NATIONAL NEWS

Rajasthan Achieves 100% Digitisation of Electoral Rolls under Special Intensive Revision 2025

Rajasthan becomes the first state in India to achieve 100% digitisation of electoral rolls under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) programme, announced by Chief Electoral Officer Navin Mahajan.

SIR by the Election Commission of India updates voter lists by verifying identities, mapping addresses, deleting duplicates, adding new voters, and correcting errors.

Rajasthan’s achievement: 100% voter roll digitisation completed, 97% voter mapping done, only 3% of voters need document submission, and an average of 30 voters per booth require verification.

Benefits of digitisation: Simplified verification through automated systems, real-time updates for transparency, improved efficiency, easy online access, reduced electoral fraud, and enhanced voter participation.

Field staff contribution: Success driven by Booth Level Officers, panchayat-level staff, assistant officers, and supervisors.

Electoral timeline: Draft roll-on 16 December 2025, claims and objections 16 December 2025 – 15 January 2026, hearings and verification 16 December 2025 – 7 February 2026, and final roll-on 14 February 2026.

Digitisation sets a benchmark for other states and strengthens electoral transparency and accuracy.

11th India International Science Festival 2025

The 11th edition of the India International Science Festival (IISF 2025) was held in Panchkula, Haryana from 6th to 9th December 2025, celebrating India’s achievements in science, innovation, and technology.

Theme: “Vigyan Se Samruddhi: for Aatmanirbhar Bharat” (Science for Prosperity and Self-Reliant India), reflecting the government’s vision to position science as a driver of economic growth, social welfare, and national development.

The festival aims to promote science and innovation for self-reliance, integrate traditional knowledge with modern research, and foster scientific temper and curiosity among citizens.

The event covers ecology and Himalayan science, science for society and education, self-reliance through science and technology, biotechnology and bio-economy, and traditional knowledge with modern science.

Over 150 technical sessions are scheduled on topics such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), quantum technology, space science, gene editing, climate science, advanced materials, and agricultural technology.

More than 40,000 participants, including scientists, researchers, industry leaders, startups, students, women educators, policy makers, and community innovators, are expected to engage in the festival, promoting collaboration and knowledge sharing.

 

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Ancient Spiral Galaxy ‘Alaknanda’ Detected by Indian Astronomers

Indian astronomers from National Centre for Radio Astrophysics -Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (NCRA-TIFR), Pune, Maharashtra discovered a massive ancient 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 Professor Yogesh Wadadekar and was published in the journal Astronomy and Astrophysics.

The galaxy was named Alaknanda after the Alaknanda River, symbolically paired with the Mandakini River, the Hindi name for the Milky Way.

JWST deep-field observations revealed Alaknanda located behind Abell 2744 (Pandora’s Cluster), where gravitational lensing amplified its light and enabled high-resolution imaging.

Alaknanda is a 30,000-light-year-wide grand-design spiral galaxy featuring a central bulge, a rotating disk, symmetric spiral arms, and star-forming clusters arranged in a beads-on-a-string pattern.

The galaxy contains around 10 billion solar masses of stars and shows a star-formation rate 20–30 times higher than that of the Milky Way.

The extremely high star-formation rate indicates rapid assembly within a few hundred million years after the early universe formed.

Alaknanda is observed as it existed 12 billion years ago, making it a fully developed spiral galaxy in the early universe.

The galaxy’s mature structure challenges existing models that predicted early galaxies to be chaotic, irregular, and slow-forming, thus providing new insights into galaxy evolution.

 

BANKING

Government and RBI Implement Multiple Steps to Enhance the Digital Lending Framework

The Government is actively working with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and other regulators to curb the operations of unauthorized digital loan apps in India.

RBI has launched a Digital Lending Apps (DLAs) Directory on its website from 1 July 2025 to help customers verify whether a digital lending app is linked to an RBI-regulated entity (RE).

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) is empowered under Section 69A of the IT Act, 2000 to block unauthorized loan apps after following due legal procedures.

RBI issued the Reserve Bank of India (Digital Lending) Directions, 2025 on 8 May 2025, mandating strict norms on recovery practices, data privacy, and grievance redressal for Regulated Entities (REs), Lending Service Providers (LSPs), and Digital Lending Apps (DLAs).

The Government is engaging major internet intermediaries and messaging platforms to monitor and restrict unauthorized loan app operations.

The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) is analysing digital lending apps and supporting citizens through the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (cybercrime.gov.in) and the Cybercrime Helpline 1930.

Citizens can lodge complaints against illegal deposit-taking entities through the SACHET portal and the State Level Coordination Committee (SLCC)

The RBI and banks are conducting awareness programs such as SMS alerts, radio campaigns, cyber-crime prevention publicity, and e-BAAT (electronic Banking Awareness and Training) to educate citizens about fraud risks and safe digital practices.

Reserve Bank of India Announces Major Highlights of its 5th Bi-monthly Policy

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) conducted the 58th and 5th Bi-monthly Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting of Financial Year 2025-26 (FY26) from 3–5 December 2025, chaired by Governor Sanjay Malhotra, and attended by Nagesh Kumar, Saugata Bhattacharyya, Prof. Ram Singh, Dr. Poonam Gupta, and Indranil Bhattacharyya.

The MPC unanimously reduced the Repo Rate to 5.25% under the Liquidity Adjustment Facility (LAF), while maintaining a Neutral stance, indicating flexibility for future rate movements.

The rate cut was undertaken because inflation fell to multi-year lows and growth showed early signs of softening, providing policy space to support economic activity.

Repo Rate (Repurchase Rate): 5.25%

Reverse Repo Rate : 35%

CRR (Cash Reserve Ratio): 3%

SDF (Standing Deposit Facility) Rate: 5.00%

MSF (Marginal Standing Facility) Rate: 5.50%.

Bank Rate: 5.50%

SLR : 18.00%

IFC Commits USD 50 Million to Gujarat Fluorochemicals’ EV Materials Subsidiary

The International Finance Corporation (IFC) invested USD 50 million (₹450 crore) in GFCL EV Products Limited, a subsidiary of Gujarat Fluorochemicals Limited (GFL), through compulsorily convertible instruments.

The investment will help establish India’s first fully integrated battery materials manufacturing facility, strengthening the country’s EV and clean energy ecosystem.

This marks IFC’s first investment in India’s battery-materials sector, indicating strong global confidence in India’s clean energy and electric mobility goals.

The greenfield facility will manufacture Lithium Hexafluorophosphate (LiPF6), electrolyte formulations, Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) cathode materials, and Polyvinylidene Fluoride (PVDF) / Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) binders used in electric vehicles and energy storage systems.

The project is expected to boost domestic supply chains, reduce import dependence, and help position India as a competitive player in the global advanced battery materials value chain.

Barclays served as the financial adviser to GFCL EV for this transaction.

RBI Announces ₹1 Lakh Crore Open Market Operations and $5 Billion USD/INR Buy-Sell Swap to Boost Liquidity

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced Open Market Operations (OMO) purchases of ₹1 lakh crore and a 3-year USD/INR buy–sell swap of $5 billion in December 2025 to inject durable liquidity into the banking system.

OMOs are a key monetary policy tool used by the RBI to regulate liquidity in the banking system by buying or selling government securities (G-Secs) in the open market.

When RBI purchases government securities, it injects liquidity into the system, encouraging banks to lend more, which can boost economic activity.

When RBI sells government securities, it absorbs excess liquidity and helps to control inflation by reducing the money supply.

Securities and Exchange Board of India Unveils PaRRVA

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) launched the Past Risk and Return Verification Agency (PaRRVA) to prevent misleading past-performance claims in advertisements by Research Analysts (RAs), Investment Advisors (IAs), and stock brokers.

PaRRVA is the world’s first initiative of its kind and was launched in partnership with the National Stock Exchange (NSE) and CAREEdge Ratings.

The initiative was created to address loopholes where unregistered players advertise unverifiable high returns, while regulated intermediaries are restricted from sharing legitimate past performance.

SEBI’s investor survey found that only 36% of investors have adequate market knowledge, while 62% rely on influencers and 23% chase quick profits, highlighting the need for verified performance disclosures.

Under PaRRVA, intermediaries submit data through secure API/file upload, which is validated by the PaRRVA–NSE Data Centre (PDC) using exchange and clearing corporation transaction data.

PaRRVA generates 50+ risk–return metrics with T+1 portfolio checks, enabling accurate and standardized performance verification.

PaRRVA was first announced during the 208th SEBI Board Meeting in December 2024 and the operational framework was issued in April 2025.

PaRRVA is an independent verification mechanism allowing Regulated Entities (REs) to showcase authentic and validated performance data, reducing mis-selling and investor risk.

As per SEBI’s 2025 circular, a Credit Rating Agency (CRA) will act as PaRRVA, and it must partner with a recognized Stock Exchange (SE) which will function as the PaRRVA Data Centre (PDC).

 

DEFENCE

Indian Army Hosts Third Edition of Chanakya Defence Dialogue 2025

The Chanakya Defence Dialogue 2025 was held at the Manekshaw Centre, New Delhi, inaugurated by President Droupadi Murmu, bringing together military leaders, global experts, diplomats, industry representatives, and scholars.

The dialogue focused on India’s vision of Sashakt (Empowered), Surakshit (Secure), and Viksit (Developed) Bharat, addressing security challenges, defence reforms, and technological advancements in cyber, space, and cognitive warfare.

General Upendra Dwivedi highlighted the Army’s transformation roadmap with HOP 2032, STEP 2037, and JUMP 2047, emphasizing indigenisation, innovation, and stronger military–industry–academia collaboration.

The event was organised by the Indian Army, in collaboration with the Centre for Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS).

It was the third edition of the dialogue, examining India’s security challenges and technological frontiers in an increasingly contested global landscape.

 

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

Apple Appoints Bangalore University Alumnus Amar Subramanya As Its New Vice-President Of Artificial Intelligence

Apple has appointed Amar Subramanya as its Vice-President of Artificial Intelligence (AI), marking a significant shift in leadership to accelerate its global AI strategy.

Amar Subramanya is a Bengaluru-educated researcher, with a Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical, Electronics and Communications from Bangalore University (2001).

His career includes roles at IBM, Microsoft, and Google, where he led AI initiatives and research, including a return to Microsoft in senior AI roles.

In his new position, Subramanya will oversee Apple’s foundation models, machine learning research, and AI safety and evaluation, which are central to Apple’s product and software strategy.

He will report to Software Head Craig Federighi, reflecting Apple’s plan to integrate AI deeper into its ecosystem.

The appointment occurs amid global competition in AI, with tech companies investing heavily in generative AI, safety frameworks, and large-scale AI model development.

This move demonstrates Apple’s commitment to strengthening AI infrastructure, broadening research capabilities, and developing AI-driven features for consumer products.

 

IMPORTANT DAYS

Human Rights Day 2025

Human Rights Day 2025 is observed on 10th December.Human Rights are treating every person with the right to life, liberty, property, and the pursuit of happiness.

The Human Rights Day 2025 theme set by the WHO this year is "Human Rights: Our Everyday Essentials."

Human Rights Day's first observation was started in 1948 when the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The day was popular to all when the UN issued a Human Rights Stamp which covered and understood the concept by millions of people.

It was issued by the United Nations Postal Administration in 1952, which received over 200,000 advanced orders.

The aim of the Declaration of Human Rights is to establish a common standard of living for all people across the planet and to encourage all UN Members of State, to increase the standard of living among people in their respective countries.

Nobel Prize Day 2025

Nobel Prize Day 2025 is observed on 10th December. Nobel Prize Day 2025 is also known as the Death Anniversary of Alfred Nobel.

It honors the achievements of Alfred Bernhard Nobel, a Swedish engineer, chemist, entrepreneur, and philanthropist.

Alfred Nobel's father was an engineer himself and Alfred Nobel expressed early interest in engineering, and explosives in particular. Nobel became interested in stabilizing the unpredictable explosive nitroglycerin.

While conducting the experiments an unexpected accident took place which cost the life of his brother. But Nobel continued his work ultimately succeeding in inventing dynamite as a superior and more stable version of nitroglycerin.

Alfred Nobel went on to invent an even better alternative to dynamite in the form of gelignite.

Later he re-evaluated his life’s goals and decided to use his earnings to set up a prize that recognized the best in humanity. The prizes in the different categories reflect his own interests in various fields.

Alfred Nobel died on 10 December 1896, in Sanremo, Italy, at his very last residence, Villa Nobel, overlooking the Mediterranean Sea.