Prelims Focus 11th November 2025

Global Peace Prayer Festival

In News: The Global Peace Prayer Festival kicked off in Thimphu – launched under the guidance of Bhutan’s royal authorities.

• The 16-day celebration kicks off worldwide, focused on calling for calm across nations while people seek recovery from deep-rooted crises tearing through communities.
• This marked the first Global Peace Prayer Festival (GPPF), featuring faith leaders along with academics representing Buddhism’s three major traditions – Mahayana, alongside Theravada, combined with Vajrayana.
• A major part of the festival is Jabzhi, an intense Vajrayana Buddhist practice said to clear bad karma while pushing away harmful energies.
• In a move filled with meaning, holy items tied to Buddha – kept at New Delhi’s National Museum – reached Thimphu as a sign of friendship from India ahead of GPP.
• The Global Peace Prayer Festival is a worldwide appeal for harmony across the planet – highlighting Bhutan’s deep spiritual roots while strengthening Buddhist principles central to India-Bhutan ties.

Assam Prohibition of Polygamy Bill-2025

In News: Assam’s top leader said the new ban on multiple marriages will come up for debate in the state house soon – this move follows growing pressure from local groups pushing for change, while officials remain cautious about how it’ll play out across communities.

• Marriage again while your partner’s living could land you in jail – up to seven years behind bars – if this rule goes through.
• The crime’s now treated as one where arrest can happen on the spot, so release won’t come right away.
• This rule won’t cover tribal groups recognized by the state or areas marked as tribal zones under the Sixth Schedule of the nation’s founding document.
• Special Fund: The Bill includes a clause letting the state create a dedicated pool of money – this would pay out to women affected by polygamous marriages, using support drawn from public resources when needed.
• The bill fits into a wider push trying to shift how Assam’s society works along with fairness between genders.

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