Daily Current Affairs – 18-11-2025
Important Days
International Day for Tolerance - November 18
The International Day for Tolerance, proclaimed by the United Nations, is observed to raise awareness about the importance of tolerance in fostering peaceful coexistence. It promotes the idea that different cultures, religions, and societies should be respected and valued. The day encourages people to embrace diversity and foster an environment of understanding and acceptance.
Central Theme for 2025
For 2025, the theme could likely focus on "Building Bridges of Tolerance" through education, dialogue, and intercultural exchange, as the world continues to face challenges related to discrimination and division.
National Educational Day (India) - November 18
National Educational Day in India is celebrated to honor the birth anniversary of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, the first Minister of Education in independent India. He was instrumental in shaping India's education system and promoting the idea of free and universal primary education. The day highlights his contributions to education and serves as a reminder of the importance of education for nation-building.
International News
Bangladesh Student Protest Case: Former PM Sheikh Hasina Sentenced to Death
A special tribunal in Dhaka has sentenced former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and other key political figures to death in a murder case linked to the student protests. Sheikh Hasina has condemned the verdict as a politically motivated act of revenge.
Background of the Verdict
The case revolves around the killing of a protestor, Abu Sayeed, during the widespread student protests against job reservation quotas in Bangladesh in 2024. The special tribunal investigating the case found Sheikh Hasina and others guilty.
Tamil Nadu News
CM’s Farmer Welfare Centers to Receive Subsidy from December
Chief Minister M.K. Stalin will launch the subsidy scheme for ‘CM’s Farmer Welfare Service Centers’ this December. The scheme targets agriculture graduates and diploma holders aged 20–45.
The Tamil Nadu government will provide a 30% subsidy (₹3–6 lakh) for 1,000 centers costing ₹10–20 lakh each, with a total fund of ₹42 crore. So far, 1,768 youth have applied.
The state-level selection committee has approved subsidies for 237 beneficiaries who have received bank loans. Beneficiaries will also undergo 15 days of training. The subsidy will be released in two installments.
Interested applicants can apply online at https://www.tnagrisnet.tn.gov.in/KaviaDP/register after securing bank loan approval and submitting a project report.
₹301 Crore Sports City to be Built Near Chennai
The Tamil Nadu government has approved the construction of a ₹301 crore world-class sports city in Semmencherry, near Chennai, spread across 112 acres. The city will feature facilities for football, hockey, swimming, athlete accommodations, roads, and stormwater systems.
The project is being implemented by the Tamil Nadu Sports Development Authority (SDAT) and SIPCOT. Lakes in Semmencherry and Navalur will be deepened, and a new 42-acre lake will be created to improve flood control.
Once complete, this sports city will provide Tamil Nadu's athletes with international-level training opportunities and boost Chennai's position as a global sports hub.
V.O.C. Port Achieves Record Cargo Handling in October
Tuticorin’s V.O. Chidambaranar Port has set a new milestone in cargo handling, managing 3.94 million tonnes of cargo and 75,110 TEUs of containers in October alone. Compared to last October’s 3.55 million tonnes and 62,158 TEUs, this represents a growth of 10.94% in cargo and 20.83% in container traffic.
For the 2025-26 financial year up to October, the port has handled a total of 25.23 million tonnes of cargo and 5,03,204 TEUs, marking an increase of 2.71% in cargo and 8.44% in containers compared to the same period last year.
A total of 1,064 ships have been handled so far, up from 1,004 last year. The turnaround time for container ships has improved, dropping from 20.16 hours to 19.20 hours, reflecting the port’s efficiency gains.
National News
IIT Madras Launches ‘Single Cell Omics’ Lab with ₹10.83 Crore IRFC Grant
IIT Madras is setting up a ‘Single Cell Omics’ (SCOT) research lab with a ₹10.83 crore grant from IRFC. This will be the first of its kind in India.
The lab will focus on early-stage diagnostics, biomarker discovery, and drug testing for diseases like cancer, heart disease, infections, and metabolic disorders.
Sports News
Deaflympics: India Shines in Shooting with Gold and Silver Medals
At the ongoing Deaflympics in Japan for hearing-impaired athletes, Indian shooters are making a strong impression in the finals.
On Monday, the second day of the competition, Anuya Prasad won the gold medal in the women’s 10m air pistol event with a world record score of 241.1 points. In the same event, Pranjali Pradip Damal claimed the silver with 236.8 points, while Iran’s Sara Sami took bronze.
This marks Anuya’s second international gold, having previously won gold at last year’s World Championships. Notably, Pranjali had topped the qualification round with a world record score of 572 points, while Anuya had qualified third with 564 points.
In the men’s 10m air pistol event, India’s Abhinav Deshwal won the silver medal with 235.2 points. South Korea’s Kim Ki-hyeon won gold with 238.2 points, and Croatia’s Boris Gramotnjak secured bronze with 215.3 points.
Abhinav, who won gold at the 2022 Deaflympics, had advanced to the final by topping the qualification round with 576 points. Another Indian, Yogesh Dagar, finished 12th in the qualification round and did not advance.
So far, India has secured a total of 7 medals in shooting alone at this competition: 2 gold, 4 silver, and 1 bronze.
Gurpreet Singh Clinches Silver; India Finishes 3rd with 13 Medals at Shooting World Championships
At the Shooting World Championships in Cairo, Egypt, India's Gurpreet Singh won the silver medal in the 25m Center Fire Pistol event.
In the final standings, Gurpreet Singh and Ukraine's Pavlo Korostylov were tied with 584 points each. However, Korostylov was declared the winner after hitting the center of the target (10 points) 29 times, while Gurpreet hit the center 18 times to secure the silver medal. Yannick Borel of France won the bronze with 583 points.
This is Gurpreet's second individual medal at the World Championships. Among the other Indian participants, Harpreet Singh finished in 9th place with 577 points, and Sahil Choudhary placed 27th with 561 points.
In the team event, the Indian trio of Gurpreet, Harpreet, and Sahil finished 5th with 1,722 points. With this, India concluded the competition in 3rd place, collecting 3 gold, 6 silver, and 4 bronze medals, totaling 13 medals. China topped the medal tally with 12 gold, 7 silver, and 4 bronze, while South Korea finished in second place with 7 gold, 3 silver, and 4 bronze.
Salisbury & Ram Lift Their First ATP Finals Doubles Trophy with Impressive Win in Turin
In the ATP Finals doubles final held in Turin, the world No. 2 pair of Joe Salisbury (Britain) and Rajeev Ram (USA) defeated the No. 5 seeded duo of Neal Skupski (Britain) and his partner 7-5, 6-3 in straight sets to win their first ATP Finals doubles title.
This victory marks Salisbury and Ram's first ATP Finals championship.
Sinner Triumphs Again: Retains ATP Finals Title in Turin
Italy’s Jannik Sinner defended his ATP Finals crown by defeating world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz 7-6 (7/4), 7-5 in straight sets, securing a memorable win in front of his home crowd.
In a tight first set, Sinner saved a crucial set point and dominated the tie-break. Though Alcaraz broke early in the second set, Sinner fought back, broke twice, and closed out the match confidently.
This match marked their sixth meeting this year, with Sinner claiming his second win. Overall, across 16 career encounters, Sinner now has six victories against Alcaraz.
Sinner is currently on a 10-match winning streak at the ATP Finals, remaining unbeaten since his 2023 loss to Novak Djokovic, and notably without dropping a set.
By winning, Sinner earned ₹44.93 crore in prize money and 1,500 ranking points. He also becomes the 9th player to successfully defend the ATP Finals title and only the 3rd player to win it on home soil.
Sangakkara Reappointed as Head Coach of Rajasthan Royals for 2026 IPL Season
Rajasthan Royals announced on Monday that Sri Lanka cricket legend Kumar Sangakkara will be reappointed as their head coach for the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) season. This move comes after Rahul Dravid stepped down from the role. Sangakkara, who served as the head coach from 2021 to 2024, will once again take charge of the team for the upcoming season.
Economy News
16th Finance Commission Submits Report: Key Changes Likely in State Revenue Sharing
The 16th Finance Commission, led by Arvind Panagariya, presented its report to President Droupadi Murmu, outlining how the Centre’s divisible tax pool should be shared among states for 2026–31.
Under the 15th Finance Commission, states receive 41% of the Centre’s tax revenues.
The Commission examined state finances, local bodies, and disaster management funding mechanisms, the Finance Ministry said.
With southern states opposing the use of the 2011 Census for allocation, citing unfairness, the Commission’s recommendations are being keenly awaited.
PayU Receives RBI Approval to Operate as a Payment Aggregator for Diverse Transactions
PayU, a multi-faceted fintech platform, has received integrated authorization from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to function as a payment aggregator. This approval allows PayU to manage online, offline (physical), and cross-border transactions, including ‘inward and outward’ remittances, under the Payment and Settlement Systems (PSS) Act.
With this approval, PayU will be able to offer seamless payment acceptance, settlement, and cross-border solutions for merchants across various channels, according to the company.
What is a Payment Aggregator?
A Payment Aggregator is a service provider that facilitates payment processing by managing and aggregating transactions on behalf of merchants. Rather than each merchant setting up individual merchant accounts with banks or payment providers, a payment aggregator allows multiple merchants to process payments through a single account.
This service helps merchants accept payments from different sources (like credit/debit cards, net banking, wallets, etc.) without the need for extensive setup or dealing with multiple intermediaries. Essentially, the aggregator manages the back-end processing, making the entire transaction process smoother and faster for both merchants and customers.