State PCS - West Bengal (WBCS)

• 27 Oct 2025

East Timor Becomes 11th Member of ASEAN

Why in News

East Timor (Timor-Leste) has officially become the 11th member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) after a 14-year wait.

• The formal induction took place at a ceremony in Kuala Lumpur, marking ASEAN’s first expansion since the 1990s.

Key Points

• About: East Timor applied for ASEAN membership in 2011, was granted observer status in 2022, and achieved full membership in 2025 after a 14-year wait.
  • The last country to join ASEAN was Cambodia in 1999.
• Impact: Membership will enable East Timor to participate in ASEAN’s free trade agreements, access investment opportunities, and expand its presence in a broader regional market.
• About East Timor (Timor-Leste):
  • East Timor, also known as Timor-Leste, is bounded by the Timor Sea to the southeast, the Wetar Strait to the north, the Ombai Strait to the northwest, and western Timor (part of the Indonesian province of East Nusa Tenggara) to the southwest.
  • East Timor comprises the eastern half of Timor Island, the western half of which is part of Indonesia.
  • East Timor, colonised by Portugal in the 18th century, was annexed by Indonesia in 1975 after Portugal withdrew, leading to a long struggle for independence.
  • In a 1999 UN-supervised referendum, East Timorese voted for independence, which led to further violence until peace-keeping forces intervened, and the country was officially recognised by the UN in 2002.

ASEAN

Founded: By signing the ASEAN Declaration (Bangkok Declaration) (1967)

Founding Members: Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand

Secretariat: Indonesia, Jakarta

Chairmanship: Rotates annually (Currently Malaysia)

ASEAN Summit Meetings: Occur biannually

Vigyan Ratna for Physicist Jayant Narlikar

Why in News?

Eminent physicist Jayant Vishnu Narlikar has been posthumously selected for the Vigyan Ratna Puraskar 2025, the country’s highest honour for lifetime achievement in science and technology.

• The Government of India announced the second edition of the Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar 2025, recognising 23 individuals and one institution across four categories — Vigyan Ratna, Vigyan Shri, Vigyan Yuva, and Vigyan Team.

Key Points

• About Jayant Vishnu Narlikar:
  • Jayant Vishnu Narlikar (1938–2025) was an eminent astrophysicist known for his work on cosmology, general relativity, and the steady-state theory of the universe.
  • A close collaborator of Sir Fred Hoyle, he co-developed the Hoyle–Narlikar theory of gravitation.
  • He served as the founding director of the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA), Pune.
  • His contribution bridged Indian and international research, and his popular science writings inspired generations of young scientists.
• Recipients of Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar 2025:

Vigyan Shri (Distinguished Contributions)
Recipient(s)	Field
Gyanendra Pratap Singh	Agricultural Science
Yusuf Mohammad Shaikh	Atomic Energy
K. Thangaraj	Biological Sciences
Pradeep Thalappil	Chemistry
Aniruddha Bhalchandra Pandit	Engineering Sciences
S. Venkata Mohan	Environmental Science
Mahan Mj	Mathematics and Computer Science
Jayan N	Space Science and Technology
Vigyan Yuva (Young Scientist Award)
Jagadis Gupta Kapuganti	Agricultural Science
Satendra Kumar Mangrauthia	Agricultural Science
Debarka Sengupta	Biological Sciences
Deepa Agashe	Biological Sciences
Dibyendu Das	Chemistry
Waliur Rahaman	Earth Science
Arkaprava Basu	Engineering Sciences
Sabyasachi Mukherjee	Mathematics and Computer Science
Shweta Prem Agrawal	Mathematics and Computer Science
Suresh Kumar	Medicine
Amit Kumar Agrawal	Physics
Surhud Shrikant More	Physics
Ankur Garg	Space Science and Technology
Mohanasankar Sivaprakasam	Technology and Innovation
Vigyan Team Award
CSIR Aroma Mission	Agricultural Science

Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar

• About:
  • The Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar (RVP) is India’s highest national honour recognising exceptional contributions by scientists, technologists, and innovators.
  • Modelled on the Padma Awards, it celebrates achievements across diverse fields of science, technology, and innovation.
  • The awards are presented annually by the President of India on National Space Day at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
  • Instituted in 2023, the RVP awardees are recommended by the Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar Committee (RVPC), chaired by the Principal Scientific Adviser, with the first ceremony held in August 2024.
• Categories:
  • Vigyan Ratna: Recognises lifetime achievements and contributions in any field of science and technology.
  • Vigyan Shri: Awarded for distinguished contributions in any field of science and technology.
  • Vigyan Yuva: Given to young scientists (below 45 years) for exceptional achievements in science and technology.
  • Vigyan Team: Conferred on teams of three or more scientists, researchers, or innovators for outstanding collaborative work.