NATIONAL AFFAIRS

India Enforces Four Major Labour Codes to Streamline Regulations

The Government of India officially implemented four landmark labour codes on November 21, 2025. This massive reform consolidates and simplifies 29 existing central labour laws into a single, unified framework.

• Code on Wages (2019): Consolidates 4 laws including the Payment of Wages Act and Minimum Wages Act. It establishes a statutory right to minimum wages for all employees across both organised and unorganised sectors.
• Industrial Relations (IR) Code (2020): Permits Fixed Term Employment (FTE). Under this, contract workers receive the same wages and benefits as permanent staff, alongside gratuity eligibility after just 1 year. The definition of a "worker" is also expanded to cover supervisors earning up to ₹18,000/month, journalists, and sales staff.
• Code on Social Security (2020): Broadens coverage to include unorganized, gig, and platform workers. It marks the first time digital aggregators are legally integrated into national healthcare, life insurance, and provident fund networks.
• Occupational Safety, Health & Working Conditions (OSHWC) Code (2020): Mandates transparency via formal appointment letters for all workers. It caps standard work schedules at 8 hours/day and 48 hours/week, requiring mandatory employee consent for overtime, paid at double the regular wage rate.

Digital Upgrades Unveiled for Food Storage, Logistics, and PDS

Union Minister Pralhad Joshi (Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution) launched a sophisticated suite of digital platforms to modernize India's warehousing and Public Distribution System (PDS).

• Bhandaran 360: An advanced, cloud-based Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system developed by the Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC) using SAP S/4HANA.
• Smart EXIM Warehouse: Introduces AI and IoT automation to Container Freight Stations (CFS) for cargo handling under Digital Transformation 2.0.
• ANNA DARPAN: A modern microservices platform launched by the Food Corporation of India (FCI). It replaces the legacy Depot Online System to unify state procurement, logistics, and quality check operations.
• ASHA (Anna Sahayata Holistic AI Solution): An AI-powered, multilingual citizen feedback mechanism developed with the Wadhwani Foundation under the India AI Mission, utilizing Bhashini infrastructure.
• Malout Hub Silo Complex: A modern storage facility boasting a 1.5 Lakh Metric Tonne (MT) capacity, inaugurated in Malout, Punjab, to secure regional food reserves.

India Hosts 7th NSA-Level Meeting of Colombo Security Conclave

On November 20, 2025, India hosted and chaired the 7th National Security Adviser (NSA)-level meeting of the Colombo Security Conclave (CSC) in New Delhi.

Key Historical Context: The CSC originated in 2011 as a trilateral maritime dialogue between India, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives. It was formally expanded into the CSC in 2020, and its foundational charter was signed in August 2024.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

Key Updates from the COP30 Summit in Belem, Brazil

The 30th UN Climate Change Conference (COP30) convened from November 10 to 21, 2025, in Belem, Brazil, presided over by Brazilian diplomat André Aranha Corrêa do Lago.

• Indian Presence: The Indian delegation was led by Bhupender Yadav, Union Minister for Environment, Forest, and Climate Change.
• Historical Absence: For the first time in COP history, the United States of America completely skipped the summit following the structural closure of its Office of Climate Diplomacy.
• Methane Emissions Alarm: The UNEP Global Methane Status Report 2025 revealed that India has become the world’s 3rd largest methane ($CH_4$) emitter, releasing 31 million tonnes in 2020 (representing 9% of global shares). China and the USA occupied the top two spots.
• Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) 2026: India experienced a sharp drop, ranking 23rd with a score of 61.31 (sliding 13 positions from the previous cycle). No nation qualified for the top 3 spots ("Very High" tier), while the USA (65th), Iran (66th), and Saudi Arabia (67th) finished at the bottom.

BANKING, ECONOMY & BUSINESS

FAB & Hub71 Partner with UAE–India CEPA Council

First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) and tech ecosystem Hub71 executed strategic agreements with the UAE–India Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) Council (UICC) to scale Indian start-ups globally.

• FAB's Commitment: Will provide select Indian start-ups with tailor-made corporate banking models, cross-border regulatory advisory, and priority investor matchmaking.
• Hub71 Immersion: 5 selected winning start-ups from the UAE-India Start-Up Series will be integrated into Hub71’s Immersion and Access Programmes in Abu Dhabi for direct soft-landing market entries.

S&P Global Projections: India's GDP Maintained at 6.5%

In its Economic Outlook Asia-Pacific Q1 2026 report, S&P Global Ratings retained India’s GDP growth projection at 6.5% for FY26, anticipating an acceleration to 6.7% in FY27.

• Growth Drivers: Strong domestic demand, positive monsoon outcomes, structural GST reforms, and government infrastructure investments.
• Inflation Dynamics: S&P drastically lowered India's near-term inflation forecast to 2.5% for FY26 due to a sharp drop in food inflation, though it expects a normalization back to 5% by FY27.

IP Milestone: LG Electronics and Amazon Sign Wi-Fi Patent Deal

LG Electronics completed a major Standard-Essential Patent (SEP) licensing deal with Amazon. The agreement grants Amazon global legal access to use LG’s core Wi-Fi patents across its flagship consumer hardware portfolio, including Fire TV Sticks, Echo/Alexa smart speakers, and Fire Tablets.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Indian Navy Commissions Indigenous Stealth Asset 'INS Mahe'

On November 24, 2025, the Indian Navy commissioned INS Mahe, the lead ship of eight planned Mahe-class Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Watercraft (ASW-SWC).

• The Launch: Conducted at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai, presided over by Chief of the Army Staff, General Upendra Dwivedi.
• Engineering Scope: Built by Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) with over 80% indigenous material content, featuring localized engineering from L&T Defence, BEL, and Mahindra Defence.
• Tactical Blueprint: Measures 78 meters in length with a 1,100-tonne displacement. It utilizes low-acoustic water-jet propulsion systems optimized for stealthy anti-submarine tracking ("Silent Hunter") across shallow coastal waters.

Oman Enters Satellite Sovereignty Era with 'OmanSat-1'

Oman's Space Communication Technologies (SCT) signed a turnkey agreement with Airbus Defense and Space to design, manufacture, and launch OmanSat-1—the Sultanate's very first sovereign telecommunications satellite.

• Hardware Framework: The satellite is built on Airbus’s fully digital, dynamically reconfigurable OneSat platform (marking the 10th spacecraft in this specific line).
• Mission Scope: It will occupy a Geostationary Orbit (GEO) at roughly 36,000 km, sending high-capacity Ka-band links across Oman, its economic maritime zones, and surrounding regions to power secure government networks, IoT data pipelines, and emergency response infrastructure.

SPORTS

India Tops World Boxing Cup Finals 2025

The World Boxing Cup Finals 2025 took place at the Shaheed Vijay Singh Pathik Sports Complex in Greater Noida, UP, from November 16–20, 2025. India finished as the top-performing nation, capturing a record 20 medals (9 Gold, 6 Silver, 5 Bronze).

• Women's Gold Medalists: Minakshi Hooda (48kg), Nikhat Zareen (51kg), Preeti Pawar (54kg), Jaismine Lamboria (57kg), Parveen Hooda (60kg), Arundhati Choudhary (70kg), Nupur Sheoran (80+kg).
• Men's Gold Medalists: Sachin Siwach (60kg), Hitesh Gulia (70kg).

Historic Win: India Lifts Inaugural Blind Women’s T20 World Cup

India’s women’s blind cricket team created history on November 23, 2025, by defeating Nepal by 7 wickets in the final match at the P. Sara Oval in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Led by captain Deepika TC, the Indian team finished the tournament completely undefeated.

IMPORTANT DAYS & SECTORAL FRAMEWORKS

World Fisheries Day 2025: National Traceability Framework Launched

Celebrated on November 21, the Department of Fisheries marked the day with a massive policy rollout under the theme: "India’s Blue Transformation: Strengthening Value Addition in Seafood Exports."

Major Launch: India unveiled the National Framework on Traceability in Fisheries and Aquaculture 2025. This introduces an end-to-end digital traceability system utilizing blockchain, IoT tracking, QR codes, and GPS data to authenticate seafood sources, elevate processing standards, and boost international export compliance.

Other Global Days Observed:

• World COPD Day (November 19, 2025): Organized by GOLD and WHO under the theme “Short of Breath, Think COPD” to emphasize early diagnostic checks for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.
• World Children’s Day (November 20, 2025): Managed globally by UNICEF with the official 2025 theme: “Listen to children: my day, my rights.”
• World Television Day (November 21, 2025): Marking the 29th annual observance tracking the media medium's history. (Fun fact: Experimental TV broadcasts first began in India on September 15, 1959, in New Delhi with UNESCO support before separating from AIR to become Doordarshan in 1976).