Daily Current Affairs: 19th November, 2025

National News

PM Fasal Bima Yojana Expands to Cover Crop Loss For This Reason

• PMFBY Expands Coverage to Wild Animal Attacks and Paddy Inundation: The Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) will, from the Kharif 2026 season, cover crop losses caused by wild animals—including elephants, wild boars, nilgai, deer, and monkeys—and paddy field inundation due to flooding or waterlogging.
• Announced by the Union Agriculture Ministry, these additions under the Localized Risk category aim to provide insurance relief to farmers in forest-adjacent and flood-prone areas, enabling faster claim settlement and broader protection against previously excluded localised risks.

India Launches National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance 2.0

• Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda launched the National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) 2.0 in New Delhi, covering 2025–2029.
• The plan aims to combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR)—a growing threat from overuse and misuse of antibiotics affecting human, animal, and environmental health.
• AMR 2.0 focuses on multi-sectoral coordination, private sector engagement, surveillance, regulatory frameworks, and public awareness campaigns, promoting responsible antibiotic use and strengthening India’s national and global AMR response.

State News

UK Named Country Partner for Hornbill Festival 2025

• The United Kingdom has been named Country Partner for the Hornbill Festival 2025 in Nagaland (1–10 December, Kisama, Kohima), marking a major step in Indo-UK cultural collaboration.
• The British Council will curate artistic programs and host a UK artist, while Air India Express, the Official Travel Partner, will unveil a Boeing 737-8 featuring Tsüngkotepsü tribal livery and offer 15% flight discounts to boost tourism.
• Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio highlighted the partnership’s potential to promote local art, enhance global visibility, and drive economic growth through cultural tourism.

UIDAI Launches New Aadhaar App: Features, Benefits, and How to Download

• UIDAI Launches New Aadhaar Mobile App for Digital Identity: The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has launched a new Aadhaar mobile app, available on Google Play Store and Apple App Store under early access from November 2025.
• The app allows residents to carry and verify Aadhaar digitally, featuring masked Aadhaar numbers, biometric locking, QR code-based verification, and support for up to five Aadhaar profiles per device linked to the same mobile number.

‘YUVA AI for ALL’: Government Launches Free National AI Course for Every Indian

• The Government of India has launched ‘YUVA AI for ALL’, a free 4.5-hour online course under the IndiaAI Mission to teach basic and ethical AI skills to 1 crore citizens.
• The course uses Indian examples, real-life case studies, and is available on FutureSkills Prime, iGOT Karmayogi, and other platforms.
• It covers AI fundamentals, applications in jobs and education, ethical usage, and future opportunities, offering self-paced learning and a Government certificate.
• This initiative aims to bridge the AI knowledge gap, make India future-ready, and promote inclusive AI literacy for all.

India Re-Elected to Codex Executive Committee

• India was unanimously re-elected to the Codex Executive Committee until 2027, strengthening its role in shaping global food standards, driving science-based policies, promoting regional data, and pushing for AI-enabled efficiency.
• While advancing key standards such as fresh dates, curry leaves, pesticide residue guidelines, and the revival of the cashew kernel standard.

International News

“Parasocial” Named Cambridge Dictionary’s Word of the Year 2025

• Cambridge Dictionary Word of the Year 2025: “Parasocial” – The Cambridge Dictionary selected “parasocial” as its Word of the Year 2025, reflecting rising public interest in one-sided emotional relationships people form with celebrities, influencers, fictional characters, and increasingly, AI chatbots and virtual companions.
• Searches for the term surged due to celebrity controversies, influencer incidents, and debates around AI-driven digital companionship, prompting Cambridge to expand the definition to include modern virtual interactions.
• Coined in 1956 by sociologists Donald Horton and Richard Wohl, “parasocial” relationships remain deeply relevant today—offering comfort and inspiration, but also posing risks such as dependency, unrealistic expectations, and displacement of real-world bonds.

India Signs Historic Deal to Source 10% of LPG Imports from the US in 2026

• India’s historic deal to source 10% of its LPG imports from the US in 2026 marks a major push toward energy security, supplier diversification, and stronger India–US trade ties.
• With 2.2 MTPA to be supplied by firms like Chevron, Phillips 66, and TotalEnergies, offering alternative Mont Belvieu pricing despite challenges like higher freight costs and propane-rich composition.

UN Opposes Death Sentence for Ousted Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina

• The United Nations strongly opposed the death penalty in absentia imposed on ex-Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina by the International Crimes Tribunal for alleged crimes against humanity during the 2024 student protests.
• The UN, through Secretary-General António Guterres and Human Rights High Commissioner Volker Türk, raised concerns over due process, fair trial standards, and trial transparency, emphasizing that capital punishment must meet the highest international legal scrutiny.
• Others convicted include Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal (death) and Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun (5 years), highlighting broader questions on rule of law and human rights norms in Bangladesh.

India Drops 13 Places in Global Climate Change Performance Index 2026

• India Drops to 23rd in CCPI 2026: India has fallen 13 places to 23rd in the Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) 2026, released at COP30 in Belém, Brazil, mainly due to the absence of a national coal exit plan, continued coal expansion, and concerns over social and environmental impacts of large-scale renewable projects.
• With a score of 61.31, India shifted from a high to a medium performer, despite progress such as achieving 50% non-fossil power capacity, expanding rooftop solar, and strengthening carbon markets and green finance.
• While no country met all climate criteria (top three positions remain empty), India still faces gaps like weak carbon pricing, fossil subsidies, lack of interim climate targets, and limited public participation, keeping it below leaders like Denmark, Morocco, and the UK in the index.

Awards News

President of India Presents Sixth National Water Awards,

• President of India Smt. Droupadi Murmu presented the Sixth National Water Awards and Jal Sanchay-Jan Bhagidari Awards in New Delhi, honoring efforts in water conservation, efficient water use, and community-driven initiatives.
• She emphasized India’s cultural reverence for water, warned of water scarcity and climate change challenges, and praised the construction of 35 lakh groundwater recharge structures under the JSJB initiative.

Venu Srinivasan Wins CII Quality Ratna Award 2025

• Venu Srinivasan Receives CII Quality Ratna Award 2025: Venu Srinivasan, Chairman Emeritus of TVS Motor Company, was honoured with the CII Quality Ratna Award 2025 at the 33rd CII Excellence Summit in Kolkata on November 18, 2025, recognizing his decades-long leadership in Total Quality Management (TQM), customer-centric innovation, and employee engagement.
• Srinivasan, who led TVS Motor to become the first non-Japanese two-wheeler firm to win the Deming Prize, exemplifies how quality excellence can drive India’s goal of expanding its global manufacturing share from 3% to 25%, create 100 million jobs, and transform the country into a top-three global manufacturing hub.

Ranks & Reports News

QS World University Sustainability Rankings 2026

• QS Sustainability Rankings 2026: Lund University Tops the World – The QS World University Sustainability Rankings 2026 has crowned Lund University (Sweden) as the world’s most sustainable university, marking its first-ever No. 1 finish and ending the University of Toronto’s two-year lead.
• The 2026 edition evaluated nearly 2,000 universities across 106 countries, highlighting strong performances from institutions in the UK and Canada, and featuring a Top 10 that includes UCL, Edinburgh, UBC, LSE, Imperial, UNSW, McGill, and Manchester.
• India made significant progress with 103 universities ranked and 26 debutants, placing it fourth globally in overall representation.
• Introduced in 2023, the QS Sustainability Rankings assess universities on Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) impact, offering insight into how higher education institutions contribute to a greener, more equitable global future.

Summits & Conferences News

India to Host Global Big Cats Summit in New Delhi in 2026

• India to Host Global Big Cats Summit in 2026: India will host the Global Big Cats Summit in New Delhi in 2026, aiming to unite nations under the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) to strengthen biodiversity conservation and enhance climate resilience.
• Announced by Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav, the summit will bring together big cat range countries, conservation-focused nations, and climate security stakeholders to share strategies for protecting the seven major big cats: tiger, lion, leopard, snow leopard, jaguar, cheetah, and puma.

Science & Technology News

Google Launches Gemini 3: The Most Intelligent AI Model Yet

• Google Launches Gemini 3, Its Most Advanced AI Model Yet: On 18 November 2025, Google released Gemini 3, its most powerful multimodal, reasoning-driven, agentic AI model, now integrated across Search, Gemini app, AI Studio, Vertex AI, and Google Antigravity.
• Developed by Google DeepMind, Gemini 3 delivers state-of-the-art reasoning, topping benchmarks like 1501 Elo (LMArena), 91.9% GPQA Diamond, and 87.6% Video-MMMU, while the upcoming Deep Think mode pushes performance even further.
• With a 1M-token context, advanced planning abilities, and leading results in coding, tool use, and long-horizon tasks, Gemini 3 enables users to learn, build, and plan with unprecedented intelligence.

DAE Launches India’s First Nitric-Oxide Wound Dressing Material

• DAE Unveils India’s First Nitric-Oxide Wound Dressing and Rare Earth Reference Material:
• The Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) has launched ColoNoX, India’s first nitric-oxide wound dressing for diabetic foot ulcers (DFU), developed with BARC and Cologenesis Pvt. Ltd., clinically validated and DCGI-approved to promote faster healing, reduce infection, and improve blood flow. Simultaneously.
• DAE introduced Ferrocarbonatite (FC) – BARC B140, India’s first Certified Reference Material (CRM) for rare earth elements, supporting mineral research, extraction, and process control, and strengthening India’s strategic and scientific capabilities in rare earth technology.

Important Days News

World Toilet Day 2025: Why Future-Ready Sanitation is a Global Necessity

• World Toilet Day 2025: “We’ll Always Need the Toilet” – Observed every 19 November, World Toilet Day underscores the urgent need for safe, accessible, and climate-resilient sanitation, with the 2025 theme stressing that toilets remain essential despite changing climate and technology.
• With over 3.5 billion people still lacking safe sanitation, ageing infrastructure, rapid urbanisation, low investment, and climate impacts like floods and droughts worsen the global sanitation crisis.
• The day highlights sanitation as a basic human right, crucial for health, dignity, gender equality, and SDG progress, and calls on governments, institutions, and individuals to support future-ready, sustainable sanitation systems and advocate for stronger policies and community action.

International Men’s Day 2025: Celebrating Men & Boys Who Inspire, Support, and Lead”

• International Men’s Day 2025, observed on 19 November, focuses on the theme “Celebrating men and boys”, recognising the challenges men face—from mental health pressures to gender stereotypes—while appreciating their contributions to families, workplaces, and society.
• The day promotes positive male role models, encourages healthy lifestyles, and supports emotional wellbeing through openness, kindness, and community support, reminding us to value the men who inspire us every day.