Current Affairs Quiz – November 2025

Notes:
After defeating Pakistan in the recent conflict through Operation Sindoor, India plans to boost its air combat power. The country is set to acquire a large number of Meteor air-to-air missiles. Meteor is an advanced radar-guided, Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile (BVRAAM). It was developed by European partners led by MBDA (Matra BAE Dynamics Alenia). It uses a ramjet engine for high-speed controlled flight and complex maneuvers.

Notes:
The Ministry of Tribal Affairs has launched “Janjatiya Gaurav Varsh Pakhwada” from 1st to 15th November 2025. It marks the culmination of Janjatiya Gaurav Varsh and celebrates the 150th Birth Anniversary of Dharti Aaba Bhagwan Birsa Munda on 15th November 2025. The theme is “Honouring 150 Years of Bhagwan Birsa Munda – Celebrating 11 Years of Tribal Empowerment”. The initiative reflects India’s commitment to inclusive and sustainable tribal development.

Notes:
On 2nd November 2025, India’s Women’s Cricket Team won its first-ever ICC Women’s ODI World Cup title, defeating South Africa by 52 runs at Dr. DY Patil Sports Academy, Navi Mumbai. The ICC Women’s ODI World Cup 2025 was held from September 30 to November 2, 2025. Shefali Verma (21 years) was named Player of the Match. Deepti Sharma became Player of the Tournament.

Notes:
The Forest Department is set to begin the next tiger census in the Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve (NSTR). Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve (NSTR) is located in the Nallamala hill ranges, an offshoot of the Eastern Ghats in Andhra Pradesh. It is one of India’s largest tiger reserves, covering 3,728 square kilometres. It supports the largest tiger population in the Eastern Ghats landscape. The reserve is named after the Nagarjuna Sagar and Srisailam Dams. It includes Rajiv Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary and Gundla Brahmeswaram Wildlife Sanctuary (GBM).

Notes:
China has achieved the world’s first conversion of thorium into uranium fuel inside a Thorium Molten Salt Reactor (TMSR). It marks the first-ever experimental data on thorium operation from within a molten salt reactor. The 2 megawatt liquid-fuelled TMSR is currently the only operating reactor successfully using thorium fuel. A Molten Salt Reactor (MSR) is a fourth-generation nuclear reactor using molten salt as both coolant and fuel carrier instead of solid rods.

Notes:
AIIMS Bhubaneswar has started research on the Cycad plant due to the presence of BMAA (β-N-methylamino-L-alanine), a possible neurotoxin. Cycads are palmlike, woody gymnosperm plants. They are ancient species that existed alongside dinosaurs for over 300 million years. They grow in various habitats, from wet rainforests and grasslands to semidesert and seasonally dry forests. Their distribution spans tropical and subtropical regions, including the Americas, Caribbean, sub-Saharan Africa, Madagascar, eastern India, China, Japan, Southeast Asia, Oceania, and Australia.

Notes:
The Election Commission of India (ECI) launched the International Election Visitors’ Programme (IEVP) 2025 at IIIDEM, New Delhi. Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioner Dr. Vivek Joshi interacted with 14 participants from France, South Africa, Belgium, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Colombia. Participants were briefed on India’s election process, including Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), electoral roll preparation, and election conduct. The visitors will visit Bihar from November 5–6 to observe EVM dispatches and Phase-I polling of the Bihar Assembly elections. The IEVP promotes international cooperation with Election Management Bodies and showcases India’s electoral system and best practices.

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.

Notes:
Recently, the Union Minister of State for Science and Technology interacted with Vaishvik Bhartiya Vaigyanik (VAIBHAV) Fellows from across the world. The VAIBHAV Fellowship is awarded to outstanding Non-Resident Indians (NRI), Overseas Citizens of India (OCI), or Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) scientists working abroad. The Vaishvik Bhartiya Vaigyanik (VAIBHAV) Fellowship is an initiative of the Ministry of Science and Technology, implemented through the Department of Science and Technology (DST). The government provides funding of ₹4,00,000 per month during the fellowship period. The aim is to strengthen India’s research ecosystem and global academic collaboration.

Notes:
In November 2025, Dr. Sai Gautam Gopalakrishnan, Associate Professor of Materials Engineering at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, Karnataka, received the 3rd Manohar Parrikar Yuva Scientist Award. He was honored for his exceptional work in computational materials science and advanced modeling of complex alloys. His research contributes to sustainable technologies and industrial innovation. The award will be formally presented on 13th December 2025 at the Manohar Parrikar Vigyan Mahotsav, held at the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), Goa.