Current Affairs Quiz – November 2025

Notes:
India has ended its military presence at the Ayni Airbase in Tajikistan after the bilateral agreement with Tajikistan expired around four years ago. The Ayni Airbase, located 10 km west of Dushanbe, was built in the Soviet era and later renovated by India. India spent around $100 million upgrading the base with runway extensions, shelters, fuel depots, and air traffic control facilities. Su-30MKI jets and around 200 Indian personnel from the Army and Air Force were once deployed there. All Indian personnel and equipment were withdrawn by 2022. The base initially supported the Northern Alliance in its fight against the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Notes:
Sahitya Akademi released the Hindi translation of the acclaimed Lithuanian novel The Last Day, titled “Antim Din”, in New Delhi. The event was held at Rabindra Bhawan in collaboration with the Embassy of Lithuania. The novel is written by Lithuanian-Ukrainian author Jaroslavas Melnikas. Madhav Kaushik, President of Sahitya Akademi, called it a milestone in promoting world literature in Indian languages. It is the first-ever translation of a Lithuanian fiction book into Hindi. The novel explores themes of existential change and cultural identity, fostering literary and cultural collaboration between India and Lithuania.

Notes:
Recently, 16-year-old Ilamparthi AR from Chennai, Tamil Nadu, became India’s 90th Chess Grandmaster (GM). He is also the 35th Grandmaster from Tamil Nadu, a state known for producing chess legends like Viswanathan Anand, R Praggnanandhaa, and D Gukesh. Ilamparthi achieved his final Grandmaster norm at the Bijeljina Open 2025 in Bosnia and Herzegovina. He is a beneficiary of the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu’s (SDAT) Champions Development Scheme.

Notes:
Recently, a new study found that land-use change caused the loss of nearly 75% of natural plant species on the lower slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro. Mount Kilimanjaro is located in northeastern Tanzania. It is Africa’s tallest mountain (5,895 metres) and the world’s largest free-standing mountain, meaning it is not part of any range. It is a stratovolcano made up of three volcanic cones — Kibo, Mawenzi, and Shira.

Notes:
The Indian Institute of Packaging (IIP) has recently opened its new Bengaluru Centre. IIP is an autonomous body under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India. It was established in 1966 with its headquarters in Mumbai. Its main goal is to boost exports through innovative package design and improved packaging standards. It provides testing, consultancy, R&D, and training in packaging. Training is given to artisans, weavers, exporters, and stakeholders for modern and aesthetic packaging.

Notes:
The ‘Kendriya Grihmantri Dakshata Padak’ for 2025 has been announced by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). It was instituted in 2024 to promote professional excellence and morale among officers. The award recognizes outstanding work in Special Operations, Investigation, Intelligence, and Forensic Science. It was formed by merging four MHA awards. They are Special Operation Medal, Medal for Excellence in Investigation, Exceptional Intelligence Efficiency Medal, and Union Home Minister’s Award for Meritorious Service. It is announced every year on 31st October, the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

Notes:
The Union Health Ministry achieved three Guinness World Record titles under the Swasth Nari Sashakt Parivar Abhiyaan campaign. The campaign was conducted nationwide from 17th September to 2nd October 2025 during Poshan Maah. The records include the most people registered for a health care platform in one month. It also includes the most people signed up for a breast cancer screening online in one week. Another record was the most people signed up for vital signs screening online in one week at the state level. The campaign focuses on improving the health and nutrition of women, adolescent girls and children. The achievement highlights India’s success in combining digital health innovation and community participation.

Notes:
France’s oldest living Olympic champion, Charles Coste, passed away at the age of 101, marking the end of a golden era in Olympic history. Born on February 8, 1924, in Ollioules, France, he symbolized strength, dedication, and post-war recovery through sport. Coste won gold in team cycling at the 1948 London Olympics with teammates Pierre Adam, Serge Blusson, and Fernand Decanali, bringing pride to post-war France. In 1949, he triumphed in the Grand Prix des Nations, defeating Italy’s Fausto Coppi. At the 2024 Paris Olympics, just before his 100th birthday, he carried the Olympic torch, earning worldwide applause.

Notes:
In the QS World University Rankings: Asia 2026, nine of the top 10 Indian institutions — including seven IITs — saw a decline in ranks, while universities in China, Singapore, South Korea, and Malaysia advanced. IIT Delhi remains India’s top-ranked institution at 59th, but dropped 15 places from last year’s 44th rank. IIT Bombay saw the sharpest fall, slipping 23 positions to rank 71, after leading among Indian institutions from 2021–2024. Chandigarh University was the only Indian institution to improve, rising from 120th to 109th rank. The University of Hong Kong topped the list globally, followed by Peking University (China) and National University of Singapore (NUS) and Nanyang Technological University (NTU) sharing third.

Notes:
In November 2025, Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, founder of the Art of Living Foundation, received the 2025 World Leader for Peace and Security Award. The award was presented by the Boston Global Forum (BGF) and the AI World Society (AIWS) at Harvard University, USA. It recognizes his significant contributions to global peace-building, reconciliation, and humanitarian service. The 2025 award marks the 10th anniversary of the award (2015–2025), honoring leaders with moral courage, visionary leadership, and compassion. The focus of the 2025 award is on advancing 21st-century peace through inner harmony, interfaith dialogue, and ethical governance.