Former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet was honoured with the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development. The award was presented by Sonia Gandhi, Chairperson of the Congress Parliamentary Party and the Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust.
Senior leaders, including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and jury chairman Shiv Shankar Menon, were also present at the ceremony.
Sonia Gandhi noted that Bachelet’s journey has always been rooted in a commitment to human rights, gender equality and inclusive development.
Beyond her national leadership, Bachelet has played a historic role in global institutions. She became the first Executive Director of UN Women in 2010 and later served as the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
The Government of Nagaland has announced the United Kingdom as the country partner for the upcoming Hornbill Festival 2025, to be held from 1 to 10 December at Kisama, Kohima. A formal agreement was signed yesterday by Chief Minister of Nagaland Neiphiu Rio and Country Director India, British Council, Alison Barrett, in the presence of,
British High Commissioner to India Lindy Cameron, and senior representatives from both sides at New Delhi. Under this partnership, the British Council, working with the British Deputy High Commission in Kolkata, will curate meaningful programming for the festival, including bringing an artist from the UK to participate in the festival.
The state also named Air India Express as the Official Travel Partner for the Hornbill Festival. The partnership was announced by Advisor to Chief Minister, Abu Metha and Managing Director, Air India Express, Aloke Singh, at the airline’s headquarters in Gurugram in the presence of several key officials.
As part of the collaboration, Air India Express will introduce a Boeing 737-8 aircraft featuring a livery inspired by the Tsüngkotepsü design of the Ao Naga tribe’s warrior shawl, under its ‘Tales of India’ initiative. The special aircraft will be received by Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio at Dimapur Airport on November 22.
The airline will also offer a 15 percent discount on flights to and from Nagaland, starting November 20. Welcoming the partnerships, Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio expressed hopes that the ties will drive tourism, cultural exchange, and economic growth.
India has secured a unanimous mandate for a fresh term on the Executive Committee of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CCEXEC), reaffirming its leadership role in shaping global food standards at the 48th session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC48).
The re-election extends India’s representation for the Asia region until the end of CAC50 in 2027, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said.
Led by Rajit Punhani, Chief Executive Officer of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), the Indian delegation included officials from the Health Ministry and technical bodies.
According to the ministry, India’s mandate highlighted its commitment to collaborative food governance, with a sharper focus on efficiency, data systems, and equitable global standards.
Earlier in the week, India played an active role at the 89th Executive Committee session (CCEXEC89).
As Member Asia, the delegation stressed the need to modernise Codex processes, calling for improved databases on food additives, pesticide residues, veterinary drugs, analytical methods, and contaminants. India also backed the use of artificial intelligence to streamline operations, including document translation, the ministry said.
At the Codex Committee on Fresh Fruits and Vegetables (CCFFV), India chaired working groups that led to the adoption of the Standard for fresh dates at Step 8—an important step for harmonising global trade practices. The Standard for fresh curry leaves was also cleared for adoption, supporting exporters of this regionally significant produce.
'Parasocial', defined as involving or relating to a connection that someone feels with a famous person they do not know, has been named the Word of the Year for 2025, the Cambridge Dictionary announced on November 18, 2025.
Six thousand new words were also added to the dictionary in 2025, including 'delulu', 'slop', 'skibidi' and 'tradwife'.
According to Cambridge officials, the year was marked by interest in one-sided parasocial relationships that people form with celebrities, influencers and AI chatbots.
The emergence of parasocial relationships with AI bots saw people treat ChatGPT as a confidant, friend or even romantic partner.
These led to emotionally meaningful — and in some cases troubling — connections for users, and concerns about the consequences.
In 2025, the "chronically online" developed parasocial relationships with YouTubers and influencers who they feel they know, becoming invested in all the twists and turns of their personal lives.
Financial services giant HDFC Bank, carrying a brand value of $44.9 billion, has surged past IT consulting behemoth Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) to reclaim its crown as the country’s most valued brand, according to the 2025 Kantar BrandZ Most Valuable Indian Brands report.
As the country’s largest private bank, HDFC Bank has seen its brand value rise 377 per cent since the first BrandZ India Report was released in 2014.
Chairman Emeritus of TVS Motor Company Venu Srinivasan was bestowed with prestigious CII Quality Ratna Award for this year.
The 33rd CII Excellence Summit, organised by the CII Institute of Quality in Kolkata, brought together over 1,000 quality champions and business leaders committed to elevating Indian manufacturing from 3 per cent to around 25 per cent of global output,
while creating around 100 million jobs and establishing India among the world’s top three manufacturing hubs.
The CII Quality Ratna Award is one of India's highest industrial recognitions, presented annually by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in collaboration with the Export-Import Bank of India (EXIM Bank),
to individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to the quality movement in India.
2024: B Muthuraman, Padma Bhushan awardee and former Vice Chairman of Tata Steel, received the 2024 award for his exemplary leadership in the steel sector.
Maharashtra has extended the deadline for completing electronic Know Your Customer (e-KYC) verification under the Mukhyamantri Mazi Ladki Bahin scheme to December 31, giving relief to beneficiaries battling recent natural calamities and other difficulties.
Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) co-hosted the ‘STPI IT Exports Awards 2025 Function’ held at Bengaluru today as part of the ongoing 28th edition of Bengaluru Tech Summit 2025 from 18th to 20th November 2025.
This year, awards have been categorized under 10 main categories and a total of 27 awards covering the entire spectrum of IT, ITES and Electronics & Hardware Exporting Companies. In addition, STPI Commendation Award has been conferred to the eminent personality for his/her visionary leadership and lifetime contribution to India’s IT and digital economy.
Indian Society of Aerospace Medicine (ISAM) is organising its 64th annual conference at the Institute of Aerospace Medicine (IAM), Bengaluru on 20-21 November 2025. The conference will be inaugurated by Air Chief Marshal AP Singh, Chief of the Air Staff, on 20 November 2025.
The conference will host approximately 300 delegates from across the country and abroad. Participants also include researchers from associated institutions including prominent scientists from DRDO labs and ISRO.Key highlights will include the Air Marshal Subroto Mukherjee Memorial Oration, to be delivered by Mr. Anchit Gupta,
an avid historian, and the Air Vice Marshal M. M. Srinagesh Memorial Oration, to be delivered by Air Vice Marshal Deepak Gaur (Retd).Another significant oration of the conference is the ‘Jemi Hormusji Framji Manekshaw Panel’, featuring guest lectures from notable experts including Mr. Awais Ahmed, CEO and Founder of Pixxel Aerospace Technologies,
and Captain Dhruv Rebbapragada, Chief Flight Safety Officer, IndiGo Airlines. The current edition of the conference is themed at 'Innovations in Aerospace Medicine: Infinite Possibilities' which highlights the innovative approaches by aerospace medicine practitioners in balancing the safety and optimal performance requirements of the aviators.
With over 100 scientific papers to be presented at the conference, the delegates can look forward to robust agenda filled scientific discussions, presentations and networking opportunities that aim to shape the future of aerospace medicine research and policy in the country Established in 1952,
ISAM is the only registered society dedicated to promote the knowledge and practice of aerospace medicine in India. The unique and premier institute deals with military and civil aerospace medicine including the human aspects of spaceflight programme of the country. With an aim to advance research,
foster knowledge exchange and seek solutions to aeromedical challenges, the ISAM has been conducting its annual scientific conference since 1954.
Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare and Rural Development Shivraj Singh Chouhan inaugurated rural road projects worth ₹2,225 crore, expansion of the National Makhana Development Board, direct payment of benefits under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi, and multiple development initiatives at the State-level ceremony held in Dhamtari today.
The event witnessed the nationwide release of the 21st installment of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi by Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Coimbatore, along with the transfer of ₹500 crore directly into the bank accounts of 25 lakh farmers of Chhattisgarh.
The presence of thousands of farmers and rural representatives marked the ceremony as a defining moment in the State’s development trajectory.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare has extended a major benefit to farmers under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY). The Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare has now recognised the modalities for covering crop loss due to Wild Animal Attacks and Paddy Inundation under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY).
Under the revised framework, crop loss due to wild animal attack will now be recognised as the fifth Add-on Cover under the Localised Risk category. States will notify the list of wild animals responsible for crop damage and identify vulnerable districts or insurance units based on historical data.
Farmers will be required to report losses within 72 hours using the Crop Insurance App by uploading geotagged photographs.
There decisions respond to long-standing requests from several States and is aimed at strengthening protection for farmers against sudden, localised, and severe crop damage.
The modalities have been prepared in accordance with the PMFBY Operational Guidelines, ensuring a scientific, transparent and operationally feasible framework for implementation nationwide, and will be rolled out from Kharif 2026.
Taking note of these emerging risks and challenges, the Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare constituted an expert committee. The recommendations of the committee have now been approved by the Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
With this important decision, farmers suffering localised crop damage will now receive timely and technology-based claim settlement under PMFBY.
This coverage is expected to significantly benefit farmers in States with high human–wildlife conflict, including Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand,
as well as the Himalayan and North-Eastern States such as Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Sikkim and Himachal Pradesh, where incidents of wild animal depredation are frequent and widespread.
Reintroducing Paddy Inundation as a Localised Calamity Cover under PMFBY will especially benefit farmers in coastal and flood-prone States, including Odisha, Assam,
West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Uttarakhand, where paddy submergence is a recurring challenge. Together with the inclusion of Wild Animal Attack, these additions make PMFBY more inclusive, responsive and farmer-friendly, further strengthening the resilience of India’s crop insurance system.
By celebrating World Philosophy Day each year, on the third Thursday of November, UNESCO underlines the enduring value of philosophy for the development of human thought, for each culture and for each individual.
World Philosophy Day is on Nov 20, 2025, the third Thursday of November, to honor philosophical reflections and encourage public debate.
Philosophy is an inspiring discipline as well as an everyday practice that can transform societies. By enabling to discover the diversity of the intellectual currents in the world, philosophy stimulates intercultural dialogue.
The United Nations General Assembly, in December 1989, proclaimed 20 November “Africa Industrialization Day” (A/RES/44/237). Since then, the United Nations System has held events on that day throughout the world to raise awareness about the importance of Africa’s industrialization and the challenges faced by the continent.
Industrial development is of critical importance for sustained and inclusive economic growth in African countries. Industry can enhance productivity, increase the capabilities of the workforce, and generate employment, by introducing new equipment and new techniques.
World Children’s Day is UNICEF’s global day of action for children, by children, marking the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child on November 20. Around the world, children are standing up and talking about their lives, their hopes, and their rights.
From the moment the sun rises, children wake up to a world shaped by choices they didn't make.
From the moment the sun rises, children wake up to a world shaped by choices they didn't make. But every child, everywhere, also wakes with rights. Including the right to be protected, to learn, and to have their voice heard.
It’s time to listen to children. To understand what their lives are like and how their rights are present, missing, or pursued every day.
