Daily Current Affairs and GK | 18 November 2025

Topic: Art and Culture

1. Divya Kala Mela is being organised by the Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry at Lucknow University in Uttar Pradesh.

• The formal inauguration for the fair was done by Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Banwari Lal Verma on 16 November 2025.
• Divya Kala Mela will continue till 23rd November.
• It will feature nearly 100 artisans, entrepreneurs and performers with disabilities.
• They will come from about 18 states and union territories.
• Exhibitors will showcase region-specific products from across India, including items from Jammu & Kashmir and the North-East.
• A wide variety of goods including handicrafts, handloom pieces, embroidered work and packaged foods will be available to visitors.
• As per Ministry, aim of the event is to highlight the creativity and enterprise of Divyang artisans across the country.

Topic: Sports

2. Dhanush Srikanth has secured the air rifle gold medal at the 2025 Deaflympics in Tokyo.

• He set a new world record of 252.2 points in Tokyo.
• This victory also allowed him to defend his previous title from the last edition.
• Mohammed Vania scored 250.1 points and won the silver medal in the same event.
• Mahit Sandhu won the silver medal in the women’s air rifle event.
• Komal Waghmare won the bronze in the women’s air rifle event.
• This result gave India another double podium finish.
• The 2025 Summer Deaflympics is officially callled the 25th Summer Deaflympics or XXV Summer Deaflympics.
• It is an international multi-sport event. It is being organised in Tokyo, Japan from 15 to 26 November 2025.
• This event marks 100th anniversary of Deaflympics as first edition started in 1924.
• Deaflympics were previously known as World Games for the Deaf and International Games for the Deaf.

Topic: Reports and Indices

3. The report of the Sixteenth Finance Commission submitted to the President of India.

• The submission of the Sixteenth Finance Commission (XVIFC) Report for the award period 2026-27 to 2030-31 was made to the President of India on 17 November.
• The XVIFC was constituted by the Hon'ble President of India in pursuance of clause (1) of Article 280 of the Constitution.
• The Commission was chaired by Dr. Arvind Panagariya, with members Mrs. Annie George Mathew, Dr. Manoj Panda, Mr. T. Rabi Shankar and Dr. Soumya Kanti Ghosh, and Mr. Ritwik Pandey, Secretary, XVIFC, also accompanied the Chairperson.
• A copy of the XVIFC report was also presented to the Prime Minister and to the Union Finance Minister after the formal submission to the President.
• The XVIFC was tasked with submitting a five-year report starting from April 1, 2026, recommending how the net proceeds of taxes should be shared between the Union and the States and how these shares should be distributed among the States.
• It was also mandated to propose grants-in-aid for states and review the financing arrangements for disaster management initiatives.
• During its tenure, the XVIFC conducted an in-depth analysis of the finances of the Union and States and prepared its report after extensive consultations with multiple stakeholders, including governments, experts, and institutions.
• The final report is presented in two volumes.
• Volume I outlines the recommendations as per the ToR, while Volume II contains the related annexures.
• The report will enter the public domain once it is tabled in Parliament by the Union Finance Minister under Article 281.

Topic: Defence

4. The India–UK Joint Military Exercise ‘AJEYA WARRIOR-25’ commenced in Rajasthan.

• On 17 November, the eighth edition of the India-UK Joint Military Exercise commenced at the Foreign Training Node, Mahajan Field Firing Ranges, Rajasthan, under a United Nations mandate.
• The 14-day bilateral training program is scheduled from 17 to 30 November 2025 as part of long-standing military cooperation.
• Equal representation from the Indian Army and the British Army was ensured with a total of 240 participating personnel.
• The Sikh Regiment troops have been designated as the Indian Army’s representatives for the exercise.
• The training focuses on counter-terrorism operations in semi-urban terrain with joint mission planning at Brigade level.
• Integrated tactical drills and simulation-based scenarios form a major part of the exercise design.
• Field exercises at company level replicate real-world counter-terror contingencies.
• The exercise aims to strengthen tactical proficiency and improve joint operational responses between both forces.
• AJEYA WARRIOR, held biennially since 2011, has evolved into a flagship defence engagement for both nations.
• The 2025 edition reinforces shared objectives of professionalism, cooperation, regional stability and global peace.

Topic: National News

5. The communications minister said that India has become one of the most connected societies in the world.

• India’s position as one of the most connected societies in the world was highlighted by Union Minister of State for Communications, Dr. Pemmasani Chandra Shekhar.
• The statement was delivered during the High-Level Segment of the World Telecommunication Development Conference 2025 in Azerbaijan on 17 November.
• India’s massive digital ecosystem, covering 1.2 billion telecom subscribers, one billion internet users, and 1.4 billion digital identities, was noted by the minister.
• The minister emphasised that cybersecurity efforts must be viewed as a shared global responsibility.
• He called for close cooperation among nations to build resilient, cross-border cybersecurity frameworks.
• Calling for global digital unity, Dr. Chandrashekhar reaffirmed India's commitment to close partnership with all member countries of the International Telecommunication Union.
• India’s rapid and extensive 5G rollout, now covering 99% of districts, was presented as a global benchmark.

Topic: Summits/Conferences/Meetings

6. The 10^th Global Economic Summit and World Trade Expo will be held in Mumbai.

• The 10th Global Economic Summit (GES) and the 6th World Trade Expo will be hosted by the World Trade Centre (WTC) Mumbai and the All-India Association of Industries (AIAI) on the 21st and 22nd of November.
• The events will be conducted concurrently with the WTCA Asia Pacific Conference at Cuffe Parade, Mumbai.
• Support for the summit is being provided by the Ministry of External Affairs, the Ministry of MSME, the Government of Maharashtra and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA).
• Senior officials, ambassadors, consular representatives and global industry leaders are expected to participate in the programme.
• Representatives from over 85 World Trade Centres will join the summit.
• Around 600 Indian delegates and 150 international business leaders are set to participate.
• Eighty subject experts from major global regions will contribute to thematic discussions.
• The summit theme, “Accelerating Global Trade: Fostering Partnerships, Connectivity and Resilience”, focuses on strengthening value chains.
• Sectoral sessions, country pavilions, B2B meetings and exhibitions will form the core of the agenda.
• The programme aims to expand global partnerships, promote trade collaborations and support resilient economic systems.

Topic: Indian Economy

7. India’s total merchandise and services exports increased to 491.8 billion USD during April–October.

• This is an increase of more than 4.8% as compared to the same period in the last fiscal.
• As per provisional data from Commerce Ministry, merchandise exports in this period grew 0.62%. Imports increased 6.37%.
• Non-petroleum exports reached 219.9 billion USD in the first seven months of 2025.
• This is a growth of 3.92%. Total imports for April–October are estimated at close to 570 billion USD (569.95 billion US dollars).
• India’s merchandise trade deficit increased by 41.68 billion US dollars in October.
• This was an increase from 32.15 billion US dollars in September.
• Increase in merchandise trade deficit was driven largely bu a rise in gold and silver imports.
• A growth of 199.2% was registered in gold imports in October. 
• In October, merchandise exports decreased by 11.8% to 34.38 billion US dollars on an annual basis.
• Merchandise imports in October increased to roughly 76.1 billion USD. They grew by more than 16 percent over the previous year.

Topic: MoUs/Agreements

8. One-year deal to import 2.2 Million Tonnes of LPG from the US has been signed by India.

• A one-year agreement to import about 2.2 million tonnes of LPG annually from suppliers on the US Gulf Coast have been finalized by India’s state-run fuel companies.
• Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said the deal supports India’s strategy of widening its LPG supply base.
• The goal is to maintain reliable and cost-effective access for households.
• A delegation from Indian Oil Corporation, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited recently visited the United States.
• They discussed with major producers before signing the arrangement.
• Puri said that despite international LPG rates rising more than 60 percent last year, Ujjwala beneficiaries continued paying only 500–550 rupees per cylinder.
• The central government incurred more than 40,000 crore rupees in expenses last year to ensure that women do not face the burden of rising international prices.

Topic: Indian Economy

9. India’s labour force participation for people aged 15 and above climbed for the fourth month in a row in October.

• It reached a six-month peak of 55.4 percent. The LFPR in rural areas increased to 57.8 percent.
• The LFPR in urban areas declined to 50.5 percent during the same month.
• As per MoSPI data, national unemployment rate remained unchanged at 5.2 percent in October for those 15 years and older.
• A slight easing of rural unemployment from 4.6 in September to 4.4 percent in October helped keep the overall rate unchanged.
• Urban unemployment slightly increased from 6.8 to 7.0 percent.
• Female unemployment declined slightly to 5.4 percent. The male unemployment figure remained fixed at 5.1 percent.
• The Worker Population Ratio reached 52.5 percent. It was supported mainly by increased participation of women in rural regions.

Topic: Indian Economy

10. India’s MSME sector has expanded to one of the world’s largest networks with over seven crore enterprises.

• MSME Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi said that these MSME units presently support employment for over 30 crore individuals.
• He said the aim of government is to double this to nearly 60 crore jobs within five years.
• As per Civil Aviation Minister K. Ram Mohan Naidu, India has become the world’s third-largest aviation market.
• He said this reflects growing economic activity and improved connectivity.
• The  Airports Authority of India Pavilion at the 44th India International Trade Fair in New Delhi demonstrates airport operations.
• It also introduces young visitors to aviation systems and technology.