• Established: December 1985 by Parliament under the APEDA Act, 1985
• Effective Date: February 13, 1986
• Ministry: Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry

• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Main Objective: To promote and develop the export of scheduled products

Fortified Rice Mission (FRM) Launched: Announced in the Union Budget 2021–22

• The event was organized by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Brașov (CCIBv), in collaboration with the Embassy of India in Bucharest and the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Government of India.

• State: Maharashtra (First in India to do so)
• Company: Starlink Satellite Communications Pvt. Ltd.
• This is the satellite communication division of SpaceX, founded by Elon Musk.

• Type of Agreement: Signing of a Letter of Intent (LoI)

Main Objective:

• To bridge the digital divide
• To provide high-speed internet connectivity in remote and rural areas of the state.

• 55% reduction in CO2 emissions for new cars by 2030 (compared to 1990 levels)
• 50% reduction in CO2 emissions for new vans by 2030 (compared to 1990 levels)

• The initiative aims to strengthen data localization, ensure user data privacy, and support compliance with regional regulatory requirements.
• Under this initiative, data related to Microsoft 365 Copilot—including emails, chats, prompts, and other interaction data—will be processed within the geographical boundaries of the selected countries.

• Date of Event: 4–5 November, 2025
• Venue: Tokyo, Japan
• Main Organizers: Delhi Policy Group (DPG), India and Japan Institute of International Affairs (JIIA), Japan
• Government Participation: India’s External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar addressed the inaugural session.

• Overall Objective: To strengthen policy coordination between the two countries in order to enhance strategic stability, security, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region.
• Additional Highlight: Emphasis was laid on the joint investment target of 10 trillion yen over the next ten years under this shared vision.

• This is 9.1% higher compared to the same period last year.
• During the first seven months of FY 2026, the company recorded a total production of 11.04 lakh tonnes.
• This is 8.5% higher than the corresponding period of the previous year.

• During the last three years (from FY 2021-22 to 2024-25), NCDC disbursed ₹57.78 crore in loans to Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe cooperative societies.
• ₹2.37 crore was provided to women-led cooperative societies between 2022-2025, particularly for infrastructure-related projects.
• The Union Cabinet has approved a Central Sector Scheme titled “Grant-in-Aid to National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC)” with a total outlay of ₹2,000 crore for the period 2025-26 to 2028-29.

• It is also known as Katti Pyakha.
• It was initiated in the 17th century by King Siddhi Narsingh Malla of Patan.
• Duration: Usually performed for ten days.
• Purpose: To depict, in theatrical form, the life and stories of Lord Bhairava and other Hindu deities.
• Primary Venue: Patan Durbar Square, Nepal.

• Location: Sikkim, India (in the northeastern part of India)
• Status: UNESCO World Heritage Site
• Type of Heritage: Mixed Heritage Site – It is India’s first mixed World Heritage Site (recognized in 2016), representing both natural and cultural significance
• Key Feature: It includes a major portion of Mount Khangchendzonga, the world’s third-highest mountain.

• Launch Location: Naval Base, Kochi (Southern Naval Command)
• Project Category: Survey Vessel (Large) [SVL] class – Third vessel in the series
• Builder: Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) Ltd., Kolkata

• Indigenization: More than 80% indigenous content, representing the vision of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ (Self-Reliant India)
• Purpose: These vessels are designed to replace the older Sandhayak-class survey vessels and enhance hydrographic survey capabilities, navigation charting, and oceanographic operations.

• Diptayan Ghosh achieved one of the biggest victories of his career by defeating Ian Nepomniachtchi with a score of 1.5–0.5, while playing with the black pieces.
• The FIDE World Cup 2025 is being held in Goa, India, where players are competing for qualification spots for the FIDE Candidates Tournament 2026.

• Retirement preparedness in India is steadily improving.
• India’s overall Retirement Index Score (IRIS Score) has improved to 48, compared to 44 in IRIS 2.0.
• Nearly 50% of urban Indians surveyed believe that retirement planning should begin as soon as one starts earning or before the age of 35.
• The Health Preparedness Score increased from 41 to 46, indicating growing awareness and planning for health-related needs during retirement.
• Only 37% of respondents have managed to achieve one-fourth of their retirement corpus goal so far.

• Observation Period: Every year in the second week of November
• Organizer: Chartered Quality Institute (CQI), the leading professional body for quality professionals in the UK
• Objective: To raise awareness about the importance of quality management, its role in organizational success, and the contribution of quality professionals toward social and economic well-being
• Associated Day: World Quality Day, celebrated during the same week, often on the second Thursday of November