Current Affairs Quiz 12th November 2025 Quiz

Exp. 11 November – National Education Day

National Education Day is observed every year on 11th November to commemorate the birth anniversary of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, India’s first Education Minister.

Maulana Azad played a vital role in shaping India’s modern education system, including the establishment of IITs, UGC, and AICTE.

The day highlights the importance of education in nation-building and promotes literacy, knowledge, and innovation.

Exp. Four Defence PSUs Felicitated with Miniratna Status at DPSU Bhawan Review Meeting

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh chaired a comprehensive review meeting of Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs) at the newly inaugurated DPSU Bhawan, World Trade Centre, New Delhi.

During the meeting, four DPSUs — Munitions India Limited (MIL), Armoured Vehicles Nigam Limited (AVNL), India Optel Limited (IOL), and Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL) — were felicitated for being granted Miniratna (Category-I) status, recognising their growing performance and autonomy.

The Miniratna status signifies the government’s recognition of the enhanced efficiency, financial independence, and strategic contribution of these defence entities towards India’s self-reliance in defence manufacturing.

Three major MoUs were exchanged, including a partnership between HAL, BDL, and Yantra India Limited to set up a 10,000-tonne Forging Press facility, and another with MIDHANI to establish a Metal Bank ensuring steady raw material supply for defence production.

Exp. NBA Legend and Three-Time Hall of Famer Lenny Wilkens Passes Away at 88

Lenny Wilkens, a legendary NBA figure and three-time Basketball Hall of Fame inductee, passed away at the age of 88. He was honored as a player, coach, and member of the 1992 U.S. Olympic team.

Wilkens holds the record for most games coached in NBA history (2,487) and was the first NBA coach to achieve 1,000 career wins. He also coached the U.S. team to gold at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

A nine-time NBA All-Star as a player, Wilkens led the Seattle SuperSonics to the 1979 NBA Championship and remained a beloved figure in Seattle’s basketball community for decades.

Exp. MSSRF’s Fisher Friend Mobile App Wins Tech4Nature Award for Protecting Olive Ridley Turtles and Empowering Coastal Fishers

The Fisher Friend Mobile Application, developed by the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF), has won the Tech4Nature Award at the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Abu Dhabi for protecting endangered Olive Ridley turtles while supporting coastal fishing communities.

The app’s No-Fishing Zone Alert system, co-developed with Odisha’s Fisheries Department, uses geolocation and geo-fencing to warn fishers when they approach restricted turtle nesting areas like the Gahirmatha Marine Wildlife Sanctuary, helping prevent accidental violations and protecting livelihoods.

Originally created after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami with support from Qualcomm and INCOIS, the app has evolved through 54 updates, now serving over 1.22 lakh users across nine coastal states and one UT, offering real-time information in nine Indian languages on weather, fishing zones, and safety alerts.

Exp. Dr Alexander Smith of Northwestern University to Receive Prestigious 2025 SASTRA Ramanujan Prize for Contributions to Number Theory’

Dr. Alexander Smith of Northwestern University, USA, has been selected to receive the 2025 SASTRA Ramanujan Prize for his exceptional contributions to mathematics, particularly in number theory.

The $10,000 annual award honors mathematicians under the age of 32 who have made significant contributions in fields influenced by the legendary Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan.

Dr. Smith’s pioneering work combines combinatorics, analytic number theory, and probability, solving several long-standing problems; he earned his PhD from Harvard (2020) and previously held fellowships at MIT and Clay Institute before joining Northwestern University.

Recent Awards

• Princess of Asturias Award for Sports 2025– Serena Williams
• 3rd Manohar Parrikar Yuva Scientist Award 2025 – Sai Gautam Gopalakrishnan
• World Leader for Peace and Security Award by Boston Global Forum – Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
• Top Agri-Food Pioneer By World Food Prize Foundation – Chef Sanjeev Kapoor
• Rajyotsava Award – Veteran Archaeologist Ravindra Korisettar

Exp. NHA Renews MoU with DHR and ICMR to Boost Evidence-Based Healthcare and Strengthen Ayushman Bharat Schemes

The National Health Authority (NHA) has renewed its MoU with the Department of Health Research (DHR) and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to strengthen evidence-based decision-making in healthcare.

The renewed partnership aims to optimize healthcare resource allocation, enhance quality standards, and promote data-driven policy formulation across flagship schemes like Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY and Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM).

Originally signed in November 2019, the collaboration has successfully used Health Technology Assessment (HTA) to help NHA in optimising Health Benefit Packages (HBPs) under AB-PMJAY.

Recent MoU

• TEC and IIT Bombay Join Hands to Drive Indigenous Innovation in 6G, AI, and Next-Generation Telecom Technologies
• DGT Partners with Autodesk to Integrate AI and Digital Design Tools in Vocational Training under Skill India Mission
• IEPFA and SEBI Organise ‘Niveshak Shivir’ in Amritsar to Empower Investors and Resolve Unclaimed Dividend Issues
• L&T and US-Based GA-ASI Partner to Manufacture Advanced MALE Drones in India for Armed Forces under Atmanirbhar Bharat

Exp. Government Proposes Mandatory ‘Country of Origin’ Filter on E-Commerce Platforms to Boost Transparency and Promote ‘Vocal for Local’

The Department of Consumer Affairs has proposed the Draft Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) (Second) Amendment Rules, 2025, making it mandatory for e-commerce platforms to provide a searchable and sortable ‘Country of Origin’ filter for packaged commodities.

The move aims to enhance consumer transparency and empowerment, allowing buyers to easily identify the origin of products and make informed purchasing decisions while shopping online.

The amendment supports ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ and ‘Vocal for Local’ initiatives by promoting visibility of Made-in-India products, giving them a level playing field against imported goods.

Under the proposed rule, every e-commerce entity selling imported products must provide this filter, helping consumers search and sort products based on their country of origin directly from product listings.

Exp. Raahul V.S. Becomes India’s 91st Grandmaster

Raahul V.S., a 21-year-old Indian chess player and former Asian Junior Champion, has become India’s 91st Grandmaster after winning the 6th ASEAN Individual Championship in the Philippines with a round to spare.

He had earlier earned his International Master (IM) title in 2021 after securing his IM norms and surpassing the 2400 Elo rating mark.

This victory not only confirmed Raahul’s final GM norm but also made him the second Indian Grandmaster within two weeks, following Ilamparthi A.R., who achieved the title on October 30, 2025.

Previous Chess Grand Masters

• 90th – Illamparthi AR (Chennai, Tamil Nadu)
• 89th – S. Rohith Krishna (Chennai, Tamil Nadu)
• 88th – Divya Deshmukh (Nagpur, Maharastra); 4th women
• 87th – A Ra Harikrishnan (Tamil Nadu)
• 86^th – L.R. Srihari (Tamil Nadu)

Exp. India and Sri Lanka Begin 11th Edition of Joint Military Exercise ‘MITRA SHAKTI-2025’ in Belagavi, Karnataka

The 11th edition of Exercise MITRA SHAKTI-2025 between India and Sri Lanka commenced on November 10, 2025, at the Foreign Training Node, Belagavi (Karnataka), and will continue till November 23, 2025.

The Indian contingent includes 170 personnel (mainly from the Rajput Regiment), and the Sri Lankan contingent includes 135 personnel (primarily from the Gajaba Regiment), along with Air Force participation from both sides.

The exercise focuses on counter-terrorism operations, sub-conventional warfare under the UN mandate, and interoperability, featuring heliborne drills, drone operations, AMAR, reflex shooting, and casualty evacuation training.

Recent Exercise

• 5th Edition of Maritime Exercise ‘Samudra Shakti 2025’ between India and Indonesia – Visakhapatnam
• 4th Edition of Exercise AUSTRAHIND 2025 between India & Australia – Perth, Australia
• Exercise KONKAN-2025 between Indian Navy and Royal Navy – Arabian Sea off the western coast of India
• Exercise ZAPAD 2025 between Russia & India – Mulino Training Ground, Nizhniy, Russia
• 14th edition of Joint Military Exercise MAITREE-XIV between India & Thailand – Joint Training Node (JTN), Umroi, Meghalaya

Exp. Angola Partners with India in Renewable Energy, Wildlife Conservation

Angola has agreed to partner with India in key areas such as renewable energy, wildlife conservation and management, and biofuels, marking major outcomes of President Droupadi Murmu’s state visit — the first-ever by an Indian head of state to the African nation.

During the visit, two MoUs were signed — one on fisheries, aquaculture, and marine resources, and another on consular matters — while both nations reaffirmed their commitment to enhancing cooperation in trade, defence, health, infrastructure, and capacity building.

Angola announced its decision to join the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) and the Global Biofuel Alliance (GBA) — two Indian-led global initiatives promoting wildlife conservation and sustainable energy, further strengthening India-Angola strategic ties and India-Africa partnership.

Exp. IFC Invests ₹285 Crore in Axis Max Life Insurance to Boost Solvency and Support India’s ‘Insurance for All by 2047’ Vision

The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, has invested ₹285 crore ($33 million) in Axis Max Life Insurance Limited through long-term subordinated instruments — marking IFC’s first investment in a licensed Indian life insurer.

The investment will strengthen Axis Max Life’s solvency margin and support its expansion in the life insurance sector, aligning with India’s goal of achieving “Insurance for All by 2047.”

Axis Max Life Insurance, with IFC’s support, aims to enhance financial inclusion, particularly for women, and increase insurance penetration, which declined to 2.8% in FY24, while the company reported a gross written premium of ₹33,223 crore in FY25.

Exp. NPCI Partners with Bahrain’s BENEFIT to Link UPI with Fawri+ for Real-Time Cross-Border Remittances

NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL), the international arm of NPCI, has partnered with BENEFIT, Bahrain’s leading fintech firm, to enable real-time cross-border remittances between India and Bahrain.

The partnership will link India’s UPI with Bahrain’s Electronic Fund Transfer System (EFTS), specifically the Fawri+ service, allowing users in both countries to send and receive money instantly and securely.

Established under the guidance of the RBI and the Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB), the collaboration aims to create a strategic remittance corridor, benefiting Bahrain’s 30% Indian community and enhancing financial connectivity and economic integration between the two nations.

Exp. IN-SPACe and SIDBI Launch ₹1,000 Crore Venture Capital Fund to Boost India’s Private Space Sector

The Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) and SIDBI Venture Capital Limited (SVCL) have signed a Contribution Agreement to operationalise a ₹1,000 crore Venture Capital Fund for India’s private space sector, approved by SEBI.

The fund will provide early-stage and growth capital to startups working in areas such as launch technologies, satellites, payload systems, in-space services, earth observation, and communication platforms.

Approved by the Union Cabinet in October 2024, the fund will be managed by SVCL, with IN-SPACe Joint Secretary Lochan Sehra highlighting its role in empowering startups to build indigenous technologies and strengthen India’s space ecosystem.

Exp. Amit Shah Launches Sahakar Digi Pay and Sahakar Digi Loan to Boost Digital Transformation in Urban Cooperative Banks

Union Cooperation Minister Amit Shah launched two mobile apps — Sahakar Digi Pay and Sahakar Digi Loan — to promote digital transformation in urban cooperative banks and ensure their competitiveness in a cashless economy.

He highlighted reforms in the sector, noting that NPAs in urban cooperative banks declined from 2.8% to 0.6% in two years, and set a target for NAFCUB to open at least one new UCB in every town with a population over two lakh within five years.

Since the formation of the Cooperation Ministry in 2021-22, model bylaws for PACS have been implemented nationwide, enabling computerisation, while Amul and IFFCO were recognised among the world’s top two cooperatives by the International Cooperative Alliance.