Top Current Affairs List December 2025

For exam preparation, the events of December 2025 are particularly significant due to several “firsts” for India and major shifts in international relations. Below is a curated summary categorized for competitive exams like UPSC, SSC, Banking, and State PSCs.

1. National News & Governance

• SHANTI Bill Passed: Parliament passed the Safety in Health and Nuclear Technology Indemnity (SHANTI) Bill. It grants statutory status to the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) and introduces graded liability caps to attract private investors to the nuclear sector.
• India’s First Wildlife-Safe Road: Introduced on NH-45 (connecting Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh). It features “table-top red road markings,” a first in India, designed to reduce animal-vehicle collisions.
• Digitization Milestone: Rajasthan became the first state to fully digitize voter rolls under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, achieving a 97% mapping rate.
• Batadrava Than Redevelopment: Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated the redeveloped birthplace of Vaishnavite saint Srimanta Sankardeva in Nagaon, Assam (Project cost: ₹222 crore).
• NFAP-2025: The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) released the National Frequency Allocation Plan 2025, providing a roadmap for 5G/6G expansion and satellite services.

2. International Relations & Honours

• PM Modi’s Awards: Prime Minister Narendra Modi received The Great Honour Nishan of Ethiopia, Ethiopia’s highest civilian award. He also became the first Indian leader to receive The First Class of the Order of Oman.
• UNESCO Inscriptions: * Deepavali was officially inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
  • Italy became the first country to receive UNESCO recognition for its National Cuisine.
• India-Russia Economic Programme 2030: Both nations set a trade target of $100 billion by 2030, focusing on energy, nuclear ties, and local currency payments.
• Death of Khaleda Zia: The former Prime Minister of Bangladesh passed away on December 30, 2025, leading to seven days of national mourning in Bangladesh.

3. Economy & Banking

• India-Australia ECTA: On the 3rd anniversary of the trade agreement, India announced zero-duty on 100% of Australian tariff lines for Indian exports, effective Jan 1, 2026.
• Life Insurance Surge: The industry saw a 40% YoY growth in December 2025, driven by the GST waiver on individual life and health insurance premiums.
• RBI Financial Inclusion: The RBI launched the National Strategy for Financial Inclusion (2025–2030), prioritizing digital banking and women’s participation.
• New GI Tag: Ponduru Khadi from Andhra Pradesh was awarded the Geographical Indication (GI) tag.

4. Science, Technology & Environment

• ChatGPT Breakthrough: ChatGPT 5.2 successfully solved a long-standing mathematical problem related to “learning-curve monotonicity,” proving AI’s advanced reasoning capabilities.
• NISAR Satellite: The NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) officially entered its science phase to study Earth’s land and ice surfaces.
• New Ramsar Site: Kopra Reservoir became the first Ramsar site in Chhattisgarh.
• Earthquake Zonation: India updated its seismic map, adding Zone VI as the highest risk category, specifically covering the Himalayan belt.

5. Sports & Awards

• Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna 2025: Hardik Singh (Hockey) was the sole recommendation for India’s highest sporting honour.
• Arjuna Awards 2025: 24 athletes were picked, including Divya Deshmukh (Chess) and Tejaswin Shankar (Athletics).
• FIFA Peace Prize: The inaugural prize was awarded to Donald Trump by FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
• PETA India Person of the Year: Awarded to actor Raveena Tandon.
• Champions of the Earth (UNEP): Awarded to Supriya Sahu (IAS, Tamil Nadu) for her work in climate adaptation and sustainable cooling.

6. Major Appointments