Current Affairs - National

The 56th edition of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) was held in Goa, a state renowned for hosting this prestigious event. IFFI is one of the most significant film festivals in India, attracting filmmakers and cinema enthusiasts from around the world. Goa has consistently been chosen as the venue due to its international appeal, infrastructure, and popularity as a cultural hub. This edition concluded with the Vietnamese film Skin of Youth winning the Golden Peacock award, highlighting the global nature of the festival and Goa’s continued importance in promoting international cinema.

A joint venture named Digital Connexion, involving Brookfield, Reliance Industries, and Digital Realty, announced a $11 billion investment to establish a 1 GW AI-native data centre campus in Visakhapatnam by 2030. Spanning 400 acres, the facility is designed specifically for AI workloads, equipped with GPUs, TPUs, and advanced AI processors. Its modular infrastructure will include redundant power systems and renewable-integrated cooling to ensure operational efficiency and sustainability. This investment highlights Visakhapatnam’s emergence as a key hub for high-tech infrastructure and AI-driven innovation in India, contributing significantly to the country’s digital and technological growth.

The fifth edition of the India Internet Governance Forum (IIGF) 2025 was held in New Delhi from 27–28 November. The event focused on “Advancing Internet Governance for an Inclusive and Sustainable Viksit Bharat” and included four major panels and twelve workshops addressing key aspects of digital governance. Day 1 took place at the India Habitat Centre, while Day 2 was held at the India International Centre. The forum was inaugurated by Union Minister of State Jitin Prasada, highlighting the importance of internet policy, digital inclusion, and governance in shaping India’s technological and socio-economic landscape.

‘Nayi Chetna 4.0’ is a national campaign launched to strengthen gender equality and empower women across communities. Led by Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and organised by DAY-NRLM under the Ministry of Rural Development, the month-long initiative focuses on encouraging community-level action and awareness to combat gender-based violence. The campaign aims to inspire collective responsibility, promote safer environments for women, and reinforce the importance of equal opportunities. By engaging rural communities, the programme works toward long-term social transformation and supports broader national goals related to gender justice and empowerment.

The Asian Development Bank approved a $400 million results-based lending program aimed at strengthening rural and state road networks across Maharashtra. The initiative focuses on improving nearly 2,577 km of rural roads and 350 km of state highways, enhancing access to markets, education, healthcare, and public services for more than 1.7 million people. It also integrates climate-resilient designs, multi-hazard risk assessments, and advanced maintenance systems to address extreme weather challenges. Additionally, the project emphasizes gender inclusion, youth engagement, road safety enhancements through iRAP methodologies, and the development of digital planning systems, ensuring comprehensive and sustainable regional growth.