SUMMIT AND CONFERENCE

PM Modi’s Visit to Coimbatore for South India Natural Farming Summit

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be in Coimbatore on 19 November to address the South India Natural Farming Summit, hosted by farmers’ organisations in Tamil Nadu.

• During the event, he is expected to engage with around 50 organic farming scientists representing Southern states.

• The summit’s objective is to shape policy frameworks that encourage large-scale adoption of natural and chemical-free farming methods.

• A major goal is to build a community-led movement that strengthens sustainable, inclusive, and farmer-friendly agriculture.

• The event will feature 300 exhibition stalls, along with live demonstrations showcasing practical natural farming models.

• Interactive discussions with experts, scientists, and policymakers will help farmers understand innovative and eco-friendly techniques.

• The summit aligns with national programmes including Bharatiya Prakritik Krishi Paddhati (BPKP) and the Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) to boost natural farming across India.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

GCC Clears One-Stop Travel System for Seamless Movement Across Gulf Nations

• The Gulf Cooperation Council has approved a unified travel system aimed at making movement between member countries far smoother and faster.

• UAE and Bahrain will launch the pilot phase in December 2025, testing the integrated travel mechanism.

• The announcement came during the 42nd GCC Interior Ministers’ Meeting held in Kuwait City.

• Under the new model, Gulf citizens will complete all travel formalities—immigration, customs, and security—at one consolidated checkpoint before boarding.

• Once fully rolled out, flights within the Gulf will be as effortless as domestic travel, with passengers able to simply land, pick up luggage, and leave the airport.

• A shared electronic platform will support the system, ensuring real-time coordination and smooth data exchange among GCC members.

• Parallel to this initiative, the Gulf Railway Authority reaffirmed plans to finish the 2,177-km GCC rail network by 2030, creating a fully connected regional corridor for both passengers and freight.

STATE NEWS

PMGSY Projects Launched Across J&K by Dr. Jitendra Singh

• On 15 November, Dr. Jitendra Singh virtually inaugurated and laid foundation stones for a wide set of PMGSY rural road projects across several Jammu & Kashmir districts.

• He underlined that these works reflect the government’s push to strengthen rural connectivity, especially in previously unserved habitations.

• The Minister launched 45 new road projects spanning five districts and opened nine completed roads across three districts.

• The newly sanctioned 45 roads involve an investment of ₹92,423.82 lakh, while the completed projects dedicated to the public cost ₹8,677.92 lakh.

• Dr. Singh noted that many projects originated from inputs of local representatives, reinforcing a bottom-up model of development for balanced growth in Jammu.

• He acknowledged security-related challenges and assured close coordination with security forces, especially in the backdrop of Operation Sindoor, to ensure safe project execution.

• Among new works, he laid the foundation for the Channi Morh–Lower Sounthan link road, sanctioned at ₹799.69 lakh, which will improve mobility for nearly 755 residents.

ECONOMY NEWS

Wholesale Inflation Slips Further Into Deflation in October 2025

• India’s wholesale inflation dropped sharply to –1.21% in October, deepening from 0.13% in September.

• The decline was driven by lower prices of food items, crude oil, natural gas, electricity, mineral oils, and basic metals.

• The WPI food index stayed unchanged at 192.0, but its year-on-year inflation fell to –5.04%, compared to –1.99% in the previous month.

• Food prices under WPI remained in deflation for the second straight month.

• Primary articles saw a deflation of 6.18%, while fuel and power categories posted a 2.55% price decline.

• Inflation in manufactured goods moderated to 1.54% in October, down from 2.33% in September.

• While WPI reflects wholesale-level price changes, consumer-level inflation also softened, with retail inflation easing to 0.25% in October.

2nd Udyog Samagam 2025 Highlights

• Union Minister Piyush Goyal addressed the second Udyog Samagam 2025, organised by DPIIT with participation from Industries Ministers of 14 States and UTs.

• The conference reviewed progress under the Business Reforms Action Plan (BRAP) 2024 and honoured top-performing States/UTs across 25 reform categories.

• Uttarakhand and Punjab emerged as leading performers, topping five reform areas each.

• States such as Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, West Bengal, J&K, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, and Chhattisgarh were recognised for excellence in four reform areas.

• Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and Odisha excelled in three reform areas, while Gujarat, Karnataka, and Tripura were acknowledged in two areas.

• Under the BRAP fast-mover list (Category Y), Odisha, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Assam, Uttarakhand, J&K, and Karnataka showed notable improvement.

• BRAP 2024 evaluated 434 reform points, using a scoring model with 70% weightage to user feedback and 30% to documentary evidence, with all North-Eastern States and UTs placed under Category X (Aspirers).

DEFENCE

3rd Indian Military Heritage Festival

• The third edition of the Indian Military Heritage Festival opened in New Delhi, spotlighting India’s rich martial traditions alongside advancements in modern defence technology.

• Raksha Rajya Mantri Sanjay Seth inaugurated the event and addressed the audience at the United Service Institution of India.

• He stressed the importance of preserving India’s military heritage and reinforcing a culture of self-reliance in the defence sector.

• The minister noted that indigenisation, domestic innovation, and new-age technologies are central to strengthening national defence capabilities.

• During the ceremony, he released key defence publications, including The Sukraniti: Statecraft and Warcraft by Col. P.K. Gautam (Retd.) and Honours & Awards of the Indian Armed Forces by Dr. A.K. Mishra.

• The festival includes panel discussions, exhibits, and interactive sessions to deepen public engagement with India’s military evolution.

• The event aims to enhance awareness of how India’s military legacy continues to influence present-day security planning and strategic priorities.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

India Emerges as the 6th Largest Patent-Filing Nation

• Union Minister Jitendra Singh announced that India now ranks sixth globally in patent filings, with over 64,000 applications submitted.

• He noted a major shift in innovation trends, stating that Indian residents account for nearly 55% of all patent applications filed in the country.

• The minister made these remarks while addressing the INNOTECH’25 Annual Tech Fest at a university in Ghaziabad.

• He highlighted India's strong progress in the Global Innovation Index, where the nation jumped from Rank 81 to Rank 38.

• Breakthroughs such as Chandrayaan-3 and the world’s first DNA-based vaccine were cited as examples of India’s scientific momentum.

• Singh appreciated platforms like INNOTECH’25 for promoting private-sector participation and innovation ecosystems.

• He encouraged students to explore entrepreneurship and tech-led careers, after reviewing their projects in AI, ML, IoT, automation, biotechnology, and disaster management.