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Current Affairs 13th November 2025
1. Vivek Singla appointed as MD & CEO of PXIL
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Experience: Vivek Singla brings over 35 years of diverse experience in the Indian power sector, including generation, transmission, distribution, renewable energy, and green technology.
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Previous Role: Before joining PXIL, Singla served as President and Head of Green Hydrogen and Transmission Businesses at ReNew Power, leading initiatives in new-age energy domains.
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Leadership: Singla is a seasoned leader with expertise in establishing new businesses, business turnaround, development, mergers & acquisitions, regulatory affairs, and complex deal structuring.
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Vision: Singla aims to drive sustainable growth, enhance market efficiency, and introduce innovative solutions to cater to the dynamic needs of the Indian power sector.
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PXIL Background: PXIL is India's first institutionally promoted power exchange, promoted by the National Stock Exchange (NSE) and National Commodity & Derivatives Exchange (NCDEX), operating Integrated Day Ahead Market and Real Time Market Contracts.
2. India’s Q2 FY26 GDP to Rise To Nearly 7.2%
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Private Consumption: Estimated to grow 8% year-on-year, driven by rising real incomes, steady rural wage growth, and record-low retail inflation.
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Investment Demand: Expected to grow 7.5% year-on-year, supported by government infrastructure spending and steady public capex.
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Services Sector: Remains resilient, contributing to GDP growth.
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Manufacturing Sector: Shows improvement, especially in goods exports.
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Nominal GDP Growth: Expected to slip below 8% year-on-year, potentially impacting government revenue collection.
3. India Unveils First Quantum Diamond Microscope
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Indigenous Development: India's first QDM was developed by IIT Bombay's P-Quest Group under the National Quantum Mission (NQM), earning the country its first patent in this domain.
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Technology: The QDM uses nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamond to detect minute magnetic fields with high precision, enabling 3D magnetic field imaging at the nanoscale.
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Applications: The QDM has promising potential in neuroscience, materials research, and semiconductor diagnostics, allowing for non-destructive evaluation of semiconductor chips and mapping of magnetic fields in 3D layers.
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Advanced Imaging: The QDM enables widefield imaging of dynamic magnetic activity, analogous to an optical microscope, and can map magnetic fields in real-time.
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Future Prospects: The QDM is expected to revolutionize various fields, including neuroscience, materials science, and semiconductor technology, and is aligned with India's National Quantum Mission.
4. Punjab Becomes First State to Implement Amended Bharat Net Scheme Statewide
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Statewide Coverage: Punjab has successfully implemented the amended Bharat Net Scheme across its entire territory, ensuring broadband connectivity to all villages, with only one village remaining to be connected.
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Digital Infrastructure: The scheme has enabled internet and broadband services in 43 shadow areas, with plans to cover every village by the end of November 2025.
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Rural Connectivity: The Bharat Net Scheme aims to provide broadband connectivity to Gram Panchayats, households, and institutions, promoting e-governance, e-health, and digital services in rural areas.
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Live Monitoring: The implementation allows for live monitoring of the border state from any location in the country, enhancing security and governance.
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Model for Other States: Punjab's success serves as a replicable model for other states to integrate fiber-based broadband in rural settings and enable last-mile connectivity.
5. Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman Inaugurated India’s 1st Modern River Ferry Terminal
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Location and Inauguration: The terminal is located on the Brahmaputra River in Guwahati, Assam, and was inaugurated by Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
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Cost and Development: The project was developed by the Assam Inland Water Transport Development Society (AIWTDS) at a cost of Rs 304.95 crore.
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Features: The terminal is designed to handle six modern catamaran vessels simultaneously and features a 100-seat waiting lounge, structured boarding zones, and an observatory deck.
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Impact: The terminal aims to ease cross-river traffic, reduce reliance on congested road networks, and promote tourism in Assam.
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Part of Larger Initiative: The terminal is part of a larger initiative to modernize Assam's inland water transport, supported by a USD 88 million loan from the World Bank.
6. RBI Recognised SRPA as SRO for Payment System Operators
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Recognition: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has recognized the Self-Regulated PSO Association (SRPA) as a Self-Regulatory Organisation (SRO) for Payment System Operators (PSOs).
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Role of SRPA: SRPA will serve as a unified representative body for PSOs, aligning members with regulatory priorities, promoting industry coordination, and facilitating transparent dispute resolution.
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Responsibilities: SRPA will set and monitor industry standards for data security, compliance, and customer protection, and facilitate grievance redressal and ethical conduct among members.
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Membership: Leading payment system operators, including Infibeam Avenues, BillDesk, Razorpay, PhonePe, and others, have joined SRPA.
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Impact: The recognition is expected to strengthen governance, compliance, and collaboration across India's digital payments ecosystem.
7. CSIR–NICDC Pact to Boost Innovation in Industrial Corridors
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Innovation Hubs: The collaboration will establish R&D hubs, industrial incubators, and innovation centers within smart cities to foster industry-academia-research linkages.
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Advanced Technologies: The partnership will focus on deploying technologies like industrial automation, biotechnology, renewable energy, and digital manufacturing to boost productivity and sustainability.
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National Initiatives: The pact aligns with initiatives like Make in India, Startup India, and Aatmanirbhar Bharat, promoting self-reliant industrial ecosystems.
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Priority Sectors: Key areas of focus include aerospace, infrastructure engineering, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and scientific instrumentation.
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Global Competitiveness: The partnership aims to strengthen India's position as a global manufacturing and technology leader.
8. Palak Muchhal Earns Guinness World Record Honour
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Humanitarian Work: Palak Muchhal's philanthropic journey began at age 7, inspired by a child's struggle to afford heart surgery. She has since dedicated her life to helping those in need.
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Palak Palash Charitable Foundation: Founded with her brother Palash, the foundation uses concert earnings and personal savings to fund heart surgeries for children from economically weaker sections.
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Record-Breaking Achievement: Palak Muchhal has entered the Guinness World Records and Limca Book of Records for funding 3,800 heart surgeries, making her a beacon of hope for thousands of families.
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Impact: Her efforts have saved countless lives, raised awareness about congenital heart defects, and reduced surgery costs through hospital collaborations.
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Inspiration: Palak Muchhal's story showcases the power of celebrity influence and personal commitment to creating lasting social change .
9. Niketu Iralu conferred IofC 2025 Lifetime Achiever Award
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Award Recognition: Iralu was recognized for his over 40 years of dedicated work in fostering reconciliation across political and ethnic divisions in Northeast India.
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Peacebuilding Efforts: He has spent decades promoting personal transformation and relationship building, emphasizing trust and reconciliation.
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Inspirational Journey: Iralu's journey began during his university years at Madras Christian College in 1955, where he was inspired by the Moral Re-Armament movement, now known as Initiatives of Change.
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Visa Denial: Unfortunately, Iralu was denied a visa to attend the award ceremony in South Africa, citing unclear reasons related to his bank statement.
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Message of Hope: In his acceptance message, Iralu emphasized that true change and peace begin within oneself, guided by moral conviction and humility.
10. World Kindness Day 2025 observed on November 13th
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Date: World Kindness Day is celebrated annually on November 13th, promoting kindness and compassion globally.
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Purpose: The day aims to encourage individuals, communities, and organizations to perform acts of kindness, fostering a sense of global unity and empathy.
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History: The first World Kindness Day was observed in 1998, initiated by the World Kindness Movement, a coalition of kindness organizations worldwide.
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Activities: People celebrate by performing random acts of kindness, volunteering, and spreading kindness messages on social media using #WorldKindnessDay.
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Impact: The day inspires positive change, promotes kindness as a universal language, and encourages people to make a difference in their communities.
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