CURRENT AFFAIRS 04 November, 2025

CURRENT AFFAIRS 04 November, 2025

1. ASIA-PACIFIC ECONOMIC COOPERATION (APEC) SUMMIT 2025 –

• The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit 2025, held in Gyeongju, South Korea, concluded with the adoption of the APEC Leaders’ Gyeongju Declaration (2025), reaffirming regional cooperation, digital transformation, and inclusive economic growth.

What are the Key Outcomes of APEC Summit 2025 ?

• Adoption of the Gyeongju Declaration (2025): The declaration reaffirmed APEC leaders’ commitment to inclusive economic growth, recognising the transformative impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and demographic shifts on labour markets.
• It outlined three priorities:
• Building the world’s most dynamic and interconnected regional economy.
• Preparing the region for digital and AI transformation
• Addressing shared challenges and ensuring growth benefits all
• APEC Artificial Intelligence (AI) Initiative (2026-2030): The AI initiative seeks to drive inclusive, resilient growth by boosting innovation, cooperation, capacity building, and sustainable, energy-efficient AI development.

2. CMS-03 (GSAT-7R) –

• The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully launched the GSAT-7R (CMS-03) communication satellite aboard the LVM-3 M5 (Launch Vehicle Mark-3) for the Indian Navy.
• The previous mission of LVM3 launched the Chandrayaan-3 mission, where India became the first country to land successfully near the lunar south pole.

About GSAT-7R(CMS-03)

• It is a part of India’s advanced defence communication satellite series GSAT-7.
• Launch Vehicle: Launch Vehicle Mark 3 (LVM3)
• Launch Site: Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC-SHAR), Sriharikota
• Orbit: The GSAT-7R (CMS-03) satellite was placed into a Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) with an elliptical orbit approximately 250 km at perigee and 29,970 km at apogee.
• From this orbit, it will gradually use its onboard propulsion to reach its final Geostationary Orbit, approximately 35,786 kilometers above Earth.
• A GTO is an elliptical orbit used to transfer a satellite from low Earth orbit (LEO) to a geosynchronous orbit (GEO).
• Weight: Approximately 4,400 kg, making it the heaviest communication satellite launched from Indian soil.
• The GSAT-11 launched in 2018 weighed over 5,800 kg but had used the European Ariane-5 rocket.

3. GURU NANAK JAYANTI 2025 –

• Guru Nanak Jayanti, also known as Gurpurab, is one of the most sacred festivals in Sikhism. It commemorates the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the first Sikh Guru and the founder of Sikhism. In 2025, the auspicious occasion will be celebrated globally with immense devotion, prayers, and community service, symbolizing the core Sikh principles of humility, equality, and compassion.

Date and Timings of Guru Nanak Jayanti 2025

• Guru Nanak Jayanti in 2025 will be observed on Wednesday, November 5, 2025.
• The celebrations coincide with Kartik Purnima, the full moon day in the Hindu month of Kartik, which holds special spiritual importance for Sikhs and Hindus alike.

Historical Background

• Guru Nanak Dev Ji was born in 1469 in Rai Bhoi Ki Talwandi (now known as Nankana Sahib in Pakistan).
• He dedicated his life to spreading the message of oneness of God, equality of all human beings, and the importance of truthful living.
• His teachings laid the foundation of Sikhism and inspired millions to follow the path of righteousness and service.

4. OPENAI, AMAZON SIGN $38 BILLION DEAL FOR AI EXPANSION AWS –

• In a landmark move that redefines the global artificial intelligence (AI) landscape, OpenAI and Amazon Web Services (AWS) have entered a $38 billion partnership to expand OpenAI’s AI capabilities—including the infrastructure behind ChatGPT—on AWS’s massive cloud network. Announced on 3 November 2025, the deal will allow OpenAI to run and scale its AI workloads using AWS’s powerful infrastructure, including millions of CPUs and hundreds of thousands of NVIDIA GPUs, setting the stage for one of the most significant compute deployments in AI history.

What’s in the Deal?

• This multi-year agreement marks a strategic partnership where AWS will become a key provider of computing power to OpenAI.
• Key elements include,
• $38 billion investment value, with initial deployment already underway.
• Access to high-performance NVIDIA GPU clusters, critical for training large AI models.
• Scaling to tens of millions of CPUs, essential for running inference and applications at global scale.
• Full deployment targeted by end of 2026, with scope for expansion through 2027 and beyond.

5. GOGABEEL LAKE IN BIHAR DECLARED NEWEST RAMSAR SITE –

• Gogabeel Lake, located in the Katihar district of Bihar, has been officially designated a Ramsar site, gaining global recognition as a wetland of international importance. With this, India adds yet another name to its growing list of protected wetlands under the Ramsar Convention, strengthening its commitment to wetland conservation and biodiversity protection.

Where is Gogabeel Lake?

• Situated in the trans-Gangetic plains, Gogabeel is a unique ox-bow lake—a naturally formed wetland created by the meandering course of rivers.

Geographical highlights,

• Flanked by River Mahananda in the northeast and River Ganga in the south
• Lies in the Katihar district of Bihar
• First declared as Bihar’s Community Reserve, reflecting strong community involvement in its preservation
• This positioning in a riverine landscape makes Gogabeel a critical hydrological and ecological buffer zone.

MCQ QUIZ

Q1.   Where is the tri-service exercise ‘Poorvi Prachand Prahar’ being conducted ?

1. a) Arunachal Pradesh
2. b) Assam
3. c) Manipur
4. d) Nagaland

Q2.   Which organization is responsible for implementing the National Beekeeping & Honey Mission (NBHM)

1. a) National Horticulture Board (NHB)
2. b) National Bee Board (NBB)
3. c) National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC)
4. d) Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA)

Q3.   The Ramnami tribe is mainly found in which state ?

1. a) Chhattisgarh
2. b) Andhra Pradesh
3. c) Gujarat
4. d) Maharashtra

Q4.   Which of the following correctly describes the LVM3 launch vehicle ?

1. a) It is India’s heaviest rocket, capable of launching 4,000 kg to Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO), and utilizes an indigenous cryogenic upper stage.
2. b) It is a four-stage rocket that uses solid propellants in all its stages.
3. c) It successfully launched CMS-03, India’s lightest-ever communication satellite.
4. d) It is primarily used for launching satellites into Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and cannot perform multi-satellite deployments.

Explanation-

• Option (a) is the most accurate description. The Launch Vehicle Mark-III (LVM3) is India’s most powerful and heaviest launch vehicle. It is a three-stage rocket, not four.
• The stages are: two S200 solid boosters, one L110 liquid stage, and crucially, the C25 cryogenic upper stage, which is indigenously developed. Its primary capability is placing heavy satellites into Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO), with a capacity of 4,000 kg (4 tonnes). It can also launch up to 8,000 kg to Low Earth Orbit (LEO).

Q5.   Match the Indian city with its designated field under the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN):

          List I (City)             List II (Field)

1. Kozhikode 1. Gastronomy
2. Gwalior 2. Literature
3. Lucknow         3. Crafts and Folk Arts
4. Srinagar 4. Music

          Select the correct answer using the code given below:

1. a) A-2, B-4, C-1, D-3
2. b) A-1, B-2, C-4, D-3
3. c) A-1, B-4, C-2, D-3
4. d) A-2, B-3, C-1, D-4

Explanation-

• Kozhikode (2023) was designated in the field of Literature, becoming India’s first city with this recognition.
• Gwalior (2023) was designated in the field of Music, joining Chennai and Varanasi in this category.
• Lucknow (2025) is the most recent addition, designated in the field of Gastronomy for its rich Awadhi cuisine, following Hyderabad (2019).
• Srinagar (2021) was designated in the field of Crafts and Folk Arts, joining Jaipur in this category.

Answer Key