President Presents Swachh Survekshan Awards 2025–26
President Droupadi Murmu presented the Swachh Survekshan Awards 2025–26 in New Delhi. She highlighted citizen participation, feedback, sanitation technology and the need to strengthen sanitation capacity in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities.
Key facts
President Droupadi Murmu presented the awards on November 11, 2026, in New Delhi.
The Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs organizes the Swachh Survekshan Awards.
The awards recognize clean cities and contributions to the Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban.
The President said citizen feedback should help improve municipal services, not just determine survey results or rankings.
She called for effective, affordable and safe sanitation technologies.
She urged special attention to the distinct needs and capacities of Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities.
Exam relevance: Relevant to questions on urban sanitation, the Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban and the role of citizen participation in local governance.
Visakhapatnam Port: Public Promenade and New Infrastructure Projects
Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal opened a public waterfront promenade at Visakhapatnam Port and laid foundation stones for cargo-terminal and sewage-treatment upgrades. The projects include local employment, berth mechanisation and reuse of treated water.
Key facts
The Rs 19 crore promenade extends about 710 metres from the Venkateswara Temple to the International Cruise Terminal.
It includes a walkway, two viewing decks, a park, a public plaza, a children's play area, a food court and visitor parking.
Three contracts cover the operation and maintenance of the WQ-1 and WQ-1RE, WQ-2 and WQ-3, and EQ-3 berths; operators must mechanise the berths and use environmental controls.
The terminal contracts are expected to employ about 500 local people.
The sewage-treatment plant is to be upgraded from 10 million litres per day to 15 million litres per day, including a new 5-million-litre plant.
Visakhapatnam Port reported cargo of 91.17 million metric tonnes in fiscal year 2025–26, about 10% above the previous year.
Exam relevance: Relevant to questions on Indian ports, port modernisation, public-private partnerships, green-port measures and infrastructure development.
Shilp Samagam Mela 2026 Records Sales of Approximately ₹73.49 Lakh
The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment’s 15-day Shilp Samagam Mela at Dilli Haat, INA, provides a platform for artisans and beneficiaries to showcase and sell traditional products. Four participating national corporations recorded cumulative sales of approximately ₹73.49 lakh from November 1 to 10, 2026.
Key facts
The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment organised the Mela at Dilli Haat, INA, New Delhi.
Four participating corporations recorded approximately ₹73.49 lakh in cumulative sales between November 1 and 10, 2026.
The corporations are NSFDC, NBCFDC, NSKFDC and NDFDC.
The Mela features more than 130 stalls with handicrafts, handloom products, textiles and other indigenous creations.
The Ministry provides participating artisans support including free stalls, travel expenses, daily allowances and transportation for goods.
Since 2022, the Melas have provided exhibition and marketing opportunities to more than 1,000 artisans from Scheduled Castes, Other Backward Classes and Safai Karamchari communities.
The 2026 Mela is scheduled to continue until November 15.
Exam relevance: Relevant to questions on Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment initiatives, inclusive livelihoods, artisan market access and the national corporations supporting specified beneficiary communities.
India–Myanmar Naval Exercise IMNEX-26 Begins at Visakhapatnam
The eighth edition of the India–Myanmar Naval Exercise (IMNEX-26) is being held at Visakhapatnam from 10 to 14 November 2026. The bilateral exercise includes professional exchanges and maritime operations to strengthen cooperation and interoperability between the two navies.
Key facts
IMNEX-26 is the eighth edition of the India–Myanmar Naval Exercise.
The exercise is scheduled at Visakhapatnam from 10 to 14 November 2026.
Myanmar Navy ship UMS King Sin Phyu Shin arrived on 10 November to participate.
INS Rana and INS Sumedha are participating alongside the Myanmar Navy ship.
The opening ceremony was held onboard INS Rana on 10 November.
The Harbour Phase includes professional exchanges, cross-deck visits and discussions on operational matters.
The Sea Phase will include coordinated maritime operations and tactical manoeuvres.
The exercise is aligned with India's MAHASAGAR vision.
Exam relevance: Relevant to defence and international relations, including India–Myanmar maritime cooperation and bilateral naval exercises.
Janjatiya Gaurav Pakhwada 2026 to Honour Tribal Heritage and Expand Welfare Outreach
The Ministry of Tribal Affairs will observe Janjatiya Gaurav Pakhwada nationwide from 1 to 15 November 2026, ending with Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas on 15 November. The planned activities include welfare outreach, infrastructure projects, cultural programmes and two digital initiatives.
Key facts
Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas is observed on 15 November, the birth anniversary of Bhagwan Birsa Munda.
The Government of India designated 15 November as Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas in 2021.
More than 300 projects for tribal communities are planned for the 2026 observance; 228 are ready for inauguration and 74 for foundation stone laying.
The Jan-HIT Portal, developed with ICMR, is described as India's first platform for tribe-disaggregated health data and covers 20 States.
The National FRA Digital Platform is planned to digitise the Forest Rights Act, 2006 claims process from Gram Sabha submission to digitally signed titles.
Tribal Research Institutes in 19 States and Union Territories have planned more than 160 Pakhwada activities.
Exam relevance: Relevant to questions on tribal welfare, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Bhagwan Birsa Munda, the Forest Rights Act, 2006, and government efforts to improve last-mile delivery of services.
India Rationalises Visa Categories and Simplifies Application Forms
The Ministry of Home Affairs has consolidated India’s visa framework to make travel categories clearer and applications simpler. The changes include revised visitor, medical, student and business visa provisions, alongside a substantial reduction in application-form fields.
Key facts
On 27 August 2026, the Ministry of Home Affairs reduced the main visa categories from 13 to 9 and sub-categories from 49 to 23.
This followed an October 2025 rationalisation that reduced main categories from 22 to 13 and sub-categories from 63 to 49.
The Tourist Visa was renamed the Visitor Visa, with V-1 for shorter visits and V-2 for longer visits and specified activities.
Medical visas distinguish treatment outside AYUSH systems (M-1) from AYUSH treatment (M-3); corresponding attendant visas are M-2 and M-4.
Student visas are divided into S-1 for education and S-2 for research and other specified academic activities.
Business visas are divided into B-1 for long-term, licence-based activities and B-2 for short-term, contract-based activities.
Required fields across 23 visa categories or sub-categories were reduced by 65%–70%; the Ministry said IT systems were being updated, with implementation planned by year-end.
Exam relevance: Relevant to questions on immigration administration, Ministry of Home Affairs policy, international mobility and India’s efforts to facilitate education, healthcare and business travel.
Women and Child Development Ministry reports outcomes of Special Campaign 6
The Ministry of Women and Child Development reported cleanliness and grievance-redressal activities across its field institutions during Special Campaign 6, held from 2 to 31 October 2026.
Key facts
The campaign aimed to improve cleanliness, streamline work and address pending grievances.
States and Union Territories held a dedicated one-day event on 30 October 2026.
Cleanliness activities were carried out in 12,08,313 field institutions across the country.
A total of 51,090 grievances were disposed of during the one-day event.
The campaign included 5,51,653 other activities, including plantation drives and handwashing messages.
Safai Mitras and sanitation workers were felicitated with new uniforms and awards.
Grievance Redressal Chaupals were organised in Mizoram.
Exam relevance: Useful for questions on government campaigns, cleanliness initiatives and grievance redressal involving the Ministry of Women and Child Development.
National Overseas Scholarship Supports SC Student’s Studies at UCL
A Scheduled Caste student from Maharashtra received National Overseas Scholarship assistance in 2025–26 to pursue an MSc in Construction Economics and Management at University College London.
Key facts
The National Overseas Scholarship is provided by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
The beneficiary is a Scheduled Caste student from Maharashtra.
The scholarship enabled him to study at University College London in the United Kingdom.
The reported tuition fee assistance was £39,800, with a maintenance allowance of £9,900.
The assistance also covered airfare, visa fees, insurance and other admissible academic expenses.
Exam relevance: Useful for exams covering government schemes, social justice and educational empowerment of Scheduled Caste communities.
Army Chief Highlights Future Warfighting at Mechanised Forces Symposium 2026
Chief of the Army Staff General Dhiraj Seth addressed the Mechanised Forces Symposium 2026 in New Delhi, highlighting innovation, jointness, technological adaptation and indigenous capability development as priorities for future warfighting.
Key facts
The symposium was held at the Manekshaw Centre, New Delhi, on 11 November 2026.
It was organised by the Cavalry Officers’ Association with the Directorate General of Mechanised Forces.
General Dhiraj Seth said Army transformation requires innovation, technological adaptation and agility, with the Yoddha at its core.
He identified coordination across Services and domains as important for future warfighting.
He reiterated the Army’s commitment to Aatmanirbharta through indigenous capabilities and partnerships with industry and academia.
The symposium’s programme included discussions on AI, autonomous kill chains, manned-unmanned teaming and integrated drone warfare.
The event was scheduled to conclude on 12 November with a discussion on the future of Indian Mechanised Forces.
Exam relevance: Relevant to defence and security topics, including military modernisation, jointness among the Services, mechanised warfare and self-reliance in defence capabilities.
Government Expands Rural 4G Connectivity Through 4G Saturation Project
The Department of Telecommunications reports a major reduction in villages without 4G connectivity and continued expansion through the 4G Saturation Project, BSNL deployments and additional sanctioned sites.
Key facts
Villages without 4G connectivity fell from 45,180 in 2022 to 11,372 in 2026, a reported reduction of nearly 75%.
The 4G Saturation Project was designed to provide connectivity to 24,680 previously unconnected villages.
BSNL had commissioned 18,291 sites under the 24,680-site rollout plan.
In October 2026, the BSNL sites served a maximum of 10,21,048 active users in one day.
Those users consumed over 1.86 crore GB of data in October 2026, averaging 18.3 GB per user for the month.
The Government has sanctioned an additional 26,000 mobile network sites for the next phase of expansion.
Exam relevance: Relevant to questions on rural telecommunications, digital inclusion, public infrastructure and the role of the Department of Telecommunications in expanding connectivity.
NAPDDR Supports De-addiction and Rehabilitation in Rajasthan
A District De-addiction Centre in Rajsamand provided medical care, counselling and rehabilitation support to a beneficiary under the National Action Plan for Drug Demand Reduction (NAPDDR). After recovery, he took up self-employment and reported a monthly income of ₹12,000.
Key facts
NAPDDR is a Government of India initiative for drug-demand reduction, including de-addiction and rehabilitation services.
The initiative is under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
The beneficiary received assistance from the District De-addiction Centre, Rajsamand, on 5 March 2026.
The centre is operated by Shubhdeep Group Seva Sansthan.
Support included medical consultation, counselling, yoga, meals, clothing and accommodation.
After recovery, the beneficiary took up self-employment and earned ₹12,000 per month, ₹5,000 more than before treatment.
Exam relevance: Useful for questions on government efforts to reduce drug dependence and provide rehabilitation, and on the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
Bharat Parv 2026 Celebrates India’s Cultural Diversity at Ekta Nagar
Bharat Parv 2026, organised by the Ministry of Tourism with Gujarat Tourism and support from States and Union Territories, showcases India’s regional arts, crafts, cuisines and performances at Ekta Nagar, Gujarat. Running from 30 October to 15 November 2026, the festival promotes the theme ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’.
Key facts
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the festival on 30 October 2026 as part of Rashtriya Ekta Diwas celebrations.
The festival is organised by the Ministry of Tourism in partnership with Gujarat Tourism, with support from States and Union Territories.
The Theme Pavilion features 29 States and Union Territories, Incredible India and Central Cottage Industries.
The pavilion showcases more than 100 One District One Product (ODOP) products.
The Food Court presents regional cuisines from 23 States and Union Territories.
The NCHMCT-managed Studio Kitchen demonstrates regional culinary practices and traditional food preparation.
Exam relevance: Useful for questions on cultural tourism, the Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat theme, ODOP, and the Ministry of Tourism’s cultural promotion initiatives.
Indian Navy Coordinates Sea Vigil-26 Coastal Defence Exercise
The Indian Navy is coordinating the fifth edition of the pan-India coastal defence exercise Sea Vigil from 11 to 19 November 2026. The exercise assesses maritime security and coastal defence preparedness across India’s coastline and Exclusive Economic Zone.
Key facts
Sea Vigil-26 is being held from 11 to 19 November 2026.
The Indian Navy is the lead agency coordinating the exercise.
The Coastal Defence and Security Readiness Evaluation phase runs from 11 to 17 November, followed by the Sea Phase on 18 and 19 November.
The exercise covers India’s coastline and Exclusive Economic Zone and involves all Coastal States and Union Territories.
Participating assets include those of the Indian Navy, Indian Coast Guard, Coastal Security Police, Customs and other maritime agencies.
Sea Vigil was conceptualised in 2018 to validate measures strengthening maritime security after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.
Sea Vigil is a build-up to the Indian Navy’s biennial Theatre Level Readiness Operational Exercise (TROPEX).
Exam relevance: Relevant to defence and internal security topics, including coastal security, maritime preparedness, inter-agency coordination and Indian Navy exercises.
