Jayakrishnan EduTips Daily Digest (14 November 2026)1) NationalPM Launches Rs 15,600+ Crore Projects in Karnataka as Bengaluru Metro Crosses 100 Km: Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for infrastructure projects worth over Rs 15,600 crore in Bengaluru and Mysuru, Karnataka on 13 November 2026, dedicating the 7.5-km elevated stretch of Namma Metro's Pink Line (making Bengaluru the third city in India after Delhi-NCR and Mumbai Metropolitan Region to cross 100 km of operational metro network, reaching 103.6 km), flagging off the Bengaluru–Mangaluru–Madgaon Vande Bharat Express, dedicating the 45-km Bagalkot–Wandal railway doubling section and 55-km Sakleshpur–Subrahmanya Road Ghat electrification (completing 100% electrification of the Bengaluru–Mangaluru route), inaugurating four redeveloped Amrit Bharat stations (Chamarajanagar, Chikkamagaluru, Sakleshpur, and Subrahmanya Road), and addressing the Golden Jubilee of Prashanti Kutiram (S-VYASA) in Bengaluru.Three Maharashtra Beaches Receive First-Ever International Blue Flag Certification: Awarded by the Denmark-based Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) for 2026–27, three beaches in Maharashtra—Ladghar and Guhagar (Ratnagiri district) and Shrivardhan (Raigad district)—received the prestigious International Blue Flag Certification, marking the first time beaches from Maharashtra have earned the global eco-label.Centre Extends PLI Scheme for Medical Devices Until FY 2035–36: The Government of India extended the tenure of the Production Linked Incentive Scheme for Promoting Domestic Manufacturing of Medical Devices (PLI-MD) up to Financial Year 2035–36 (FY36) with an approved financial outlay of Rs 2,700 crore.CCPA Imposes Rs 10 Lakh Penalty on Ola for Pre-Ride 'Tip' Dark Pattern: Holding advance tip prompts after booking a ride to be an unfair trade practice and a prohibited dark pattern under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 and the Guidelines for Prevention and Regulation of Dark Patterns, 2023, the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) (Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution) imposed a Rs 10 lakh penalty on Ola (following a similar Rs 10 lakh penalty on Rapido) and directed immediate discontinuation of pre-ride tip prompts.Web-Portal Launched for PM's Awards for Excellence in Public Administration 2026: The Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) (Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions) launched the official web-portal for the Prime Minister's Awards for Excellence in Public Administration 2026, which carries a Trophy, Scroll, and an incentive of Rs 20 lakh for each awarded district or organisation.57th IFFI 2026 to Showcase 150+ Films from 86 Countries Under 'Stories Without Borders': The 57th International Film Festival of India (IFFI 2026) will be held in Goa from 20 to 28 November 2026 under the theme 'Stories Without Borders', opening with Paweł Pawlikowski's film 'Fatherland' (set in 1949 Germany on Nobel laureate Thomas Mann), featuring India's 'Ramayana' to open the 11-nation BRICS Cinema showcase, and selecting 100 young talents across 13 crafts under the 6th Creative Minds of Tomorrow (CMOT).MHA Extends Ban on Islamic Research Foundation & Goa Self-Enumeration for Census 2027: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) extended the ban on the Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) as an unlawful association under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), 1967, and announced that Self-Enumeration for Census 2027 in Goa will begin on 16 November 2026.Odisha Signs Two MoUs and Friendship Agreement with Japan's Tottori Prefecture: The Government of Odisha and Japan's Tottori Prefectural Government signed two Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) and a Friendship Agreement at Lok Seva Bhawan, Bhubaneswar, to boost bilateral investment, technology transfer, and overseas skill placement.DoT Organises 1st All India Official Language Conference & MoSPI Committee Report: On 13 November 2026, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) organised its First All India Conference on Official Language 2026 in New Delhi, the Ministry of Culture convened "Creative India: Collective Possibilities" at Bharat Mandapam, and the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) invited public feedback (until 12 December 2026) on its Committee on Knowledge Systems' Actionable Policy Paper for measuring the economic contribution of knowledge products.2) InternationalFirst-Ever BIMSTEC Health Ministers' Meeting Held in Colombo, Sri Lanka: Attended by Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Jagat Prakash Nadda alongside health ministers from all seven BIMSTEC member nations (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand) in Colombo, Sri Lanka, the 1st BIMSTEC Health Ministers' Meeting adopted a Joint Ministerial Statement and Revised Public Health Action Plan, proposed a BIMSTEC Digital Health Framework (for telemedicine, interoperable electronic health records, and AI diagnostics), welcomed India's offer to host the next BIMSTEC Task Force on Traditional Medicine, and announced that Thailand will host the 2nd BIMSTEC Health Ministers' Meeting in 2028.12th India–Sri Lanka Joint Military Exercise 'MITRA SHAKTI 2026' Commences at Maduru Oya: A 170-member Indian Armed Forces contingent—comprising personnel primarily from a battalion of the Rajputana Rifles along with the Indian Air Force—departed on 13 November 2026 for the 12th edition of the annual bilateral Exercise 'MITRA SHAKTI 2026', being held from 13 to 26 November 2026 at the Army Training School in Maduru Oya, Sri Lanka, focusing on semi-urban counter-terrorism operations under a UN mandate.INS Sahyadri Concludes Visit to Yokosuka After Exercise Malabar 2026: Indian Navy Shivalik-class stealth frigate INS Sahyadri concluded its port visit to Yokosuka, Japan, on 13 November 2026 following the completion of the 30th edition of the Quad multilateral naval exercise 'Malabar 2026' (5–12 November 2026).India and Italy Announce New Joint Scientific Research Call for 2027: During Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh's official visit to Italy, India and Italy agreed to launch a new joint scientific research call in 2027 under the India–Italy Strategic Partnership to translate collaborative research into commercial deep-tech innovations.ISRO Participates in UNESCAP ICC-30 and 5th Ministerial Conference (MC-5): An ISRO delegation led by Dr. Jayaprakash V. Thomas (Director, EDPO, ISRO HQ) represented India at the 30th Session of the Intergovernmental Consultative Committee (ICC-30) and the 5th Ministerial Conference on Space Applications for Sustainable Development (MC-5) under UNESCAP, presenting India's progress on the Jakarta Ministerial Declaration and Himalayan disaster early-warning systems.3) EconomyIndia's Cumulative Exports (Merchandise & Services) Grow 16.66% to USD 568.84 Billion in April–October 2026: According to trade data released by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry on 13 November 2026, India's cumulative exports (merchandise and services combined) during April–October 2026–27 are estimated at USD 568.84 billion, registering a strong 16.66% year-on-year growth over USD 487.59 billion recorded in April–October 2025–26.Cumulative PLI Investment Reaches Rs 2.40 Lakh Crore (76% of Target): A government review of the 14 Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Schemes (which have completed 58% of their aggregate implementation period) reported cumulative investment mobilisation of Rs 2.40 lakh crore (76% of the Rs 3.15 lakh crore full-tenure target), cumulative production/sales of Rs 22.66 lakh crore (64% of the Rs 35.37 lakh crore target), direct and indirect employment generation of 8.49 lakh jobs, and cumulative incentive disbursement of Rs 35,354 crore (18.51% of the Rs 1.91 lakh crore outlay).RBI Releases September 2026 Balance of Payments (BoP) Data & Fines One Mobikwik Systems Rs 9 Lakh: On 13 November 2026, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) released preliminary data on Developments in India's Balance of Payments (BoP) for September 2026, and separately imposed a monetary penalty of Rs 9 lakh on One Mobikwik Systems Limited for allowing Pre-Paid Payment Instrument (PPI) fund transfers to non-pre-registered beneficiaries beyond prescribed limits and delaying fraud reporting.SGB 2018–19 Series III Delivers 347.62% Tax-Free Maturity Return on Final Redemption: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) conducted the final 8-year maturity redemption of Sovereign Gold Bond (SGB) 2018–19 Series-III on 13 November 2026, delivering an absolute capital appreciation of Rs 10,891 per unit (347.62% return) over its online issue price of Rs 3,133 per gram (in addition to 2.50% annual interest).Bahram Vakil Appointed Chairman of Tata Investment Corporation & NADT-NISM Sign MoU: Renowned corporate lawyer Bahram N. Vakil (co-founder of AZB & Partners) was appointed Chairman of Tata Investment Corporation Limited, succeeding Noel Tata upon his retirement after 16 years at the helm; separately, the National Academy of Direct Taxes Regional Campus (NADT-RC), Mumbai and the National Institute of Securities Markets (NISM), Mumbai signed an MoU for academic cooperation and capacity building.4) Date’s Importance (14 November)Children's Day / Bal Diwas (14 November 2026): Celebrated annually across India on 14 November (adopted following the passing of Prime Minister Nehru in 1964; prior to 1964, India observed Children's Day on 20 November in alignment with the UN's Universal Children's Day) to mark the 137th birth anniversary of Bharat Ratna Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru (14 November 1889 – 27 May 1964, born in Prayagraj [Allahabad], Uttar Pradesh), fondly known to children as 'Chacha Nehru'; India's first and longest-serving Prime Minister (15 August 1947 – 27 May 1964), he presided over the historic 1929 Lahore Session of the Indian National Congress (declaring 'Purna Swaraj'), moved the 'Objectives Resolution' in the Constituent Assembly on 13 December 1946, co-founded the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), established premier institutions including the IITs, AIIMS, IIMs, DRDO, Atomic Energy Commission, and Planning Commission, authored The Discovery of India, Glimpses of World History, An Autobiography, and Letters from a Father to His Daughter, and was conferred the Bharat Ratna in 1955.World Diabetes Day (14 November 2026): Established in 1991 by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and the World Health Organization (WHO) and designated an official United Nations Day via UNGA Resolution 61/225 in December 2006 (symbolised by the Blue Circle logo), observed annually on 14 November to mark the birth anniversary of Canadian scientist and 1923 Physiology/Medicine Nobel Laureate Sir Frederick Banting (born 14 November 1891), who co-discovered insulin in 1921–1922 alongside Charles Best; WHO 2026 Theme: "Early action on diabetes" (with the campaign call #ActEarlyOnDiabetes under the 2024–2026 overarching IDF theme 'Diabetes and Well-being', targeting the WHO 2030 Global Coverage Goal of diagnosing 80% of people living with diabetes).18th Anniversary of ISRO's Moon Impact Probe (MIP) Landing on the Moon (14 November 2008): Commemorates 14 November 2008 (Children's Day), when the Moon Impact Probe (MIP)—conceived by former President Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam and carried aboard ISRO's Chandrayaan-1 orbiter—touched down near the Shackleton Crater at the Lunar South Pole (at the point named 'Jawahar Point'), making India the fourth country/entity in the world to place its flag emblem on the lunar surface and detecting the definitive signature of water molecules on the Moon prior to impact.33rd Foundation Day of the Dedicated Rosogolla Day in Bengal (14 November): Celebrated annually in West Bengal on 14 November to mark the day 'Banglar Rosogolla' was granted the Geographical Indication (GI) tag by the GI Registry on 14 November 2017 (referencing Nobin Chandra Das, who invented the spongy cottage-cheese syrup sweet in Kolkata in 1868).Key Historical Milestones on 14 November: American engineer Robert Fulton was born on 14 November 1765 (developer of the first commercially successful steamboat Clermont); Scottish geologist Sir Charles Lyell (author of Principles of Geology) was born on 14 November 1797; French Impressionist pioneer Claude Monet was born in Paris on 14 November 1840; the British Broadcasting Company (BBC) began its first daily radio broadcast from Station 2LO in London on 14 November 1922; Apollo 12 (the second crewed mission to land on the Moon, commanded by Charles 'Pete' Conrad) was launched by NASA on 14 November 1969; King Charles III of the United Kingdom was born on 14 November 1948; birth anniversary of freedom fighter and Bhoodan/Sarvodaya leader Narayan Desai, acclaimed tabla maestro Ustadita / PanditBirju Maharaj's musical contemporaries, and playback singer Mamta Sharma; death anniversary of German polymath and calculus co-inventor Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (14 November 1716) and Swami Prabhupada (A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, founder-acharya of ISKCON) (14 November 1977 in Vrindavan).5) Person of the DayIsaiah Arumainayagam (Conferred the Arjuna Award [Lifetime] at Rashtrapati Bhavan): Veteran 85-year-old former Indian international footballer and 1962 Asian Games Gold Medallist (born in 1941), who was conferred the prestigious Arjuna Award (Lifetime) for 2025 by President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi, on 13 November 2026, in recognition of his illustrious playing career and lifelong contribution to Indian football coaching and grassroots development.Member of the 'Golden Era' Indian Football Team under Syed Abdul Rahim: Playing primarily as an agile outside-left / forward during the golden era of Indian football under legendary coach Syed Abdul Rahim, Isaiah Arumainayagam was a vital member of the Indian National Football Team that won the Gold Medal at the 1962 Jakarta Asian Games (where India defeated South Korea 2–1 in the final before 1,00,000 spectators at Senayan Stadium—still India's last Asian Games football Gold) and finished as Runners-Up (Silver) at the 1964 Merdeka Tournament in Kuala Lumpur.Club Legend of Mohun Bagan and Mysore State: At the domestic level, he starred for Mysore State (Karnataka) in the Santosh Trophy before joining Kolkata giants Mohun Bagan Athletic Club in 1961, where during an iconic seven-year stint (1961–1968, including serving as Club Captain in 1967) he helped the Mariners win multiple Calcutta Football League (CFL), IFA Shield, Durand Cup, and Rovers Cup titles alongside greats like Chuni Goswami, Jarnail Singh, and P. K. Banerjee.6) SportsIndia Finishes 2nd Overall with 13 Medals and 3 LA28 Quotas at ISSF World Championships 2026: The Indian Shooting Contingent concluded the ISSF World Shooting Championships 2026 in Doha, Qatar, in 2nd place on the overall medal standings with 13 medals (2 Gold, 6 Silver, and 5 Bronze)—behind China (1st with 27 medals: 13G, 6S, 8B) and ahead of South Korea (3rd with 10 medals)—and secured three Los Angeles 2028 (LA28) Olympic quotas won by Jaypal Malviya (Silver, Men's 10m Air Pistol), Niraj Kumar (Bronze, Men's 50m Rifle 3 Positions), and Vivaan Kapoor (Silver, Men's Trap); India's 2 Golds came in Men's 50m Pistol Team (Ravinder Singh, Saurabh Chaudhary, Amanpreet Singh) and Women's 25m Pistol Team (Esha Singh, Manu Bhaker, Divya T. S.), while additional medals were won by Ravinder Singh (Silver, 50m Pistol), Women's 10m Air Rifle Team (Silver), Women's 10m Air Pistol Team (Silver), Women's 25m Standard Pistol Team (Silver), Niveditha Veloor Nair (Bronze, Women's 25m Standard Pistol), Men's 50m Rifle 3P Team (Bronze), and Men's 25m Centre Fire Pistol Team (Bronze: Ankur Goel, Amanpreet Singh, Rajkanwar Singh Sandhu).4th Summer Youth Olympic Games (Dakar 2026) Concludes in Senegal; India Bags 10 Medals: The 4th Summer Youth Olympic Games (31 October – 13 November 2026)—the first Olympic event ever hosted in Africa and the first Youth Games under IOC President Kirsty Coventry—formally concluded in Dakar, Senegal, on 13 November 2026, with India's 17-member squad returning with an impressive 10 medals (2 Gold, 3 Silver, and 5 Bronze), highlighted by boxing Golds from Lairenlakpam Ambekar Meetei (50 kg) and Gunjan (48 kg), Silver medals from Tanvi Patri (Badminton) and Khushbu Darjada (Judo), and historic Bronze medals by Dhinidhi Desinghu (Swimming), Tirthank Pegu (Swimming), and Rajkumari Lanchenbi Chanu (Wushu).Sunil Chhetri Becomes First Male Participant in FIFA Player Impact Programme 2026: Former Indian football captain Sunil Chhetri became the first male footballer in the world to be inducted into the FIFA Player Impact Programme 2026, which supports elite international footballers in leading social-impact and community development initiatives.New Zealand Beats India by 244 Runs in 4th ODI at Mount Maunganui (Series 2–1): Powered by Will Young's century (setting a target of 334) and fast bowler Matt Henry's career-best 6 for 27 (dismissing Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Shreyas Iyer for ducks in the opening over to bowl out India for 89), New Zealand defeated India by 244 runs on 13 November 2026 in the 4th ODI at Mount Maunganui (Tauranga), narrowing India's lead to 2–1 (after the 3rd ODI was washed out) ahead of Sunday's 5th and final ODI.7) AwardsPresident Droupadi Murmu Confers National Sports Awards 2025 & Tenzing Norgay Adventure Awards 2024: At a ceremonial function at Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi, on 13 November 2026 (based on the recommendations of the selection committee headed by Justice [Retd.] Arun Kumar Mishra; no Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award was conferred for 2025), President Droupadi Murmu presented the Arjuna Award to 17 sportspersons—Tejaswin Shankar, Muhammed Ajmal V., and Priyanka Goswami (Athletics), Treesa Jolly and Pullela Gayatri Gopichand (Badminton), Narender (Boxing), Vidit Santosh Gujrathi and Divya Jitendra Deshmukh (Chess), Dhanush Srikanth (Deaf Shooting), Lalremsiami Hmarzote and Rajkumar Pal (Hockey), Surjeet and Pooja (Kabaddi), Rudransh Khandelwal (Para-Shooting), Ekta Bhyan (Para-Athletics), Arvind Singh (Rowing), and Akhil Sheoran (Shooting)—alongside the Arjuna Award (Lifetime) to Isaiah Arumainayagam (Football), the Dronacharya Award (Regular) to 3 coaches (Parveer Singh [Athletics], Chhote Lal Yadav [Boxing], and Neha Nandkumar Chavan [Shooting]), the Dronacharya Award (Lifetime) to 2 coaches (Dharmendra Singh Yadav [Boxing] and Virender Kumar [Wrestling]), the Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar to the Army Paralympic Node, Pune, and the Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Awards 2024 to 4 recipients including Shiv Prasad (Lifetime Achievement, Uttarakhand), Baljeet Kaur, Rimo Saha, and Skalzang Rigzin.NRIDA Selected for Indian Roads Congress's U.P. Medal 2025: The National Rural Infrastructure Development Agency (NRIDA) under the Ministry of Rural Development was selected on 13 November 2026 for the prestigious U.P. Medal 2025 by the Indian Roads Congress (IRC) for its research paper on innovative, sustainable rural road construction technology.8) Other Important SignificancePM Modi Inaugurates India's First LED Dome Planetarium 'COSMOS-Mysuru': Built by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) at the University of Mysore campus in Mysuru, Karnataka, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated 'COSMOS-Mysuru' on 13 November 2026—India's first LED dome planetarium, featuring a 15-metre tilted dome composed of 6,150 panels with 4.2 crore individual LEDs, an astronomy museum, and trilingual shows in Kannada, English, and Hindi.ZSI and ICAR-CMFRI Discover New Deep-Sea 'Indian Bramble Shark' Species (Echinorhinus roinee): Scientists from the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) and the ICAR–Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (ICAR-CMFRI), Kochi, identified and described a new deep-sea shark species named Echinorhinus roinee (Indian Bramble Shark) from the Indian Ocean, confirming it as a genetically and morphologically distinct species after decades of misidentification as the Atlantic Bramble Shark.Obituary – 2018 Economics Nobel Laureate Prof. William D. Nordhaus Passes Away at 85: Renowned American environmental economist and Sterling Professor at Yale University, William Dawbney Nordhaus—who shared the 2018 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences (with Paul Romer) for integrating climate change into long-run macroeconomic analysis by developing the Dynamic Integrated Climate-Economy (DICE) integrated assessment model and championing carbon taxation—passed away at the age of 85.

Jayakrishnan EduTips Daily Digest (13 November 2026)1) National45th India International Trade Fair (IITF) 2026 Inaugurated in New Delhi: Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal is inaugurating the 45th edition of the India International Trade Fair (IITF) 2026 (open to visitors from 14 to 27 November 2026) at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, organised by the India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) (chaired by Jawed Ashraf) under the theme 'Vikas aur Virasat'; the fair features 3,500+ exhibitors across 17 halls, 32 States/UTs, 11 foreign countries, 600 startups at the 'Hall of Inspiration', the ODOP Pavilion (21 states), Bihar, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh as Partner States, and Assam, Delhi, Jharkhand, and West Bengal as Focus States.31st CII Partnership Summit 2026 Held in Visakhapatnam: Organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in association with DPIIT (Ministry of Commerce and Industry) and the Government of Andhra Pradesh, the two-day 31st CII Partnership Summit 2026 (12–13 November 2026) is being held in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, under the theme "Navigating the New World Order: Trade | Technology | Trust | Thought Leadership", with Vice-President C. P. Radhakrishnan addressing the valedictory session today after the inaugural session attended by Union Ministers Amit Shah, Piyush Goyal, and Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu alongside Andhra Pradesh CM N. Chandrababu Naidu.PM Modi Participates in Kisan Tak Bharat Agriculture Conference & Embarks on Two-State Visit: After addressing the Kisan Tak Bharat Agriculture Conference 2026 in New Delhi on 12 November 2026 (emphasising agricultural modernisation, crop diversification, and tech-driven farming), Prime Minister Narendra Modi is visiting Karnataka and Gujarat on 13–14 November 2026 to inaugurate multiple development projects and offer prayers at the Ambaji Temple in Gujarat.Centre Rationalises India's Visa Regime into 9 Main Categories: The Union Government rationalised and simplified India's visa regime for foreign nationals, reducing the number of main visa categories from 13 to 9 and sub-categories from 49 to 23, while trimming visa application form fields by 65–70% across India's e-Visa facility covering 172 countries (set to become operational by the end of 2026).MHI Receives 22 Bids for 10 GWh Capacity Under PLI ACC Battery Scheme: The Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI) received 22 bids under the Quality and Cost Based Selection (QCBS) mechanism for setting up 10 GWh of domestic Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) manufacturing capacity under the Rs 18,100-crore Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme on 'National Programme on ACC Battery Storage' (total target: 50 GWh).Ministry of Tribal Affairs Launches Medicinal Plant Conservation Across 16 Tribal Hotspots: The Ministry of Tribal Affairs launched a national initiative for the conservation of medicinal plants and promotion of sustainable tribal livelihoods across 16 identified tribal biodiversity hotspots spanning 13 States and Union Territories, while President Droupadi Murmu interacted with meritorious Eklavya Model Residential School (EMRS) students at Rashtrapati Bhavan.Supreme Court Reaffirms OBC Creamy Layer Cannot Be Decided Solely on Parental Income: The Supreme Court of India reaffirmed its constitutional position that the 'Creamy Layer' exclusion status among Other Backward Classes (OBCs) (originating from the landmark 1992 Indra Sawhney vs Union of India / Mandal Commission judgment) cannot be determined solely on the basis of parental income without accounting for social advancement.MoSPI Releases Quarterly PLFS Bulletin (July–September 2026): According to the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) Quarterly Bulletin released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), the overall Unemployment Rate declined to 5.1%, while in rural areas the share of workers in the primary (agriculture) sector rose from 52.9% to 56.7% during July–September 2026 (with the secondary sector at 21.9% and tertiary sector at 21.4%).Goa Tops Access (In)Equality Index & IIT Kharagpur Launches 6 NMC-Approved MD Courses: Goa ranked 1st among all States and Union Territories with a score of 0.67 in the Access (In)Equality Index compiled by the Centre for New Economics Studies (CNES) at O. P. Jindal Global University; separately, IIT Kharagpur became the first IIT in India to offer six National Medical Commission (NMC)-approved Doctor of Medicine (MD) postgraduate courses (admissions via NEET PG) and also partnered with the Law Commission of India for legal research.Mizoram Becomes 1st North-East State to Sign SAMARTH Portal OSR Pact with SBI: The Government of Mizoram signed an MoU with the State Bank of India (SBI) enabling Village Councils to digitally collect Own Source Revenue (OSR) via the SAMARTH Panchayat Portal, making Mizoram the 1st state in Northeast India and the 3rd state in India to adopt the framework.NCAHP Proposes Draft Allied Healthcare Registration Norms & 1st AC Amrit Bharat Express Rolled Out: The National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions (NCAHP) issued the Draft Provisional Registration of Allied and Healthcare Professionals Regulations, 2026, India's first Amrit Bharat Express equipped with AC coaches was rolled out on the Delhi–Patna route, Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan crossed 35.88 crore citizens reached (14.35 crore youth and 11.33 crore women), and the First Regional Conference on Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) 2.0 was addressed by Union Minister C. R. Paatil in Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu.2) InternationalPM Modi to Visit the Philippines on 16–17 November for ASEAN–India and East Asia Summits: At the invitation of Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., Prime Minister Narendra Modi will undertake an official visit to Manila, the Philippines, on 16–17 November 2026 to participate in the 23rd ASEAN–India Summit and the East Asia Summit (EAS).WHO Global Tuberculosis Report 2026 Highlights 38% Drop in India's TB Mortality: According to the World Health Organization's (WHO) Global Tuberculosis Report 2026, India recorded a 38% reduction in Tuberculosis (TB) mortality since 2015—outpacing the global average reduction of 35%—and achieved a 94% treatment success rate among drug-susceptible TB patients, supported by over 11 crore chest X-rays, over 3 crore Nucleic Acid Amplification Tests (NAAT), and the detection of 48.64 lakh new TB cases (including 14.97 lakh asymptomatic cases) under the TB-Mukt Bharat campaign.8th India–Myanmar Naval Exercise 'IMNEX-26' & 15th 'Naseem Al Bahr' Conducted: Aligned with India's MAHASAGAR vision, the 8th edition of the India–Myanmar Naval Exercise (IMNEX-26) is underway at Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh (10–14 November 2026) involving Indian Navy ships INS Rana (guided-missile destroyer) and INS Sumedha (offshore patrol vessel) alongside Myanmar Navy ship UMS King Sin Phyu Shin, while the 15th edition of the India–Oman bilateral naval exercise 'Naseem Al Bahr' was conducted off Oman featuring INS Surat and Royal Navy of Oman vessel Al-Mu'azzar.Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh Visits Italy & INSA Endorses G20 Science Statement: Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences Dr. Jitendra Singh commenced an official visit to Italy to advance the India–Italy Special Strategic Partnership (agreed during PM Modi's May 2026 visit), while the Indian National Science Academy (INSA) endorsed the G20 Science Academies' Joint Statement.Colette Kress Named Interim CEO of Nvidia Following Jensen Huang's Resignation: Chief Financial Officer Colette Kress was appointed Interim Chief Executive Officer of Nvidia—the world's most valuable AI chipmaker—after co-founder Jensen Huang stepped down as CEO.3) EconomyOctober 2026 Retail Inflation (CPI on New Base 2024=100) Rises to 6.09%: Released by the National Statistical Office (NSO), MoSPI, on 12 November 2026 under the rebased Consumer Price Index (Base Year 2024=100, using COICOP 2018 classification and HCES 2023–24 weights across 358 items), India's provisional All-India CPI (Combined) retail inflation rose to 6.09% in October 2026 (up from 5.54% final in September 2026, crossing the RBI's 6% upper tolerance band under the 4% ± 2% FIT framework renewed for FY27–FY31), with Rural CPI at 6.63% and Urban CPI at 5.41%, driven by Consumer Food Price Index (CFPI) food inflation of 8.94% (Rural: 9.09%, Urban: 8.68%).India's Net Direct Tax Collections Rise 11.76% to Rs 14.42 Lakh Crore in FY27: According to Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) data (up to 10 November 2026), India's Net Direct Tax collections grew 11.76% year-on-year to Rs 14.42 lakh crore—achieving approximately 53.5% of the FY 2026–27 full-year budget target of Rs 26.97 lakh crore—with Securities Transaction Tax (STT) collections surging 51.56% to Rs 54,077.90 crore and tax refunds rising 25.91% to Rs 3.08 lakh crore.RBI Issues Cybersecurity Master Directions for Non-Bank PSOs with 6-Hour Reporting Rule: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued the Master Directions on Cyber Resilience and Digital Payment Security Controls for Non-Bank Payment System Operators (PSOs), mandating a strict 6-hour window to report cybersecurity incidents to the RBI, and separately launched three household surveys—the Inflation Expectations Survey of Households (IESH) and Urban Consumer Confidence Survey (UCCS) across 19 cities (with Hansa Research Group) and the Rural Consumer Confidence Survey (RCCS) across 31 States/UTs (with Ipsos Research).IRDAI Constitutes Two Working Groups for Ind-AS Aligned Risk-Based Capital (RBC) Framework: The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) constituted two separate Working Groups (one for Life Insurance and one for Non-Life Insurance) to design a Risk-Based Capital (RBC) framework aligned with Indian Accounting Standards (Ind-AS), transitioning India's insurance sector to a risk-sensitive solvency regime.Patna Municipal Corporation Becomes Bihar's First Civic Body to List Municipal Bonds on NSE: Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) became the first Urban Local Body (ULB) in Bihar to issue and list Municipal Bonds on the National Stock Exchange (NSE)—raising Rs 199.99 crore (oversubscribed more than 2 times by institutional investors, carrying a 9.20% annual coupon payable quarterly and maturing on 3 November 2031) to fund 15 urban market redevelopment projects—taking India's cumulative municipal bond issuances to 32 issues raising Rs 4,740 crore across 23 municipal corporations.DGFT Prohibits Export of Lithium-Ion Battery 'Black Mass' & NCDEX Launches Steel Scrap Futures: The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) moved lithium-ion battery 'black mass' (rich in critical minerals such as lithium, cobalt, and nickel) under ITC (HS) Code 85491400 from the 'Free' to 'Prohibited' export category, while the National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange (NCDEX) launched India's first Price Reporting Agency (PRA)-based Steel Scrap Futures contracts on the HMS (Heavy Melting Steel) 80:20 grade.4) Date’s Importance (13 November)World Kindness Day (13 November 2026): Observed annually across the globe on 13 November (introduced in 1998 by the World Kindness Movement [WKM], a coalition of kindness NGOs formed at a 1997 Tokyo conference that signed the Declaration of Kindness, and registered as an official Swiss NGO in 2019) to bridge divides of race, religion, politics, and gender through empathy, compassion, and everyday acts of goodwill.11th National Ayurveda Day Historical Context & Dhanvantari Heritage (13 November): While National Ayurveda Day was transitioned by the Ministry of AYUSH to a fixed calendar date (23 September from 2025 onwards), 13 November is celebrated in years when Dhanteras (Dhanvantari Trayodashi) falls on this date and continues to mark community Ayurveda and Naturopathy wellness outreach across AYUSH institutions.246th Birth Anniversary of 'Sher-e-Punjab' Maharaja Ranjit Singh (13 November 1780): Commemorates the birth anniversary of Maharaja Ranjit Singh (13 November 1780 – 27 June 1839, born in Gujranwala, now in Pakistan), the founder of the Sikh Empire known as 'Sher-e-Punjab' (Lion of Punjab), who united the warring Sikh Misls, captured Lahore in 1799 (was proclaimed Maharaja of Punjab on 12 April 1801), signed the historic Treaty of Amritsar with the British East India Company (Charles T. Metcalfe) on 25 April 1809, modernised the Khalsa Army (Fauj-i-Khas) along European lines, acquired the Koh-i-Noor diamond, and gilded the Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple) in Amritsar with gold foil.World Quality Day / World Quality Week (9–13 November 2026): Observed globally during the second week of November (culminating around the second Thursday/Friday of November), spearheaded by the Chartered Quality Institute (CQI) to promote quality management, corporate compliance, and operational excellence.Key Historical Milestones on 13 November: The Treaty of Ganja was signed and the Convention of 1835 shaped early modern territorial history; the world's first artificial snow-making experiment (dry-ice cloud seeding on Mount Greylock, Massachusetts) was conducted by Vincent Schaefer on 13 November 1946; the 1970 Bhola Cyclone—the deadliest tropical cyclone in recorded world history, claiming an estimated 3,00,000 to 5,00,000 lives—struck East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) and West Bengal on 12–13 November 1970; NASA's Mariner 9 entered orbit around Mars on 13 November 1971, becoming the first spacecraft in history to orbit another planet; birth anniversary of Saint Augustine of Hippo (13 November 354 AD), Scottish novelist Robert Louis Stevenson (13 November 1850, author of Treasure Island and Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde), freedom fighter and 1st Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court in independent India Justice M. C. Chagla's contemporary jurists, progressive Urdu poet and lyricist Krishan Chander / Mukhram Sharma, and acclaimed filmmaker and actress Juhi Chawla (13 November 1967).5) Person of the DayPandit Manilal Nag (16 August 1939 – 9 November 2026): Legendary Indian classical sitar maestro, doyen of the nearly 300-year-old Bishnupur Gharana of Bengal, and Padma Shri awardee, who passed away in Kolkata, West Bengal, due to age-related ailments at the age of 87.Early Life and Musical Lineage in Bankura: Born on 16 August 1939 in Bankura, West Bengal (the cultural seat of the Malla Kings where the Bishnupur Gharana—the only classical gharana of Bengal—flourished since the late 18th century), he underwent rigorous Guru-Shishya training in sitar under his father and guru, Pandit Gokul Nag, and made his landmark public debut at the 1953 All India Music Conference at age 14, accompanied on tabla by Pandit Samta Prasad (Gudai Maharaj).Global Ambassador of the Bishnupur Gharana: An 'A-Top' grade artist of All India Radio (Akashvani) since a young age, he represented India via the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) at the 1979 Indian Ocean Arts Festival in Australia and across the USA and Europe, and served as a senior guru in the Instrumental Music Division of the ITC Sangeet Research Academy (ITC-SRA), Kolkata, from 2005 to 2011 (passing on the sixth-generation Bishnupur sitar tradition to his daughter, acclaimed sitarist Mita Nag).Major National and State Honours: Became the first musician from the Bishnupur Gharana to receive the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2001, and was conferred the Padma Shri by the Government of India in 2020, the Alauddin Puraskar (2012) and Banga Bibhushan (2015) by the Government of West Bengal, the ITC Sangeet Samman, the Dover Lane Sangeet Samman, the Koser Award (Pracheen Kala Kendra, Chandigarh), and the Sangeet Ratna Award (Mumbai).6) SportsBoxers L. Ambekar Meetei and Gunjan Win India's First-Ever Youth Olympic Boxing Golds in Dakar: Indian pugilists Lairenlakpam Ambekar Meetei (Men's 50 kg) and Gunjan (Women's 48 kg) scripted sporting history on 12 November 2026 (Day 12) at the 4th Summer Youth Olympic Games 2026 in Dakar, Senegal (31 October – 13 November 2026) by winning India's first-ever Gold Medals in Boxing at the Youth Olympic Games—with Ambekar Meetei defeating Ireland's Kristian Jubani 3–2 in the Men's 50 kg final and Gunjan outclassing Algeria's Bouthaina Bensalah 5–0 in the Women's 48 kg final—taking India's overall tally at Dakar 2026 to 10 medals (2 Gold, 3 Silver, and 5 Bronze) ahead of today's closing ceremony.Lionel Messi Becomes First Player to Win Back-to-Back MLS Golden Boot Awards: Argentine football legend and Inter Miami CF captain Lionel Messi became the first footballer in Major League Soccer (MLS) history to win consecutive (back-to-back) MLS Golden Boot awards.New Zealand's Bevon Jacobs Smashes 202 with 21 Sixes & New Zealand Beats India 5–0 in Football Friendly: New Zealand batter Bevon Jacobs blasted a breathtaking 202 featuring 21 sixes, while in men's international football, New Zealand defeated India 5–0 in an international friendly match.7) AwardsPlant Genome Saviour Awards Conferred on 22nd Foundation Day of PPVFRA: Addressing the 22nd Foundation Day of the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers' Rights Authority (PPVFRA) and the Plant Genome Saviour Award Ceremony in New Delhi on 12 November 2026—which also marked 25 years of the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers' Rights (PPV&FR) Act, 2001—Principal Secretary to the PM Dr. P. K. Mishra honoured farming communities from India's 22 agro-biodiversity hotspots through the National Gene Fund and highlighted that India's National Genebank at ICAR–National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR), New Delhi, is the second-largest in the world, having developed around 3,000 climate-resilient crop varieties.8) Other Important SignificanceISRO Conducts 200-Second Cryogenic Engine Acceptance Test for GSLV-F19 / NVS-04 Mission: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully conducted a 200-second flight acceptance hot test of the indigenous cryogenic engine at the ISRO Propulsion Complex (IPRC) in Mahendragiri, Tamil Nadu, clearing its integration into the upper stage of the GSLV-F19 rocket for launching NVS-04 (the fourth satellite in the second-generation NavIC series).TDB-DST Sanctions Rs 64.05 Crore to Astrome Technologies for Sovereign Space-Based AI-ELINT Constellation: The Technology Development Board (TDB) under the Department of Science and Technology (DST) signed an agreement on 12 November 2026 providing Rs 64.05 crore under the Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) Fund to Bengaluru-based deep-tech startup Astrome Technologies Pvt. Ltd. to advance a sovereign constellation of 50-kg class AI-based Electronic Intelligence (AI-ELINT) microsatellites with inter-satellite communication links to Technology Readiness Level-9 (TRL-9).Indian Navy Coordinates 5th Pan-India Coastal Defence Exercise 'Sea Vigil-26' (11–19 November 2026): Conceptualised in 2018 and serving as a precursor to the biannual Theatre Level Readiness Operational Exercise (TROPEX), the 5th edition of the pan-India coastal defence exercise 'Sea Vigil-26' is being coordinated by the Indian Navy across the entire Indian coastline and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in two phases—Coastal Defence and Security Readiness Evaluation (CDSRE) from 11 to 17 November 2026 and the Sea Phase on 18–19 November 2026.Chinese Scientists Achieve Record Coldest Bose-Einstein Condensate (9.7 Picokelvins) Aboard Tiangong & Launch 4 Satellites: Chinese physicists aboard the Tiangong Space Station cooled rubidium atoms to 9.7 picokelvins—setting a new world record for the coldest Bose-Einstein Condensate (BEC) ever produced—while China's commercial CERES-2 Y3 carrier rocket successfully deployed four satellites (Guanlan, Yunyao-1 28, Zhongbei Daxue-1, and Juntian-1 06A) into a 535-km Sun-Synchronous Orbit (SSO).Sonia Gandhi Releases Memoir 'Belonging: A Journey of Love': Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi released the memoir titled "Belonging: A Journey of Love" in New Delhi.

1) NationalCabinet Extends Stand-Up India Scheme Until 31 March 2031: Chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Union Cabinet approved a five-year extension of the Stand-Up India Scheme (originally launched in April 2016) up to 31 March 2031, accompanied by a credit guarantee corpus of Rs 4,111 crore (providing 85% guarantee coverage) to facilitate greenfield enterprise loans between Rs 10 lakh and Rs 1 crore for an additional 2.5 lakh women, Scheduled Caste (SC), and Scheduled Tribe (ST) entrepreneurs (building upon 2.75+ lakh entrepreneurs supported so far).Cabinet Extends Credit Guarantee Fund for Micro Units (CGFMU) Till 2031: The Union Cabinet approved the continuation of the Credit Guarantee Fund for Micro Units (CGFMU) for five years until 31 March 2031 with an approved corpus of Rs 5,000 crore—reducing the annual guarantee fee from 1% to 0.75%—to facilitate Rs 12.6 lakh crore in loans under the Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana (PMMY) (covering micro-loans up to Rs 20 lakh, PMJDY overdrafts up to Rs 10,000, and Self-Help Group loans; 60.36+ crore PMMY loans worth Rs 43.34 lakh crore had been sanctioned up to September 2026).Cabinet Approves Rs 62,370.02 Crore Nutrient Based Subsidy (NBS) for Rabi 2026–27: The Union Cabinet approved the Nutrient Based Subsidy (NBS) rates for 28 grades of Phosphatic and Potassic (P&K) fertilisers (including DAP and NPKS grades) for the Rabi 2026–27 season (1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027) at a tentative budgetary outlay of Rs 62,370.02 crore (Rs 24,417.73 crore higher than the Rs 37,952.29 crore allocated in Rabi 2025–26).Cabinet Clears Rs 2,390 Crore Extension of Noida Aqua Line Metro: The Union Cabinet approved the 8.449-km elevated extension of the Aqua Line Metro Rail Corridor from Noida Sector-51 to Greater Noida Sector-04 comprising 5 new stations at a total cost of Rs 2,390 crore, providing a crucial interchange with the Delhi Metro Blue Line and linking major IT hubs, Global Capability Centres (GCCs), and residential zones.Navi Mumbai Crowned India's Cleanest City at 10th Swachh Survekshan Awards 2025–26: Conferring the 10th Swachh Survekshan Awards (2025–26) at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi on 11 November 2026 (which evaluated 4,751+ cities across 43 indicators in 10 domains with feedback from 2.7 crore citizens), President Droupadi Murmu honoured Navi Mumbai (Maharashtra) as India's Cleanest City (ending Indore's eight-year streak; Karnal, Haryana also won the President's Award among the top three cleanest cities); category toppers included Visakhapatnam, Jabalpur, and Lucknow (above 10 lakh population), Ujjain, Chandigarh, and Guntur (3–10 lakh population), Dewas (up to 1 lakh population), Puri, Alappuzha, and Ratnagiri (Cleanest Coastal Towns), Rewa (Cleanest Riverfront Town), Rudrapur, Jammu, and Shopian (Cleanest Himalayan Cities), and Ahmedabad–Sanand (1st in Swachh Shehar Jodi, followed by Indore–Depalpur).Janjatiya Gaurav Pakhwada 2026 Launches Medicinal Plant Conservation in Koraput: Under the nationwide Janjatiya Gaurav Pakhwada 2026 celebrations ahead of Janjatiya Gaurav Divas (15 November), the Ministry of Tribal Affairs organised Scholarship Access Camps across 73 districts for application and Aadhaar seeding and announced a joint programme with CSIR–National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI), Lucknow, at Koraput, Odisha, to conserve 200–300 tribal medicinal plant species.2) InternationalWIPO Global Innovation Index (GII) 2026 – India Retains 38th Rank, Switzerland Tops: In the 19th edition of the 'Global Innovation Index (GII) 2026: Powering Entrepreneurs at the Frontier of Science' released by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) across 139 economies, India retained the 38th rank with an overall score of 40.1, while ranking 1st among 36 lower-middle-income economies and 1st among 11 economies in Central and Southern Asia; Switzerland (score 66.7) topped the index for the 16th consecutive year followed by Sweden (2nd) and the United States (3rd) for the fourth straight year, while among India's top global innovation clusters, Bengaluru ranked 25th, followed by Delhi (27th), Mumbai (43rd), and Chennai (79th).India Re-Elected President of International Solar Alliance (ISA) for 3rd Consecutive Term (2026–2028): Union Minister of New and Renewable Energy Pralhad Joshi announced that India has been re-elected as President of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) (jointly launched by India and France at COP21 in Paris on 30 November 2015 and headquartered in Gurugram) for the 2026–2028 term—marking India's third consecutive term—while France was re-elected as Co-President.Inaugural India–France Economic Security & Critical Technologies Dialogue Held in Paris: During a two-day official visit to Paris, France, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and his French counterpart Martin Briens co-chaired the inaugural India–France Economic Security and Critical Technologies Dialogue (and the 3rd Strategic Space Dialogue), reviewing the Horizon 2047 Roadmap and Innovation Roadmap 2030 while targeting the doubling of bilateral trade within the next five years.3) EconomyRBI Issues Domestic Money Transfer Directions, 2026 with Rs 25,000 Monthly Cap: Consolidating rules for cash-based small-value remittances (replacing earlier circulars of 5 October 2011 and 24 July 2024), the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued the Domestic Money Transfer (DMT) Directions, 2026 effective 11 November 2026 for commercial banks, RRBs, co-operative banks, and authorised payment system operators, capping cash pay-ins via agents or ATMs at Rs 5,000 per transaction and Rs 25,000 per month per remitter with mandatory additional factor of authentication (AFA) and grievance redressal under the RBI Integrated Ombudsman Scheme, 2026.SEBI Revises FATCA and CRS Reporting Requirements Under Income-Tax Act, 2025: In a circular issued on 11 November 2026, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) revised the regulatory reporting requirements for market intermediaries under the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) and Common Reporting Standard (CRS) in alignment with the Income-Tax Act, 2025 read with the Income-Tax Rules, 2026.Indian Overseas Bank Launches 'IOB Digital Rupee' App with Programmable CBDC: Chennai-headquartered public sector lender Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) (established on 10 February 1937) launched its 'IOB Digital Rupee' mobile application for RBI-issued Central Bank Digital Currency (e₹) transactions, featuring Peer-to-Peer (P2P) and Peer-to-Merchant (P2M) transfers, UPI QR code interoperability, and Programmable CBDC functionality for targeted Direct Benefit Transfers (DBT) and government grants.ICICI Prudential / ICICI Life Launches 'EzyGrow' ULIP & Moody's Raises India's FY27 Growth Forecast: ICICI Life Insurance launched 'ICICI Life EzyGrow' on Policybazaar, a Unit-Linked Insurance Plan (ULIP) offering 2X and 3X Waiver of Premium (WOP) benefits (where the insurer funds twice or thrice the future pending premiums upon the policyholder's death), while global rating agency Moody's raised India's FY27 GDP growth forecast to 7.0% (up from 6.5%).4) Date’s Importance (12 November)Public Service Broadcasting Day / Jan Prasaran Diwas (12 November 2026): Observed annually across India on 12 November (declared in 2000 on the initiative of Suhas Borker, Convenor of the Jan Prasar media group) to commemorate the first and only visit of Mahatma Gandhi to the studio of All India Radio (Akashvani), Broadcasting House, New Delhi, on 12 November 1947, from where he addressed over 2.5 lakh displaced refugees (who had migrated from Pakistan following Partition) stationed at the Kurukshetra relief camp in Haryana.World Pneumonia Day (12 November 2026): Observed globally on 12 November (established in 2009 by the Global Coalition Against Child Pneumonia under the 'Stop Pneumonia' initiative) to raise awareness about preventing and treating pneumonia—the world's leading infectious cause of death in children under five years of age—through the Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV) (included under India's Universal Immunization Programme and the SAANS [Social Awareness and Actions to Neutralize Pneumonia Successfully] campaign).130th Birth Anniversary of 'Birdman of India' Dr. Salim Ali (12 November 1896): Celebrated across India as National Bird Watching Day to mark the birth anniversary of pioneering Indian ornithologist and naturalist Dr. Salim Moizuddin Abdul Ali (12 November 1896 – 20 June 1987, born in Mumbai), fondly called the "Birdman of India", who conducted the first systematic bird surveys across India, played a pivotal role in saving the Silent Valley National Park and developing the Keoladeo National Park (Bharatpur) and the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), authored The Book of Indian Birds (1941), the 10-volume Handbook of the Birds of India and Pakistan (with S. Dillon Ripley), and his autobiography The Fall of a Sparrow (1985), and received the Padma Bhushan (1958), Padma Vibhushan (1976), and the J. Paul Getty Wildlife Conservation Prize (1976) (Note: Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary is located at Chorao Island on the Mandovi River in Goa, while Salim Ali National Park is in Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir).World Usability Day (12 November 2026): Observed annually on the second Thursday of November (12 November 2026; established in 2005 by the User Experience Professionals Association [UXPA]) to promote user-centric, accessible technology and human-centred design.80th Death Anniversary of Bharat Ratna Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya (12 November 1946): Commemorates the death anniversary of freedom fighter, educationist, and social reformer Mahamana Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya (25 December 1861 – 12 November 1946), who founded Banaras Hindu University (BHU) in Varanasi in 1916, popularised the national motto 'Satyameva Jayate' (from the Mundaka Upanishad), served four times as President of the Indian National Congress (1909, 1918, 1932, and 1933), founded the English daily The Leader (1909) and served as Chairman of Hindustan Times (1924–1946), and was posthumously conferred the Bharat Ratna in 2014 (presented in March 2015).Key Historical Milestones on 12 November: Birth anniversary of freedom fighter Pandurang Mahadev Bapat ('Senapati Bapat') (12 November 1880 in Parner, Ahmednagar, who led the Mulshi Satyagraha [1921–1924]—considered the world's first anti-dam movement), French sculptor Auguste Rodin (12 November 1840, creator of The Thinker), and Padma Shri Playback Singer & Actor K. L. Saigal's contemporary broadcast pioneers; death anniversary of veteran socialist parliamentarian and former Union Railways and Finance Minister Prof. Madhu Dandavate (12 November 2005, who introduced cushioned 2nd-class sleeper berths on Indian Railways); the First Round Table Conference was officially inaugurated by King George V at the House of Lords in London on 12 November 1930 (chaired by British PM Ramsay MacDonald); the European Space Agency's (ESA) Rosetta mission lander 'Philae' made the first-ever soft landing on a comet (Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko) on 12 November 2014.5) Person of the DayDr. Devi Prasad Shetty (Conferred France's 'Chevalier de l'Ordre national du Mérite'): Eminent 73-year-old Indian cardiac surgeon, healthcare entrepreneur, and Founder and Chairman of Narayana Health (formerly Narayana Hrudayalaya), Bengaluru (born on 8 May 1953 in Kinnigoli, Dakshina Kannada district, Karnataka), who has been conferred the Chevalier de l'Ordre national du Mérite (Knight of the National Order of Merit)—one of the highest civilian honours of the French Republic (instituted in 1963 by President Charles de Gaulle)—in recognition of his exemplary medical leadership and dedicated support to the French community in Bengaluru, Karnataka, during the COVID-19 pandemic.Pioneer of Neonatal Heart Surgery and Personal Physician to Mother Teresa: After completing his MBBS and MS from Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore, and FRCS training at Guy's Hospital, London, he returned to India in 1989 to co-found the B. M. Birla Heart Research Centre in Kolkata, where in 1992 he performed India's first successful neonatal open-heart surgery on 9-day-old baby Ronnie, and served as the personal physician to Saint Teresa of Calcutta (Mother Teresa) during the final five years of her life.Architect of Affordable High-Volume Cardiac Care & 'Yeshasvini' Micro-Insurance: Founded Narayana Hrudayalaya (now Narayana Health) at Bommasandra, Bengaluru in 2001, pioneering an economies-of-scale model ("Henry Ford of Heart Surgery") that has performed over 15,000+ cardiac surgeries at a fraction of global costs, and conceptualised 'Yeshasvini' in 2003 in partnership with the Government of Karnataka—the world's largest low-cost micro-health insurance scheme for rural cooperative farmers.National Honours and Policy Leadership: Conferred the Padma Shri (2004), Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year (2003 and 2012), Schwab Foundation Social Entrepreneur of the Year (2005), Economist Innovation Award (2011), and the Padma Bhushan (2012), and served as Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Bangalore.6) SportsP. V. Sindhu Elected Chairperson & Harmanpreet Singh Elected Vice-Chairperson of IOA Athletes' Commission (2026–2030): Two-time Olympic medallist shuttler P. V. Sindhu was elected Chairperson and Indian Men's Hockey Team captain Harmanpreet Singh was elected Vice-Chairperson of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) Athletes' Commission for the 2026–2030 four-year term.India Finishes 5th with 59 Medals at 47th World Armwrestling & 28th World Para Armwrestling Championships 2026: Hosted for the first time in India by the People's Armwrestling Federation of India (PAFI) under the World Armwrestling Federation (WAF) at New Delhi with 1,700+ participants from 65 nations (next 2027 edition in Canada), India finished 5th overall behind Russia (1st), Kazakhstan (2nd), and Türkiye (3rd), winning a total of 59 medals—9 Gold, 19 Silver, and 31 Bronze (26 medals in Para [2G, 10S, 14B], 20 in Sub-Junior/Junior/Youth [3G, 8S, 9B], 12 in Masters/Grand Masters [4G, 1S, 7B], and 1 Bronze in Seniors by Madhura K. N. in Women's 70 kg Right Arm), led by Jincymol Sebastian (double Gold in Right & Left Arm, Grand Master Women 80 kg), Yogesh Choudhary (1 Gold, 1 Bronze), and Shoukath V. T. (1 Gold, 1 Bronze).Mercedes Clinches 9th F1 Constructors' World Championship as Lando Norris Wins Brazilian GP: At the 2026 Formula 1 São Paulo (Brazilian) Grand Prix, McLaren's Lando Norris won the race, while Mercedes (with 652 points, ahead of Ferrari [512] and Red Bull [415]) officially clinched the 2026 Formula 1 World Constructors' Championship—securing its record-extending 9th overall Constructors' title and its first since 2021.Indian Cricketer Sabbhineni Meghana Announces Retirement from All Formats: Indian Women's cricketer Sabbhineni (S.) Meghana (opening batter who represented India in ODIs and T20Is, was part of India's 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games Silver-winning team, and won the 2024 Women's Premier League [WPL] title with Royal Challengers Bengaluru) announced her retirement from all formats of cricket.7) AwardsDr. Devi Prasad Shetty Honoured with French National Order of Merit: Renowned cardiac surgeon Dr. Devi Prasad Shetty was conferred France's Chevalier de l'Ordre national du Mérite (Knight of the National Order of Merit) for his medical support to the French community in Bengaluru during the COVID-19 pandemic.Navi Mumbai, Visakhapatnam, Ujjain, Dewas, Puri, and Rewa Honoured at Swachh Survekshan Awards 2025–26: President Droupadi Murmu presented the 10th Swachh Survekshan Awards 2025–26 in New Delhi, with Navi Mumbai winning India's Cleanest City and 30 cities receiving the State First Swachh City Award.8) Other Important SignificanceTeam India Wins 5 Medals (2 Gold, 2 Silver, 1 Bronze) at IOAA-Jr 2026 in Thailand: Facilitated and trained by the National Council of Science Museums (NCSM) (Ministry of Culture), the 5-member Indian student team won 5 medals—2 Gold, 2 Silver, and 1 Bronze—at the International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics for Juniors (IOAA-Jr) 2026 held in Thailand.Shigella Bacterial Outbreak Reported in Kozhikode and Malappuram Districts of Keralam: Public health authorities in Keralam stepped up epidemiological surveillance and water chlorination after cases of Shigellosis (an acute intestinal infection caused by the Shigella bacterium, transmitted via the faecal-oral route and contaminated water or food) were reported in Kozhikode and Malappuram districts.