IMPORTANT DAYS
Guru Nanak Jayanti 2025 observed on November 5.
• Guru Nanak Jayanti, or Gurpurab, will be observed on 5 November 2025, marking the 556th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev Ji.
• The festival is celebrated on Kartik Poornima, the full moon day of the Kartik month, which typically falls in November as per the Gregorian calendar.
• Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the founder of Sikhism, was born in 1469 at Talwandi—present-day Nankana Sahib in Pakistan.
• He attained spiritual awakening in 1496 at Sultanpur Lodhi, a turning point that shaped his teachings.
• Guru Nanak strongly opposed caste inequality, empty rituals, and idol worship, urging people to follow one formless, universal God.
• As the first Sikh Guru, he laid the foundation for a faith built on equality, compassion, and truthful living.
• He passed away in 1539, naming Guru Angad Dev Ji as the next guru to continue his spiritual legacy.
NATIONAL NEWS
IFFCO & Amul Ranked Among Top Global Cooperatives
• IFFCO and Amul have been featured among the world’s leading cooperatives in the ICA World Cooperative Monitor 2025 released in Doha, Qatar.
• The rankings assess cooperatives worldwide based on their contribution to GDP per capita and overall global performance.
• Amul, started in 1946, is owned by the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation and has built a vast dairy network showcasing India’s successful cooperative dairy model.
• Headquartered in Anand, Gujarat, Amul was founded by Tribhuvandas Patel and is a symbol of India’s “milk revolution” and grassroots empowerment.
• IFFCO (Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited), founded in 1967 and based in New Delhi, is a multi-state cooperative engaged in the manufacture and marketing of fertilisers.
• IFFCO is recognised for its farmer-centric approach and efforts toward sustainable fertiliser production, directly supporting agricultural growth.
• Together, Amul and IFFCO reflect India’s strong cooperative legacy, rooted in self-reliant, community-based development and inclusive economic growth.
International Election Visitors’ Program 2025
• The Election Commission of India has launched the International Election Visitors’ Program 2025 at the India International Institute for Democracy and Election Management in New Delhi.
• The initiative brings together 14 delegates from seven nations—France, South Africa, Belgium, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, and Colombia.
• These international observers will monitor polling activities during the first phase of the Bihar Assembly Elections on 6 November 2025.
• As part of their itinerary, the delegation will undertake a two-day field visit to Bihar.
• During the visit, they will tour Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) dispatch centres to understand India’s election logistics.
• The program strengthens global collaboration in election management, creating opportunities for exchange of best practices.
• This initiative is a flagship outreach effort of the Election Commission, aimed at deepening ties with international organisations and election bodies worldwide.
STATE NEWS
Gogabeel Lake Declared New Ramsar Site
• Gogabeel Lake in Bihar’s Katihar district has been added to the Ramsar list, earning global recognition as a wetland of international importance.
• With this designation, India’s total Ramsar sites have reached 94, strengthening its global standing in wetland conservation.
• Bihar now has six Ramsar sites, making it the third-highest after Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh.
• India remains Asia’s leader and ranks third worldwide in Ramsar sites, following the UK (176) and Mexico (144).
• Gogabeel is celebrated as Bihar’s first community reserve, protected with active participation from local communities.
• The lake is an oxbow-shaped wetland, positioned between the Ganga and Mahananda rivers, and naturally connects with them during monsoon floods.
• Wetlands like Gogabeel support flood regulation, water storage, and provide essential natural resources such as food and raw materials.
• The Ramsar Convention, signed on 2 February 1971 in Iran, guides global wetland protection and is commemorated each year as World Wetlands Day; it officially came into force on 21 December 1975.
SUMMIT AND CONFERENCES
CBSE Holds Its First International Sahodaya Conference in Dubai
• CBSE launched its first-ever International Sahodaya Conference in Dubai, alongside the 31st Sahodaya School Complexes meet—marking a global debut for the event.
• The gathering drew over 1,000 education leaders and stakeholders from various countries.
• The conference revolved around the theme “Rooted in Wisdom, Rising with Vision: Reimagining Education through NEP 2020.”
• The platform focused on strengthening global educational collaboration and supporting the rollout of India’s National Education Policy 2020.
• CBSE Chairperson Rahul Singh announced that from 2026–27, subjects for Class 9 onwards will be offered at standard and advanced levels.
• He also introduced the CBSE Global Curriculum 26, crafted to match international benchmarks.
• Policymakers and education authorities from across the Gulf region participated, enriching the discussions on future-ready education.
MISCELLANEOUS
India–Israel Defence Cooperation Strengthened with New MoU
• India and Israel signed a fresh MoU on 5 November to broaden their bilateral defence partnership.
• The document was exchanged during the 17th Joint Working Group (JWG) meeting on defence cooperation in Tel Aviv.
• The meeting was led jointly by Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh and Israel’s Defence Ministry Director-General Major General Amir Baram.
• The MoU lays down a clear strategic framework to deepen defence collaboration between the two countries.
• It focuses on technology sharing, joint development, and co-production of advanced defence systems.
• Both nations reviewed ways to boost operational preparedness and work together in new and emerging defence technologies.
• India and Israel also underlined the shared threat of terrorism and reaffirmed the need for continued cooperation to counter it effectively.
