Daily Current Affairs- 2nd November 2025

Daily Current Affairs- 2nd November 2025

Lucknow Enters UNESCO List as ‘Creative City of Gastronomy’

In the News: The city of Lucknow has been officially designated by UNESCO as a “Creative City of Gastronomy”, recognising its rich culinary heritage and vibrant food culture. The announcement was made during the 43rd session of the UNESCO General Conference in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. Lucknow thus becomes India’s second city to receive this honour in the gastronomy category, joining the elite global list of cities celebrated for their gastronomy. The accolade highlights the city’s heritage in Awadhi cuisine and signals a boost for food-led tourism and cultural identity.

Key Points:

• Lucknow’s nomination was submitted by India’s Ministry of Culture following a dossier prepared by the Uttar Pradesh Tourism and Culture Department, and the UNESCO designation was formalised on 31 October 2025.
• The title “City of Gastronomy” is part of UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network (UCCN), which recognises cities excelling in creativity in fields like gastronomy, music, literature, design, and film.
• This status places Lucknow among about 70 gastronomy-cities worldwide and makes it the second Indian city after Hyderabad to be awarded this tag.
• Lucknow’s nomination emphasised its legendary Awadhi cuisine — slow-cooked kebabs, biryanis, kormas, sweets and street-food traditions that trace back to its Nawabi heritage.
• Officials expect the status to strengthen culinary tourism in the city and state, supporting food-based entrepreneurship, sustainable food practices and global outreach.
• The recognition ties into broader state-level goals of promoting cultural-tourism and heritage industries in Uttar Pradesh.

150 Years of Arya Samaj

In the News: The Arya Samaj is commemorating its 150th year since foundation, marked prominently by the International Arya Mahasammelan 2025 in New Delhi, where the Prime Minister highlighted that this anniversary is not just a community milestone but part of the nation’s wider Vedic and reformist identity. The celebrations are being held alongside the 200th birth anniversary of its founder, Maharshi Dayanand Saraswati, and include an exhibition entitled “150 Golden Years of Service”.

Key Points:

• The Arya Samaj was founded in 1875 by Maharshi Dayanand Saraswati, with the aim to reform Hindu society by returning to the Vedas as the supreme source of knowledge and rejecting idol-worship, superstitions and social evils.
• Over its 150 years, the Arya Samaj has championed social reforms such as women’s education, widow-remarriage, inter-caste marriages, and the eradication of untouchability and child marriage.
• The movement has also established numerous institutions in education (like the DAV school system and Gurukuls), and been active in relief work — for example aiding refugees during the Partition, as noted by the Prime Minister.
• A special commemorative coin and postal stamp were released to mark the 150th year of the Arya Samaj, reflecting its national significance.
• The Arya Samaj’s motto “Krinvanto Vishwam Aryam” (“Let us ennoble the entire world by noble thoughts”) remains central, and the organisation is being called upon to participate in national missions such as digitising ancient manuscripts under the “Gyan Bharatam” mission.
• The 150-year celebrations include the Jyāna Jyoti Festival and the exhibition “150 Golden Years of Service”, showcasing the reformist and educational legacy of the Arya Samaj.

India Crosses 500 GW Power Capacity Mark

In the News: India’s power sector achieved a significant milestone with its total installed electricity capacity surpassing 500 GW, reaching 500.89 GW as of 30 September 2025. The share of non-fossil fuel sources such as renewables, hydro and nuclear stood at over 51 %, marking a major stride in the country’s transition to clean energy. This accomplishment means India has met one of its key goals under the COP26 “Panchamrit” commitment — 50 % of installed electric capacity from non-fossil fuels by 2030 — five years ahead of schedule. The progress reflects sustained policy push, investment flows and sectoral reforms driving the expansion of green energy.

Key Points:

• India’s total installed electricity capacity reached 500.89 GW by 30 September 2025.
• Non-fossil fuel capacity — including renewables (solar, wind), hydro and nuclear — stood at 256.09 GW, representing about 51 % of the total capacity.
• Fossil-fuel-based capacity accounted for approximately 244.80 GW, or about 49 % of the total.
• In the first half of FY 2025-26, India added 28 GW of non-fossil capacity and 5.1 GW of fossil capacity, underlining the shift towards cleaner energy sources.
• Within the renewable segment, installed capacities were: solar about 127.33 GW and wind about 53.12 GW.
• This achievement places India ahead of its target timeline by meeting the COP26 non-fossil capacity goal of 50 % by 2030 five years early.

Russia Launches Nuclear Submarine to Carry ‘Doomsday’ Poseidon Drone

In the News: Russia formally launched its new nuclear-powered submarine, the Project 09851 Khabarovsk, at the Sevmash shipyard in Severodvinsk. The vessel is explicitly designed to carry the unmanned underwater drone Poseidon (also referred to as Status-6), which Russian officials describe as a “doomsday” weapon capable of triggering radioactive tsunamis. The launch ceremony was attended by Defence Minister Andrei Belousov and Navy Commander Aleksandr Moiseyev. The move underscores Russia’s emphasis on expanding its under-sea nuclear-deterrence capability amid heightened global tensions.

Key Points:

• The Khabarovsk submarine was ceremonially launched at the Sevmash shipyard in Severodvinsk under Russian naval authorities.
• The submarine is designed by the Rubin Central Design Bureau of Marine Engineering to deploy advanced underwater weapons including the Poseidon drone.
• The Poseidon unmanned underwater vehicle is nuclear-powered, can travel to great depths and over long range, and is claimed to be capable of devastating coastal regions by triggering radioactive ocean swells.
• Russian officials have repeatedly referred to the Poseidon as a “doomsday missile” or “doomsday drone,” signalling its role in strategic deterrence.
• The launch is perceived externally as a shift in under-sea warfare dynamics, raising concerns among NATO and maritime security analysts about the emergence of a new class of underwater nuclear threats.
• The submarine and drone system still require extensive sea-trials before becoming fully operable, suggesting this is a preparatory rather than immediately operational step in Russia’s naval build-up.

India Secures Six-Month US Waiver for Chabahar Port

In the News: The Government of India announced that it has obtained from the United States a six-month exemption from sanctions for operations at Iran’s Chabahar Port, thereby securing permission to continue its activities at the strategic Iranian port along the Gulf of Oman. This waiver enables India to maintain its trade, transit and connectivity links via Chabahar despite the US sanctions regime on Iran. India’s Ministry of External Affairs confirmed that the exemption started from 29 October and will run for six months, giving New Delhi a window to safeguard its regional connectivity agenda.

Key Points:

• The Chabahar Port is located in Iran’s Sistan-Baluchestan province, on the Gulf of Oman, and serves as Iran’s only deep-water oceanic port, offering direct access to the Indian Ocean.
• India has been developing and operating Chabahar Port (notably through its interest in the Shahid Beheshti terminal) to establish a sea-land route to Afghanistan and Central Asia thereby bypassing Pakistan.
• The US sanctions waiver that India secured for six months is crucial because without it, Indian activities at the port could have been exposed to penalties under US law governing Iran sanctions.
• The exemption reflects India’s strategic connectivity policy, including its “Connect Central Asia” goal, and the use of Chabahar as a gateway to Central Asia and Eastern Russia.
• The timing of the waiver comes after the US had previously revoked a long-standing exception (from 2018) for Chabahar Port, so the six-month window offers transitional relief for India’s commitments there.
• The waiver strengthens India-US diplomatic engagement and provides New Delhi with flexibility in balancing its regional infrastructure priorities while managing relationships with major global powers.

India Clinch First-Ever Women’s World Cup Title

In the News: India created history by winning its first-ever ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup title after defeating South Africa by 52 runs in the final held at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. The victory came after years of near misses, including two previous final appearances in 2005 and 2017. Shafali Verma’s explosive 87-run innings and two wickets anchored India’s dominance, while Deepti Sharma’s all-round brilliance with both bat and ball secured the win. The triumph marks a watershed moment for women’s cricket in India, drawing parallels with the men’s 1983 World Cup victory.

Key Points:

• India defeated South Africa by a margin of 52 runs in the final to lift its maiden ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup trophy.
• The final was played at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai, where India scored 298 for 7 and bowled out South Africa for 246 runs.
• Shafali Verma was named Player of the Match for her outstanding performance, scoring 87 runs and taking 2 wickets in the final.
• Deepti Sharma delivered an exceptional all-round performance, scoring 58 runs and taking 5 wickets in the final, and was awarded Player of the Series.
• Jemimah Rodrigues played a pivotal role in the semi-final victory over Australia, helping India chase down a record total to reach the final.
• The 2025 ICC Women’s World Cup was the 13th edition of the tournament and was jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka.
• With this historic win, India joined the elite group of women’s teams that have won the World Cup, cementing its place in global cricket history.