Daily Current Affairs: 31 December 2025

Ahmed al-Sharaa Unveiled New Banknotes as Interim President

[Syria]

Key Updates:

• Ahmed al-Sharaa, the interim President of Syria, introduced the country's new banknotes at a ceremony in Damascus to replace political imagery with agricultural symbols.
• Abdul Qader Hosriya, the Governor of the Central Bank, announced that the currency exchange process will be completed within 90 days.
• The new currency, which enters circulation on 1 January, features denominations of 10, 25, 50, 100, 200, and 500 Syrian pounds following the removal of two zeros.
• Bashar al-Assad, who ruled Syria for nearly 25 years, was ousted and fled to Russia in December 2024.
• Hafez al-Assad, the father of the ousted leader, ruled the country from 1971 until his death in 2000.
• Syria's official news agency (SANA) reported that the new currency design is an expression of national identity and a move away from the veneration of individuals.

Rakesh Aggarwal assigned additional charge of Director General of National Investigation Agency (NIA)

[National Investigation Agency (NIA)]

Key Updates:

• Rakesh Aggarwal, a 1994-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of Himachal Pradesh cadre, has been assigned the additional charge of Director General of National Investigation Agency (NIA).
• He is currently serving as Special Director General of the NIA.
• The assignment follows the premature repatriation of incumbent DG Sadanand Vasant Date, a 1990-batch Maharashtra cadre IPS officer, to his parent cadre.
• Aggarwal will hold the additional charge till the appointment of a regular incumbent or until further orders, whichever is earlier.

Khaleda Zia passed away at age 80

[Bangladesh]

Key Updates:

• Khaleda Zia served three terms as Prime Minister of Bangladesh.
• She was the first woman to lead the Bangladesh government.
• Her funeral is scheduled at 2 pm at the South Plaza of the Parliament complex on Manik Mia Avenue.
• India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will attend the funeral in Dhaka.
• The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) announced her death.
• In January 2025, the Supreme Court acquitted her in the last corruption case, allowing her to contest the February election.
• Her son Tarique Rahman, acting chairman of the BNP, returned to Bangladesh after 17 years abroad.

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Injects Rs 50,000 Crore via Open Market Operation (OMO)

[Reserve Bank of India (RBI)]

Key Updates:

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) injected Rs 50,000 crore through an open market operation (OMO) to ease liquidity stress in the banking system.
• The RBI received bids worth Rs 1.39 lakh crore for this second tranche of the Rs 1 lakh crore OMO announced earlier in the month.
• The inter-bank liquidity system deficit was recorded at Rs 68,586 crore as of Wednesday due to advanced tax outflows.
• The central bank utilized a $5 billion dollar-rupee swap deal and the purchase of government securities to inject durable liquidity into the system.
• The RBI purchased seven dated stocks, including the 6.75% 2029, 6.10% 2031, 6.54% 2032, 7.18% 2033, 6.33% 20235, 7.23% 2039, and 7.09% 2054 papers.

Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) records November IIP growth at 6.7%

[Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI)]

Key Updates:

• India’s industrial output rose 6.7 per cent year-on-year in November, posting the highest rate of growth in 25 months.
• Manufacturing production grew 8 per cent, the most in 25 months.
• Mining sector growth rebounded to 5.4 per cent in November after contracting in six of the previous seven months.
• Electricity generation declined 1.5 per cent in November compared to the same month last year.
• Industrial production rose 3.3 per cent in April-November versus 4.1 per cent in the first eight months of 2024-25.
• Manufacturing output increased 4.4 per cent in April-November, while mining output fell 0.9 per cent and electricity generation dipped 0.2 per cent.
• Consumer non-durables production rose 7.3 per cent in November after falling 5.2 per cent in October.
• Capital goods output grew 10.4 per cent, infrastructure goods 12.1 per cent, and consumer durables 10.3 per cent in November.

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) records double-digit deposit and credit growth alongside lowest gross NPAs in decades.

[Reserve Bank of India (RBI)]

Key Updates:

• Commercial, co-operative and other financial institutions expanded balance sheets, though at a marginally slower pace than the previous year.
• Aggregate deposits and bank credit grew at a double-digit rate during 2024-25.
• Gross non-performing assets fell to 2.2% by March 2025 and further to 2.1% by September 2025, marking the lowest level in many decades.
• Capital to risk-weighted assets ratio for major commercial banks stood at 17.4% in March 2025 and 17.2% in September 2025.
• Return on assets was 1.4% in 2024-25 and moderated to 1.3% in the first half of 2025-26.
• Urban co-operative banks posted faster balance sheet growth, improved asset quality for the fourth straight year, and raised savings and profits.
• Non-banking financial companies reported double-digit credit growth, better loan quality and maintained strong financial buffers.

National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) grants TPAP licence to RediffPay for UPI launch.

[RediffPay]

Key Updates:

• Rediff.com India has received final approval from the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) for its Third-Party Application Provider (TPAP) license.
• RediffPay positions itself as India’s first UPI app focused on financial wellness.
• The app will support Credit Line on UPI, allowing users to make merchant payments up to ₹1 lakh per day and withdraw up to ₹10,000 in cash via pre-approved credit lines.
• Axis Bank will serve as the Payment System Provider (PSP) bank for the platform.
• Infibeam Avenues reported processing transactions worth ₹8.67 lakh crore across payments and platform services in FY25.

IDFC FIRST Bank Launches Gaj: Metal Credit Card for Private Banking Customers

[IDFC FIRST Bank]

Key Updates:

• IDFC FIRST Bank has launched 'Gaj:', an invitation-only premium metal credit card designed for high-net-worth individuals (HNI).
• The card represents the final installment of the Bank's Ashva- Mayura- Gaj: trilogy of premium metal credit cards.
• The card carries a joining and annual fee of ₹12,500 plus GST, with the annual fee waived on annual spends of ₹10 lakh.
• The offering includes 12,500 invitation Reward Points, where 1 Reward Point equals ₹1 for travel bookings.
• Key features of the card include 0% foreign exchange markup and interest-free global ATM cash access.
• The card provides a ₹50,000 Trip Cancellation Cover and offers up to 50X rewards on hotels and 25X on flights via the bank's ecosystem.
• As of September 30, 2025, IDFC FIRST Bank serves 35 million customers with a total business value of ₹5,35,673 crore ($60.4 billion).
• The bank's customer deposits grew 23.4% year-on-year to ₹2,69,094 crore, while loans and advances grew 19.7% to ₹2,66,579 crore.
• IDFC FIRST Bank operates 1,041 branches and reaches over 60,000 cities, towns, and villages across India.
• The bank has impacted over 40 million lives through social initiatives, including financing 3.6 million women entrepreneurs and 300,000+ SMEs.

Ayushman Bharat - Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) expands to Odisha and Delhi with Rs 5 lakh annual health cover

[Odisha, Delhi]

Key Updates:

• Odisha and Delhi signed MoU with the Ministry of Health for implementing AB-PMJAY, leaving only West Bengal outside the scheme’s coverage.
• Ayushman Vay Vandana cards provide free treatment up to Rs 5 lakh per year to all senior citizens aged 70 years and above, irrespective of socio-economic status, with 94,19,515 people enrolled so far.
• About 42.48 crore Ayushman cards have been created since 2018, authorising 10.98 crore hospital admissions worth Rs 1.60 lakh crore under AB-PMJAY as on December 1.
• National Health Authority launched an Android-based ‘Ayushman app’ enabling face-auth, OTP, IRIS and fingerprint modes for beneficiary self-verification and card creation.

Pro Tem Security Certification Scheme Extension, TSTL Fee Reduction, and ITSAR ONT Simplification Announced

Key Updates:

• Department of Telecommunications (DoT) through National Centre for Communication Security (NCCS) extends Pro Tem Security Certification Scheme for two years from 01-01-2026.
• NCCS reduces Telecom Security Testing Laboratory (TSTL) designation application fee by more than 50%, with complete waiver for Central/State Government testing agencies, IITs, and 50% concession for Indian Startups, MSEs, and women-owned enterprises.
• NCCS simplifies Indian Telecom Security Assurance Requirement (ITSAR) certification for Optical Network Terminator (ONT) devices by grouping customized variants under a single certification, cutting testing cases tenfold.

Batadrava Than Redevelopment and ₹177-Crore Smart Surveillance System Launched in Assam

[Assam]

Key Updates:

• Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated the redeveloped Batadrava Than at the birthplace of Srimanta Sankardev in Assam on 29 Dec 2025.
• A Smart Surveillance System (ICSS) was launched in Assam with an outlay of ₹177-crore.
• The Batadrava Cultural Project at the birthplace of Srimanta Sankardeva was inaugurated with a budget of ₹227-Crore.
• The infrastructure projects also included the launch of a mega auditorium and the guwahati auditorium inauguration.

National Frequency Allocation Plan 2025 enhances mid-band spectrum for 5G/6G and satellite services

Key Updates:

• Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Ministry of Communications, released the National Frequency Allocation Plan 2025 (NFAP-2025).
• NFAP-2025 allocates radio-frequency spectrum in the range 8.3 kHz to 3000 GHz.
• Identifies the 6425-7125 MHz band for International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT) to boost 5G, 5G Advanced and future 6G networks.
• Allocates Ka, Q and V bands for satellite-based services for high-throughput GSO and large non-GSO satellite constellations.
• Provides additional spectrum for In-Flight and Maritime Connectivity (IFMC) and emerging technologies like Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) communication and LEO/MEO satellite services.

Indian AI Research Organisation (IAIRO) to be set up at GIFT City through PPP model

[Indian AI Research Organisation (IAIRO)]

Key Updates:

• Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel gave in-principle approval for the establishment of the Indian AI Research Organisation (IAIRO) to strengthen research and development in artificial intelligence.
• The facility will be set up through a tripartite partnership involving the state and Central governments, and the Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance under the PPP model.
• IAIRO will be constituted as a non-profit institute under Section 8 of the Companies Act, 2013.
• An estimated budget of approximately ₹300 crore has been earmarked for the first five years, with equal contribution of 33.33% each from the state government, the Centre, and the private partner.
• The Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance (IPA) has joined as the anchor private partner and will contribute ₹25 crore for the year 2025-26.
• IAIRO will function under a hybrid compute model, integrating on-premise GPU infrastructure along with national platforms such as the IndiaAI Cloud.

VijAIpatha Labs launched to democratise AI, STEM and Robotics education in Karnataka government schools

[Karnataka]

Key Updates:

• Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman launched Cyient AI Labs (CyAILS) — 'VijAIpatha' — to provide Artificial Intelligence, STEM and Robotics education in government schools.
• Under the pilot phase, five world-class AI, STEM and Robotics laboratories are being established in government schools, starting with a girl's government school in Hosapete taluk.
• Each lab will be equipped with high-performance computers, AI-ready software, robotics kits, IoT devices, sensors and secure broadband connectivity.
• The programme integrates CBSE's AI curriculum and is aligned with NEP 2020, Digital India and the mission of Viksit Bharat 2047.
• The initiative targets rural and semi-urban areas, aiming to build early digital fluency, computational thinking and innovation capacity among students.
• It will benefit over 2,000 students and train more than 200 teachers, serving as a scalable CSR model for national AI education rollout.

Israel to award Israel Prize for Peace to United States President Donald Trump after Florida talks

[Israel, United States]

Key Updates:

• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that US President Donald Trump will receive the Israel Prize for Peace, the country's highest civilian honour.
• This marks the first time in 80 years the prize is awarded to a non-Israeli citizen and the first occasion the Peace category has been used.
• The Israeli government amended the prize rules in July 2025 to allow foreign citizens to be eligible for the award.
• Trump and Netanyahu discussed the second phase of the Gaza peace plan, including Hamas disarmament and issues related to the occupied West Bank.
• Trump stated he is 'not concerned about anything that Israel is doing' and praised Israel for living up to the plan '100%'.
• Netanyahu described the meeting as 'very, very productive' and emphasized strong cooperation between the two leaders.

DRDO successfully tests maiden Pinaka Long Range Guided Rocket (LRGR 120) in Odisha

[Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Odisha]

Key Updates:

• Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) on Monday successfully conducted the maiden flight test of the Pinaka Long Range Guided Rocket (LRGR 120) at the Integrated Test Range in Odisha's Chandipur.
• The rocket was tested for its maximum range of 120 km, demonstrating all in-flight manoeuvres as planned.
• The LRGR impacted the target with textbook precision.
• The LRGR 120 is an extended-range, precision-guided rocket developed for the Indian Army’s Pinaka Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS).
• Unlike earlier unguided Pinaka rockets, the LRGR is equipped with a guidance system that significantly improves accuracy.
• The rocket is fired from the existing Pinaka launcher, allowing the Army to enhance capability without inducting a new launch platform.

India inaugurates DHRUV-NG next-generation civil helicopter at HAL Bengaluru

[Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Bengaluru]

Key Updates:

• Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu inaugurated DHRUV-NG, the next-generation civil helicopter, at Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in Bengaluru.
• DHRUV-NG is a 5.5-tonne, light twin-engine, multi-role helicopter engineered to master the diverse and demanding requirements of the Indian terrain.
• The helicopter is equipped with twin Shakti 1H1C engines and features a civil-certified Glass Cockpit compliant with AS4 requirements.
• It has a maximum take-off weight of 5,500 kg, a maximum speed of 285 km/h, and can carry up to 14 passengers.
• HAL offers a 'One-Stop Solution' for manufacturing, maintenance, and upgrades, with operational support through Power-By-Hour (PBH) and Performance-Based Logistics (PBL) models.

Abu Dhabi first globally to deliver ITVISMA gene therapy for spinal muscular atrophy

[Abu Dhabi]

Key Updates:

• ITVISMA (onasemnogene abeparvovec) is a one-time gene therapy targeting the underlying genetic cause of spinal muscular atrophy in patients aged 2 years and older with a confirmed SMN1 gene mutation.
• The therapy replaces the missing SMN1 gene to improve motor function and reduce the need for continuous treatments required by other therapies.
• Administered at Sheikh Khalifa Medical City (SKMC), part of SEHA, a subsidiary of PureHealth, under the supervision of the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH).
• Developed by Novartis and received accelerated UAE approval on 25th November 2025, positioning the UAE among the first countries globally after the USA to endorse this treatment.

FITT, IIT Delhi and IDFC FIRST Bank launch IGNITE cohort to back high-impact climate, AI and social-good startups

[IIT Delhi, IDFC FIRST Bank]

Key Updates:

• FITT, IIT Delhi in collaboration with IDFC FIRST Bank announced the launch of a new cohort under the IGNITE Program to support high-potential startups working across climate tech, clean energy, healthcare, agri-tech, mobility, education, and AI-driven solutions for social good.
• The program offers non-dilutive financial support of up to ₹30 lakhs per startup along with structured capacity-building workshops covering technology development, business strategy, and investor readiness.
• Startups gain mentorship from IIT Delhi faculty, industry experts, and IDFC FIRST Bank CSR leaders, plus access to investor connect sessions, demo day exposure, and SIDBI-FITT investment pitching opportunities.

Magnus Carlsen wins FIDE World Rapid Chess Championship 2025

[FIDE]

Key Updates:

• Magnus Carlsen won the International Chess Federation (FIDE) World Rapid Chess Championship 2025 held in Doha.
• Carlsen finished the tournament with a score of 10.5/13 points to claim his sixth World Rapid title.
• Russian Grandmaster Vladislav Artemiev finished as the runner-up with 9.5 points.
• India’s Arjun Erigaisi secured the bronze medal with 9.5 points, becoming the second Indian GM to medal in the championship after Viswanathan Anand.
• In the women’s section, Aleksandra Goryachkina won the FIDE Women’s World Rapid Chess Championship, while Zhu Jiner took silver and Koneru Humpy earned bronze.

Smriti Mandhana surpasses 10,000 international runs to script history

Key Updates:

• Smriti Mandhana became the fastest player ever and the second Indian woman after Mithali Raj to surpass 10,000 international runs.
• She achieved the milestone during the fourth T20I against Sri Lanka at the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram.
• Mandhana scored 80 runs off 48 deliveries, hitting 11 fours and three sixes at a strike rate of 170.2.
• She became the first Indian and second overall to reach 4,000 runs in Women’s T20Is during the series opener in Visakhapatnam.
• Mandhana is the first Indian woman to score a century in all three formats of the game.
• She finished 2025 as the highest run-scorer in One Day Internationals (ODIs), amassing 1,362 runs across 23 innings, including five fifties and five centuries.
• Mandhana will lead Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the 2026 Women’s Premier League (WPL) starting January 9.

Supreme Court stays 100-metre Aravalli definition, forms new expert panel

Key Updates:

• Supreme Court stays its November 20 order accepting the Centre’s 100-metre height definition for Aravalli Hills.
• A new High-Powered Expert Committee will be constituted to resolve critical ambiguities.
• The stay will remain in effect till the new committee is constituted.
• The Court issued notice on the suo motu case returnable on January 21.

Supreme Court ruling on Right to Passport and Personal Liberty on December 19, 2025

Key Updates:

• The Supreme Court (SC) ruled that the right to travel abroad and the right to hold a passport are facets of personal liberty under Article 21 of the Constitution of India.
• The judgment was delivered on December 19, 2025, by a bench comprising Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Augustine George Masih.
• The court held that any restriction on the right to travel must be fair, just, and reasonable, and must bear a rational nexus with a legitimate purpose.
• The ruling clarified the application of Section 62f of the Passports Act and the notification GSR 570E regarding the renewal of passports for individuals with pending criminal cases.
• The National Investigation Agency (NIA) was the agency involved in a 2018 case in Jharkhand mentioned during the proceedings.
• The court emphasized that a passport is a civil document and distinguished between the possession of a valid passport and the actual act of travelling abroad.