Daily Current Affairs: 14 December 2025

Ajai Kumar Shukla appointed as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of PNB Housing Finance

[PNB Housing Finance]

Key Updates:

• Ajai Kumar Shukla has been appointed as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of PNB Housing Finance for five years starting December 18.
• He succeeds Girish Kousgi, who was seen as a key driver of the company’s push into the affordable housing segment.
• Shukla is currently the chief business officer at Tata Capital Housing Finance and has previously worked with ICICI Bank and LIC Housing Finance.

State Award-winning actor Akhil Vishwanath found dead at 30.

Key Updates:

• Akhil Vishwanath, a State Award-winning actor, was found dead at his home.
• He was discovered by his mother while she was getting ready to leave for work.
• Akhil began his career as a child artist and won the State Government Award for Best Child Artist for the telefilm 'Mangandi'.
• He gained wider attention through the film 'Chola', directed by Sanal Kumar Sasidharan, which won the State Film Award in 2019.
• Director Sanal Kumar Sasidharan expressed grief, stating that Akhil came into cinema from a life filled with severe hardships.
• Actor Joju George also expressed his grief with the message 'Rest In Peace Akhil'.

Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) and Department of Posts (DoP) sign MoU to expand mutual fund access across India.

[Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), Department of Posts (DoP)]

Key Updates:

• BSE and Department of Posts sign MoU to enable distribution of mutual fund products through India Post’s network.
• Selected DoP employees will be trained and onboarded as certified mutual fund distributors via BSE StAR MF platform.
• MoU valid for three years from December 12, 2025, with provisions for renewal.

Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) records CPI inflation at 0.71% for November 2025.

[Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI)]

Key Updates:

• Headline inflation rose to 0.71% in November 2025, up from 0.25% in October.
• The All India Consumer Food Price Index (CFPI) shows a year-on-year inflation rate of -3.91% for November 2025.
• Rural headline inflation reached 0.10% in November 2025, up from -0.25% in October.
• Urban headline inflation increased to 1.40% in November 2025 from 0.88% in October.
• Fuel and light inflation stood at 2.32% year-on-year in November 2025, rising from 1.98% in October.

Brookfield Asset Management invests $1 bn to build Asia's largest GCC facility in Maharashtra.

[Brookfield Asset Management, Maharashtra]

Key Updates:

• Brookfield Asset Management will invest more than $1 billion to create a 2 million sq ft global capability centre (GCC) facility in Maharashtra.
• The facility will be the largest in Asia and will create over 15,000 direct jobs and support another 30,000 indirect jobs.
• Brookfield aims to more than triple its assets under management in India to $100 billion over the next five years.
• Maharashtra introduced a dedicated GCC policy earlier this year targeting the creation of 4 lakh new jobs.

International Labour Organisation (ILO) flags India as second globally for share of workers exceeding 49-hour week

[International Labour Organisation (ILO)]

Key Updates:

• International Labour Organisation (ILO) data shows 51 per cent of Indian employees work more than 49 hours weekly, placing India second globally behind Bhutan.
• India’s average worker clocks 46.7 hours per week, down from 63.4 per cent of workers exceeding 49 hours in 2018 to 50.5 per cent in 2023.
• Work-related suicides linked to career problems totaled 2,083 cases in 2022, with youth aged 18-30 accounting for 38.5 per cent of such cases.
• Maharashtra reported the highest share of work-related suicides at 30.7 per cent, followed by Gujarat at 16.4 per cent and Karnataka at 11.4 per cent.
• Share of women working over 49 hours weekly rose from 13.2 per cent in 2018 to 16.1 per cent in 2023, while men’s share dipped from 86.8 per cent to 83.9 per cent.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Secretary K Vijayanand announces State secures National Energy Conservation Award for fourth consecutive year

[Andhra Pradesh]

Key Updates:

• Andhra Pradesh secured the National Energy Conservation Award for the fourth consecutive year.
• Andhra Pradesh secured the First Prize in the Group II category at the National Energy Conservation Award–2025.
• The President of India Droupadi Murmu will present the National Energy Conservation Award–2025 on December 14, 2025, to the State Designated Agency, Andhra Pradesh State Energy Conservation Mission (APSECM).
• The State government nominated L Sivashankar, CMD APSPDCL, to receive the award on behalf of APSECM.
• Key initiatives include the Integrated Clean Energy Policy, Andhra Pradesh Industrial Development Policy 4.0 (2024–29), and sector-specific policies for MSMEs, Electronics, and Food Processing.
• Andhra Pradesh, placed in Group II by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency, emerged as the top performer with 89.25 points in State Energy Efficiency Index (SEEI)–2025.
• The State Energy Efficiency Index (SEEI)–2025 score of 89.25 marks a 2.3 percent improvement over its SEEI–2024 score of 87.25.
• Significant progress was made in enforcing the Energy Conservation Building Code, implementing energy efficiency projects in schools, hospitals, and ITI colleges, introducing advanced technologies in MSMEs, formulating the Energy Conservation Policy, and finalising the State Energy Efficiency Action Plan.

Union Cabinet Clears Bill Allowing 100 Per Cent Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Insurance Sector

[Union Cabinet]

Key Updates:

• The Union Cabinet approved a bill to raise Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the insurance sector to 100 per cent.
• The proposed legislation is the Insurance Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2025.
• Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the proposal in the Union Budget this year.
• The insurance sector has attracted around Rs 82,000 crore in foreign investment.
• The bill proposes amendments to the Insurance Act, 1938, allowing up to 100 per cent FDI.
• It permits mergers between insurance and non-insurance companies.
• The bill creates a dedicated policyholders’ fund.
• A requirement mandates that at least one key management position, such as chairman, managing director or CEO, must be held by an Indian citizen.
• Existing net worth requirements for insurers will remain unchanged.
• Amendments are also proposed to the Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) Act, 1956.
• Changes to the LIC Act would empower its board to take operational decisions such as branch expansion and recruitment.
• Amendments are also proposed to the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA) Act, 1999.

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) reports India's forex reserves rise to $687.26 billion

[Reserve Bank of India (RBI)]

Key Updates:

• India’s foreign exchange reserves increased by $1.03 billion to $687.26 billion for the week ending on December 12, 2025.
• In the previous reporting week, India's forex reserves had dropped by $1.877 billion to $686.227 billion.
• Foreign currency assets decreased by $151 million to $556.88 billion for the week ended December 5.
• Value of the gold reserves increased by $1.188 billion to $106.984 billion during the week.
• The Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) were up by $93 million to $18.721 billion.
• India's reserve position with the IMF was down by $97 million to $4.675 billion in the reporting week.

Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act: Proposed Increase in Guaranteed Employment Days and Name Change

Key Updates:

• The government is considering a revamp of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).
• The revamp proposes to increase the number of guaranteed employment days for eligible rural households from 100 to 125.
• The proposal also includes changing the name of the law to Pujya Bapu Rural Employment Guarantee Act.
• The Union Cabinet discussed the proposal for the scheme's expansion and name change.
• The Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) administers the scheme.
• The Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) has sought an outlay of Rs 5.23 lakh crores for five years till 2029-30 for the scheme's continuation, for approval to the Expenditure Finance Committee (EFC).

CoalSETU: Auction of Coal Linkages Without End-Use Restrictions

Key Updates:

• The Union Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the Policy for Auction of Coal Linkage for Seamless, Efficient & Transparent Utilisation (CoalSETU).
• The government approved the 'CoalSETU' window for the auction of coal linkages for diverse industrial uses and exports.
• The policy will allow allocation of coal linkages on an auction basis on long-term for any industrial use and export by adding a separate window named CoalSETU in the NRS Non-Regulated Sector Linkage Auction Policy of 2016.
• Any domestic buyer requiring coal can participate in the linkage auction, irrespective of the end use.
• The coking coal shall not be offered under this window.
• Linkage holders can now export up to 50 per cent of their quantity and flexibly utilise the fuel among group companies as needed.

Census 2027 (Census-as-a-Service) Approved Budget ₹11,718 Cr for Two-Phase Digital Rollout

Key Updates:

• The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved ₹11,718.24 crore for conducting Census 2027.
• Census 2027 will be conducted in two phases: house listing and housing census from April to September 2026, and population enumeration in February 2027.
• This is the first Census by digital means in the country using mobile apps for Android and iOS and the Census Management & Monitoring System (CMMS) portal.

Uttarakhand CM Dhami inaugurates 47th All India Public Relations Conference

[Uttarakhand]

Key Updates:

• Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami inaugurated the 47th All India Public Relations Conference-2025 held at Hotel Emerald Grand on Sahastradhara Road in Dehradun.
• The conference is organized by the Public Relations Society of India (PRSI) with the theme 'Viksit Bharat @2047: Development as well as Heritage.'
• The three-day event includes expert sessions on Uttarakhand's 25-year development journey, media and public relations, technology, GST, artificial intelligence, cybercrime, misinformation, and international public relations.

UAE 2025 Foster Law opens fostering to expatriate families

[UAE]

Key Updates:

• Federal Decree-Law No. 12 of 2025 fundamentally reshaping who can foster and how fostering works across the country.
• Fostering in the UAE is open not only to Muslim nationals but also to expatriate families of any nationality and religion, provided they meet the eligibility criteria.
• Any married couple, Muslim or non-Muslim, Emirati or expatriate, aged 25 years or older, may apply.
• Single women aged 30+ from any nationality or religion may also foster.
• The law applies specifically to children of unknown parentage.
• Foster parents are strictly prohibited from imposing their cultural or religious beliefs on foster children.
• Fostered children retain their legal identity and personal status as registered under the UAE state.
• Foster families do not gain inheritance rights, as fostering remains a custodial, not adoptive, arrangement.

Google’s Project Suncatcher Faces Space-Debris Threat in Crowded Low Earth Orbit

[Google]

Key Updates:

• Google unveiled Project Suncatcher, an 81-satellite constellation to harvest sunlight in low Earth orbit for space-based AI data centers.
• The constellation would operate in Sun-synchronous orbit about 400 miles above Earth, the single most congested highway in low Earth orbit.
• Satellites would fly with a radius of just one kilometer, each node spaced less than 200 meters apart to form a distributed AI processing cluster.
• Space debris travels at approximately 17,500 miles per hour; colliding with debris the size of a blueberry would feel like being hit by a falling anvil.
• The U.S. Space Force tracks over 40,000 objects larger than a softball, representing less than 1 % of the lethal objects in orbit.
• Starlink performed 144,404 collision-avoidance maneuvers in the first six months of 2025, illustrating the scale of avoidance needed for dense constellations.
• A use-tax or orbital-use fee has been proposed to charge operators based on orbital stress, funding active debris removal missions.

Microsoft Boosts AI Deployment and Renewable Energy Infrastructure in India

[Microsoft]

Key Updates:

• Tata Consultancy Services, Cognizant, Infosys and Wipro have emerged as “frontier firms”, with each deploying more than 50,000 Microsoft Copilot licences and building “AI factories” that create industry-specific digital agents and experiences.
• Companies are already integrating Fabric, Foundry and Copilot Studio to reimagine software development, data intelligence and customer operations.
• Microsoft views GitHub as the “agent HQ” where developers issue daily tasks to AI agents as part of their coding workflow.
• The company will open a new Azure data centre region in South Central India in 2026, its most sustainable facility in Asia, powered entirely by renewable energy.
• Microsoft’s new Agent 365 runtime enables organisations to choose between public, sovereign and private cloud configurations while maintaining cybersecurity and compliance, ensuring observability and governance in a world of autonomous agents.
• Microsoft’s AI stack now extends from Copilot to Copilot Studio, which lets enterprise developers create their own AI agents using natural language prompts, down to Microsoft Foundry, a toolchain for building multi-agent, multi-model solutions using over 11,000 available AI models.
• This investment of $17.5 billion is part of what Nadella described as Microsoft’s largest in Asia, following its previous $3 billion commitment to India.
• Microsoft will train 20 million people across India in AI and digital technologies.

All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Delhi Conducts India's First Dedicated Clinical Trial of Advanced Brain Stent

[All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Delhi]

Key Updates:

• All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Delhi has achieved a milestone in stroke care by conducting the country's first dedicated clinical trial of a cutting-edge and advanced brain stent made for treating severe strokes.
• The GRASSROOT trial, which evaluated the Supernova stent (Gravity Medical Technology), has found excellent safety and efficacy outcomes in the treatment of severe strokes, say officials.
• The results were published in the ‘Journal of Neurointerventional Surgery’ (JNIS), part of the prestigious British Medical Journal group.
• AIIMS Delhi was the national coordinating centre and the lead enrolling site for the GRASSROOT trial – India's first clinical trial of a new and advanced stroke treatment device, the Supernova stent.
• Earlier this year, data from the GRASSROOT trial were accepted by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) and the Supernova stent-retriever was approved for routine use in India.
• This is the nation's first stroke device cleared based on a domestic clinical trial.
• Conducted across eight centres, the trial marks a milestone for the Make-in-India initiative and positions India as a global player in advanced stroke care.
• Developed by Gravity Medical Technology, Supernova is designed for India’s diverse patient population, where strokes often strike patients at a younger age than in the West.
• The device has already treated more than 300 patients in Southeast Asia.
• It will now be manufactured and made available in India at affordable prices, offering new hope to the 1.7 million Indians who suffer strokes each year.

Siliserh Lake in Alwar District Designated India's 96th Ramsar Site

Key Updates:

• Siliserh Lake in Alwar district was declared a Ramsar site Friday by The Convention on Wetlands, making it India's 96th such recognised wetland.
• Kopra reservoir near Bilaspur in Chhattisgarh has also been added to the list.
• The designation is a major boost for biodiversity conservation, water and climate security, and sustainable livelihoods.
• Siliserh is known for its rich biodiversity and scenic landscape, offering sightings of more than 100 bird and animal species.
• Its proximity to the Sariska Tiger Reserve further enhances its appeal as a key tourism destination in the region.
• The Ramsar status would help strengthen conservation efforts, promote tourism, and support biodiversity and water-resource management around the lake.
• Built in 1845 by Maharaja Vinay Singh to supply drinking water to Alwar city, Siliserh Lake remains an important historical and ecological landmark, with its old aqueducts still visible around the site.

Pollution Curbs Made Stricter Twice In A Day In Delhi

[Delhi-NCR]

Key Updates:

• The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) imposed GRAP-3 curbs after the Air Quality Index (AQI) crossed the 400 mark and entered the 'Severe' category.
• The CAQM Sub-Committee on GRAP decided to invoke all actions as envisaged under Stage-IV of the extant GRAP - 'Severe+' Air Quality (DELHI AQI > 450), with immediate effect, in the entire NCR.
• Under GRAP, the air quality is categorised into four stages: Poor (AQI 201-300), Very Poor (AQI 301-400), Severe (AQI 401-450) and Severe Plus (AQI above 450).
• The CAQM stated that the feeble Western Disturbance approaching north-west India was the main contributing factor to the worsening AQI, and not local emissions.
• Prevailing meteorological conditions, including a marked reduction in wind speed, a shift in wind direction from westerly to easterly, and an increase in moisture content in the lower atmosphere, are conducive to the formation of smog and fog.
• A key restriction under Stage 4 of GRAP is the ban on the entry of non-essential trucks into Delhi.
• All construction and demolition activities are completely halted under GRAP Stage 4, including public projects like highways, roads, flyovers, overbridges, power transmission lines, and pipelines.
• State governments in Delhi and NCR may shift physical classes for students in Classes VI to IX and XI to online mode under GRAP Stage 4.
• Public, municipal, and private offices are recommended to operate with at least 50% staff working from home under GRAP Stage 4.

India gets past Egypt to reach Squash World Cup final

[Egypt]

Key Updates:

• India defeated Egypt in the Squash World Cup semifinal.
• India secured a 3-0 win against Egypt.
• The semifinal match was held at Express Avenue Mall in Chennai.
• Velavan Senthilkumar won his match against Ibrahim Elkabbani with a score of 7-1, 7-3, 7-6.
• Anahat Singh emerged victorious against Nour Heikal with a score of 6-7, 7-5, 7-3, 3-7, 7-3.
• Abhay Singh won his match against Adam Hawal with a score of 7-5, 6-7, 7-5, 7-6.
• India will face top seeds Hong Kong in the title decider.
• Hong Kong reached the final by winning on game difference following a 2-2 draw with Japan in the other semifinal.

National Energy Conservation Day observed on December 14

Key Updates:

• The National Energy Conservation Day is celebrated every year on December 14 since 1991.
• The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), under the Ministry of Power, spearheads the celebrations every year.
• The objective of the day is to drive mass awareness about the importance of energy efficiency and conservation.
• The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) recognizes industries with National Energy Conservation Awards and awards prizes to national winners of the annual National Painting Competition on Energy Conservation.
• The National Energy Conservation Awards were given away for the first time on December 14, 1991.
• Beginning 2021, the Energy Efficiency Innovation Awards (NEEIA) were added under two categories: Buildings, Transport and Industries; and Students and Research Scholars.
• The Ministry of Power launched the National Painting Competition in 2005 to promote energy conservation among students.

International Day against Colonialism in All Its Forms and Manifestations to be observed annually on 14 December

Key Updates:

• The General Assembly adopted texts recommended by its Special Political and Decolonization Committee (Fourth Committee).
• The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) had its mandate extended until 30 June 2029.
• The General Assembly decided to proclaim 14 December as the International Day against Colonialism in All Its Forms and Manifestations.
• The International Day against Colonialism in All Its Forms and Manifestations is to be observed annually beginning in 2025.
• The General Assembly adopted a decision concerning Gibraltar.
• The General Assembly adopted four decisions concerning the 'Increase in the membership of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space'.

UNESCO adds endangered living traditions to its Intangible Cultural Heritage lists

[UNESCO]

Key Updates:

• UNESCO added the Philippine artisanal sea-salt craft Asin Tibuok to the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding.
• Viet Nam’s Đông Hồ folk woodblock printing, carved wooden blocks, natural pigments and scallop-powder paper, was inscribed on the Urgent Safeguarding List.
• Kenya’s Mwazindika spiritual dance of the Daida community, combining dance, ritual, music and storytelling, joined the Urgent Safeguarding List.
• Pakistan’s Boreendo clay musical instrument, Panama’s quincha mud-house construction, Paraguay’s Ñai’ũpo ceramic craft, Portugal’s moliceiro wooden boats, Uzbekistan’s Kobyz string instrument, Albania’s lahuta epic singing, Barbados landships traditions and Belarus’s Negliubka textile tradition were all added to the Urgent Safeguarding List.
• UNESCO placed the Bisht ceremonial men’s garment shared by Qatar, Iraq, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
• Venezuela’s Joropo music-dance-poetry tradition, Bolivia’s Festivity of the Virgin of Guadalupe in Sucre, Argentina’s cuarteto dance-music, Bangladesh’s Tangail saree weaving, Afghanistan’s Behzad-style miniature art, Belgian rod marionette theatre, Belize’s Christmas Bram and Sambai, Bulgarian bagpipe traditions and the Zaffa wedding procession across parts of Africa and the Middle East were also inscribed on the Representative List.