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1. In 2025, Afghanistan remained under unchallenged Taliban rule, with authority concentrated in the hands of Emir Hibatullah Akhundzada and no movement toward constitutional or electoral reform.

2. Russia became the only state to formally recognise the Taliban government, doing so in July 2025, followed by commitments on deeper economic and counter-narcotics cooperation.

1. The 80th United Nations General Assembly began under the theme “Better Together: 80 years of peace, development and human rights” and focused on peace, development, and institutional reform.

2. At the 80th UNGA session, member states reaffirmed commitments related to the Sustainable Development Goals, climate resilience, gender equality, and the UN80 reform initiative.

1. In 2025, Russia operated in a difficult geopolitical environment shaped by the continuing Ukraine war, Western sanctions, and a broader transition toward a multipolar international order.

2. Domestic political stability in Russia remained strong in 2025, with President Vladimir Putin recording an approval rating of 86 percent in June 2025.

1. In 2025, China recalibrated its foreign policy under Xi Jinping amid intensifying competition with the United States, transatlantic frictions, and a shifting regional security environment.

2. China hosted the SCO Summit in Tianjin on 31 August–1 September 2025 and also participated in the BRICS Summit and the ASEAN–GCC–China Summit.

1. In 2025, the return of President Donald J. Trump was marked by assertive governance, deep political polarisation, and extensive use of executive authority in domestic and foreign policy.

2. The Trump administration used executive orders to reshape institutions, including a directive to review historical narratives in national museums and restore monuments under a “truthful” history framework.

1. In 2025, the global and regional security environment deteriorated sharply due to multiple conflicts, weakening of the international order, rising defence expenditure, technological militarisation, and the expanding terrorism–organised crime nexus.

2. More than 56 wars and armed conflicts were recorded worldwide during 2025, causing extensive casualties, habitat destruction, mass displacement, and the highest scale of violence seen since the Second World War.

1. The global Medical Value Travel market was valued at about USD 115.6 billion in 2022 and is projected to reach around USD 286.1 billion by 2030.

2. The global Medical Value Travel market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of about 10.8 percent during the period up to 2030.

1. Public capital expenditure in India rose from ₹2 lakh crore in FY 2014–15 to ₹12.2 lakh crore as Budget Estimate for FY 2026–27.

2. The Union Budget 2026–27 introduced new measures such as the Infrastructure Risk Guarantee Fund and City Economic Regions to strengthen infrastructure-led growth and urban development.

1. The Great Nicobar Project aims to develop Great Nicobar Island into a strategic maritime and economic hub by leveraging its location near the East-West international shipping route.

2. The project site lies about 40 nautical miles from the East-West shipping route, giving it strong potential for transshipment activity and strategic maritime relevance in the Indian Ocean region.

1. POSHAN Abhiyaan was launched on 8 March 2018 as India’s flagship National Nutrition Mission to improve nutrition outcomes through convergence, technology, and community mobilisation.

2. The mission is anchored in the Ministry of Women and Child Development and brings together more than 26 ministries and departments under a unified nutrition framework.