APPOINTMENTS
Ghazala Hashmi Becomes Virginia’s First South Asian American Lieutenant Governor
• India-born Ghazala Hashmi made history by becoming the first Indian-origin and South Asian American woman elected as Virginia’s Lieutenant Governor.
• She secured the win as a Democratic candidate, defeating Republican contender John Reid.
• Hashmi had earlier broken barriers in 2019 by becoming the first Muslim woman elected to the Virginia State Senate.
• She will assume office from Republican Winsome Earle-Sears.
• Earle-Sears herself was the first woman to ever serve as Virginia’s Lieutenant Governor.
• Hashmi originally hails from the Malakpet area of Hyderabad.
• She moved to the United States at the age of four, later rising to prominence in American public life.
SPORTS
Indian Players Shine in Latest ICC Women’s ODI Rankings
• India’s World Cup triumph over South Africa in Mumbai led to major jumps for several Indian players in the ICC ODI rankings.
• Jemimah Rodrigues broke into the top 10 ODI batters for the first time in her career.
• Her entry into the elite list was boosted by a match-winning century in the semifinal against Australia.
• Deepti Sharma climbed to the fourth spot among ODI all-rounders after an outstanding tournament.
• Deepti, who bagged the Player of the Tournament award, delivered with both bat and ball, taking seven wickets and adding key runs.
• Smriti Mandhana slipped to the second position as Laura Wolvaardt of South Africa claimed the No. 1 batting rank.
• Fast bowler Shree Charani made a significant leap, moving up seven positions to secure the 23rd spot globally.
STATE NEWS
Telangana Launches New AI Innovation Hub
• Telangana has introduced the Artificial Intelligence Innovation Hub to boost state-level AI research and development.
• The initiative targets placing Telangana among the top 20 global AI centres by 2035.
• The hub is designed as a unified platform to accelerate AI-based solutions and innovation.
• It will encourage multi-sector collaboration and advanced research work.
• The government aims to position the state as a major national leader in AI technology and innovation.
• Key academic partners include IIIT Hyderabad, BITS Pilani, ISB, NALSAR, IIT Hyderabad, and C-DAC.
• The hub is also backed by global tech giants such as Google, Microsoft, Infosys, and Amazon.
ECONOMY NEWS
India’s Foreign Exchange Reserves See a Significant Weekly Decline
• India’s overall forex reserves dropped by 5.6 billion USD, bringing the total to 690 billion USD as of the week ending October 31.
• The fall was driven mainly by a sharp reduction in gold reserves, which shrank by 3.8 billion USD to settle at 101.7 billion USD.
• Foreign currency assets (FCA), the biggest portion of the reserve basket, also slipped by nearly 2 billion USD, reaching 564.5 billion USD.
• Part of the FCA decline was linked to currency fluctuations involving major global currencies like the euro, pound, and yen.
• Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) recorded a minor decrease of 19 million USD, with the total now at 18.64 billion USD.
• Despite the overall fall, India’s IMF reserve position showed a slight improvement, rising by 164 million USD to 4.77 billion USD.
• The combined drop across components highlights the impact of both market movements and valuation changes on India’s external reserves.
DEFENCE
Commissioning of Indigenous Survey Vessel ‘Ikshak’
• The Indian Navy inducted the survey vessel ‘Ikshak’ on 6 November during a ceremony at the Kochi Naval Base.
• ‘Ikshak’ is the third ship built under the Survey Vessel (Large) class programme.
• Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi led the commissioning event.
• The vessel was constructed by Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) in Kolkata.
• With more than 80% indigenous content, the ship supports the goals of Aatmanirbhar Bharat.
• It will be the first in its class to operate under the Southern Naval Command.
• Equipped with high-end hydrographic tools like multi-beam sonar and autonomous underwater vehicles, the ship will enhance India’s coastal and deep-sea survey capabilities.
SUMMIT AND CONFERENCES
17th India Game Developer Conference (IGDC) Highlights
• Chennai hosted the 17th edition of the India Game Developer Conference from 5–7 November.
• On 6 November, Tamil Nadu signed multiple MoUs with key gaming-sector organisations to boost the industry.
• A state-backed Centre of Excellence for Gaming is planned to be established in Chennai within the next six months.
• Additional regional gaming hubs will come up in Coimbatore, Madurai, Trichy, Salem, and Tirunelveli.
• The state government will also introduce a dedicated facilitation cell to provide single-window support for gaming-related businesses.
• Tamil Nadu highlighted its strong economic performance with 11.9% GDP growth and the creation of over 10,800 start-ups in the past three years.
• IGDC remains one of the most influential gaming conferences globally, previously drawing over 4,000 participants and more than 200 speakers.
India at Bahrain International Commercial Courts Conference
• Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal attended the King Hamad Lecture and the Conference on Neutral Justice & the Future of International Commercial Courts in Bahrain on 5–6 November 2025.
• The forum was organised by Bahrain’s Council for International Dispute Resolution under the Ministry of Justice, Islamic Affairs, and Endowments.
• The event brought together global experts in law, arbitration, and judicial systems to discuss modern trends in international commercial courts.
• Meghwal delivered a keynote speech focused on strengthening commercial ties and legal cooperation between India and Bahrain.
• Justice Surya Kant and Senior Advocate Dr. Pinky Anand were among the key Indian participants contributing to the discussions.
• Meghwal highlighted the major legal and institutional reforms currently being pursued in India.
• He also reaffirmed India’s willingness to work closely with Bahrain’s dispute resolution institutions to boost cross-border justice mechanisms.
