Daily Current Affairs: 28 December 2025

Vaibhav Suryavanshi received the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar

[Government of India]

Key Updates:

• Vaibhav Suryavanshi was honored with the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar (PMRBP) at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
• President Droupadi Murmu presented the award, which is India’s highest civilian honor for children between the ages of 5 and 18.
• He is the 14-year-old vice-captain of the Bihar team and became the youngest player to score a century in men’s List A cricket at the age of 14 years and 272 days.
• During a Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT) match against Arunachal Pradesh, he scored a century in 36 balls and the fastest 150 in men’s List A cricket in 59 deliveries.
• He became the youngest player to score a century in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and recorded the second-fastest century in the league's history while playing for the Rajasthan Royals (RR).
• He will miss the remainder of the 2025-26 VHT to attend a conditioning camp in Bengaluru before joining the India Under-19 (U-19) squad for the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup in Zimbabwe.

Union Civil Aviation Ministry (MoCA) clears Al Hind Air, FlyExpress, Shankh Air to break IndiGo-Air India duopoly.

[Union Civil Aviation Ministry (MoCA), Al Hind Air, FlyExpress, Shankh Air, IndiGo, Air India]

Key Updates:

• Al Hind Air and FlyExpress received no-objection certificates from the Union Civil Aviation Ministry this week.
• Uttar Pradesh-based Shankh Air already holds an NOC and targets commercial launch in 2026.
• IndiGo and the Air India Group together control more than 90% of India’s domestic market, with IndiGo alone exceeding 65%.

NATGRID-NPR Integration enables real-time access to 119 crore residents' family details

[NATGRID, Government of India]

Key Updates:

• The National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID) has been linked to the National Population Register (NPR) which stores family-wise details of 119 crore residents.
• Access to NATGRID is now extended to Superintendent of Police-rank officers; earlier it was limited to ten Central agencies.
• The upgraded tool 'Gandiva' supports facial recognition and entity resolution by matching suspect images with photo identity documents.

Indian Railways Vision 2030: Originating Train Capacity to Double in 48 Major Cities

[Indian Railways]

Key Updates:

• Ministry of Railways (MoR) plans to double the originating train capacity in 48 major cities by 2030.
• Capacity augmentation will be implemented progressively over the next five years to deliver immediate benefits.
• Works include augmenting current terminals with additional platforms, stabling lines, pit lines, and shunting facilities.
• New terminals will be identified and created in and around urban areas.
• Maintenance facilities, including mega coaching complexes, will be established.
• Sectional capacity will be increased through traffic facility works, signaling upgradation, and multitracking.

EPFO Single-Window Service Centres Revamp

[EPFO, Government of India]

Key Updates:

• Union Minister for Labour and Employment and Youth Affairs and Sports, Mansukh Mandaviya, announced that EPFO offices will be revamped into modern, technology-enabled, single-window service centres.
• All upcoming and several existing EPFO offices will be redesigned on the lines of passport seva kendras, allowing citizens to resolve any EPF-related issue at any regional office nationwide.
• EPFO will undertake mission-mode KYC verification and launch a dedicated digital platform for simplified claim filing and faster settlements.
• Claims up to ₹5 lakh are now settled automatically and withdrawals of up to 75 percent of EPF balances have been eased.
• EPFO will introduce EPF Suvidha Providers—authorised facilitators to assist members in accessing benefits and resolving grievances.

CCPA imposes ₹11 lakh penalty on Vision IAS for misleading UPSC result advertisements

[CCPA, Vision IAS]

Key Updates:

• The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has imposed a ₹11 lakh penalty on Vision IAS for publishing misleading advertisements related to results of the UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) 2022 and 2023.
• The CCPA found that Vision IAS claimed "7 in Top 10 & 79 in Top 100 selections in CSE 2023" and "39 in Top 50 selections in CSE 2022" without clearly disclosing the nature and extent of courses actually availed by the candidates.
• Out of the 119 plus selections claimed across the two years, only three candidates had enrolled in full foundation courses; the remaining 116 had opted for short-term or standalone programmes.
• The Authority noted that Vision IAS continued to display the impugned advertisements on its website even after receiving a show-cause notice and failed to furnish enrolment forms or consent documents authorising the use of candidates’ names and images.
• The CCPA has directed the institute to discontinue misleading advertisements, ensure truthful and complete disclosures going forward, and submit a compliance report within 15 days.

Lost, Looted and Recovered Firearm database launched to strengthen anti-terror crime effort

Key Updates:

• Union Home Minister Amit Shah launched the 'Lost, Looted and Recovered Firearm' database prepared by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
• The database is hosted by the NIA and incorporates inputs from all states, Union Territories, Jammu and Kashmir, the North-East, and Naxal-affected regions.
• It serves as a centralised repository for records of government-owned weapons that have been looted, stolen, lost, or recovered from state police forces and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs).

Saudi-led coalition warns Southern Transitional Council against military moves undermining Yemen de-escalation

[Saudi-led coalition, Southern Transitional Council, Yemen]

Key Updates:

• Saudi-led coalition spokesman Brigadier General Turki al-Maliki stated 'any military movements that violate these [de-escalation] efforts will be dealt with directly and immediately'.
• Saudi Defence Minister Khalid bin Salman posted on X that 'it’s time' for STC troops 'to let reason prevail by withdrawing from the two provinces and doing so peacefully'.
• The STC accused Saudi Arabia of launching air strikes on its positions in Hadramout province.
• US Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged 'restraint and continued diplomacy, with a view to reaching a lasting solution'.
• Yemen’s government requested the Saudi-led coalition 'to take all necessary military measures to protect innocent Yemeni civilians in Hadramout province and support the armed forces'.

University of Technology Sydney (UTS) team crafts mild mitochondrial uncouplers that raise cellular calorie burn

[University of Technology Sydney (UTS)]

Key Updates:

• Researchers at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) have developed experimental drugs aimed at enhancing the efficiency of mitochondria, the 'powerhouses' of cells, to burn more calories.
• The research team from UTS and Memorial University of Newfoundland focused on a class of compounds known as mitochondrial uncouplers.
• These molecules alter how cells utilize energy, prompting them to burn energy less efficiently and instead release it as heat.
• By adjusting the chemical structure of these molecules, researchers could fine-tune their effects on cellular energy expenditure.
• Some experimental drugs successfully enhanced mitochondrial activity without causing harm to cells or disrupting their ability to produce ATP.
• These compounds may lower oxidative stress within cells, potentially improving metabolic health, offering anti-aging benefits, and providing protection against neurodegenerative diseases such as dementia.

Banaras Hindu University (BHU) researchers unveil first molecular classification of oral cancer for precision therapy

[Banaras Hindu University (BHU)]

Key Updates:

• Banaras Hindu University (BHU) researchers analysed over 8,000 scientific articles and genomic data to create the world’s first systematic molecular classification of oral cancer.
• The study identifies five distinct biological groups: Cell-Cycle Dysregulation (CCD), Immune-Mediated (IM), Xenobiotic Metabolism-Associated (XMA), Inflammatory Pathway Activation (IPA), and Viral Protein Activation (VPA).
• Each group is directly linked to specific actionable genes and pathways, guiding clinicians to select targeted therapies such as HER2 inhibitors, PARP inhibitors, or specific immunotherapies.
• Unlike Western classifications, this model emphasises pathways influenced by tobacco and betel quid use (XMA and IPA), making it highly relevant for the Indian population.
• The classification clarifies that HPV is a minor driver in most Indian oral cancers, preventing the misapplication of Western treatment protocols.

Fossil discovery in Gujarat identifies giant snake from Eocene era

[Gujarat]

Key Updates:

• Fossil evidence discovered in Gujarat has attracted scientific notice due to evidence of a snake of extraordinary size that existed during what is loosely defined as the Eocene era, some 47 million years ago.
• The species was identified as a related member of the extinct madtsoiid species, the clade of species recognised for having evolved the largest species of snake throughout history.
• The fossils of the collected Gujarat species are dominated by well-preserved vertebrae in sedimentary deposits from the early Eocene period.
• Described in the study published in Scientific Reports, the species has outstanding vertebral features compared with similar species of the madtsoiid genus.
• The Eocene was a time when the planet saw hot conditions year-round, and the polar regions were mostly devoid of ice.
• Analysis of the geological and palaeobotanical data available for Gujarat has revealed a landscape dominated by rivers, deltas, and dense forests.
• Madtsoiids have been found on various southern continents: Africa, South America, and Australia; these continents all comprised the supercontinent Gondwana.

England bundles out Australia for 152 in Boxing Day Test

[England]

Key Updates:

• England helped bundle Australia out for just 152 in the Boxing Day Test at the MCG.
• Josh Tongue claimed his maiden fifer on Australian soil with final figures of 5/45 in 11.2 overs.
• Josh Tongue became the first England bowler since Dean Headley in 1998 to claim a men’s Test fifer at the MCG.
• Michael Neser top-scored for Australia with 35 runs, while Usman Khawaja contributed 29 runs.
• Gus Atkinson supported the bowling effort with figures of 2/28 from 14 overs.

Kashi hosts 72nd Senior National Volleyball Championship

Key Updates:

• The 72nd Senior National Volleyball Championship (Men and Women) will be held at Dr Sampurnanand Sports Stadium in Sigra from January 4 to 11.
• The official mascots for the national competition are 'Nandu', inspired by Nandi, and 'Neera', a Ganga Dolphin.
• A total of 73 teams and more than 1,000 players from across the country will participate in the event.
• Uttar Pradesh (UP) Volleyball Association president Brijesh Pathak and Mayor Ashok Kumar Tiwari presented the formal invitation for the championship to the Prime Minister.
• Random anti-doping tests of players will be conducted to ensure the transparency of the event.