NATIONAL AFFAIRS

1. Cabinet Approves ₹7,280 Crore Scheme to Boost Sintered REPM Manufacturing

The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the 'Scheme to Promote Manufacturing of Sintered Rare Earth Permanent Magnets (REPM)'. This first-of-its-kind initiative is designed to build a resilient critical mineral ecosystem in India, reducing major import dependencies.

• Financial Allocation: Total outlay of ₹7,280 crore.
  • ₹6,450 crore is designated for sales-linked incentives over 5 years.
  • ₹750 crore is allocated as a capital subsidy for establishing facilities.
• Target Capacity: To set up an aggregate of 6,000 Metric Tons per Annum (MTPA) of integrated REPM manufacturing. The total capacity will be allocated to 5 selected beneficiaries (up to 1,200 MTPA each) via global competitive bidding.
• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI).
• Duration: 7 years from the date of award (includes a 2-year gestation period and 5 years of incentive disbursement).
• Significance: REPMs are extremely powerful permanent magnets vital for Electric Vehicles (EVs), defense, renewable energy, and aerospace. India’s REPM demand is projected to double between 2025 and 2030.

2. Cabinet Approves Pune Metro Phase-2 and ₹2,781 Cr Railway Multitracking Projects

The Union Cabinet and the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) greenlit major infrastructure additions in Maharashtra and Gujarat.

A. Pune Metro Rail Project (Phase-2)

• Scope: Covers Lines 4 and 4A, stretching 31.636 km with 28 fully elevated stations.
• Budget & Timeline: Estimated cost of ₹9,857.85 crore, to be executed within 5 years.
• Implementation: Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation Limited (Maha Metro), jointly funded by the Centre, the Government of Maharashtra, and external multilateral funding bodies.

B. CCEA Approved Railway Multitracking Projects

• Total Stretch: 224 km of multitracking projects with a financial outlay of ₹2,781 crore.
• Key Tracks:
  1. Gujarat: 141 km track doubling of the Devbhumi Dwarka (Okha) – Kanalus line.
  2. Maharashtra: Addition of a 3rd and 4th line to the Badlapur–Karjat section (32 km).

3. MoAFW Releases First Advanced Estimates of Kharif Crop Production (2025-26)

Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan released the first advance production estimates, projecting a healthy rise in India's agrarian output.

• Total Foodgrain Output: Estimated at a record 173.33 Million Tonnes (MT), up by 3.87 MT from the previous fiscal.
• Kharif Rice: Projected at an all-time high of 124.504 MT (an increase of 1.732 MT over last year).
• Key Crop Breakdown:
  • Kharif Maize: 28.303 MT (up by 3.495 MT)
  • Coarse Cereals: 41.414 MT | Kharif Pulses: 7.413 MT (Tur accounts for 3.597 MT)
  • Oilseeds: 27.563 MT (Soybean at 14.266 MT; Groundnut at 11.093 MT)
  • Commercial Crops: Sugarcane at 475.614 MT (up by 21.003 MT); Cotton at 29.215 million bales (1 bale = 170 kg).

4. 'Nayi Chetna 4.0' Nationwide Campaign Launched to Fight Gender Violence

Union Ministers Shivraj Singh Chouhan (MoRD) and Annapurna Devi (MoWCD) jointly launched the 4th edition of “Nayi Chetna – Initiative for Change” in New Delhi.

• Theme/Focus: Fostering gender equality, creating "violence-free villages", and recognizing rural women's economic contributions.
• Execution Structure: Formulated under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihood Mission (DAY-NRLM). It runs across all 36 States/UTs, driven entirely at the grassroots level by local Self-Help Groups (SHGs).
• The Lakhpati Didi Synergy: Focuses on leveraging the campaign to fast-track SHG enterprises, skill development, and credit access to help rural women earn a minimum sustainable income of ₹1 lakh per year.

5. Quick National Highlights

• Skill India Centre in Baghpat (UP): Jointly inaugurated by Ministers Ashwini Vaishnaw and Jayant Chaudhary at Baraut, Baghpat. Developed by the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and the Redington Foundation, it aims to train 600 underprivileged youth and women in IT, electronics, and ITeS blocks.
• IIT Kharagpur Commemorative Stamp: To mark its Platinum Jubilee (75 Years), India Post released a special ₹5 commemorative postage stamp celebrating IIT Kharagpur’s milestone as India's first-ever IIT.

BANKING & FINANCE

1. World Bank Approves USD 776 Million Loan for Punjab & Maharashtra

The World Bank has cleared USD 776 million (~₹6,467 crore) to fund infrastructure operations in two key Indian states:

2. BHIM Introduces 'Full Delegation' Feature via UPI Circle

To enhance financial inclusion and boost platform engagement, the Bharat Interface for Money (BHIM) app rolled out the Full Delegation feature under UPI Circle.

• The Concept: Allows a primary bank account holder to authorize up to five secondary users (dependents, minor family members, or domestic staff) to execute payments directly from their account.
• Key Parameters:
  • Secondary users can pay without needing the primary user’s PIN.
  • Secondary users do not explicitly need a separate bank account but must have a BHIM UPI ID.
  • Limits: The primary user can specify a monthly spending limit of up to ₹15,000 along with individual transaction caps.
  • Validity: The delegation window can be configured from 1 month up to 5 years.

3. RBI Grants Final Payment Aggregator (PA) Licence to Paytm (PPSL)

Paytm Payments Services Limited (PPSL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of One97 Communications, has officially received its Certificate of Authorisation (COA) from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to function as a Payment Aggregator.

• Regulatory Context: Issued under the Payment and Settlement Systems Act (PSSA), 2007.
• Impact: This lifts the long-standing merchant onboarding restrictions initially imposed on Paytm by the central bank back in November 2022 due to foreign direct investment (FDI) compliance bottlenecks. PPSL is now authorized to expand its digital network and scale merchant acquisition freely.

ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) approved three major restructuring portfolios:

1. Toyota Consolidation: Approved the 100% acquisition of Toyota Industries Corporation (TIC) by Toyota Asset Preparatory Co., Ltd. as part of an internal corporate clean-up.
2. Jhajjar Power: Approved the 100% buyout of Jhajjar Power Limited by Jindal Jhajjar Power Limited (a subsidiary of Jindal Power Limited).
3. ICICI Asset Consolidation: Approved the asset migration of select private equity, real estate, and fund management wings from ICICI Venture Funds Management Company directly into ICICI Prudential Asset Management Company (AMC).

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

DRDO Signs Technology Transfer (ToT) with Paras Defence for T-90 Tanks

Paras Defence & Space Technologies Limited signed a crucial Technology Transfer (ToT) agreement with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to indigenously manufacture the Driver Night Sight (DNS) System.

• The System: An advanced electro-optical night-vision unit built specifically for T-90 main battle tanks. It fuses thermal imaging and day camera views to permit seamless low-light tank driving without needing visible external lights.
• Outcome: Paras Defence is now fully authorized to supply these native night-vision components directly to the Indian Army for its structured T-90 fleet upgrades, satisfying Aatmanirbhar Bharat directives.

SPORTS

1. Ahmedabad Selected to Host the Historic 2030 Commonwealth Games

In a massive win for Indian sports diplomacy, the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) General Assembly meeting in Glasgow, Scotland, officially approved Ahmedabad, Gujarat as the host city for the 2030 Commonwealth Games.

• Historical Context: Ahmedabad defeated Abuja (Nigeria) in the bidding pool. This will mark the second time India hosts the event (previously hosted by New Delhi in 2010).
• Centenary Edition: The 2030 Games marks exactly 100 years of the Commonwealth Games, which originally kicked off in Hamilton, Canada, in 1930.
• Format: India will showcase an expanded itinerary of 15–17 sports (unlike the downsized 10-sport framework scheduled for Glasgow 2026). Confirmed sports include athletics, swimming, gymnastics, weightlifting, table tennis, bowls, netball, and boxing.

2. India Secures Historic 6th Place Finish at Tokyo Summer Deaflympics

The 25th edition of the Summer Deaflympics concluded in Tokyo, Japan, celebrating its 100th anniversary year since the games began in Paris (1924).

• Leaderboard: Ukraine stood at the apex of the ladder with 100 medals (32 Gold).
• India’s Performance: India scripted its highest-ever position, finishing 6th overall with an aggregate of 20 medals (9 Gold, 7 Silver, 4 Bronze).
• Key Performers:
  • Shooters anchored the delegation, delivering 16 out of the 20 total medals.
  • Mahit Sandhu emerged as India's most decorated athlete at the meet with 4 medals (2 Gold, 2 Silver).
  • Olympian Diksha Dagar successfully grabbed Gold in Women’s Individual Golf.
  • India also logged its first-ever Deaflympics medals in Wrestling and Karate.

3. Quick Sports Highlight

• BCCI - Asian Paints Partnership: Asian Paints cracked a 3-year deal with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to serve as the Official Colour Partner. The contract covers 110 Team India matches across men’s, women’s, and domestic circuits, featuring the rollout fan-engagement tools like 'The Asian Paints Colour Cam'.

OBITUARY

Legendary Bharatanatyam Exponent Kumari Kamala Passes Away (Aged 91)

Renowned classical icon Kamala Laxmi Narayanan, celebrated globally as Kumari Kamala, passed away in California, USA.

• Profile: Born in 1934 in the old Madras Presidency, she was a master of the Vazhuvoor style of Bharatanatyam. She was also a prominent face in cinema, acting in over 100 films across Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Hindi industries (famous for her Paampu Attam or Snake Dance performance in 1944).
• Major Honours:
  • Padma Bhushan (1970) — India's third-highest civilian award.
  • Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1968) and Kalaimamani (1967).
  • National Heritage Fellowship (2010) awarded by the USA's National Endowment for the Arts—the highest honour granted to folk and traditional artists in the US.

IMPORTANT DAYS & THEMES

1. National Constitution Day (Samvidhan Diwas) – November 26

• Significance: Marks the 76th anniversary of the adoption of the Indian Constitution by the Constituent Assembly in 1949. (First observed in 2015 via MSJE).
• 2025 Theme: “Humara Samvidhan, Humara Swabhimaan” (Our Constitution–Our Pride).
• Key Milestones:
  • The Ministry of Law & Justice digitally launched the Constitution in 9 regional languages (Malayalam, Marathi, Nepali, Punjabi, Bodo, Kashmiri, Telugu, Odia, and Assamese).
  • A commemorative booklet tracing the handwritten script's artwork, titled “Bharat ke Samvidhan se Kala aur Calligraphy”, was put out by the Ministry of Culture.
  • Global Event: A bronze bust of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar was unveiled at the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, France.

2. National Milk Day – November 26

• Significance: Celebrates the birth anniversary of Dr. Verghese Kurien, the legendary "Father of the White Revolution in India".
• Key Launches: Coordinated by the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD), the event saw the release of the Basic Animal Husbandry Statistics (BAHS) 2025 and the Guidelines for Minimum Standards of Veterinary Infrastructure in India.
• Awards: The prestigious National Gopal Ratna Awards 2025 were conferred upon top contributors in the dairy and livestock sectors.

3. World Sustainable Transport Day – November 26

• Significance: The 3rd UN-mandated observance focusing on green, inclusive, and clean global transit links. The date marks the anniversary of the 2016 first UN Global Sustainable Transport Conference held in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan.
• Major Global Goal: The UN is scheduled to officially launch the United Nations Decade of Sustainable Transport (2026–2035) at its NY headquarters.
• Core Climate Footprint Data (UN):
  • Global average carbon footprint per individual: 5.9 tons/year.
  • Living a car-free lifestyle cuts an individual's carbon footprint by up to 3.6 tons/year.
  • Transitioning to an Electric Vehicle (EV) shaves off roughly 2 tons/year.