03rd December 2025

1. Amar Subramanya appointed as Apple’s new Vice President of AI
2. India launches GIRG to strengthen global rankings and performance
3. PNB appoints Harmanpreet Kaur as its first-ever female brand ambassador
4. Tamil Nadu adds five new products to its GI portfolio, taking the total to 74
5. India–Maldives joint military exercise EKUVERIN 2025 begins in Kerala
6. DoLR to organise a national symposium on Naksha and LandStack to enhance urban digital land reforms
7. RBI retains SBI, HDFC Bank, and ICICI Bank as Domestic Systemically Important Banks (D-SIBs)
8. RBI appoints Usha Janakiraman as Executive Director
9. International Day of Persons with Disabilities observed
10. Prime Minister’s Office to be renamed Seva Teerth as part of governance reforms
11. IGI becomes India’s first water-positive airport
12. Kochi to host the 7th India International Seaweed Expo & Summit in January 2026
13. IWAI signs an MoU worth over ₹6000 crore to modernize Ganga waterways in Uttar Pradesh
14. Ministry of Coal notifies 18 new prospecting agencies to boost the coal sector
15. Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw inaugurates semiconductor training labs at SCL Mohali, Punjab
16. Indian Navy, IIT Madras, and Apollo Micro Systems sign an MoU for developing indigenous armaments
17. India Post releases a commemorative postage stamp to mark NCPOR’s silver jubilee
18. Oxford University Press selects ‘Rage Bait’ as the Word of the Year 2025
19. Ramakrishnan Chander appointed as Managing Director of LIC of India
20. Harmanpreet Kaur named brand ambassador for the Vedanta Pink City Half Marathon 2025
21. Indian Navy receives the fourth Nilgiri-class frigate, INS Taragiri, from Mazagon Dock
22. Goa Shipyard Limited delivers the third FPV, ICGS Amulya, to the Indian Coast Guard
23. Max Verstappen wins the Qatar Grand Prix 2025
24. National Pollution Control Day 2025 observed on December 2

National News

1. India Reviews Performance on Global Indices Under GIRG Initiative

• What:
  • The government is reviewing India’s performance on 26 global indices under the Global Indices for Reforms and Growth (GIRG) initiative through inter-ministerial coordination.
• Why:
  • The review aims to identify gaps, address them, and support the country’s growth.
• Tell Me More:
  • The GIRG initiative tracks 26 key global indices published by 16 international agencies across themes such as economy, development, governance, and industry.
  • The Development Monitoring and Evaluation Office (DMEO) of NITI Aayog acts as the knowledge partner and central coordinator.
  • Indices under review include the Democracy Index, Network Readiness Index (NRI), Global Hunger Index (GHI), and Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI).
  • Under the GIRG framework, 17 nodal ministries have been assigned specific indices for improvement.
  • These ministries must review index methodologies, engage with publishing agencies, and ensure use of recent official Indian data.

2. National Symposium on NAKSHA and LandStack Announced

• What:
  • The Department of Land Resources (DoLR) will host the National Symposium on NAKSHA (National Geospatial Knowledge-based Land Survey of Urban Habitations) and LandStack on December 3, 2025, at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.
• Why:
  • The symposium aims to promote the use of geospatial technologies to improve urban land records and citizen services.
• Tell Me More:
  • The event is part of the GeoSmart India 2025 Conference & Expo and will include policymakers, Survey of India experts, State Revenue and Land Records officials, and industry leaders.
  • Six key sessions will cover topics such as the review of the NAKSHA pilot, which uses aerial flying and feature extraction technologies for mapping over 157 cities.
  • Discussions will focus on scaling up NAKSHA, ensuring accuracy in dense urban areas, and aligning aerial surveys with ground realities and existing cadastral maps.
  • A major session will discuss LandStack, a unified digital land ecosystem, including its base layers, integration challenges, and the need for federated models under national standards.
  • The UrPro Card, a proposed single digital property document, will be discussed along with legal changes needed across States and Union Territories for its adoption.

3. New PMO Complex Renamed as Seva Teerth

• What:
  • The new complex housing the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), earlier called the Executive Enclave, will now be known as Seva Teerth.
• Why:
  • The renaming aims to reflect the idea that governance should focus on service and responsibility rather than power and authority.
• Tell Me More:
  • Seva Teerth is in the final stages of completion under the Central Vista Redevelopment project.
  • The complex will include the offices of the Cabinet Secretariat, National Security Council Secretariat, and India House for high-level talks.
  • Recent renaming efforts include changing Raj Bhavans to Lok Bhavans, Rajpath to Kartavya Path, and the Prime Minister’s residence road to Lok Kalyan Marg.
  • The Central Secretariat has also been renamed Kartavya Bhavan.

Source: TH

4. IGI Airport Becomes India’s First Water-Positive Mega Airport

• What:
  • Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI) became India’s first airport handling over 40 million passengers to be certified as water-positive.
• Why:
  • The achievement aims to ensure that the airport replenishes more water than it consumes through sustainable water management practices.
• Tell Me More:
  • The recognition was given at the Water Innovation Summit 2025 in New Delhi.
  • Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) received the certification for achieving scope I water neutrality under the NITI Aayog–CII framework.

5. Government Notifies New Accredited Prospecting Agencies for Coal Exploration

• What:
  • The Government notified 18 private entities accredited by Quality Council of India–National Accreditation Board for Education and Training (QCI-NABET) as Accredited Prospecting Agencies for coal and lignite exploration on November 26, 2025.
• Why:
  • The step aims to speed up exploration and operationalisation of coal mines, supporting the goal of Aatmanirbhar Bharat.
• Tell Me More:
  • The notification was issued under the second proviso to sub-section (1) of section 4 of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957.
  • Coal block allottees will now have more flexibility and choice in selecting agencies for exploration work.

Source: PIB

6. Government Announces Major Upgrade of SCL Mohali for Semiconductor Mission

• What:
  • The Union Minister inaugurated the Semiconductor Process Gallery and PARANGAT Semiconductor Training Lab at the Semiconductor Training Lab (SCL) in Mohali and announced its large-scale upgradation.
• Why:
  • The upgrade aims to support the India Semiconductor Mission by increasing SCL’s production capacity and strengthening its role in chip fabrication, research, and training.
• Tell Me More:
  • The SCL will be upgraded with an investment of ₹4,500 crore, including new tools and facilities to increase production 100 times.
  • The Minister said SCL would meet strategic, research, and student requirements after modernisation.
  • The Punjab government has been requested to provide 25 acres of adjoining land for long-term growth of SCL.
  • PARANGAT Semiconductor Training Lab is part of the new facilities inaugurated at SCL.

Source: NOA

7. NCPOR Celebrates Silver Jubilee and Announces New Polar Initiatives

• What:
  • National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR) celebrated Antarctica Day and released a commemorative postage stamp marking its Silver Jubilee.
• Why:
  • The celebration highlights NCPOR’s 25 years of contributions to India’s polar and ocean research and reinforces the importance of scientific studies in polar regions.
• Tell Me More:
  • Antarctica Day marks the signing of the Antarctica Treaty on December 1, 1959, which reserves the continent for peace and scientific research.
  • The Governor of Goa stated that NCPOR has become the anchor of India’s polar and oceanic exploration and launched the commemorative stamp issued by the Department of Posts.
  • NCPOR was established on 05 April 2000 and has led scientific expeditions in the Polar regions and the Southern Ocean.
  • The Government of India has granted in-principle approval for a new research station named Maitri-II and the first indigenous ice-class research vessel.
  • NCPOR operates permanent research stations including Dakshin Gangotri, Maitri, and Bharati in Antarctica, Himadri in the Arctic, and Himansh in the Himalayas.

State News

1. Five New Tamil Nadu Products Receive GI Tag

• What:
  • Five products from Tamil Nadu — Woraiyur cotton sarees, Thooyamalli rice, Ambasamudram wooden toys, Namakkal soapstone utensils, and Kavindapadi country sugar — have received the Geographical Indication (GI) tag.
• Why:
  • The GI tagging aims to recognise the geographical uniqueness of these products and help artisans and farmers benefit from them.
• Tell Me More:
  • With these additions, Tamil Nadu now has 74 GI-tagged products, supported by Tamil Nadu Handicrafts Development Corporation (Poompuhar), Tamil Nadu State Agricultural Marketing Board, NGOs, and weavers’ societies.
  • Woraiyur cotton sarees are known for Chola heritage, thin borders, Korvai patterns, geometric motifs, vibrant colours, and dye absorption enhanced by Cauvery water.
  • Thooyamalli rice, meaning pure jasmine, is a shiny native variety grown mostly in Kancheepuram and is valued for fibre, vitamins, minerals, and suitability for dishes like biriyani and pulao.
  • Ambasamudram wooden toys (choppu samaan) are brightly coloured, eco-friendly, traditionally lacquered toys made from woods such as rubber wood and eucalyptus, crafted in a taluk surrounded by ghats and forests.
  • Namakkal soapstone utensils (kalchatty) are durable, hand-made vessels suitable for cooking acidic foods and storing pickles, milk, and curd.
  • Kavindapadi country sugar (nattu sarkarai) has a golden-brown colour and comes from sugarcane grown in a humid region surrounded by canals, rivers, ponds, and lakes, with 500 litres of juice yielding 100 kg of sugar.

Source: TOI

Banking and Economy

1. RBI Continues D-SIB Classification for Three Major Banks

• What:
  • The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced that State Bank of India (SBI), HDFC Bank, and ICICI Bank will continue to be classified as Domestic Systemically Important Banks (D-SIBs) based on data as on March 31, 2025.
• Why:
  • The classification helps protect the financial system by ensuring that banks considered too big to fail maintain higher capital due to their size, activities, and interconnectedness.
• Tell Me More:
  • SBI and ICICI Bank were declared D-SIBs in 2015 and 2016, and HDFC Bank was added in 2017.
  • D-SIBs must maintain additional Common Equity Tier 1 (CET1) capital depending on the bucket assigned to them based on their Systemic Importance Scores (SIS).
  • SBI must maintain an additional capital requirement of 0.80% of risk-weighted assets (RWAs), HDFC Bank 0.40%, and ICICI Bank 0.20%.
  • The D-SIB framework was issued on July 22, 2014, and later updated on December 28, 2023.
  • Foreign banks that are Global Systemically Important Banks (G-SIBs) must also maintain additional CET1 capital in India proportionate to their RWAs.

Source: ET

Defence News

1. India And Maldives Begin Exercise Ekuverin-14

• What:
  • The 14th edition of Joint Military Exercise EKUVERIN between the Indian Army and the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) began on December 2, 2025, in Thiruvananthapuram.
• Tell Me More:
  • The exercise is being held from December 2 to December 15 and includes a 45-member Indian Army contingent from a Garhwal Rifles battalion and an equal-strength MNDF contingent.
  • EKUVERIN means “Friends” in Dhivehi and reflects trust, friendship, and military cooperation between both countries.
  • The exercise has been held alternately in India and Maldives since 2009 under India’s neighbourhood first policy.

Source: TH

2. Indian Navy Receives Taragiri Under Project 17A

• What:
  • Taragiri, the fourth Nilgiri-class frigate under Project 17A and the third built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilding Ltd (MDL), was delivered to the Indian Navy on November 28 in Mumbai.
• Why:
  • The frigate has been delivered to strengthen India’s maritime capability with a modern, multi-mission platform designed to meet present and future naval challenges.
• Tell Me More:
  • Taragiri is a reincarnation of the earlier INS Taragiri, which served from May 1980 to June 2013.
  • Project 17A ships feature advanced stealth, survivability, automation, and firepower, reflecting a major advancement in indigenous warship design.
  • The ship is designed by the Warship Design Bureau (WDB) and overseen by the Warship Overseeing Team, Mumbai.
  • It includes CODOG (Combined Diesel or Gas) propulsion, Controllable Pitch Propellers (CPP), and an Integrated Platform Management System (IPMS).
  • Weapon systems include BrahMos SSM, MFSTAR and MRSAM complex, 76mm SRGM, close-in weapon systems, rockets and torpedoes.

3. GSL Hands Over ICGS Amulya to Indian Coast Guard

• What:
  • Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) handed over ICGS Amulya, the third Fast Patrol Vessel (FPV) in a series of eight being built for the Indian Coast Guard.
• Why:
  • The vessel has been delivered to strengthen coastal security, surveillance, and maritime safety operations.
• Tell Me More:
  • ICGS Amulya (Yard 1272) measures 51.43 m in length, 8 m in breadth, and has a displacement of 330 tonnes at a 2.5 m draught.
  • It is powered by twin marine diesel engines with Controllable Pitch Propellers (CPP), marking the first use of CPP in this FPV class.

Source: TOI

Agriculture and Rural Development

1. India To Host Seventh International Seaweed Expo 2026

• What:
  • The ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (ICAR-CMFRI) will host the 7th India International Seaweed Expo and Summit 2026 (IISE&S 2026) on January 29–30 next year.
• Why:
  • The event aims to provide a global platform to explore opportunities, partnerships, and growth prospects in the seaweed industry.
• Tell Me More:
  • The Expo will be organised by the Indian Chamber of Commerce, ICAR-CMFRI, and CSIR-Central Salt Marine Chemicals Research Institute (CSMCRI).
  • Participation is expected from countries such as Brazil, Sri Lanka, the Netherlands, Sweden, and several others.
  • Delegates from Latin America, South Asia, and Europe have shown interest in attending the event.
  • The platform will support cross-border partnerships, technology transfer, and international market linkages.
  • The event is positioned as one of the largest gatherings of the seaweed industry.

Source: HBL

Important Days

1. International Day of Persons with Disabilities 2025 – December 3

• Theme: “Fostering disability inclusive societies for advancing social progress”

Source: UN

2. National Pollution Control Day 2025 – December 2

• Theme: Sustainable Living for a Greener Future
• India marks National Pollution Control Day on December 2 every year to honour the thousands of people who lost their lives in the ‘1984 Bhopal Gas Tragedy’, one of the world’s deadliest industrial disasters.
• A lethal leak of methyl isocyanate from the Union Carbide pesticide plant spread silently over Bhopal on this day.

Source: BS

Sports

1. Vedanta Pink City Half Marathon Concludes in Jaipur

• What:
  • The 10th Vedanta Pink City Half Marathon (VPCHM) was held in Jaipur with about 15,000 runners supporting Vedanta’s #RunForZeroHunger movement and raising 1 lakh Poshan Packs for children at Nand Ghars.
• Why:
  • The event aimed to promote fitness and support nutrition for children through Vedanta’s Nand Ghar initiative.
• Tell Me More:
  • The marathon was supported by Vedanta and organised by AnyBody Can Run (ABCR), and was flagged off by Priya Agarwal Hebbar and Harmanpreet Kaur.
  • Nand Ghars work to transform anganwadis and support children and women across 16 states, with a vision to improve all 13.7 lakh anganwadis in India.
  • Winners included Bablu Sisodiya and Ujaala (21 km), Pawan Kumar and Saloni (10 km).
  • All participants received finisher medals made from high-grade zinc from Rajasthan’s Zawar Mines.

2. Verstappen Wins Qatar Grand Prix Ahead of Season Finale

• Max Verstappen won the Qatar Grand Prix, marking his third straight win and moving to second place in the championship standings.

Source: IT

Memorandum of Understanding

1. IWAI Signs Major MoUs To Boost Inland Waterways In Uttar Pradesh

• What:
  • Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) signed 25 MoUs worth over ₹6,000 crore to develop and strengthen inland waterways in Uttar Pradesh during India Maritime Week 2025.
• Why:
  • The agreements aim to expand river operations, improve connectivity, promote cruise tourism, and support clean-energy transportation along National Waterway-1 (Ganga).
• Tell Me More:
  • A major share of commitments focuses on Varanasi and the Ganga corridor, including cruise tourism, ship repair facilities, and multimodal connectivity.
  • MoUs include developing and inducting new cruise vessels with Heritage River Journeys Pvt Ltd and supporting cruise operations with Alaknanda Cruises, with over ₹800 crore earmarked.
  • A new ship repair facility in Varanasi will be developed through an MoU with the UP government, with an investment of ₹350 crore.
  • Two new river cruise terminals worth ₹200 crore will be developed in Varanasi.
  • A ₹100 crore project will establish electric vessel charging infrastructure under the National Green Shipping Mission.

2. IIT Madras, Indian Navy and Apollo Micro Systems Sign Defence Technology MoU

• What:
  • Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras), Indian Navy, and Apollo Micro Systems Limited signed a Joint Development MoU to speed up the development of advanced defence technologies.
• Why:
  • The collaboration aims to support India’s goal of building indigenous defence capabilities under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat mission.
• Tell Me More:
  • The MoU was signed during the Indian Navy’s Swavalamban 2025 event in Delhi in the presence of the Defence Minister.
  • The partnership combines IIT Madras’ research strengths, the Indian Navy’s operational needs, and Apollo Micro Systems’ engineering capabilities.
  • The alliance will work on electronic warfare, precision guidance and navigation, high-energy armament systems, and other emerging technologies.
  • IIT Madras will act as the Research Anchor, leading basic research, early design, IP creation, prototyping, and concept development.
  • The Directorate General of Naval Armament Inspection (DGNAI) will set user requirements, define test procedures, validate technologies, and ensure naval standards.

Source: IT

Appointments

1. Apple Appoints Amar Subramanya as Vice-President of Artificial Intelligence

• Apple has appointed Bengaluru-born AI researcher Amar Subramanya as its new Vice-President of Artificial Intelligence, replacing John Giannandrea, who will retire in spring 2026.
• He co-authored the book Graph-Based Semi-Supervised Learning, along with Partha Pratim Talukdar.

Source: BS

2. PNB Appoints Harmanpreet Kaur As First Female Brand Ambassador

• PNB appointed Indian Women’s Cricket Captain and World Cup Champion Harmanpreet Kaur as its first-ever female brand ambassador during an event themed ‘Banking On Champions.’
• She jointly launched four financial products: PNB RuPay Metal Credit Card Luxura, PNB One 2.0, Digi Surya Ghar, and the onboarding of PNB on the International Bullion Exchange (IIBX) Portal.

Source: BW

3. RBI Appoints Usha Janakiraman as Executive Director

• What:
  • The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) appointed Usha Janakiraman as Executive Director (ED) with immediate effect.
• Tell Me More:
  • Before becoming ED, she served as Chief General Manager-in-charge in the Department of Regulation at the RBI’s Central Office in Mumbai.
  • She has over three decades of experience in regulation, external investment and operations, banking supervision, public debt management, currency management, and other central banking functions.
  • As ED, she will oversee the Department of Supervision (Risk, Analytics and Vulnerability Assessment).
  • She is a Chartered Accountant.

Source: TH

4. Ramakrishnan Chander Appointed as LIC Managing Director

• Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) appointed Ramakrishnan Chander as its Managing Director with effect from December 1.

Source: ET

Miscellaneous

1. Rage Bait Named Oxford Word of the Year 2025

• What:
  • Rage bait was selected as the Word of the Year 2025 by Oxford University Press after a three-times rise in its online usage.
• Tell Me More:
  • Rage bait refers to online content meant to provoke anger or outrage to increase traffic or engagement.
  • It was shortlisted along with aura farming and biohack.
  • The term first appeared on Usenet in 2002 describing irritated reactions while driving, and later evolved into online slang for provocative viral posts.

Source: TOI

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