Current Affairs | National | International | SSC | UPSC 7th November 2025

1. Arjun Ram Meghwal, Union Minister for Law and Justice, represented India at the King Hamad Lecture for Neutral Justice and the Future of International Commercial Courts Conference.

• The event took place on November 5–6, 2025 in Bahrain.
• The conference was hosted by the Council for International Dispute Resolution of Bahrain under the auspices of Ministry of Justice, Islamic Affairs, and Endowments.
• Global leaders in law, arbitration, and judicial reform gathered to discuss the evolution of international commercial courts and cross-border justice.
• The Minister also delivered a keynote address on “Promoting Commerce Between Bahrain and India.”
• Other participants in the session include Justice Surya Kant of the Supreme Court of India, and Senior Advocate Dr. Pinky Anand.
• Union Minister Meghwal emphasized India’s ongoing legal and institutional reforms.
• He also expressed India’s interest in collaborating with Bahrain’s dispute resolution bodies.

2. National Cancer Awareness Day 2025: 07 November

• Every year on 7th November, National Cancer Awareness Day is observed.
• It is observed to promote awareness about the diagnosis, treatment, and early detection of cancer.
• National Cancer Awareness Day has been celebrated every year on 7 November since 2014 in India.
• It is observed on 7th November, coinciding with the birth anniversary of scientist Madame Curie.
• Nobel Prize-winning scientist Marie Curie is honored on this day for her groundbreaking work, including the discovery of radium and polonium and her contribution to the development of radiotherapy for cancer treatment.
• In India, nearly 1.5 million new cases of cancer are reported annually.
• The main reasons for the late detection of 50% of cancers are illiteracy, lack of awareness, fear, and stigma.
• In India, 70% of cancers (40% tobacco-related, 20% infection-related and 10% other) are caused by potentially modifiable and preventable risk factors.
• World Cancer Day is celebrated on 4 February.

3. The centenary celebrations of Indian hockey celebrated across the country on 7 November.

• The 100-year journey of Indian hockey was celebrated across the country.
• More than 1400 matches were organised in 550 districts as part of the celebrations.
• The main event was held at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium, New Delhi.
• A special program was planned to highlight the legacy and achievements of Indian hockey.
• A 30-minute exhibition match was played between Union Minister XI and Hockey India Mixed XI.
• Hockey legends were felicitated for their contribution to the sport.
• A commemorative volume titled “100 Years of Indian Hockey” was released.
• A large-scale photo exhibition showcased historic moments from Indian hockey.
• India remains the most successful hockey nation with 8 Olympic golds and 13 total Olympic podium finishes.
• This celebration aims to honour past champions and inspire the next generation.

4. A commemorative coin of ₹50 released to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of NHPC Limited.

• On 6th November, a ₹50 commemorative coin was released by Union Minister Shri Manohar Lal in New Delhi.
• The release marks 50 years of NHPC Limited, India’s Premier Hydropower Navratna Company
• NHPC completed 50 years of establishment on 7 November 2025.
• A special comic book, “Chhota Bheem aur Bada Bandh”, was also launched to promote awareness of hydropower among students.
• The coin acknowledges NHPC’s contribution to India’s energy self-reliance.
• NHPC has implemented major hydropower projects in challenging regions of the country.
• The company has now diversified into solar, wind and green hydrogen, reinforcing its status as a 100% green energy company.
• NHPC operates 30 power stations with 8333 MW installed capacity and 14 projects (9704 MW) under construction.
• NHPC Limited was incorporated on November 7, 1975, as the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation Private Limited.

5. The indigenously built survey vessel 'Ikshak' commissioned into the Indian Navy.

• On 6 November, the Indian Navy commissioned the new survey vessel ‘Ikshak’ into service at a ceremony held at the Naval Base in Kochi.
• The vessel is the third in the Survey Vessel (Large) class series.
• The commissioning ceremony was presided over by Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi.
• The ship has been built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers, Kolkata. 
• Ikshak’ contains over 80% indigenous components under Aatmanirbhar Bharat.
• This ship will be the first of its class to be deployed in the Southern Naval Command.
• Its name means “Guide” in Sanskrit.
• The ship is equipped with advanced hydrographic and oceanographic equipment, including multi-beam sonar and autonomous underwater vehicles.
• The ship will carry out coastal and deep-water surveys to ensure safe navigation.
• The commissioning strengthens India’s maritime mapping and security capabilities

6. An MoU signed between DGT and Autodesk to enhance digital design skills in vocational training.

• A Memorandum of Understanding has been signed between the Directorate General of Training (DGT) under the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) and Autodesk.
• The MoU was signed to advance digital design and make skills among faculty and trainers in National Skill Training Institutes (NSTIs) and Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) across India.
• The initiative aims to strengthen the digital capabilities of trainers and teachers, develop employable skills among students and prepare the workforce in India for the needs of industries such as architecture, engineering, manufacturing and construction.
• According to Autodesk's State of Design and Make Report 2025, 52% of Indian organisations surveyed believe that AI-related skills will be their top hiring priority in the future.
• Through this MoU with DGT, Autodesk will extend its professional-grade software to teachers and students of over 14,500 ITIs and 33 NSTIs, enabling trainers to skill a large number of young learners.
• This collaboration demonstrates Autodesk's continued commitment to supporting India's Skill India Mission and promoting the use of digital design technology in education and vocational training.
• The initiative will build AI-ready and industry-adaptive talent.
• Faculty, trainers and students will undergo structured digital design learning programs.
• Autodesk will also support certification and global skill benchmarking.
• The collaboration aims to bridge the gap between training and industry expectations.

7. The 18th Urban Mobility India Conference inaugurated in Gurugram.

• On 7 November, the 18th Urban Mobility India (UMI) Conference and Exhibition was inaugurated by Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal in Gurugram, Haryana.
• The three-day event, organised by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs through the Institute of Urban Transport (India), is being organised in collaboration with the Government of Haryana and Gurugram Metro Rail Limited.
• The theme for this year is “Urban Development and Mobility Nexus”.
• The conference aims to explore integrated planning and sustainable transport solutions to enhance urban mobility in Indian cities.
• The conference will feature 8 technical sessions, 8 roundtables and 2 plenaries.
• The focus of the conference is on creating an equitable and sustainable transport system in line with the objectives of the National Urban Transport Policy (NUTP), 2006.
• The conference also aims to identify practical and scalable mobility solutions that can reduce travel time and costs for urban residents.

8. The Co-op Kumbh 2025 will be inaugurated by Amit Shah in New Delhi on 10 November.

• The Co-op Kumbh 2025 is an International Conference on the Urban Cooperative Credit Sector
• The theme of the conference is “Digitalising Dreams – Empowering Communities”.
• Laxmi Das, president of the National Federation of Urban Co-operative Banks and Credit Societies, said the two-day conference is being organised jointly with the Ministry of Corporate Affairs.
• The conference aims to empower communities and strengthen the cooperative foundation of financial inclusion in the country through dialogue, innovation and shared vision.
• Discussions will include digital innovation, governance reforms, and empowerment of women and youth leadership within the cooperative movement.
• The conference will feature participation from policymakers, cooperative leaders, and international experts from the World Council of Credit Unions and Greenstone Farm Credit Services.
• The event also aligns with the celebration of the International Year of Cooperatives 2025.

9. The National Conference on 'Strengthening Legal Aid Delivery Mechanisms' will be inaugurated by PM Modi.

• The event will be held at the Supreme Court of India on 8 November.
• The Community Mediation Training Module, prepared by the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA), will be launched by the Prime Minister during the programme.
• NALSA is organising the two-day conference to deliberate on key aspects of the legal services framework.
• These include the Legal Aid Defence Counsel System, panel lawyers, para-legal volunteers, permanent Lok Adalats, and the financial management of legal services institutions.
• On November 8, the Prime Minister will also visit his parliamentary constituency Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh and flag off four new Vande Bharat Express trains.
• The new Vande Bharat Express trains will run on the Banaras-Khajuraho, Lucknow-Saharanpur, Firozpur-Delhi and Ernakulam-Bengaluru routes.

10. 17th edition of the India Game Developer Conference held in Chennai.

• From 5 to 7 November, the 17th India Game Developer Conference (IGDC) was held in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
• On 6 November, several MoUs with various organisations dealing with gaming were signed by the Tamil Nadu government.
• A Centre of Excellence for Gaming will be set up in Chennai within a period of six months.
• Regional centres will be set up in Coimbatore, Madurai, Trichy, Salem and Tirunelveli.
• The state will have a dedicated facilitation cell, which will act as a single window for providing business support and also enhance ease of doing business in the state.
• The state has a double-digit GDP growth rate of 11.9%, the highest in India, and has seen the establishment of 10,800 start-ups in the last three years.
• IGDC is considered a significant conference for the gaming community, bringing together creators, studios, investors, and publishers from around the world.
• Last year, the event attracted over 4,000 attendees and featured over 200 speakers.

11. Two Census mobile applications, test portal for self-enumeration launched

• The Registrar-General and Census Commissioner of India launched two mobile applications this week in preparation for the trial phase of the country's first digital Census in 2027.
• The pre-test for the first phase, House Listing and Housing Operations (HLO), when a total of 30 questions on housing amenities will be asked, will be held in select areas across the country from November 10 to 30.
• The enumerators, including block development officials, revenue officials, and government schoolteachers, have been trained to collect data on the two applications availa-ble on Google Play Store: Digital Layout Map (DLM) and Census 2027 House-list. The apps are compatible with both Android and Apple phones, and can only be downloaded by authorised personnel.
• Public participation The self-enumeration portal is available for testing from November 1 to 7. "To encourage public participation, a Self-Enumeration facility will be made available through the Census Portal from 1st to 7th November 2025, allowing individuals residing in the areas selected for Pre-Test to submit their details online through the website https://test.census.gov.in/se, prior to field visits by enumerators," a govern-ment statement said.
• The DLM app's description explains the evolution of India's Census, the world's largest data collection exercise, into a digital operation.
• It adds that the DLM app replicates the traditional methodology followed by supervisors and enumerators for drawing notional sketches for houselisting blocks, the primary unit for data collection, while introducing digital efficiency.
• The app will record building coordinates (latitude and longitude for each structure), the names of localities, roads or streets, building numbers (if available; otherwise, temporary Census house numbers will be assigned by enumerators), and building type (pucca or kutcha).

12. Indian Navy commissions survey vessel INS Ikshak

• The third vessel of the Survey Vessel Large (SVL) class, INS Ikshak, was commissioned into the Indian Navy at a ceremonial event held at Naval Base in Kochi on Thursday.
• The ceremony was pre-sided over by Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi, Chief of the Naval Staff.
• On arrival at the venue, the Navy chief was accorded a 50-men guard of honour.
• The Navy stated that the commissioning marks a significant step in strengthening India's hydrographic survey and maritime operational capabilities.
• The ship is capable of operating as a platform for humanitarian assistance, disaster relief and medical support operations as well.
• INS Ikshak is also the first SVL designed with dedicated women's accommodation, reflecting the Navy's commitment to inclusivity.

13. India Exports First Fortified Rice Kernel from Chhattisgarh to Costa Rica

• India exported its first Fortified Rice Kernel (FRK) consignment from Chhattisgarh to Costa Rica, marking a significant step in linking the country’s nutrition programme with global markets.
• This initiative aligns with the ‘Kuposhan Mukt Bharat’ programme under Poshan Abhiyan, connecting domestic nutrition improvement efforts with international trade and creating new opportunities for Chhattisgarh’s farmers and exporters.
• Fortified Rice Kernel is enriched with essential micronutrients like iron, folic acid, and vitamin B12, highlighting India’s technical capabilities in food fortification and its contribution to global food security.

14. Amul bags ICA top cooperative ranking globally

• Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd (GCMMF), marketing dairy products under the Amul brand, has been ranked as the world’s top cooperative based on GDP per capita performance by the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) World Cooperative Monitor 2025.
• The recognition highlights Amul’s cooperative model that empowers millions of dairy farmers, promoting inclusive growth, social equity, and sustainable rural development across India.
• Along with Amul, India’s IFFCO (Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited) also ranks among the top cooperatives globally, demonstrating India’s resilience and leadership in the cooperative sector through sustainable practices, farmer empowerment, and technological innovation.
• The World Cooperative Monitor 2025 underscores that cooperatives like Amul and IFFCO drive equitable growth and resilience, showing that collective effort is a powerful tool for socio-economic transformation from local villages to the global stage.

15. Chandigarh Tops India’s Services-Driven Economy with 88.8% GVA Share

• Chandigarh recorded the highest share of services in Gross Value Added (GVA) at 88.8% in 2023–24, followed by Delhi (84.1%), according to NITI Aayog’s report “India’s Services Sector: Insights from GVA trends”.
• At the national level, the services sector contributed 54.5% to India’s GVA, showing a strong correlation between high per capita income and services orientation among states/UTs.
• Karnataka (62.3%), Kerala (61.5%), and Telangana (60.3%) lead among states, with real estate and professional services being major contributors; Bihar (58%) also shows a surprisingly high services share despite low income.
• Chhattisgarh (33.9%), Odisha (38.2%), and Madhya Pradesh (38.8%) have the lowest services share due to mining and industrial dominance, while NITI Aayog urges investment in digital infrastructure, skills, and e-governance to boost service-led growth.

16. Top IITs rank slip as universities from China, Singapore surge ahead: QS Asia Rankings 2026

• Nine of the top 10 Indian institutions, including seven IITs, saw a decline in their ranks in the QS Asia University Rankings 2026, as universities from China, Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, and Malaysia outperformed them.
• IIT Delhi remained India’s top-ranked institution but fell to 59th place from 44th last year, marking its lowest rank in the past few years.
• IIT Bombay witnessed the sharpest drop, slipping 23 positions to rank 71 in 2026, after consistently being among India’s best-ranked institutes from 2021 to 2024.
• Chandigarh University was the only Indian university among the top 10 to improve its rank, rising to 109th from 120 last year.
• Indian institutions performed well in academic and employer reputation but lagged behind peers in citations per paper, faculty-student ratio, and internationalisation metrics like student and faculty diversity.
• The University of Hong Kong, Peking University, and National University of Singapore dominated the top positions, reflecting a strong eastward concentration of excellence in Asian higher education

Asia University Rankings 2026 – Top 10 Institutions

Top 10 Indian institutions in 2026 and their rank in previous years

17. India Withdraws from Ayni Airbase in Tajikistan, Ending Its Only Overseas Military Presence

 

• India has fully withdrawn from the Ayni airbase in Tajikistan, ending its only overseas military presence after the lapse of a bilateral agreement for joint operation with Tajikistan around four years ago.
• The Congress termed the withdrawal a “setback” to India’s strategic diplomacy, with Jairam Ramesh noting that Ayni, established in the early 2000s, was crucial to New Delhi’s regional influence and strategic outreach in Central Asia.
• The Ayni base, located 10 km from Dushanbe, had been upgraded by India with enhanced runways, fuel depots, and air traffic control systems, and was last used in 2021 to evacuate Indians from Afghanistan following the Taliban takeover.

About Tajiskistan

• Capital- Dushanbe
• Currency- Tajikistani Somoni
• Official languages- Tajiki, Russian
• President- Emomali Rahmon
• Prime minister- Kokhir Rasulzoda

18. COP30 Unveils ‘Baku to Belem Roadmap’ to Mobilize $1.3 Trillion Annually for Climate Action by 2035

• The COP30 Presidency released the ‘Baku to Belem Roadmap to 1.3 Trillion’, a global plan to mobilize $1.3 trillion annually by 2035 to support developing nations in tackling climate change and transitioning to cleaner economies.
• The roadmap builds on the COP29 Baku agreement, urging all stakeholders — governments, banks, and businesses — to work together in directing large-scale, low-cost finance toward renewable energy, adaptation, and post-disaster rebuilding.
• The plan emphasizes affordable and accessible climate finance, calling for tripling of UN climate fund disbursements by 2030, lowering borrowing costs, and aligning multilateral banks, private investors, and concessional funds to achieve equitable and effective climate action.

19. Asirvad Microfinance Appoints Gerard Pasangha as Co-CEO

• Asirvad Microfinance Ltd, a subsidiary of Manappuram Finance Limited, has appointed Gerard David Manoj Pasangha as its Co-Chief Executive Officer (Co-CEO) to lead the company’s growth and innovation strategies.
• Based in Valapad, Kerala, Pasangha will focus on expansion, operational excellence, and innovation in Asirvad’s financial products and services.
• With over 30 years of experience in financial services, he has previously held senior roles at IIFL Samasta, ING Life India, and Bharat Financial Inclusion Ltd, where he contributed significantly to digital transformation and inclusive finance

Recent Appointments in Banking & Insurance Sector

• Executive Director of RBI – Sonali Sen Gupta
• Executive Director of RBI – Sanjay Kumar
• MD & CEO of Karnataka Bank – Raghavendra Srinivas Bhat; (reappointment for 1 month)
• MD & CEO of Union Bank of India – Asheesh Pandey; for 3 years
• MD & CEO of Central Bank of India – Kalyan Kumar;for 3 years

20. Sunil Kant Munjal Conferred France’s Knight of the National Order of Merit

• Mr Sunil Kant Munjal, Chairman of Hero Enterprise and Founder of Serendipity Arts Foundation, was awarded the Chevalier de l’Ordre national du Mérite (Knight of the National Order of Merit) by the Ambassador of France, recognising his contributions to civil society, education, innovation, and arts accessibility.
• Over the past decade, Mr. Munjal has fostered cross-cultural artistic dialogues through the Serendipity Arts Festival, transforming art into a participatory public experience and positioning the Foundation as a major cultural force in South Asia. 

21. 6 November – International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict

• The United Nations observes November 6 every year as the International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict.
• The day highlights the impact of wars and armed conflicts on the environment, such as deforestation, pollution, and destruction of ecosystems.
• It was established by the UN General Assembly in 2001, acknowledging that environmental damage during conflicts can last for decades.

22. 6 November – National Nachos Day

• National Nachos Day is celebrated every year on 6th November to honor the popular Mexican snack loved worldwide for its crispy, cheesy flavor.
• The dish was invented in 1943 by Ignacio “Nacho” Anaya in Piedras Negras, Mexico, when he created the snack for guests using tortilla chips, cheese, and jalapeños.
• Nachos have since evolved into a global favorite, with varieties ranging from classic cheese nachos to loaded versions featuring beans, meat, salsa, and guacamole.