Current Affairs Quiz – November 2025

Notes:
In November 2025, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) released the India AI Governance Guidelines. The framework aims to advance AI innovation while mitigating risks and aligning with India’s societal and national priorities. A drafting committee, formed in July 2025, studied global models, laws, and literature to shape India’s AI governance structure. The guidelines are based on seven core principles and six key pillars — Infrastructure, Capacity Building, Policy & Regulation, Risk Mitigation, Accountability, and Institutions. It recommends expanding data and compute access, building AI skills, and ensuring balanced regulation and liability systems.

Notes:
Recently, the National Social Assistance Programme became a key part of India’s social security system. It was started in 1995 as a fully funded Centrally Sponsored Scheme to support people living below the poverty line. The programme is implemented by the Ministry of Rural Development. It has five components that provide financial and food support.

Notes:
In November 2025, the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed an outbreak of Rift Valley Fever (RVF) in Mauritania and Senegal, Western Africa. Rift Valley Fever is caused by a Phlebovirus from the Phenuiviridae family. It mainly affects animals such as sheep, goats, cattle, and camels. Humans get infected through contact with infected animals or mosquito bites. It does not spread from person to person. The disease was first identified in Kenya’s Rift Valley in the 1930s. It later spread across sub-Saharan Africa, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen.

Notes:
SeasonWatch, a citizen science project tracking tree phenology, observed that Indian laburnum (Cassia fistula) trees are flowering earlier than usual in recent years. Commonly known as Amaltas in North India and Kanikonna in South India, it belongs to the Fabaceae family. Also called the Golden Shower Tree, it is native to India and is the State Tree of Kerala and Delhi. It is a medium to large deciduous tree, growing 10–20 meters tall, and briefly leafless between March and May. It produces long clusters of bright yellow flowers, making it a popular ornamental tree in tropical regions

Notes:
Shri Manohar Lal, Minister of Power and Housing & Urban Affairs, inaugurated India’s first and largest Vanadium Redox Flow Battery (VRFB) system. The VRFB has a capacity of 3 Megawatt-hour (MWh) at NTPC’s NETRA Research & Development Centre in Greater Noida. This milestone advances India’s long-duration energy storage (LDES) solutions and strengthens renewable energy integration and national grid resilience. Vanadium Redox Flow Battery (VRFB) is a modern technology offering an alternative to lithium-ion batteries, expanding the pool of usable elements for battery systems.

Notes:
Recently, Chilean scientists warned about further risks to the world’s shrinking Humboldt penguin population. Humboldt penguin (Spheniscus humboldti) belongs to the ‘banded’ genus. They are named after the Humboldt Current, a cold oceanic upwelling near their habitat. Humboldt penguins are endemic to the Pacific coasts of Chile and Peru. Chile’s Pacific coast hosts 80 percent of the remaining population. It is listed as Vulnerable in the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Notes:
The Ministry of Railways announced major achievements of the Railway Police Force (RPF) in 2025. Under Operation Nanhe Farishtey, RPF rescued over 16,000 children across Indian Railways between January and October. The operation focuses on runaway, abandoned, impoverished, disabled, or kidnapped children, protecting them from crime syndicates.

Notes:
The World Health Organisation (WHO) launched its Pandemic Preparedness and Emergency Response site at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi. This site is part of a global WHO network being set up to conduct rapid investigations and studies during pandemics or epidemics. The goal is to ensure a timely and effective public health response to global health emergencies. The launch was attended by WHO Representative to India, Payden, and AIIMS Director, Dr. M. Srinivas. The site will also operate during non-pandemic periods to maintain continuous readiness and system strength.

Notes:
Wildlife experts in Uttarakhand recently warned that Himalayan Black Bears (Ursus thibetanus laniger) are becoming aggressive due to erratic weather disrupting their hibernation. It is a subspecies of the Asian Black Bear, also known as the Asiatic Black Bear or Moon Bear. It is mainly found in the Himalayas across India, Nepal, Tibet, Pakistan, and China. It is listed as Vulnerable under the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Notes:
The Ministry of Road Transport recently made it mandatory to use the National Database for Emergency Management (NDEM) analysis in all highway Detailed Project Reports. National Database for Emergency Management (NDEM) is a unique geo-portal that provides space-based inputs and forecasts for all natural disasters in India. It serves as a national repository of multi-scale geospatial data with decision support tools. It was developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) under the guidance of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). The portal is maintained by the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC).