NEWS & VIEWS|||SARASIJ|||07--11-2026

 

NEWS & VIEWS|||SARASIJ|||07--11-2026

FRIDAY| VOL—IV/2026/NOVEMBER

OPINIONATED, FOR FREE CIRCULATION.

 

विद्या ददाति विनयम्।

-- (Hitopadesham)

Knowledge inculcates humility.

 

INDIA: (GOI, SWARAJYA, VISHWAMITRA, HINDU POST, INDIA TODAY).

President Smt Droupadi Murmu met traditional and folk artists at Rashtrapati Bhavan and viewed their Viksit Bharat–themed artworks under the Artists-in-Residence Programme.

PM Shri Narendra Modi greeted citizens on Dhanteras, the start of Deepavali festivities, and prayed that lives be filled with happiness, peace, and good health by the grace of Lord Dhanvantari.

Vice-President Shri C.P. Radhakrishnan will visit Ayodhya today for Deepotsav 2026. He will offer prayers at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple, take part in the symbolic coronation ceremony of Prabhu Shri Ram, and felicitate revered saints.

The Election Commission has given electors left out of draft rolls in the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Delhi, Maharashtra, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Telangana, and Nagaland one more chance to get into the final roll. Those marked Absent, Shifted, Dead or Duplicate after receiving Enumeration Forms can resubmit forms, including online via ECINET, with BLOs assisting.

Electronics and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw launched the Semicon India 2.0 web application portal in New Delhi and announced approval of 12 more projects under the Electronics Component Manufacturing Scheme.

Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated and laid foundation stones for 63 development projects worth ₹1,475 crore in Dehradun on Uttarakhand State Foundation Day. He also presented the President’s Color to the Uttarakhand Police — the 16th force to receive the honour.

The Commission for Air Quality Management invoked Stage-III of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) across Delhi-NCR with immediate effect after Delhi’s AQI rose into the ‘Very Poor’ band near 380–390. Construction and demolition, including earthwork, trenching, road works and major repairs, are banned, in addition to Stages I and II curbs already in force; IITM-Pune has flagged a risk of ‘Severe’ air from 7 to 9 November.

MoS for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions Dr Jitendra Singh launched the nationwide Digital Life Certificate Campaign 5.0 in New Delhi.

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said Indian Railways is running about 18,000 special trains for the Diwali–Chhath festive season. After inspecting holding areas at New Delhi Railway Station, he said over 700 AI-enabled cameras have been installed there for crowd monitoring and passenger management.

The Consumer Affairs Ministry has directed all traders, wholesalers, big-chain retailers and processors across States and UTs to declare rice and paddy stock positions every Friday on the Food Stock Portal. The Centre has also doubled the Open Market Sale Scheme rice e-auction target for 2026-27 from 25 to 50 lakh metric tons to check prices and hoarding.

CBSE released the date sheet for Class 10 and 12 board examinations 2027. Exams for both classes begin on 16 February 2027 at 10:30 am; Class 10 concludes on 9 March and Class 12 on 9 April.

UNESCO’s Memory of the World Committee for Asia and the Pacific has added Kalhana’s Rajatarangini, a Mahabharata manuscript and Kautilya’s Arthashastra to its Regional Register, taking India’s inscriptions on the Asia-Pacific list to six after Ramcharitmanas, Panchatantra, and Sahṛdayālokalocana in 2024.

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs, chaired by Radha Mohan Das Agrawal, will examine Delhi-NCR air pollution and GRAP implementation along with the security risks of AI, deepfakes, and emerging fraud, besides left-wing extremism, coastal and border security, police modernization and CAPF welfare. WHAT ABOUT ACTION PLAN?

15.  The Home Ministry’s Immigration and Foreigners (Exemption) (Amendment) Order, 2026, relaxes passport and visa rules for several categories of foreign nationals living in India, including registered Sri Lankan Tamils who took shelter by 9 January 2015, certain Pakistani nationals, and members of six minority communities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan who entered by 31 December 2024 — who must still obtain an appropriate visa to stay. Indian, Nepali, and Bhutanese travelers may use Visa Manual identity documents for India–Nepal–Bhutan land or air travel.

President Smt Droupadi Murmu received credentials at Rashtrapati Bhavan from Ambassadors Fatoma Thera (Mali), U Aye Min Htwe (Myanmar), Mandehatsara Georget (Madagascar) and Miguel Edjang Angue (Equatorial Guinea).

The Maharashtra FDA suspended licenses of 105 food businesses, including Blinkit (Blink Commerce) and Zepto outlets in Mumbai, and ordered seven establishments shut after a special Diwali inspection drive on 4–5 November. Nearly 39.5 tons of food worth ₹1.35 crore were seized for unhygienic storage, poor handling, inadequate pest control, and missing temperature records.

Ahead of Deepavali, the Delhi Government appealed to citizens to burst only certified green firecrackers and only on 7 and 8 November between 6–7 am and 8–10 pm, as ordered by the District Magistrate (East) in line with Supreme Court directions for Delhi-NCR.

Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh called the Agniveer tenure extension a ‘win-win’ that lets a larger share of trained youth serve longer while keeping the force young, noting the scheme always envisaged a reassessment after four years and a competitive path into regular service for those who meet operational standards.

BENGAL FILES:

•  BJP's Smriti Irani addressed a press conference in Kolkata accusing former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of "looting" the state and dismissing all "Vote Chori" allegations brought forward by the TMC.

• MSME Shift & Job Creation Strategy: Chief Minister Shuvendu Adhikari officially unveiled the state's highly anticipated new industrial policy, aimed at rapidly boosting employment and driving major commercial investments into the state.

• Empowering Women and Transgender Workers: The policy outlines targeted financial incentives designed to bring more women and transgender individuals into the workforce, particularly within micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

• Government Provident Fund Subsidies: To ease the financial strain on companies hiring new workers, the Bengal government announced a significant subsidy package to offset employers' contributions to employee Provident Funds (PF).

WORLD: (REUTER, AP, AFP, BLOOMBERG, CNN, WP)

Regional Conventional Arms Control Draft: A draft resolution titled “General and complete disarmament: Conventional arms control at the regional and subregional levels”—sponsored by Pakistan and Belarus—was approved by the UNGA First Committee.• The Vote: 180 in favor to 2 against, with 0 abstentions.

• Notable Dissent: India and Israel stood alone in voting against the draft. Representatives from New Delhi explicitly stated that arms control is a global issue and security concerns cannot be narrowly restricted by sub-regional borders.

At the UN General Assembly’s Fourth Committee debate on peacekeeping, Military Advisor Col Tarunendra Pratap Singh said perpetrators of attacks on Blue Helmets must be held accountable as peacekeepers face asymmetric and technology-enabled threats. India has deployed over three lakh troops across 50 missions and lost 184 peacekeepers; New Delhi has flagged peacekeeping as a priority for its UNSC 2028–29 candidacy.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, addressing Commonwealth leaders and business heads on the sidelines of CHOGM 2026 in St John’s, Antigua and Barbuda, urged member countries to de-risk and diversify supply chains through shorter, trusted routes, stronger connectivity, and local distribution, and to use ISA and CDRI for joint climate action.

On the CHOGM sidelines, Jaishankar met Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne to discuss expanding cooperation in trade and investment, renewable energy and food processing, continuing India’s Caribbean outreach after bilateral talks with Guyana, the UK and Australia earlier in the week.

India and Canada are accelerating Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) talks, with Canadian Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu due in New Delhi next week for the sixth round, aiming to conclude the pact ahead of PM Modi’s proposed visit to Toronto and Ottawa on 11–12 December. Key issues include market access for Canadian pulses, services, visas, Labour, environment, and digital trade, with a goal of more than doubling two-way trade to C$70 billion a year by 2030.

India and the European Union concluded negotiations on India’s association with Horizon Europe, the EU’s €93.5-billion research, and innovation Programme. Once signed and procedures are completed — association is envisaged from January 2027 — Indian researchers and firms can access funding directly and lead Pillar II collaborative projects on health, digital, space, climate, and energy.

South Africa’s High Commissioner Anil Sooklal said a proposed India–SACU preferential trade agreement, for which terms of reference were signed in August, could become a template for a broader India–Africa trade pact within about a year, with critical minerals among the strategic interests.

US-mediated talks involving Russia and Ukraine are planned for 10–11 November in Abu Dhabi, after President Trump said he had met Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev privately and expected a peace deal soon.

GULF WAR:

• Backchannel Talks vs. "Destruction" Threats: US President Donald Trump stated that his administration is directly communicating with representatives from Tehran, adding, "We are doing very well with Iran." However, this follows his recent warning that the US may still choose to "destroy" what remains of Iran's strategic assets if a deal is rejected.

• Iranian Retaliation Directives: Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has officially instructed the armed forces to prepare a "geographically unrestricted" response matrix. Ebrahim Azizi, head of Iran's National Security Committee, publicly warned that any future US or Israeli mistake will face a decisive response.

• Emergency Nuclear Proposals: Acting through Qatari mediators in Doha, Tehran has reportedly dispatched a fresh nuclear proposal to Washington outlining seven specific conditions for negotiations to stave off further aerial bombardments.

🚢 Chokepoints & Regional Escalations:

• The Strait of Hormuz Blockade: Iran has enacted strict shipping restrictions in the Strait of Hormuz. However, Tehran has explicitly exempted India, China, Qatar, and Iraq, allowing their vessels to cross freely while blocking or harassing Western-linked transit.

• Iraq Braces for Nuclear Fallout: Fearing imminent American or Israeli strikes on Iran’s underground facilities—specifically hardened sites like the Fordo complex and "Pickaxe Mountain" near Natanz—Iraq has activated emergency radiation monitoring networks along its eastern border to track potential atmospheric fallout.

• Saudi Arabia Interception: The Saudi-led coalition reported that a drone was successfully intercepted and destroyed near the capital, Riyadh. Ownership of the drone has not yet been verified.

⚔️ Operational Context

• US Carrier Movement: Satellite tracking reveals that the USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier strike group has adjusted its positioning closer to the immediate operational zone in the Middle East to maintain regional deterrence.

• Space & Cyber Warfare: The conflict has expanded heavily into the orbital domain. US Central Command (CENTCOM) has documented significant GPS and navigation jamming near chokepoints, stemming from Iranian land-based electronic warfare units attempting to degrade Western satellite tracking.

CRIME & PUNISHMENT:

The Supreme Court refused to suspend former Tehelka editor Tarun Tejpal’s 10-year prison sentence in the 2013 Goa rape case, while granting leave to hear his appeal against conviction and the Goa government’s plea for a higher sentence. It declined interim bail, observing there was no motive shown for false implication.

Supreme Court ordered Rajasthan to form an SIT within three days to probe organized illegal gravel mining in the Luni, Jojari and Bandi rivers, including possible official involvement. It barred new industries near the river ecosystem and directed a 100-metre protective zone.

Hearing a suo motu air-pollution case, a Bench of CJI Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana termed vehicular emissions a major Delhi-NCR pollutant and called for immediate, medium, and long-term measures, stressing education of farmers against stubble burning.

 The Supreme Court reaffirmed its 11 March verdict that a parent’s salary or income in a PSU or the private sector cannot by itself decide creamy-layer exclusion for OBCs, refused the Centre’s plea to make the ruling only prospective, and extended the implementation window by two more months, clarifying that concluded selections, appointments and seniority will not be reopened.

The CBI registered an FIR against Future Retail, founder Kishore Biyani, Rakesh Biyani, and others in an alleged ₹904.32-crore bank fraud linked to State Bank of India facilities, and conducted searches in Mumbai, seizing documents.

The Enforcement Directorate arrested Roshan Fiaz and Ammar in Chennai in a cyber-fraud and cryptocurrency laundering case involving an estimated ₹400-crore network linked to over 600 cyber complaints.

The Jharkhand High Court quashed the State government’s August decision cancelling the JSSC-CGL examination and appointments under advertisement 10/2023, calling the blanket cancellation unjust. Justice Deepak Roshan ordered reinstatement of selected candidates with continuous service; the CID probe into irregularities will continue and those found guilty may still face action.

MISHAPS: -

In Uttarkashi, one more body was recovered from the Kedartal trek avalanche site, taking the toll to seven with trekker Ratan Ghosh of West Bengal still missing; search was temporarily halted amid deep snow and continuing snowfall, officials said.

Seven people, including four women and three children were killed and a girl injured when a speeding 18-wheeler trailer ran over villagers gathered near a culvert on the Karra–Torpa road to help a fallen scooter rider. The driver and helper fled. President Droupadi Murmu and PM Narendra Modi expressed grief and prayed for the injured girl’s recovery.

ENVIRONMENTAL: -

A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck off Japan’s Kanto coast southeast of Tokyo at about 7:39 pm local time. The Japan Meteorological Agency recorded seismic intensity 3 and issued no tsunami warning; there were no immediate reports of major damage or injuries.

WEATHER:

The IMD has forecast heavy rainfall over coastal Kerala, Mahe, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Karaikal, with thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds also likely over coastal Andhra Pradesh and Lakshadweep till Monday.

GAMES & SPORTS

At the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, 15-year-old Odisha shuttler Tanvi Patri won silver in women’s singles badminton — the first Indian woman to medal in YOG badminton singles — after a thrilling 15-21, 21-13, 26-24 final loss to China’s Zhang Yi Xin; she had beaten Japan’s Yuzuno Watanabe in the semi-finals.

Dhinidhi Desinghu won bronze in the women’s 100m freestyle — her second swimming bronze of the Games after the 200m freestyle — headlining India’s best Youth Olympics swimming campaign.

Tirthank Pegu added bronze in the men’s 200m butterfly, taking India’s swimming medal tally at Dakar to three and marking a historic breakthrough for the country in the Youth Olympic pool.

India fast bowler Mohammed Shami announced his retirement from Test cricket, ending a career of 229 wickets in 64 matches since his 2013 debut against West Indies at Eden Gardens. The 36-year-old said he will continue in white-ball formats; his last Test was the 2023 World Test Championship final at Lord’s.

MEDICINE, SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY:

India on successfully test-fired quasi-ballistic missile Pralay from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the coast of Odisha. The missile, developed by DRDO, can carry conventional warheads, the defense ministry said in a statement.

DAS KAPITAL:

 Key Drivers & Sector Action:

• Crude Oil Slump: Global benchmark Brent crude tumbled roughly 9% down to $96.82 per barrel, providing a massive operational relief boost for oil-importing Indian corporations.

• Institutional Inflow: Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) heavily backed the Indian market, net-purchasing equities worth ₹14,974.68 crore in a single prior session.

Global Contrast: While India soared, global peers suffered heavy losses. Wall Street's Nasdaq tumbled 5.52%, South Korea’s Kospi tanked over 6%, and Japan's Nikkei 225 index dropped nearly 6% due to fears over tougher global regulations.

DALAL STREET:

Major Market Indices Snapshot: TRUMP INDUCED RAHUKALAM ENDED.

• BSE Sensex: Settled at 81,028.02, surging by 1,718.02 points (+2.17%).

• NSE Nifty 50: Reclaimed its psychological milestone, closing at 25,030.35 with a whopping gain of 493.75 points (+2.01%).

In a spectacular winning streak, the Sensex has jumped over 7,780 points and the Nifty has gained over 2,330 points across the last seven consecutive trading sessions.

Market is shut on Saturday, Sunday—there will be ‘MUHURT TRADING’ 14.00-15.00

BULLIONS:

🟡 Gold Rates by Purity

• 24 Karat Gold (999 Purity): ₹1,42,860 per 10 grams.

⚪ Silver Rates by Purity

CURRENCY:

USD:   ₹93.99/-         📈 Stronger Rupee (Down from ~₹94.80)

EUR:   ₹104.72/-      📉 Rupee Gains

GBP    ₹125.50/-      📉 Rupee Gains

AUD   ₹64.52/-         📉 Rupee Gains

SGD    ₹73.25/-         📉 Rupee Gains

CNY    ₹14.08/-         📉 Rupee Gains

Bitcoin (BTC to USD): Trading at $75,978.43./-

Bitcoin (BTC to INR equivalent): Trading at approximately ₹71,40,940./-

 

THE END.