National Affairs

Union MoS Jitendra Singh Announces ₹720 Crore Quantum Mission Facilities at IIT Bombay

Union Minister of State Dr. Jitendra Singh announced a ₹720 crore investment under the National Quantum Mission (NQM) to establish four state-of-the-art Quantum Fabrication & Central Facilities.

Institutional Coverage: The advanced infrastructure will be distributed across four premier Indian institutes:

• IIT Bombay (Maharashtra)
• IISc Bengaluru (Karnataka)
• IIT Delhi (Delhi)
• IIT Kanpur (Uttar Pradesh)

Key Technological Firsts Inaugurated at IIT Bombay:

• Liquid Helium Facility: Officially inaugurated as India’s first facility of its kind.
• QMagPI: India’s first portable quantum magnetometer designed for mobile imaging.
• Quantum Diamond Microscope (QDM): Built natively by IIT Bombay’s PQuest Group.

MeitY Launches Cybersecurity Innovation Challenge (CSIC) 1.0

S Krishnan, Secretary of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), officially launched the Cyber Security Innovation Challenge (CSIC) 1.0 under the Information Security Education and Awareness (ISEA) Project in New Delhi.

• Primary Implementers: Data Security Council of India (DSCI) and Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), Hyderabad.
• The Goal: To transition raw student/researcher ideas into a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) via a structured 5-stage pipeline.
• Target Domains: Spans 10 core fields including Fintech Security, Cryptography, Hardware Security, and Cyber Forensics.
• Incubation: The top 20 chosen teams will receive dedicated corporate mentorship and industry networking avenues.

MSJE and MoRD Partner to Uplift De-Notified & Nomadic Tribes

The Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment (MSJE) and the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) signed a memorandum to bring De-Notified, Nomadic, and Semi-Nomadic (DNT) communities into mainstream economic systems.

• SHG Network Integration: Over 5,000 DNT Self-Help Groups will merge into the DAY-NRLM network, gaining entry to Village Organizations and Cluster Level Federations.
• Phased Support: The DWBDNC will nurture the groups in financial literacy during year one, followed by 3 to 5 years of credit linkages and livelihood support from DAY-NRLM.
• The "DNT Sakhi" Cadre: A community-led team of women drawn directly from DNT groups to act as primary facilitators, credit guides, and welfare scheme connectors.

NCW Rolls Out 24x7 Nationwide Emergency Short-Code '14490'

The National Commission for Women (NCW) launched a simplified, toll-free short-code helpline '14490' to extend swift support to women dealing with violence, domestic harassment, or cybercrimes across India.

• Strategic Routing: The easy-to-remember short-code is directly linked to the NCW's existing national line (7827170170).
• Scope of Service: Offers uninterrupted, free support including preliminary legal aid, emergency guidance, and local police coordination.

International Affairs

PM Modi Attends Historical 20th G20 Summit in South Africa

Prime Minister Narendra Modi joined world leaders in Johannesburg for the 20th G20 Leaders’ Summit, marking the first time a G20 Summit has been hosted on the African continent.

• Theme: "Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability."
• Global South Priority: This marks the fourth consecutive G20 summit anchored in the Global South. A 122-point Leaders' Declaration was officially adopted.
• ACITI Partnership: India, Canada, and Australia launched the Australia-Canada-India Technology and Innovation Partnership, a new trilateral deep-tech framework.
• High-Level Dialogues: The PM held bilateral meetings with world leaders, including host President Cyril Ramaphosa, and attended the trilateral IBSA Leaders’ Meeting.

Indonesia Formally Certified Free From Type-2 Vaccine-Derived Polio

The World Health Organization (WHO) officially declared Indonesia free from type-2 circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus (cVDPV), following zero reported cases in children or local environmental samples since June 2024.

• Key Safety Interventions: Indonesia ran targeted mass immunization drives using the novel oral polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2), lifting its second-dose Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV) coverage from 63% to 73%.
• Historical Timeline: Indonesia halted native wild poliovirus transmission back in 1995 and secured its wild-polio-free certification in 2014.

Banking, Finance & Economy

Cross-Border Payments: RBI Links India's UPI with Europe's TIPS

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) are working alongside the European Central Bank to link India's UPI with the Eurozone’s TARGET Instant Payment Settlement (TIPS).

• Impact: Streamlines real-time, low-cost cross-border remittances between India and the Euro Area.
• What is TIPS? A 24/7/365 real-time gross settlement infrastructure launched by the Eurosystem in late 2018.

IDFC FIRST Bank Joins FPSB India as Approved Corporate Partner

IDFC FIRST Bank has signed a milestone strategic pact with FPSB India to acquire the status of an Approved Corporate Partner (ACP).

• Upskilling: Specialized professional training and Certified Financial Planner (CFP) validation for its Wealth Management Regional Managers.
• Hiring Channels: The bank will establish direct career pipelines to source certified CFP talent for its private banking divisions.

Air India Restores Direct Codeshare Ties with Air Canada

Air India will revive its comprehensive codeshare network alongside Air Canada, offering seamless single-ticket journeys and unified luggage privileges.

• Air India Routes: Gains placement code rights on Air Canada flights connecting key hubs like Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal, and Toronto, as well as transatlantic flights via London Heathrow.
• Air Canada Routes: Grants inbound Canadian passengers direct, single-ticket entry to regional destinations like Amritsar, Ahmedabad, Kochi, and Hyderabad via primary gateways.

Appointments & Resignations

Government Promotes 7 Executive Directors to Public Sector Banks

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) cleared the Department of Financial Services' proposal to elevate seven Chief General Managers to the high-ranking post of Executive Director (ED) for a 3-year term.

Note: Candidates were selected following strict evaluation rounds conducted by the Financial Services Institutions Bureau (FSIB).

Sports

ISSF World Championship 2025: India Places 3rd Overall in Cairo

The International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Championship Rifle/Pistol concluded in Cairo, Egypt, drawing 720 elite shooters from 70 nations.

FINAL MEDAL TALLY TOP 3:
1. China:       21 Medals (12 Gold, 7 Silver, 2 Bronze)
2. South Korea:  14 Medals (7 Gold, 3 Silver, 4 Bronze)
3. India:        13 Medals (3 Gold, 6 Silver, 4 Bronze)

• India's Gold Achievements: Individual golds won by Samrat Rana (Men’s 10m Air Pistol) and Ravinder Singh (Men’s 50m Standard Pistol), alongside a clinical victory in the Men’s 10m Air Pistol Team event.
• History for Anish: Anish Bhanwala claimed a silver in the Men’s 25m Rapid Fire Pistol, making him the first individual Indian pistol shooter to medal in an Olympic discipline at the World Championships.

Max Verstappen Clinches Victory at Las Vegas Grand Prix 2025

Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen took his 69th career win at the third edition of the Las Vegas Grand Prix.

• The Turning Point: Starting second on the grid, Verstappen seized the lead at Turn 1 following an unforced error by pole-sitter Lando Norris.
• Post-Race Disqualifications: McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri were stripped of their results after FIA technical inspectors discovered their cars' skid-planks were thinner than the lawful limit.
• Adjusted Podiums: Mercedes drivers George Russell and Kimi Antonelli were bumped up to secure second and third place respectively.

India Clinches 2025 Women’s Kabaddi World Cup Title

The Indian Women’s Kabaddi Team retained their global dominance by defeating Chinese Taipei 35–28 in a high-stakes final in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

• Perfect Record: Captain Ritu Negi led the side through an completely unbeaten run, outclassing powerhouses like Iran (33–21) in the semi-finals.
• Tournament Awards: India's Sanju Devi was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player. Individual honors went to I Min Lin (Chinese Taipei) for Best Raider and M Srity Akter (Bangladesh) for Best Defender.

Obituary

Legendary Bollywood Icon Dharmendra Passes Away at 89

Cinema veteran Dharmendra Deol, fondly remembered across the globe as the "He-Man of Bollywood," passed away in Mumbai at the age of 89.

• Prolific Career: Spanning more than six decades, he performed in over 300 films. He gained widespread acclaim in Bandini (1963), broke through in Phool Aur Patthar (1966), and immortalized the character of "Veeru" in the cult classic Sholay (1975).
• Public Service: Served the country as an elected Member of Parliament in the Lok Sabha representing Rajasthan from 2004 to 2009.
• Accolades: Conferred with the prestigious Padma Bhushan in 2012. He was also recognized with the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award (1997) and the Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival Award (2021).

Important Days

Africa Industrialization Day — November 20

The 36th annual Africa Industrialization Day focused on industrial recovery under the theme: "Transforming Africa’s Economy through Sustainable Industrialization, Regional Integration, and Innovation."

• Host Venue: Africa Industrialization Week 2025 took place in Kampala, Uganda, marking a critical policy shift from the Industrial Development Decade for Africa (IDDA) III framework over to IDDA IV (2026–2035).

World Philosophy Day — November 20

Celebrated globally on the third Thursday of November, the UNESCO event was centered at its Paris headquarters under the topic "The Values of Societies of the Future."

• Keynote Speaker: Renowned Belgian-Dutch philosopher and Dutch Stevin Prize winner Professor Ingrid Robeyns led the core lecture targeting the ethics of socio-economic inequality.

National Cadet Corps (NCC) 77th Raising Day — November 23

The National Cadet Corps, the largest uniformed youth organization in the world, marked its 77th anniversary on the fourth Sunday of November.

• Commemoration: Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh and Director General of the NCC Lt Gen Virendra Vats led a solemn wreath-laying ceremony at the National War Memorial in New Delhi to honor fallen heroes.