CURRENT AFFAIRS 07 November, 2025

CURRENT AFFAIRS 07 November, 2025

1. BRICS PAY: A BID TO REDUCE SWIFT DEPENDENCE –

• BRICS is seeking to reduce Western dominance in global financial architecture by developing BRICS Pay, a cross-border payments framework intended to reduce reliance on the US–led Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT) system.

What is BRICS Pay?

• Background for BRICS led Financial System: BRICS began pursuing financial autonomy at the 2014 Fortaleza Summit by creating the New Development Bank and the Contingent Reserve Arrangement.
• US and EU sanctions on Russia in 2015 pushed members to explore greater use of local currencies, leading to currency-swap and settlement cooperation by 2017.
• This effort culminated at the 2024 Kazan Summit with the launch of BRICS Pay to boost local-currency cross-border settlements and strengthen intra-BRICS banking networks.
• BRICS Pay: It is a proposed cross-border payment system to facilitate trade and financial transactions among BRICS member nations using local currencies, thereby reducing dependence on systems like SWIFT and the USD.
• It is part of the BRICS Cross-Border Payments Initiative, aimed at increasing financial sovereignty, economic cooperation, and resilience against sanctions.

2. INDIA’S 1ST DIGITAL MUSEUM OF TRIBAL FREEDOM FIGHTERS –

• The Prime Minister inaugurated India’s first digital museum, Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh Memorial and Tribal Freedom Fighters Museum, in Nava Raipur Atal Nagar, Chhattisgarh.
• Key Features of First Digital Museum: Its wood-carved entrance by Sarguja artisans and digital leaves depict 14 tribal revolts.
• It highlights major uprisings like the Halba Rebellion (Chhattisgarh) and Sarguja Revolt (Chhattisgarh), featuring sculptures of tribal leaders such as Birsa Munda and Gend Singh.

Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh

• About: Veer Narayan Singh was born in 1795 in Sonakhan (Chhattisgarh) to Zamindar Ramasai Singh, who had rebelled against the British and Bhosales (1818–19).
• A Binjwar tribe leader, he was known as a just and benevolent ruler dedicated to people’s welfare.
• Contribution to Freedom Struggle: During the 1856 famine, he seized grain to feed villagers, leading to his arrest.
• Escaping in 1857, he raised an army of 500 tribals and fought against the British during the 1857 revolt before being captured and executed in December 1857, becoming Chhattisgarh’s first freedom fighter.

3. PM MODI LAUNCHES 150‑YEAR CELEBRATION OF “VANDE MATARAM” –

• On 7 November 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi formally inaugurated the year‑long commemoration of 150 years of the national song Vande Mataram. The event, held in New Delhi at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, also featured the release of a commemorative stamp and coin, and the launch of a dedicated digital portal for citizens to participate and upload their renditions of the song. This milestone is significant for understanding India’s cultural identity, national‑song heritage, and government social‑mobilisation efforts — all relevant for current affairs and competitive exam preparation.

Historical Background of “Vande Mataram”

• The song “Vande Mataram” was composed by Bankim Chandra Chatterji around 7 November 1875, on the occasion of Akshaya Navami.
• It first appeared in his novel Anandamath through the Bengali journal Bangadarshan, thereby becoming a symbol of the awakening of India’s national conscience.
• The song assumes spiritual, cultural and political significance—as a call for freedom, unity and devotion to the motherland.
• In 1950, the first President of India, Rajendra Prasad, declared that “Vande Mataram”, which played a historic role in the freedom movement, should be accorded equal honour with the national anthem, Jana Gana Mana.

4. INS IKSHAK JOINS NAVY: WHAT MAKES IT SPECIAL ? –

• On 6 November 2025, the Indian Navy commissioned INS Ikshak, the third ship of the Survey Vessel Large (SVL) class, at Naval Base Kochi. This marks a pivotal development in India’s maritime infrastructure and self-reliant defence manufacturing. Designed and built under the Make in India initiative, INS Ikshak significantly enhances the Navy’s capacity for hydrographic surveys, disaster relief, and strategic maritime operations.

The SVL Class: A Strategic Asset

• The SVL project, initiated under a 2018 contract with Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata, aims to deliver four large survey vessels.
• These ships are designed to conduct deep-water and coastal surveys, map navigational routes, and collect vital oceanographic data for both defence and civilian applications.
• INS Sandhayak and INS Nirdeshak were the first two vessels to be commissioned.
• With the induction of INS Ikshak, the Navy is closer to completing the planned SVL fleet, reinforcing its ability to safeguard sea lanes and support marine infrastructure development.

5. NATIONAL CANCER AWARENESS DAY 2025 –

• Every year on November 7, India observes “National Cancer Awareness Day”, a day dedicated to spreading awareness about cancer prevention, early detection, and timely treatment. The observance honours the legacy of scientist “Marie Curie”, whose pioneering research on radioactivity paved the way for cancer therapy. It serves as a vital reminder that awareness and early intervention remain the strongest defences against one of the world’s most challenging diseases.

History and Origin of the Day

• National Cancer Awareness Day was first announced in “2014” by the “Ministry of Health and Family Welfare”, under the leadership of then Union Health Minister “Dr Harsh Vardhan”. The date, November 7, commemorates the “birth anniversary of Marie Curie”, the two-time Nobel laureate who discovered radium and polonium, elements crucial to cancer treatment research. Since its inception, the day has aimed to promote public understanding of cancer, its risk factors, and the importance of regular screening.

MCQ QUIZ

Q1.   Kartik Naach Festival is mainly celebrated in which state ?

1. a) Nepal
2. b) Bhutan
3. c) Myanmar
4. d) Bangladesh

Q2.   Which Indian state, known as the “Rice Bowl of India,” has recently emerged as a leading producer and exporter of fortified rice ?

1. a) Punjab
2. b) Chhattisgarh
3. c) Haryana
4. d) Andhra Pradesh

Q3.   Recently, Hockey India has begun its centenary celebrations in 2025 to mark how many years since the establishment of the Indian Hockey Federation ?

1. a) 100 years
2. b) 75 years
3. c) 90 years
4. d) 50 years

Q4.   Consider the following statements regarding Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA):

          Statement I: APEDA’s recent facilitation of Fortified Rice Kernel (FRK) export to Costa Rica showcases India’s capability in advanced food fortification.

          Statement II: APEDA, as a statutory body under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, is mandated to promote and develop the export of processed food products.

          Statement III: FRK is produced using extrusion technology to blend rice flour with micronutrients like iron and folic acid, which is then mixed with regular rice in a 1:100 ratio.

          Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements ?

1. a) Both Statement II and Statement III are correct and both of them explain Statement I
2. b) Both Statement II and Statement III are correct but only one of them explains Statement I
3. c) Only one of the Statements II and III is correct and that explains Statement I
4. d) Neither Statement II nor Statement III is correct

Explanation-

• Statement I is a correct assertion. The event (export of FRK) highlights India’s technical ability in the food processing sector.
• Statement II is a correct statement of fact. APEDA’s legal mandate and administrative ministry are accurately described. This statement directly explains Statement I because it clarifies why APEDA was the agency involved in this “facilitation” – it is its specific job to promote such exports.
• Statement III is also a correct statement of fact. It accurately describes the technical composition and manufacturing process of FRK. However, the nature of the product (Statement III) is distinct from the reason for its facilitated export (Statement II).
• Therefore, both Statements II and III are correct, but only Statement II provides a direct explanation for Statement I.
• The fortification of rice to create FRK is a specific technological process designed to combat anaemia and malnutrition, which are often linked to deficiencies in iron, folic acid, and vitamin B12. These three are the key micronutrients. The technology used is extrusion, where rice flour is mixed with a premix of these nutrients, water, and then passed through an extruder to create a kernel-like shape that resembles natural rice. This “reconstituted” grain is stable and blends easily with regular rice, typically in a 1:100 ratio (1 part FRK to 100 parts regular rice).

Q5.   Consider the following statements regarding the seismic waves generated during an earthquake:

1. The hypocenter is the point on the Earth’s surface directly above the point where the earthquake begins.
2. Aftershocks are smaller tremors that occur before the mainshock, caused by the gradual buildup of stress.
3. P-waves are compressional waves, and S-waves are shear waves; this difference in wave type is used to locate the epicenter.

          How many of the above statements are correct ?

1. a) Only one
2. b) Only two
3. c) All three
4. d) None

Explanation-

• Statement 1 is incorrect. The hypocenter is the point inside the Earth where the quake begins. The point on the surface directly above it is the epicenter.
• Statement 2 is incorrect. Aftershocks are smaller quakes that follow the mainshock. The smaller tremors that precede the mainshock are called foreshocks.
• Statement 3 is correct. P-waves are “(fast, compressional)” and S-waves are “(slower, shear).” “Triangulation method” is “used to locate the epicenter using P (primary) and S (secondary) wave data.” The difference in their arrival times (because P-waves are faster) at different seismograph stations allows for this triangulation.

Answer Key