Daily Current Affairs | 15 November 2025
Daily Current Affairs (15 November 2025) – release of the 21st instalment of PM-KISAN for farmers, participation of GeM in the India International Trade Fair, the annual WPI inflation rate of (-) 1.21%, and the operationalisation of the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, enhancing data privacy rights in India.
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PM Kisan Samman Nidhi – PM KISAN
Why in News: Prime Minister will release the 21st instalment of PM-KISAN on 19 November 2025.
About PM-KISAN (Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi)
- This is a central sector scheme that provides assured income support to cultivator families across India.
- The Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare is the nodal ministry for implementation.
- The core idea behind the scheme is to ensure a minimum level of financial stability to farmers, especially during input-heavy agricultural seasons.
Key Features of the Scheme
- Financial Support: Farmers receive ₹6,000 per year, transferred in three equal instalments of ₹2,000 directly into their bank accounts.
- DBT Framework: Payments are made only after beneficiary identification by States/UTs and verification of land records.
- Family-Based Benefit: A “landholder farmer’s family” includes husband, wife, and minor children owning cultivable land as per official land records.
- Universal Coverage for Landholders: All cultivable landholding farmers are eligible, regardless of the size of their landholdings.
Eligibility Conditions
- The primary eligibility criterion is ownership of cultivable land recorded in State/UT land records.
- Lists of eligible beneficiaries must be published at the village level.
Exclusion Criteria
- Institutional landholders are not eligible.
- Farmer families in which any member is:
- an income-tax payer
- a current or retired government employee
- an employee of a public sector enterprise
- a person holding certain higher economic status indicators are excluded from receiving benefits.
Special Provisions for Certain States
- For Manipur, Nagaland, and Jharkhand, beneficiaries can be included even if their names are not yet updated in land records.
- Farmers in these states are allowed to submit Vanshavali (Lineage) documents showing ancestral ownership and succession chart linked to land records.
Monitoring & Verification: Every year, 5% of total beneficiaries are selected for physical verification to ensure correctness of records and reduce leakages.
Source: PIB
Government e Marketplace (GeM)
Why in News: Government e Marketplace (GeM) will participate in the 44th India International Trade Fair (IITF) 2025, organised by ITPO from 14–27 November 2025 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.
About Government e Marketplace (GeM)
- GeM is a Section 8 company established in 2016 for creating a unified, transparent and efficient online procurement platform for government entities.
- It functions under the Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
- The platform enables procurement of goods and services by Central Ministries, State Governments, Public Sector Enterprises, and Autonomous Bodies.
- It aims to improve transparency, efficiency, speed, and competition in public procurement.
- The purchases through GeM by Government users have been authorised and made mandatory by Ministry of Finance.
Source: PIB
Wholesale Price Index (WPI)
Why in News: The annual rate of inflation based on All India Wholesale Price Index (WPI) number is (-) 1.21% (provisional) for the month of October, 2025 (over October, 2024).
About Wholesale Price Index (WPI)
- The Office of Economic Adviser (OEA), under the DPIIT, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, compiles and releases WPI data every month on the 14th of each month (or the next working day) with a two-week time lag from the reference month.
- Base Year: 2011–12.
- The WPI measures the average change in prices of goods at the wholesale (bulk sale) level.
WPI Composition (Weights out of 100):
- Primary Articles (22.62%)
- Food Articles – 15.26%
- Non-Food Articles – 4.12%
- Minerals – 0.83%
- Crude Petroleum & Natural Gas – 2.41%
- Fuel & Power: 13.15%
- Manufactured Products: 64.23%
Food Index Weight: 24.38% (out of WPI components)
Source: PIB
Exercise Trishul
Why in News: The Indian Armed Forces conducted Tri-Services Exercise (TSE-2025) ‘Trishul’ in early November 2025, with the Indian Navy as the lead service.
About Exercise Trishul
- Exercise Trishul is a large-scale operational tri-services exercise conducted under the supervision of the Ministry of Defence.
- It integrates the Indian Navy, Indian Army, and Indian Air Force into a unified operational framework to test joint planning, coordination, and real-time execution in complex battlefield scenarios.
- The exercise functions as both a readiness drill and a strategic deterrent, strengthening India’s posture in a sensitive neighbourhood.
Scope and Area of Operations
- Internally codenamed “Mahagurjar,” the exercise covered a wide operational stretch across the Thar Desert, including regions from Jaisalmer (Rajasthan) to Sir Creek (Gujarat).
- The terrain and location provide a realistic environment to test joint manoeuvres, air–land–sea integration, and rapid logistics deployment in challenging conditions.
Source: PIB
Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023 – DPDP Act 2023
Why in News: The Government of India has notified the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Rules, 2025, completing the full operationalisation of the DPDP Act, 2023.
- Together, the Act and Rules establish a citizen-centric, innovation-friendly legal framework for responsible use of digital personal data.
Digital Personal Data Protection Rules, 2025 – Key Highlights
- The Rules introduce an 18-month phased compliance timeline to help organisations transition smoothly.
- Data Fiduciaries must issue standalone, simple and purpose-specific consent notices, improving transparency for users.
- Consent Managers, who help individuals manage permissions, must be Indian companies.
- The Act and Rules adopt the SARAL design — Simple, Accessible, Rational and Actionable — using plain language and illustrations.
Key Terms under the DPDP Act, 2023
1. Data Principal
The Data Principal is the individual whose personal data is being processed.
- Role and Rights: The Data Principal is the owner of the data and has rights, including the right to access information about their data, request correction or deletion, seek grievance redressal, and nominate a representative in case of death or incapacity.
- Children: For children (users below 18 years), consent must be given by their parent or legal guardian.
2. Data Fiduciary
A Data Fiduciary is any entity or organization that alone or jointly with other persons determines the purpose and means of processing personal data. Essentially, they are the collectors, storers, processors, or users of the personal data of an individual.
3. Significant Data Fiduciary (SDF)
A Significant Data Fiduciary is a subset of Data Fiduciaries designated by the Central Government based on factors like the volume and sensitivity of data processed, the risk to individual rights, and threats to national security. Digital platforms with a large number of users (like major social media or e-commerce companies) often fall into this category.
4. Consent Manager
A Consent Manager is an entity that acts as an intermediary to manage the collection, storage, and use of user consent in data privacy and digital interactions.
5. Data Protection Board of India (DPBI)
The Data Protection Board of India (DPBI) is the independent regulatory body established under the Act.
- Functions: Its primary roles are to:
- Monitor compliance with the DPDP Act.
- Handle data breach responses.
- Hear grievances and impose monetary penalties on entities that violate the Act.
- Appeals: Appeals against the DPBI’s orders can be made to the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal.
What is the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023?
- India’s first comprehensive data protection law, enacted to safeguard individual privacy while enabling lawful data processing.
- Passed nearly six years after the Supreme Court’s 2017 KS Puttaswamy judgment, which recognised privacy as a fundamental right under Article 21.
- Influenced by global standards such as the EU’s GDPR but tailored to India’s governance and digital ecosystem.
Applicability of the Act
- Applies to digital personal data processed in India, whether originally digital or digitised later.
- Also applies to processing outside India if done for offering goods or services within India.
- Does not apply to:
- personal data used for purely personal or domestic purposes
- data made public by the Data Principal or under a legal obligation
Consent Framework Under the Act
- Personal data may be processed only for a lawful purpose with the consent of the Data Principal, who may withdraw consent at any time.
- For children (below 18 years) or persons with disabilities, consent must be given by a parent or legal guardian.
- Section 9 mandates verifiable parental consent and prohibits:
- harmful processing of children’s data
- targeted advertising directed at minors
- Consent is not required for legitimate uses such as:
- government functions and services
- responding to medical emergencies
- fulfilling legal mandates
Rights and Duties of Data Principals
- Rights:
- access information about processing
- request correction, updating or deletion
- seek grievance redressal
- nominate a representative in case of death or incapacity
- Duties:
- avoid false or frivolous complaints
- provide authentic information
- Violations may attract a fine up to ₹10,000.
Obligations of Data Fiduciaries
- Ensure accuracy and security of personal data.
- Take measures to prevent breaches and notify both the Data Protection Board of India (DPBI) and affected individuals in case of breaches.
- Must erase personal data once its purpose is fulfilled and further retention is not legally required.
Significant Data Fiduciaries (SDFs)
- The Central Government may classify certain entities as SDFs based on:
- volume and sensitivity of the data processed
- risk to rights of individuals
- national security, public order and sovereignty concerns
- SDFs have enhanced obligations, including:
- appointing a Data Protection Officer (DPO)
- engaging an independent data auditor
- conducting Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIA)
Exemptions Under the Act
- Certain rights of Data Principals and obligations of Data Fiduciaries (except security safeguards) do not apply in cases such as:
- notified agencies acting in the interest of national security, sovereignty, public order
- research, archiving or statistical purposes
- start-ups or other notified categories of Data Fiduciaries
- enforcing legal rights and claims
- prevention, detection and investigation of offences
- performing judicial or regulatory functions
- processing in India of personal data of non-residents under foreign contracts
Data Protection Board of India (DPBI)
- Established by the Central Government as the primary regulatory authority for the Act.
- Members are appointed for two years with eligibility for reappointment.
- Key functions include:
- monitoring and enforcing compliance
- handling data breach responses
- imposing penalties
- grievance redressal
- appeals against its orders lie with the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT).
Source: PIB
Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development – OECD
Why in News: The Minister of State for Law & Justice participated in the 10th OECD Global Roundtable on Equal Access to Justice, highlighting India’s engagement with the OECD framework.
Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD):
- The OECD is an international organisation of 38 countries committed to democracy and the market economy.
- It was established on 14 December 1960 by 18 European nations, along with the United States and Canada.
- Headquarters: Paris, France.
- The most recent members are Colombia (April 2020) and Costa Rica (May 2021).
- Membership is composed primarily of democratic, high-income, free-market economies.
Objectives and Functions of OECD
- The organisation aims to shape policies that promote:
- prosperity
- equality
- opportunity
- well-being for all
- It publishes economic reports, statistical databases, global forecasts, and comparative policy analyses.
- The OECD works to eliminate bribery and financial crimes worldwide, including corruption in international business transactions.
- It maintains a “black list” of uncooperative tax havens, pushing for greater transparency in global taxation systems.
India and the OECD
- India is not a member of the OECD, but is recognised as a Key Economic Partner.
- India engages with the OECD through sectoral programmes, policy dialogues, and economic studies.
- It is part of the large group of non-member economies with which the OECD maintains active working relationships.
- This partnership supports India in areas like tax reforms, governance, economic policy modelling, and anti-corruption measures.
Source: PIB
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