National & International Affairs

MNRE Hosts 3rd International Conference on Green Hydrogen (ICGH 2025)

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), alongside the Office of the Principal Scientific Advisor, hosted ICGH 2025 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. The event laid out India's roadmap for a green hydrogen transition.

• Hydrogen Valleys: Union Minister Jitendra Singh announced an investment of ₹485 crore to establish 4 hydrogen valleys across India to demonstrate the complete hydrogen value chain (production to utilization).
• Official Logo: Union Minister Pralhad Joshi launched the official National Green Hydrogen Mission (NGHM) logo, chosen from over 2,500 entries.
• Biomass Innovation: A ₹100 crore call for pilot project proposals was announced to develop technologies for generating green hydrogen from biomass and waste.

PM Modi’s Official Visit to Bhutan

Prime Minister Narendra Modi concluded a high-level two-day visit to Bhutan to reinforce bilateral ties, coinciding with the 70th birthday celebrations of the Fourth Druk Gyalpo.

• Punatsangchhu-II Project: PM Modi and King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck inaugurated the 1,020 MW Punatsangchhu-II Hydroelectric Project on the Punatsangchhu River. India provided 70% loan and 30% grant assistance (approx. ₹7,290 crore).
• Key MoUs Exchanged:
  • Renewable Energy: Cooperation in solar, wind, green hydrogen, and energy storage.
  • Healthcare: Joint research, digital health/telemedicine, and traditional medicine development.
  • Mental Health: A pact between Bhutan's PEMA Secretariat and India's NIMHANS to train mental health professionals.

India-Nepal Boost Rail Connectivity via Jogbani–Biratnagar Corridor

India and Nepal exchanged a Letter of Exchange (LoE) amending the Protocol to the Treaty of Transit to boost cross-border freight infrastructure.

• Direct Access: Enables direct rail freight connectivity between Jogbani (India) and Biratnagar (Nepal).
• Ports Operationalized: Streamlines container and bulk cargo transport from the ports of Kolkata (West Bengal) and Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) directly to the Nepal Customs Yard in Morang.

Policy & Skilling Briefs

• GI Tags for Sikkim: The Government of India granted Geographical Indication (GI) registration to two traditional Lepcha musical instruments: the ‘Tungbuk’ and ‘Pumtong Pulit’. The application was supported by NABARD.
• QCOs Withdrawn: The Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers withdrew Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) Quality Control Orders (QCOs) for 14 key petrochemical products (including Polyester Staple Fibres, Ethylene Glycol, and PVC Homopolymers) with immediate effect.
• Energy Sector Skilling: GSH India signed an MoU with IIIT Manipur during the 5th GSH Sustainable Energy Forum in Chennai to design specialized training programs in IoT, smart-building systems, and facility management.

Defence Updates

MoD Signs ₹2,095.70 Cr Deal for INVAR Anti-Tank Guided Missiles

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) signed a major contract worth ₹2,095.70 crore with state-run Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) under the 'Buy (Indian)' category.

What is the 'Buy (Indian)' Category?

It mandates procurement from Indian vendors where the product is either indigenously designed and manufactured with minimum 50% Indigenous Content (IC), or features 60% IC if not indigenously designed.

"My Stamp" Dedicated to Rezang La War Memorial

Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh unveiled a commemorative "My Stamp" honoring the 13th Battalion of the Kumaon Regiment and Major Shaitan Singh Bhati (Param Vir Chakra) for their bravery during the 1962 India-China War. The stamp was issued by the Department of Posts ahead of the 63rd anniversary of the battle (November 18).

Banking & Finance

Union Bank of India (UBI) Celebrates 107th Foundation Day

Union Bank of India celebrated its milestone day in Mumbai, marked by several prominent digital launches:

• Union eBiz: A specialized business mobile app designed for MSMEs, offering over 300 features including bulk payments and collection journeys.
• Union Ease: A retail-focused mobile application slated for public release soon.
• Expansion: Virtually inaugurated 51 new branches and a Rural Self-Employment Training Institute (RSETI) in Mancherial, Telangana.
• Contribution: UBI employees contributed ₹21.68 crore to the National Defence Fund (NDF).

SAMCO Mutual Fund Launches India's First Momentum-Based Small Cap Fund

Samco Mutual Fund introduced the SAMCO Small Cap Fund, an open-ended equity scheme benchmarked against the Nifty Smallcap 250 Total Returns Index (TRI).

• The Strategy: Uses a proprietary C.A.R.E. Momentum Strategy (Cross-sectional, Absolute, Revenue & Earnings Momentum) to discover high-performing small-cap stocks ranked 251st to 750th by market cap.
• Investment Threshold: Minimum ₹5,000 for lump sum; ₹500 for SIPs.

Science, Technology & Obituaries

Andhra Pradesh Teen Selected for TSI Astronaut Training Programme

17-year-old Kunchala Kaivalya Reddy from East Godavari, AP, has been selected as an Astronaut Candidate (ASCAN) for the Titans Space Industries (TSI) Space Class 2025–2029 Programme in Florida, USA.

• The Training: A 4-year regimen including zero-gravity flights, neutral-buoyancy drills, and lunar-surface simulations mentored by NASA veteran William McArthur.
• The Target: Upon completion, she qualifies for a 2029 space mission involving a 5-hour, 2-orbit flight at 300 km altitude to conduct microgravity experiments.
• Background: She was the youngest Indian to complete the International Air and Space Programme (2023) and has discovered two provisional main-belt asteroids as a NASA citizen scientist.

Passings: Prof. Vaidyeswaran Rajaraman (1933–2025)

Professor Vaidyeswaran Rajaraman, widely revered as the "Pitamaha" (Grandfather) of Computer Science Education in India, passed away at 92 in Bengaluru.

• Milestones: Established India's first formal M.Tech program in Computer Science at IIT Kanpur (1965) and pioneered the Master of Computer Applications (MCA) degree framework in 1987.
• Supercomputing: Served as Chairman of the Supercomputer Education and Research Centre (SERC) at IISc Bengaluru, driving indigenous parallel computing architecture.
• Honours: Conferred with the Padma Bhushan in 1998 and won the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize in 1976.

Important Days

World Kindness Day — November 13

• Objective: Celebrated globally to promote empathy, community building, and compassion.
• History: Started by the World Kindness Movement (WKM) in Tokyo; the first official observance took place in 1998.

World Diabetes Day — November 14

• 2025 Theme: "Diabetes across life stages"
• Significance: Marks the birth anniversary of Sir Frederick Grant Banting, who co-discovered insulin in 1922 alongside John Macleod (Nobel Prize winners of 1923). The blue circle remains the universal symbol for diabetes awareness.
• Key Event in India: On the eve of the day, Dr. Jitendra Singh launched the "Cohort Connect 2025" conclave at CSIR-IMMT in Bhubaneswar, focusing on longitudinal cohort studies.