1 World Boxing Cup Final: Four gold medals for the country, Meenakshi, Arundhati, Preeti, and Nupur won gold.
Women boxers have won
four gold medals for the country in
the World Boxing Cup Final . Indian women boxers won four gold medals in the final matches of different weight categories played on Thursday at
Shaheed Vijay Singh Pathik Sports Complex. The first gold was won by Meenakshi Hooda . Meenakshi defeated Fozilova Farzona 5-0 in
the 48 kg final . Preeti defeated Sirin Charabi of Italy 5-0 in the women’s 54 kg final.
Arundhati Chaudhary defeated Zokirova Aziza of Uzbekistan 5-0 in the women’s 70 kg final.
Nupur won the fourth gold of the day for the country with a 5-0 win over Sotymboeva Oltinoy of Uzbekistan in the 80+ kg final.
2 Michelle Bachelet was awarded the Indira Gandhi Peace Prize.
Michelle Bachelet —
the first and only woman President of Chile and
former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights — was awarded the
Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development (2024) in
New Delhi on November 20, 2025. The award was presented by Sonia Gandhi, Chairperson of the Congress Parliamentary Party. The honor recognizes Bachelet’s lifelong contributions to human rights, gender equality, and global justice. Michelle Bachelet served two terms as President of Chile (2006–2010 and 2014–2018) and left a strong legacy.
3 Fatima from Mexico crowned Miss Universe 2025
The 74th edition of the Miss Universe pageant added another memorable moment to the global beauty stage. Held in
Thailand , the 2025 pageant showcased a unique blend of culture, competition, and world-class performances.
Fatima Bosch of Mexico won the crown in
the grand finale , giving her country another moment of pride. India’s performance in the pageant was also commendable, establishing its strong presence on the world stage. India was represented by
Manika Vishwakarma, a daughter of
Rajasthan . Overall, the pageant served as a vibrant symbol of diverse talent, cultural exchange, and a global celebration of beauty.
4 TRAI’s big decision: Banks and financial institutions will have to adopt the ‘1600’ numbering series for calls.
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on Wednesday
mandated the adoption of the ” 1600 ” numbering series for
the Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance (BFSI) sector , clearly distinguishing service and transactional calls from other commercial communications. The aim is
to curb spam calls and fraudulent voice calls , thereby preventing widespread
financial fraud in the country and creating a safer financial environment for users. An official statement stated that the 1600 number series has been allocated to the BFSI sector by the Department of Telecommunications as part of TRAI’s initiative. This will ensure accurate and reliable calls from financial institutions. The guidelines mandate that all mutual funds and asset management companies (AMCs) adopt the 1600 numbering series by February 15, 2026. Qualified stockbrokers (QSBs) must adopt the 1600 number series by March 15, 2026.
5 Country’s first Gen Z-themed post office opens in Delhi
India Post has launched
the country’s first Gen Z-themed post office at
IIT Delhi . Designed in collaboration with students, the center features modern aesthetics, a Wi-Fi-enabled area, creative graffiti and artwork from the IIT Fine Arts Society, and smart service touchpoints such as
QR-based parcel booking and student-friendly Speed Post discounts. This initiative reflects Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia’s vision to transform post offices into vibrant, youth-centric spaces that resonate with today’s students and young citizens. This new campus post office at IIT Delhi represents a completely new model for engaging with postal services on academic campuses. This transformation is part of a national initiative that aims to refurbish 46 post offices located on academic campuses by December 15, 2025. For the first time in the country, IIT Delhi has also launched a student franchise model, which will provide students with hands-on experience in postal operations and promote entrepreneurship. Also, special branded parcel packing facilities have been provided for the students so that they can book parcels easily.
6 95% of India’s villages are ODF Plus, a more than four-fold increase in 3 years
On the occasion of World Toilet Day , the central government announced that
more than 95 percent of the country’s villages have now been declared ODF Plus. ODF Plus is a state in which villages are not only free from open defecation but also visibly clean, with proper
solid and liquid waste management . According to government data , the number of ODF Plus villages increased from approximately 100,000 in December 2022 to 567,000 by November 19, 2025. This represents a 467 percent increase in three years. Of these, more than 485,000 villages fall into the ODF Plus model category. Progress on sanitation continues in urban areas as well. So far, 4,692 cities have been declared ODF, 4,314 have achieved ODF+ status, while 1,973 have reached ODF++ status. Under the Swachh Bharat Mission, individual toilet construction targets have been exceeded, reaching 108.62 percent, with 63.74 lakh toilets constructed. Community and public toilet construction reached 125.46 percent, with a total of more than 6.38 lakh units completed. The government said programs like the Jal Jeevan Mission and AMRUT are also working together to strengthen urban and rural sanitation.
7 India’s military power to increase: America will provide deadly Javelin missiles
The United States has approved the supply of
Javelin missiles to India . This missile
can be fired from the shoulder . The US State Department has approved a potential foreign military sale of Excalibur projectiles and related equipment to India. According to information shared by US officials, the estimated cost of the Javelin missile is $47.1 million. The deal between India and the US is worth approximately $92.8 million, according to the Defense Security Cooperation Agency. The Indian government has requested 216 M982A1 Excalibur tactical projectiles. This includes ancillary items, the Portable Electronic Fire Control System (PEFCS) with the Improved Platform Integration Kit (IPIK), primers, propellant charges, US government technical assistance, technical data, repair and return services, and other related elements of logistics and program support.
8 Union Minister Bhupendra Yadav attended COP30
Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupendra Yadav held several bilateral meetings with world leaders on the sidelines of
the 30th Conference of the Parties (COP30) to
the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in
Belém ,
Brazil . Yadav stated that India is rapidly making strides towards the adoption of clean energy.
The country has become the world’s fourth-largest renewable energy producer and third-largest solar power producer . The Union Minister made this statement at the High-Level Ministerial Leadership Session of the International Solar Alliance – Small Island Developing States (ISA-SIDS) Platform, held on the sidelines of the UNFCCC COP30 in Belém, Brazil. The Union Minister noted that India’s installed energy capacity has surpassed 500 gigawatts, with more than 50 percent of this coming from renewable sources, five years ahead of the NDC target.
9 India has done commendable work in poverty alleviation and its schemes for children are also excellent: UNICEF
UNICEF has positively acknowledged India’s poverty alleviation efforts and investments in
child well-being . According to the organization, India’s flagship program has significantly contributed to the country’s progress. The UN agency’s special report, ” The State of the World’s Children 2025 ,” states that 400 million children worldwide (one in five children in low- and middle-income countries) are deprived of nearly two essential things crucial to health, development, and well-being. Globally, millions of children are lacking basic needs for education, clean water, sanitation, housing, health, and nutrition. This reflects widespread social inequality, slow development, and frayed social fabrics, which have lasting impacts for generations. “India has done well in poverty alleviation, and flagship programs have supported investments in children, putting India on track to achieve LDG 1.2 well ahead of 2030,” said Cynthia McCaffrey, UNICEF India Representative. The report highlights initiatives like the Poshan Abhiyaan, Samagra Shiksha, PM Kisan, the Mid-Day Meal Scheme, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, Swachh Bharat, and Jal Jeevan Mission, as well as digital public infrastructure, which have improved nutrition, education, and sanitation, while also increasing income and addressing financial needs. India is the world’s most populous country, home to approximately 460 million children (under 18 years of age). According to the National Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI), India helped 248 million citizens, including children, move out of multidimensional poverty between 2013-14 and 2022-23, reducing the national MPI rate from 29.2 percent to 11.3 percent. The country has significantly increased social security coverage from 19 percent in 2015 to 64.3 percent, reaching 94 crore citizens in 2025, and continued investment in the social sector will also help in reducing poverty.
10 India and France sign new defence agreement to promote joint innovation
To deepen
defence research and development collaboration between
India and France, a new technical agreement was signed on Thursday between
the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and
the Directorate General of Armaments (DGA), France. According to a press release from the Ministry of Defence (MoD), Dr. Samir V. Kamat, Secretary, Department of Defence R&D and Chairman, DRDO, and Lieutenant General Gael Diaz de Tuesta, National Armaments Director, DGA France, signed the agreement at DRDO Bhawan in New Delhi on Thursday. The key areas of cooperation covered by the agreement include aeronautical platforms, unmanned aerial vehicles, advanced materials for defence applications, cyber security, artificial intelligence, space, navigation, advanced propulsion, advanced sensors, quantum technologies, deep-water technologies and other areas of mutual interest. The aim of this strategic partnership is to leverage the combined expertise and resources of both countries and entities to develop new solutions to future defence challenges.
11 GeM and UN Women sign an agreement to enhance the empowerment and integration of women entrepreneurs
Government e-Marketplace – GeM and
UN Women have signed an agreement to enhance
the empowerment and integration of women entrepreneurs in the country’s public procurement ecosystem .
The Ministry of Commerce and Industry said the partnership focuses on promoting gender-sensitive procurement by encouraging greater sourcing from women-led businesses. This will expand market access for women entrepreneurs under GeM’s “Womaniya” initiative. The MoU was signed by Kanta Singh, Representative of UN Women in India, and Ajit B. Chavan, Additional Chief Executive Officer of GeM.
12 India achieved highest ever defence production of Rs 1,54,000 crore in 2024-25
India will achieve
its highest ever defense production of
₹154,000 crore in
2024-25 . Defense exports have reached a record ₹23,622 crore in 2024-25, compared to less than ₹1,000 crore in 2014. This increase in defense production is a result of significant allocations and policy support given to the country’s military industrial base over the past decade. The Ministry of Defense stated that the defense budget has increased from ₹253,000 crore in 2013-14 to ₹681,000 crore in 2025-26, reflecting the government’s commitment to strengthening the country’s military infrastructure. The government aims to achieve defense production of ₹3 lakh crore and defense exports of ₹50,000 crore by 2029.
13 Centre waives decades-old SLP requirements for all Indian ships operating in Indian waters
The Centre has
abolished the decades-old requirements of
sign-on, sign-off, and shore leave letter (SLP) for all
Indian ships operating exclusively in
Indian waters . In a release, the Ministry of Home Affairs stated that it has decided to eliminate sign-on, sign-off, and SLP for crews of Indian-flagged coastal vessels, dredgers, barges, or research vessels operating within port limits. It was brought to the Ministry of Home Affairs’ attention that Indian seafarers were facing difficulties with the current immigration procedures of sign-on, sign-off, and SLP during coastal voyages. Since the physical presence of crew members at the immigration office is required for the issuance of SLP and its extension every 10 days, this was causing difficulties for seafarers in performing their duties onboard.
14 56th International Film Festival of India begins in Goa
The 56th International Film Festival of India has begun in Goa . The
eight-day festival will continue until November 28. Filmmakers, artists, and film lovers from India and around the world have gathered for Asia’s oldest and most prestigious film festival. The festival is a premier platform for global cinema, cultural exchange, and new talent. This year’s edition features a rich lineup of screenings of contemporary and classic films from India and abroad, masterclasses, and special events.
15 International Men’s Day
International Men’s Day is celebrated every year on
19 November across the world to honour men who play a vital role in families, society and relationships. This day is not only an occasion to appreciate the contribution of men but also a means to raise awareness on issues like their health, mental balance, responsibilities and gender equity. The official website of International Men’s Day, which is run by the Australian charity Dads4Kids Fatherhood Foundation, has announced the theme for 2025 as “
Celebrating Men and Boys ”.
