NATIONAL NEWS

Sardar@150 Unity March

• The Ministry of Youth and Sports Affairs announced a nationwide padyatra to mark 150 years of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s birth.

• The march will be held from 26 November to 6 December across multiple regions of the country.

• Union Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya described the Sardar@150 Unity March as a symbol of national unity and collective spirit.

• Over 10 lakh people have already joined 842 local padyatras leading up to the main national march.

• Core themes guiding the padyatra include Swachhata, Swadeshi, and Aatmanirbharta.

• The national march will begin from Karamsad, the ancestral village of Sardar Patel.

• The journey will span 150 km and conclude at the Statue of Unity.

AWARDS

CIMUSET Award for Science City Kolkata’s Climate Change Gallery

• The National Council of Science Museums received the CIMUSET Award for its climate change gallery “On The Edge?” at Science City, Kolkata.

• The honour was announced at the 27th ICOM General Conference in Dubai, marking a major recognition for India’s science museum sector.

• The 10,000 sq ft gallery, created by Science City under the Ministry of Culture, highlights urgent climate issues through engaging displays.

• The CIMUSET jury praised the project for its scientific depth, inclusivity, and commitment to social responsibility.

• Featuring interactive storytelling, AR–VR elements, and digital installations, the gallery explains human-driven climate change and the need for action.

• Since its inauguration on 11 January 2025, the gallery has drawn over one million visitors, boosting climate awareness among students and the public.

• The CIMUSET Award honours museums that support social transformation and the UN 2030 SDGs, and is overseen by ICOM’s global committee for science and technology museums.

SPORTS

India Shines at GT Open Indoor World Series 2025

• Indian archer Kushal Dalal clinched the men’s compound title at the GT Open Indoor World Series held in Strassen, Luxembourg.

• He claimed the gold by defeating former world No. 1 Stephen Hansen of the U.S. in the final round.

• Dalal entered the finals after a strong semifinal win against reigning world champion Nicolas Gerard of France.

• In the Under-21 men’s compound event, India’s Ganesh Mani Ratnam Thirumuru secured a bronze medal.

• The championship featured top global winners across categories.

• Roy Dror from Israel topped the recurve men’s category, while Spain’s Elia Canales won the recurve women’s title.

• Ella Gibson of Great Britain emerged champion in the compound women’s section.

India’s Performance at ISSF World Championships 2025

• Olympian Gurpreet Singh earned a silver medal in the men’s 25m centre fire pistol event at the ISSF World Championships in Cairo.

• He finished second, narrowly losing to Ukraine’s Pavlo Korostylov on inner-10 count.

• This marks Gurpreet’s second World Championship individual medal, his first being a 2018 silver in the 25m standard pistol event.

• India secured third place in the overall medal tally at the championship.

• The Indian contingent won 13 medals in total — 3 gold, 6 silver, and 4 bronze.

• China topped the table, followed by the Republic of Korea in second place.

• India’s gold medals came from Samrat Rana (10m air pistol), Ravinder Singh (50m standard pistol), and the men’s 10m air pistol team.

GOVERNMENT SCHEMES

YUVA AI for ALL – India’s Free National AI Learning Programme

• The Government of India has rolled out YUVA AI for ALL, a nationwide free AI learning course for the public.

• Introduced by the Ministry of Electronics and IT, the programme aims to boost AI awareness and literacy across the country.

• The 4.5-hour, self-paced course is designed to be simple, hands-on, and accessible to learners of all backgrounds.

• It is available on FutureSkills Prime, iGOT Karmayogi, and several major ed-tech platforms.

• The curriculum includes six concise modules covering essential concepts of artificial intelligence.

• Learners who finish the course will receive an official Government of India certification.

• As part of the IndiaAI Mission, the initiative seeks to equip one crore individuals with basic AI skills, emphasising ethical and responsible use of AI.

SUMMIT AND CONFERENCES

Third Chanakya Defence Dialogue 2025

• India will host the 3rd Chanakya Defence Dialogue in New Delhi, beginning on 27 November.

• The Ministry of Defence is organising this two-day forum to deliberate on major defence and security priorities.

• Discussions will centre on defence reforms, technological advancements, civil–military cooperation, and future goals for Viksit Bharat 2047.

• A curtain-raiser for the event was recently held at the Manekshaw Centre.

• The preview session was coordinated jointly by the Indian Army and the Centre for Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS).

• COAS General Upendra Dwivedi addressed the gathering, stressing the strong connection between national development and national security.

• The 2025 edition will follow the theme “Reform to Transform: Sashakt, Surakshit aur Viksit Bharat.”

International Seminar: 175 Years of the Geological Survey of India

• The Geological Survey of India is hosting an international seminar titled “Unearthing the Past, Shaping the Future” to mark 175 years of its establishment.

• The event will take place on 20–21 November 2025 at the Rajasthan International Centre in Jaipur, with Union Coal Minister G. Kishan Reddy inaugurating the programme.

• The seminar will feature 9 plenary talks and 19 special lectures, along with over 300 scientific and poster presentations across eleven themes.

• An accompanying exhibition will showcase advanced technologies, geospatial tools, and innovative industry solutions.

• During the event, MoUs with IIT Bombay and IIT Kharagpur will be formalised to boost cooperation in geoscience research and capacity development.

• Established in 1851 and headquartered in Kolkata, the GSI operates through six regional offices located in Lucknow, Jaipur, Nagpur, Hyderabad, Shillong, and Kolkata.

• Its core responsibilities include updating national geoscientific data, mineral resource mapping, airborne and marine surveys, and conducting various geo-technical, environmental, and natural hazards studies.

Regional Open Digital Health Summit 2025

• India hosted the Regional Open Digital Health Summit in New Delhi on 19–20 November 2025 to strengthen digital health cooperation across the Global South.

• The event was jointly organised by NeGD (MeitY), the National Health Authority, WHO-SEARO and UNICEF.

• The focus of the summit was creating strong digital public infrastructure to upgrade health systems in South-East Asia.

• It also pushed for adopting open, secure and interoperable digital health standards across participating nations.

• Union Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava highlighted India’s digital health progress built on governance reforms, open protocols and new technologies.

• This edition followed the first Open Digital Health Summit in Nairobi (2024), expanding the regional collaboration.

• The summit reinforced India’s support for Universal Health Coverage and WHO’s global digital health strategy.