NATIONAL NEWS

India’s First Digital Museum of Tribal Freedom Fighters Inaugurated at Nava Raipur

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated India’s first Digital Museum of Tribal Freedom Fighters at Nava Raipur, Atal Nagar, Chhattisgarh.

The museum, named Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh Memorial and Tribal Freedom Fighters Museum, commemorates the courage, struggles, and sacrifices of tribal heroes who fought against British colonial rule during India’s freedom movement.

It is India’s first fully digital museum, featuring VFX displays, digital projections, interactive screens, and QR-coded storytelling, offering visitors an immersive digital experience.

The museum is a tribute to Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh (1820–1857), the first martyr from Chhattisgarh, who led a revolt against British grain hoarding during the famine of 1856–57.

He mobilized peasants and Adivasis against colonial exploitation and was executed in 1857. The Veer Narayan Singh Stadium in Raipur is named in his honour.

The museum also highlights key tribal revolts and movements such as the Halba Rebellion, Paralkot Uprising, Sarguja Revolt, Bhumkal Movement, Tarapur and Lingagiri Revolts, Rani Chauris Struggle, and Jhanda and Jungle Satyagrahas, showcasing the spirit of resistance and unity among tribal communities.

It serves as a center for cultural preservation, education, and tourism, bringing focus to the heroic contributions of tribal freedom fighters through modern digital platforms.

The museum aims to promote awareness, inspire future generations, and position Nava Raipur as a hub of digital and cultural tourism.

This initiative marks a significant step in blending technology with history, ensuring that the legacy of India’s tribal warriors continues to inspire and educate the nation.

 

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Australia Sends First-Ever First Nations Business Mission to India

Australia is sending its first-ever First Nations business mission to India from October 26 to November 3, 2025, to strengthen trade and investment links.

The mission is led by the Perth USAsia Centre and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Western Australia on behalf of the Australian Government.

The delegation will visit Mumbai, New Delhi, and Kolkata, focusing on India’s mining and renewable energy sectors.

Eight Australian First Nations-owned Mining Equipment, Technology and Services (METS) companies will explore partnership opportunities and showcase expertise.

The businesses will participate in India’s largest mining conference, the International Mining, Equipment and Minerals Exhibition in Kolkata.

The eight Western Australian companies represent innovations in electric vehicle conversions, sustainable chemicals, engineering, and safety services.

Electric Power Conversions Australia, Woollahara Group, and Carey Mining Group are among the participating firms, with Carey Mining being Western Australia’s largest 100% First Nations-owned mining company.

Egypt and Qatar Ink $7.5 Billion Deal to Develop Luxury Real Estate and Tourism Project

Egypt and Qatar signed a partnership deal to develop a luxury real estate and tourism project on Egypt’s Mediterranean coast, as part of Qatar’s $7.5 billion investment pledge to Cairo.

Qatari Diar, the real estate arm of Doha’s sovereign wealth fund, will invest $29.7 billion in the Alam Al-Roum project, featuring golf courses and marinas along a 7-km undeveloped coastline northwest of Cairo.

Qatar will pay $3.5 billion in December 2025 for the land allocated to the project, representing fresh Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) aimed at reducing Egypt’s debt and improving economic indicators.

Egypt will receive housing units worth $1.8 billion and 15% of the project’s profits once Qatari Diar recovers its investment costs, according to Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly.

 

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Google Launches Project Suncatcher

Google unveiled Project Suncatcher, an ambitious research initiative to build AI data centres in space using solar-powered satellites housing Tensor Processing Units (TPUs) for efficient and sustainable AI computing.

The project aims to overcome energy and sustainability challenges faced by ground-based data centres by leveraging uninterrupted solar energy, eliminating the need for water cooling, and reducing emissions.

Solar panels in space can be up to eight times more efficient than those on Earth, offering continuous power for AI operations.

Each satellite in Project Suncatcher’s constellation will include Trillium v6e TPUs, solar panels, and free-space optical communication systems capable of tens of terabits per second data transfer.

The system will function as a distributed AI computing network, with satellites orbiting within a kilometre of each other, similar to Starlink, but optimized for AI workloads.

Major challenges include maintaining high-speed multi-terabit communication, ensuring precise satellite positioning, improving radiation resistance of AI chips, and adapting hardware for vacuum and temperature extremes.

Radiation tests under 67 MeV proton beams showed no critical failures up to 15 krad(Si), confirming TPU durability under limited exposure.

Launch costs remain a barrier, but Google expects them to drop to $200/kg by the 2030s, making orbital AI compute more feasible.

Prototype satellites for Project Suncatcher are planned for launch by early 2027 in partnership with Planet.

The initiative aligns with similar space data projects by Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Sam Altman, aimed at developing orbiting or lunar data centres for scalable AI infrastructure.

 

BANKING

SEBI Urges Social Media and Search Platforms to Curb Fraudulent Investment Promotions

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has urged major social media platforms and internet search engines to implement stronger safeguards against fraudulent investment activities.

The initiative aligns with the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO)’s global call to protect investors from online financial harm.

SEBI has directed platforms to fast-track mandatory advertiser verification in the securities market, allowing only SEBI-registered entities to advertise investment products and services.

The regulator recommended introducing a distinct verification label for registered intermediary trading apps to help investors identify authentic platforms.

SEBI has advised investors to verify the registration status of entities and use validated UPI handles and authentic trading applications for all transactions.

SBI Mutual Fund Invests ₹100 Crore in Lenskart

SBI Mutual Fund invested ₹100 crore in Lenskart ahead of its IPO through a pre-offer placement.

The fund purchased 24.87 lakh shares at ₹402 per share from promoter Neha Bansal via SBI Optimal Equity Fund and SBI Emergent Fund AIF.

Following the deal, Neha Bansal’s stake in Lenskart decreased slightly from 7.61% to 7.46%.

The ₹7,278-crore IPO will open on October 31 with a price band of ₹382–₹402 per share, valuing the company at over ₹69,700 crore at the upper end.

Lenskart, founded in 2008, is one of India’s largest omni-channel eyewear brands and will be listed on stock exchanges on November 10, 2025.

City Union Bank Partners with EPFO to Launch EPF Payment Facility

City Union Bank (CUB), a private sector bank headquartered in Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu, has launched a new EPF payment remittance feature in collaboration with the Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO).

The feature enables corporate customers to remit provident fund (PF) amounts directly through CUB’s net banking portal, enhancing ease of compliance and digital convenience for employers.

The launch event was conducted by Vijay Anandh, Executive Director of City Union Bank, and Maneesh Agnihotri, Regional PF Commissioner, Tamil Nadu.

Tamil Nadu currently records ₹283.44 crore in annual provident fund collections, contributed by 52 lakh members from 78,416 establishments.

CUB is also exploring cross-selling opportunities with EPFO to expand its customer base and strengthen digital banking services.

Unified Payments Interface Drives RuPay’s Rise as India’s Preferred Credit Card

The Indian payments ecosystem has witnessed a major transformation driven by the adoption of UPI (Unified Payments Interface).

RuPay, India’s domestic card network, is one of the biggest beneficiaries of this digital payment revolution.

UPI-linked credit card transactions now make up nearly 40% of total transactions by volume, a fourfold increase from 10% at the end of FY24.

In terms of transaction value, UPI-linked credit card usage has increased from 2% to 8%, indicating rapid growth.

RuPay’s credit card market share has increased to 16%, up from 3% two years ago, showing strong market expansion.

The RBI’s 2022 approval allowing exclusive linkage of RuPay credit cards to UPI significantly boosted user convenience and adoption.

Exclusive UPI integration has enabled seamless digital transactions, especially among young and tech-savvy users.

UPI has become the backbone of India’s digital payments infrastructure, with billions of monthly transactions, directly benefiting RuPay.

As a domestic card network, RuPay supports the government’s push for indigenous financial solutions under the Digital India initiative.

RuPay cards offer lower transaction fees than international networks (Visa, Mastercard), providing a cost advantage and encouraging wider usage.

ADB and World Bank Ink $3 Billion Exposure Exchange Agreement

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed a $3 billion sovereign exposure exchange agreement (EEA) with the World Bank to enhance lending capacity for developing member countries.

This marks ADB’s first EEA with the World Bank and sixth overall since 2020, bringing the total exchanged amount to $9 billion.

The EEA aims to reduce portfolio concentration risks by allowing multilateral development banks (MDBs) to exchange sovereign exposures with countries having lower or no credit risk.

 

AWARDS & PRIZES

Manohar Parrikar Yuva Scientist Award 2025

Dr. Sai Gautam Gopalakrishnan, Associate Professor of Materials Engineering at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, has been awarded the Manohar Parrikar Yuva Scientist Award 2025 for his outstanding contributions to computational materials science.

The Manohar Parrikar Yuva Scientist Award was instituted by the Government of Goa in honour of Manohar Parrikar, former Defence Minister of India and Chief Minister of Goa.

The award recognises young Indian scientists making exceptional contributions in science and technology, particularly in emerging and high-impact fields.

The honour carries a citation and a cash prize of ₹5 lakh, making it one of the highest-value national science and technology awards.

The award will be presented during the Manohar Parrikar Vigyan Mahotsav to be held in December 2025.

The selection process involved 50 applications from premier research institutions across India, evaluated by a committee chaired by eminent nuclear scientist Dr. Anil Kakodkar.

After rigorous evaluation, 10 candidates were shortlisted for final interviews based on research excellence, innovation potential, and practical impact on technology and industry.

Gopalakrishnan’s research focuses on computational materials science, particularly on atomic-level simulations used to design advanced materials for applications in energy storage, transport, manufacturing, aerospace, electronics, and renewable energy.

His innovations include the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in materials design and the accelerated discovery of new alloys and compounds, contributing significantly to sustainable and industrial technologies.

 

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

IUCN Regional Council Representative for West and South Asia

Roshani Adhikari Pathak, former Chairperson of the Nepal Forum of Environment Journalists (NEFEJ), has been elected as the Regional Council Member for West and South Asia of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) for the 2026–2029 term.

The IUCN Regional Councillors from South and East Asia include Lima Rosalind (India), Atsuhiro Yoshinaka (Japan), Yinfeng Gua (China), and Amran Hamzah (Malaysia).

The elections were conducted during the IUCN World Conservation Congress 2025 held in Abu Dhabi from October 9 to 15.

Rajan Khalifa Al Mubarak of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) was re-elected as IUCN President for the 2026–2029 term.

The IUCN World Conservation Congress serves as a global platform to elect leaders and representatives responsible for guiding international conservation efforts.

 

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Radiography Day 2025

World Radiography Day 2025 is observed on the 8th of November 2025.

World Radiography Day 2025 is celebrated every year for one of the great discoveries of a new Electromagnetic wave called X-ray.

World Radiography Day 2025 Theme is "Radiographers: Seeing the Unseen".

X-Ray was discovered in 1895 by Wilhelm Roentgen. In his laboratory, he accidentally discovered a new Electromagnetic wave that is transparent through flesh but won't transfer through metals and bones.

It is a great invention that is used in the medical field. He later named this unknown Electromagnetic wave an X-ray.

In detail, Wilhelm Roentgen was working with a Cathode Ray tube in his laboratory. He found a fluorescent glow of crystals from the tube near his table which contains a bulb with positive and negative electrodes.

Roentgen applied high voltage to the electrodes and evacuated the air in the tube. He shielded the tube with black paper.

From this application, he saw a new green fluorescent light in the nearby material from the cathode tube.

From this, he concluded that the tube emits a new type of phosphorescent material light which is capable of passing through paper and causing shadow in the Solid object.

He named it X-Ray which is capable of passing through flesh and creating shadows of solid objects like bones. Since the discovery of X-rays happened on November 8th, this day is celebrated as World Radiography Day every year.