SNIPPETS: 18 NOVEMBER 2025

SCIENCE

• UNESCO has introduced the first global ethical framework for neurotechnology as AI-driven brain-computer interfaces expand. The guidelines aim to protect human rights, prevent misuse of brain data, and ensure responsible innovation. Key principles include autonomy, mental privacy, non-discrimination, and safeguarding vulnerable groups. The framework bans manipulative political or commercial use of neurodata and forced neurotests. It promotes informed consent, open science, ethics-by-design, and balanced IP rules to support safe, equitable, and sustainable neurotechnology.

 MISCELLANEOUS NEWS

• India will induct women soldiers into the Territorial Army for the first time, advancing gender inclusion in defence. The move aligns with global momentum after the 2025 Conference on Women Peacekeepers in New Delhi, marking 25 years of UNSC Resolution 1325. India’s peacekeeping legacy includes early women deployments in Congo and the 2007 all-female unit in Liberia. Despite strong global leadership, domestic gaps persist, demanding structural reforms to ensure meaningful participation.
• November 7, 2025 marks 100 years of the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF), founded in 1925 as India’s first hockey governing body. The centenary will feature 1,400 matches across 550 districts, celebrating the sport’s cultural legacy. India’s hockey journey began through British influence, leading to Olympic dominance with 13 medals, including the first gold in 1928 and the latest bronze in Paris 2024. Government schemes like TOPS, Khelo India, ASMITA League, and SAI programs continue to support hockey’s growth.
• Aravind Yashavant Patil, a farmer from Kolhapur, Maharashtra, won this year’s National Gopal Ratna Awards (NGRA), constituted by the Union Animal Husbandry Ministry, for best dairy farmer rearing indigenous cattle/buffalo breeds.
• The Indian Air Force (IAF) is participating in the 8th edition of the air exercise ‘Garuda 25’ with the French Air and Space Force (FASF) at Mont-de-Marsan, France.