Milan Nedeljkovic has been appointed as the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of BMW Group. He will assume his role.
Saturday, Dec 13
Saturday, Dec 13
Daily current affairs for 13 December 2025 with exam-focused key facts, connected news context, and revision notes for UPSC, SSC, banking and government exams.
Today at a glance
[The Coca-Cola Company]
Key Updates:
Milan Nedeljkovic has been appointed as the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of BMW Group. He will assume his role.
Brendan Nelson succeeded Mark Tucker as Chairman of HSBC Holdings. Nelson had been serving as interim chair since October 1 and joined the HSBC board in September 2023.
Doug McMillon will step down as Walmart CEO on Jan. 31 and remain on the board until the annual shareholders' meeting. John Furner, president and CEO of Walmart U.S. since 2019, will become CEO on Feb. 1.
Shashank Srowthy has been appointed as the Chief Financial Officer, effective October 1, 2025. He is a Bachelor of Electronics & Telecommunication Engineering from Pune University and a Master of Management Studies from…
Key Updates:
Indira Gandhi served as Prime Minister of India from January 1966 to March 1977 and again from January 1980 until her assassination on 31 October 1984 Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi…
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, known as the “Iron Man of India,” was honoured on his 150th birth anniversary. He served as the first Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister of independent India.
Atal Bihari Vajpayee served three terms as Prime Minister. He served a full term from 1999 to 2004.
Sulakshana Pandit died due to cardiac arrest around 7 pm while being taken to Nanavati hospital. She debuted in films with Uljhan in 1975 opposite Sanjeev Kumar and later worked with top stars like Rajesh Khanna, Shashi…
[Meta India]
Key Updates:
Shri Sanjay Garg, a senior civil servant of IAS-1994 batch from the Kerala cadre, has assumed charge as the Director General of the Bureau of Indian Standards, the National Standards Body of India, with effect from 1…
Govt appointed seven new secretary-rank officers, including the new heads for oil, telecom and agriculture ministries. Neeraj Mittal, a 1992-batch IAS officer of the Tamil Nadu cadre, [was appointed] as petroleum…
Key Updates:
Poorstacy was a talented emo rapper known for his genre-bending music and collaborations. His real name was Carlito Junior Milfort.
Full Name and Role: Humane Sagar, renowned playback singer known for his contribution to Odia cinema Event Details: Passed away on Monday evening after undergoing intensive treatment at AIIMS Bhubaneswar for the past…
Todd Snider, a beloved figure in American roots music, died at age 59. His label announced the death on Saturday, stating he had been hospitalized with pneumonia in Hendersonville, Tennessee.
Camikara has become the first Indian rum to win ‘Rum Brand of the Year’ at The Spirits Business Awards 2025 in London. The rum is distilled from fresh sugarcane juice and aged in American oak barrels under North India’s…
[Asian Development Bank (ADB)]
Key Updates:
Bank of Baroda (BoB) received the 'Best Bank in India' title from The Banker, a Financial Times publication, at the 2025 Asia-Pacific awards. BoB operates phygital branches that allow customers to obtain statements…
Shri Vivekanand Gupta, Regional Provident Fund Commissioner of EPFO, has been selected for the Public Financial Asset Management (PFAM) Program 2025–26. He is the only Indian and the first EPFO official to be selected…
State Bank of India received the 'World's Best Consumer Bank 2025' and 'Best Bank in India 2025' awards from Global Finance, New York. SBI serves 520 million customers and adds 65,000 new customers daily.
The sixth edition of Global Fintech Fest 2025 (GFF 2025) was held in Mumbai from October 7-9. The Global Fintech Awards (GFA) 2025 were instituted under GFF 2025 and announced at a gala on October 8 at Jio World Centre…
[Asian Development Bank (ADB)]
Key Updates:
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) revised India’s GDP forecast for FY2025-26 upwards to 7.3% from the earlier 6.8%. RBI raised Q3 FY26 growth estimate to 7.0% from 6.4%.
Moody's Ratings projects India's GDP growth at 7% for 2025, 6.4% for 2026 and 6.5% for 2027. India's economy expanded 7.8% in the April-June period and 6.5% in FY25.
India Ratings and Research raised India's FY26 GDP growth projection to 7% YoY, 70 basis points higher than its July 2025 forecast of 6.3%. The RBI has projected India's GDP growth for FY26 at 6.8%.
India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra) expects GDP in FY26 to grow 7 per cent year-on-year. Ind-Ra revised forecast 70 basis points higher than earlier 6.3 per cent projected in July 2025.
[Maharashtra]
Key Updates:
Uttar Pradesh has declared Aadhaar cards invalid as proof of birth date. The Planning Department in Uttar Pradesh issued a directive to all state departments regarding this decision.
The Delhi government has abolished the provision of mandatory renewal of registration every 21 years for establishments. This change is implemented under the Delhi Shops and Establishments Act, 1954.
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…
The state is targeting $50 billion in economic value and to generate 5 lakh high-value employment opportunities by 2031, according to the draft vision document for information technology, electronics, semiconductor and…
Two reports released: 'Roadmap for AI for Viksit Bharat – An Opportunity for Accelerated Economic Growth' and the 'NITI Frontier Tech Repository' Released by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Railways/Electronics & IT…
The Telangana Artificial Intelligence Innovation Hub (TAIH) has been established by the State Government. The primary goal behind setting up TAIH is to ensure that by 2035, Telangana finds a place among the top 20 AI…
[Government of India]
Key Updates:
Sebi has granted in-principle approval to register 'Raajmarg Infra Investment Trust' (RIIT) as an Infrastructure Investment Trust (InvIT). RIIT must meet specific conditions over the next six months including appointment…
The Lok Sabha passed the Health Security se National Security Cess Bill 2025 to levy a cess on machines or processes used to manufacture paan masala and similar goods. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman stated that the…
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…
The upcoming 23rd India-Russia annual summit is scheduled for December. The summit is expected to significantly advance bilateral cooperation in civil nuclear energy, with a special focus on small and modular reactors…
[Odisha]
Key Updates:
A framework has been prepared to scientifically derive the estimate of logistics costs of the country. This initiative follows the mandate of the National Logistics Policy to establish a uniform framework for measuring…
Indian Railways cumulative freight loading reached 1020 Million Tonnes as of 19 November. Coal led commodity-wise loading at 505 MT, followed by iron ore 115 MT, cement 92 MT, container traffic 59 MT, pig iron & finished…
Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Pralhad Joshi, launched digital initiatives aimed at modernizing warehousing operations, improving supply chain efficiency and enhancing transparency…
Vizhinjam International Container Transhipment Terminal deferred Exim operations earlier planned for November 1 due to technical issues. Revised target date for commencement of gateway cargo operations is January 2026.
[Liberia]
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…
India ready to extend $200 million Line of Credit to Angola for defence cooperation: 'We are in the middle of discussions with Angola now to finalise the LOC agreement.' Energy partnership accounts for ~80% of $5 billion…
India and Ecuador signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation between their diplomatic training institutions. The MoU was signed by Union Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita and…
Parties: National Health Authority (NHA), Department of Health Research (DHR) and Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) renewed the MoU signed in November 2019. Objective: "bolster evidence-based decision-making…
[International Monetary Fund (IMF), Pakistan]
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…
The EU offers zero import duties on two-thirds of exports from GSP+ beneficiary countries in return for progress on sustainable development and good governance. GSP+ eligibility requires full implementation of 27…
Pakistan and Egypt agreed to deepen ties in economic, commercial, cultural and defence sectors after years of stagnant relationship. Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty held discussions with Pakistani counterpart…
World Bank (WB) approved USD 286 million for Punjab Outcomes-Acceleration in School Education Operation (POISE) to improve quality education using technology. POISE will support 13 lakh primary and 2.2 million secondary…
[Thailand, Cambodia]
Key Updates:
Thailand has temporarily lifted a decades-old ban on the sale of alcoholic drinks in the afternoons as part of a six-month trial. Accredited establishments can now sell beer, wine and spirits from 14:00 to 17:00.
The 23rd Law Commission told the Joint Parliamentary Committee that Parliament can constitutionally amend the five-year term of legislatures to enable simultaneous elections. The Commission stated, 'Parliament can…
Thailand has formally expressed its ambition to join the BRICS grouping. Thailand is seeking India’s backing ahead of New Delhi’s chairmanship of BRICS in 2026.
The 47th summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is taking place. The summit is being held in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur for a three-day period from Sunday to Tuesday.
[NASA]
Key Updates:
India and Mauritius agreed on setting up a satellite tracking station in Mauritius. The facility will be located near a US-UK strategic base, Diego Garcia.
Mission: Escape and Plasma Acceleration Dynamics Explorers (ESCAPADE) – two identical spacecraft named Blue and Gold managed by University of California, Berkeley Launch site: Cape Canaveral, Florida, no earlier than 9…
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…
A newly released video captured by a U.S. reaper drone shows a glowing orb off the coast of Yemen. Then in the video, a Hellfire missile suddenly struck the unidentified object and bounced off it.
[Meghalaya]
Key Updates:
Gogabeel Lake—an oxbow wetland between the Ganga and Mahananda rivers—has been designated as India’s 94th Ramsar site The lake is Bihar’s first community reserve, “conserved and managed by the local community”
Mission Watershed PUNARUTTHAN aims to 'Rejuvenate traditional water bodies, Restore degraded and vulnerable lands, Strengthen water harvesting systems, Promote sustainable rural livelihoods, Ensure community-driven…
Scheme Name: Watershed Mission (under Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana); Implementing Ministry: Department of Land Resources, Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India Objective: “Conservation of both…
The Assam Bioethanol Plant was inaugurated with an aim at "promoting clean energy and reducing dependence on fossil fuels". The foundation stone was laid for "a polypropylene plant at Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) at…
[Andhra Pradesh, Sagar Defence Engineering Pvt. Ltd]
Key Updates:
Swan Defence and Heavy Industries Limited (SDHI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB) to advance the country’s shipbuilding sector. Under the agreement, SDHI will invest ₹4,250…
Indian Institute of Technology, Madras researchers have developed and deployed India's first indigenous vessel traffic management system for ports. The system has been developed by the National Technology Centre for…
Total outlay: Rs 34,200 crore — over Rs 26,000 crore for Gujarat projects and over Rs 7,800 crore for pan-India maritime initiatives. Maritime initiatives include Mumbai International Cruise Terminal at Indira Dock, new…
India will host three major international maritime events in Visakhapatnam from 15 to 25 February 2026: International Fleet Review (IFR) 2026, Exercise MILAN 2026, and Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) Conclave of…
[United States]
Key Updates:
Initiative Name: "Never Alone" AI-based mental health and wellness programme launched by AIIMS-Delhi, also rolled out at AIIMS-Bhubaneswar and IHBAS-Shahdara. Objective: Tackle suicidal tendencies among college and…
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…
UNESCO has approved the world’s first international framework on the ethics of neurotechnology. The framework, named 'The Recommendation', sets out global safeguards to ensure that advances in brain-related technologies…
MantrAsana is described as "the world’s first fully integrated, ergonomic and portable telesurgery console" designed for remote precision operations. The system is "designed and manufactured entirely in India" by SS…
Key Updates:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled a 77-feet bronze statue of Lord Ram in Partagali, South Goa. The Goa government stated that this 77-feet statue of Lord Ram is the tallest Ram statue in the world.
The Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium complex is set to be dismantled and redeveloped into a 102-acre "Sports City" The proposal is driven by "best-practice" studies carried out by officials after the sports minister returned…
"An event was organised by BJP's Bhosari MLA Mahesh Landge to pay tribute to the Maratha King's statue." "The idea of the statue was conceived by MLA Landge, and it is being built by the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal…
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will unveil Asia’s tallest 77-feet bronze statue of Lord Ram. The statue will be unveiled at Shree Samsthan Gokarn Partagali Jeevottam Mutt, in Canacona.
Key Updates:
Chandigarh University topped the KIUG 2025 medal table with 42 gold, 14 silver and 11 bronze medals. Lovely Professional University finished runner-up with 32 gold, 25 silver and 22 bronze medals.
**Initiative Name**: Chhattisgarh’s new Assembly building in Nava Raipur. **Inaugurated by**: Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Rajasthan sports minister Col. Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore announced the grand opening at Sawai Mansingh Stadium. The opening ceremony features Siddharth Mahadevan, Arunita Kanjilal, folk artists curated by Rajnigandha…
[Germany, Spain]
Key Updates:
The draw placed 42 qualified teams and 22 play-off contenders into 12 groups for the expanded 48-team tournament. Hosts Canada, Mexico and USA were drawn into Groups B, A and D respectively.
Hockey India will launch its centenary celebrations – marking 100 years of Indian hockey – on November 7 at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium in New Delhi. Organised in association with the Sports Authority of India…
Belgium clinched the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup 2025 by defeating India 1-0 in the final. Thibeau Stockbroekx scored the decisive goal in the 34th minute.
China defeated India 4-1 in the Women’s Hockey Asia Cup 2025 final. Navneet Kaur scored India’s lone goal in the first minute from a penalty corner.
[Raipur]
Key Updates:
India is set to host its first-ever Silver-Level Continental Tour event next year in Bhubaneswar, the Athletics Federation of India announced on Tuesday. The Silver-Level event will be held on August 22 at the Kalinga…
The International Olympic Committee is preparing a universal rule that would bar all transgender women from competing in women’s events at the 2028 Los Angeles Games. Current regulations allow each sport to set its own…
Interim direction to Bar Council of India to immediately approve creation of two dedicated seats for transgender students in all Kerala law colleges Approval mandated within ten days of receiving the court order copy
The 53rd Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Memorial Tournament (SSBMT-2025), Indoor Zonal-II, organised by the staff club of CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute (CDRI), Lucknow, was inaugurated on Friday. The four-day tournament…
[Chandigarh University]
Key Updates:
Ministry of Education (MoE) announced the 9th edition of Pariksha Pe Charcha (PPC) to be held in January 2026. Online MCQ-based competition for participant selection runs on MyGov portal from 1st December 2025 to 11th…
CSIR–National Institute of Science Communication and Policy Research (CSIR–NIScPR), Vijnana Bharti (VIBHA), Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) and Panjab University organised Vigyanika as part of India…
IICT stands for Indian Institute of Creative Technologies. AVGC stands for Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, and Comics.
Chandigarh University topped the KIUG 2025 medal table with 42 gold, 14 silver and 11 bronze medals. Lovely Professional University finished runner-up with 32 gold, 25 silver and 22 bronze medals.
Key Updates:
Praggnanandhaa tied for first place at the London Chess Classic open section with 7/9 points. The victory added 8.17 circuit points, taking his FIDE Circuit total to 115.17 and sealing the Candidates berth.
Canada's most decorated Olympian, swimmer Penny Oleksiak, has accepted a two-year ban from competing following an anti-doping rule violation. The International Testing Agency announced that Oleksiak committed three…
Armand Duplantis and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone were crowned world athletes of the year at the World Athletics Awards in Monaco. Sweden's Duplantis set four new pole vault world records in 2025, becoming the first human…
The abbreviation KTS stands for Kashi Tamil Sangamam. The Kashi Tamil Sangamam event began in 2022.
Key Updates:
The International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People is observed annually on 29 November. The day commemorates the adoption of a resolution by the UN General Assembly in 1947 on partitioning Palestine into two…
National Pollution Control Day is annually celebrated on December 2. National Pollution Control Day is marked on December 2nd each year in India to honour the memory of those who lost their lives in the 1984 Bhopal gas…
Rashtriya Ekta Diwas, also known as National Unity Day, is observed annually on October 31 to commemorate the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and to honor his pivotal role in fostering national and…
Navy Day is observed every year on December 4. The day honours the Indian Navy’s victory during Operation Trident on the night of 4 December 1971.
Key Updates:
Human Rights Day is observed on December 10 to commemorate the United Nations' adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The theme for 2025 is 'Human Rights, Our Everyday Essentials'.
UNICEF Foundation Day is observed on December 11 every year. The official theme for UNICEF Foundation Day 2025 is 'My Day, My Rights'.
International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD) is celebrated annually on December 3. In 2025, International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD) falls on a Wednesday.
World Patient Safety Day is observed on September 17. The 2025 theme is “Patient safety from the start,” focusing on protecting every newborn and child from preventable harm.
[Chhattisgarh]
Key Updates:
All these states and the Union Territory of Puducherry celebrate their formation day on November 1. Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Lakshadweep came into being on this day in 1956.
Udaipur received the Wetland City accreditation under the Ramsar Convention during the Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan Awards and Wetland Cities Recognition Ceremony 2025 organised by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and…
Gogabeel Lake—an oxbow wetland between the Ganga and Mahananda rivers—has been designated as India’s 94th Ramsar site The lake is Bihar’s first community reserve, “conserved and managed by the local community”
Pallikaranai Marsh Reserve Forest notified as 698 hectares under Tamil Nadu Forest Act, 1882; additional 550 ha to be added after delineation to form 1248 ha Ramsar Site National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management…
[UAE]
Key Updates:
International Day of Banks is observed annually on December 4. The day commemorates the 2015 United Nations General Assembly resolution 74/245, adopted on December 19, 2019.
India has expanded its Visa-on-Arrival program for UAE nationals to three new airports – Kochi, Calicut, and Ahmedabad, joining six existing hubs. With this update, UAE citizens can now obtain a Visa-on-Arrival at nine…
The UAE has been recognized as the world's third-largest humanitarian donor for 2025. The UAE contributed $1.46 billion in aid for 2025.
Qatar celebrates its National Day annually on December 18. The day marks the founding of the state in 1878 by Sheikh Jassim bin Mohammed bin Thani.
[Arunachal Pradesh]
Key Updates:
India recorded 2,948.19 million domestic tourist visits in 2024. Uttar Pradesh hosted 646.81 million domestic tourists, accounting for 21.94% of the national share.
The Arunachal Pradesh 'dao', a traditional handcrafted blade, has received the Geographical Indication (GI) tag. Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein announced the development.
The traditional Arunachal Pradesh Dao has been awarded the Geographical Indication (GI) tag, recognizing its unique cultural and geographical heritage. The certification was granted by the Geographical Indications…
[TIME]
Key Updates:
Alphabet's Google has appointed longtime executive Amin Vahdat as chief technologist for AI infrastructure. Google designs its own tensor processing units, or TPUs.
Leonardo DiCaprio has been named TIME’s Entertainer of the Year. The honour recognises a career spanning more than 35 years.
Collins Dictionary has chosen “vibe coding” as its Word of the Year 2025. The term “vibe coding” describes a new way of programming where developers create computer programs by simply describing them to an AI chatbot…
Amar Subramanya will report to Craig Federighi, Senior Vice President of Software Engineering. He will lead critical areas, including Apple Foundation Models, ML research, and AI Safety and Evaluation.