Current Affairs Quiz 15th and 16th November 2025 Quiz

Exp. NBA Grants ₹29.40 Lakh to Odisha Forest Department for Red Sanders Conservation

The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) has released ₹29.40 lakh to the Odisha Forest Department under the Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) mechanism for the conservation and protection of Red Sanders (Pterocarpus santalinus).

The ABS fund was generated from the benefit-sharing amount received for accessing Red Sanders wood logs that had naturally fallen during the 2018 cyclone and were later auctioned by the Odisha Forest Development Corporation.

So far, the NBA has released over ₹50 crore to Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and the Andhra Pradesh State Biodiversity Board for Red Sanders conservation, along with benefit-sharing payments to farmers in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.

With this latest release, Odisha becomes the fourth state to receive ABS funds from the commercial use of Red Sanders, supporting conservation and sustainable use initiatives across states.

Exp. Logo and Website of Global Energy Leaders’ Summit (GELS) 2025 Launched in New Delhi

The Minister of State for Power, Shripad Naik, launched the logo and website of the Global Energy Leaders’ Summit (GELS) 2025, which will be held in Puri, Odisha, from 5–7 December 2025, hosted by the Odisha Government with the Tony Blair Institute.

The Minister highlighted Odisha’s leadership in power sector reforms, noting its strong focus on efficiency, resilience, sustainability, and clean energy-driven industrial growth.

The GELS 2025 theme, “Powering India: Sufficiency, Balance, Innovation,” reflects the Prime Minister’s vision based on four pillars—Energy Access, Efficiency, Sustainability, and Security.

Exp. Cabinet Approves Credit Guarantee Scheme for Exporters with 100% Coverage to Boost MSME and Export Growth

The Union Cabinet approved the Credit Guarantee Scheme for Exporters (CGSE) to provide 100% credit guarantee coverage through NCGTC, enabling MLIs to extend up to ₹20,000 crore in additional credit to eligible exporters, including MSMEs.

The scheme will be implemented by the Department of Financial Services (DFS) through NCGTC, with a Management Committee chaired by the Secretary, DFS, to monitor progress and oversee execution.

CGSE aims to strengthen liquidity and provide collateral-free credit, helping Indian exporters expand into new global markets, boost competitiveness, and support India’s target of achieving USD 1 trillion in exports, aligned with Aatmanirbhar Bharat.

With exports contributing 21% of India’s GDP and MSMEs accounting for 45% of total exports, the scheme will ensure enhanced financial support, enabling exporters to diversify markets and maintain sustainable business growth.

Exp. India’s GDP Likely to Grow 7.2% in Q2 FY26, Driven by Strong Private Consumption: Ind-Ra

India Ratings & Research (Ind-Ra) has estimated India’s GDP to grow 7.2% in Q2 FY26, supported mainly by strong private consumption and robust performance in the services sector, compared to 5.6% growth in Q2 FY25.

Private consumption is projected to rise 8% year-on-year, driven by low inflation, favourable base effects, and improving rural wages, marking a steady improvement from previous quarters.

Investment demand is expected to grow 7.5% in Q2 FY26, with consistent government capital expenditure helping maintain economic momentum despite global uncertainties.

Exp. JSW Energy Commissions India’s Largest Green Hydrogen Plant in Karnataka

JSW Energy has commissioned India’s largest green hydrogen plant in Vijayanagar, Karnataka, under the PLI Scheme Tranche I, marking a major boost to India’s clean energy transition.

The plant will supply 3,800 TPA green hydrogen and 30,000 TPA green oxygen to JSW Steel under a 7-year offtake agreement, forming part of its allocation under the SIGHT programme (SECI).

JSW Energy and JSW Steel signed an MoU for scaling supply to 85,000–90,000 TPA green hydrogen and 720,000 TPA green oxygen by 2030, supporting India’s target of 5 MTPA green hydrogen production by 2030.

Exp. India Ranked 9th Among Countries Worst Hit by Climate Disasters: Climate Risk Index 2025

India ranked 9th among countries worst affected by climate-related disasters over the last 30 years in the Climate Risk Index (CRI) 2025 by Germanwatch; it was ranked 8th in the previous 2023 edition.

India’s rank for climate impacts in the previous year improved from 10 (2023) to 15, indicating fewer disasters and improved climate resilience.

The report, released at COP30 in Belém, Brazil, highlights that India lost 80,000 lives (9.6% of global fatalities) due to extreme weather events between 1995–2024 and faced 430 major events, causing USD 170 billion losses.

India witnessed severe impacts from cyclones (Amphan, Hudhud, Odisha 1999), floods (Uttarakhand 2013, 2019 floods), and extreme heatwaves, underscoring the country’s high vulnerability to diverse climate risks.

Exp. Government Approves ₹25,060 Crore Export Promotion Mission to Shield Indian Exporters from U.S. Tariff Shock

Government launches ₹25,060 crore Export Promotion Mission (2025–2031) with two sub-schemes — Niryat Protsahan (₹10,401 crore) for affordable MSME trade finance and Niryat Disha (₹14,659 crore) for export quality, branding, logistics and market readiness.

The mission aims to support sectors hit by global tariff hikes, especially after the U.S. imposed a 50% tariff on Indian goods, with focus on textiles, leather, gems & jewellery, engineering goods and marine products to boost export competitiveness.

Implemented by DGFT through a digital platform, the mission seeks to address structural challenges like costly trade finance, compliance burdens, weak branding, and logistics gaps — thereby improving India’s export readiness amid rising trade deficit.

Exp. VOC Port Sets New Record by Handling 103 Windmill Blades in a Single Shipment

VOC Port set a new record by unloading 103 windmill blades in a single vessel, surpassing its previous record of 101 blades handled in August 2024, and achieving 2,300 blades handled up to October — a 61% increase over last year.

The blades, measuring 89.5 m and 76.8 m, arrived from Qinzhou, China, and were handled using specialised infrastructure at Additional Berth-II with harbour mobile cranes and logistics support from NTC Logistics India Pvt. Ltd.

The Port’s dedicated over-dimensional cargo storage area (1,00,000 sq. m) and efficient connectivity enabled this milestone, showcasing VOC Port’s commitment to supporting India’s renewable energy sector, said Chairman Susanta Kumar Purohit.

Exp. FM Nirmala Sitharaman Inaugurates India’s First Riverine Terminal on Brahmaputra in Guwahati

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman inaugurated India’s first riverine terminal on the Brahmaputra in Guwahati, known as the Gateway of Guwahati Terminal and Jetty, built at a cost of ₹304.95 crore by the Assam Inland Water Transport Development Society.

The floating terminal features an integrated command and control centre, observatory lounge, sewage treatment plant, and advanced fire safety systems, and is expected to function as a multimodal hub to boost connectivity, tourism, and water-based urban mobility in Guwahati.

Exp. ISRO Successfully Conducts Main Parachute Qualification Test for Gaganyaan Mission at Jhansi

ISRO successfully completed the main parachute qualification test for the Gaganyaan mission at the Babina Field Firing Range (BFFR), Jhansi, as part of the ongoing Integrated Main Parachute Airdrop Tests (IMAT).

The test examined the step-by-step parachute deployment system, including reefing (partial opening) and disreefing (full opening), triggered through a pyro device to ensure reliable performance during crew module descent.

Using an IAF IL-76 aircraft, ISRO dropped a 2.5 km altitude simulated crew-module mass, achieving a stable descent and soft landing — confirming the robustness and readiness of the parachute design for the Gaganyaan mission.

Exp. Samrat Rana Becomes First Indian to Win Men’s 10m Air Pistol World Title at ISSF Championship

Samrat Rana created history by winning the men’s 10m air pistol gold at the ISSF World Championship in Cairo with a score of 243.7, becoming the first Indian to clinch an individual air pistol world title; Varun Tomar secured bronze as India achieved a double podium.

Rana, along with Varun Tomar and Sharvan Kumar, also secured the men’s 10m air pistol team gold, while Manu Bhaker, despite missing an individual medal, contributed to India’s success with a women’s team silver alongside Esha Singh and Suruchi Singh.

Exp. 14 November – Children’s Day

Children’s Day is celebrated every year on 14th November in India to honour the birth anniversary of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first Prime Minister, who was fondly called ‘Chacha Nehru’ for his love for children.

Nehru believed that children are the foundation of the nation and emphasized providing them with proper education, care, and opportunities for growth and development.

Before 1964, Children’s Day in India was celebrated on 20 November, along with World Children’s Day.

After Nehru’s death in 1964, the date was shifted to 14 November to honor his contribution and strong advocacy for children’s rights and education.

Exp. 14 November – World Diabetes Day

World Diabetes Day (WDD) is observed every year on 14 November to raise global awareness about diabetes, its prevention, early detection, and management.

Theme 2025 – Diabetes across life stages

It was established in 1991 by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) in response to the growing health threat posed by diabetes worldwide. In 2006, it became an official United Nations Day.

The date marks the birth anniversary of Sir Frederick Banting, who, along with Charles Best, discovered insulin in 1921 — a breakthrough that transformed diabetes treatment and saved millions of lives.

Exp. NADA Imposes Five-Year Ban on Hammer Thrower Manju Bala for Doping Violation

Incheon Asian Games bronze medallist Manju Bala has been banned for five years by the Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel (ADDP) after testing positive for dehydrochloromethyl-testosterone and SARMS LGD-4033, both performance-enhancing substances.

Her suspension period starts from July 10, 2024, and she will be barred from all AFI-sanctioned events, rankings, and national team selections during this time.

The ADDP also announced several other bans, including Mohan Saini (4 years), Gopala Krishnan, Amit Kumar, Rajvardhan Sanjay Waskar (6 years each), and Sumit, Nitin Verma, Shivendra Pandey, and Himani Chandel, reinforcing NADA’s strict anti-doping stance in Indian sports.

Exp. Bhubaneswar to Host India’s First National Indoor Athletics Championships at Kalinga Stadium in January 2026

Bhubaneswar’s Kalinga Stadium will host India’s first-ever National Indoor Athletics Championships in January 2026, marking a new milestone in the country’s athletics history.

The indoor meet will include events like the pole vault and heptathlon, aligning India’s athletics infrastructure with global indoor standards and preparing athletes for future international competitions.

The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) has planned nearly 40 events in its 2026 domestic season, aiming to enhance participation, exposure, and readiness for major tournaments such as the Commonwealth and Asian Games.

Exp. Japanese Cinema Icon Tatsuya Nakadai Passes Away at 92

Japanese cinema legend Tatsuya Nakadai, renowned for his intense screen presence and emotional depth, passed away at 92, leaving behind a seven-decade career that shaped post-war Japanese filmmaking.

Nakadai collaborated with iconic directors like Akira Kurosawa, Masaki Kobayashi, Mikio Naruse, and Hiroshi Teshigahara, earning a reputation as a versatile artist who preferred creative freedom over studio contracts.

His breakout came through Masaki Kobayashi’s films, including The Thick-Walled Room (1953), The Human Condition trilogy, and the acclaimed Harakiri, which won him his first Blue Ribbon Award and cemented his status as one of Japan’s greatest actors.