Current Affairs - International

India has extended 1,000 e-scholarships to Afghan students for the academic year 2025–26 under the Special Scholarship Scheme for Afghan Nationals (SSSAN). The scholarships will be facilitated through the e-VidyaBharati (e-VB) i-learn portal, allowing Afghan youth to pursue undergraduate and postgraduate courses from Indian universities entirely online. This initiative supports education, capacity building, and long-standing people-to-people ties between India and Afghanistan. It is particularly significant given Afghanistan’s ongoing socio-political challenges that have disrupted its education system. By continuing this scholarship programme for the third consecutive year, India reaffirms its commitment to Afghan human resource development and regional goodwill.

Australia signed a $267 million deal with Nauru to manage the relocation of non-visa holders. The arrangement involves a significant financial commitment, including an upfront payment of A$408 million and an annual payment of A$70 million for managing deportees. Nauru, a small Pacific island nation, has long been central to Australia’s offshore refugee processing system. The deal came in the wake of a 2023 High Court ruling in Australia that ended indefinite detention practices. While Australia views the deal as a migration control measure, it has been heavily criticized by human rights groups for potentially breaching international refugee protection laws.

The 25th Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit in 2025 was held in Tianjin, China, from August 31 to September 1. Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the summit and emphasised India’s vision for SCO under three strategic pillars: Security, Connectivity, and Opportunity. His address focused on combating terrorism, enhancing regional connectivity through projects like the Chabahar Port and the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), and promoting innovation and cultural exchanges. He also proposed a Civilizational Dialogue Forum to strengthen people-to-people ties. The summit highlighted India’s commitment to regional stability, counter-terrorism cooperation, and reforms in global governance to reflect current geopolitical realities.

In the 2025 Global Peace Index, Singapore has been recognised as Asia’s safest country, securing the 6th position worldwide. Despite dropping one spot from the previous year, Singapore’s overall peace score improved to 1.357, reflecting its strong governance, social stability, and effective safety measures. The Global Peace Index, compiled by the Institute for Economics and Peace, evaluates 163 nations on parameters such as societal safety, conflict levels, and militarisation. Within Asia, Singapore led the rankings ahead of Japan, Malaysia, and Bhutan. Globally, Iceland retained the top spot as the most peaceful nation, while India ranked 115th.

Typhoon Kajiki struck the coastal provinces of Vietnam, causing severe flooding, major crop losses, and multiple deaths. The storm originated over the Philippines, intensified over the South China Sea, and impacted China and Vietnam as a Category 2 storm on the Saffir-Simpson scale. Vietnam, a Southeast Asian country with its capital in Hanoi, is bordered by China, Laos, Cambodia, and the South China Sea. Key rivers like the Mekong and the Red River support its agriculture, while the Annamite Cordillera forms a prominent mountain range. Vietnam’s vulnerability to tropical cyclones makes such natural disasters highly destructive.