Current Affairs — 9 November 2026
01National
Uttarakhand celebrates its 26th Foundation Day
- Uttarakhand marked its 26th Foundation Day on 9 November 2026. The Prime Minister and several leaders greeted the people of the state.
- The state was carved out of Uttar Pradesh on 9 November 2000 under the Uttar Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2000, as India's 27th state.
- It was first named Uttaranchal and renamed Uttarakhand from 1 January 2007. Pushkar Singh Dhami is the Chief Minister.
Exam point: Dehradun is the capital (winter); Gairsain (Bhararisain) is the summer capital. Uttarakhand is called "Devbhoomi" and has the Char Dham: Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath. Chhattisgarh (1 November 2000) and Jharkhand (15 November 2000) were formed in the same year.
Revise: CMs & Governors
Lower MRPs for anti-cancer medicines come into force
- Revised maximum retail prices (MRPs) of 543 brands of anti-cancer medicines took effect from 9 November 2026, as notified by the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA).
- The cuts follow NPPA's decision of 17 October 2026 to cap trade margins on 137 non-scheduled anti-cancer drugs (trade margin rationalisation).
- Some medicines became cheaper by up to about 70% (approx); companies must display the new prices.
Exam point: NPPA, set up in 1997, works under the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers. It fixes drug prices under the Drugs (Prices Control) Order, 2013, issued under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955.
Revise: Government schemes
02International & Environment
COP31 climate conference opens in Antalya, Türkiye
- The 31st Conference of the Parties (COP31) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change began in Antalya, Türkiye, on 9 November 2026 and runs till 20 November.
- Under a special arrangement, Türkiye holds the COP presidency and hosts the summit, while Australia leads the negotiations.
- India's priorities include predictable climate finance from developed countries (Article 9.1 of the Paris Agreement) and a fair "just transition".
Exam point: COP30 was held in Belém, Brazil (2025) and COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan (2024). The UNFCCC was adopted at the 1992 Rio Earth Summit; its secretariat is in Bonn, Germany. India has offered to host COP33 in 2028.
Revise: World organisations
03Banking & Awards
SBI opens its first US subsidiary branch outside California, at Frisco, Texas
- SBI Chairman Challa Sreenivasulu Setty inaugurated a branch of State Bank of India (California), SBIC, at Frisco in North Dallas, Texas.
- It is SBIC's first branch outside California, taking its US network to eight branches.
- SBI has about 245 overseas offices in 29 countries (approx).
Exam point: SBI is headquartered in Mumbai; it was formed on 1 July 1955 from the Imperial Bank of India. SBIC is SBI's wholly owned subsidiary bank in the USA, headquartered in Los Angeles (approx).
Revise: SBI chairmen
Dr Devi Shetty receives France's Ordre national du Mérite
- Cardiac surgeon and Narayana Health founder Dr Devi Prasad Shetty was made a Chevalier (Knight) of the Ordre national du Mérite on 5 November 2026.
- The honour, presented by France's Consul General in Bengaluru, recognises his support to the French community during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Exam point: The Ordre national du Mérite was created in 1963 by President Charles de Gaulle; it ranks just below the Légion d'honneur, France's highest civilian award. Devi Shetty received the Padma Shri (2004) and Padma Bhushan (2012).
04Defence
DRDO flight-tests the Pralay quasi-ballistic missile
- DRDO successfully flight-tested the indigenous Pralay missile from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island off Odisha on 5 November 2026, as part of user evaluation trials.
- The Defence Ministry said all test objectives were met and that induction into the armed forces is close.
- Pralay was developed by the Research Centre Imarat (RCI), Hyderabad, with other DRDO labs.
Exam point: Pralay is a canister-based, solid-fuel surface-to-surface quasi-ballistic missile with a range of about 150–500 km (approx). Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island was earlier called Wheeler Island.
Revise: Defence chiefs & CDS
India and Myanmar hold first tri-services HADR exercise 'Rahat Mitra'
- The first India–Myanmar tri-services Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) exercise, Rahat Mitra, was held in Chennai on 5–6 November 2026 (as reported).
- It included cyclone-response drills, maritime search and rescue, bridge-laying and casualty evacuation.
Exam point: India–Myanmar army exercise: IMBEX; navy exercise: IMNEX; coordinated patrol: IMCOR. Operation Brahma (2025) was India's relief mission after the Myanmar earthquake.
05Sports
Anuj Shrivatri becomes India's 100th chess Grandmaster
- 22-year-old Anuj Shrivatri completed his Grandmaster requirements by winning the 7th ASEAN Plus Individual Open Chess Championship in Misamis Occidental, Philippines (8 November 2026).
- He is the first Grandmaster from Madhya Pradesh.
- V. Rathanvel had become India's 99th GM earlier in 2026.
Exam point: Viswanathan Anand became India's first Grandmaster in 1988. The title is awarded by FIDE (headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland); a player needs three GM norms and a rating of 2500.
Revise: Sports
Youth Olympics: silver for Taniya, bronze for Shourya Ambure
- Taniya won silver in the women's 75 kg beach wrestling at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games (7 November), India's first Youth Olympic medal in beach wrestling.
- 17-year-old Shourya Ambure of Maharashtra won bronze in the women's 100 m hurdles with a personal best of 13.59 seconds (8 November).
- India's tally rose to about eight medals (approx, as reported).
Exam point: Dakar, Senegal, is hosting the 4th Summer Youth Olympic Games, the first Olympic event in Africa. The first Summer Youth Olympics were held in Singapore in 2010.
Revise: Sports
06Important Days
National Legal Services Day — 9 November
- Observed every year on 9 November, the day the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987 came into force in 1995.
- It spreads awareness about free legal aid for poor and weaker sections of society.
Exam point: Article 39A (a Directive Principle, added by the 42nd Amendment) provides for equal justice and free legal aid. NALSA was set up under the 1987 Act; the Chief Justice of India is its Patron-in-Chief and the senior-most Supreme Court judge after the CJI is its Executive Chairman.
Revise: Important days
This day in history · 9 Nov
- 1989The Berlin Wall fell
- 2000Uttarakhand was formed as India's 27th state
- 2019Supreme Court delivered the Ayodhya verdict
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