National Affairs

MoSPI Concludes NSS 75th Anniversary & Releases NIC 2025

The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) organized the Culmination Ceremony of the 75th Anniversary of the National Sample Survey (NSS) alongside the observance of World Statistics Day at Udaipur, Rajasthan.

• Theme & Leadership: The event marked a year-long celebration themed “National Sample Survey: From the Glorious Past to the Promising Future for Viksit Bharat @ 2047.” It was led by Chief Guest Rao Inderjit Singh (Union Minister of State, IC, MoSPI) and Geeta Singh Rathore (Director General, NSS).
• Key Launches: MoSPI officially released the National Industrial Classification (NIC) 2025, a special coffee table book, the journal Stories, the NSO Anthem, and launched the new Data Innovation (DI) Lab Portal.
• About NIC 2025: First introduced in 1962, India's economic classification system has undergone periodic upgrades. The newly unveiled NIC 2025 introduces a highly granular 6-digit coding structure, replacing the older 5-digit format established under NIC 2008 to better reflect modern industrial shifts.

Andhra Pradesh Secures ₹13.25 Lakh Crore Investments at CII Summit

The Government of Andhra Pradesh secured massive investment pledges totaling ₹13.25 lakh crore through 613 Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) during the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Partnership Summit held in Visakhapatnam. The deals span industrial growth, green energy, IT, digital ecosystems, infrastructure, and tourism, with the potential to generate 16.31 lakh jobs.

• Green Energy Boost: The state exchanged Government Orders with the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) for two major initiatives: a 1200 MWh Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) in Nandyal and a 50 MW hybrid solar project.
• Cyber & Energy Resilience: An agreement was signed with the World Economic Forum (WEF) to establish a dedicated Centre for Energy and Cyber Resilience (CECR) in Visakhapatnam to devise policy frameworks for critical infrastructure.
• Quantum Technology: The Center for Development of Telematics (C-DOT), the R&D arm of the Department of Telecommunications, partnered with the state to actively participate in the Amaravati Quantum Valley (AQV) initiative.

MeitY Launches 'YUVA AI for ALL' Free National Course

Under the aegis of the IndiaAI Mission, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has launched ‘YUVA AI for ALL’, a first-of-its-kind free national training program.

• The Target: The initiative aims to equip 1 crore citizens, especially India's youth, with foundational AI skills to bridge the digital divide and encourage ethical technology adoption.
• Course Details: This 4.5-hour, self-paced program features 6 short modules. Curated by renowned AI expert and author Jaspreet Bindra (Founder of AI & Beyond), the course is hosted on major platforms like FutureSkills Prime and iGOT Karmayogi. Participants receive a government certificate upon completion.

Union Minister Piyush Goyal Unveils Trade Intelligence & Analytics Portal

Union Minister Piyush Goyal (Ministry of Commerce and Industry) launched the Trade Intelligence & Analytics (TIA) Portal in New Delhi to democratize data access for MSMEs, startups, and small exporters.

• Analytical Power: Developed by the Department of Commerce, the open-source portal features more than 28 dashboards and 270+ interactive analytical tools, including metrics like Revealed Comparative Advantage (RCA), the Trade Complementarity Index, and the Trade Intensity Index.
• Global Footprint: Unifying massive global datasets like the UN Comtrade, the platform provides comprehensive trade insights covering over 220 countries. It features automated trend tracking specifically tailored for Production Linked Incentive (PLI) manufacturing sectors and critical mineral supply chains.

DAE Unveils India’s First Nitric-Oxide Wound Dressing & Rare-Earth CRM

The Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) announced two major indigenous technological breakthroughs supporting the Atmanirbhar Bharat vision.

• ColoNoX Wound Dressing: Developed by the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) in partnership with Cologenesis Pvt Ltd, ColoNoX is India’s first Nitric-Oxide (NO) releasing wound dressing. Designed specifically to treat complex Diabetic Foot Ulcers (DFU), the collagen hydrogel reduces pain and releases antimicrobial NO to accelerate tissue regeneration. It has received commercial manufacturing approval from the DCGI.
• Ferrocarbonatite (BARC B1401): Jointly developed by the National Center for Compositional Characterization of Materials (NCCCM-BARC) and the Atomic Minerals Directorate (AMD) in Hyderabad, this is India's first indigenously developed Certified Reference Material (CRM) for Rare Earth Elements (REE). Built to rigorous ISO standards, it certifies concentrations of 13 REEs and 6 major elements, making India only the fourth nation globally to produce such a calibration material.

President Confers 6th National Water Awards & Inaugural JSJB Awards

President Droupadi Murmu presented the 6th National Water Awards (NWA 2024) and the inaugural Jal Sanchay-Jan Bhagidari (JSJB 2025) Awards at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.

• National Water Awards: Organized by the Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, 46 winners were recognized across 10 distinct categories. Maharashtra clinched the top spot in the Best State category, followed by Gujarat (2nd) and Haryana (3rd).
• JSJB Awards: Honoring exemplary community-driven water conservation under the Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain campaign, Telangana was named the Best Performing State/UT, followed by Chhattisgarh (2nd) and Rajasthan (3rd).

International Affairs

IIT Delhi Tops India in QS World University Rankings: Sustainability 2026

Global higher education analysts Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) released the 4th edition of the QS World University Rankings: Sustainability (2026).

• Indian Landscape: The Indian Institute of Technology-Delhi (IIT-D) emerged as India's best-performing institution for the second consecutive year, ranking 205th globally with a score of 83.1. India became the 4th most represented country on the list with 103 institutions featured (including 26 new entries). However, no Indian university managed to break into the global top 200 this year.
• Global Leaders: Sweden's Lund University topped the global rankings for the first time, followed by the University of Toronto (Canada) in 2nd and University College London (UK) in 3rd. The United States remains the most represented nation with 240 institutions.

India Re-elected to the Codex Executive Committee

India has been unanimously re-elected to the Executive Committee of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CCEXEC) representing the Asia Region. The election took place during the 48th Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC48) at the FAO Headquarters in Rome, Italy, extending India’s representation term until 2027 (CAC50).

About Codex: The Codex Alimentarius Commission is an international food standards body established in 1963 jointly by the FAO and the World Health Organization (WHO), currently comprising 189 members.

• Key Interventions: Led by FSSAI CEO Rajit Punhani, the Indian delegation advocated for using AI to streamline multilingual document translation and pushed for updated databases tracking food additives, pesticide residues, and contaminants. India also backed the revised Code of Practice to minimize aflatoxin contamination in peanuts.

Cambridge Dictionary Names ‘Parasocial’ as 2025 Word of the Year

The Cambridge Dictionary crowned 'parasocial' as its Word of the Year for 2025, mirroring the modern explosion of one-sided relationship dynamics where individuals form deep, unreciprocated emotional connections with celebrities, digital influencers, and AI chatbots.

• History & Shortlist: Coined back in 1956 by sociologists Donald Horton and Richard Wohl, the term was added to the dictionary in 2023. Other terms shortlisted for the 2025 honor included pseudonymization (the structural masking of personal data) and memeify.

Banking, Finance & Economy

Bank of Baroda and SIDBI Partner to Boost MSME Credit Flow

Bank of Baroda (BoB) and the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) signed a strategic MoU to co-finance Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and startups.

• Strategic Architecture: The partnership opens BoB’s extensive working capital ecosystem to SIDBI-sanctioned borrowers and delivers customized credit architecture for growth-stage entities. SIDBI will leverage its specialized Venture Debt Programme, while BoB supplies its expansive branch footprint, advisory services, and tailored trade finance operations for export businesses.

PayGlocal Receives Final RBI Cross-Border Payment Aggregator License

Fintech firm PayGlocal secured final authorization from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to operate as a cross-border Payment Aggregator covering both Inward and Outward transactions (PA-CB-I&O).

• Market Capabilities: Expanding on its previous online payment aggregator license, this milestone enables PayGlocal to directly onboard merchants across export, retail, travel, and education sectors. The platform utilizes automated compliance, multi-currency accounting, and intelligent routing to streamline international card and UPI clearings for Indian exporters and global clients.

Economic Indicators: ICRA Projects Q2 GDP; WPI Deflation Hits 27-Month Low

• ICRA GDP Forecast: Credit rating agency ICRA trimmed India’s Q2 FY26 GDP growth forecast by 80 basis points to 7.0% (down from 7.8% in Q1), pointing to reduced government expenditure. Conversely, it expects industrial GVA to hit a 5-quarter high of 7.8%.
• WPI Inflation Declines: Data from the DPIIT revealed that India's Wholesale Price Index (WPI)-based inflation dropped to a 27-month low of -1.21% in October, down from +0.13% in September. This deflationary dip was primarily fueled by a sharp fall in food index prices (-5.04%), led by over a 35% reduction in vegetable prices. Concurrently, retail inflation (CPI) eased to 0.25%.

Acquisitions & Mergers

SAIF Partners Sells 1.86% Stake in Paytm Parent for ₹1,556 Crore

SAIF Partners (commercially known as Elevation Capital) executed its first major post-IPO equity liquidation in One97 Communications, the parent entity of Paytm.

• The Transaction: Operating through its affiliated entities, SAIF III Mauritius Company and SAIF Partners India IV, the firm offloaded a 1.86% stake (approx. 1.19 crore shares) via open-market transactions for ₹1,556 crore, averaging a price of ₹1,305 per share. Following this transaction, SAIF Partners' remaining equity stake in One97 Communications stands at 13.47%.

Important Days

World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims 2025 — November 16

Observed annually on the third Sunday of November under UNGA Resolution 60/5, this day honors the millions individuals lost or injured in global transit accidents.

• Slogan: The theme for 2025 is “Remember. Support. Act.”, focusing on family aid frameworks and the global goal to cut road fatalities by 50% by 2030 under the Second Decade of Action for Road Safety.

World Cervical Cancer Elimination Day — November 17

Organized by the World Health Organization (WHO), November 17, 2025, marked the first-ever formal global observance of this day, following a resolution adopted at the 78th World Health Assembly.

• Theme & Targets: Under the banner “Act Now: Eliminate Cervical Cancer,” the campaign drives global health infrastructure toward the 2030 90-70-90 targets: vaccinating 90% of girls against HPV by age 15, screening 70% of women using high-performance tests by ages 35 and 45, and ensuring 90% of diagnosed women receive targeted medical care.

International Students’ Day — November 17

Marking its 85th international observance, the day celebrates global student diversity and collaboration. It commemorates the historic 1939 student resistance against Nazi occupations at Charles University in Prague. This date also marks the anniversary of the 1989 Velvet Revolution, which led to the end of communist rule in Czechoslovakia.