Daily Current Affairs: 1 December 2025
Analysis for 01 December 2025
Northeast India Organic Week inaugurated on November 29, 2025
Key Updates:
- The first Northeast India Organic Week was inaugurated on November 29, 2025.
- The event was organised in partnership with the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), the Union Commerce Ministry and IFOAM-Organics Asia.
- Delegates and buyers from 13 countries attended Meghalaya’s inaugural Northeast India Organic Week.
- Meghalaya Agriculture Commissioner and Secretary is Dr Vijay Kumar D.
- Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) chairman is Abhishek Dev.
- IFOAM-Organics Asia executive director is Jennifer Chang.
- Meghalaya Chief Minister is Conrad K Sangma.
- Meghalaya is the second fastest growing state behind Tamil Nadu.
- Lakadong turmeric has up to 13 per cent curcumin content.
- A new ginger processing unit worth Rs 25 crore has been set up as the largest organic spice processing facility in the Northeast.
- The eighth edition of the National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP) was highlighted.
- The ‘Green Meghalaya’ initiative focuses on ongoing climate action efforts.
- GI-tagged Khasi mandarins have made inroads into Gulf markets through the Lulu Group.
Similar / Past Coverage
- The Integrated Sohra Tourism Circuit was launched under the Prime Minister’s Development Initiative for North Eastern Region (PM-DevINE) scheme.
- The circuit was conceptualised jointly by the Ministry of DoNER and the Government of Meghalaya.
- Its objective is to position Sohra on the world tourism map as a model of sustainable and experiential tourism and to transform Sohra into a multi-day experiential tourism destination rooted in sustainability and local livelihoods.
- The project involves total investments exceeding ₹650 crore, with ₹221 crore allocated under MDoNER for the circuit.
- Key components include the Sohra Experience Centre at Kutmadan (₹115 crore), Nohkalikai Falls precinct (₹26 crore), Mawsmai Eco Park (₹29 crore), Seven Sisters Falls Viewpoint, Shella Riverside Development, and Wahkaliar Canyon with adventure tourism features.
- The circuit is expected to increase tourist spending sixfold and generate over 4,600 direct and indirect employment opportunities.
- Skill development programmes are underway in collaboration with the Meghalaya Skills Development Society and IHM Shillong to train local youth.
- Multiple DoNER projects worth ₹233 crore were also launched, including the Pynursla–Latangriwan–Mawlynnong Road (₹29.97 crore), Mawshynrut–Hahim (Athiabari) Road (₹99.76 crore), and a major bridge over the Umngot River on the Jongksha–Wahiajer Road (₹21.86 crore).
- Andhra Pradesh government is set to roll out a new five-day programme titled ‘Rythanna Meekosam’ from November 24 to 29.
- Public representatives and officials will visit farmers to explain the benefits of implementing Panchasutras in cultivation.
- Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu conducted a teleconference with nearly 10,000 officials and staff from the Agriculture, Allied, and Marketing departments.
- Workshops are scheduled on December 3 at Rythu Seva Kendras across the state.
- The inaugural Sun Rise Festival will be hosted in Dong village, Anjaw district, Arunachal Pradesh.
- Chief Minister Pema Khandu announced the five-day festival, which will run from December 29 to January 2.
- The festival aims to boost eco-tourism and create livelihood opportunities for local communities.
- Set against the backdrop of India's easternmost village, the festival will showcase adventure, nature, and culture.
- Visitors will get to witness the first sunrise of the New Year at the festival.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Coimbatore on Nov 19 to inaugurate the South India Natural Farming Summit at the Codissia Trade Fair Complex here.
- Modi will speak during the summit, organized by the farmers' associations in Tamil Nadu.
- The Prime Minister will interact with 50 scientists specializing in organic agriculture.
- The three-day summit will feature an exhibition with 300 stalls, interactive sessions by eminent scientists and policymakers, live demonstrations and a focus on youth and women engagement.
Sir Tom Stoppard, Renowned UK Playwright, Died at 88
Key Updates:
- Sir Tom Stoppard, a UK playwright, died at the age of 88.
- He won an Oscar and a Golden Globe for the screenplay for Shakespeare In Love.
- His play Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead won four Tony awards, including best play.
- His semi-autobiographical work titled Leopoldstadt, released in 2020, won an Olivier award for best new play and four Tony awards.
- He was knighted by the late Queen for his services to literature in 1997.
- His notable stage works include Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead and The Real Thing.
- He adapted Leo Tolstoy's novel Anna Karenina for the 2012 film starring Keira Knightley and Jude Law.
- Born Tomas Straussler in Czechoslovakia, his parents fled from imminent Nazi occupation.
- He worked as a journalist in Bristol in 1954 before becoming a theatre critic and writing plays for radio and TV.
- King Charles III and Queen Camilla expressed deep sadness at his death, calling him one of their greatest writers.
- The Writers' Guild stated he received their award for outstanding contribution to writing in 2017.
Similar / Past Coverage
- Lee Soon-jae died on Tuesday at the age of 91, according to his agency.
- He was known as the 'national TV dad' for roles in 'What on Earth is Love' and 'High Kick!'.
- He won the grand prize at the KBS Drama Awards for 'Dog Knows Everything'.
- He was the oldest South Korean actor to win the KBS Drama grand prize.
- Lee appeared in about 140 TV shows and acted on stage until October 2024.
- He served as a member of parliament for the Democratic Liberal Party from 1992 to 1996.
- Tom Cruise accepted an honorary Oscar at the 16th annual Academy Governors Awards.
- He stated from the podium that 'Making films is not what I do, it is who I am.'
- Cruise has been Oscar-nominated for acting roles in 'Born on the Fourth of July,' 'Jerry Maguire' and 'Magnolia,' and for producing and starring in 'Top Gun: Maverick.'
- Director Steven Spielberg praised Cruise for 'saving cinema's ass' after he insisted on releasing 'Top Gun: Maverick' in theaters.
- Director Alejandro G. Iñárritu presented the award to Tom Cruise.
- Todd Snider, a beloved figure in American roots music, died at age 59.
- His label announced the death on Saturday, stating he had been hospitalized with pneumonia in Hendersonville, Tennessee.
- Snider's recent tour was cancelled after he was assaulted in the Salt Lake City area and later arrested following an incident at a hospital.
- Sarada Hoffman (1929-2025), also known as Alladi Sarada, passed away recently in the U.S.
- She was admired for her precision as a Bharatanatyam artiste and her distinction as a teacher.
- She was instrumental in creating and standardising a Kalakshetra methodology for Bharatanatyam.
- She preferred to be called ‘Sarada Teacher’ and never allowed anyone to use the title ‘Guru’ before her name.
- Sarada Teacher was Rukminidevi Amma’s ideal model for shaping a keen precision on the physical body and in bodily execution.
- Her only full-fledged dance drama choreographed in Kalakshetra was ‘Murugan Thiruvarul’.
- She received accolades including the Sangeet Natak Academy (1996), Venkatakrishan Mama’s Sankarabharanam, Natyarangam of Narada Gana Sabha, and the first Rukmini Devi Medal for Excellence in the Arts.
PM Modi explains essence of National Security policy from Bhagwat Gita in Karnataka
Key Updates:
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Sri Krishna Matha in Udupi, Karnataka.
- PM Modi took part in the Laksha Kantha Gita Parayana programme, a devotional gathering of 100,000 participants reciting Srimad Bhagavad Gita.
- PM Modi stated Bhagwat Gita teaches that it is important to end the oppressor to restore peace and truth, which is the essence of National Security policy.
- PM Modi inaugurated Suvarna Teertha Mantapa and dedicated Kanaka Kavacha for Kanakana Kindi at Sri Krishna Matha.
Similar / Past Coverage
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi returned to New Delhi on Monday evening.
- He concluded his four-day visit to Japan and China.
- The visit spanned from August 29 to September 1.
- In China, PM Modi attended the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit.
- The SCO Summit was held on August 31 to September 1.
- PM Modi held bilateral meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
- **Parties Involved:** The Department of Tourism, Government of Goa, and senior officials from the Government of Madhya Pradesh.
- **Objective:** To explore collaborative opportunities in tourism, with a special focus on heritage, wildlife, and cultural experiences.
- **Specific Purpose:** To promote two-way tourism, encouraging travellers from Madhya Pradesh to discover Goa’s diverse offerings while inspiring Goans to experience Madhya Pradesh’s rich heritage and wildlife destinations.
- **Key Initiative:** Madhya Pradesh has invited the Director of Tourism, Government of Goa, along with tourism trade stakeholders, to visit Madhya Pradesh for further discussions, and Goa will host tourism trade representatives from Madhya Pradesh.
- **Shared Vision:** To promote sustainable tourism, celebrate cultural heritage, and create new domestic travel circuits that benefit local communities and travellers alike.
- State visit by Mauritius PM Dr. Navinchandra Ramgoolam and spouse Veena Ramgoolam, 9-16 September
- Cities covered: Mumbai, Varanasi, Ayodhya, Dehradun, Tirupati, Delhi
- Bilateral talks scheduled with PM Narendra Modi and courtesy call on President Droupadi Murmu
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Gujarat on September 20 for a one-day tour.
- The visit will begin in Bhavnagar with a 1.5 km-long roadshow at 10 am.
- Over 30,000 people are expected to participate in the roadshow.
- Modi will address a large public gathering at Jawahar Maidan after the roadshow.
- He will lay the foundation stone and inaugurate shipping and maritime projects worth ₹1.5 lakh crore.
- He will also dedicate development works worth more than ₹100 crore to the public.
- At around 1 pm, Modi will travel to Lothal to review the progress of the National Maritime Heritage Complex (NMHC).
- The NMHC is being developed with an estimated project cost of ₹4,500 crore.
- This is PM Modi's second visit to Gujarat within a month.
Tex-RAMPS Scheme Approved with an Outlay of ₹305 Crore
Key Updates:
- The Union government has approved the 'Textiles Focused Research, Assessment, Monitoring, Planning and Start-up (Tex-RAMPS) Scheme', as announced by Union Minister of Textiles Giriraj Singh.
- The Tex-RAMPS Scheme has an outlay of ₹305 crore.
- The Tex-RAMPS Scheme will be effective from 2025-2026 to 2030-2031.
- It aims to strengthen research, innovation, and competitiveness in the textiles sector and empower India’s textile sector.
- The Tex-RAMPS Scheme is designed to address critical gaps in research, data systems, innovation support, and capacity development to future-proof India’s textiles and apparel ecosystem.
- It will promote advanced research, create robust data systems, strengthen State-level planning, and support incubators, hackathons, and academia-industry collaborations to nurture high-value textile start-ups and entrepreneurship.
Similar / Past Coverage
- The Indian Army has secured the intellectual property rights for a new coat combat (digital print).
- The 'New Coat Combat' has been designed and developed by the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), Delhi, as a consultancy project under the aegis of the Army Design Bureau.
- It is a three-layered garment that integrates combat functionality with comfort and protection.
- The Army introduced the new coat combat (digital print) in January 2025.
- The design was registered with the Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trademarks, Kolkata, under Design Application No. 449667-001, dated February 27, 2025 and published in the Official Journal of the Patent Office on October 7, 2025.
- The exclusive intellectual property rights (IPR) for both the design and camouflage pattern 'rest solely' with the Indian Army.
- The new coat combat ensemble includes an outer layer, an inner jacket and a thermal layer.
- This IPR registration aligns with the vision of 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' and the Army's initiative of Decade of Transformation (2023-2032).
- Researchers at the Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden & Research Institute (JNTBGRI), Palode, have tapped into the wound-healing properties of the red ivy plant, known locally as “murikooti pacha” (Strobilanthes alternata, belonging to the Acanthaceae family) to develop an innovative and multifunctional wound-healing pad using nanomaterials like electro-spun.
- The product was developed by a team of scientists at the Centre of Excellence in Phytochemical Nanotechnology of the JNTBGRI by identifying and isolating a new molecule, acteoside, from the red ivy plant.
- The key ingredient in the multi-layered wound pad developed by the scientists is the acteoside molecule derived from the red ivy plant, which has high efficacy even at lower concentrations of 0.2%.
- The wound pad has been designed with a specially engineered electro-spun nanofiber layer, made from biodegradable and non-toxic polymers and is incredibly thin.
- Along with acteoside, it also incorporates the antibiotic neomycin sulfate, blended with FDA-approved polymers.
- The wound pad also incorporates a super absorbent sponge crafted from sodium alginate, along with an activated carbon layer.
- Animal studies on excision wounds have shown that the pad can significantly expedite the healing process, the scientists claim.
- The biomaterials used for the wound-healing pad have been tested and found to be conforming to the ISO 10993-23: 2021 (E) – Biological Evaluation of Medical Devices standard.
- A provisional patent for the manufacturing process and other attributes of this wound pad has been filed with the Patent Office, Chennai.
- The Centre of Excellence in Phytochemical Nanotechnology is supported by the Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment (KSCSTE) through its flagship programme, SHRESTA (State Higher Research Centres of Excellence in Science and Technology Applications).
- Event: Pilot version of India-United Kingdom Science and Technology Partnership (IN-UK-STP) Dashboard unveiled
- Participants: Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood, PSA to GoI and Dr. David Warren Smith, UK National Technology Adviser
- Location: Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi
- Coverage: 143 bilateral India-UK projects supported since 2018 mapped by funding value, partners, agencies
- Alignment: Projects mapped to India-UK SIC goals, 17 SDGs and broad tech-cooperation areas
- Forward actions: Add output/impact metrics (publications, patents, HRD, startups, private partnerships) and ensure real-time data inputs
- Scheme Name: Electronics Component Manufacturing Scheme (ECMS); Notified on April 8 this year with an outlay of ₹22,919 crore.
- Objective: Bolster India’s push into producing high-value components and integrating into global value chains (GVCs).
- Key Features: Offers investment, turnover-linked, and capital expenditure (capex)-linked incentives across sub-assemblies (electronics), supply chain ecosystem, and sub-assembly (telecom); six-year duration with one-year gestation period.
- Latest Approval: 17 new projects worth ₹7,172 crore approved, taking the cumulative tally to 24 approved projects.
- Investment & Production: Total proposed investment under ECMS stands at ₹1.15 lakh crore against a target of ₹59,000 crore; projects are expected to yield production worth ₹65,111 crore cumulatively.
- Employment: Applicants propose to create employment for nearly 1.41 lakh people compared to a target of 91,600.
- Categories Covered: Camera module, connectors, multi-layer PCB, oscillators, enclosures, among others, spread across nine states.
Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DoT) Signs MoU with Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee (IITR) to Establish Centre of Excellence
Key Updates:
- The Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DoT) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee (IITR) to establish a centre of excellence (CoE) on the IITR campus.
- The primary objective of the C-DoT Centre of Excellence (CoE) is to accelerate indigenous research, innovation and capacity building in advanced communication technologies.
- The CoE will have a strong focus on research in the areas of wireless communication, quantum technologies, cybersecurity and AI-based applications.
- The centre will drive joint research and prototype development in key emerging domains, including 5G and 6G, RF-sub-THz integrated circuits, sensors, millimetre-wave beamforming antennas with integrated ICs, V2X Communication, data-driven wireless communication technologies and energy efficiency.
Similar / Past Coverage
- GSH India Private Ltd (Indian arm of US-based GSH Group UK) signed a Memorandum of Agreement with IIIT Manipur to collaborate on facility management, IoT, sustainability and smart building systems.
- The partnership will focus on joint research, internships, training and skill development programs to bridge the industry-academy gap and promote innovation in sustainable technology-driven facility management.
- GSH India also signed an extended MoA with Anna University to strengthen collaboration in energy management, sustainability and technical skill development through expert lectures, internships, joint research and training programs.
- The MoA was signed at the fifth GSH Sustainable Energy Forum in Chennai, a biennial event fostering dialogue and innovation for a cleaner, greener future.
- Discussions at the forum covered renewable energy sources, energy efficiency, carbon accounting and market mechanisms of energy purchase.
- Tamil Nadu signed 33 MoUs during CM Stalin’s visit to the UK and Germany, securing investment commitments worth Rs 15,516 crore.
- The agreements are projected to generate employment for over 17,600 people across multiple sectors.
- In Germany, 26 MoUs worth Rs 7,020 crore were finalised, expected to create more than 15,000 jobs.
- Knorr-Bremse committed Rs 2,000 crore to establish a facility in Tamil Nadu for railway braking systems and doors, creating 3,500 jobs.
- Nordex Group pledged Rs 1,000 crore to expand operations, generating 2,500 jobs and reinforcing the State’s green industrialisation.
- ebm-papst will invest Rs 201 crore over five years to strengthen its Global Capability Centre and manufacturing base, adding 250 jobs.
- In the UK, Wilson Power committed Rs 300 crore and Britannia RFID will invest Rs 520 crore in Tamil Nadu projects.
- the National Communications Academy (NCA) under the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta (IIMC) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
- to collaborate on capacity building, policy research, and executive education in advanced areas of telecommunications and emerging technologies.
- The formal signing was conducted between Prof. Alok Kumar Rai, Director of IIM Calcutta and Shri Atul Sinha, Director General of National Communications Academy - Technology (NCA-T), Ghaziabad.
- The MoU creates a framework for joint programs and strategic initiatives in Capacity Building, Policy Research and Consulting, Training Programs in Emerging Technologies, Workshops and Seminars, and Academic and Research Collaboration.
- This initiative will also contribute to: Building a digitally literate and innovation-capable workforce, Creating policy inputs for the National Digital Communications Policy (NDCP), Supporting Make in India and Digital India missions through knowledge empowerment.
- Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT) and Indian Institute of Technology, Gandhinagar (IIT-GN) signed an MoU to set up a Centre of Excellence (CoE) for telecom and cybersecurity research
- The CoE will focus on Mobile Communications, Cyber Security, Quantum Communication, Advanced AI, and Advanced Telecom Applications
- The centre will enable collaboration between IIT Gandhinagar students, faculty, researchers and C-DOT researchers in Telecom and ICT domain
- It will support incubation, mentoring, and collaboration with startups, industries, and academia to foster innovation and entrepreneurship
- The initiative aligns with national missions for telecom, semiconductor, and digital transformation to create an industry-ready workforce
Integrated Ecotourism and Sustainable Agri-Based Livelihood Development in Meghalaya Project: $77 Million Loan to Boost Ecotourism and Resilient Livelihoods
Key Updates:
- The Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved the Integrated Ecotourism and Sustainable Agri-Based Livelihood Development in Meghalaya Project.
- The project involves a $77 million loan and an additional $1 million technical assistance grant from ADB.
- It aims to generate economic opportunities for more than 8,000 local people, including women and Indigenous communities, in Meghalaya.
- The approval for the project was made on 27 November 2025.
Similar / Past Coverage
- India will receive a $126.42 million loan from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to develop tourism infrastructure and services in Uttarakhand’s Tehri Lake region.
- The agreement for the Sustainable, Inclusive, and Climate-Resilient Tourism Development at Tehri Lake Area Project was signed.
- The project aims to transform the climate-vulnerable Tehri Garhwal district into an all-weather tourism hub.
- It is designed to boost local livelihoods, improve visitor facilities, and strengthen climate resilience.
- The initiative targets Tehri Garhwal District, identified as one of Uttarakhand’s most climate-vulnerable and economically disadvantaged areas.
- Planned measures include institutional capacity building, climate-resilient infrastructure, and nature-based interventions to address landslide and flood risks.
- The programme will include a livelihood grant scheme for women, youth, and micro, small and medium-sized enterprises; universal access design for persons with disabilities; and a women-led disaster risk management initiative in pilot villages.
- The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $125 million loan for the Assam Urban Sector Development Project.
- The project is expected to benefit an estimated 360,000 residents across six district headquarters and Guwahati.
- Six new water treatment plants with a combined capacity of 72 million liters per day will be constructed.
- 800 kilometers of water distribution pipelines will be installed across district headquarters in Barpeta, Bongaigaon, Dhubri, Goalpara, Golaghat, and Nalbari.
- A real-time monitoring system will be implemented to reduce nonrevenue water losses to below 20%.
- The Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved a $400 million results-based lending (RBL) program.
- The program aims to improve road connectivity in Maharashtra.
- The upgrades cover nearly 350 kilometers of state highways and 2,577 kilometers of rural roads.
- The loan will improve road connectivity in 34 districts, particularly in the Marathwada and Vidarbha regions.
- Over 1.7 million people, including residents of at least 80 villages and around 410 rural communities, will benefit.
- Financial assistance of Rs 1,200 crore was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for flood-hit Uttarakhand.
- A “multi-dimensional approach” is urged to help the region recover, including measures such as rebuilding homes under the PM Awas Yojana and providing relief through the Prime Minister National Relief Fund.
- Under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin, financial assistance will be extended under a “special project’’ submitted by the Uttarakhand government for reconstruction of houses in rural areas to eligible households damaged due to floods.
- An ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh was announced for the next of kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for those seriously injured in the floods and related disasters.
- Children orphaned by the recent floods and landslides will receive assistance through the PM CARES for children scheme, ensuring their long-term care and welfare.
NPCI Bharat BillPay Limited (NBBL) rolls out Banking Connect platform
Key Updates:
- NPCI Bharat BillPay Limited (NBBL) introduced Banking Connect, an interoperable platform aimed at simplifying internet and mobile banking.
- The new system is designed to reduce the complexity of current net banking processes, which often require multiple integrations, varied customer credentials, and non-standard settlement flows.
- Banking Connect offers interoperable workflows, a uniform interface, mobile-first design, and support for biometric authentication.
- The platform removes transaction caps and introduces standardised APIs to reduce delays, redirections and timeout errors.
- It supports low-code or no-code integration for merchants, enabling quicker adoption and improved success rates.
- Banking Connect is live with HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, State Bank of India, YES Bank, AU Small Finance Bank and Federal Bank.
- Payment aggregators such as Infibeam, PayU, Pinelabs, Cashfree, Razorpay, HDFC Bank Smart Gateway, Zoho, Easebuzz, Juspay, OPEN and SBI ePay have integrated with the platform.
- NBBL, a wholly owned subsidiary of NPCI, operates digital payment and collection systems, including the Bharat BillPay ecosystem and B2B solutions for collections and reconciliation.
- NBBL also serves as the designated settlement agency for the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC).
Similar / Past Coverage
- Fintech firm Easebuzz has secured authorisation from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to operate as a full-service Payment Aggregator.
- The authorisation covers online, offline, and cross-border transactions.
- Easebuzz is now among only three Indian payment fintechs to hold all three key licenses.
- This approval enables Easebuzz to provide merchants with end-to-end payment capabilities, including online payment acceptance, in-person payments through POS devices and UPI soundboxes, and cross-border inward and outward transactions.
- Rohit Prasad, MD & CEO of Easebuzz, stated that the move stresses the RBI’s “progressive approach” in enabling innovation across integrated payment ecosystems.
- Easebuzz currently serves more than 2.5 lakh merchants.
- It processes around 3 million transactions per day.
- Its annualised Gross Transaction Value stands at over $50 billion.
- For FY2024-25, the company reported revenue of ₹656 crore and a net profit of ₹19 crore.
- Easebuzz continues to focus on sector-specific SaaS integrations as part of its long-term strategy.
- Its verticalised solutions cater to sectors such as education, insurance, NBFCs, travel, e-commerce, retail, government and real estate, embedding payment capabilities via SaaS APIs to digitise and streamline financial workflows.
- TCIL will provide IT consultancy, project management, and turnkey execution of complex technology initiatives for PNB
- Services include RFP lifecycle management, system integration, IT infrastructure rollout, and regulatory-compliant technology deployment
- TCIL may act as project management consultant (PMC) or project implementing agency (PIA) as required
- Objective is to reinforce PNB’s digital backbone, improve operational resilience, and support innovation in customer services
- MoU signed between Telecommunications Consultants India Limited (TCIL) and Punjab National Bank (PNB) on September 3
- NPCI Bharat BillPay Ltd (NBBL) currently covers 70-80 million households.
- NBBL plans to expand Bharat Connect and bill payment platforms to reach about 135 million households.
- CareEdge projects MSME and retail segments to drive 12% credit growth in FY26.
- NBFC borrowings projected to reach $750 billion by FY27 as markets shift towards capital markets.
- Piramal Finance eyes Rs 1 lakh crore AUM by FY26 as its retail portfolio scales up.
- Bank of Baroda has launched the “bob Aspire NRE Savings Account a solution designed to simplify banking for Indian citizens preparing to move overseas.
- The bob Aspire account can be initiated in India in “inoperative mode” and becomes fully operational once the customer submits proof of an overseas address along with a passport carrying the immigration stamp confirming NRI status.
- Snappi secures ECB license, launches neobank in Greece.
- Mastercard taps Qlub to drive contactless payments.
- Other Related News includes 'Behavioural biometrics and AI rise as online fraud surges across Europe', 'Sikoia, Finova partner to automate document verification with AI', and 'Ozone API teams up with Plumery to drive global open banking'.
- Related Reports include 'Global Digital Banking Vendor & Landscape Report Q2 2025', 'NextGen WealthTech: The Trends To Shape The Future Q4 2023', 'Incentive Compensation Management Report Q2 2025', and 'Treasury & Capital Markets Systems Report Q2 2025'.
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) slaps Rs 91 lakh penalty on HDFC Bank
Key Updates:
- The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) imposed a penalty of Rs 91 lakh on HDFC Bank.
- The penalty was for violating certain provisions of the Banking Regulation Act and non-compliance with certain directions.
- Deficiencies included those related to Know Your Customer (KYC) requirements.
- Non-compliance also pertained to ‘Interest Rate on Advances’ and ‘Guidelines on Managing Risks and Code of Conduct in Outsourcing of Financial Services by banks’.
- A Statutory Inspection for Supervisory Evaluation of HDFC Bank was conducted with reference to its financial position as on March 31, 2024.
- HDFC Bank adopted multiple benchmarks within the same loan category.
- HDFC Bank outsourced the function of determining compliance with KYC norms of certain customers to its outsourcing agents.
- A wholly-owned subsidiary of HDFC Bank undertook business not permissible under Section 6 of the Banking Regulation (BR) Act.
Similar / Past Coverage
- The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) imposed monetary penalties on three cooperative banks for non-compliance with various regulatory norms.
- By orders dated November 6, 2025, the RBI imposed a penalty of Rs 2 lakh on The Mumbai District Central Co-operative Bank Ltd., Maharashtra, for contravention of Section 20 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.
- The Karaikudi Co-operative Town Bank Ltd., Tamil Nadu, faced a penalty of Rs 1.5 lakh for non-compliance with RBI directions on ‘Prudential Norms on Capital Adequacy – Primary (Urban) Co-operative Banks (UCBs)’ and ‘Know Your Customer (KYC)’ guidelines.
- The District Co-operative Central Bank Ltd., Eluru, Andhra Pradesh, was fined Rs 50,000 for violations related to KYC norms.
- The penalty on the District Co-operative Central Bank Ltd., Eluru, Andhra Pradesh, was imposed under Section 47A(1)(c) read with Sections 46(4)(i) and 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.
Tata Realty & Infrastructure (TRIL) and DBS Bank India sign ₹1,280 crore green loan facility
Key Updates:
- Tata Realty & Infrastructure (TRIL) and DBS Bank India signed a ₹1,280 crore green loan facility.
- DBS Bank India acted as the sole advisor and green loan coordinator for the transaction.
- A special purpose vehicle (SPV) developing Intellion Park, Gurugram, availed the facility.
- The real estate sector accounts for nearly 40% of global energy-related CO₂ emissions.
- India’s property market saw 89 million sq ft of office leasing in 2024.
- India’s property market experienced a 35% surge in FDI inflows in Q1 2025.
- Climate-first private credit is projected to deliver 15–20% risk-adjusted returns.
Similar / Past Coverage
- Tata Power plans to set up the country's largest solar wafers and ingots manufacturing plant with a capacity of 10 gigawatts
- The facility will complete Tata Power's presence across the manufacturing chain; the company already has 4.9 GW of integrated cell and module-making capacity
- The project aligns with the Indian federal government's push for increased use of locally made ingots and wafers to cut reliance on imports from China
- Tata Power is exploring the use of federal and state financial support for the new factory and will finalize investment details within the next two months
- Separately, Tata Power is considering entering nuclear power generation as India targets at least 100 GW of nuclear projects by 2047
- The project is named the "Strengthening Coastal Resilience and the Economy (SHORE) project" and is part of the "USD 850 million SHORE programme".
- The World Bank has approved a "USD 212.64 million" project.
- The project aims to support coastal communities in "Tamil Nadu and Karnataka".
- Key objectives include "conserving ecosystems, reducing plastic pollution and creating jobs for 1 lakh people".
- The programme would help "70,000 people, including women, receive training in sectors like sustainable tourism to gain new sources of income".
- The project would help the two States to "conserve 30,000 hectares of seascapes by planting mangroves, restoration of sand dunes among others".
- Neville Tata, son of chairman Noel Tata, has been inducted to the board of the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust (SDTT).
- He will serve for a term of three years.
- Neville Tata is already on the board of the JRD Tata Trust, Tata Social Welfare Trust and RD Tata Trust.
- He later went on to lead Zudio, the value fashion brand.
- Bhaskar Bhat, a group veteran and former Titan managing director, has been inducted to the board of the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust (SDTT).
- He will serve for a term of three years.
- Bhaskar Bhat is an IIT Madras and IIM Ahmedabad alumnus.
- During his 17-year tenure as managing director, he steered Titan to expand beyond watches into eyewear, jewellery, fragrances, accessories and sarees (Taneira).
- Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) is joining forces with private equity group TPG in a multi-billion dollar joint venture.
- The joint venture, named HyperVault AI Data Centre Ltd, aims to create gigawatt-scale, AI-ready data centres.
- TCS will own a controlling 51% of HyperVault, and TPG will deploy Rs 8,820 crore ($1.1 billion) for a stake of up to 49%.
- Both partners have agreed to cumulatively invest up to Rs 18,000 crore ($2.1 billion) as equity in HyperVault over the next few years.
- The new data centre arm will operate as a colocation data centre provider, offering services to hyperscalers, Indian enterprises, government entities, and Tata companies.
- TCS announced its plan to enter the data centre space with an aim of building up to 1.2 GW of capacity, entailing $6.5-7 billion in investments to be funded via debt and equity.
- This is the first time that cash-rich TCS will be taking equity from a PE firm as well as external debt to fund a project.
- The project will complete buildout in five to seven years and revenue could start kicking in over the next 18-24 months.
- AZB & Partners, Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas and Latham & Watkins LLP were the legal advisers, while Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu India and Price Waterhouse & Co were tax advisers.
Arunachal Pradesh 'Dao' Receives Geographical Indication (GI) Tag on November 21, 2025
Key Updates:
- The Arunachal Pradesh 'dao', a traditional handcrafted blade, has received the Geographical Indication (GI) tag.
- Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein announced the development.
- Arunachal Pradesh has so far garnered 20 Geographical Indication (GI)-tagged items.
- Arunachal Pradesh has a target of reaching 50 Geographical Indication (GI)-tagged items by 2030.
- Prominent Geographical Indication (GI)-tagged products from Arunachal Pradesh include Wakro Orange, Idu Mishmi textiles, Khamti rice, Yak churpi, and Wancho wooden craft.
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- UP maintained its dominance in GI-tagged goods with 79 GI products, surpassing Tamil Nadu’s 69.
- Mathura zari poshak and Meerut bugle received fresh GI tags.
- Mathura zari attire is linked to Lord Shri Krishna and involves generations of artisans.
- Thousands of women artisans contribute to Mathura’s zari embroidery.
- Meerut bugle played a role in the 1857 freedom struggle and is still used by army, police and schools.
- Meerut manufactures about 10 major traditional instruments, including bugles, trumpets and drums.
- Khazani Welfare Society applied for Mathura zari poshak GI with support from Mathura district administration and SIDBI.
- Meerut Vadya Yantra Nirmata Vikreta Vyapari Welfare Association applied for Meerut bugle GI with NABARD UP and Meerut district administration backing.
- Rajni Kant, GI Man of India, oversaw the legal process for both registrations.
- The Government of India granted Geographical Indication (GI) registration to two traditional Lepcha musical instruments – Tungbuk and Pumtong Pulit – under the Musical Instrument category of the Geographical Indication Registry.
- The GI registration certificates were presented during the 1st Tribal Business Conclave in New Delhi, organised by the Ministries of Culture, Tribal Affairs, and Commerce & Industry.
- The Tungbuk is a three-string instrument and the Pumtong Pulit is a bamboo flute, both integral to Lepcha folk music and culturally significant to the Lepcha community of Sikkim.
- NABARD, Gangtok supported the GI filing process, which took around two years to complete.
- The traditional Arunachal Pradesh Dao has been awarded the Geographical Indication (GI) tag, recognizing its unique cultural and geographical heritage.
- The certification was granted by the Geographical Indications Registry under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India, as part of the Arunachal Pradesh government's aggressive pursuit of GI registrations.
- The GI tag aims to safeguard authenticity by ensuring only Daos produced in Arunachal Pradesh using traditional methods bear the label, enhance economic opportunities for artisans, promote tourism and branding, and preserve endangered skills.
- The government plans to support artisans through specialized training programs, branding initiatives, improved marketing linkages, and collaborations with organizations like NABARD for post-GI marketing and skill development, aligning with its “Brand Arunachal” initiative.
- The state hosted its first GI Mahotsav in New Delhi in 2025, displaying certified products to a national audience, as part of its broader strategy to empower rural artisans and boost the local economy.
- The Indian Army has secured the intellectual property rights for a new coat combat (digital print).
- The 'New Coat Combat' has been designed and developed by the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), Delhi, as a consultancy project under the aegis of the Army Design Bureau.
- It is a three-layered garment that integrates combat functionality with comfort and protection.
- The Army introduced the new coat combat (digital print) in January 2025.
- The design was registered with the Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trademarks, Kolkata, under Design Application No. 449667-001, dated February 27, 2025 and published in the Official Journal of the Patent Office on October 7, 2025.
- The exclusive intellectual property rights (IPR) for both the design and camouflage pattern 'rest solely' with the Indian Army.
- The new coat combat ensemble includes an outer layer, an inner jacket and a thermal layer.
- This IPR registration aligns with the vision of 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' and the Army's initiative of Decade of Transformation (2023-2032).
Abhishek Sharma achieves No. 1 spot in International Cricket Council Men’s T20I Batter Rankings
Key Updates:
- Abhishek Sharma had a record-breaking performance at the 2025 DP World Asia Cup.
- Abhishek Sharma was propelled to the No. 1 spot in the International Cricket Council (ICC) Men’s T20I Batter Rankings.
- Abhishek Sharma achieved the highest rating ever recorded in the ICC Men’s T20I Batter Rankings.
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- Paradeep Phosphates has unveiled a partnership with cricket superstar Rahul Dravid as their new brand ambassador.
- The collaboration aims to forge an association between two names that represent trust, discipline, reliability, and performance.
- The partnership marks the launch of two major nationwide campaigns: 'Kheti ka Game Changer' for Jai Kisaan Navratna Nano Shakti Nano DAP and 'NPK and Organic Fertilizers ki Winning Team' for Paradeep’s NPK and organic fertiliser range.
- Suresh Krishnan, managing director and CEO of Paradeep Phosphates, said, 'His unwavering integrity, dedication and consistency truly reflect the values we uphold at PPL, making him a perfect representative for the brand.'
- Dravid noted, 'Farmers and sportspersons share a similar mindset, as both rely on patience, timing, and the right support systems to succeed.'
- The integrated campaigns will run across television, digital, and print platforms.
- Rohit Sharma was named the brand ambassador of the 2026 T20 Men’s World Cup.
- The announcement was made in Mumbai.
- Rohit Sharma stated that no one has been announced as an ambassador while still playing.
- Rohit Sharma was India’s 2024 T20 World Cup-winning captain.
- The 2026 T20 Men’s World Cup will be jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka.
- India will play Pakistan in Colombo on February 15 during the 2026 T20 World Cup.
- India's opener in the 2026 T20 World Cup will be against the Americans at the Wankhede.
- Rohit Sharma stated he has been fortunate to win two International Cricket Council (ICC) events recently in his 18 years.
- India was placed in a group with Pakistan, USA, Netherlands, and Namibia for the 2026 T20 World Cup.
- Skechers has roped in India fast bowler Mohammed Siraj as its latest brand ambassador.
- Siraj plays for Gujarat Titans in the IPL and was India’s highest wicket-taker in the recent Test series against England.
- Siraj joins Jasprit Bumrah, Ishan Kishan and Yastika Bhatia on Skechers’ athlete roster.
- Rohit Sharma reclaimed the No. 1 position in the ICC ODI batting rankings.
- Rohit Sharma moved past New Zealand’s Daryl Mitchell in the ODI batting rankings.
- Rohit Sharma was confirmed as the tournament ambassador for the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup.
- The 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup will be hosted by India and Sri Lanka.
- Rohit Sharma has featured in every edition of the T20 World Cup since 2007.
- Rohit Sharma won T20 World Cup titles in 2007 and 2024.
- Zimbabwe’s Sikandar Raza became the top-ranked all-rounder in T20Is.
- New Zealand’s Rachin Ravindra moved up to 12th in ODI batting rankings.
- Devon Conway made a jump to 31st in ODI batting rankings.
- West Indies captain Shai Hope climbed to eighth in ODI batting rankings.
- Mitchell Santner rose to sixth in ODI bowling rankings.
- Matt Henry joined the top tier at No. 10 in ODI bowling rankings.
- England’s Ollie Pope inched up to 24th in Test rankings.
- Mitchell Starc lifted to fifth among Test bowlers.
- Taijul Islam pushed to 15th in Test bowling rankings.
- Ben Stokes climbed to second among Test all-rounders.
- Ravindra Jadeja is the top-ranked Test all-rounder.
US-Russian Crew Begins 8-Month Mission on International Space Station
Key Updates:
- A U.S.-Russian crew of three began a mission on the International Space Station after being launched there on a Russian spacecraft.
- A Soyuz booster rocket lifted off from the Russia-leased Baikonur launch facility in Kazakhstan to put the Soyuz MS-28 into orbit.
- The spacecraft carried NASA astronaut Chris Williams and Russian crewmates, Sergei Mikaev and Sergei Kud-Sverchkov.
- The craft docked at the International Space Station.
- The three are expected to spend about eight months at the orbiting outpost.
- NASA said this is the first spaceflight for Williams, a physicist, and Mikaev, a military pilot.
- This is the second flight for Kud-Sverchkov.
- Already on the space station are NASA astronauts Mike Fincke, Zena Cardman and Jonny Kim, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)’s astronaut Kimiya Yui and Russian cosmonauts Sergei Ryzhikov, Alexei Zubritsky and Oleg Platonov.
- Williams will conduct scientific research and technology demonstrations aimed at advancing human space exploration and benefiting life on Earth, NASA said.
- Roscosmos space corporation (Roscosmos) said in a statement Thursday evening that the crew was “in good health” after the flight.
- A routine inspection of the launch pad, conducted after the liftoff, identified “damage to several launch pad components.”
- The extent of the damage was being assessed, but “all necessary spare components are available for repairs, and the damage will be repaired shortly,” Roscosmos said.
Similar / Past Coverage
- At the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin will pay a State visit to India from December 4 to 5 for the 23rd India-Russia annual summit.
- India is looking at procuring additional batches of S-400 surface-to-air missile systems from Russia as the weapons proved to be very effective during the Operation Sindoor.
- In October 2018, India signed a USD 5 billion deal with Russia to buy five units of the S-400 air defence missile systems.
- Three squadrons have already been delivered and the remaining two are expected to be sent by the middle of next year.
- There is a possibility that India may hold talks on buying at least two squadrons of the Su-57 fighter jets.
- Russia has offered India additional discounts for its procurement of crude oil after the latest wave of US sanctions on two Russian oil producers.
- Test Name: GT 254 – an unarmed Minuteman III ICBM operational test launched by Air Force Global Strike Command
- Launch Site & Recovery: Vandenberg Space Force Base, Calif.; impacted ~4,200 miles away at Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site, Kwajalein Atoll, Marshall Islands
- Command Method: Remotely launched by AFGSC Airmen via a U.S. Navy E-6B Mercury aircraft as airborne backup command-and-control
- Purpose: Verify ICBM reliability, accuracy, and collect data to mitigate risks; supports transition assessment to next-generation LGM-35A Sentinel
- China has deployed a replacement return capsule to its space station, marking the first emergency launch in its crewed space programme.
- The Shenzhou-22 spacecraft, loaded with 600 kg of supplies, including food and material needed to repair a damaged return vehicle, lifted off at 12.11 PM (local time) on Tuesday.
- It linked up with the Tiangong space station in under four hours.
- The astronauts had been forced to rely on the fresh capsule because their designated Shenzhou-20 return ship was found to have tiny cracks in one of its portholes, damage suspected to be caused by space debris.
- The flaw made it unsafe for a crewed descent.
- Shenzhou-20 will be repaired and sent back to Earth at a later stage, but only as a cargo vessel without astronauts.
- Zheng Wei, a researcher at the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), explained the complexity of repairing the affected glass.
- According to SCMC, Zheng said removing the glass was too risky, meaning repairs could only be done internally, strengthening the structure from within.
- Shenzhou-22 was launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in northwest China on a Long March-2F Y22 rocket.
- According to Xinhua, the spacecraft includes several upgrades — such as enhancements to the instrument system, more room for payload installation and refinements to various components — improvements that will be incorporated into future vessels.
- Shenzhou-21 spacecraft docked at the forward port of Tiangong’s Tianhe core module at 3:22 p.m. Eastern (1922 UTC) Oct. 31, according to CMSEO.
- The mission carries commander Zhang Lu and crewmates Zhang Hongzhang and Wu Fei for a roughly six-month stay aboard Tiangong.
- Science agenda includes space life sciences, biotechnology, fluid physics, space medicine, materials science, combustion, and reproduction experiments with four black mice.
- Long March 2F rocket launched from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center at 11:44 a.m. Eastern (1544 UTC).
- China is developing the Long March 10 rocket, Mengzhou crew spacecraft, Lanyue lunar lander, Wangyu lunar suit, and crew lunar rover for a crewed lunar landing before 2030.
Wildlife Institute of India (WII) discovers 13 new bush frog species in Northeast India
Key Updates:
- A comprehensive five-year study by scientists at the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) led to the discovery of 13 new amphibian species across Northeast India.
- The study was based on extensive sampling across 81 localities in eight states, including 25 protected areas.
- Of the 13 new bush frog species, six were found in Arunachal Pradesh, three in Meghalaya and one each in Assam, Mizoram, Nagaland and Manipur.
- The study integrates acoustic, genetic and morphological analyses, and re-examines century-old museum specimens from the Indo-Burma region.
- Bush frogs bypass the tadpole stage entirely: their eggs hatch directly into froglets, making them independent of standing water and reliant on humid forest microhabitats.
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- Species: Crocothemis erythraea, an elusive dragonfly previously misidentified as the lowland Crocothemis servilia.
- Location: High-elevation regions (>550 m) of the southern Western Ghats, including Munnar, Wagamon, Rajakumari, Pampadum Shola, and Parambikulam.
- Confirmation method: Specimens collected between 2019 and 2023 were analysed using morphological features (male genitalia, hamule structure) and DNA barcoding.
- Study lead: Kalesh Sadasivan, lead author of the study published in the International Journal of Odonatology.
- Historical context: C. erythraea colonised southern India during the Pleistocene Ice Age and survived in isolated montane habitats as the climate warmed.
- A new bent-toed gecko, named 'Cyrtodactylus vanarakshaka,' was discovered in Assam.
- The species was found in the forests of central Assam’s Dima Hasao district, specifically the forested slopes of Jatinga in the Barail Hills.
- The name ‘vanarakshaka’ is derived from the Sanskrit words ‘vana’ (forest) and ‘rakshaka’ (protector), honoring the Assam Forest Department.
- The discovery was formally described in the Journal of Asia-Pacific Biodiversity by a team of herpetologists including Manmath Bharali, Krijoboti Thaosen, and Jayaditya Purkayastha.
- Distinctive morphological traits and molecular analysis confirmed it as a new species belonging to the Cyrtodactylus khasiensis group.
- With this discovery, the number of Cyrtodactylus species recorded from Assam has risen to five.
- The finding further highlights Assam’s growing reputation as a biodiversity hotspot, especially for reptiles and amphibians.
- Species name: Cyrtodactylus vanarakshaka, a bent-toed gecko newly described in the Journal of Asia-Pacific Biodiversity
- Research team: Manmath Bharali, Krijoboti Thaosen, Mathipi Vabeiryureilai, Hmar Tlawmte Lalremsanga, Jayaditya Purkayastha, Rupankar Bhattacharjee, Madhurima Das, Sanath Chandra Bohra, and Arup Kumar Hazarika
- Location: Forested slopes of Jatinga in the Barail Hills, Dima Hasao district, central Assam
- Naming rationale: 'vanarakshaka' from Sanskrit 'vana' (forest) and 'rakshaka' (protector) to honour the Assam Forest Department
- Taxonomic placement: Belongs to the Cyrtodactylus khasiensis group noted for high endemism and restricted distribution
- Six new butterfly species were found in Arunachal's Siang Valley.
- This is for the first time, the species have been documented in India.
- The new species include Litin Onyx Horaga takanamii, Narrow-banded Royal Dacalana vui, Tibetan Duke Euthalia zhaxidunzhui, Tibetan Sergeant Athyma yui, Tibetan Junglequeen Stichophthalma neumogeni renqingduojiei, and Mountain Columbine Stiboges elodinia.
- These species were earlier documented in Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar, and southeastern Tibet.
- A team of conservationists believe that the river Brahmaputra played a critical biogeographic role in facilitating their faunal continuity.
- The documentation was carried out by Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment ATREE and the Litin Community Conservation Society.
- A paper on these findings was published in the latest issue of Entomon journal.
Bisleri International Secures Two-Year Partnership as Official Beverage Partner of Tata Women's Premier League
Key Updates:
- Bisleri International is Official Beverage Partner of Tata Women's Premier League for the next two seasons.
- Tata Women's Premier League was launched in 2023.
- Partnership provides on-ground visibility via visicoolers and iceboxes in team dugouts along with in-stadium hydration support.
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- Camikara has become the first Indian rum to win ‘Rum Brand of the Year’ at The Spirits Business Awards 2025 in London.
- The rum is distilled from fresh sugarcane juice and aged in American oak barrels under North India’s climate.
- Camikara is available in three expressions: 3-year, 8-year, and 12-year aged variants.
- Produced by Piccadily Agro Industries Ltd, Camikara is described as India’s first pure cane-juice aged rum.
- The judges at the awards described Camikara as a “pioneer in its category” and credited it with putting Indian rum-making on the global map.
- Jay Shah, Chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC), received the CNN-News18 Indian of the Year 2025 in the Outstanding Achievement category.
- During his tenure as Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) honorary secretary from 2019-2024, he introduced the Women's Premier League (WPL) and implemented pay parity for women's teams.
- India's women's cricket team, led by captain Harmanpreet Kaur and head coach Amol Muzumdar, won the Indian of the Year Award in the Sports category following their ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025 victory.
- Implementing Authority: The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has ordered the immediate removal of beverages misusing the ‘ORS’ label.
- Objective: To ensure the immediate removal of fruit-based beverages, ready-to-serve drinks, energy drinks, electrolyte drinks, and similar products that use the term “ORS” in their brand or product names.
- Key Provision: No food product, whether fruit-based, non-carbonated, or ready-to-drink, can use the term “ORS” in the trademarked name or in any form, including as a prefix or suffix, as this violates the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
- Enforcement Mechanism: FSSAI instructed officers to carry out immediate inspections across retail and online platforms to identify non-compliant products, remove them from sale, and take regulatory action against the companies involved.
- Standard for ORS: The term “ORS” is reserved only for formulations meeting World Health Organisation (WHO) standards for oral rehydration solutions.
- Judicial Support: The Delhi High Court refused to intervene in FSSAI’s order, noting that counterfeit or misleading ORS-labeled products pose a serious public health risk and that public health must take precedence over commercial considerations.
- India posted the highest growth in total beverage alcohol (TBA) consumption among 20 key global markets, with TBA volume rising 7% year-on-year during the January–June 2025 period to cross 440 million 9-litre cases.
- Indian whisky dominated the spirits category, registering a 7% rise to over 130 million 9-litre cases, while vodka grew 10%, rum 2%, and gin and genever 3%.
- Premium and above alcohol categories in India rose 8% by both volume and value in the first half of 2025, with ready-to-drink beverages growing 11%, beer at 7%, and spirits at 6%.
- IWSR forecasts India to become the fifth-largest alcohol market globally by volume, expected to overtake Japan by 2027 and Germany by 2033.
Day of Remembrance for all Victims of Chemical Warfare observed on 30 November
Key Updates:
- Day of Remembrance for all Victims of Chemical Warfare is observed on 30 November.
- The 1925 Geneva Protocol banned the use of chemical weapons in war.
- The Chemical Weapons Convention has nearly universal adherence.
- UN Secretary-General António Guterres issued a message for the Day of Remembrance for all Victims of Chemical Warfare.
Similar / Past Coverage
- Publication Name: Guidelines on the protection of the natural environment in armed conflict: rules and recommendations relating to the protection of the natural environment under international humanitarian law, with commentary
- Publisher: ICRC
- Year of Publication: 2020
- Content: Sets out rules and recommendations relating to the protection of the natural environment under international humanitarian law (IHL), accompanied by a concise commentary.
- Purpose: Serves as a reference tool for States, parties to armed conflicts, and other actors to interpret and apply IHL, and to facilitate the adoption of concrete measures to reduce the environmental impact of armed conflict.
- Availability: Also available in Arabic, Chinese, French, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, and Ukrainian.
- World Cleanup Day 2025 theme is "Strive for Five!", a science-backed approach seeking participation of 5% of global population to trigger behavioral changes on plastic pollution.
- World Cleanup Day 2025 will kick off with a live broadcast from Kiev, Ukraine, showcasing global cleanup stories and real-time impact.
- International Day of Peace falls on the day after World Cleanup Day, reinforcing the event’s call for world peace through collective action.
- World First Aid Day is held annually on the second Saturday of September and was established by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) in the year 2000.
- World First Aid Day 2025 falls on Saturday, 13 September 2025.
- The theme for 2025 is "First Aid and Climate Change", highlighting how climate-induced events like heatwaves, floods, and storms demand updated first aid readiness.
- November 16, 2025, is World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims.
- Over 300 small flags will represent those who have died on our roads since the last World Day of Remembrance in 2024.
- This year’s theme is Safe Speeds Save Lives, focusing on the need to use more effective – but under-used – tools to discourage dangerously high speeds.”
Vice Admiral Sanjay Sadhu assumed charge as Controller of Warship Production and Acquisition (CWP&A)
Key Updates:
- Vice Admiral Sanjay Sadhu, AVSM, NM assumed charge as Controller of Warship Production and Acquisition (CWP&A).
- He succeeds Vice Admiral Rajaram Swaminathan, AVSM, NM, who is retiring on 30 November 2025 after 38 years of distinguished service.
- He has been awarded the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal and the Nao Sena Medal.
- He has the rare distinction of heading two major dockyards on both the Western and Eastern Coasts.
- During the tenure of Vice Admiral Rajaram Swaminathan, eight ships were inducted into the Indian Navy.
- Prior to assuming charge of the CWP&A, he served as the Program Director of the Advanced Technology Vessel Program in New Delhi.
Similar / Past Coverage
- Vice Admiral B. Sivakumar, AVSM, VSM, assumed the position of the 40th Chief of Materiel on 1 November 2025.
- He was commissioned as an Electrical Officer in the Indian Navy on July 1, 1987.
- He succeeded Vice Admiral Kiran Deshmukh, AVSM, VSM, who completed over 39 years of service.
- Contract for eleven Ammunition Cum Torpedo Cum Missile Barges concluded with M/s Suryadipta Projects Pvt Ltd, Thane on 05 Mar 21
- Launch ceremony of 11th barge LSAM 25 (Yard 135) held on 08 Sep 25 at Thane with Rear Admiral Vishal Bishnoi as Chief Guest
- Barges indigenously designed and built by Indian shipyard with Indian design firm and IRS; ten of eleven already delivered and operational with Indian Navy
- The Indian Navy will commission its new support base INS Aravali.
- INS Aravali will be commissioned in Gurugram.
- The base has been established to bolster command, control and Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) operations.
- Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, Chief of the Naval Staff, will preside over the commissioning ceremony.
- INS Aravali will function under the guiding motto ‘सामुद्रिकसुरक्षायाः सहयोगं’ or ‘ Maritime Security through Collaboration’.
- Defence equipment: Anti-submarine warfare shallow-water craft 'Mahe' – first of eight ASW-SWC being built by Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL), Kochi
- Commissioning venue: Naval Dockyard, Mumbai
- Key capabilities: equipped with torpedoes, multi-functional anti-submarine rockets, advanced radars and sonars; designed for submarine hunting, coastal patrol and securing maritime approaches
- Indigenous content: more than 80 per cent indigenous; showcases India's mastery in warship design, construction and integration under Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative
India’s Fertility Rate Drops to 1.9 Below Replacement Level, Population to Peak at 1.8–1.9 Billion by 2080
Key Updates:
- India’s total fertility rate (TFR) currently stands at 1.9.
- In 2000, India’s TFR was 3.5.
- India’s population projected to peak at 1.8 or 1.9 billion by 2080.
- Indian Association for the Study of Population (IASP) general secretary Anil Chandran attributes fertility decline to rising female literacy and education.
- Kerala achieved replacement-level fertility between 1987 and 1989 with current TFR around 1.5.
- West Bengal’s TFR stands at 1.3 per SRS Statistical Report 2023, down from 1.7 in 2013.
Similar / Past Coverage
- A new study, published in The Lancet, reveals that the world will soon witness a very low fertility rate.
- The study was collated by researchers from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME).
- It suggests that by 2100, over 97% of countries will have fertility rates below the percentage required to sustain population size over time.
- By 2050, 155 of 204 (76%) countries will be below the replacement level of fertility, estimated to further rise to 198 of 204 (97%) by 2100.
- The global Total Fertility Rate (TFR) has reduced to less than half over the past 70 years, from five children per female in 1950 to 2.2 children in 2021.
- Researchers state that countries require a Total Fertility Rate (TFR) of 2.1 children per person to maintain long-term generational replacement of the population.
- In 2021, almost half of the world, 110 of 204 countries, are below the population replacement level of 2.1 births per female.
- Chad has the highest Total Fertility Rate (TFR) in the world, at seven births.
- The Total Fertility Rate (TFR) of sub-Saharan Africa is double the global average, at four children per female in 2021.
- India’s birth, death, and infant mortality rates have shown a steady decline over the past few decades.
- The birth rate has fallen from 21.4 in 2013 to 18.4 in 2023, and from 36.9 in 1971 to 18.4 in 2023.
- Rural birth rate declined from 22.9 to 20.3 between 2013 and 2023, while urban birth rate fell from 17.3 to 14.9.
- Bihar reported the highest birth rate at 25.8 in 2023, while the Andaman & Nicobar Islands recorded the lowest at 10.1.
- The death rate decreased from 7.0 in 2013 to 6.4 in 2023.
- Rural death rate was 6.8 compared to 5.7 in urban areas in 2023.
- Chhattisgarh recorded the highest death rate at 8.3, while Chandigarh registered the lowest at 4.0.
- Infant Mortality Rate dropped from 40 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2013 to 25 in 2023.
- Rural IMR fell from 44 to 28, and urban IMR declined from 27 to 18 between 2013 and 2023.
- In 2023, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh reported the highest IMR at 37, while Manipur had the lowest at 3.
- India’s Maternal Mortality Rate declined by 83% between 1990 and 2020, compared to a 42% global decline.
- Maternal mortality now stands at 97 deaths per 100,000 live births, improved from 556 earlier.
India Cultivates Coffee under Unique Two-Tier Shade System Enhancing Biodiversity
Key Updates:
- Indian coffee is cultivated under a unique two-tier shade system of evergreen and leguminous trees, with nearly 50 varieties enhancing soil health and biodiversity.
- Western Ghats form one of the 25 biodiversity hotspots in the world and provide ideal conditions for coffee.
- Coffee serves as both an environmentally sustainable and economically vital plantation crop.
- Coffee Board of India develops high-yielding, disease-resistant varieties and standardizes modern cultivation technologies.
- India produces shade-grown, handpicked, and sun-dried coffees positioned in premium markets.
Similar / Past Coverage
- The 8th Session of the Codex Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs (CCSCH) was inaugurated in Guwahati, Assam.
- The event is hosted by the Government of India, with the Spices Board of India serving as the Secretariat under the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC).
- The CAC is a joint intergovernmental body established by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO), playing a vital role in setting science-based international food standards.
- The CCSCH, established in 2013, develops international Codex standards for spices and culinary herbs, ensuring uniformity in quality parameters, testing methods, and labeling practices.
- The Guwahati session deliberates on draft and proposed standards for key spices such as cardamom, coriander, and vanilla, and will develop new standards for emerging spices like nutmeg, curry leaves, and saffron.
- The global spice market is valued at USD 28.5 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach USD 41.9 billion by 2033.
- India accounts for nearly 43% of global spice exports and produces over 75 of the 109 varieties recognized by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
- The session saw the participation of 140 delegates from 40 countries, including representatives from FAO, WHO, the European Union, the United States, Japan, and the African Union.
- M Salman Baseer has been elected as the chairman of the Karnataka Planters Association (KPA).
- M C Kariappa has been elected as the vice-chairman of the KPA.
- The KPA is the apex body of coffee growers in the state.
- The KPA is one of the country’s most influential growers’ groups.
- The KPA will work under the new leadership to address issues facing Karnataka’s coffee sector.
- Other members elected to the KPA executive committee include Yeshwant R Gurjer, Sameer Gurjer, A P Rajaram, A Namitha Rao, P M Pavan Monnappa, K P Appaiah, A Nanda Belliappa and Krishanth Chowdlu.
- The initiative is named “Kuposhan Mukt Bharat” (Malnutrition-Free India).
- It is a visionary programme of the Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.
- The initiative is being implemented under the Poshan Abhiyan.
- Through this initiative, the Food Corporation of India (FCI) is distributing fortified rice across the country.
- Fortified Rice Kernel (FRK) is produced by blending rice flour with micronutrients such as iron, folic acid, and vitamin B12, extruded and shaped to resemble rice grains, which are then blended with regular rice to enhance nutritional value.
- Initiative Name: BHARATI (Bharat's Hub for Agritech, Resilience, Advancement and Incubation for Export Enablement) launched by the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) under the Commerce Ministry.
- Objective: Empower 100 agri-food and agri-tech startups, accelerate their journey, promote innovation, and create new export opportunities to help achieve a $50 billion export target by 2030.
- Key Features: Three-month acceleration programme focusing on product development, export readiness, regulatory compliance, market access, and collaborative solutions to address export challenges related to product development, value addition, quality assurance, perishability, wastage, and logistics.
- Target Beneficiaries: High-value agri-food producers, technology-driven service providers, and innovators working on AI-based quality control, blockchain-enabled traceability, IoT-enabled cold chains, agri-fintech, innovative packaging, sustainability, and sea protocols.
- Implementation: Application and selection process beginning September 2025 through the APEDA website to shortlist 100 startups for the export enablement programme, with partnerships involving state agricultural boards, agricultural universities, IITs, NITs, industry bodies, and existing accelerators.
Government of India and Asian Development Bank (ADB) sign over $800 million in development loans across Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Gujarat
Key Updates:
- ADB signs $500 million loan for Maharashtra Power Distribution Enhancement Programme.
- ADB signs ¥27,147,200,000 ($190.6 million) loan for Indore Metro Rail Project in Madhya Pradesh.
- ADB signs $109.97 million loan for Gujarat Skills Development Programme.
- ADB finalizes $1 million Technical Assistance grant for Sustainable Wetland and Integrated Fisheries Transformation Project in Assam.
Similar / Past Coverage
- ReNew Energy Global Plc secured $331 million in debt from the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
- The funding is to support a clean energy project in Andhra Pradesh.
- The $331 million is part of a $477 million financial package for the Andhra project.
- The remaining $146 million of the financial package is to be arranged by ADB through other lenders.
- The project integrates 837 MWp of wind and solar capacity with a 415 megawatt-hour (MWh) battery energy storage system (BESS).
- The project is designed to deliver 300 MW of peak power and is expected to generate 1,641 GWh of clean energy annually.
- The $331 million ADB debt package includes up to $291 million in local-currency financing from ADB's ordinary capital resources and up to $40 million from the ADB-administered Leading Asia's Private Infrastructure Fund 2 (LEAP 2).
- ReNew has a clean energy portfolio of about 18.2 GW.
- India will receive a $126.42 million loan from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to develop tourism infrastructure and services in Uttarakhand’s Tehri Lake region.
- The agreement for the Sustainable, Inclusive, and Climate-Resilient Tourism Development at Tehri Lake Area Project was signed.
- The project aims to transform the climate-vulnerable Tehri Garhwal district into an all-weather tourism hub.
- It is designed to boost local livelihoods, improve visitor facilities, and strengthen climate resilience.
- The initiative targets Tehri Garhwal District, identified as one of Uttarakhand’s most climate-vulnerable and economically disadvantaged areas.
- Planned measures include institutional capacity building, climate-resilient infrastructure, and nature-based interventions to address landslide and flood risks.
- The programme will include a livelihood grant scheme for women, youth, and micro, small and medium-sized enterprises; universal access design for persons with disabilities; and a women-led disaster risk management initiative in pilot villages.
- State Bank of India (SBI) has signed a Line of Credit agreement of €100 million with Agence Francaise de Developpement (AFD) at its GIFT City branch at Gandhinagar.
- The funds will be utilised in climate mitigation actions aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions and climate adaptation measures designed to adjust systems, practices, and infrastructure to minimise damage caused by climate change.
- The partnership is a strategic step towards SBI's goal of achieving a green portfolio constituting 7.5-10 per cent of its domestic gross advances by 2030.
- India and Israel signed a bilateral investment agreement, making Israel the first OECD member to adopt India's new investment treaty model.
- The agreement replaces the 1996 version, which was terminated in 2017 as part of India's policy on investment treaties.
- The treaty is expected to boost investments by providing greater certainty and protection for investors, facilitating growth of trade and mutual investments.
- The agreement includes provisions to safeguard investments against expropriation, ensure transparency, and enable smooth transfers and compensation for losses.
- The treaty will help boost investment from both countries, estimated at $800 million.
India Re-Elected to UNESCO Executive Board for 2025–29 Term
Key Updates:
- India has been re-elected to the UNESCO Executive Board for the 2025-29 term.
- Re-election reflects the international community’s confidence in India’s longstanding commitment to multilateralism and to UNESCO’s mandate across education, culture, science, communication and information.
- India’s continued presence on the Executive Board underscores growing global support for its vision of inclusive, human-centric development and for strengthening cooperation among nations.
Similar / Past Coverage
- Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar is set to assume the Chair of the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) for the year 2026.
- Kumar will take over as the chair of IIDEA on December 3 in Stockholm.
- As Chair, he will be presiding over all council meetings during 2026.
- International IDEA, established in 1995, is an inter-governmental organisation committed to strengthening democratic institutions and processes across the world.
- The organisation has a current membership of 35 countries, with the United States and Japan as observers.
- India, a founding member of IIDEA, has consistently contributed to the organisation's governance, democratic discourse and institutional initiatives.
- A bust of B R Ambedkar was unveiled at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris on the occasion of Constitution Day.
- The bust was unveiled by Vishal V Sharma, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of India to UNESCO, in the presence of UNESCO Director General Khaled El-Enany.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the unveiling as a 'fitting tribute' to the architect of India’s Constitution.
- The statue carries a plaque with Ambedkar’s name and a caption that says, 'Architect of the Indian Constitution, 70 Years (1950-2025) of the Indian Constitution'.
- Khaled Ahmed El-Enany Ali Ezz elected 12th Director-General of UNESCO with 172 votes in his favor.
- He will officially take office on 15 November, succeeding Audrey Azoulay for a four-year term.
- First Director-General from an Arab nation; previously Egypt’s Minister of Antiquities and Tourism and Special Ambassador for Cultural Tourism with the World Tourism Organization.
- Seven new properties have been added to the Tentative List of UNESCO's World Heritage for India.
- With these additions, the number of Indian properties on the Tentative List are now 69.
- The 69 properties on the Tentative List include 49 under Cultural category, three under Mixed category and 17 under Natural category.
- The seven new properties added are under the natural category.
- Addition to the Tentative List is a mandatory requirement before the inscription of any property on the World Heritage List.
India re-elected to International Maritime Organization (IMO) Council in Category B for 2026-27 with highest vote tally
Key Updates:
- India has been re-elected to the Council of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), London, in Category B, comprising 10 countries with the most significant interest in international seaborne trade.
- India secured the highest number of votes in this category, receiving 154 out of 169 valid votes cast during the election.
- The Council elections were held during the 34th session of the IMO Assembly in London by secret ballot.
- The term of Council will be for the 2026-27 biennium.
- IMO Council is a body composed of three categories, with 40 elected members out of 176 IMO member countries.
Similar / Past Coverage
- Shantha Rangaswamy elected president of the Indian Cricketers’ Association (ICA)
- Venkat Sundaram named secretary and Deepak Jain appointed treasurer of ICA
- Sudha Shah and Shubhangi Kulkarni nominated as ICA representatives to BCCI Apex Council and IPL Governing Council
- V Chamundeswara Nath (Chamundi) named male representative to BCCI Apex Council
- Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh has felicitated the student winners in New Delhi, comprising the Indian team at the 18th International Earth Science Olympiad IESO-2025.
- Team India put up a stellar performance by securing a total of seven medals including one Gold, 4 Silver and 2 Bronze, along with a 3rd Prize in the International Geoscience Youth Movement Reporter category.
- The 18th International Earth Science Olympiad IESO-2025 was held at Jining in China last month.
- Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar is set to assume the Chair of the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) for the year 2026.
- Kumar will take over as the chair of IIDEA on December 3 in Stockholm.
- As Chair, he will be presiding over all council meetings during 2026.
- International IDEA, established in 1995, is an inter-governmental organisation committed to strengthening democratic institutions and processes across the world.
- The organisation has a current membership of 35 countries, with the United States and Japan as observers.
- India, a founding member of IIDEA, has consistently contributed to the organisation's governance, democratic discourse and institutional initiatives.
- India has secured the third position in the Asia Power Index 2025, on the back of economic growth and military capability based on its performance in Operation Sindoor, Australia-based think tank Lowy Institute said.
- The 2025 edition shows India's overall power score crossing 40 points, the threshold for classification as a 'major power'.
- India ranks third for two measures - economic capability and future resources.
- Increases in its inward investment have seen India rise to ninth place in economic relationships.
India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra) raises India's FY26 GDP growth projection to 7%
Key Updates:
- India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra) expects GDP in FY26 to grow 7 per cent year-on-year.
- Ind-Ra revised forecast 70 basis points higher than earlier 6.3 per cent projected in July 2025.
- Reserve Bank of India (RBI) projected India's GDP growth in current fiscal at 6.8 per cent.
- India's real GDP grew 7.8 per cent in April-June period of FY26.
- India's GDP expanded 6.5 per cent in last fiscal year.
- Ind-Ra expects private final consumption expenditure to grow 7.4 per cent YoY in FY26.
- Private final consumption expenditure grew 7.2 per cent in FY25.
- Indian exports to US fell 11.9 per cent YoY in September 2025.
- Indian exports to US fell 8.9 per cent YoY in October 2025.
- Indian exports to US averaged USD 7.2 billion per month in FY25.
- Indian exports to US averaged USD 7.4 billion from April to October 2025.
- Indian exports to US dropped to USD 5.9 billion during September-October 2025.
Similar / Past Coverage
- ICRA has upgraded its GDP growth forecast to 6.5% from 6% for FY26.
- GST on 99% of goods has been slashed from 12% to 5%.
- GST on oil and gas exploration has been increased from 12% to 18%.
- ICRA expects the Reserve Bank of India to retain its growth forecast of 6.5% for the country’s full fiscal year GDP.
- ICRA expects lower GST to benefit renewable, FMCG, healthcare, consumer electronics, and automobiles industry.
- Crisil kept India’s FY26 real GDP growth forecast at 6.5 per cent, same as the 6.5 per cent recorded in FY25.
- India’s real GDP grew 7.8 per cent in April-June quarter of FY26, while nominal GDP rose 8.8 per cent annually in the same quarter.
- The US imposed 50 per cent tariffs on India effective 27 August, and S&P Global projects global growth to slow to 2.9 per cent in 2025 from 3.3 per cent in 2024.
- The RBI has cut the repo rate by 100 bps so far in 2025 and will reduce the cash reserve ratio in four tranches between September and December.
- The government’s FY26 GDP forecast range is 6.3-6.8 per cent, and Crisil expects private consumption—boosted by a healthy monsoon, agricultural outlook, rate cuts, income-tax relief and expected higher rural-scheme spending—to drive growth.
- Fitch Ratings raised India’s FY26 real GDP growth forecast to 6.9% from 6.5%.
- India’s real GDP grew 7.8% in the April–June quarter, up from 7.4% in the previous quarter.
- Retail inflation hit a low of 1.6% in July, the lowest level since June 2017.
- Core inflation eased below 4% for the first time in six months.
- Fitch expects the RBI to cut policy rates by 25 basis points later this year and keep them steady through 2026.
- Morgan Stanley has revised India's real GDP growth upwards to 6.7 per cent year-on-year for the financial year 2025-26.
- The earlier projected real GDP growth for FY 2025-26 by Morgan Stanley was 6.2 per cent.
- India's GDP growth in the April-June quarter was 7.8 per cent.
- GDP growth in the January-March quarter was 7.4 per cent.
- Morgan Stanley estimates that the incremental drag from external demand is around 50 basis points (bps).
- Morgan Stanley estimates that likely GST cuts could boost growth by about 50bps.
- Government consumption picked up pace to 7.5 per cent YoY in the April-June quarter.
- Private consumption picked up pace to 7 per cent YoY in the April-June quarter.
- Gross fixed capital formation moderated to 7.8 per cent in the April-June quarter.
Andre Russell retires from Indian Premier League (IPL), joins Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) support staff as power coach
Key Updates:
- Andre Russell announced his retirement from the Indian Premier League (IPL).
- He will join Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) coaching group as a power coach for the 2026 season.
- He has been synonymous with KKR since 2014.
- He is 37 years old.
- He played his first two years for Delhi Daredevils.
- He ends his IPL career with 2,651 runs at a strike rate of 174.18 including 12 fifties and 123 wickets with one five-for in 140 matches.
Similar / Past Coverage
- Mitchell Starc has announced his decision to retire from T20 international cricket.
- Starc played 65 T20Is for Australia and was part of the 2021 T20 World Cup-winning team.
- He stated that Test cricket is his highest priority and wants to focus on the upcoming Test tour of India, the Ashes, and the 2027 ODI World Cup.
- Ex-India leg-spinner Amit Mishra retires from professional cricket after 25-year career.
- Mishra announced his retirement from the professional game at the age of 42 after a career spanning almost a quarter of a century.
- Mishra last played for Lucknow Super Giants ( LSG ) in the 2024 edition of the Indian Premier League, and his last game was against Rajasthan Royals midway through the season.
- He was one of the most prolific spinners in the history of the franchise tournament, the only bowler to have three hat-tricks to his name.
- Apart from LSG, Mishra also turned out for the now-defunct Deccan Chargers, Delhi Daredevils and Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL.
- Mishra played 22 Tests, taking 76 wickets at an average of 35.72.
- He made his debut in Kumble’s final series, against Australia in 2008, taking a five-wicket haul in Mohali, finishing with 14 wickets in three Tests.
- Mishra also played 36 ODIs and 10 T20Is for India and was part of the squad that won the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy in England.
- On the domestic circuit, he was a key player for Haryana after making his debut in 2001-02, and a major contributor of wickets, finishing with 535 scalps in 152 first-class games, the last of which came in 2017.
- Kane Williamson retires as New Zealand's second-highest T20I run-scorer with 2,575 runs from 93 matches.
- He captained New Zealand to the 2021 T20 World Cup final, scoring 85 in the final against Australia.
- Williamson led New Zealand to T20 World Cup semi-finals in 2016 and 2022.
- Dabang Delhi K.C. defeated Puneri Paltan to win its second PKL title.
- Dabang Delhi beat Puneri Paltan 31-28 in the Pro Kabaddi League 12 final.
- The final was held on Friday, October 31, 2025, at the Thyagaraj Indoor Stadium in Delhi.
- Fazel Atrachali was named as the MVP of PKL 12.
- Navdeep was named as the best defender of the tournament and topped the tackle charts with 73 tackle points.
- Ayan Lohchab was named as the best raider in the tournament and ended with 316 raid points.
- Deepak Sankar of Bengaluru Bulls was named as the best new young player of the tournament.
- Joginder Narwal was the coach and Ashu Malik was the captain of the winning Dabang Delhi K.C. team.
India Achieves Historic Record of 357 Million Tonnes Foodgrain Production
Key Updates:
- India produced 357 million tonnes of foodgrains.
- India's foodgrain production increased by 100 million tonnes compared to 10 years ago.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the Natural Farming Exhibition in Coimbatore.
- The South India Natural Farming Summit promotes sustainable, eco-friendly, and chemical-free agricultural practices.
- The Summit focuses on regenerative farming as a climate-smart and economically sustainable model.
- The Summit showcases innovations in organic inputs, agro-processing, eco-friendly packaging, and indigenous technologies.
Similar / Past Coverage
- India’s Index of Industrial Production (IIP) rose 4.0% year-on-year in September 2025.
- The growth was led by a 4.8% expansion in manufacturing.
- The data was released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI).
- The Quick Estimate of IIP stood at 152.8 in September 2025, up from 146.9 in September 2024.
- Sector-wise, mining output slipped 0.4%, while electricity generation grew 3.1%.
- Out of 23 manufacturing sub-groups, 13 recorded positive growth in September.
- Top performing manufacturing sectors included basic metals (12.3%), electrical equipment (28.7%), and motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers (14.6%).
- Based on use-based classification, infrastructure/construction goods grew 10.5%, consumer durables grew 10.2%, and intermediate goods grew 5.3%.
- Consumer non-durables recorded a growth rate of –2.9%.
- The next IIP release, for October 2025, is scheduled for November 28, 2025.
- Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, and Rural Development, Shivraj Singh Chouhan has released the first advanced estimates of production of main Kharif crops.
- Total food grain production estimated to increase by 3.87 million tonnes to 173.33 million tonnes.
- Kharif rice production is estimated at 124.504 million tonnes, which is 1.732 million tonnes more than last year.
- Kharif maize production is estimated at 28.303 million tonnes, 3.495 million tonnes more than the previous year.
- Total Kharif coarse cereals production projected at 41.414 million tonnes and pulses at 7.413 million tonnes.
- Total Kharif oilseed production estimated at 27.563 million tonnes, with soybean at 14.266 million tonnes and peanut at 11.093 million tonnes.
- Sugarcane production estimated at 475.614 million tonnes, an increase of 21.003 million tonnes over last year.
- Cotton production estimated at 29.215 million bales (170 kg each); Patson and Mesta at 8.345 million bales.
- ICAR denied bias allegations in evaluation of gene-edited rice lines Pusa DST-1 and DRR Dhan 100 Kamala under AICRPR multi-location trials.
- The ‘Basic Animal Husbandry Statistics 2025’ was released by Prof. S.P. Singh Baghel, Minister of State, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying and Panchayati Raj, on National Milk Day at Sushma Swaraj Bhawan, New Delhi.
- The publication provides comprehensive data on livestock and dairy sector trends based on the Integrated Sample Survey conducted from 1st March 2024 to 29th February 2025.
- India ranks 1st globally in milk production with 247.87 million tonnes in 2024-25, and 2nd in egg production with 149.11 billion eggs.
- The top five milk-producing states are Uttar Pradesh (15.66%), Rajasthan (14.82%), Madhya Pradesh (9.12%), Gujarat (7.78%), and Maharashtra (6.71%).
- Andhra Pradesh leads egg production with 18.37% of national output, followed by Tamil Nadu (15.63%) and Telangana (12.98%).
- Horticulture production rose 4 percent to 369.05 million tonne in the crop year ended June 2025.
- Fruit production increased by 5.12 percent to 118.76 million tonne.
- Vegetable production increased by 4.09 percent to 215.68 million tonne.
- Onion production rose to 30.78 million tonne in 2024-25 from 24.26 million tonne in the previous year.
- Potato production increased marginally by 1.85 percent to 58.10 million tonne.
- Tomato output is estimated at 19.46 million tonne for 2024-25.
- Production of aromatic and medicinal plants increased to 7,81,000 tonne from 7,26,000 tonne last year.
- Spice production is estimated at 12.50 million tonne.
Rohit Sharma surpasses Shahid Afridi for most sixes in ODI cricket
Key Updates:
- Rohit Sharma became the player with the most sixes in ODI cricket with 352 sixes, surpassing Shahid Afridi's 351.
- Rohit Sharma achieved the record in the first ODI against South Africa.
- Rohit Sharma hit the record-breaking 352nd six in the 20th over of India's innings.
- Rohit Sharma reached the record in exactly 100 innings less than Shahid Afridi.
- Rohit Sharma scored 57 off 51 balls in the match.
- Batters with most sixes: Rohit Sharma (India) 352, Shahid Afridi (Pakistan) 351, Chris Gayle (West Indies) 331, Sanath Jayasuriya (Sri Lanka) 270, MS Dhoni (India) 229.
Similar / Past Coverage
- Ayush Mhatre became the youngest man to score a hundred across all three formats – First-class, List A, and T20, at 18 years and 135 days.
- He surpassed Rohit Sharma, who had scored a First-Class, List A and T20 century by the age of 19 years and 339 days.
- Ayush Mhatre scored an unbeaten 110*(53) for Mumbai against Vidarbha in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) in Lucknow.
- Mumbai won the SMAT match by seven wickets and 13 balls to spare, chasing a 193-run target.
- Ayush Mhatre broke the List A world record as the youngest-ever centurion in the format, aged 17 years and 168 days, scoring 181 against Nagaland.
- He is likely to lead India at the upcoming U-19 World Cup in January 2026.
- Mhatre will be leading India Under-19 at the ACC Men’s Under-19 Asia Cup in Dubai from December 12.
- He made his T20 debut in the IPL 2025 season for the Chennai Super Kings.
- South Africa registered a massive 408-run victory over India in the second Test, securing a 2-0 series sweep.
- Spinner Simon Harmer's exceptional 6-wicket haul dismantled India's batting for 140.
- The defeat marked India’s heaviest loss in Test cricket by runs and gave South Africa their first series win in India in 25 years.
- Chasing a daunting 549-run target, India were bowled out for just 140 on day five in Guwahati.
- Ravindra Jadeja top-scoring with a gritty 54 off 87 balls.
- Harmer, 36, finished with career-best figures of 6-37 and ended the match with nine wickets.
- Left-arm pacer Marco Jansen, who had earlier scored a quickfire 93 and taken 6-48 in India’s first innings, was named player of the match.
- Aiden Markram also starred, taking nine catches in the match — the most by a fielder in a single Test.
- South Africa had set India a mammoth target after scoring 489 in the first innings and declaring at 260-5 in the second.
- Senuran Muthusamy’s maiden Test century (109) in the first innings had laid the foundation for the visitors’ dominance.
- This is South Africa’s second series win in India, the first coming under Hansie Cronje in 2000-01.
- Temba Bavuma, maintaining his unbeaten streak as Test captain, led the team with composure and tactical brilliance.
- Rohit Sharma reclaimed the No. 1 position in the ICC ODI batting rankings.
- Rohit Sharma moved past New Zealand’s Daryl Mitchell in the ODI batting rankings.
- Rohit Sharma was confirmed as the tournament ambassador for the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup.
- The 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup will be hosted by India and Sri Lanka.
- Rohit Sharma has featured in every edition of the T20 World Cup since 2007.
- Rohit Sharma won T20 World Cup titles in 2007 and 2024.
- Zimbabwe’s Sikandar Raza became the top-ranked all-rounder in T20Is.
- New Zealand’s Rachin Ravindra moved up to 12th in ODI batting rankings.
- Devon Conway made a jump to 31st in ODI batting rankings.
- West Indies captain Shai Hope climbed to eighth in ODI batting rankings.
- Mitchell Santner rose to sixth in ODI bowling rankings.
- Matt Henry joined the top tier at No. 10 in ODI bowling rankings.
- England’s Ollie Pope inched up to 24th in Test rankings.
- Mitchell Starc lifted to fifth among Test bowlers.
- Taijul Islam pushed to 15th in Test bowling rankings.
- Ben Stokes climbed to second among Test all-rounders.
- Ravindra Jadeja is the top-ranked Test all-rounder.
- Smriti Mandhana scored 125 off 63 balls, hitting a 50-ball century to break Virat Kohli’s Indian record for fastest ODI hundred.
- Australia posted 412/5 in 47.5 overs, their joint-highest ODI total, with Beth Mooney top-scoring on 138 off 75 balls.
- India were bowled out for 369 in 47 overs, losing the third ODI by 43 runs and the series 2-1.
Virat Kohli surpasses Sachin Tendulkar for most ODI tons against South Africa
Key Updates:
- Virat Kohli recorded his 52nd ODI century against South Africa.
- The match was held at the JSCA International Stadium in Ranchi.
- Virat Kohli achieved 52 centuries in a single international format, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar's 51 Test centuries.
- Virat Kohli now holds the record for most ODI centuries ever with 52.
- Virat Kohli scored his 25th ODI century at home, the first player to reach this milestone.
- Virat Kohli recorded his 6th ODI century against South Africa, the most by any batter, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar's 5.
- Virat Kohli hit 218 sixes at number three across formats, surpassing Ricky Ponting's 217.
- Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma shared a 136-run century partnership, their 20th in ODIs.
- Virat Kohli became the batter with the most fifties (59) in ODIs in India, overtaking Sachin Tendulkar.
Similar / Past Coverage
- Arshdeep Singh reached 100 T20I wickets in India’s Asia Cup clash against Oman.
- The milestone wicket was that of Vinayak Shukla in the last over of Oman’s 189-run chase.
- His career figures now stand at 100 wickets in 64 matches since his 2022 debut.
- Smriti Mandhana scored 125 off 63 balls, hitting a 50-ball century to break Virat Kohli’s Indian record for fastest ODI hundred.
- Australia posted 412/5 in 47.5 overs, their joint-highest ODI total, with Beth Mooney top-scoring on 138 off 75 balls.
- India were bowled out for 369 in 47 overs, losing the third ODI by 43 runs and the series 2-1.
- Shafali Verma scored 87 off 78 balls and took two crucial wickets in the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup final against South Africa.
- At 21 years and 278 days, she became the youngest cricketer (men’s or women’s) to score a half-century in a World Cup final, overtaking Virender Sehwag’s 2003 mark.
- India posted 298/7, the second-highest total in a Women’s ODI World Cup final, with Verma’s 104-run opening stand with Smriti Mandhana setting the foundation.
Unified Payments Interface (UPI) records over 19 billion transactions valued at ₹24.58 lakh crore in November 2025
Key Updates:
- National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) data shows UPI recorded over 19 billion transactions worth ₹24.58 lakh crore as of November 28.
- UPI recorded 15.48 billion transactions valued at ₹21.55 lakh crore in November 2024.
- UPI transaction volume in November 2025 grew by about 23 per cent from November 2024.
- UPI transaction value rose by nearly 14 per cent year-on-year.
- UPI transactions increased by nearly 70 per cent in volume and over 41 per cent in value from November 2023.
- UPI logged 4.18 billion transactions valued at ₹7.68 lakh crore in November 2021.
- UPI transaction volume grew more than fourfold from 2021 to 2025.
- UPI total transaction value increased by over threefold from 2021 to 2025.
- UPI processed 12.41 billion transactions for financial year 2025-26 so far with average daily volume of 689.60 million.
- UPI average daily value for FY 2025-26 so far stood at ₹91,324.77 crore.
- Corresponding period in FY 2024-25 had UPI average daily volume of 516.07 million and value of ₹71,839.58 crore.
Similar / Past Coverage
- Total UPI transaction count touched 20.01 billion in August 2025.
- UPI recorded 20.01 billion transactions amounting to Rs. 24.85 lakh crore in August 2025.
- Year-on-year growth stood at 34% in transaction count and 21% in transaction amount.
- Daily average handled 645 million transactions with a value of Rs. 80,177 crore in August 2025.
- In July 2025, total transactions were 19.47 billion with a transaction value of Rs. 25.08 lakh crore.
- In June 2025, the platform recorded 18.40 billion transactions with a transaction value of Rs. 24.04 lakh crore.
- State Bank of India emerged as the top remitter member, handling 5.2 billion transactions.
- Yes Bank took the top position as the leading beneficiary member, with nearly 8.0 billion transactions.
- Maharashtra accounted for a 9.8% share in UPI usage in July 2025.
- NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) has partnered with Razorpay Curlec enabling UPI transactions in Malaysia.
- This integration will allow Indian travellers visiting Malaysia to make instant and secure payments to local merchants accepting payments directly via Razorpay Curlec’s platform using their preferred UPI-enabled apps.
- The partnership was formalized during the Global Fintech Fest (GFF) 2025.
- Ritesh Shukla is the Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer of NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL).
- Shashank Kumar is the MD & Co-founder of Razorpay.
- NPCI BHIM Services Limited introduced UPI Circle Full Delegation on the BHIM Payments App.
- Primary users can authorise trusted contacts to make UPI payments up to Rs 15,000 per month.
- The feature allows setting a monthly spending limit of up to Rs 15,000 and an expiry duration of up to 5 years.
- Secondary users can initiate and complete UPI payments directly from the primary user’s account without needing their own bank-linked UPI ID.
- Use-cases include senior citizens making small-valued transactions independently and parents enabling controlled access for young adults’ daily or educational expenses.
- Business owners can delegate operational payments such as fuel and tolls to staff while maintaining transparency and eliminating cash handling.
- Identity verification is done using Aadhaar or other available documents during the delegation setup.
- UPI transactions reached an all-time high of Rs 27.28 lakh crore in October, clocking 20.7 billion transactions.
- This marks a 9.5% month-on-month rise in transaction value from Rs 24.9 lakh crore in September and a 16% jump year-on-year from Rs 23.49 lakh crore in October 2023.
- UPI now powers 85% of all digital transactions in India and accounts for nearly half of global real-time digital payments.
- The festival month saw an average of 668 million transactions per day, with an average daily value of Rs 87,993 crore.
Nagaland Statehood Day on December 1
Key Updates:
- Nagaland Statehood Day is observed every year on 1 December.
- Nagaland was formally declared India’s 16th state on 1 December 1963.
- Kohima was chosen as the capital of Nagaland.
- Nagaland was carved out of the Naga Hills district within Assam.
- The Naga People’s Convention (NPC) was formed in 1957.
- A 16-point agreement was reached in 1960 between the NPC and the central government.
- The State of Nagaland Act, 1962 received the President’s assent on 4 September 1962.
Similar / Past Coverage
- Uttarakhand was carved out of Uttar Pradesh and became India’s 27th state on November 9, 2000.
- The day is celebrated every year as the state’s foundation day.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi described Uttarakhand as a 'sacred land today accelerating progress in every field, including tourism'.
- Manipur Urban Roads Project with investment of over Rs 3,600 crore to strengthen road infrastructure in Imphal
- Manipur Infotech Development Project with investment exceeding Rs 500 crore to boost IT sector and startups
- Four new Ima Markets (women-exclusive markets) inaugurated to support women entrepreneurs of Manipur
- New Civil Secretariat building completed to reinforce 'Nagarik Devobhava' spirit in governance
- First building of IT Special Economic Zone completed to promote technology-based industries
- Special package of approximately Rs 3,000 crore announced by Central Government for Manipur
- Over Rs 500 crore allocated specifically to assist displaced individuals in Manipur
- 7,000 new houses approved for displaced families in Manipur
- The inaugural Sun Rise Festival will be hosted in Dong village, Anjaw district, Arunachal Pradesh.
- Chief Minister Pema Khandu announced the five-day festival, which will run from December 29 to January 2.
- The festival aims to boost eco-tourism and create livelihood opportunities for local communities.
- Set against the backdrop of India's easternmost village, the festival will showcase adventure, nature, and culture.
- Visitors will get to witness the first sunrise of the New Year at the festival.