Daily Current Affairs: 15th November, 2025

National News

Odisha Sets Global Standard as Two Beaches Win Blue Flag Again

• Odisha’s Puri and Sunapur beaches have once again earned the prestigious Blue Flag certification for 2025–26, reaffirming their global status as eco-friendly destinations. Sunapur has achieved this recognition for the third consecutive year, while Puri has been certified for the seventh time.
• The Blue Flag certification, awarded by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), is based on 33 stringent criteria covering water quality, safety standards, eco-management, and environmental awareness.
• This certification highlights India’s push for sustainable tourism, with 13 Indian beaches recognized this year, including 12 fully certified.

State News

Bihar Assembly Election 2025: NDA Clinches Landslide Victory, BJP Emerges as Single-Largest Party

• In the 2025 Bihar Assembly Elections, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) secured a decisive victory, winning 202 out of 243 seats, with the BJP emerging as the largest party with 89 seats.
• The JD(U) followed closely with 85 seats, while the Mahagathbandhan (led by RJD) only managed 34 seats, marking a significant decline.

GI Tag Awarded to Traditional Lepcha Musical Instruments

• The Government of India has granted GI tags to two traditional Lepcha musical instruments — the Tungbuk (string instrument) and Pumtong Pulit (bamboo flute) — strengthening the cultural identity and livelihoods of Sikkim’s Lepcha community.
• The recognition, awarded on 5 November 2025 at the 1st Tribal Business Conclave, was supported by NABARD, whose efforts helped document and secure GI registration for these culturally significant instruments.

Banking News

RBI Announces Relief Measures for Exporters: Moratorium & Credit Extensions

• The RBI has announced trade relief measures for exporters, offering a loan moratorium, extended export-credit tenors, and more time for export proceeds realisation to ease financial stress amid global headwinds.
• Exporters with standard accounts get repayment deferment from 1 Sept–31 Dec 2025, export-credit limits extended to 450 days, and export-realisation timelines relaxed to 15 months, providing crucial financial flexibility across key sectors.

Bank Credit Growth Slows to 11.3% While Deposits Rise to 9.7% in October

• In October 2025, bank credit growth slowed to 11.3%, while deposit growth rose to 9.7%, as per the RBI. Total credit stood at ₹193.9 lakh crore and deposits at ₹241.7 lakh crore, highlighting a narrowing credit-deposit gap.
• The trend signals a liquidity surplus, cautious lending, and potential shifts in bank strategies to deploy funds amid slowing loan demand.

Top Indian Lender Backs Next Phase of Banking Sector Mergers

• India’s banking data for October 2025 shows a shift as bank credit growth slowed to 11.3%, while deposit growth increased to 9.7%, indicating rising liquidity and cautious lending.
• With ₹193.9 lakh crore in total credit and ₹241.7 lakh crore in deposits, the widening gap signals pressure on NIMs, higher liquidity surplus, and a possible reset in lending strategies across the banking sector.

Economy News

Wholesale Inflation Falls Further into Negative Zone

• In October 2025, India’s WPI inflation fell further into deflation at -1.21%, driven by sharp drops in food (-5%), primary articles (-6.18%), and fuel & power (-2.55%), while manufactured products eased to 1.54%; simultaneously, CPI (retail inflation) remained low at 0.25%, signaling broad-based price moderation across the economy.

Appointments News

Wallmart’s Doug McMillon to Retire, John Furner to Take Over

• Walmart has announced that CEO Doug McMillon will retire on 31 January 2026, after over a decade of transformative leadership, and will be succeeded by John Furner, the current CEO of Walmart U.S., who takes over as global CEO from 1 February 2026.
• The transition ensures leadership continuity as Walmart navigates a fast-changing retail landscape shaped by digital transformation, omnichannel strategy, and evolving consumer trends.

Defense News

IAF Contingent Arrives in France for Garuda‑2025 Air Exercise

• The Indian Air Force (IAF) has arrived at Mont-de-Marsan Air Base in France for Garuda-2025, a biennial air exercise with the French Air and Space Force from 16-27 November 2025.
• The exercise, featuring Su-30 MKI (India) and Rafale (France) jets, focuses on interoperability, tactical maneuvers, and air combat training, strengthening the India-France defence partnership and enhancing India’s air power projection in international settings.

DRDO Develops Man-Portable Autonomous Underwater Vehicles

• DRDO’s Naval Science & Technological Laboratory (NSTL) has developed new Man-portable Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (MP-AUVs) equipped with Side Scan Sonar, underwater cameras, and deep-learning-based target recognition for rapid and autonomous mine countermeasure missions.
• The system features robust underwater acoustic communication for inter-AUV data exchange, and recent trials have validated key mission capabilities, paving the way for production within months.

Ranks & Reports News

Henley Passport Index 2025: India Ranks 85th as Singapore Tops the List Again

• The Henley Passport Index 2025 ranks Singapore as the world’s most powerful passport, offering visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 193 destinations. Following closely are South Korea (190 destinations) and Japan (189 destinations).
• The European Union bloc (13 countries) ranks 4th with access to 187 destinations, while Austria, Greece, Norway, Portugal, and Sweden follow with access to 186 destinations.
• India has dropped to 85th place, offering access to just 57 countries, reflecting a 5-spot decline from the previous year. This shift underscores the growing dominance of Asian passports and the increasing global mobility gap.

Summits & Conferences News

VP C.P. Radhakrishnan Inaugurates 30th CII Partnership Summit in Visakhapatnam

• The 30th CII Partnership Summit 2025 was inaugurated by Vice-President C.P. Radhakrishnan in Visakhapatnam on 14 November, under the theme “Technology, Trust and Trade”.
• The summit, with over 2,500 delegates from 77 countries, focuses on India’s growing global economic role and opportunities in sectors like electronics, aerospace, defence, and space.
• Andhra Pradesh aims for USD 0.5 trillion in investments and 50 lakh jobs as part of its investment agenda, with Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu highlighting the state’s focus on speed and real-time approvals for business growth.

Science & Technology News

India Emerges as the World’s 6th‑Largest Patent Filer

• India has emerged as the 6th-largest patent filer globally, with over 64,000 patent applications, more than 55% of which are from resident Indian innovators.
• This surge marks India’s shift from being a technology consumer to a creator and filer of global intellectual property (IP).
• Additionally, India has made significant progress in the Global Innovation Index (GII), rising from 81st to 38th in recent years.
• Factors driving this growth include a thriving start-up ecosystem, government support, focus on applied sciences, and efforts to make patent filing more accessible.
• This advancement aligns with India’s broader goals such as Atmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India, reinforcing its position in the global innovation landscape.

India to Build World’s Deepest Underwater Lab at 6,000 Metres – A Global First!

• India plans to build the world’s deepest underwater lab at a depth of 6,000 metres by 2047, marking a global first in deep-sea exploration.
• The project will begin with a 500-metre demonstrator module for short-term underwater habitation before scaling to the full-depth habitat, designed like an underwater ISS with pressure-resistant titanium structures, 360° observation panels, and advanced life-support and communication systems.
• The lab will enable pioneering research in marine biodiversity, biotechnology, drug discovery, geology, and human physiology under high pressure, far surpassing existing facilities like the Aquarius Reef Base (19m, USA), and form a key part of India’s Vision 2047 and Deep Ocean Mission.

Important Days News

Janjatiya Gaurav Divas 2025: Honouring Bhagwan Birsa Munda and India’s Tribal Legacy

• Janjatiya Gaurav Divas 2025 is celebrated on 15 November to honor Birsa Munda, a revered tribal leader and freedom fighter, and to commemorate the contributions of India’s tribal communities in the freedom struggle.
• The 2025 observance marks the 150th birth anniversary of Birsa Munda, also known as Dharti Aaba, who led the Ulgulan (Great Tumult) in 1899–1900 against British colonialism and feudal oppression.
• The celebration is part of the Janjatiya Gaurav Varsh (2024–25), with nationwide events including tribal festivals, cultural exhibitions, and the establishment of 11 Tribal Freedom Fighters’ Museums.
• The government has also launched initiatives like Adi Sanskriti, Adi Vaani, and the Tribal Digital Repository to preserve tribal heritage and knowledge.

Obituaries News

Veteran Actress Kamini Kaushal Passes Away at 98

• Veteran Bollywood actress Kamini Kaushal, a trailblazer in Indian cinema, has passed away at the age of 98.
• Known for her debut in the Cannes Palme d’Or-winning film “Neecha Nagar” (1946), she became one of the key figures in the golden era of Indian cinema.
• Over a career spanning more than seven decades,
• Kaushal delivered iconic performances alongside legends like Dilip Kumar, Raj Kapoor, and Dev Anand.
• Her filmography includes classics like “Shaheed,” “Do Bhai,” “Godaan,” and “Arzoo”, while she also made notable appearances in recent films such as “Kabir Singh” (2019) and “Lal Singh Chaddha” (2022).