Daily Current Affairs: 10 December 2025

Sarwagya Singh Kushwaha became youngest rated chess player in history

Key Updates:

• Sarwagya Singh Kushwaha from Sagar, Madhya Pradesh, became the youngest FIDE-rated chess player in history at the age of three years, seven months and 20 days.
• He holds a rapid rating of 1,572, surpassing the previous record held by Kolkata’s Anish Sarkar.
• Sarwagya began playing chess at the age of two-and-a-half and trains for four to five hours daily under coach Nitin Chaurasiya.
• He secured his rating by defeating five rated opponents in FIDE-approved tournaments, including wins over Abhijeet Awasthi and Shubham Chourasiya.

Arkin Gupta featured in Forbes 30 Under 30 list for financial innovation

[Forbes]

Key Updates:

• Arkin Gupta was named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list for his contributions to financial innovation and early-stage investment strategies.
• Forbes highlighted his pioneering work in developing data-driven investment frameworks and his leadership in creating scalable financial products.
• Gupta stated that this recognition reinforces the importance of democratizing access to smarter financial tools.

Neal Mohan named TIME's 2025 CEO of the Year

[YouTube]

Key Updates:

• Neal Mohan, CEO of Google-owned YouTube, was named TIME Magazine's 2025 CEO of the Year.
• He took charge as YouTube CEO in 2023 after Susan Wojcicki stepped down.
• Mohan had earlier served as YouTube's Chief Product Officer since 2015 and led launches of YouTube TV, YouTube Music and Premium, and Shorts.

Colonel Prateek Roy received Geddes Gavel Award

[Australia]

Key Updates:

• Colonel Prateek Roy of the Indian Army was awarded the Geddes Gavel Award.
• He received the award on completion of the Defence Strategic and Studies Course at Australian Defence College.
• The award is also known as the Commander Australian Defence College Award.
• The award recognizes the student who displays the greatest understanding of factors influencing regional relationships and decision-making and demonstrates superior knowledge across political, diplomatic, military, cultural, and economic areas.

Raveena Tandon named PETA India Person of the Year

[People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)]

Key Updates:

• Raveena Tandon was named People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals India (PETA India) 2025 Person of the Year.
• She partnered with PETA India to gift a life-sized mechanical elephant to Karnataka’s Thousand Pillars Jain Temple.
• Tandon promoted PETA India’s Compassionate Citizen programme to foster empathy in young learners.
• She personally rescued a 2-month-old kitten from Mumbai streets and starred in a PETA India campaign against buying animals from breeders or pet stores.
• Tandon urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to protect panthers losing habitat to a freight corridor project and called for action after humans strangled a leopard.
• She joined PETA India to highlight the suffering of snakes, alligators, and other animals killed for skin and publicly asked Burger King to open a fully vegan location in India or offer vegan Whoppers.

Consumer Unity & Trust Society (CUTS) launches TRaNJA initiative to reshape WTO and global trade

[World Trade Organization (WTO)]

Key Updates:

• Consumer Unity & Trust Society (CUTS) International launched the global initiative “Trade Not Just Aid: Winners and Losers in the WTO” (TRaNJA).
• The TRaNJA steering committee is co-chaired by Shashi Tharoor, MP and former foreign minister of India, and Pascal Lamy, former Director-General of the WTO.
• The 21-member steering committee includes experts from all corners of the world.
• The launch event was organised by Konrad Adenauer Stiftung and held in Tokyo, Japan, on 2-4 December, 2025, with nearly 30 experts from 16 countries participating.
• CUTS Secretary General Pradeep S. Mehta stated that around 70% of world trade still occurs on non-discriminatory MFN terms agreed at the WTO.
• Mehta highlighted that the predictability and stability provided by the WTO system has raised world trade volumes by over 45 times the level of trade in the 1950s.

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issues final guidelines averting restructuring for 12 bank groups

[Reserve Bank of India (RBI)]

Key Updates:

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) final guidelines allow banks and their group entities to continue overlapping lending activities, preventing restructuring for 12 large bank groups.
• The draft guidelines would have impacted 12 bank groups, accounting for ~55% of sectoral advances, and 2-6% of consolidated advances of individual banks.
• The final framework permits overlapping lending operations subject to board approval.
• Of the 26 bank group entities with lending operations, only two currently qualify as upper-layer Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs).
• The remaining bank group entities must adopt upper-layer norms (excluding listing requirements) by March 31, 2028.
• The guidelines impose a 20% ceiling on a bank group’s shareholding in an Asset Reconstruction Company (ARC).
• There are currently 13 ARCs in which one or more banks hold stakes.
• In all but two of these ARCs, shareholding by any single bank is less than 20%.
• Banks with shareholding exceeding the 20% limit in ARCs will have to partially divest by March 2028.

Telangana bags Rs 5.75 lakh crore investments

[Telangana]

Key Updates:

• Telangana attracted total investment commitments of nearly Rs 5.75 lakh crore at its global summit.
• Investment proposals worth Rs 2.9 lakh crore were attracted on the final day of the summit.
• MoUs were signed across multiple sectors including food and agriculture, electronics, manufacturing, data centres, and biotechnology.
• Top firms pledging investments included Godrej Industries Group, Reliance Consumer Products Limited (RPCL), Kaynes Technology India Limited, and Bharat Biotech.
• Godrej Group pledged Rs 150 crore to expand its dairy business.
• Reliance Consumer Products Limited (RPCL) plans a Rs 1,500 crore investment for a manufacturing facility for beverages, snacks, confectionery, and other consumer products.
• Electronics manufacturer Kaynes Technology India Limited committed Rs 1,000 crore as part of its expansion plans.
• JCK Infra pledged Rs 9,000 crore for data centre facilities.
• APG Group plans to invest Rs 6,750 crore for a hyperscale data centre campus.
• Infrakey Data Centre Parks announced an investment of Rs 70,000 crore.
• Tokyo-headquartered NTT DATA Group announced a Rs 10,500 crore AI data centre cluster in Hyderabad in April.
• The Brookfield-Axis Energy Ventures consortium committed to an MoU worth Rs 75,000 crore.
• Adani Group is setting up a 48-megawatt AI green data centre in Telangana with an investment of Rs 2,500 crore.

Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and Civil Aviation Ministry slash IndiGo weekly flights by 10%.

[Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Civil Aviation Ministry]

Key Updates:

• IndiGo’s weekly domestic departures were approved at 15,014 for the winter schedule.
• IndiGo actually operated 59,438 flights in November 2025 against 64,346 approved domestic flights.
• The airline recorded 951 flight cancellations during November 2025.
• IndiGo could operate only 339 aircraft in October 2025 and 344 aircraft in November 2025 against an estimated 403 aircraft.
• The 10% cut translates to a minimum reduction of 216 daily flights from the summer level of over 2,200 daily flights.
• Air India and Air India Express weekly domestic flights were reduced by 0.8% and 6% respectively from summer to winter schedule.
• Akasa Air’s weekly domestic schedule reduced by 5.7% from 1,089 to 1,027 flights.
• SpiceJet increased weekly domestic flights by over 26% from 1,240 to 1,568.

International Monetary Fund (IMF) recognises Unified Payments Interface (UPI) as world’s largest retail fast-payment system.

[International Monetary Fund (IMF)]

Key Updates:

• IMF June 2025 study Growing Retail Digital Payments (The Value of Interoperability) placed UPI ahead of other global real-time payment platforms.
• ACI Worldwide Prime Time for Real-Time 2024 report estimated UPI accounted for about 49% of global real-time payment transactions.
• India recorded 129.3 billion UPI transactions, followed by Brazil, Thailand, China and South Korea at significantly lower volumes.
• Payments Infrastructure Development Fund (PIDF) subsidises deployment of point-of-sale devices and QR codes, creating around 5.45 crore digital touchpoints as of October 31, 2025.
• In FY 2024–25 approximately 56.86 crore QR codes were deployed to roughly 6.5 crore merchants.

United States (US) President Donald Trump Threatens New Tariffs on Indian Rice Imports

[United States (US)]

Key Updates:

• United States (US) President Donald Trump hinted at potential new tariffs on Indian rice imports, citing 'dumping' as damaging domestic growers.
• Indian rice exporters on Dalal Street faced a significant downturn following the US President's remarks.
• Kohinoor Foods stock fell 9.9% to Rs 24.41, reaching its intraday and 52-week low on the BSE.
• LT Foods stock dropped 6.5% to Rs 368, while KRBL stock retreated 2.7% to Rs 370.05.
• The US had previously imposed a 50% tariff on Indian goods in August, consisting of an already levied 25% tariff and an additional 25% duties.
• The US alleged the additional duties were due to India's continued purchase of Russian oil.
• US President Donald Trump also hinted that Canadian fertiliser imports could face higher duties, with earlier proposals suggesting a rise of up to 10%, potentially reaching 45%.

Vingroup signs $3 billion MoU with Telangana government for multi-sector ecosystem.

[Telangana]

Key Updates:

• Vingroup commits $3 billion investment to establish a multi-sector ecosystem covering smart urban development, electric mobility, healthcare, education, tourism and renewable energy across approximately 2,500 hectares in Telangana.
• Telangana government will facilitate land allocation, fast-track approvals and coordinate planning for the project.
• The $3 billion plan surpasses Vingroup's $2 billion VinFast factory under construction in North Carolina, United States, making it the conglomerate's biggest potential investment outside Vietnam.
• VinFast, Vingroup's electric vehicle arm, already operates a manufacturing facility in Tamil Nadu and announced a $500 million expansion of the plant last week.
• Vingroup reported a net profit of 7.565 trillion dong ($287.42 million) for the first nine months of 2025, nearly double its earnings from the same period in 2024.
• Vingroup's total debt stood at $12.35 billion as of September 2025, with approximately half tied to bank loans and syndicated credit facilities.
• The Telangana projects will include a 1,080-hectare smart city, a 350-hectare theme park, and a 500 MW solar farm.

Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) overhauls merchant bankers rule; introduces capital adequacy, liquid networth criteria

[Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI)]

Key Updates:

• Sebi overhauled merchant bankers rule by introducing a capital adequacy framework, requiring a liquid net worth, and mandating minimum revenue from permitted activities.
• Sebi allowed merchant bankers to undertake activities falling outside its purview under the same firm, subject to certain conditions.
• As per a notification dated December 3, a merchant banker can undertake fee-based, non-fund based activities pertaining to the financial services sector that fall under another Financial Sector Regulator (FSR) or do not fall under Sebi or any other FSB.
• Sebi categorized merchant bankers, requiring Category 1 to have a net worth of at least ₹50 crore and allowing them to undertake all permitted activities.
• Category 2 merchant bankers must have a net worth of at least ₹10 crore and can undertake all permitted activities except managing equity issues on the main-board.
• Merchant bankers must maintain a liquid net worth of at least 25% of the minimum net worth requirement at all times.
• Underwriting obligations of merchant bankers are capped at 20 times their liquid net worth.
• Category 1 merchant bankers must have cumulative revenues of at least ₹12.5 crore in the three immediately preceding financial years, while Category 2 must have at least ₹2.5 crore.
• The revenue criteria do not apply to merchant bankers managing only the issuance of non-convertible securities, securitised debt instruments, security receipts, municipal debt securities, commercial papers, REITs, and InvITs.
• Sebi replaced merchant bankers with independent registered valuers for the valuation of Employee Stock Option Plans (ESOP) and Sweat Equity.
• Previously, merchant bankers were mandated for valuations related to ESOPs and other share-linked benefits.

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) imposes Rs 99.30 lakh penalty on Jammu and Kashmir Bank

[Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Jammu and Kashmir]

Key Updates:

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) imposed a fine of Rs 99.30 lakh on Jammu and Kashmir Bank.
• The penalty was for failing to comply with directions regarding grievance handling, customer communication, KYC verification, and the transfer of unclaimed deposits.
• The fines were based on the statutory inspection of the bank's financial position as of March 2024.
• The inspection found that certain complaints were not escalated to the Internal Ombudsman.
• The bank did not send final resolution letters to customers after closing complaints.
• The bank was not using face-verification technology for video-based customer identification.
• The bank was not verifying customers' financial information furnished at the time of onboarding.
• There was a delay in the transfer of eligible unclaimed deposits to the Depositor Education and Awareness Fund.

IDFC FIRST Bank launches entry-level credit card with zero forex markup and dual UPI-Mastercard access

[IDFC FIRST Bank]

Key Updates:

• IDFC FIRST Bank launched the FIRST WOW! Black credit card, the country's first entry-level card with zero forex markup on international spends.
• Customers receive two cards: a physical Mastercard and a virtual RuPay credit card for UPI use.
• The card is available to individuals aged 18 or above by opening a fixed deposit of at least ₹20,000 with the bank.
• Cash withdrawals from ATMs in India or abroad do not attract interest for up to 45 days, but incur a ₹199 withdrawal fee.
• Users earn 4 reward points per ₹150 on everyday spends and 3 reward points per ₹150 on UPI payments above ₹2,000.
• Travel bookings on the IDFC FIRST Bank app earn 50 bonus reward points per ₹150 on hotel bookings and 30 bonus reward points per ₹150 on flight bookings.
• Each reward point is worth ₹0.50 when redeemed for travel on the app.
• The card includes four domestic airport lounge visits a year and trip-cancellation cover of up to ₹10,000.
• Other benefits include 25% off on one movie ticket a month (up to ₹100), a 1% fuel surcharge waiver up to ₹200 a month, roadside assistance worth ₹1,399 once a year, ₹2 lakh personal accident insurance, and lost-card liability cover up to ₹25,000.
• The joining fee is ₹750 plus GST, with the same annual fee from the second year onward.
• The annual fee is waived if yearly spending reaches ₹1.5 lakh.
• Welcome benefits worth more than ₹5,000 include travel deals, dining and lifestyle offers, and 5% cashback up to ₹1,000 on the first EMI transaction within 30 days.

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) approves Airpay Payment Services as cross-border payment aggregator.

[Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Airpay Payment Services]

Key Updates:

• Airpay Payment Services has secured approval from the Reserve Bank of India to operate as a cross-border payment aggregator.
• The company is now licensed to operate as a payment aggregator across online, physical and cross-border categories.
• Airpay projects a 30-40 per cent rise in processing volumes over the next 6-12 months.
• The company anticipates 20 per cent-plus revenue contribution from cross-border flows and onboarding over 50,000 merchants in the same period.

WHO Global Summit on Traditional Medicine 2025: India to host Ashwagandha-focused side event

[World Health Organization (WHO)]

Key Updates:

• The Ministry of Ayush (MoA) will host a dedicated side event on Ashwagandha titled 'Ashwagandha: From Traditional Wisdom to Global Impact – Perspectives from Leading Global Experts' during the 2nd WHO Global Summit on Traditional Medicine.
• The side event is organised by WHO-GTMC in collaboration with the Ministry of Ayush.
• The 2nd WHO Global Summit on Traditional Medicine will be held in Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.

Gyan Bharatam Initiative: SFC Sanctions Rs.491.66 Crore

Key Updates:

• The Gyan Bharatam Initiative (Gyan Bharatam) is the flagship initiative of the Ministry of Culture (MoC).
• The Standing Finance Committee (SFC) has sanctioned Rs.491.66 crore for Gyan Bharatam for the period 2025-2031.
• The initiative, announced in the Union Budget on 1st February, 2025, aims at surveying, documenting, conserving, digitizing, and disseminating India’s manuscript heritage.
• Gyan Bharatam envisages covering more than one crore manuscripts through collaboration with academic institutions, museums, libraries, and private collectors.
• The Gyan Bharatam Digital Web Portal has been launched by the Prime Minister of India.
• Memorandum of Understandings (MoU) have been signed with 31 institutions, including 19 Cluster Centres and 12 Independent Centres.
• Approximately 3.5 lakh Manuscripts have been digitized in Gyan Bharatam.

One Nation, One Licence, One Payment: Mandatory blanket licence for AI training with statutory royalty to creators

Key Updates:

• Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT)-led committee proposes a mandatory blanket licence requiring all AI companies to pay royalties for using copyrighted work.
• Royalty rates will be fixed by a government-appointed committee and collected through a single collective body formed by copyright holders named Copyright Royalties Collective for AI Training (CRCAT).
• The obligation to pay royalties shall apply retroactively to AI developers who have already trained models on copyrighted content and are earning revenues.

Punjab Assembly resolution seeks ban on Imran Khan and PTI

[Punjab]

Key Updates:

• The Punjab Assembly approved a resolution moved by PML-N lawmaker Tahir Pervaiz urging the federal government to impose a ban on the PTI founder and his political party.
• The resolution accuses the PTI leader of making statements against the state, spreading unrest, and acting as facilitators of hostile foreign interests.
• It calls for action under national laws against anyone involved in such activities and demands exemplary punishment for those responsible.

Supreme Court clarifies EC inquiry powers on voter citizenship

Key Updates:

• The Supreme Court stated: 'EC does not claim that it has the power to determine citizenship of a person or declare him as a foreigner. But, if it has doubts about the citizenship of a person registered as a voter or seeking inclusion of name as a voter, it can surely inquire into it.'
• The Court emphasized: 'The first and foremost pre-condition for inclusion as a voter is that he/she must be a citizen of India.'
• The bench of CJI Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi added: 'Given the constitutional and statutory powers conferred on EC, can it not undertake an inquisitorial exercise to find out who are doubtful citizens? That is included in the constitutional task of superintendence of elections.'

Flex-Engine Ethanol Vehicles Roll-Out Announced by MoRTH

Key Updates:

• Union Minister of Road, Transport and Highways (MoRTH) announced government is rolling out flex-engine vehicles powered by ethanol.
• 100% ethanol is described as a green fuel that is cheap and causes no pollution.
• Isobutanol derived from ethanol is being developed as an alternative to diesel.

India and Bangladesh complete humanitarian exchange of fishermen on December 9, 2025

[Bangladesh]

Key Updates:

• India and Bangladesh completed a coordinated humanitarian exchange of fishermen, repatriating those who had inadvertently crossed the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) while fishing.
• The exchange on December 9, 2025, involved the release and repatriation of 47 Indian fishermen and 38 Bangladesh fishermen, along with their operable vessel.
• In January 2025, the Government of India facilitated the release of 95 Indian fishermen, and in a reciprocal manner, released 90 Bangladeshi fishermen.
• The mutual repatriation arrangement was shaped by the humanitarian and livelihood concerns of fishing communities on both sides.
• The Government of India attaches the highest importance to the safety, security and welfare of Indian fishermen.

Indian Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi begins official visit to Brazil to deepen maritime partnership

[Brazil]

Key Updates:

• Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS) Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi has commenced an official visit to Brazil from 9–12 December 2025.
• The visit is aimed at deepening the expanding maritime partnership between the Indian Navy and the Brazilian Navy.
• Admiral Tripathi is scheduled to hold discussions with Mr. Jose Mucio, Defence Minister of Brazil, Admiral Renato Rodrigues de Aguiar Freire, Chief of the Joint Staff of the Brazilian Armed Forces, and Admiral Marcos Sampaio Olsen, Commander of the Brazilian Navy.
• Discussions will cover maritime domain awareness, joint patrols, naval interoperability, capacity building, training collaboration, and technology cooperation.
• The visit highlights the Indian Navy’s commitment to enhancing naval diplomacy and maritime security cooperation with nations across the South Atlantic and the Global South.

India to host German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in third week of January

[Germany]

Key Updates:

• India will host German Chancellor Friedrich Merz for his first visit to the country after assuming office.
• Merz is expected to visit India in the third week of Jan for a summit with PM Narendra Modi.
• This engagement follows President Putin's visit and precedes the India-EU summit scheduled for Jan 27.
• Discussions will focus on trade, technology, and sustainable development, building on existing partnerships.
• Germany's support for Ukraine and shared concerns over the Indo-Pacific will also be key topics.
• The leaders had earlier met on the margins of the G7 summit in Canada where they agreed to diversify the strategic partnership.
• Germany is also a key partner for India in maintaining a rules-based international order in the Indo-Pacific.

Lithuania declares nationwide emergency situation over Belarus balloon incursions

[Lithuania, Belarus]

Key Updates:

• Lithuanian government declared a 'nationwide emergency situation' in response to incursions from Belarus by weather balloons carrying smuggled cigarettes.
• Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene condemned the balloon incursions as a 'hybrid attack' by Belarus that posed a real risk to national security and civil aviation.
• About 600 balloons linked to smuggling and almost 200 drones have entered Lithuanian airspace this year alone, leading to repeated closure of Vilnius airport.
• Lithuania's president Gitanas Nauseda said there is a lot of evidence that the balloon threat is a 'deliberate action aimed at destabilising the situation in Lithuania'.
• Lithuania closed two border checkpoints with Belarus for three weeks from the end of October in response to the latest threat.
• Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko denies being behind the incursions, alleging the issue has been 'politicised' by Lithuania.
• Lithuania's interior ministry says the balloons have led to Vilnius airport being closed for more than 60 hours since October, affecting 30,000 passengers in October alone.
• Finnish airline Finnair has cancelled all evening flights to Vilnius until the end of February because of the balloons.

Zen Technologies secures ₹120 crore order from India's Ministry of Defence

[Zen Technologies]

Key Updates:

• Zen Technologies Ltd on Thursday said it has secured defence orders worth ₹120 crore from India’s Ministry of Defence for supplying a suite of training simulators and equipment, strengthening its position in the military training systems segment.
• The contract includes the delivery of the company’s Comprehensive Training Node CTN, a fully integrated system that brings together multiple simulators used for operational and combat training.
• The order will be executed within a year, the company said in a stock exchange filing.
• Zen Technologies, headquartered in Hyderabad, builds live and virtual combat training solutions for the armed forces, paramilitary units, and police forces.

Tata Advanced Systems and Lockheed Martin announce C-130J MRO hub for Indian Air Force

[Tata Advanced Systems, Lockheed Martin]

Key Updates:

• Tata Advanced Systems Ltd. (TASL) and Lockheed Martin announced an expansion of their partnership with the launch of a new Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility to service the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) C-130J Super Hercules tactical airlifter fleet.
• The IAF currently flies 12 C-130J aircraft used for strategic airlift, special operations and humanitarian missions.
• Construction is scheduled to be completed by end-2026, with the first aircraft entering MRO operations in early 2027, TASL said.
• The upcoming facility will offer depot-level and heavy maintenance, component repair, structural restoration, avionics upgrades, and training for Indian engineers and technicians.
• The new MRO centre will join Lockheed Martin’s network of Certified Service Centers, with capabilities to support C-130J, KC-130J and legacy C-130 B-H variants.

Microsoft commits $17.5 billion for India’s AI-first future

[Microsoft]

Key Updates:

• Microsoft will invest USD 17.5 billion in India over the next four years (2026-2029) to drive AI diffusion at a population scale.
• The investment comes on top of Microsoft’s earlier commitment of USD 3 billion announced in January 2025.
• Google will invest $15 billion in India over the next five years to establish its first AI hub in Visakhapatnam.
• OpenAI will open an India office after ChatGPT usage in the country grew fourfold over the past year.
• AI firm Perplexity partnered with Indian telecom giant Airtel to offer 360 million customers a free one-year Perplexity Pro subscription.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Approves First AI Tool for Liver Disease Trials

[U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)]

Key Updates:

• The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has qualified the first AI drug development tool, the AI-Based Histologic Measurement of NASH (AIM-NASH), to help pathologists assess metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) disease activity in clinical trials.
• This cloud-based tool helps pathologists score liver biopsy components, including fat infiltration (steatosis), inflammation (hepatocellular ballooning and lobular inflammation), and scarring (fibrosis) stage.
• MASH is a serious form of fatty liver disease where too much fat in the liver causes inflammation and scarring.
• The AIM-NASH system uses AI algorithms to analyze images of liver biopsies and provides scores according to the NASH Clinical Research Network scoring system, with pathologists fully responsible for final interpretation.

India unveils first-of-its-kind R&D roadmap to deploy Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS) for 2070 net-zero target

Key Updates:

• India has launched the first of its kind R&D roadmap to enable the country's net-zero emission targets of 2070 through Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS).
• The roadmap will leverage the government's Rs 1 lakh crore Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) funding pathways to accelerate CCUS development and deployment.
• It will guide coordinated action, foster collaboration, and enable investments that accelerate technology deployment for reducing carbon footprints across hard-to-abate sectors such as cement, power and steel.
• India early this year unveiled a pioneering national initiative of creating five Carbon Capture and Utilisation (CCU) testbeds in the cement sector, forming a first of its kind research and innovation cluster to combat industrial carbon emissions.

Google to Launch First Gemini AI Glasses in 2026

[Google]

Key Updates:

• Google on Monday said it will launch the first of its AI-powered smart glasses in 2026.
• The glasses are being developed in partnership with Samsung, Gentle Monster and Warby Parker.
• Two categories are planned: audio-only glasses for 'screen-free assistance' and display-enabled glasses with an in-lens screen for navigation and translation.
• The new glasses run on Android XR, Google’s operating system for headsets and glasses.
• Google also revealed Project Aura, wired XR glasses from XREAL featuring a 70-degree field of view and optical see-through overlays.

India's Nuclear Power Generation Capacity to Reach 21,880 MW by 2032

Key Updates:

• India's nuclear power generation capacity is set to rise from the current 8,780 megawatt (MW) to 9,480 MW by the end of the current financial year 2025-26, 13,480 MW by 2029-30 and 21,880 MW by 2031-32.
• Three 700 MW Pressurised Heavy Water Reactor (PHWR) units — RAPS-8 (700 MW) at Rawatbhata in Rajasthan and GHAVP-1 & 2 (two units of 700 MW each) at Gorakhpur in Haryana — are presently under construction.
• Ten reactors of 700 MW each are at various stages of pre-project activities — two each at Kaiga in Karnataka, Chutka in Madhya Pradesh and Gorakhpur in Haryana, and four at Mahi Banswara in Rajasthan.
• Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) has initiated design and development works on Small Modular Reactors (SMRs).
• BARC is developing the 200 MWe Bharat Small Modular Reactor (BSMR-200), 55 MWe Small Modular Reactor (SMR-55) and an up to 5 MW thermal high-temperature gas-cooled reactor meant for hydrogen generation.
• BSMR-200 and SMR-55 can be deployed as captive power plants for energy-intensive industries such as aluminium, steel and metal, repurposing retiring fossil fuel-based power plants and for providing energy for remote as well as off-grid locations.
• Hydrogen produced from high-temperature gas-cooled reactors can be utilised as a clean fuel in the transport sector and in process industries.
• The Nuclear Energy Mission envisages reaching 100 gigawatt nuclear power capacity by 2047.

Bharti Airtel partners with Google to launch RCS messaging in India

[Bharti Airtel, Google]

Key Updates:

• Bharti Airtel has signed a pact with Google to offer RCS messaging on its network.
• Airtel will charge Rs 0.11 per RCS message under an 80:20 revenue-share with Google.
• Airtel will route RCS traffic through its AI-based spam filter before approving messages.
• With Airtel on board, all three major Indian telcos—Airtel, Reliance Jio and Vodafone Idea—now support RCS.
• Google Messages is the main driver of RCS, handling 1 billion messages daily worldwide.

Tata Electronics and Intel to explore chip packaging and AI PC solutions in India

[Tata Electronics, Intel]

Key Updates:

• Tata Electronics has signed Intel as the first major prospective customer for its upcoming semiconductor facilities in India.
• Intel and Tata intend to explore manufacturing and packaging of Intel products for local markets at Tata Electronics’ upcoming Fab and OSAT facilities.
• The collaboration will also focus on rapidly scaling tailored AI PC solutions for consumer and enterprise markets in India.
• Tata Group is building two semiconductor facilities in India worth around $14 billion, including a fabrication plant in Gujarat and an assembly and testing plant in Assam.

Arjun Erigaisi beats Magnus Carlsen in Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Finals

Key Updates:

• Arjun Erigaisi beat Magnus Carlsen in the round-robin stage of the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Finals.
• The Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Finals are taking place at the Grootbos Private Nature Reserve in South Africa.
• Javokhir Sindarov finished as the top player in the round-robin stage with 5.5 points.
• Levon Aronian was the second-place player in the round-robin stage with 5 points.
• Arjun Erigaisi finished third in the round-robin stage with 4.5 points after seven rounds.

3 Cheetahas released at Kuno National Park to observe International Cheetah Day observed on December 4

Key Updates:

• International Cheetah Day is observed on December 4 every year.
• Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav released three cheetahs — female Veera and her two 10-month-old cubs — into the wild at Kuno National Park to mark the day.
• India began its cheetah reintroduction project on September 17, 2022, when eight cheetahs from Namibia were released at Kuno by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

International Day of Commemoration & Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide & the Prevention of this Crime observed on 9 December

[United Nations (UN)]

Key Updates:

• The International Day of Commemoration & Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide & the Prevention of this Crime is observed on 9 December.
• The Secretary-General, António Guterres, stated that 'Genocide is an abomination. It is a horrendous crime. And it is the solemn duty of all States to prevent and punish it.'
• The 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide was adopted as a pledge against eradication due to nationality, ethnicity, race or religion.
• Human Rights Day is observed on 10 December.
• The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is described as the bedrock of the global community, defining what every person needs to survive and thrive.
• International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development is observed on 5 December.
• Jan Marian presented his credentials as the new Permanent Representative of Czechia to the United Nations (Vienna).
• John Brandolino is the Acting Director-General of the United Nations Office at Vienna (UNOV).

International Anti-Corruption Day observed globally on December 9

Key Updates:

• International Anti-Corruption Day is observed globally on December 9 every year.
• The theme for International Anti-Corruption Day 2025 is “Uniting with Youth Against Corruption: Shaping Tomorrow’s Integrity.”
• The origins of International Anti-Corruption Day trace back to October 31, 2003, when the United Nations General Assembly approved the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC).
• The United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) became the first globally recognized legal instrument dedicated to combating corruption.
• The United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) officially came into force in December 2005.