UPSC Current Affairs Pointers of the past week | November 24 to November 30, 2025

Events

As the nation celebrates Constitution Day, this year themed “Hamara Samvidhan–Hamara Swabhiman,” the main event is taking place in the iconic Central Hall of Samvidhan Sadan in New Delhi. (Photo Credit: Sansad TV)

— President Droupadi Murmu released the digital version of the Constitution of India in nine languages during Constitution Day celebrations at Samvidhan Sadan in New Delhi. This year theme is “Hamara Samvidhan–Hamara Swabhiman”.

— The nine languages in which the digital version of the Constitution was released were Malayalam, Marathi, Nepali, Punjabi, Bodo, Kashmiri, Telugu, Odia and Assamese.

— It is the first time that the Bodo and Kashmiri editions of the Constitution are being introduced in the history of India. The Punjabi edition of the Constitution is also being updated after almost 50 years.

— Since 2015, Constitution Day or Samvidhan Diwas has been celebrated on November 26 to commemorate the adoption of the Constitution by the Constituent Assembly on November 26, 1949.

— Two months later, on January 26, 1950, the Constitution came into effect after being signed by 284 members.

— Before 2015, November 26 was formally observed as the National Law Day in honour of Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar, the chairman of the Drafting Committee of the Constitution, who was also the first law minister of independent India.

MAINS VALUE ADDITION President Droupadi Murmu while addressing the Samvidhan Diwas at the Central Hall of the Old Parliament building called the Constitution a “guiding document to shun colonial mindset and adopt nationalistic thinking”. These quotes are a value addition for your Mains answer. In a post on X, the Prime Minister said, “Our Constitution gives utmost importance to human dignity, equality and liberty. While it empowers us with rights, it also reminds us of our duties as citizens, which we should always try to fulfil. These duties are the foundation of a strong democracy.”

— The third India-Indonesia Defence Ministers’ Dialogue was held in New Delhi on November 27, 2025, where both countries reaffirmed the long-standing strategic partnership and deepened bilateral defence cooperation.

— The details related to BrahMos supersonic cruise missile procurement were also discussed at the Dialogue.

— If the BrahMos deal goes through, Indonesia will be the second country to procure the weapon system from India, after the Philippines which has procured three batteries of the weapon system in 2022.

Polity

Justice Surya Kant takes oath in presence of Presidet Droupadi Murmu. (Photo: X@Narendra Modi)

— Justice Surya Kant, who has been part of several landmark judgements, including the abrogation of Article 370, took oath of office as the 53rd Chief Justice of India,succeeding Justice B R Gavai.

— President Droupadi Murmu administered the oath of office to Justice Kant, who will remain in office till February 9, 2027.

— Justice Kant assumed office as Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court on October 5, 2018, and was elevated to the Supreme Court on May 24, 2019.

— A four-month-long operation — Crystal Fortress — culminated in one of the biggest catches of methamphetamine in Delhi last week as the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), along with Delhi Police’s Special Cell (Counter Intelligence) unit, arrested two drug peddlers.

— The operation drew its name from “Crystal”, referring to methamphetamine, and “fortress”, denoting the secured area where it was hidden, similar to a fort.

— Methamphetamine is also known as the “Ice” drug because of its white, crystal-like appearance.

— The Cabinet has approved a scheme to promote the manufacturing of rare earth magnets with an outlay of Rs 7,280 crore.

— It is a first-of-its-kind initiative, and aims to establish 6,000 metric tonnes per annum (MTPA) of integrated rare earth permanent magnet (REPM) manufacturing in India, to enhance the country’s self-reliance and positioning it as a key player in the global REPM market.

— The scheme will support the creation of integrated REPM manufacturing facilities, involving conversion of rare earth oxides to metals, metals to alloys, and alloys to finished REPMs. The total duration of the scheme will be 7 years from the date of award, including a two-year gestation period

— REPMs are one of the strongest types of permanent magnets and are vital for electric vehicles, renewable energy, electronics, aerospace, and defence applications.

— To promote research and innovation in the textile sector, the Government of India has launched the Textiles Focused Research, Assessment, Monitoring, Planning, and Start-up (Tex-RAMPS) Scheme.

— The total outlay of the scheme is Rs. 305 crore for the period FY 2025-26 to FY 2030-31.

International Cooperation

The Indian Air Force promptly deployed one C-130 and one IL-76 from the Hindan Air Base on the night of November 28/29. (Credit: X/@IAF_MCC)

— At least 80 people have lost their lives in Sri Lanka as the island nation faces one of its worst disasters, with Cyclonic Storm Ditwah tearing through the country.

— Responding to Sri Lanka’s crisis, India rolled out ‘Operation Sagar Bandhu,’ delivering the first batch of relief materials transported by the Indian Navy’s aircraft carrier INS Vikrant and the frontline ship INS Udaigiri.

— India has been re-elected to the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Council with the highest vote in its category at elections held at its Assembly in London for the 2025-26 biennium.

— The newly elected Council will meet for its 136th session on December 4 and will elect its Chair and Vice-Chair for the next biennium.

— The IMO is the premier body that oversees the world’s maritime sector, which in turn underpins international trade, transport and all maritime activities.

— The Council is the executive organ of IMO and is responsible, under the Assembly, for supervising the work of the organisation. The Council is made up of 40 Member States, elected by the Assembly for two-year terms.

Environment

Satellite/aerial-type map of Hayli Gubbi volcano (Volcano Discovery)

— The Hayli Gubbi volcano in northeastern Ethiopia erupted on November 23, by all accounts for the first time in about 12,000 years.

— There was no lava or magma flow, but large amounts of gas and plume, consisting possibly of small fragments of rocks, glass, and some other material, were ejected in an explosive eruption.

— A high-altitude cloud of volcanic ash from this volcano entered the Indian region on Monday afternoon and is expected to fully cross over to China. Several flights from and to India have been diverted due to the ash plume from the volcano.

— The volcanic plume had the potential to block visibility, and interfere with flight operations. The very fine particles could enter the engines and melt inside, potentially causing operational malfunctions.

— The movement of the volcanic plume is a short-term phenomenon. Their impact would most likely cease to exist completely within the next couple of days. Over time, the fine particles in the plume get dispersed, and spread out in concentrations that are not a concern anymore.

— Cyclone Senyar developed near the Strait of Malacca and adjoining northeast Indonesia.

— The name “Senyar,” meaning “lion,” was submitted by the United Arab Emirates and is part of the pre-approved list of tropical cyclone names used in the region. These lists are compiled under a naming system developed by member countries of the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) and the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) Panel on Tropical Cyclones.

— Senyar is the second cyclone to form in the north Indian Ocean basin during the post-monsoon season this year. Cyclone Montha had hit the Andhra Pradesh coast near Kakinada on October 28.

— The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an ‘orange’ alert on 30th November for Chittoor, Tirupati, Nellore, Prakasam, and Bapatla districts in Andhra Pradesh as Cyclone Ditwah moves northward and approaches Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coasts.

— Cyclone Ditwah had developed in the southwest Bay of Bengal. Ditwah is the third cyclonic storm to develop in this basin during the post-monsoon season this year.

— The name ‘Ditwah’, meaning a lagoon, was suggested by Yemen and is likely derived from Detwah Lagoon on the northwest coast of Socotra.

— Cyclone Ditwah exited Sri Lanka on 29th November afternoon after unleashing severe devastation, leaving at least 153 people dead and 191 missing amid widespread floods and landslides.

Workers spray anti-surfactant solution to dissolve toxic foam in River Yamuna at Kalindi Kunj, ahead of Chhath Puja, in New Delhi on Friday (Express/Praveen Khanna)

— Ecological concerns have been raised over the prolonged use of silicone-based defoamers to prevent frothing in the Yamuna, with a Delhi-based environmental group pointing that the spraying this year has continued far longer than in the previous years.

— The group cited international studies on polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), the silicone compound used in many defoamers, pointing to research that has reported reduced oxygen transfer, slow biodegradation, and potential impacts on fish and aquatic organisms at high concentrations.

— The reason behind the foaming is usually the presence of phosphates from detergents, and anaerobic bacteria in the water that falls from a height at the Okhla barrage. Pollutants, therefore, are not diluted, causing foaming. The defoamer neutralizes the phosphates.

Science and Technology

— On November 27, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the new Infinity Campus of Skyroot Aerospace and unveiled the Vikram-I rocket through video conferencing.

— Skyroot Aerospace, co-founded by IIT alumni and former ISRO scientists Pawan Chandana and Bharath Daka, swiftly rose to be a leading private player in the country’s space ecosystem. The company created history in November 2022 by launching Vikram-S, India’s first privately developed sub-orbital rocket.

— Vikram-1, named after the father of India’s space programme Vikram Sarabhai, is the company’s first orbital launch vehicle that is capable of placing satellites into orbit.

— It is a multi-stage launch vehicle with a capacity to place around 300 kg of payloads in low earth orbit. It is an all-carbon-fiber-bodied rocket that can place multiple satellites into orbit and features 3D-printed liquid engines.

The newly named geological structures on Mars (Credit: IUA)

— In the latest list prepared by the International Astronomical Union (IAU)’s Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature, there are seven Indian names.

— The name of two locations on Mars honours the renowned geologist M S Krishnan, the first Indian to become the director of the Geological Survey of India in 1951.

— IAU has named craters as: Varkala (the most visited tourist place in Kerala), Valiamala (home of the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology), Thumba (birthplace of the ISRO), Periyar (Kerala’s longest river), and Bekal (named after the mid-17th century fort in the northern Kerala town of the same name).

— According to the nomenclature rules for Mars, large craters, of the size 50 km or larger, are named after scientists, while smaller craters are to be named after small towns and villages anywhere in the world with populations of about 100,000 or less.

Defence

— India’s state-owned Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) and French firm Safran Electronics and Defence (SED) signed a joint venture cooperation agreement (JVCA) for the production of Highly Agile Modular Munition Extended Range (HAMMER) smart precision Guided air-to-ground weapons in India.

— Also known as a glide bomb, HAMMER precision-guided munitions have a range of up to 70 km and can be fitted to standard bombs of 250kg, 500kg, 1,000kg weights.

— It is an all-weather weapon which is difficult to intercept and can penetrate fortified structures.

• Exercise SURYAKIRAN XIX – 2025

— The 19th edition of the Joint Military exercise between India and Nepal is being conducted from 25 November to 08 December 2025 at Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand.

— INS Sahyadri participates in bilateral exercise AUSINDEX 2025 from November 18 to 20, alongside HMAS Ballarat of Royal Australian Navy in the Northern Pacific.

— AUSINDEX is held every two years and is concentrated on enhancing interoperability between the Australian and Indian navies. It also allows sailors from both navies to share best practices.

The Indian Navy commissioned the INS Mahe, its first indigenous Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft. (Express Photo by Akash Patil)

— The Indian Navy commissioned INS Mahe, its first anti-submarine warfare shallow water craft (ASW-SWC) with over 80 per cent indigenous parts, at the Naval Dockyard.

— INS Mahe will operate as a “silent hunter” on the western seaboard, dedicated to safeguarding India’s maritime frontiers.

— It is the first of the Mahe-class ASW-SWCs, a new generation of indigenous shallow-water combatants. The Mahe-class comprises the newly commissioned INS Mahe and the yet-to-be-commissioned Malval, Mangrol, Malpe, Mulki, Magdala, and Machilipatnam. All these vessels are set to be commissioned in the coming 2–3 years.

— The ships in this class are the largest Indian Naval warships propelled by a diesel engine–waterjet combination. They are designed for underwater surveillance, search and rescue operations, and Low Intensity Maritime Operations (LIMO).

— The ship is capable of undertaking ASW operations in coastal waters, along with advanced mine-laying capabilities. The vessels are designed to fit indigenously developed, state-of-the-art SONARS for underwater surveillance.

INS Taragiri was delivered to the Indian Navy on 28 November at Mumbai. (Source: @indiannavy)

— Taragiri, the fourth ship of Nilgiri Class (Project 17A) and the third built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilding Ltd (MDL), was delivered to the Indian Navy on 28 Nov 2025.

— It is built under the codename Project 17A, a follow-on vessel of the Shivalik class or Project 17 frigates that are currently in service.

—The ships are fitted with a supersonic surface-to-surface missile system, a Medium Range Surface-to-Air Missiles (MRSAM) system, a 76 millimetre upgraded gun, and a combination of rapid-fire close-in weapon systems.

(Source: PIB)

Persons in News

(Just FYI: Noting historical personalities’ anniversaries aids UPSC prep. UPSC often includes such personalities in questions, so revisiting their lives refreshes your static syllabus.)

— There is some confusion regarding the date of Guru Tegh Bahadur’s martyrdom. This year the 350th anniversary of Guru Tegh Bahadur-ji’s martyrdom is observed on November 25.

— Born on April 1, 1621, at Guru Ke Mehal, Amritsar, Tegh Bahadur was the youngest child of Guru Hargobind and the ninth Sikh guru. He was beheaded on the orders of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in 1675, in Delhi.

— Guru Tegh Bahadur founded the City Anandpur Sahib, which was geographically well-suited to defend against a big army. Tegh Bahadur earlier name was Teyag Mal. His father and the sixth Guru of Sikhs, Guru Hargobind Sahib (1595-1644), changed the name to Teg Bahadur. He got his name from his fighting and sword skills on the battlefield.

The crowning moment of Mexico’s Fatima Bosch (Photo: Instagram/missuniverse)

— The Miss Universe 2025 pageant concluded with Miss Mexico, Fatima Bosch, taking home the crown. Victoria Kjær Theilvig of Denmark, the 73rd Miss Universe, was crowned the winner at the pageant finale.

— Miss India Manika Vishwakarma, unfortunately, made it only to the Top 30.

— With more than 70 years of legacy, the Miss Universe Organisation, founded in 1952, is a platform for women around the world that promotes leadership, education, social impact, diversity, and personal development among its contestants and titleholders.

— The host country for next year has been announced. Puerto Rico is all set to host the 75th silver jubilee edition of the pageant. This will be their third time hosting the Miss Universe pageant.

Places in News

(Just FYI: The location of the place is important, considering that UPSC has asked several questions about places that were in the news, such as Aleppo and Kirkuk, in the 2018 UPSC Prelims. The best way to remember them is to plot them on a world map.)

A view of the Lakshman temple in Sirpur in Chhattisgarh’s Mahasamund district. (Source: Archaeological Survey of India)

— Chhattisgarh is pushing for a UNESCO World Heritage tag for the 5th-century archaeological site, Sirpur.

— Sirpur in Mahasamund district is a 5th–12th Century archaeological site with 34 Hindu, Jain and Buddhist monuments on the banks of the Mahanadi.

— Sirpur, also known as Shripur and Sripura, is a multi-religious urban centre first discovered in 1882 by Alexander Cunningham, a British army engineer who became the first Director-General of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) in 1871.

— Sirpur was the flourishing capital of Dakshina Kosala under the Panduvanshi and later Somavamshi kings.

— The Lakshmana Temple (dedicated to Vishnu), one of India’s finest brick temples, was built around the 7th Century. The Surang Tila complex has multiple shrines in the panchayatana style (one main shrine surrounded by four subsidiary ones).

— A UNESCO tag enhances a site’s international recognition, boosting its tourism and revenue.

Sports

(Just FYI: With the unpredictability of the UPSC examinations and questions like the ICC World Test Championship question 2021, you can’t be sure of anything. It is wise to know what it is and not go into too much detail.)

Javokhir Sindarov (centre) poses with the FIDE World Cup trophy. (MGD1)

— The FIDE World Cup 2025 took place in Goa, India, from October 30 to November 27.

— Uzbekistan’s Javokhir Sindarov became the youngest player to win the Chess World Cup after he beat China’s Wei Yi in the final’s tiebreak.

— This was the first time in 25 years that India hosted the biennial event and a record Indian players were Indian.

— The total prize money fund for the tournament is $2 million. The winner will get $120,000. The runners-up will receive $85,000. The 3rd placed players get $60,000 while $50,000 has been reserved for the player that finishes fourth.

— The FIDE World Cup is the event that offers the top three finishers direct qualification for the 2026 Candidates Tournament, which determines the challenger for the World Chess Championship.

— Ahmedabad has been formally confirmed as the venue of the 2030 Commonwealth Games. India last hosted the CWG in 2010 in Delhi.

— India is likely to push for the inclusion of yoga as a medal sport at the centenary edition.

— The Indian women’s kabaddi team won the Women’s Kabaddi World Cup after defeating Chinese Taipei 35–28 in the final in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

— This was the Indian women’s kabaddi team’s second World Cup crown on the trot, having also won the inaugural edition hosted in Patna, Bihar, back in 2012.

— This was the second edition of the Women’s Kabaddi World Cup which was held after a gap of 13 years. In the inaugural edition, the Indian women’s team defeated the Iran team.

— Deaflympics 2025 was held in Tokyo, Japan, from November 15 to 26. This was the 25th Summer Deaflympics, 101 years after the inaugural edition held in Paris in 1924.

— India won 20 medals – nine gold, seven silver, and four bronze – at Deaflympics 2025. Indian shooters accounted for 16 medals. India finished at rank 6th.

(Source: Olympics.com)

— Lakshya Sen ended a long drought of titles, winning the Super 500 Australian Open at Sydney, beating Japanese Yushi Tanaka 21-15, 21-11.

— This is Sen’s third Super 500 title, and he converted his second final of the year, after losing Hong Kong.

Indian boxing team at the opening ceremony of World Boxing Cup Finals in Greater Noida. (PHOTO: BFI)

— The Indian boxing contingent concluded the World Boxing Cup Finals with a total of 20 medals (nine gold, six silver, and five bronze). This is the first time that India has won in all weight categories in a global championship of the sport.

— The women’s team finished with seven gold, one silver, and two bronze medals, while the men’s team finished with two gold, five silver, and three bronze medals.

— The World Boxing Cup Finals is a tournament incorporated for the first time in the calendar of the new international body of the sport that allows eight boxers to compete in every category, starting from the quarter-finals.

FULL LIST OF INDIAN MEDALLISTS:

Gold: Minakshi Hooda (women’s 48 kg), Nikhat Zareen (women’s 51 kg), Preeti Pawar (women’s 54 kg), Jaismine (women’s 57 kg), Parveen Hooda (women’s 60 kg), Arundhati Chaudary (women’s 70 kg), Nupur (women’s 80+ kg), Sachin Siwach (men’s 60 kg), Hitesh Gulia (men’s 70 kg)

Silver: Pooja Rani (women’s 80 kg), Jadumani Singh (men’s 50 kg), Pawan Bartwal (men’s 55 kg), Abhinash Jamwal (men’s 65 kg), Ankush (men’s 80 kg), Narender Berwal (men’s 90+ kg)

Bronze: Sumit (men’s 75 kg), Jugnoo (men’s 85 kg), Naveen Kumar (men’s 90 kg), Saweety Boora (women’s 75 kg), Neeraj Phogat (women’s 65 kg)

Test Your Knowledge

(Note: The best way to remember facts for UPSC and other competitive exams is to recall them through MCQs. Try to solve the following questions on your own.)

(1) Consider the following statements:

1. Since Independence November 26, the day the Constitution was adopted by the Constituent Assembly, is celebrated as Samvidhan Divas.

2. This year for the first time the Bodo and Kashmiri editions of the Constitution are being introduced in the history of India.

Which of the above-mentioned statements is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

2. Operation Sagar Bandhu, launched by the Indian government, for which of the following countries?

(a) Sri Lanka

(b) Bangladesh

(c) Nepal

(d) Indonesia

3. Consider the following statements:

1. The Indian team won the Women’s Kabaddi World Cup after defeating Bangladesh in the finals.

2. The inaugural edition of the Women’s Kabaddi World Cup was held in Patna, Bihar, back in 2012.

Which of the above-mentioned statements is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) None

Prelims Answer Key

1. (b) 2. (a) 3. (b)

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