December 2nd week current affairs (CDSE/OTA 2025)

DEFENCE NEWS

• The 5th edition of joint military exercise ‘Harimau Shakti 2025’ between the Indian Army (IA) and the Royal Malaysian Army began on December 05, 2025 at Mahajan Field Firing Range (MFFR), Rajasthan; the exercise runs till December 18, 2025 to enhance interoperability in sub conventional operations under the United Nations (UN) Chapter VII mandate.
• The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) handed over seven indigenous technologies developed under the Technology Development Fund (TDF) scheme to the Indian Armed Forces during an Empowered Committee meeting at DRDO Bhawan, New Delhi in December 2025.
• The technologies transferred by DRDO include Indigenous High-Voltage Power Supply (IHVPS), Tide-Efficient Gangway (TEG), Very Low Frequency–High Frequency Switching Matrix System (VLF–HF SMS) and VLF Loop Aerials (VLF-LA), along with Indigenous Waterjet Propulsion System (IWPS), Novel Process for Recovery of Lithium Precursors (NPRLP) and Long-Life Seawater Battery System (LLSBS).
• An 18-member Indian Army Eastern Command (EC) mountaineering team successfully summited Mount Kangto (7,042 metres) in Arunachal Pradesh (AR) in December 2025, marking the first-ever recorded ascent of the highest peak of the state in the Kameng Himalayas.
• The Mount Kangto expedition was flagged off by the General Officer Commanding (GOC), Gajraj Corps, and flagged in by Lieutenant General Ram Chander Tiwari, Indian Army Commander, Eastern Command (EC), who praised the team’s professionalism and courage.
• Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated 125 infrastructure projects of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) from Union Territory (UT) Ladakh in December 2025, including 28 roads, 93 bridges and 4 miscellaneous projects, the highest launched simultaneously.
• The 125 BRO projects, worth ₹5,000 crore, cover 2 Union Territories (Ladakh and Jammu & Kashmir) and 7 states including Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, West Bengal and Mizoram, strengthening border connectivity.
• The 920-metre Shyok Tunnel on the Durbuk–Shyok–Daulat Beg Oldie Road along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh was inaugurated to ensure year-round connectivity and faster troop movement.
• In Uttarakhand, five strategic border bridges—Pangti, Suraithota, Ghamshali, Gurkuti and Niti—were virtually inaugurated in the Niti Pass region of Chamoli district, enhancing connectivity near the India–China border.
• The Galwan War Memorial in eastern Ladakh was virtually inaugurated to honour Indian Army personnel who sacrificed their lives during the Galwan Valley clash with Chinese soldiers in 2020.
• Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) and Lockheed Martin began construction of a C-130J Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility in Bengaluru, aimed at supporting Indian and regional C-130J aircraft fleets.
• India plans to deploy the Integrated Air Defence Weapon System (IADWS), including Quick Reaction Surface-to-Air Missiles (QRSAM) and Very Short Range Air Defence Systems (VSHORADS), to protect Delhi National Capital Region (NCR) under Atmanirbhar Bharat.
• The Indian Navy is set to commission DSC A20, India’s first indigenous Diving Support Craft (DSC), to strengthen underwater repair, diving and rescue operations in line with self-reliant defence manufacturing.

NATIONAL NEWS

• PVR Feature on DigiLocker Launched: NeGD (MeitY), with MEA, launched Passport Verification Records (PVR) on DigiLocker on 4 Dec 2025 to simplify passport verification digitally. It enhances secure access to passport-related records for citizens and authorities.
• India’s Nuclear Power Capacity Expansion: India’s nuclear capacity will rise from 8,780 MW to 9,480 MW by FY26, 13,480 MW by FY30, and 21,880 MW by FY32. Under the Nuclear Energy Mission, India targets 100 GW nuclear power by 2047, aiding Net Zero by 2070.
• 5G Use Case Booklets Released: Three booklets documenting 100 5G Use Case Labs were released. They highlight India’s progress from 5G infrastructure to innovation and hackathons.
• India’s First All-Electric Green Tug: Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal flagged off steel-cutting of India’s first electric green tug. Built for Deendayal Port Authority under GTTP, it promotes zero-emission maritime operations.
• India–Sweden Green Tech Projects: India and Sweden launched seven decarbonisation projects in steel and cement sectors. The projects support India’s Net Zero 2070 goal under the LeadIT partnership.
• Hydrogen-Based Steelmaking Projects: Projects include hydrogen use in rotary kilns and electric heating for steelmaking. Partners include Tata Steel, Jindal Steel & Power, IITs, and Swedish firms.
• Green Cement & Carbon Capture Initiatives: Projects focus on steel slag recycling and CCU technologies in cement plants. AI-based optimisation tools will reduce emissions and improve efficiency. Right to Disconnect Bill 2025: MP Supriya Sule introduced the bill in Lok Sabha on 6 Dec 2025. It empowers employees to ignore after-hours work calls, with penalties for violations.
• TRAI Internet Report Q2 FY26: India’s internet subscribers rose to 1.017 billion, with wireless users at 95.6%. ARPU increased 10.67% YoY to ₹190.99, indicating higher telecom revenues.
• Ghaziabad Worst Polluted City: Ghaziabad recorded India’s highest PM2.5 level at 224 µg/m³ in Nov 2025. Shillong remained the cleanest city with PM2.5 at 7 µg/m³.
• DHRUVA Digital Address System: Department of Posts proposed DHRUVA to provide digital address identifiers. It aims to enable an ‘Address as a Service’ ecosystem under the Post Office Act, 2023.
• Pariksha Pe Charcha 2026: The 9th edition will be held in January 2026. Registrations are open from 1 Dec 2025 to 11 Jan 2026, promoting stress-free exams.
• NATGRID Intelligence Queries: NATGRID now processes about 45,000 intelligence queries monthly. Access has been extended to SP-rank state police officers in 2025.
• IMF on UPI: IMF declared UPI as the world’s largest real time payment system. India accounts for 49% of global real-time transactions.
• TRaNJA WTO Reform Initiative: CUTS International launched TRaNJA in Tokyo. The initiative aims to revive WTO relevance amid rising global protectionism.
• Your Money, Your Right Campaign: Launched in Oct 2025, it returned over ₹2,000 crore of unclaimed funds. Platforms like UDGAM and SEBI MITRA facilitated the recovery.
• India’s First Hydrogen-Powered Train: Indian Railways completed the prototype of the world’s longest hydrogen train. It features zero emissions and supports Atmanirbhar Bharat.
• Electric Green Tug Launched: India’s first electric green tug was built at Atreya Shipyard for DPA Kandla. The government targets 50 green tugs by 2030.
• Sujalam Bharat App: Ministry of Jal Shakti launched the BISAG-N developed Sujalam Bharat app. It tracks rural water supply systems using GIS-based real-time data.
• ADB Growth Forecast: ADB raised India’s FY26 growth forecast to 7.2%. Strong domestic demand and easing inflation supported the outlook. Hydrogen Fuel-Cell Passenger Vessel: India launched its first hydrogen-powered passenger boat in Varanasi. It promotes clean mobility on inland waterways. Census of India 2027 Approved with ₹11,718 Crore: Government approves India’s first digital census featuring caste enumeration, self-enumeration option, and deployment of 30 lakh field workers.
• CoalSETU Policy Gets Green Light: New policy ensures fair coal access through auction-based allocation, aims to reduce imports while providing flexible industrial use. Atomic Energy Bill Cleared for Private Sector Entry: Historic bill allows private sector participation in nuclear power generation, targeting ambitious 100 GW capacity by 2047.
• MGNREGA Renamed to Poojya Bapu Grameen Rozgar Yojana: Employment guarantee scheme gets new name with guaranteed workdays increased from 100 to 125 days.
• Insurance Amendment Bill 2025 Approved: Major reform raises FDI limit to 100% in insurance sector, expected to boost investment and competition.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

• Japan–India LNG Deal: Japan’s largest power producer JERA signed its first-ever long-term LNG export agreement with India’s Torrent Power Limited. Under the deal, JERA will supply 0.27 MMTPA (4 LNG cargoes annually) for 10 years starting from 2027.
• CITES CoP20 Held in Uzbekistan: The 20th Conference of Parties (CoP20) to CITES was held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, from Nov 24 to Dec 5, 2025. Marking 50 years of CITES, 77 species were added to appendices through 353 decisions and 46 voting rounds.
• India Expands Operation Sagar Bandhu: India deployed four additional Navy ships to Sri Lanka for Cyclone Ditwah relief. INS Gharial and LCUs delivered ~1,000 MT aid, rescued 2,000+ Indians, and treated over 2,000 patients.
• Lithuania Declares Emergency: Lithuania imposed a state of emergency after repeated balloon incursions from Belarus. The acts were termed hybrid attacks linked to Belarus–Russia strategy disrupting aviation and security.
• Czech Republic Political Change: Andrej Babiš was sworn in as Prime Minister of the Czech Republic on Dec 9, 2025. His coalition holds 108 of 200 parliamentary seats, supported by SPD and Motorists for Themselves parties.
• 33rd Southeast Asian Games Begin: The 33rd SEA Games opened on December 9, 2025, in Bangkok and Chonburi, Thailand. Over 13,000 athletes from 11 nations are competing across 50 medal sports.
• World Inequality Report 2026 Released: The report highlighted persistent global income inequality. It noted India’s top 1% holds a disproportionate share of wealth, urging progressive taxation reforms.
• NASA Loses Contact with MAVEN: NASA temporarily lost communication with the MAVEN Mars orbiter. The spacecraft has studied Mars’ atmosphere for over a decade, with restoration efforts underway.
• Henrique Braun Appointed Coca-Cola CEO: The Coca-Cola Company appointed Henrique Braun as its new CEO. He is expected to focus on sustainability, innovation, and digital expansion globally.

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

• Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo was re-elected as President of the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) for the 2025–2029 term in December 2025. The election was held at Park Plaza Hotel, Mohali (Punjab) and supervised by Justice (Retired) Nirmaljit Kaur.
• Pawan Singh was elected unopposed as Secretary General of the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) in December 2025. He succeeded Kanwar Sultan Singh, who assumed the role of Vice President (VP) of NRAI.
• Zen Technologies Limited secured a ₹120 crore contract from the Ministry of Defence (MoD) in December 2025. The project involves setting up India’s first Combat Training Node (CTN) at the Infantry School, Mhow, Madhya Pradesh (MP). The Combat Training Node project was awarded under the Ministry of Defence’s Simulation Framework 2024. It aims to enhance technology-driven and realistic military training in India.
• Arkin Gupta, a United States of America (USA)-based Indian-origin financial innovator, was featured in the Forbes 30 Under 30 List 2026. He was recognised in the Finance category for contributions to data-driven investment frameworks and early-stage strategies.
• Ajai Kumar Shukla Named PNB Housing Finance MD & CEO: Appointment effective from December 18, 2025, to lead housing finance operations.
• Aman Jain Appointed Meta India Head of Public Policy: Meta India announces new leadership for public policy and government relations.

AWARDS & HONOURS

• On December 5, 2025, the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) awarded the first-ever FIFA Peace Prize to Donald John Trump, President of the United States of America (USA), during the Final Draw Ceremony of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Washington, D.C., USA; the award was presented by Gianni Infantino, President of FIFA.
• In December 2025, Anant Ambani, Founder of the wildlife conservation centre Vantara, received the Global Humanitarian Award for Animal Welfare from the Global Humane Society, the international arm of the American Humane Society, in Washington, D.C., USA; he became the youngest-ever and first Asian recipient of this honour.
• Colonel Prateek Roy of the Indian Army (IA) received the Geddes Gavel Award in December 2025 after completing the Defence Strategic and Studies Course at the Australian Defence College, Australia, reflecting strengthening India Australia strategic ties.
• In December 2025, DBS Bank Limited (Development Bank of Singapore) was named Global Bank of the Year 2025 by The Banker magazine, a publication of the Financial Times, at the Bank of the Year Awards 2025 held in London, United Kingdom (UK); this marked its third win after 2018 and 2021.
• Raveena Tandon, a Bollywood actor, was named People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India Person of the Year 2025 for her meat-free lifestyle pledge, strong wildlife protection advocacy, support for the Compassionate Citizen school programme, and donation of a mechanical elephant to a Jain temple in Karnataka.
• Neal Mohan, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of YouTube, was named TIME CEO of the Year 2025 by TIME magazine for creator-first innovations such as YouTube Shorts and YouTube TV, and for leadership in ethical digital media transformation.
• Arkin Gupta, a United States of America (USA)-based Indian-origin innovator, was selected for the Forbes 30 Under 30 List 2026 in the Finance category for developing data-driven investment frameworks using Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML) and behavioural analytics to promote financial inclusion.
• Leonardo DiCaprio was named TIME Entertainer of the Year 2025 for his performance in “One Battle After Another”, which crossed USD 200 million globally, and for his continued environmental conservation advocacy through Re:wild.
• A’ja Wilson was crowned TIME Athlete of the Year 2025 after a historic Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) season, becoming the first player to win Championship, Most Valuable Player (MVP), Finals MVP, Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY) and Scoring Title in a single season.
• Supriya Sahu, Additional Chief Secretary of Tamil Nadu, won the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Champions of the Earth Award 2025 in the Inspiration and Action category at the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-7) in Nairobi, for advancing sustainable cooling systems and ecosystem restoration.
• Alia Bhatt, a Bollywood actor, received the Golden Globe Horizon Award at the Red Sea International Film Festival in Saudi Arabia for her global impact on cinema, and shared visuals of her upcoming Yash Raj Films (YRF) Spy Universe film “Alpha”, scheduled for release on April 17, 2026.
• Dinesh Khatak, an officer of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), received the Home Minister’s Efficiency Medal for exemplary service and operational excellence, recognising his outstanding contribution to internal security operations.
• TIME Person of the Year 2025: TIME Magazine named “Architects of AI” as Person of the Year 2025. The honor recognized global AI pioneers driving breakthroughs in generative artificial intelligence.

SPORTS NEWS

• Indian Chess Grandmaster (GM) Arjun Erigaisi won the 2nd Jerusalem Masters 2025 by defeating five-time World Champion GM Viswanathan Anand in the final held in Jerusalem, Israel, from November 30 to December 3, 2025.
• The 5th Khelo India University Games 2025 (KIUG 2025) were held across seven cities of Rajasthan from November 24 to December 5, 2025; Chandigarh University (Punjab) topped the medal tally with 67 medals, followed by Lovely Professional University (LPU) and Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU).
• On December 7, 2025, Lando Norris (McLaren Racing) won his first Formula One (F1) World Drivers’ Championship after finishing third at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2025 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), clinching the title by two points.
• Lando Norris became the 11th British driver to win the F1 World Championship and secured McLaren’s 13th drivers’ title, becoming the first British champion since Lewis Hamilton (2020).
• In December 2025, Indian GM Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa won the International Chess Federation (FIDE) Circuit 2025 with 115.17 points, earning direct qualification to the Candidates Tournament 2026.
• Praggnanandhaa became the only male player to qualify via the FIDE Circuit, while Divya Deshmukh, Koneru Humpy, and Vaishali Rameshbabu qualified for the 2026 Women’s Candidates Tournament.
• The 2nd Fédération Équestre Internationale (FEI) Asian Equestrian Championships 2025 were held in Pattaya, Thailand, from November 24 to December 7, 2025; Thailand topped, followed by Hong Kong, while India won 5 medals.
• Ashish Limaye became the first Indian rider to win individual gold in Eventing at the FEI Asian Equestrian Championships, while India’s Eventing team won silver and Shruti Vora claimed three silver medals in Dressage.
• The 14th FIH Men’s Junior Hockey World Cup 2025 was held in Chennai and Madurai, Tamil Nadu, from November 28 to December 10, 2025; Germany won gold, Spain silver, and India bronze.
• Rohit Sharma, India’s One Day International (ODI) captain, crossed 20,000 international runs on December 6, 2025 against South Africa, becoming the fourth Indian after Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli and Rahul Dravid.
• Yashasvi Jaiswal scored his maiden ODI century on December 6, 2025 against South Africa, becoming the sixth Indian to score centuries in Tests, ODIs and Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is). Sunil Narine (West Indies) became the first bowler to take 600 wickets in T20 cricket on December 4, 2025, achieving the milestone during the International League T20 (ILT20).
• Sarwagya Singh Kushwaha (3 years, 7 months) became the youngest FIDE-rated chess player in history, achieving a FIDE Rapid Rating of 1572 after defeating adult-rated players.
• India hosted the Squash World Cup in Chennai for the third consecutive year from December 10–14, 2025, featuring 12 nations in a mixed-team format.
• Jasprit Bumrah became the first Indian bowler to take 100 wickets in all three international formats on December 9, 2025, joining an elite global list of fast bowlers.
• India will host the first Commonwealth Kho Kho Championship 2026 from March 9–14, 2026, with over 24 nations participating; Ahmedabad is a leading contender for hosting duties.
• Germany defeated Spain to win the FIH Men’s Junior Hockey World Cup 2025 in Chennai, showcasing tactical dominance and strong defensive play.
• Mullanpur Stadium (Punjab) inaugurated stands named after Yuvraj Singh and Harmanpreet Kaur, honouring their contributions to Indian cricket.
• In the Under-19 Asia Cup 2025, Vaibhav Suryavanshi scored a record 171 runs against the United Arab Emirates (UAE), highlighting India’s emerging youth cricket talent.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

• In December 2025, astronomers from the National Centre for Radio Astrophysics – Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (NCRA-TIFR), Pune discovered an ancient massive spiral galaxy named Alaknanda, located 12 billion light years away, using James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) data; the discovery was made by Rashi Jain and Prof. Yogesh Wadadekar and published in Astronomy & Astrophysics.
• The spiral galaxy Alaknanda, discovered in the Abell 2744 field, is about 1.5 billion years old, has two distinct arms, and a high star-formation rate of 63 solar masses per year, challenging theories that early-universe galaxies were largely chaotic.
• In December 2025, the Society for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (SINE) at Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT-B) launched ‘Y-Point Venture Capital (VC) Fund’, India’s first deep-tech VC fund managed by an academia-linked incubator, with a corpus of ₹250 crore.
• The Y-Point Venture Capital Fund aims to support early stage deep-tech startups by providing critical risk capital, strengthening India’s innovation and research-driven startup ecosystem.
• On December 10, 2025, Professor Abhay Karandikar, Secretary of the Department of Science and Technology (DST) under the Ministry of Science & Technology (MoS&T), virtually inaugurated India’s National Hub for Quantum Communication at IIT Madras Research Park, Chennai.
• The IIT Madras – Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT) Samgnya Technologies Foundation was established under the National Quantum Mission (NQM) and will focus on Quantum Cryptography, Quantum Key Distribution (QKD), Post-Quantum Security, Quantum Repeaters and Satellite-based Quantum Communication.
• The Quantum Communication Hub is India’s first national level dedicated hub under NQM and one of four thematic hubs, alongside Quantum Computing (IISc Bengaluru), Quantum Sensing & Metrology (IIT Bombay) and Quantum Materials & Devices (IIT Delhi).
• In December 2025, scientists from the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) discovered two new species of jumping spiders—Asemonea dentis and Colyttus nongwar—in Meghalaya, reinforcing the ecological importance of the Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot.
• The spider discoveries by ZSI were published in Zootaxa, a leading international taxonomy journal published by Magnolia Press, Auckland (New Zealand).
• In 2025, Deepavali was officially inscribed in UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list, recognising its universal symbolism of light over darkness and associated traditions like rangoli, diya-making and community rituals.
• The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) qualified AIM-NASH, the world’s first Artificial Intelligence (AI) system for assessing Metabolic Dysfunction Associated Steatohepatitis (MASH), enabling faster and more consistent analysis of liver biopsy images.
• On December 11, 2025, Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-M) and the IndiaAI Mission hosted the Global AI Conclave in Chennai, focusing on AI Safety Commons for the Global South and interoperable AI frameworks.
• The Global AI Conclave 2025 served as a precursor to the India-AI Impact Summit 2026, highlighting India’s growing leadership in ethical, inclusive and locally relevant artificial intelligence governance.