal recycling systems.
  • Financial Constraints: Urban local bodies recover less than 20% of user charges for waste services (NIUA, 2023).

Way Forward

  • Urban Mining Parks: Develop regional CRM recovery hubs; emulate Japan’s Eco-Town and China’s Urban Mining Bases.
  • Circular Resource Strategy: Implement the NITI Aayog Circular Economy Action Plan (2021).
  • Integrate Informal Sector: Support cooperatives and SHGs through schemes like Swachhata Start-up Challenge.
  • Smart Waste Tracking: Use AI, GIS, and IoT in Smart City Command Centres for collection optimisation.
  • Unified Waste Authority: Merge MoHUA and MoEFCC functions under one nodal body, similar to the EU Waste Framework Directive (2008).

Global Note: International E-Waste Day (October 14) promotes responsible e-waste recycling and the conservation of critical raw materials essential for clean energy and digital transitions.

Rising Antibiotic Resistance: A Global Health Emergency

Context: The World Health Organization’s Global Antibiotic Resistance Surveillance Report (2025) warns that nearly 1 in 6 bacterial infections worldwide in 2023 were resistant to antibiotics. Between 2018–2023, resistance rose in over 40% of pathogen–antibiotic combinations, with an annual increase of 5–15%, signaling an accelerating global health emergency.

What is Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR)?

Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) occurs when microorganisms (bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasites) evolve to resist the effects of drugs designed to kill them.

  • Example: Multi-Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis (MDR-TB) — caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis resistant to both isoniazid (INH) and rifampicin (RMP).
  • AMR makes infections harder to treat, increases hospital stays, and raises mortality risk.

Key Findings from WHO Report (2025):

  • Scale of Resistance:
    Globally, 16% of lab-confirmed infections were antibiotic-resistant in 2023. The highest rates are reported from South-East Asia and the Eastern Mediterranean, where 1 in 3 infections show resistance.
  • Most Affected Pathogens (8 major bacteria):
    E. coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter spp., Salmonella spp., Shigella spp., Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Neisseria gonorrhoeae.
  • Drug Resistance Pattern:
    Over 40% of E. coli and 55% of Klebsiella pneumoniae strains are resistant to 3rd-generation cephalosporins, a mainline antibiotic group.
  • Data Gaps:
    Nearly 48% of countries did not report sufficient data to the Global AMR Surveillance System (GLASS), reflecting weak diagnostic capacity and reporting infrastructure.

India’s Perspective

India faces one of the highest burdens of AMR globally.

  • Causes: Overuse of antibiotics, self-medication, poor infection control, and use of antibiotics in livestock.
  • Initiatives:
    • National Action Plan on AMR (2017–2025).
    • AMR Surveillance & Research Network (ICMR).
    • “One Health” approach integrating human, animal, and environmental health.

Way Forward

  • Stewardship: Rational antibiotic prescription and public awareness.
  • Surveillance: Strengthen global and national reporting systems.
  • Research: Promote new antibiotics, vaccines, and alternatives like phage therapy.
  • Global Cooperation: Coordinated policy response under WHO and UN frameworks.

Conclusion

Antibiotic resistance is not just a medical challenge—it is a societal threat jeopardizing modern medicine. Strengthening surveillance, promoting responsible use, and fostering global partnerships remain key to reversing the tide of AMR.

Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs): Global Push Over Stablecoins

Context: At the IMF–World Bank Annual Meeting (October 2025), RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra emphasized the need for central banks to promote Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) over stablecoins for cross-border transactions.

What are CBDCs and Stablecoins?

A CBDC is a sovereign, digital form of fiat money issued and regulated by a central bank. It represents legal tender in electronic format.
In contrast, stablecoins are private cryptocurrencies pegged to fiat assets (like the US dollar) to maintain price stability but lack sovereign backing.

Significance of Promoting CBDCs Over Stablecoins

  1. Monetary Sovereignty:
    CBDCs preserve domestic monetary control. The RBI’s 2024 report warns that US-dollar stablecoins could trigger “rupee dollarisation” if left unchecked.
  2. Cross-Border Efficiency:
    According to BIS (2025), CBDC-based cross-border payments could cut remittance costs by nearly 50% compared to traditional SWIFT networks.
  3. Regulatory Transparency:
    CBDCs ensure KYC/AML compliance, backed by sovereign guarantees — unlike the $285 billion stablecoin market, which often operates in unregulated zones.
  4. Technological Edge:
    Tokenised CBDCs combine blockchain programmability with state-backed trust, offering instant, programmable, and traceable transactions.

Challenges in Replacing Stablecoins

  • Limited Global Adoption: Only 19 central banks have pilot-stage CBDCs (IMF Tracker 2025), lacking standardised interoperability.
  • Cybersecurity Risks: Over 60% of central banks cite cyberattacks and surveillance concerns as top risks (BIS 2025).
  • Dominant Stablecoin Market: Private coins like Tether (USDT) and USDC control 90% of global stablecoin circulation (IMF, 2025).

Way Forward for India

Global CBDC Corridors: India should join the BIS mBridge project (UAE–China–Thailand–Hong Kong) to enable real-time, low-cost, and secure CBDC settlements.

Tech–Policy Convergence: Adoption of the IMF’s XC platform will support interoperability across jurisdictions.

Cyber Resilience: Implement the FSB 2025 Cyber Resilience Framework and deploy AI-driven security tools to detect fraud.

Awareness & Trust: Expand the RBI Digital Rupee Mission, focusing on public literacy — only 26% of Indians currently understand CBDCs (FIS Survey 2024).

Conclusion

CBDCs represent the next frontier of monetary innovation — combining digital efficiency with sovereign trust. For India, leading in CBDC adoption aligns with its Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) vision and enhances global financial stability.

Trending now

India Invokes Emergency Powers to Secure LPG Supply Amid West Asia Tensions
China’s New Antarctic Law and Implications for Global Polar Governance
India–EU Deepen Partnership in Peaceful Nuclear Science and Fusion Energy
Solid Waste Management Rules, 2026: Strengthening India’s Waste Governance Framework