Daily Current Affairs: 8th November, 2025

National News

PM Modi Flags Off Four New Vande Bharat Trains to This Route

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off four new Vande Bharat Express trains from Varanasi, strengthening India’s high-speed rail network and advancing its modern railway infrastructure goals.
• The new routes — Banaras–Khajuraho, Lucknow–Saharanpur, Firozpur–Delhi, and Ernakulam–Bengaluru — enhance regional connectivity, reduce travel time, and boost tourism and economic growth across northern and southern India.

India Gears Up for 2026 Tiger Census: World’s Largest Wildlife Survey

• India is gearing up for the 2026 All India Tiger Estimation (AITE), the world’s largest wildlife survey, aimed at counting tigers and assessing ecosystem health, prey density, habitat quality, and human-wildlife interactions.
• The three-phase survey combines on-ground tracking, satellite mapping, and 40,000+ AI-assisted camera traps to precisely identify individual tigers and critical habitats.
• Building on the 2022 count of 3,682 tigers, this high-tech approach sets a global standard in conservation science and involves over 60,000 forest personnel across 400,000+ sq km in 20+ states.

State News

New Delhi Work Hours: A Step Against Seasonal Smog

• Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has announced staggered office hours from Nov 15, 2025, to Feb 15, 2026 for government and MCD offices to reduce vehicular congestion and combat winter air pollution, especially high PM 2.5 and PM 10 levels caused by stubble burning, low wind speeds, and temperature inversion.

Historic Move: Karnataka Becomes India’s First State with Paid Menstrual Leave

• Karnataka has become India’s first state to grant 12 days of paid menstrual leave annually for women employees across government and private sectors, providing one day per month to support health, dignity, and productivity.
• This progressive policy promotes gender equality, acknowledges menstrual health, and aligns India with global best practices, while encouraging inclusive workplaces and reducing stigma around menstruation.

Banking News

India’s Banking Giant SBI Reaches $100 Billion

• State Bank of India (SBI) has made history by crossing $100 billion in market capitalization and ₹100 trillion in total business, becoming the first Indian bank to achieve this dual milestone.
• This feat reflects strong Q2 FY26 performance, 12.7% credit growth, and robust investor confidence, driven by expansion in retail, SME, and agricultural loans, along with digital banking initiatives.
• With total advances of ₹44.2 lakh crore and deposits of ₹55.9 lakh crore, SBI cements its role as a backbone of India’s financial system and a rising global banking contender.

Sitharaman, Malhotra Chart Bold Reform Agenda to Reshape India’s Banking Sector

• India is gearing up for a banking transformation as Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra push for large, globally competitive banks.
• Through public sector bank mergers, regulatory easing, and ecosystem development, the government aims to boost credit flow, support infrastructure and MSMEs, and foster financial inclusion.
• Recent measures include lifting loan caps for acquisitions and IPOs and strengthening banks’ capital and governance, signaling a coordinated effort to build a resilient, efficient, and digitally integrated banking sector.

International News

China Launches Third Aircraft Carrier ‘Fujian’ with Cutting-Edge Tech

• China has commissioned its third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, at Sanya Port, marking a major advance in its naval capabilities.
• The Fujian is China’s first flat-deck carrier equipped with EMALS (Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System), enabling smoother, heavier, and faster aircraft launches.
• With a displacement of around 80,000 tonnes and an all-electric propulsion system, it surpasses earlier carriers Liaoning (2012) and Shandong (2019) in technology and operational capability.
• Strategically, Fujian enhances China’s presence in the Taiwan Strait, South China Sea, and potentially the Indian Ocean, reflecting growing naval ambitions.

US Conducts Strategic Minuteman III ICBM Test — What It Means

• The United States tested an unarmed Minuteman III ICBM (GT‑254) on 5 November 2025 from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, with the re‑entry vehicle impacting near Kwajalein Atoll in the central Pacific.
• The launch, part of routine operational readiness and reliability checks, also validated the Airborne Launch Control System (ALCS) from an E‑6B aircraft, ensuring backup command-and-control capability.
• Although routine, the timing drew attention following recent US political statements advocating a tougher nuclear posture.
• The test reaffirmed the Minuteman III’s strategic role in the US nuclear triad.

Defense News

HAL & GE Ink $1 Billion Deal to Power LCA Tejas Mk 1A Jets

• Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has signed a $1 billion deal with General Electric (GE) for 113 F404-GE-IN20 engines to power 97 LCA Tejas Mk 1A fighter jets, strengthening India’s indigenous defence manufacturing and self-reliance.
• The Tejas Mk 1A features advanced avionics, improved weapon integration, and enhanced operational performance.
• Deliveries will begin after final certification, while HAL is also planning F414 engines for LCA Mk 2, deepening India-US defence industrial collaboration and boosting the IAF’s combat-ready fleet.

Summits & Conferences News

COP30 Spotlight: Building a Resilient Future Through Climate Adaptation

• COP30 2025 in Belém, Brazil, dubbed the “COP of Adaptation”, will focus on climate adaptation—helping countries adjust to floods, droughts, sea-level rise, and extreme weather—rather than just mitigation.
• With over 35 countries, including India, backing the $1.3 trillion Baku to Belém Roadmap, the summit emphasizes adaptation finance, climate justice, and resilience-building.
• Key strategies include National Adaptation Plans (NAPs), climate-resilient agriculture, flood defences, and sustainable water management, with the goal of making climate action relevant to everyday lives while ensuring vulnerable nations and communities are protected.

Sports News

India’s 91st Chess Grandmaster: Raahul VS Triumphs at ASEAN Championship

• Raahul VS has become India’s 91st Grandmaster (GM) after a stellar performance at the 6th ASEAN Individual Championship 2025, securing the GM norm with a round to spare.
• Having earned his International Master (IM) title in 2021, Raahul’s achievement underscores India’s rising global stature in chess and its consistent production of top talent.
• His triumph follows Illamparthi AR (90th GM) and S Rohith Krishna (89th GM) in 2025, reflecting the country’s deepening bench strength in international chess.

India Celebrates Sheetal Devi, the Nation’s First Para Archer in Mainstream Team

World Radiography Day 2025: Celebrating the Heroes Behind the Images That Save Lives!

• World Radiography Day 2025, observed on November 8, commemorates Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen’s discovery of X-rays (1895) and honours radiographers and radiologists for their role in diagnosis, imaging, and patient care.
• The day highlights advances in medical imaging such as CT, MRI, PET, hybrid scans, and AI-assisted diagnostics, while emphasizing radiation safety and the importance of early detection in healthcare.

Obituaries News

James D. Watson, Co-Discoverer of DNA Structure, Dies at 97

• James D. Watson, the 97-year-old molecular biologist and co-discoverer of the DNA double helix, has died in East Northport, New York.
• Awarded the 1962 Nobel Prize, Watson’s work with Francis Crick revolutionized genetics, underpinning modern molecular biology and the Human Genome Project.
• He directed Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, mentored generations of scientists, and authored The Double Helix.
• While celebrated for his scientific breakthroughs, Watson’s legacy was controversial due to offensive remarks and criticisms regarding colleagues, including Rosalind Franklin.
• His death marks the passing of a foundational yet polarizing figure in science.