Daily Current Affairs (DCA) 12 November, 2026

• The Union Cabinet approved ₹62,370.02 crore in fertiliser subsidy for the Rabi 2026–27 season, which is ₹24,417.73 crore higher than the previous Rabi season’s allocation.
• The subsidy for Kharif 2026 was ₹41,533.81 crore, taking the combined Rabi and Kharif subsidy to over ₹1 lakh crore.
• The sharp increase is due to high global prices of urea, phosphatic and potassic (P&K) fertilisers, along with rising prices of natural gas used in fertiliser production.
• The government had budgeted ₹1.71 lakh crore for total fertiliser subsidy in FY 2026–27. Actual spending may rise considerably above this estimate.

What Is Nutrient-Based Subsidy (NBS)?

• NBS is provided on non-urea fertilisers.
• Subsidy rates are fixed for each kilogram of the four nutrients: Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potash and Sulphur.
• The government pays the subsidy to fertiliser companies, allowing farmers to purchase fertilisers at lower prices.

• Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi released ₹1,000 crore as Margin Money subsidy under the Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) in October 2026.
• The amount will support 11,333 new micro enterprises across India.
• PMEGP is a credit-linked subsidy scheme launched in August 2008 to generate employment through new micro-enterprises in the non-farm sector in rural and urban areas.
• It is administered by the Ministry of MSME and implemented by the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), the national-level nodal agency.

Eligibility:

• Applicants must be above 18 years of age.
• At least Class VIII qualification is required for projects costing above ₹10 lakh in manufacturing and ₹5 lakh in the business/service sector.

• The Government of India invited fresh applications under the Production Linked Incentive Scheme for Promoting Domestic Manufacturing of Medical Devices (PLI-MD).
• The scheme’s tenure has been extended up to FY 2035–36.
• It provides financial incentives on incremental sales of domestically manufactured medical devices and critical components.
• Launched in FY 2020–21, the scheme aims to reduce imports, strengthen domestic manufacturing and promote the Make in India initiative.

• Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurated Delhi’s first recreational cruise service on the Yamuna River on 10 November 2026 at Sonia Vihar.
• The service operates a 30-seater electric-powered vessel on the Sonia Vihar–Jagatpur stretch, covering around 6 km on a round trip.
• The Yamuna River is designated as National Waterway-110 (NW-110) under the National Waterways Act, 2016.
• The project is led by the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, in coordination with Delhi government agencies.

Context of the News

The Union Cabinet approved continuing the Credit Guarantee Fund for Micro Units (CGFMU) for five more years, up to March 2031. This will support loans worth ₹12.6 lakh crore.

What Is CGFMU?

• A credit guarantee fund for small loans
• Launched in January 2016
• It supports loans given under the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY)

How does it work?

• It gives guarantee cover to lending institutions
• Through the National Credit Guarantee Trustee Company Limited (NCGTC)
• The guarantee protects lenders against default risk
• A Mudra loan is collateral-free. The borrower gives no security.
• So if the borrower cannot repay, the bank loses everything. Most banks would avoid such lending.
• The guarantee fund covers part of that loss. This makes banks willing to lend to people who have no assets to pledge.

Important Facts for Exams

• CGFMU extended to March 2031, with a corpus of ₹5,000 crore
• It will support ₹12.6 lakh crore of PMMY loans
• CGFMU was launched in January 2016
• It works through the NCGTC
• As of September 2026: over 60.36 crore loans worth ₹43.34 lakh crore under PMMY
• PMMY was launched on 8 April 2015
• Mudra loan categories: Shishu up to ₹50,000, Kishore ₹50,000 to ₹5 lakh, Tarun ₹5 lakh to ₹10 lakh, and Tarun Plus ₹10 lakh to ₹20 lakh, added in 2024
• Mudra loans are collateral-free
• MUDRA stands for Micro Units Development and Refinance Agency

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued Master Directions on Cyber Resilience and Digital Payment Security Controls for non-bank Payment System Operators (PSOs) on 5 November 2026.
• PSOs must report unusual incidents, including cyberattacks, major system failures, internal fraud and settlement delays, to the RBI and CERT-In within six hours of detection.
• The directions apply immediately to large and medium non-bank PSOs, while small PSOs have until 1 April 2028 to comply.
• The directions aim to strengthen information security, protect digital payment systems and improve their ability to recover from cyber incidents.

• The RBI consolidated its existing rules on Domestic Money Transfer (DMT) into a single set of directions.
• The existing transaction limits remain unchanged, while safeguards for cash-based money transfers have been formalised.
• A walk-in customer can send up to ₹50,000 per transaction through NEFT at a bank branch.
• Through business correspondents, ATMs and other approved channels, the cash-in limit is ₹5,000 per transaction, with a monthly limit of ₹25,000 per sender.

Cash-out limits:

• The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) constituted two working groups to develop a Risk-Based Capital (RBC) framework aligned with Indian Accounting Standards (Ind-AS).
• The proposed framework will replace the existing factor-based solvency system.
• Under the RBC approach, insurance companies will have to maintain capital according to the actual risks associated with their operations.
• The two groups will separately examine the requirements of life and non-life insurance companies.

• The Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) became the first urban local body in Bihar to raise funds through municipal bonds.
• It mobilised approximately ₹199.99 crore through a bond issue on 30 October 2026 using the NSE Electronic Bidding Platform.
• The bonds carry an annual interest rate of 9.20% and have a tenure of 10 years.
• The funds will support 18 development projects across 15 locations in Patna, including vending zones, parking facilities, marriage halls and commercial infrastructure.
• Municipal Bonds: Debt securities issued by urban local bodies to raise money from investors for infrastructure and civic development.

Context of the News

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved a ₹3,230 crore project to build the Yuge Yugeen Bharat Museum in the North and South Block buildings in New Delhi.

What Is the Project?

It will be the largest display area of any museum in the world.

Important Facts for Exams

• The National Museum, New Delhi was set up in 1949
• ASI was founded in 1861 by Alexander Cunningham, under the Ministry of Culture
• The project is part of the Central Vista redevelopment
• International Museum Day: 18 May — the same date the museum was announced

Context of the News

The UNESCO GEM Report 2026 found that Indian women now outnumber men in higher education. But a sharp rural-urban gap leaves rural girls behind at the school-completion stage.

What Is the GEM Report?

• An independent annual report, hosted and published by UNESCO
• Mandated under the Education 2030 Incheon Declaration
• It tracks progress on Sustainable Development Goal 4, which is about education

Findings Related to India

1. Rural-Urban Gender Gap

• Rural India has only 59 girls completing upper secondary education for every 100 boys.
• Major barriers include distance to schools, safety concerns and household responsibilities.

2. Women Leading in Higher Education

• Higher education GPI: 1.08.
• Women have led enrolment for seven consecutive years.
• Women’s enrolment increased from 1.57 crore (2014–15) to 2.24 crore (2023–24), a rise of 42.2%.

3. Other Education Indicators

• Secondary dropout rate: 7%.
• School retention rate: 51.9%.
• Girls’ share in total school enrolment: 48.4%.
• India has reduced over 65% of its original gender gap in upper secondary completion since 2000.

Factors Behind India’s Progress

• School Meals: Free meals improved primary enrolment among girls, particularly in poor rural areas.
• Separate Toilets: Improved enrolment and retention of adolescent girls.
• Girls’ Clubs: Peer support and life-skills training improved secondary completion in Karnataka.

Major Challenges

• Rural girls face safety concerns, long travel distances and household responsibilities.
• Education funding does not adequately reach disadvantaged communities.
• One in three countries does not report rural-urban education gaps.
• Delayed enrolment and grade progression affect timely school completion.

UNESCO’s Recommendations

• Include education targets in government budgets.
• Increase funding for rural schools and disadvantaged communities.
• Combine infrastructure, social protection and institutional reforms.
• Focus on completion rates rather than enrolment figures alone.

Important Facts for Exams

• GEM Report 2026 by UNESCO, tracking SDG 4
• Out-of-school numbers rose to 273 million in 2024, the seventh straight rise; 13 million more in conflict areas are not counted
• Enrolment since 2000: pre-primary +45, primary and secondary +30, tertiary +161 per cent
• India’s upper secondary GPI: 0.89 overall, 0.59 rural, parity urban
• India is a fast-progress country, closing over 65 per cent of its original gap since 2000
• Women’s GER 31.2 per cent against men’s 28.9; GPI 1.08; women ahead for seven years
• Women in higher education: 1.57 crore (2014-15) → 2.24 crore (2023-24), up 42.2 per cent
• Secondary dropout 7 per cent; retention 51.9 per cent; girls 48.4 per cent of enrolment
• Fewer than 10 per cent of countries have equity-focused funding
• One in three countries does not report rural-urban gaps; one in two does not report wealth gaps
• UNESCO was founded in 1945, headquartered at Paris
• India’s related schemes: PM POSHAN (mid-day meal), Samagra Shiksha, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, KGBV residential schools for girls
• NEP 2020 aims to raise higher education GER to 50 per cent by 2035
• UNESCO established: 1945.
• Headquarters: Paris, France.
• Related SDG: SDG 4 – Quality Education.

Context of the News

British author M. John Harrison won the Booker Prize 2026 for his novel “The End of Everything”. It is the first time a work mixing science fiction and satire has won the prize.

What Is the Booker Prize?

• A leading literary award
• Given every year for the best novel written in English
• The book must be published in the United Kingdom or Ireland
• By The Booker Prize Foundation, a registered charity
• Currently sponsored by Crankstart

Who Won in 2026?

About the book

• A satirical dystopian novel
• Set on England’s Channel coast in the near future
• After a collapse of society and the appearance of mysterious alien beings

Which Indians Have Won?

Arundhati Roy was the first Indian woman resident in India to win.

Salman Rushdie also won the Booker of Bookers (1993) and the Best of the Booker (2008).

• The Centre’s higher fertiliser subsidy allocation reflects rising international prices of fertilisers and natural gas.
• The approved Rabi 2026–27 subsidy of ₹62,370.02 crore is about 64% higher than the previous Rabi season’s allocation of ₹37,952 crore.
• Total fertiliser subsidy expenditure for FY 2026–27 may reach ₹3 lakh crore or more, compared with the budget estimate of ₹1.71 lakh crore.
• Higher subsidy spending may put pressure on the government’s fiscal deficit, but it helps protect farmers from rising input costs.

• An analysis of data from the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) monitoring network found that nearly 70% of the stations recorded peak PM2.5 levels of 250 micrograms per cubic metre or above during Deepavali.
• The analysis covered 634 Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations (CAAQMS) across India. However, only 571 stations were live and reporting during the festival.
• Some stations stopped reporting PM2.5 readings even before the levels approached 1,000 micrograms per cubic metre in the preceding hour.
• CPCB explained that particulate matter analysers were calibrated up to 1,000 micrograms per cubic metre. Values beyond this range may be rejected by automated data validation systems, appearing as data gaps.

• The Ministry of Defence signed a ₹498.58 crore contract with Cochin Shipyard Limited for the refit and re-powering of the Indian Navy’s guided-missile frigate INS Betwa.
• INS Betwa belongs to the Brahmaputra-class of frigates.
• Its existing steam-based propulsion system will be replaced with a diesel engine-based propulsion system.
• The refit will also include an upgraded weapon suite to improve the ship’s combat capabilities and operational effectiveness.

• The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has initiated procurement of loitering munitions, commonly known as kamikaze drones, for counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism operations.
• These drones combine the surveillance and flight capabilities of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) with the explosive payload of a precision-guided missile.
• Unlike ordinary surveillance drones, they do not return to base. They remain airborne, identify a target and crash into it to detonate their warhead.
• They can be used against hostile positions, bunkers, radar installations and moving targets while reducing risks to security personnel.

• The 19th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) Convention will be held in Kolkata from 7 to 9 January 2027.
• Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is observed annually on 9 January to commemorate Mahatma Gandhi’s return to India from South Africa in 1915.
• It is a flagship event of the Government of India to connect with the Indian diaspora living across the world.
• The convention’s website was jointly launched by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari.

• Union Minister Kiren Rijiju visited Saudi Arabia from 6 to 9 November 2026 and signed the Bilateral Haj Agreement 2027 in Jeddah.
• India’s Haj pilgrimage quota has been fixed at 1,75,025, unchanged since 2025.
• The agreement aims to improve coordination between India and Saudi Arabia for the management, safety and welfare of Indian pilgrims.
• Rijiju also attended the 6th Hajj Conference and Exhibition in Jeddah and held discussions with Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Hajj and Umrah, Dr. Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al-Rabiah.

• The Ministry of Home Affairs simplified India’s visa system by reducing the number of visa categories from 13 to 9.
• Visa application forms have been shortened by up to 70%, making the application process easier.
• The Tourist Visa has been renamed the Visitor Visa, reflecting its wider coverage beyond tourism.
• A new Production Investment Business Visa has been introduced for foreign specialists, engineers and technical staff working in areas such as machinery installation, maintenance, quality checks, training and technology transfer.

Important Visa Categories:

Medical visas and their e-visa versions are generally issued for one year with multiple entries.

• British author M. John Harrison won the 2026 Booker Prize for his novel The End of Everything.
• At the age of 81, he became the oldest author to win the Booker Prize.
• He received prize money of GBP 50,000 and a trophy at the award ceremony held in London on 9 November 2026.
• The novel is a dystopian science-fiction satire set in post-apocalyptic Britain. It was published by Serpent’s Tail, an imprint of Profile Books.

• Argentine footballer Lionel Messi became the first player in Major League Soccer (MLS) history to win the Golden Boot in consecutive seasons.
• He scored 26 goals for Inter Miami during the 2026 regular season, finishing as the league’s top scorer.
• He also provided 17 assists in 31 appearances, recording 43 goal contributions.
• Messi had previously won the MLS Golden Boot in 2025 with 29 goals.

• The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully conducted a 200-second flight acceptance test of the cryogenic engine for its upcoming GSLV-F19 mission.
• The test was carried out at the ISRO Propulsion Complex in Mahendragiri, Tamil Nadu.
• The engine’s Main Engine and Gas Generator ignited successfully and performed as expected during the test.
• The GSLV-F19 mission, planned for 2027, will launch NVS-04, the fourth satellite in the second-generation NavIC series.

• China successfully launched the CERES-2 Y3 rocket on 7 November 2026 from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre.
• The rocket deployed four satellites into a planned 535-km Sun-Synchronous Orbit (SSO).
• The satellites were Guanlan, Yunyao-1 28, Zhongbei Daxue-1 and Juntian-1 06A.
• Their purposes include ocean observation, weather monitoring, scientific research and tracking objects in space.

• India secured fifth place at the 47th World Armwrestling and 28th World Para Armwrestling Championships held in New Delhi from 29 October to 6 November 2026.
• India won 59 medals: 9 gold, 19 silver and 31 bronze.
• Russia finished first, followed by Kazakhstan and Türkiye.
• India hosted the World Championships for the first time, with more than 1,700 athletes from 65 countries participating.

• Renowned Indian classical sitar maestro Pandit Manilal Nag passed away on 9 November 2026 in Kolkata, West Bengal, at the age of 87.
• He was a leading exponent of the Bishnupur Gharana of Hindustani classical music.
• He received the Padma Shri in 2020 and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2001.
• He began learning sitar from his father, Sangeetacharya Gokul Nag, and made his concert debut in 1954.

• Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi released her memoir Belonging: A Journey of Love on 10 November 2026.
• The 544-page book is published in India by HarperCollins India.
• It discusses her personal life, family experiences and major political events, including the Emergency, Operation Blue Star, the Babri Masjid demolition and the 2002 Gujarat riots.
• The memoir also explains her decision to decline the Prime Minister’s post in 2004 in favour of Manmohan Singh.

International publishers: William Collins in the UK and Alfred A. Knopf in the USA.

• World Urbanism Day (WUD), also known as World Town Planning Day, was observed on 8 November 2026.
• It highlights the importance of urban and regional planning in developing sustainable, inclusive and liveable cities.
• The observance was initiated in 1949 by Professor Carlos María della Paolera of the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina.
• The 2026 theme was “Great Communities Are Built on Planning!”

• World Immunization Day is observed annually on 10 November to promote awareness about vaccination and its role in preventing diseases.
• The observance supports the WHO’s Immunization Agenda 2030 (IA2030), which aims to ensure access to vaccines for people of all age groups.
• The WHO launched the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) in 1974 to expand access to life-saving vaccines, particularly for children.
• The first World Immunization Day was observed on 10 November 2012.

• Indian shooter Niraj Kumar won bronze in the men’s 50m rifle three-position event at the ISSF World Championships in Doha.
• He scored 346.5 points in the final and also secured a quota place for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.
• Niraj topped the qualification round with 591 points.
• Another Indian shooter, Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar, finished fifth in the final.