DAILY GK 13 NOV 2025
1.
INDIAN NAVY COMMISSIONS ‘INS IKSHAK’
·
The Indian Navy (IN) commissioned
Indian Naval Ship (INS) Ikshak (Yard
3027), the third indigenously built Survey Vessel (Large) (SVL)
class, at the Southern Naval Command (SNC), in Kochi,
Kerala, in a ceremony presided over by Admiral Dinesh
Kumar Tripathi, Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS).
·
Ikshak is the first
SVL-class ship to be based at the SNC,
the tenth IN platform commissioned in 2025 and the 102nd ship steered by the
IN’s Warship Design Bureau (WDB).
·
Ikshak, built by Garden
Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) Limited, Kolkata
(West Bengal).
·
Dimensions: Length – 110
metres (m); Displacement – 3,400 tonnes.
·
Speed: Up to 18 knots.
2.
INDIA DEMONSTRATES 500-KM QUANTUM-BASED NETWORK
·
Bangalore-based quantum
technology startup QNu Labs Pvt. Ltd., supported by
the Department of Science and Technology (DST) under the
National Quantum Mission (NQM), successfully
demonstrated India’s first extensive Quantum Key
Distribution (QKD) network stretching over 500
kilometers.
·
The test-bed fiber
network was specially engineered and facilitated by the Indian Army’s Southern
Command Signals in the Rajasthan sector, including selective access and secured
nodes.
·
Communication Technology: Quantum
Key Distribution (QKD) is a next-generation
communication technology that uses the principles of quantum
mechanics to securely exchange encryption keys between two users.
·
Security provided: Information
is transmitted through photons which are tiny particles of light and any
interception(hacking) attempt changes their quantum state, immediately alerting
both parties.
·
Virtually Safe Encryption: This
ensures virtually unbreakable encryption, even against quantum computers,
making QKD the foundation of quantum-safe communication systems.
·
The successful 500 km
demonstration positions India among the few global leaders, including the United
States, China, and Japan, capable of deploying long-distance
quantum-secure networks.
3.
HURUN INDIA PHILANTHROPY LIST 2025
·
The 12th edition
of the Hurun India Philanthropy list has been released by the EdelGive Foundation in
partnership with Hurun India, in which Shiv Nadar (80)
and his family retained the title of India’s Most Generous donors for
the fourth time in five years.
·
Shiv Nadar, founder-chairman
of HCL Technologies, donated Rs 2,708
crore (cr) during Financial Year 2024-25 (FY25), averaging
over Rs 7.4 cr every day, a 26% increase
from the previous year.
·
Mukesh
Ambani and family ranked second with Rs.626 crore in donations, up 54%
year-on-year, followed by the Bajaj
family at Rs.446 crore, marking a 27% increase.
·
The threshold for
entering the top 10 philanthropists has
more than doubled to Rs 173 cr from Rs 74
cr in 2020, while the bar for the top 25
has tripled since 2014 to Rs 70 cr.
·
The 2025 list features 191
philanthropists, who cumulatively donated Rs 10,380 cr, up by 85%
compared to three years ago.
·
Kumar
Mangalam Birla and family ranked fourth
with Rs.440 crore, followed by Gautam
Adani and family in fifth place with Rs.386 crore.
·
Education remains the
most favoured cause, attracting Rs 4,166 cr from 107 philanthropists,
followed by healthcare with a total amount of Rs 971
cr as donation.
4.
GOLDEN PEACOCK AWARD
·
Heritage Foods Limited (HFL), an
Indian private-sector dairy enterprise,
was conferred the Golden Peacock Award for Excellence in Corporate Governance (GPAECG) 2025 by
the Institute of Directors (IOD), India,
during the IOD London Global Convention on Corporate Governance &
Sustainability held in London.
·
The award positions HFL among 11 national winners and
distinguishes Heritage Foods Limited (HFL) as the sole Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) firm to receive the honour
this year.
·
N. Bhuvaneswari,
Vice Chairperson and Managing Director (MD), HFL, received the prestigious title “Distinguished Fellow of the
Institute of Directors”, recognizing her leadership, ethical vision, and
governance excellence.
·
In
1991, the Golden Peacock Awards were instituted by the IOD India, a professional
body that promotes responsible business leadership, corporate governance, and
sustainable development.
·
The
Golden Peacock Awards were presented in different categories- Award
for Excellence in Corporate Governance (GPGAECG), Sustainability, Environmental
Social Governance, Corporate Governance, ESG, Risk Management.
5.
INTERPOL MEDAL OF THE HIGHEST ORDER
·
General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa,
Minister of Interior, Kingdom of Bahrain, received the INTERPOL
Medal of the Highest Order from Major General Dr.
Ahmed Nasser Al Raisi, President
of the International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL).
·
It was presented during
the inaugural Middle East International
Border Management and Technology Conference held in Manama, Bahrain.
·
He received the INTERPOL
Medal of the Highest Order in recognition
of his exceptional contributions to international cooperation, global security,
and efforts to combat organized crime.
·
The INTERPOL Medal of the
Highest Order recognizes exceptional
contributions to international cooperation and global security.
·
The medal is presented to
heads of state, Prime Ministers(PM), and
interior ministers in recognition of their exceptional contributions to
fostering international cooperation and promoting global security.
6.
DR. BHUPEN HAZARIKA NATIONAL AWARDS
·
Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, Ministry of Communications and
Ministry of Development of the North Eastern Region (MDoNER), presented
the Bharat Ratna Dr. Bhupen Hazarika National Awards 2025 to
six recipients at a ceremony held in Guwahati, Assam.
·
The event, organized by
the Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) Sarhad Pune, commemorated the centenary
year of Bhupen Hazarika.
·
Award: Established in 2012 by NGO Sarhad
Pune in memory of Dr. Bhupen Hazarika, it recognizes efforts promoting national
integration, cultural harmony, and the North Eastern (NE) Region through art,
literature, music, and social service.
·
Six eminent personalities from the NE were felicitated for their
outstanding contributions in literature, music, scholarship, and cultural preservation:
·
Awardees : Yeshe DorjeeThongchi from Arunachal Pradesh(AR) who
is a Author and storyteller.
·
LaishramMema from
Manipur who is a Scholar and cultural promoter.
·
RajniBasumatary from
Assam who is a Actor and filmmaker.
·
L. R. Sailo from
Mizoram who is a Writer and a translator.
·
Dr.SurjyaKanta Hazarika from
Assam who is a Cultural historian and scholar.
·
Prof. David R. Syiemlieh from
Meghalaya who is a Historian and former Union Public
Services Commission(UPSC) Chairman
·
Each
recipient was honored with a cash prize of Rs 51,000, a
citation, and a traditional Assamese gamosa, symbolizing the region’s cultural
richness and unity.
·
Dr.Bhupen Hazarika, hailed as the “Bard of the Brahmaputra,” was
a legendary Indian singer, composer, poet, and filmmaker from Assam.
·
He
was Honored posthumously with India’s highest civilian award, the Bharat
Ratna, in 2019, his legacy continues to inspire generations.
7.
DAYTON PEACE PRIZE-LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD 2025
·
Renowned
Indian-born British author Salman Rushdie was
conferred with the Ambassador Richard C. Holbrooke Distinguished
Achievement Award (Lifetime Achievement Award) during the Dayton
Literary Peace Prize(DLPP) 2025 ceremony held in Dayton, Ohio, USA.
·
2025 Winners: Fiction: ‘Martyr!’ by KavehAkbar, explores identity,
faith, and cultural conflict ( USD 10,000).
·
Non fiction: ‘The
Burning Earth’ by Sunil Amrith, analyzes historical impacts on the global
environment (USD 10,000).
8.
BOOKER PRIZE 2025
·
Hungarian-British author David Szalay won the 2025
Booker Prize for Fiction for his sixth novel “Flesh” at
a ceremony held at Old Billingsgate, London.
·
He
became the first author of Hungarian origin to receive the Booker Prize.
·
He received the Booker
Prize trophy from Samantha Harvey, the 2024 winner for
her novel “Orbital.”
·
David
Szalay received a cash prize of British Pound Sterling (GBP)
50,000 (USD 66,000) along with a trophy.
·
‘The
Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny’ by Kiran Desai (Indian Novelist) was also
shortlisted.
·
Novel “Flesh”: It is David Szalay’s sixth novel published in 2025 by
Scribner, follows István, a reserved Hungarian man whose life evolves from
humble beginnings in Hungarian housing estates to working among London’s elite.
·
His
notable books include London and the South-East, The Innocent,
Spring, and the short story collection Turbulence.
·
Previously
shortlisted for the 2016 Booker Prize for ‘All That Man Is’, he has also won
the Betty Trask Award, Geoffrey Faber Memorial Prize, and Gordon Burn Prize.
·
Booker Prize Founded in 1969, the Booker Prize is presented by the Booker
Prize Foundation.
·
The
Booker Prize annually honours the best original, full-length work of fiction
written in English and published in the United Kingdom (UK).
·
First Winner: P. H. Newby received the inaugural Booker Prize in 1969
for his novel ‘Something to Answer For’.
9.
TN’S KOVALAM BEACH RETAINED BLUE FLAG CERTIFICATION
·
Kovalam beach located in Chengalpatu district
of Tamil Nadu (TN), retained the International Blue Flag
Certification for the 5th consecutive
year for 2025-26.
·
In September 2021,
Kovalam beach received the 1st Blue Flag Certification, becoming the 1st beach
from TN to receive such global recognition.
·
Blue Flag Certification is a globally recognised eco-label
awarded by Denmark’s Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) across 3 main
categories: beaches, marinas, and sustainable tourism operators.
·
In
October 2025, 5 beaches from Maharashtra received
the International Blue Flag Certification, bringing the total number of Blue
Flag-Certified beaches from India to 18.
·
FEE is one of the world’s largest environmental education organisations,
with more than 110 member organisations in 85 countries.
·
Headquarters- Copenhagen, Denmark.
10.
FAO’S SOFA REPORT 2025
·
The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) released
its latest report titled ‘State of Food and Agriculture (SOFA)
2025: Addressing Land Degradation Across Landholding Scales’ during
an event held at its headquarters in Rome, Italy.
·
The
report highlights that nearly 1.7 billion people live
in areas where crop yields are declining due to human-induced land
degradation, posing a growing threat to agricultural productivity, food
security, and natural ecosystems.
·
The report notes that
Eastern and Southern Asia face the greatest land degradation impacts,
with India ranking among the countries with the
highest human-induced crop yield losses.
·
The
international community has recognised ‘land degradation’ as
a critical global challenge, with over 130 countries pledging to achieve Land
Degradation Neutrality (LDN) under United Nations Convention to Combat
Desertification (UNCCD).
·
As
per the report, Agriculture continues to be the key
driver of global deforestation, accounting for approximately 90% of
forest loss.
·
Global
cropland increased by 78 million hectares, while
permanent meadows and pastures decreased by 151 million hectares, resulting in
a net decline of agricultural land by 2% (~78 Mha).
