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Current Affairs 01st & 02nd November 2025
1. Tamil Nadu’s 16-Year-Old Ilamparthi AR Becomes India’s 90th Chess GM
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Age and Background: Ilamparthi AR is one of the youngest chess Grandmasters from India, born in 2009 and currently studying at Velammal Matriculation Higher Secondary School.
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Chess Journey: He was a former World No. 1 in the Under-8 category and became an International Master in 2023 after surpassing the 2400 Elo rating threshold.
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Training and Mentorship: Ilamparthi trains under Grandmaster Shyam Sundar M and is mentored through the WestBridge Anand Chess Academy (WACA).
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Recent Achievement: He secured his final GM norm on October 30, 2025, and has crossed the required 2500 Elo rating mark earlier at the Rilton Cup 2024-25.
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Impact: His achievement has drawn praise from chess legends like Viswanathan Anand and state leaders, highlighting Tamil Nadu's dominance in Indian chess with over a third of the country's Grandmasters.
2. India Sets Three Guinness World Records™ Under “Swasth Nari, Sashakt Parivar Abhiyaan”
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Campaign Launch: The campaign was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in conjunction with Poshan Maah, aiming to improve health and nutrition among women, adolescent girls, and children.
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Record-Breaking Achievements: The three Guinness World Records include most people registered for a healthcare platform in one month (3.21 crore), most people signed up for breast cancer screening online in one week (9.94 lakh), and most people signed up for vital signs screening online in one week at the state level (1.25 lakh).
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Massive Participation: Over 19.7 lakh health camps were organized across all districts, with a footfall of more than 11 crore people, and participation from over five lakh Panchayati Raj representatives, 1.14 crore students, and 94 lakh self-help group members.
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Health Screenings: The campaign recorded significant health screenings, including 1.78 crore hypertension screenings, 1.73 crore diabetes screenings, 69.5 lakh oral cancer screenings, and 62.6 lakh antenatal check-ups.
3. Toshiba Delivered India’s First 220kV Mobile GIS System to POWERGRID
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Indigenous Manufacturing: The 220kV Mobile Gas-Insulated Switchgear (m-GIS) System was designed and built in line with POWERGRID's operational requirements, marking a significant milestone in India's power transmission sector.
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Key Features: The m-GIS system offers rapid deployment, enhances grid flexibility, resilience, and disaster-readiness, and features a modular "Connect-Disconnect-Redeploy" design for operational agility.
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Benefits: The system enables fast grid restoration, temporary power evacuation, and substation augmentation with minimal infrastructure and time, making it ideal for utilities, renewable energy projects, and disaster recovery operations.
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Future Plans: Toshiba Transmission & Distribution Systems (India) Private Limited (TTDI) is set to deliver India's first indigenous 400kV m-GIS system for POWERGRID in August 2026, and a 132kV m-GIS solution in November 2025.
4. Pravaig Unveils India’s First Defense EV ‘VEER’ for Defense operations
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Key Features: The VEER is a modular, high-mobility platform built on the Defy SUV chassis, enabling versatile configurations for reconnaissance, troop transport, medical, and combat support roles. It has a dual-motor all-wheel-drive system, delivering 402 horsepower and 620 Nm of torque.
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Performance: The VEER accelerates from 0-100 km/h in 4.9 seconds, with a top speed between 120-160 km/h. Its 90.9 kWh lithium-ion battery pack offers a range of over 500 km on a single charge, with fast charging capability to 80% in 30 minutes.
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Stealth Capabilities: The VEER's electric powertrain provides silent operation and low thermal signature, making it nearly invisible to enemy infrared sensors. It also features thermal imaging, 360-degree cameras, and 77GHz radar for enhanced situational awareness.
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Indigenous Manufacturing: The VEER is fully designed and manufactured in India, ensuring complete data and technology sovereignty. This aligns with the Indian government's "Atmanirbhar Bharat" initiative, promoting self-reliance in defense technology.
5. FIDE Chess World Cup Trophy Renamed Viswanathan Anand Cup
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Trophy Name: The FIDE World Cup 2025 trophy has been officially renamed the Viswanathan Anand Cup, in honor of the five-time World Champion and Indian chess legend.
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Trophy Design: The trophy features a peacock in a frozen dance pose, symbolizing grace, wisdom, and India's cultural heritage. It's crafted with artistic detail and plated with gold to last a lifetime.
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Significance: The renaming is a tribute to Viswanathan Anand's remarkable achievements and legacy, which have transformed India into a chess powerhouse. The trophy will be passed on to future champions of the FIDE World Cup.
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Tournament Details: The 2025 Chess World Cup takes place from November 1-26 in Goa, India, featuring 206 top players from 82 countries. The top three finishers will earn direct qualification for the 2026 Candidates Tournament.
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Prize Pool: The tournament has a total prize pool of $2 million, with the champion earning $120,000, the runner-up $85,000, and the third-place finisher $60,000.
6. Mayank Prabha Tomar appointed as Director in the Department of Administrative Reforms & Public Grievances
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Appointment Details: Mayank Prabha Tomar, an IRS officer of the 2009 batch, has been appointed as Director in DARPG for a period of five years under the Central Staffing Scheme.
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Role and Responsibilities: As Director, Tomar will work under the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, focusing on policies and initiatives to improve efficiency, transparency, and accountability in governance.
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Department's Functions: DARPG is responsible for formulating policies, promoting good governance practices, and ensuring timely resolution of public grievances through mechanisms like the Centralized Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS).
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Key Objectives: The department aims to simplify procedures, modernize processes, and implement e-Governance initiatives, fostering innovation and citizen-centric governance.
7. Raj Kumar Arora Takes Charge as Financial Advisor (Defence Services)
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Appointment Details: Raj Kumar Arora, an IDAS officer of the 1990 batch, has taken charge as Financial Advisor (Defence Services) in the Ministry of Defence. Although the exact date of assumption isn't specified for this role, he previously assumed charge as Special Controller General of Defence Accounts on April 2, 2025.
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Background: As a seasoned IDAS officer, Arora has held significant positions, including Member (Finance) of the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) in Kolkata, for a period of three years.
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Role and Responsibilities: As Financial Advisor (Defence Services), Arora will be responsible for ensuring efficient financial management and oversight in defence expenditure. He will play a crucial role in formulating and implementing financial policies related to defence.
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Key Functions: His office prepares the Defence Budget and civil estimates for civilian establishments of the Ministry of Defence. It also provides financial advice and scrutiny of proposals involving expenditure from public funds.
8. Dharwad’s Veteran Archaeologist Ravindra Korisettar Chosen for Rajyotsava Award
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Renowned Archaeologist: Professor Ravindra Korisettar is a UGC Emeritus Fellow in the Department of History and Archaeology at Karnatak University, Dharwad, with over 40 years of experience in archaeology, research, and education.
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Academic Background: Born in 1951, Korisettar studied Archaeology and Quaternary Studies at Poona University and received further training at INQUA (International Union for Quaternary Research) in Beijing, China. He has held international fellowships, including the Charles Wallace–AIIT Fellowship at the University of Cambridge and Fulbright Visiting Scholar at the Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C.
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Research Contributions: Korisettar has led and contributed to numerous national and international research projects, such as the Multidisciplinary Kashmir Palaeoclimate Project and the Computer Application in Archaeology Project. His work has improved understanding of India's prehistoric past, ancient environments, and human evolution.
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Awards and Recognition: The Rajyotsava Award is a testament to Korisettar's dedication to archaeology and education. He has collaborated with prestigious institutions like the ASI and the UGC, and has been associated with international organizations like the Indo-Pacific Prehistory Association.
9. The Kendriya Grihmantri Dakshata Padak for 2025 to 1,466 personnel
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Award Details: The Kendriya Grihmantri Dakshata Padak is awarded to 1,466 police personnel from various states, union territories, central armed police forces, and central police organizations for their exceptional work in fields like special operations, investigation, intelligence, and forensic science.
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Award Institution: The Kendriya Grihmantri Dakshata Padak was instituted by the Ministry of Home Affairs in February 2024, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and guidance of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
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Award Announcement: The award is announced annually on October 31, coinciding with the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, to recognize outstanding contributions and boost morale among police personnel.
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Notable Recipients: Some notable recipients include 40 officers from Jammu and Kashmir Police and CRPF who played a crucial role in eliminating terrorists involved in the Pahalgam incident. IG V K Birdi and SSP G V Sundeep Chakraborty were honored for Operation Mahadev.
10. Reliance and Google Join Forces to Strengthen India’s AI Infrastructure and Expand Access
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Free Google AI Access: Google will offer 18-month free access to its Gemini AI service for Reliance Jio's 505 million users, promoting AI adoption in India. The plan includes access to the advanced Gemini 2.5 Pro model, image and video generation models, and 2TB of cloud storage.
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Strategic Partnership: Reliance Intelligence has become a strategic partner for Google Cloud in India, aiming to enhance AI infrastructure and drive enterprise AI adoption. This collaboration will enable Indian organizations to leverage Google's AI hardware accelerators, including Tensor Processing Units (TPUs).
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AI Democratization: The partnership combines Reliance's massive ecosystem scale with Google's AI expertise to democratize advanced AI access across India's diverse population. This will empower consumers, enterprises, and developers, aligning with Reliance's "AI for All" vision.
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Enterprise AI Adoption: The collaboration focuses on driving Gemini Enterprise adoption for agentic AI solutions across Indian organizations, revolutionizing business operations nationwide. Reliance Intelligence will also develop and offer its own pre-built enterprise AI agents in Gemini Enterprise.
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