The 3rd International Ayurveda Conference was jointly organized by the Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre (SVCC) and Conayur, São Paulo, Brazil, from November 14–15, 2025. The two-day event, held under the aegis of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), commemorated 40 years of Ayurveda in Brazil and brought together experts, practitioners, scholars, and students,
from across Latin America and India. The deliberations centered on the theme “Diversity and Inclusion in Ayurveda: Caring for Everybody and Every Being.”
The conference was inaugurated by Ambassador of India to Brazil, H.E. Shri Dinesh Bhatia, who highlighted the growing collaboration between India and Brazil in traditional systems of healthcare.
He observed that Ayurveda’s global relevance is being reinforced through advancing scientific research and international collaboration, which will further find expression at the forthcoming WHO–Ministry of Ayush Global Summit on Traditional Medicine, to be held in New Delhi from 17th to 19th December 2025.
The Ambassador acknowledged Brazil’s pioneering contribution as the first South American country to officially recognize Ayurveda and referred to the recent visit of Brazil’s Vice President, Mr. Geraldo Alckmin, to the All India Institute of Ayurveda, New Delhi, as a landmark in strengthening bilateral cooperation.
The conference featured thematic lectures, plenary sessions, and a general assembly focusing on critical issues including ancestral knowledge, diversity and inclusion in Ayurveda, and the professional regulation of Ayurveda in Brazil.
Organizers announced that Ayurveda has now been included in the Brazilian Classification of Occupations, marking a historic recognition for the system.
The Consul General of India in São Paulo, Shri Hansraj Singh Verma underscored the importance of India–Brazil cooperation in advancing natural and preventive healthcare solutions.
The two-day programme included lectures such as Daivavyapashraya: The Healing of the Soul – A Bridge between the Ganges and the West by Paulo Bastos Gonçalves, From Prithvi to Ākāśa: The Journey of Subtle Transformation by Vanessa Santetti, and Ayurveda as a Path of Healing by Dr. Rita Beatriz Tocantins, among several others.
The conference concluded with the roundtable The Future of Ayurveda in Brazil: Building the Next 40 Years.
The deliberations reaffirmed the growing global footprint of Ayurveda and set the stage for the upcoming WHO–Ministry of Ayush Global Summit on Traditional Medicine in New Delhi.
In a major boost to consumer rights, the e-Jagriti platform of the Department of Consumer Affairs has emerged as a transformative digital grievance redressal system, registering over two lakh users since its launch on January 1, 2025.
The platform streamlines procedures for citizens by reducing paperwork, minimizing travel, and cutting down physical documentation, thereby promoting environmental sustainability. It also strengthens access for NRIs by removing geographical barriers and enabling them to assert their consumer rights from abroad.
The Indian Navy is poised to script another milestone in its indigenous shipbuilding journey with the commissioning of Mahe, the first of the Mahe-class Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC), at the Naval Dockyard, Mumbai, on 24 Nov 2025.
Built by Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL), Kochi, Mahe represents the cutting edge of India’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative in naval ship design and construction. Compact yet powerful, the ship embodies agility, precision and endurance - qualities vital for dominating the littorals.
With over 80 percent indigenous content, the Mahe-class showcases India’s growing mastery in warship design, construction and integration. Named after the historic coastal town of Mahe on the Malabar Coast, the ship’s crest features an ‘Urumi’, the flexible sword of Kalaripayattu, symbolising agility, precision, and lethal grace.
The commissioning of Mahe will mark the arrival of a new generation of indigenous shallow-water combatants - sleek, swift, and resolutely Indian.
The United Service Institution of India (USI) hosted the Third Annual Indian Military Heritage Festival (IMHF) at its New Delhi campus on November 14-15, 2025, bringing together senior military leaders, policymakers, diplomats, scholars, authors, think-tanks, industry representatives and the public.
The festival was inaugurated by Raksha Rajya Mantri Shri Sanjay Seth and saw the participation of Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan. The festival provided a vibrant space to showcase India’s military heritage, engage on contemporary strategic & security issues and highlight emerging ideas shaping the country’s defence ecosystem.
The Third Annual Edition featured an exhibition of iconic military paintings by Lt Col Arul Raj (Retd) and the release of notable publications, including The Sukraniti: Statecraft and Warcraft by Col PK Gautam (Retd), Honours and Awards of the Indian Armed Forces by Dr AK Mishra, and 75 Years of India’s Contribution to UN Peacekeeping by Maj Gen PK Goswami, VSM (Retd).
Distinguished dignitaries such as the Governor of Tamil Nadu Shri R.N. Ravi and Shri Sambhaji Raje Chhatrapati also graced the occasion.
Since its inaugural edition in 2023 at the Manekshaw Centre, the 2025 edition continued the tradition in strengthening its role as a premier platform celebrating India’s military heritage.
The Annual Navy Education Society (NES) Conference 2025 was successfully conducted at the Eastern Naval Command, Visakhapatnam, from 10 to 13 Nov 2025.
The conference featured pivotal meetings of the Executive Committee, Management Advisory Committee (MAC), and Academic Advisory Committee (AAC) focusing on policy framework and operational aspects of Naval Schools amidst the transformative implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
The Executive Committee meeting, held on 12 Nov 2025, was chaired by VAdm CR Praveen Nair, Controller Personnel Services and Chairperson of NES. The MAC and AAC sessions were led by Cmde SM Urooj Athar, Commodore (Naval Education) and Vice Chairperson of NES.
For the first time, the NES Annual Conference welcomed the participation of Sankalp Schools – institutions dedicated to fostering education, pre-vocational training, and life-skills development for children with special needs within the Naval community – underscoring a strengthened commitment to inclusivity and collaborative growth.
The Chairperson also unveiled the revised Vision and Mission Statements of the Navy Education Society, realigned with the overarching mandate of cultivating a robust framework that transforms students into future-ready citizens grounded in a strong value system.
The Supreme Court on November 13, 2025 directed the Jharkhand government to declare 31,468.25 hectares of the Saranda forest area as a wildlife sanctuary, balancing biodiversity protection with sustainable iron ore mining.
A team from the Assam State Zoo and Botanical Garden has recorded the first case of albinism in the checkered keelback (Fowlea piscator), also called the Asian water snake, in Assam.
Wildlife officials said a juvenile albino checkered keelback, measuring 290 mm in length, was found near the zoo in Guwahati.
The researchers released the snake into a protected forest habitat within three days of its use as a specimen for study.
A non-venomous snake, the checkered keelback is a common species in the subfamily Natricinae of the family Colubridae. However, the albino checkered keelback is not so common.
According to a study published in Reptiles & Amphibians, a peer-reviewed international open-access journal, albinism is an extremely rare genetic trait in wild snakes, characterised by the absence of melanin pigment, resulting in pale colouration and, often, red eyes.
The researchers said hypopigmentation, resulting in albinism or leucism (partial loss of pigmentation), had earlier been reported in snakes from Gujarat, Maharashtra, Mizoram, and West Bengal in India and Dhanusha district in Nepal.
Odisha's Puri Golden Beach and Sunapur Beach have once again achieved the prestigious International Blue Flag certification for the 2025-26 cycle, solidifying their status as global models for sustainable and clean coastlines.
This eco-label, awarded by the Denmark-based Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), requires adherence to 33 stringent criteria covering environmental responsibility, safety, water quality, and accessibility.
Punjab has become the first state in the country to implement the amended Bharat Net Scheme throughout the State. With this the border state can be monitored live from any location in the country.
Receiving the award for the implementation of the scheme, Chief Secretary, KAP Sinha said that internet and broadband services have been provided in the 43 shadow areas in the State with only one village remaining. By the end of November month, each and every village would be brought under the ambit of the scheme.
He received the award from CGM, BSNL, Punjab Circle, Ajay Kumar Kararha.
Notably, the Bharat Net Scheme aims to provide broadband connectivity to all of the country’s Gram Panchayats besides the households and the institutions. It also envisions e – health & e – governance services in rural sectors.
The Telecom Commission approved the implementation of the project in three phases on 30.04.2016:
Phase I: Focused on laying optical fibre cables to connect 1 lakh Gram Panchayats by utilising existing infrastructure. This phase was completed in December 2017.
Phase II(ongoing): Expanded coverage to an additional 1.5 lakh Gram Panchayats using optical fibre, radio, and satellite technologies. This phase incorporated collaborative efforts with state governments and private entities.
Phase III(ongoing): Aims at future-proofing the network by integrating 5G technologies, increasing bandwidth capacity, and ensuring robust last-mile connectivity. This phase is ongoing. The Amended BharatNet Program (ABP) approved in August 2023 can be considered part of this evolution.
Muscat, Oman – The Sultanate of Oman has been elected to the UNESCO International Coordinating Council of the Man and the Biosphere Programme (MAB) for the 2025‑2029 term.
This major milestone occurred during the 43rd session of the UNESCO General Conference in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
By winning a seat on the MAB Council, Oman positions itself among a select group of nations that help steer global efforts in balancing human development with the conservation of nature.The election reflects Oman’s growing reputation in environmental governance.
India’s tuberculosis (TB) incidence, with new cases emerging every year, fell by 21% from 237 TB cases per lakh population in 2015 to 187 per lakh population in 2024, almost double the pace of decline observed globally, at 12%, according to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Global TB Report 2025, the Union Health Ministry said in a release issued on November 12, 2025.
This was one of the highest declines in TB incidence globally, outpacing reductions noted among other high-burden countries.
India’s TB mortality rate has decreased from 28 per lakh population in 2015 to 21 per lakh population in 2024, reflecting significant progress in reducing deaths due to TB.
Since its launch in December 2024, India’s flagship TB elimination mission, the TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan, has achieved extensive reach, screening over 19 crore vulnerable individuals for TB across the country, leading to the detection of over 24.5 lakh TB patients, including 8.61 lakh asymptomatic TB cases, the report said.
Banking system credit grew 11.3 per cent year-on-year (Y-o-Y) in the fortnight ended October 31, slightly below the 11.5 per cent Y-o-Y growth registered in the previous fortnight ended October 17, latest data by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) showed.
Meanwhile, deposits grew 9.7 per cent Y-o-Y in the October 31 fortnight. In the previous fortnight, deposits grew 9.5 per cent Y-o-Y.
According to the data, banking system credit stood at Rs 193.9 trillion, while deposits stood at Rs 241.7 trillion during this period.
Additionally, in the fortnight, banking system credit grew Rs 1.78 trillion, while deposits grew Rs 2.90 trillion.
Recently, major banks reported that they are seeing green shoots in the economy due to the combined effects of goods and services tax (GST) rationalisation, income-tax cut by the government, and rate cut by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
These measures, they said, will augur well for credit growth in the second half of the financial year (H2FY26), after a relatively muted first half (H1FY26).
In H1FY26, banking system credit growth stood at 10.4 per cent Y-o-Y, while deposits grew 9.5 per cent Y-o-Y.
Meanwhile, rating agency Icra has revised upwards its projection of credit expansion in FY26 to 10.7–11.5 per cent from its earlier estimate of 10.4–11.3 per cent, supported by improved demand post the GST rationalisation and liquidity boosts via the cash reserve ratio (CRR) cuts.
“While the banks remain cautious in lending to non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) and the corporate demand is yet to see any meaningful revival, the growth is expected to be driven by the retail and micro, small and medium enterprise (MSME) segments,” the rating agency said in its note.
In 2007 General Assembly adopted resolution 61/225 designating 14 November as World Diabetes Day. The document recognized “the urgent need to pursue multilateral efforts to promote and improve human health, and provide access to treatment and health-care education.”
The theme of this year’s WHO World Diabetes Day, "Diabetes across life stages,” recognizes that every person living with diabetes should have access to integrated care, supportive environments and policies that promote health, dignity and self-management.
Diabetes is a chronic disease, which occurs when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin, or when the body cannot effectively use the insulin it produces. This leads to an increased concentration of glucose in the blood (hyperglycaemia).
Type 1 diabetes (previously known as insulin-dependent or childhood-onset diabetes) is characterized by a lack of insulin production.
Type 2 diabetes (formerly called non-insulin-dependent or adult-onset diabetes) is caused by the body’s ineffective use of insulin. It often results from excess body weight and physical inactivity.
Gestational diabetes is hyperglycaemia that is first recognized during pregnancy.
In March 2024, the General Assembly declared 15 November the International Day for the Prevention of and Fight against All Forms of Transnational Organized Crime, in order to raise awareness of the threats posed by all forms of transnational organized crime and to enhance international cooperation in this regard.
It recognized the importance of the prevention of and fight against transnational organized crime for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime is applicable to all forms of serious crime of transnational nature committed by organized criminal groups.
In 1996, the UN General Assembly adopted Resolution 51/95 proclaiming 16 November as International Day for Tolerance.
This action followed the adoption of a Declaration of Principles on Tolerance by UNESCO's Member States on 16 November 1995. Among other things, the Declaration affirms that tolerance is neither indulgence nor indifference.
It is respect and appreciation of the rich variety of our world's cultures, our forms of expression and ways of being human. Tolerance recognizes the universal human rights and fundamental freedoms of others. People are naturally diverse; only tolerance can ensure the survival of mixed communities in every region of the globe.
The World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims takes place on the third Sunday in November every year as the appropriate acknowledgment of victims of road traffic crashes and their families.
“We support World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims 2025, taking place on Sunday, 16 November 2025.
Since the adoption of the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, pursuant to General Assembly resolution 60/5, the observance has spread to a growing number of countries on every continent.
The Day has become an important tool in global efforts to reduce road casualties.
