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Current Affairs 26th November 2025
1. Young Prodigy Bodhana Sivanandan Wins UK Women’s Blitz Title
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Dominant Performance: Bodhana won the UK Women's Blitz Championship with a commanding score of 13.5 out of 15 points. She started the tournament with an incredible streak of eight consecutive wins, finishing a full two points ahead of the runner-up.
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Historic Age Achievement: At just 10 years old, she defeated a field of experienced adult professionals to claim the national women's title. This victory adds to her growing list of age-related records, having already become the youngest person to represent England internationally in any sport.
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World Ranking Breakthrough: This triumph has catapulted her into the top 50 female blitz players in the world. Her performance raised her blitz rating to approximately 2329, a rare feat for a player of her age.
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Defeating the Champion: A decisive moment in her victory was her win against the defending champion, WGM Elmira Mirzoeva. Bodhana capitalized on a critical error by Mirzoeva in a rook endgame to secure a vital point that paved the way for her title.
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Continued Meteoric Rise: This title follows a year of historic milestones for Bodhana in 2025, including becoming the youngest female to ever defeat a Grandmaster (Peter Wells) and the youngest player to earn the Woman International Master (WIM) title.
2. RCMS Bank Honoured as Best Profit-Making Cooperative Bank
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The Award Recognition: Rani Channamma Mahila Sahakari Bank (RCMS Bank), headquartered in Belagavi, Karnataka, was honoured as the "Best Profit-Making Bank" for the year 2024-25. The award was presented by the Karnataka State Urban Cooperative Banks Federation during the 72nd All India Cooperative Week celebrations held in Haveri.
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Exceptional Financial Growth: The bank demonstrated robust financial health with remarkable figures for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2025. It reported deposits of ₹402.78 crore, advances of ₹252.79 crore, and a significant net profit of ₹8.94 crore, reflecting a four-fold growth under its current leadership.
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Leadership & Governance: The award was received by the bank's Chairperson, Dr. Preeti Kore Daddwad. The recognition highlights her effective leadership and the bank's "A" class audit status, which underscores its strong governance, transparency, and operational efficiency.
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Consistent Performance: This accolade is part of a streak of recognition for the bank. It has consistently declared a 15% dividend for its shareholders and has previously been recognized as the "Best Mahila Cooperative Bank" at national levels, reinforcing its position as a model cooperative institution in India.
3. Amit Kumar Srivastava appointed as Executive Director at PNB
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New Role & Tenure: Amit Kumar Srivastava has been appointed as the Executive Director of Punjab National Bank. The appointment is effective from November 24, 2025, and is valid for a period of three years or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
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Previous Leadership: Prior to this elevation, he served as the Group Chief Risk Officer at PNB. In this role, he was instrumental in strengthening the bank's risk governance and institutionalizing robust risk frameworks.
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Extensive Experience: He brings over 31 years of banking experience, having started his career in 1994 as a Management Trainee with the Oriental Bank of Commerce. His career spans various key operational areas including branch banking, credit review, and monitoring.
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Core Expertise: Srivastava is recognized for his deep expertise in Treasury Management and Risk Management. His background includes significant work in sustainability and climate risk, reflecting a modern approach to banking challenges.
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Educational Background: He holds a Master of Science degree from Banaras Hindu University (BHU) and a Post Graduate Diploma in Treasury and Forex Management from ICFAI. Additionally, he possesses global credentials such as the Sustainability and Climate Risk (SCR) certification from GARP (USA).
4. Pranjali Dhumal wins Gold in women’s 25m pistol at Deaflympics
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Gold Medal and Location: Pranjali Prashant Dhumal clinched the Gold medal in the Women's 25m Pistol event at the 25th Summer Deaflympics, which were held in Tokyo, Japan.
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Record-Breaking Qualification: She advanced to the final after delivering a historic performance in the qualification round, where she set a new World and Deaflympic qualification record with a score of 573 out of 600.
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Final Dominance: In the final, she secured the top position with a score of 34, finishing ahead of Halyna Mosina of Ukraine (who won silver with 32 points).
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Contribution to National Success: Her triumph contributed significantly to India's overall performance, which saw the shooting contingent secure a remarkable 16 medals and helped India achieve its best-ever medal tally at the Deaflympics.
5. Lakshya Sen wins 2025 Australian Open Super 500 title
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First Title of the Season: The Australian Open Super 500 title is Lakshya Sen's first BWF World Tour title of the 2025 season. This win ends a title drought on the international circuit, with his last major trophy being the Canada Open Super 500 in 2023.
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Dominant Final Performance: In the men's singles final, Sen defeated Japan's Yushi Tanaka in straight games with a commanding score of 21-15, 21-11. The match was concluded in just 38 minutes, showcasing Sen's clinical control and sharp execution.
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Third Career Super 500 Title: This victory marks his third career Super 500 title, placing him among the elite tier of Indian badminton players. Super 500 events are highly ranked on the BWF World Tour, offering substantial ranking points and prize money.
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Resurgence After Setbacks: The win signals a major return to form for Sen, who had endured a challenging period marked by injuries, early tournament exits, and the disappointment of missing the bronze medal at the Paris Olympics in 2024. He celebrated the win with a signature gesture of putting his fingers in his ears to symbolize shutting out the "outside noise."
6. Justice Vikram Nath appointed as NALSA Executive Chairman
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Appointment Authority and Date: Justice Vikram Nath was nominated as the Executive Chairman of the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) by the President of India, Droupadi Murmu. The appointment, made under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987, became effective from November 24, 2025.
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Adherence to Convention: The appointment follows the established judicial convention where the second senior-most judge of the Supreme Court is nominated to serve as the Executive Chairman of NALSA. Justice Nath, a sitting judge of the Supreme Court since 2021, holds this seniority.
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Core Role at NALSA: In this key administrative role, Justice Nath is responsible for guiding NALSA's nationwide efforts to provide free and competent legal aid and services. His mandate is to ensure that justice is accessible to all eligible citizens, particularly the marginalised and economically weaker sections, fulfilling the mandate of Article 39A of the Constitution.
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Career Trajectory and Predecessor Role: Before his elevation to the Supreme Court, Justice Nath served as the Chief Justice of the Gujarat High Court. Importantly, he was also the immediate past Chairman of the Supreme Court Legal Services Committee (SCLSC), a position that prepared him for the broader administrative responsibilities at NALSA.
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Future Chief Justice of India (CJI) in Line: Justice Nath is currently in line to become the Chief Justice of India (CJI) in 2027 (after the retirement of CJI Surya Kant, the current Patron-in-Chief of NALSA). The NALSA Executive Chairman role is often seen as a significant administrative step before assuming the office of the CJI.
7. Nikhil Dhongari appointed as Deputy Secretary in the National Health Authority
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Service and Batch: Nikhil Dhongari belongs to the Indian Railway Personnel Service (IRPS), a central civil service, and is an officer of the 2012 batch. His appointment is a Central Deputation, transitioning him from the Ministry of Railways to the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.
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Specific Mandate: He has been appointed as Deputy Secretary specifically to work under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), which is executed by the NHA. The ABDM aims to create a national digital health ecosystem, including the unique digital health ID for every citizen.
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Appointment Authority and Scheme: The appointment was approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC), based on a recommendation from the Ministry of Railways. The posting falls under the Central Staffing Scheme, which facilitates the movement of officers between various Central Ministries and organisations.
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Tenure Duration: His tenure as Deputy Secretary is co-terminus with the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM). This means his posting is directly linked to the operational duration of the mission, though it may be extended up to the maximum permissible period under the Central Staffing Scheme.
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Organizational Context: The NHA is the apex body responsible for implementing the two flagship schemes of the Government of India: the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) and the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM).
8. Velamala Simmanna Wins Lok Nayak Foundation Literary Award 2025
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Prestigious Award Recipient: Velamala Simmanna, a distinguished Telugu scholar and critic, was chosen for the Lok Nayak Foundation (LNF) Literary Award for 2025, which is often popularly referred to as the "Andhra Jnanpith" in literary circles.
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Significant Cash Prize: The award is one of the most substantial literary prizes in the region, carrying a significant cash prize of ₹2 lakh (Two Lakh Indian Rupees), along with a citation and presentation.
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Prolific Literary Contribution: The award recognizes his prolific and influential career in Telugu literature. Simmanna is the author of over 100 books, spanning various genres including literary criticism, language studies, cultural essays, and creative works.
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Academic Eminence: Simmanna holds high academic distinction, having served as the former Head of the Department of Telugu at Andhra University. His work is widely credited with shaping contemporary Telugu literary discourse and preserving the language's cultural identity.
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Ceremony and Commemoration: The award will be formally presented at an award function scheduled for January 18, 2026, in Visakhapatnam. This date is chosen annually to commemorate the death anniversaries of former Chief Minister N. T. Rama Rao and noted poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan.
9. Constitution Day of India observed on 26th November
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Commemorates Adoption: Constitution Day is celebrated to commemorate the day the Constituent Assembly of India formally adopted the Constitution of India on November 26, 1949. This historic event laid the legal and philosophical foundation for the country's governance.
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Tribute to Dr. Ambedkar: The day serves as a national tribute to Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, who was the Chairman of the Drafting Committee and is widely regarded as the chief architect of the Indian Constitution.
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Recent Formal Recognition: While the Constitution was adopted in 1949, the Government of India officially declared November 26th as Constitution Day in 2015. The declaration was made by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment to mark the 125th birth anniversary of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar.
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Promotes Constitutional Values: The main objective of Samvidhan Diwas is to promote constitutional literacy and the fundamental values enshrined in the Constitution, such as Justice, Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity, and to encourage citizens to understand their Fundamental Duties.
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Distinction from Republic Day: It is important to distinguish it from Republic Day (January 26). Constitution Day marks the adoption of the Constitution, while Republic Day (January 26, 1950) marks the day the Constitution came into full effect, establishing India as a sovereign democratic republic.
10. Legendary South Korean Actor Lee Soon Jae passed away
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Date and Age of Passing: Lee Soon Jae passed away on Tuesday, November 25, 2025, at the age of 91. He died peacefully of natural causes, having battled minor health issues in the final year of his life.
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Unprecedented Longevity and Output: His career spanned over seven decades (69 years), making him widely regarded as South Korea's "oldest active actor." He featured in an estimated 140 major television dramas and countless films and stage plays, establishing himself as a foundational figure in Korean television.
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Iconic Versatility: Lee Soon Jae was known for his remarkable versatility, capable of portraying both stern, traditional patriarchs (e.g., What Is Love?) and earning a new generation of fans for his hilarious comedic roles in sitcoms like High Kick! (where he earned the nickname "Yadong Soon-jae"). He also famously starred in the travel reality series Grandpas Over Flowers.
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Influence Beyond Acting: His impact extended far beyond the screen. He served as the president of the Korea Broadcasting Actors Association multiple times and, notably, had a brief but significant career in politics, serving as a member of the 14th National Assembly in the early 1990s.
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National Tribute and Legacy: His death triggered a massive outpouring of national grief, with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung offering condolences and praising him as a "great star" whose philosophy, integrity, and body of work will forever remain a "precious cultural heritage" for the nation.
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