Daily Current Affairs: 27 November 2025

Headline: Andhra Pradesh approves creation of three new districts; total rises to 29

Bullet Points:

• Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu approved the creation of three new districts.
• The state's total number of districts will rise from 26 to 29.
• The three new districts are Markapuram, Madanapalle, and Polavaram.
• Polavaram district will have Rampachodavaram as its headquarters.
• Five new revenue divisions were also approved.
• The new revenue divisions include Nakkapalli in Anakapalli district, Addanki in Prakasam, Piler in the new Madanapalle district, Banaganapalle in Nandyal, and Madakasira in Sri Sathya Sai district.

Headline: India Ratings and Research revises India's FY26 GDP growth projection to 7%

Bullet Points:

• India Ratings and Research raised India's FY26 GDP growth projection to 7% YoY, 70 basis points higher than its July 2025 forecast of 6.3%.
• The RBI has projected India's GDP growth for FY26 at 6.8%.
• India's real GDP grew 7.8% YoY in Q1 FY26, the fastest pace in five quarters.
• Ind-Ra expects private final consumption expenditure (PFCE) to grow 7.4% YoY in FY26, up from 7.2% in FY25.
• Indian exports to the US fell 11.9% YoY in September 2025 and 8.9% YoY in October 2025.
• Indian exports to the US averaged USD 7.4 billion per month from April to October 2025, but dropped to USD 5.9 billion in September-October 2025.

Headline: Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) proposes review of Basic Services Demat Account facility to boost financial inclusion.

Bullet Points:

• Sebi proposes excluding ZCZP bonds from portfolio value calculation for BSDA eligibility.
• ZCZP bonds are non-transferable, non-tradable, and do not provide monetary return or redemption value.
• Delisted securities may be treated on par with suspended securities for BSDA valuation.
• Illiquid securities will use last closing price for BSDA eligibility determination.
• Depository Participants (DPs) to reassess BSDA eligibility quarterly through system-driven evaluations.
• Beneficial Owner (BO) consent may be accepted via additional authenticated digital methods beyond registered email.

Headline: Andhra Pradesh launches Rythanna Meekosam to promote Panchasutra-based farming practices

Bullet Points:

• 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.

Headline: Reserve Bank of India (RBI) records 8% sales growth for private non-financial companies in Q2

Bullet Points:

• Sales growth of listed private non-financial companies rose 8 per cent during the second quarter of the current fiscal against 5.5 per cent in the preceding three months.
• Sales of 1,775 listed private manufacturing companies rose by 8.5 per cent y-o-y during Q2:2025-26 as compared to 5.3 per cent in the previous quarter.
• Information Technology companies recorded a rise of 7.8 per cent y-o-y in their sales during Q2:2025-26 from 6.0 per cent in the previous quarter.
• Sales of non-IT services companies recorded a double-digit growth of 10.6 per cent in Q2:2025-26 as compared to 7.5 per cent growth in the previous quarter.

Headline: Gavi and UNICEF slash R21/Matrix-M malaria vaccine price to $2.99 per dose

Bullet Points:

• The R21/Matrix-M malaria vaccine price will fall to $2.99 per dose within a year.
• The price cut is expected to save up to $90 million and allow more than 30 million extra doses over the next five years.
• The agreement was enabled by an advance payment through the International Finance Facility for Immunisation (IFFIm).
• More than 40 million malaria vaccine doses have already been delivered through Gavi-supported programmes.
• Both WHO-approved malaria vaccines, R21/Matrix-M and RTS,S, reduce malaria cases by more than half in the first year after vaccination.

Headline: RCMS Bank Wins Best Profit-Making Bank Award in Belagavi District

Bullet Points:

• Rani Channamma Mahila Sahakari Bank (RCMS Bank) was honoured as the Best Profit-Making Bank in Belagavi District for 2025.
• The award was presented during the 72nd All India Cooperative Week celebrations held in Haveri.
• The Karnataka State Urban Cooperative Banks Federation, Bengaluru, presented the award.
• RCMS Bank is headquartered in Belgaum.
• The felicitation was received by the bank’s Chairperson, Preeti Kore Daddwad.
• Coop Kumbh 2025 was held in New Delhi.
• Coop Kumbh 2025 was inaugurated by Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah.
• RCMS Bank’s Professional Director, Ms. Beena Achar, highlighted the bank’s journey during Coop Kumbh 2025.
• NAFCUB Chairman Emeritus H. K. Patel was present at the award event.

Headline: India Remembers Mumbai 26/11 Terror Attacks

Bullet Points:

• India marked the remembrance of the Mumbai 26/11 terror attacks.
• The attacks began on 26 November 2008 and continued until 29 November.
• NSG commandos ended the siege by eliminating all terrorists.

Headline: China Tops Medal Tally at ISSF World Championship Rifle/Pistol 2025

Bullet Points:

• The International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Championship Rifle/Pistol 2025 was held in Cairo, Egypt.
• The championship featured 720 shooters from 70 National Olympic Committees (NOCs).
• China topped the medal tally with 21 medals (12 gold, 7 silver, 2 bronze).
• South Korea secured the second position with 14 medals (7 gold, 3 silver, 4 bronze).
• India finished third with 13 medals (3 gold, 6 silver, 4 bronze).
• Indian gold medalists included Samrat Rana in Men’s 10m Air Pistol, Ravinder Singh in Men’s 50m Standard Pistol, and the Men’s 10m Air Pistol Team.
• Germany’s Jacob Hoffman set a new world record in the men’s target sprint event.
• Poland’s Tomasz Bartnik won gold while equalling the world record in the men’s 300m rifle 3 positions.
• China’s Yao Qianxun claimed gold by setting a new world record in the women’s 50m pistol.
• China won gold with a team score of 1881.3, setting a new world record in the Men’s 50m Rifle Prone Team event.
• Anish Bhanwala won silver in Men’s 25m Rapid Fire Pistol, becoming the first Indian individual pistol shooter to medal in an Olympic event at the World Championships.

Headline: Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls digitisation drive

Bullet Points:

• The Election Commission of India reported that more than 47% of the enumeration forms distributed across 12 States and Union Territories have been digitised.
• Goa achieved the highest digitisation at 76.89% followed by Rajasthan at 72.20%.
• Kerala and Uttar Pradesh recorded the lowest digitisation at 23% and 26.6% respectively.
• The enumeration phase began on November 4 and will end on December 4, with the draft list to be published on December 9.

Headline: National Milk Day observed on November 26

Bullet Points:

• National Milk Day is celebrated on November 26 to commemorate the birth anniversary of Dr Verghese Kurien who is known as the ‘Father of the White Revolution in India.’
• The decision to commemorate Dr. Verghese Kurien’s birthday was taken collectively by The National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), the Indian Dairy Association (IDA), and 22 state-level milk federations.
• NDDB had launched “Operation Flood" on January 13, 1970, to make India self-sufficient in milk production.

Headline: BHIM launches UPI Circle Full Delegation for controlled third-party payments

Bullet Points:

• 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.

Headline: Constitution Day of India observed on November 26

Bullet Points:

• India celebrates Constitution Day on November 26 to honour the adoption of the Constitution.
• Before 2015, November 26 was formally observed as the National Law Day.
• In 2015, the government officially notified November 26 as ‘Constitution Day’ (Samvidhan Divas) to promote constitutional values among citizens.
• The year 2015 also marked the 125th birth anniversary of BR Ambedkar, also called the ‘father’ and ‘chief architect’ of the Indian Constitution.
• Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar was the chairman of the Drafting Committee of the Constitution, who was also the first law minister of independent India.
• The Indian Constitution was formally adopted on November 26, 1949.
• After two months, on January 26, 1950, it came into effect, and the day was declared as Republic Day.
• The Constituent Assembly, the body assigned to draft the constitution, took 2 years, 11 months, and 18 days to complete the drafting of the constitution.
• In 1934, M.N. Roy proposed the idea to form the Constituent Assembly.
• In 1946, the Constituent Assembly was constituted under the Cabinet Mission Plan.
• On December 9, 1946, the first session was held with 207 members including 9 women.
• On January 22, 1947, the Objectives Resolution was adopted as the Preamble.
• On August 29, 1947, the Drafting Committee was formed under BR Ambedkar.
• On November 4, 1948, the First Draft Constitution was presented to the Assembly.
• The Forty-Second Amendment Act, 1976, introduced ‘socialist’, ‘secular’ and ‘integrity’ in the Preamble.
• The Forty-Fourth Amendment Act, 1978, reduced the Right to Property from being a “fundamental right” to a “legal right”.
• The Sixty-First Amendment Act, 1989, reduced the voting age in the nation from 21 years to 18 years.
• The Eighty-Sixth Amendment Act, 2002, led to the inclusion of the Right to Education as Article 21A.
• The One-Hundred First Amendment Act, 2016, led to the introduction of Goods Service Tax (GST).
• The Golaknath v. State of Punjab (1967) ruling limited Parliament’s power to amend the Constitution for the first time.
• The Kesavananda Bharati v. State of Kerala (1973) ruling held that the ‘basic structure’ of the Constitution is inviolable.
• In Indira Nehru Gandhi v. Raj Narain (1975), the Supreme Court of India, applying the basic structure doctrine for the first time, struck down the 39th Amendment clause.
• The Maneka Gandhi v. Union of India (1978) ruling established the interconnection between three different provisions of the Constitution, Article 21, 19 and 14.
• The Minerva Mills v. Union of India (1980) ruling held that the Parliament cannot destroy the basic structure of the Indian constitution.
• The Olga Tellis v. Bombay Municipal Corporation (1985) ruling held that the right to livelihood is included in the right to life and personal liberty.
• The S. R. Bommai v. Union of India (1994) ruling set limits on the President’s power to impose President’s Rule.
• The Right to Privacy Judgment (Justice K. S. Puttaswamy v. Union of India, 2017) ruled the right to privacy as a fundamental right protected under Article 21 of the Constitution.
• The Government of NCT of Delhi v. Union of India (2018) verdict held that Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor (LG) must act on the advice of the Delhi government’s Council of Ministers for matters within the elected government’s authority, except for police, public order and land.
• The Associated for Democratic Reforms v. Union of India (2024) ruling struck down the Electoral Bonds Scheme, 2018, finding it unconstitutional.
• The electoral bonds scheme allowed corporations and individuals to anonymously donate money to political parties by purchasing electoral bonds from the State Bank of India (SBI).

Headline: Viola Ford Fletcher, last known survivor of 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, dies at 111.

Bullet Points:

• Viola Ford Fletcher died at age 111.
• She was one of the last survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre.
• Fletcher testified before the US Congress in 2021 about her experiences.
• She co-authored the memoir 'Don’t Let Them Bury My Story' with her grandson in 2023.
• Tulsa Mayor Monroe Nichols described her as carrying '111 years of truth, resilience, and grace'.

Headline: Indian Scientists Develop AI Framework For Personalised Cancer Therapy

Bullet Points:

• Scientists at the S N Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences (S N Bose) introduced an artificial intelligence (AI) framework that could change how we understand and treat cancer, and also pave the way for personalised therapies.
• The framework, developed in collaboration with Ashoka University, gives a new lens to look at cancer -- not by its size or spread alone, but by its molecular personality.
• The new AI framework titled OncoMark can read the molecular “mind” of cancer and predict its behaviour.
• The team at S N Bose, led by Dr. Shubhasis Haldar and Dr. Debayan Gupta, used OncoMark to analyse 3.1 million single cells across 14 cancer types.
• S N Bose is an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology (DST).
• OncoMark achieved over 99 per cent accuracy in internal testing and remained above 96 per cent across five independent cohorts.
• It was validated on 20,000 real-world patient samples from eight major datasets, showing broad applicability.
• The new framework, published in the Nature journal Communications Biology, reveals which hallmarks are active in a patient's tumour.

Headline: South Africa create history: First Test series win in India in 25 years

Bullet Points:

• 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.

Headline: Rohit Sharma reclaims position as number 1 ODI batter and becomes 2026 T20 World Cup ambassador

Bullet Points:

• 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.

Headline: Javokhir Sindarov crowned youngest Chess World Cup champion after beating Wei Yi in tie-breakers

Bullet Points:

• Javokhir Sindarov from Uzbekistan became the youngest chess World Cup winner.
• Javokhir Sindarov won the FIDE World Cup title by defeating China’s Wei Yi in the second tie-breaker game of the final.
• Wei Yi finished as the runner-up in the FIDE World Cup.
• Javokhir Sindarov will receive $120,000 as prize money for winning the FIDE World Cup.
• Wei Yi will receive $85,000 as prize money for being the runner-up.
• Both finalists, Javokhir Sindarov and Wei Yi, made their way into next year’s Candidates.
• Russia's Andrey Esipenko secured the third-place in the World Cup by winning against Nodirbek Yakubboev.
• Andrey Esipenko also grabbed a ticket to the Candidates.
• A total of 206 players participated in this FIDE World Cup.
• There were a record 24 participants from India in the FIDE World Cup.
• Arjun Erigaisi's quarter-final finish was the best performance by an Indian player.

Headline: Bust of B R Ambedkar unveiled at UNESCO headquarters in Paris on Constitution Day

Bullet Points:

• 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'.

Headline: Giovanna de Sequeira wins bronze at World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship in Abu Dhabi

Bullet Points:

• Giovanna de Sequeira earned international acclaim, winning bronze medal at the World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship in Abu Dhabi, competing in the below 28kg Infant/Girls Gi category.
• The ten-year-old demonstrated remarkable determination, technical skill, and composure on the global stage to finish among the top three.
• Giovanna’s achievement is even more significant considering her recent recovery from a knee surgery just five months ago.

Headline: PM to unveil Asia’s tallest statue of Lord Ram on November 28

Bullet Points:

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will unveil Asia’s tallest 77-feet bronze statue of Lord Ram.
• The statue will be unveiled at Shree Samsthan Gokarn Partagali Jeevottam Mutt, in Canacona.
• Prime Minister Modi will also launch a postal stamp by India Post and a coin by the Union ministry of finance.
• The postal stamp and coin commemorate the completion of 550 years of the mutt.
• The mutt is one of the oldest in the country.
• The mutt is rightly hailed as the symbol of unity and identity of the Saraswat and Hindu community.
• The 550-year celebrations of the mutt tradition, named Sardha Panchashatamahotsava, will be held from November 27 to December 7.
• The bronze statue of Lord Ram has been designed by Ram Sutar, a renowned Indian sculptor.
• A Ramayan Theme Park and a 10,000-square-foot museum dedicated to Lord Ram are being set up.
• The South Goa magistrate has issued a temporary ban on aerial photography, videography, and the operation of all unmanned aerial vehicles.
• The ban is issued under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita.
• Unmanned aerial vehicle operations are prohibited within a two-kilometre radius of the mutt.
• The ban also covers the route from Indian Naval Ship Hansa to Partagali via Canacona on National Highway 66.
• South Goa collector Egna Cleetus announced the restrictions.

Headline: Cabinet clears Rs 7,280 cr rare earth magnet manufacturing scheme.

Bullet Points:

• The Union Cabinet cleared a Rs 7,280-crore incentive scheme to build domestic rare earth magnet capacity.
• The program will run for seven years and aims to create 6,000 metric tons per annum capacity.
• India will set up 5 units of 1,200 tons per annum capacity within three years.
• The scheme focuses on integrated manufacturing facilities to reduce dependence on China.

Headline: Safran Aircraft Engine Services India facility inaugurated to establish India as global MRO hub

Bullet Points:

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Safran Aircraft Engine Services India facility located at the GMR Aerospace and Industrial Park - SEZ, Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Hyderabad.
• The facility is Safran’s largest Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul facility for LEAP engines which power Airbus A320neo and Boeing 737 MAX aircraft.
• The facility is designed to service up to 300 LEAP engines annually and employ over 1,000 highly skilled Indian technicians and engineers upon achieving full operational capacity by 2035.
• The Government of India is developing the country as a strong MRO hub under initiatives such as MRO Guidelines 2021 and the National Civil Aviation Policy 2016.

Headline: India to host Silver-Level Continental Tour event in Bhubaneswar next year

Bullet Points:

• India is set to host its first-ever Silver-Level Continental Tour event next year in Bhubaneswar, the Athletics Federation of India announced on Tuesday.
• The Silver-Level event will be held on August 22 at the Kalinga Stadium.
• The Athletics Federation of India will replace the Indian Grand Prix series with the Indian Athletics Series, to be held across 16 cities with the final in New Delhi.
• The National Indoor Athletics Championships will be introduced for the first time in India at the Kalinga indoor stadium in Bhubaneshwar.

Headline: Canada’s seven-time Olympic medallist Penny Oleksiak banned for two years

Bullet Points:

• Canada's most decorated Olympian, swimmer Penny Oleksiak, has accepted a two-year ban from competing following an anti-doping rule violation.
• The International Testing Agency announced that Oleksiak committed three 'whereabout failures' over 12 months.
• The Toronto-born swimmer is a seven-time Olympic medallist.
• She can return to competition in July 2027.

Headline: Prime Minister inaugurates Panchjanya and attends Shaheedi Diwas event in Kurukshetra

Bullet Points:

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the newly built ‘Panchjanya,’ a structure dedicated to the sacred conch of Lord Krishna.
• He will visit the Mahabharata Anubhav Kendra, an immersive centre showcasing key events from the Mahabharata.
• PM Modi will take part in a special programme marking the 350th Shaheedi Diwas of Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur and release a commemorative coin and stamp in his honour.
• He will offer Darshan and perform Pooja at the sacred Brahma Sarovar, associated with the divine revelation of the Srimad Bhagavad Gita.
• His visit coincides with the ongoing International Gita Mahotsav in Kurukshetra.

Headline: Horticulture production up 4% to 369.05 mn tonne in 2024-25

Bullet Points:

• 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.

Headline: India–Nepal Joint Exercise SURYAKIRAN XIX Begins in Uttarakhand

Bullet Points:

• The 19th edition of the annual India–Nepal joint military exercise 'SURYAKIRAN XIX – 2025' began at Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand.
• The exercise runs from 25 November to 08 December 2025.
• Each contingent comprises 334 personnel: Indian Army troops primarily from the ASSAM Regiment and Nepalese Army troops mainly from the DEVI DATTA Regiment.
• The exercise focuses on sub-conventional operations under Chapter VII of the United Nations mandate including peacekeeping, peace enforcement, humanitarian protection, and preventive deployment.
• Key training domains include jungle warfare, counter-terrorism operations in mountainous terrain, HADR, medical response, environmental conservation, and integrated ground–aviation operations.
• Emerging technologies featured are unmanned aerial systems, drone-based ISR, AI-enabled decision-support systems, unmanned logistics carriers, and armoured protection platforms.

Headline: Centre designates CISF as safety regulator for 250 Indian seaports

Bullet Points:

• The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways issued order on 18 November categorising CISF as nodal regulator for port security.
• CISF will act as nodal regulatory authority for all port-security matters including counter-terrorism and anti-sabotage operations at EXIM ports.
• Non-core tasks like traffic management and gate control to be handled by private agencies or state police.
• Hybrid security model combining CISF and private personnel, upgraded screening systems and dedicated training institutions introduced.
• Plan to be operational within six months; CISF may need up to 80,000 personnel for 80 major ports.

Headline: Biomass Co-firing Policy Mandates 5-7% Biomass Pellet Use in Thermal Power Plants

Bullet Points:

• The Government of India has notified a policy mandating biomass pellet or torrefied municipal solid waste charcoal co-firing in all coal-based thermal power plants.
• Thermal power stations must co-fire 5 per cent biomass or MSW charcoal by weight, while Delhi-NCR units must achieve a 7 per cent blend.
• For NCR plants, at least half of the biomass must be sourced from local paddy residue and stubble.

Headline: Dr Ramdas R Pai, Chancellor of Manipal Academy of Higher Education, honoured with special postal cover

Bullet Points:

• A special commemorative postal cover was launched to honour Dr Ramdas R Pai.
• Dr Ramdas R Pai is the Chancellor of Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE).
• The postal cover celebrates Dr Ramdas R Pai's 90th birthday.
• Ramesh Prabhu, superintendent of Indian Postal Service, Udupi division, formally unveiled the special postal cover.
• The commemorative cover honours Dr Pai's lifelong dedication to advancing education, healthcare, and community development.
• Dr Ramdas Pai's contributions elevated the city and Manipal Academy of Higher Education to national and global prominence.

Headline: ADB approves $400 million loan to improve road connectivity in Maharashtra

Bullet Points:

• 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.

Headline: 1729 Capital gets RBI nod to raise Suryoday stake

Bullet Points:

• RBI granted approval to foreign portfolio investor 1729 Capital to hold a total stake of 7.14% in Suryoday Small Finance Bank.
• As of September 30, the foreign portfolio investor held a 3.81% stake in the bank.
• The RBI clarified that prior consent will be required for any further increase in aggregate shareholding or voting rights.
• If the aggregate shareholding falls below 5%, the investor will again need prior RBI approval to raise the holding to 5% or more.

Headline: Australian Open Badminton 2025 set to feature top global talent

Bullet Points:

• The Australian Open Badminton 2025 is scheduled to take place from July 1-6, 2025, at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre.
• The tournament will include men's and women's singles, doubles, and mixed doubles competitions.
• Athletes such as Kento Momota, PV Sindhu, and Chen Long are anticipated to compete.

Headline: World Conjoined Twins Day observed on November 24

Bullet Points:

• "World Conjoined Twins Day" is associated with the United Nations.
• The event "Repeats every year on the 24 of November".
• The United Nations website lists "World Conjoined Twins Day" in multiple languages, including English, Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, and Spanish.