National News
- Navi Mumbai Adjudged India’s Cleanest City in Swachh Survekshan Awards
- Maharashtra’s Navi Mumbai was declared the cleanest city in India in the central government's annual Swachh Survekshan awards, with President Droupadi Murmu felicitating the winners at a ceremony in New Delhi on 11 November 2026.
- Gujarat’s Surat secured the second position, while Andhra Pradesh’s Vijayawada ranked third.
- Eight-time consecutive winner Indore dropped out of the top rankings in this edition.
- Supreme Court Refers Two-Child Electoral Disqualification Norm to Larger Bench
- In Mangala Bhimrao Ingle v. Additional Commissioner, the Supreme Court referred the constitutional validity of the two-child norm for local body elections to a larger bench.
- The Court observed that India’s Total Fertility Rate (TFR) has fallen to 1.9—below the replacement level of 2.1—raising questions about the continuing justification for population-based electoral disqualifications.
- Several states, including Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh, currently enforce variations of the two-child rule in panchayat and municipal elections.
- INS Surat Participates in 15th India-Oman Naval Exercise 'Naseem Al Bahr 2026'
- Indian Navy’s guided-missile destroyer INS Surat participated in the 15th edition of the bilateral maritime exercise Naseem Al Bahr 2026 in Oman.
- The exercise focuses on enhancing naval interoperability, maritime security cooperation, and joint tactical operations in the Arabian Sea and Persian Gulf region.
- The deployment underscores deepening defense ties between India and Oman.
- India and France Hold Inaugural Economic Security and Critical Technologies Dialogue
- India and France convened their third Strategic Space Dialogue alongside the inaugural Economic Security and Critical Technologies Dialogue in Paris.
- Officials reviewed bilateral cooperation across semiconductors, artificial intelligence, space exploration, and resilient supply chains.
- The dialogues advance the Horizon 2047 roadmap between New Delhi and Paris.
- Social Activist and Barefoot College Founder Bunker Roy Passes Away at 81
- Renowned social activist and educator Sanjit "Bunker" Roy, founder of the Barefoot College in Tilonia, Rajasthan, passed away at the age of 81.
- He gained international acclaim for empowering rural women and communities across India and developing nations to become solar engineers, water testers, and artisans.
- Leaders and development organizations paid tribute to his decades of grassroots rural innovation.
International News
- India Re-elected President of International Solar Alliance for Third Consecutive Term
- India was re-elected as the President of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) for a third consecutive term.
- The re-election reaffirms India’s leadership in accelerating global solar energy deployment, cross-border grid connectivity, and clean energy financing.
- France continues to serve alongside India in the alliance's leadership framework.
- UN Chief Urges Climate Justice Pact at COP31 Summit in Antalya
- Addressing world leaders at the COP31 climate summit in Antalya, Turkey, on 11 November 2026, UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned that current national pledges put the planet on track for over 2.5°C of warming by the end of the century.
- Calling it "make or bake time," Guterres urged nations to accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels and close climate financing gaps.
- He emphasized that every fraction of a degree of warming avoided remains critical even if the 1.5°C threshold is temporarily breached.
- India Ranks 38th in WIPO's Global Innovation Index 2026
- According to the World Intellectual Property Organization’s (WIPO) Global Innovation Index (GII) 2026, India secured the 38th position globally.
- Switzerland retained the top rank for the 16th consecutive year with an overall score of 66.7, followed by Sweden and the United States in second and third places respectively.
- India maintained its leading innovation ranking among lower-middle-income economies.
- GCC Approves Advanced Military Command Headquarters in Kuwait
- The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) approved the establishment of an advanced joint military command headquarters in Kuwait.
- The facility is designed to bolster regional defense coordination, air and missile defense integration, and rapid crisis response across Gulf member states.
- The decision reflects heightened regional focus on collective security infrastructure.
- UK Author M. John Harrison Wins 2026 Booker Prize
- British writer M. John Harrison won the 2026 Booker Prize for his AI-themed apocalyptic novel.
- Judges praised the work for its literary craft and exploration of human consciousness in an era of artificial intelligence.
- The award carries a £50,000 prize and global recognition in contemporary fiction.
Sports News
- Indian Women’s Trio Wins 25m Pistol Team Gold at ISSF World Championship
- At the 2026 ISSF World Shooting Championship in Doha on 11 November 2026, India’s Esha Singh (590), Manu Bhaker (587), and Divya T.S. (584) clinched the women’s 25m pistol team gold medal with a combined score of 1,761, finishing ahead of South Korea and Vietnam.
- In the men’s 50m rifle 3 positions team event, Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar, Niraj Kumar, and Akhil Sheoran won bronze with a score of 1,751.
- The medals took India’s overall tally at the championship to nine (two gold, five silver, and two bronze), placing India second behind China.
- Total Chess World Championship Tour Pilot Event Begins in Budapest
- The pilot event of the new Total Chess World Championship Tour kicked off in Budapest on 11 November 2026 with a $650,000 prize fund and 24 elite players led by Magnus Carlsen.
- Indian Grandmasters R. Praggnanandhaa, Arjun Erigaisi, and R. Vaishali are competing in the tournament.
- The event features the newly introduced "Fast Classic" time control of 45 minutes plus a 30-second increment per move.
- Indian Batter Sabbhineni Meghana Announces Retirement from All Formats
- Indian women’s cricketer Sabbhineni Meghana announced her retirement from all formats of the game.
- She was a member of India’s 2016 Women’s T20 Asia Cup-winning squad and part of Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s title-winning team in the 2024 Women’s Premier League.
- Meghana represented India across international white-ball formats and had a prolific domestic career in senior one-day and T20 competitions.
