Daily Current Affairs and GK Updates (12th November, 2026)

National News

Cabinet Approves ₹3,230 Crore Yuge Yugeen Bharat Museum Project

• The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the ₹3,230 crore Yuge Yugeen Bharat Museum project in New Delhi.

• The museum will be established at the historic North and South Block Complex under the Ministry of Culture.

• The project will be implemented from FY 2026–27 to FY 2030–31 through the adaptive reuse of heritage buildings.

• Spread across approximately 1,78,509 square metres, it will showcase India’s civilizational heritage through galleries on architecture, mathematics, astronomy, languages, spirituality and trade.

• Its first gallery, Adornment, is expected to open in late 2027, with the museum targeting one crore visitors annually.

Government Simplifies Visa Framework, Reduces Categories to Nine

• The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) rationalised India’s visa framework, reducing main categories from 13 to 9 and sub-categories from 49 to 23.

• The revised framework was introduced on 27 August 2026 and covers tourism, medical treatment, education, research and business activities.

• The Tourist Visa has been renamed the Visitor Visa, while Medical, Student and Business Visas have been reorganised.

• Visa application form fields have been reduced by 65–70% to simplify the application process.

• India’s e-Visa facility currently covers nationals of 172 countries, and the revised visa-processing system is expected to become operational by the end of 2026.

Cabinet Approves ₹62,370 Crore Fertiliser Subsidy for Rabi

• The Union Cabinet approved Nutrient Based Subsidy (NBS) rates for 28 grades of phosphatic and potassic (P&K) fertilisers for the Rabi 2026–27 season.

• The tentative budgetary requirement is ₹62,370.02 crore, covering fertilisers such as Di-Ammonium Phosphate (DAP).

• The subsidy will remain applicable from 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027.

• The allocation is ₹24,417.73 crore higher than the previous Rabi season’s ₹37,952.29 crore, representing an increase of approximately 64.3%.

• Implemented on 1 April 2010, the NBS scheme provides nutrient-based subsidies to fertiliser manufacturers and importers to ensure affordable fertiliser availability for farmers.

State News

Odisha Cabinet Approves Bovine Breeding Regulation Bill, 2026

• The Odisha Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, approved the draft Odisha Bovine Breeding (Regulation) Bill, 2026, on 9 November 2026.

• The Bill aims to improve cattle and buffalo productivity through scientific breeding practices.

• It proposes the Odisha Bovine Breeding Regulatory Authority, mandatory registration of breeding service providers and a State Digital Livestock Breeding Registry.

• The framework will regulate artificial insemination, semen quality, IVF, embryo transfer and genomic selection.

• It also provides for the Odisha Bovine Genetic Improvement Fund to conserve indigenous breeds, protect farmers and increase milk production.

• The Bill is proposed for introduction during the Odisha Assembly’s Winter Session beginning 18 November 2026.

Cabinet Approves 8.449-km Noida Metro Aqua Line Extension

• The Union Cabinet approved an 8.449-km extension of the Noida Metro Aqua Line from Noida Sector-51 to Greater Noida Sector-4 in Uttar Pradesh.

• The elevated corridor will cost ₹2,390 crore and include five stations.

• The project is expected to be completed within three years.

• It will provide an interchange with the Delhi Metro Blue Line at Noida Sector-61.

• The extension will improve connectivity to residential, commercial, educational and healthcare centres across Noida and Greater Noida.

• After its operationalisation, the combined active Metro network in both cities will reach 71.878 km.

MoEFCC Proposes One-Kilometre ESZ Around Assam Sanctuary

• The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) proposed a uniform one-kilometre Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ) around the Bherjan-Borajan-Padumoni Wildlife Sanctuary in Assam’s Tinsukia district.

• The proposed ESZ covers 32.01 sq. km around the sanctuary’s three forest patches: Bherjan, Borajan and Padumoni.

• Notified in 1999, the sanctuary covers 7.21 sq. km and is known for its primate diversity, particularly the western hoolock gibbon.

• The draft notification was issued on 29 October 2026 under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.

• It classifies activities within the proposed zone as prohibited, regulated or permitted.

• The proposal aims to balance wildlife conservation with the livelihoods of local communities.

Meghalaya Celebrates Golden Jubilee of Hundred Drums Wangala Festival

• Meghalaya is celebrating the 50th Hundred Drums Wangala Festival from 11 to 14 November 2026 at Garo Heritage Village, Chibagre, West Garo Hills.

• Organised since 1976, Wangala is a post-harvest thanksgiving festival of the Garo community dedicated to Misi Saljong, the Sun God of fertility.

• The 2026 theme is “Rhythm of 1,000 Drums”, featuring 1,000 drummers and 3,000 dancers.

• Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma inaugurated the celebrations on 11 November 2026.

• The festival includes a Guinness World Records attempt and a 300-stall handloom and handicrafts exhibition.

• The government allocated ₹20 crore for venue development and announced ₹6 crore for organising the festival.

Banking News

RBI Consolidates Domestic Money Transfer Rules, Retains Limits

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued consolidated Domestic Money Transfer (DMT) directions on 11 November 2026, retaining existing transaction limits.

• Walk-in customers can remit up to ₹50,000 through NEFT at bank branches.

• Cash deposits through Business Correspondents (BCs), ATMs and other permitted channels are capped at ₹5,000 per transaction and ₹25,000 monthly per remitter.

• Cash pay-outs are limited to ₹10,000 per transaction and ₹25,000 monthly per beneficiary.

• The directions require verified mobile numbers, Officially Valid Documents (OVDs) and Additional Factor of Authentication (AFA).

• Banks must strengthen transaction monitoring, customer alerts and fraud prevention to ensure secure and traceable remittances.

Business News

Noel Tata Retires as Chairman; Bahram Vakil Takes Over

• Noel N. Tata retired as Chairman and Director of Tata Investment Corporation Limited on 11 November 2026 after reaching the prescribed retirement age of 70 years.

• He will serve as Chairman Emeritus from 12 November 2026.

• Noel joined the company’s board in 2004 and became its Chairman in 2010.

• The board appointed Bahram Vakil, co-founder of AZB & Partners and the company’s Vice Chairman since March 2026, as his successor.

• It also approved Abizer Shabbir Diwanji’s appointment as an Independent Director for five years, subject to shareholder approval.

• Established in 1937, Tata Investment Corporation is an RBI-registered Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC).

Economy News

Net Direct Tax Collections Rise 11.76% to ₹14.42 Lakh Crore

• India’s net direct tax collections increased 11.76% year-on-year to ₹14.42 lakh crore as of 10 November 2026 in FY 2026–27.

• Gross direct tax collections rose 14.02% to ₹17.50 lakh crore before refunds.

• Net corporate tax collections increased 17.84% to ₹6.32 lakh crore, while non-corporate tax collections grew 5.30% to ₹7.56 lakh crore.

• Securities Transaction Tax (STT) collections increased 51.56% to ₹54,077.90 crore.

• Refunds rose 25.91% to ₹3.08 lakh crore.

• The government has set a direct tax collection target of ₹26.97 lakh crore for FY27, of which approximately 53.5% had been achieved.

Awards News

President Murmu Presents Swachh Survekshan Awards 2025–26

• President Droupadi Murmu presented the 10th Swachh Survekshan Awards 2025–26 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.

• Organised by the Department of Urban Development under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), the survey covered 4,751 cities.

• It received feedback from 2.70 crore citizens and assessed 43 indicators through more than 3,000 trained assessors.

• Navi Mumbai, Surat and Vijayawada featured among the major winners in the Super Swachh League, while Visakhapatnam topped the million-plus population category.

• The assessment covered waste management, sanitation, citizen participation and sanitation worker welfare.

• It also highlighted improvements in waste processing and door-to-door waste collection under the Swachh Bharat Mission.

Infosys Science Foundation Announces Six Infosys Prize 2026 Winners

• The Infosys Science Foundation (ISF) announced six winners of the Infosys Prize 2026 across six categories.

• The winners are Karthik Sastry (Economics), Swarun Kumar (Engineering and Computer Science) and Gautam Bhatia (Humanities and Social Sciences).

• The other winners are Isha Jain (Life Sciences), Riddhipratim Basu (Mathematical Sciences) and Manoj Kumar Joshi (Physical Sciences).

• Each winner will receive a gold medal, citation and USD 100,000 or its equivalent in Indian currency.

• Established in 2009, the Infosys Prize recognises outstanding contributions to research.

• Since 2024, the award has focused on researchers below 40 years of age to encourage early-career excellence.

Defence News

India and Myanmar Conduct 8th IMNEX Naval Exercise 2026

• The 8th India–Myanmar Naval Exercise (IMNEX-26) is being conducted at Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, from 10 to 14 November 2026.

• The Indian Navy is participating with INS Rana, a guided-missile destroyer, and INS Sumedha, an offshore patrol vessel.

• Myanmar Navy ship UMS King Sin Phyu Shin is also participating in the exercise.

• The opening ceremony was held onboard INS Rana on 10 November 2026.

• The exercise includes Harbour and Sea phases, featuring professional exchanges, cross-deck visits, tactical manoeuvres and coordinated maritime operations.

• It aims to strengthen bilateral naval cooperation, operational interoperability and regional maritime security in support of India’s MAHASAGAR vision.

India and Oman Conduct 15th Naseem Al Bahr Naval Exercise

• The Indian Navy and Royal Navy of Oman conducted the 15th edition of the bilateral maritime exercise Naseem Al Bahr, meaning Sea Breeze.

• The exercise comprised Harbour and Sea phases to strengthen naval cooperation and operational interoperability.

• The Harbour phase included professional exchanges on Explosive Ordnance Disposal, Mine Countermeasure Operations and Hydrography.

• The Sea phase featured joint Visit, Board, Search and Seizure (VBSS) drills and cross-deck operations.

• INS Surat and Oman’s Al-Mu’azzar participated in the sea-phase activities.

• INS Surat is a Visakhapatnam-class guided-missile destroyer under Project 15B, commissioned on 15 January 2025; the exercise supports India’s MAHASAGAR vision.

Indian Navy Conducts Fifth Sea Vigil Coastal Exercise

• The Indian Navy is coordinating the fifth edition of the pan-India coastal defence exercise Sea Vigil-26 from 11 to 19 November 2026.

• The exercise will assess maritime security and coastal defence preparedness across India’s coastline and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

• Participants include the Navy, Coast Guard, Coastal Security Police, Customs, coastal States and Union Territories, and fishing communities.

• Conceptualised in 2018 following the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, Sea Vigil aims to strengthen coastal security.

• The exercise has two phases: Coastal Defence and Security Readiness Evaluation from 11–17 November and sea operations from 18–19 November.

• It also serves as a build-up exercise for TROPEX.

Schemes News

Cabinet Extends Stand-Up India Scheme Until March 2031

• The Union Cabinet approved the continuation of the Stand-Up India Scheme for five years, until 31 March 2031.

• The scheme aims to support an additional 2.5 lakh women and SC/ST entrepreneurs through institutional credit for greenfield enterprises.

• A Credit Guarantee Corpus of ₹4,111 crore has been approved to support lending.

• Launched in April 2016, the scheme provides loans above ₹10 lakh and up to ₹1 crore.

• Eligible activities include manufacturing, services, trading and agri-allied businesses.

• Since its launch, the scheme has facilitated loans to more than 2.75 lakh entrepreneurs.

Cabinet Extends Credit Guarantee Fund for Micro Units Till 2031

• The Union Cabinet approved the continuation of the Credit Guarantee Fund for Micro Units (CGFMU) for five years, until 31 March 2031.

• The fund has a corpus of ₹5,000 crore and is expected to facilitate ₹12.6 lakh crore in loans during FY 2026–27 to FY 2030–31.

• It is managed by the National Credit Guarantee Trustee Company Limited (NCGTC).

• CGFMU provides guarantee coverage to lending institutions against defaults on eligible loans under PMMY, PMJDY overdrafts and Self-Help Groups.

• The annual guarantee fee for applicable non-SHG loans has been reduced from 1% to 0.75%.

• The extension aims to support affordable credit access for micro enterprises.

Important Days News

Public Service Broadcasting Day 2026 Commemorates Gandhi’s Historic Radio Address

• Public Service Broadcasting Day, also known as Jan Prasaran Divas, is observed annually on 12 November.

• The day commemorates Mahatma Gandhi’s historic radio address broadcast by All India Radio (AIR) on 12 November 1947.

• Gandhi addressed more than two lakh Partition-displaced refugees at a camp in Kurukshetra, Haryana.

• The observance was announced in 2000 by then Information and Broadcasting Minister Sushma Swaraj and formally declared in 2001.

• AIR, also known as Akashvani, operates under Prasar Bharati.

• In 2023, the historic broadcasting studio associated with the address was dedicated as Bapu Studio.

World Pneumonia Day 2026 Observed on 12 November

• World Pneumonia Day is observed annually on 12 November to promote awareness about pneumonia prevention, early diagnosis and treatment.

• It was first observed in 2009 under the Stop Pneumonia Initiative.

• The theme for 2026 is “A New Era of Pneumonia Control.”

• Pneumonia is a lung infection that causes inflammation in the alveoli, which may fill with fluid or pus.

• Children under five and older adults are particularly vulnerable; 2023 estimates recorded approximately 2.5 million global deaths, including 610,000 children under five.

• India launched the SAANS initiative in November 2019 to reduce childhood pneumonia deaths.