National News

1. India Prohibits Export of Specified Lithium-Ion Battery Black Mass

The Government of India prohibited the export of specified lithium-ion battery waste and scrap, including black mass, effective 11 November 2026.
The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, revised the export classification under ITC (HS) Code 85491400.
The export status was changed from ‘Free’ to ‘Prohibited’ until further orders.
Black mass is a powder-like material obtained during lithium-ion battery recycling.
It contains recoverable critical materials such as lithium, nickel, cobalt, manganese and graphite.
The decision aims to strengthen domestic battery recycling, reduce dependence on imported critical minerals and promote a circular economy.

2. Shigella Outbreak Reported in Kerala’s Kozhikode and Malappuram Districts

A Shigella infection outbreak was reported in Kozhikode and Malappuram districts of Kerala in November 2026.
Cases were reported among schoolchildren in Vadakara and people who consumed food from eateries in Nilambur.
Shigellosis is an intestinal infection caused by Shigella bacteria.
It spreads mainly through the faecal–oral route via contaminated food, water and surfaces.
Common symptoms include diarrhoea, fever, vomiting and abdominal pain.
Kerala authorities undertook food inspections, water chlorination, medical monitoring and ORS distribution to control the outbreak.

3. India Boosts Island Blue Economy Through Tuna and Seaweed Fisheries

India is promoting high-value tuna fisheries, seaweed cultivation and ornamental fisheries in Lakshadweep and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
These two island territories account for nearly 40% of India’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
The initiative focuses on modernising fishing vessels, cold-chain facilities, seafood processing and export infrastructure.
Lakshadweep has been notified as a Seaweed Cluster.
The Andaman and Nicobar Islands have a dedicated Tuna Cluster under PMMSY (Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana).
The initiative aims to increase seafood exports, generate coastal employment and ensure sustainable utilisation of marine resources.

4. Bihar’s Raniwas Mound Declared Monument of National Importance

The Central Government declared Raniwas (Ranivas) Mound in Bihar a monument of national importance on 4 November 2026.
The declaration was made under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958.
The site is located in Kesariya, East Champaran district, near the famous Kesariya Stupa.
It covers an area of 1.63 acres and is associated with an ancient Buddhist establishment.
Alexander Cunningham, the first Director General of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), visited the site in 1861.
The preliminary notification was issued on 8 June 2026, and no objections were received.

State News

5. Andhra Pradesh Tops India’s Ease of Vehicle Ownership Index 2026

Andhra Pradesh secured first position in India’s inaugural Ease of Vehicle Ownership Index (EVOI) 2026.
The index was released by IndiaTech.org in partnership with Consumer VOICE.
Andhra Pradesh scored 5.91 out of 10, followed by Kerala (5.74).
Tamil Nadu and Delhi jointly secured third position with 4.58 points each.
The index assessed 15 states and Union Territories, covering over 85% of India’s organised used-vehicle market.
Uttar Pradesh ranked last with 2.47 points; the index evaluates six parameters, including digital infrastructure, process efficiency, transparency and affordability.

International News

6. UAE Becomes First Non-European Country to Adopt Digital ATA Carnet

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) launched the electronic ATA Carnet (eATA) system on 9 November 2026.
It became the first country outside Europe to adopt the paperless customs process.
The system was developed by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) in collaboration with the World Customs Organization (WCO).
It enables digital issuance, declarations and QR-code verification for temporarily exported goods.
It covers exhibition goods, commercial samples and professional equipment.
Between 2011 and 2025, the UAE handled 63,591 ATA Carnets, covering goods worth approximately AED 54.4 billion. The global transition to digital Carnets is targeted for 1 January 2028.

7. India and Norway Explore Waste-to-Resource Technologies Through Joint Dialogue

India and Norway held a bilateral dialogue in New Delhi on 10 November 2026.
The dialogue focused on converting industrial and construction waste into useful resources.
It was organised by CSIR, Norway’s SINTEF and the Research Council of Norway.
Discussions covered the utilisation of fly ash, steel slag, red mud, plastic waste and construction and demolition waste.
Participants explored cement kiln co-processing for treating suitable hazardous waste, including materials containing persistent organic pollutants.
The dialogue aims to strengthen research cooperation and promote the circular economy under the India–Norway Green Strategic Partnership.

Economy News

8. Moody’s Raises India’s FY27 Growth Forecast to 7%

Moody’s Ratings increased India’s GDP growth forecast for FY2026–27 to 7% from 6.5%.
The revision reflects resilient domestic consumption, improving investment activity and the economy’s ability to absorb energy price shocks.
India recorded 7.8% year-on-year GDP growth during the April–June quarter of FY2026–27.
Improving manufacturing, capital goods production, industrial credit and capacity utilisation indicate a possible recovery in private capital expenditure.
Moody’s identified rising inflation, a deficient southwest monsoon and tighter monetary policy as major economic risks.
Higher energy costs and borrowing rates could affect household consumption, investment and overall economic growth.

9. PLFS July–September 2026: Unemployment Rate Declines to 5.1%

The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) released the PLFS Quarterly Bulletin for July–September 2026 on 10 November 2026.
The overall Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) for people aged 15 years and above increased to 55.5%.
The Worker Population Ratio (WPR) rose to 52.7%.
The overall Unemployment Rate (UR) declined from 5.4% in the previous quarter to 5.1%.
Rural unemployment declined to 4.3%, while female LFPR and female WPR increased to 34.7% and 32.8%, respectively.
The survey is conducted by the National Statistical Office (NSO) under MoSPI to provide employment and labour force data.

Ranks & Reports News

10. Goa’s Palolem Beach Named Asia’s Best, Ranks Sixth Globally

Goa’s Palolem Beach secured first position in Asia and sixth position globally in the Global Beach Index 2026.
The index was released by Beach.com.
Located in Canacona taluka of South Goa, Palolem is the only Asian beach among the world’s top 25 beaches.
It is known for its crescent-shaped bay, white sandy shoreline, palm-lined coast and relatively calm waters.
The index evaluated 226 ocean beaches using 18 standardised metrics.
Its assessment included expert recommendations, NASA satellite observations and more than 93,000 Google Maps reviews.

11. Goa Tops Access Equality Index 2026 Among 28 Indian States

Goa secured first position among 28 Indian states in the Access Equality Index (AEI) 2026.
The index was prepared by the Centre for New Economics Studies (CNES) at O.P. Jindal Global University.
Goa scored 0.68, followed by Andhra Pradesh (0.66) and Sikkim (0.63).
The index evaluates access to essential services through 60 indicators across five dimensions.
The five dimensions are basic infrastructure, healthcare, education, socio-economic security and legal services.
Andhra Pradesh topped the socio-economic security category with 0.69 and recorded the highest positive gap (+0.15) between actual and income-based expected access scores.

Defense News

12. IAF’s IL-76MD Sets High-Altitude Landing Record at Nyoma Airbase

The Indian Air Force (IAF) achieved a high-altitude aviation milestone on 7 November 2026.
Its IL-76MD heavy-lift transport aircraft landed at Nyoma Airbase in eastern Ladakh.
The aircraft landed at an altitude of 13,629 feet above sea level, setting a world record for the highest-altitude landing by an IL-76 aircraft.
Nyoma Airbase is located approximately 25 km from the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China.
The airbase was upgraded from an Advanced Landing Ground at an estimated cost of ₹214 crore and inaugurated in November 2025.
The IL-76MD, known as Gajraj, is a Russian-origin, four-engine military transport aircraft used for strategic airlift operations.

Science & Technology News

13. COVID-19 PJ.2.1 Variant: Origin, Spread and Key Findings

The PJ.2.1 variant of SARS-CoV-2 was first identified in Ontario, Canada, on 2 May 2026.
It is classified as a saltation variant due to its numerous genetic changes.
It originated from the MC.10.1.7 lineage, which is a descendant of the JN.1 lineage.
A study published in the Journal of Infection on 24 October 2026 reported increased cellular entry through the ACE2 receptor compared with LP.8.1.
Ontario recorded PJ.2.1 in 25.2% of sequenced cases between 20 September and 17 October 2026.
The WHO has not classified it as a Variant of Interest or Variant Under Monitoring, and there is insufficient evidence of increased transmissibility or disease severity.

Schemes News

14. Stand-Up India Scheme Extended Until March 2031

The Union Cabinet approved the continuation of the Stand-Up India Scheme until 31 March 2031.
The scheme was launched in April 2016 to promote entrepreneurship among women and Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) communities.
It targets an additional 2.5 lakh entrepreneurs.
The Cabinet approved a Credit Guarantee Corpus of ₹4,111 crore.
Eligible applicants can obtain loans above ₹10 lakh and up to ₹1 crore for greenfield enterprises in manufacturing, services, trading and agri-allied activities.
Since its launch, the scheme has facilitated loans to more than 2.75 lakh entrepreneurs.

Sports News

15. P. T. Usha Loses Women’s SOM Election Ahead of IOA Polls

Indian Olympic Association (IOA) President P. T. Usha failed to secure a position in the four-member women’s Sportspersons of Outstanding Merit (SOM) election held on 9 November 2026.
Anju Bobby George secured the highest number of votes (53).
The other elected candidates were Rani Rampal (50), Dola Banerjee (45) and Saina Nehwal (43).
P. T. Usha received 40 votes.
The eight SOM representatives, including four men elected unopposed, will join the IOA General Assembly.
The IOA presidential election for the 2026–2030 term is scheduled for 5 December 2026; Usha’s defeat in the SOM election does not automatically disqualify her from contesting.

16. PV Sindhu Elected IOA Athletes’ Commission Chairperson for 2026–2030

Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu was elected chairperson of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) Athletes’ Commission.
Indian men’s hockey captain Harmanpreet Singh was elected vice-chairperson.
Both were elected unopposed on 6 November 2026 for a four-year term (2026–2030).
Weightlifter Mirabai Chanu was elected as the female athlete representative to the IOA General Assembly.
Swimmer Sajan Prakash was elected as the male athlete representative to the IOA General Assembly.
Sindhu and Harmanpreet will join the IOA Executive Council following the elections, while the athlete representatives will have voting rights in the 5 December 2026 IOA elections.

17. India Finishes Fifth at 2026 World Armwrestling Championships

India secured fifth position among 65 participating nations at the 2026 World Armwrestling Championships.
The championships were held in New Delhi from 29 October to 6 November 2026.
India won a total of 59 medals: 9 gold, 19 silver and 31 bronze.
The event combined the 47th World Armwrestling Championship and the 28th World Para Armwrestling Championship.
Jincymol Sebastian won gold on both arms in the Grand Master Women 80 kg category, while Yogesh Choudhary and Shoukath VT each won right-arm gold and left-arm bronze.
Russia topped the medal standings, followed by Kazakhstan and Türkiye; India hosted the combined championships for the first time.

Important Days News

18. National Education Day 2026: Date, History and Maulana Azad’s Contributions

National Education Day is observed every year on 11 November to commemorate the birth anniversary of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, India’s first Education Minister.
The Ministry of Human Resource Development announced the observance in 2008, and the first celebration was held at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi.
Maulana Azad served as India’s Education Minister from 1947 until his death in 1958.
He promoted free and compulsory education for children up to 14 years, girls’ education, technical learning and scientific research.
IIT Kharagpur was established in 1951, while the University Grants Commission (UGC) was inaugurated in 1953 during his tenure.
He also supported institutions such as ICCR, Sangeet Natak Akademi, Sahitya Akademi and Lalit Kala Akademi, promoting inclusive and quality education.