Current Affairs 02 November 2025
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Remembered on His 150th Birth Anniversary
He was born on 31st October, 1875 in Gujarat in a Peasant family. His birth anniversary is now observed as the Rashtriya Ekta Diwas (National Unity Day) for uniting hundreds of princely states and laying the foundation of an integrated India. He is also known as the Iron Man of India. He was a lawyer who later turned to public service during India’s independence struggle.
Prime Minister Highlighted Contribution of Arya Samaj on 150 Years of Its Foundation
- Founded: In 1875 by Swami Dayanand Saraswati in Bombay.
- Religious Reforms: Denounced idolatry and ritualistic worship, preached respect and reverence for other human beings.
- Believed in infallible authority of Vedas and Swami Dayanand Saraswati gave slogan of ‘Back to Vedas’.
- Social Reforms: Opposed caste as hereditary, untouchability and advocated Vedic education for all castes; against child marriage, forced widowhood and campaigned for women’s education.
- Educational Reforms: E.g. Dayanand Anglo Vedic (DAV) Trust and Management in 1886 to impart scientific and modern education.
- Freedom Movement: Prominent members included freedom fighters such as Lala Lajpat Rai, Bhagat Singh, Ram Prasad Bismil, Madan Lal Dhingra, Swami Shraddhanand, Sachindra Nath Sanyal, etc.
Baltic Sea
- Situated in Northern Europe.
- Bordering countries: Sweden, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Finland, Estonia, Germany, Denmark, and Russia.
- Kiel Canal connects the North Sea to the Baltic Sea.
- Connected to the Atlantic Ocean through the Danish Straits.
- Often cited as the world’s largest brackish inland water body
- As its water salinity levels are lower than that of the World Oceans due to the inflow of fresh water from the surrounding land and the sea’s shallowness.
UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN)
- The 43rd session of UNESCO’s General Conference named Lucknow as the Creative City of Gastronomy as part of its UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN).
- Second Indian city in this category after Hyderabad.
- Other Indian cities include: Gwalior (Music), Jaipur (Crafts & Folk Art), Chennai (Music), etc.
- Origin: Created in 2004 to strengthen cooperation with and among cities that have recognized creativity as a strategic factor of sustainable development.
- Covers 7 creative fields: Crafts & Folk Art, Design, Film, Gastronomy, Literature, Music and Media Arts.
Iberian Lynx
- IUCN status: Vulnerable
- IUCN Green Status of Species: Largely Depleted.
- CITES: Appendix I
- Habitat: Mosaic of dense scrub for shelter and open pasture for hunting.
- Rabbit abundance is the essential component of Iberian lynx habitat.
- Behaviour: Mainly crepuscular (generally sleep during day) and nocturnal but can also be active at daytime.
- Major Threats: Rabbit population collapses, habitat loss and fragmentation, disease transmission, low genetic diversity, poaching etc.
Russia Becomes India’s Top Supplier of Sunflower Oil
- Russia now supplies 56% of India’s sunflower oil imports, surpassing Ukraine.
- India imported 2.09 million tonnes of sunflower oil from Russia in 2024.
- Ukraine lost market share due to Black Sea port disruptions during the war.
- India imports nearly 60% of its total cooking oil, including palm, soybean, and sunflower oils.
World’s Largest Archaeological Museum Opens in Egypt
- The Grand Egyptian Museum is located near the Giza Pyramids on Cairo’s outskirts.
- It houses over 50,000 artefacts, including the complete Tutankhamun collection.
- The museum cost $1 billion and took nearly 20 years to complete.
- Tourism contributes about 8% of Egypt’s GDP, with 15.7 million visitors recorded in 2024.
Kerala Becomes India’s First State to Eliminate Extreme Poverty
- Kerala became India’s first state to eliminate extreme poverty on November 1, 2025.
- The initiative was launched in 2021 as the first decision of the second Pinarayi Vijayan government.
- Over 64,000 families were lifted out of extreme poverty through micro-level planning.
- Kerala’s Poverty-Free mission was coordinated by KILA and local self-governance bodies.
Shenzhou-21 – China Launches Youngest Astronaut and Lab Mice to Tiangong Space Station
- Shenzhou-21 launched on October 31, 2025, from Jiuquan, China.
- Wu Fei, aged 32, is China’s youngest astronaut to go into space.
- Four lab mice are part of China’s first in-orbit rodent experiments.
- The mission supports China’s 2030 goal for a crewed Moon landing.
