1. Clean Energy & High-Tech Collaborations

India & Sweden Launch 7 Joint Green Tech Projects for Steel & Cement Sectors

India and Sweden have officially rolled out seven collaborative decarbonization projects focused on reducing carbon emissions in hard-to-abate sectors like steel and cement. The partnerships directly support India's climate milestone goal of achieving Net-Zero by 2070.

• Framework: The initiatives are organized as pre-pilot feasibility studies under the LeadIT Industry Transition Partnership.
• Funding & Support: Jointly backed by India's Department of Science and Technology (DST) under the Ministry of Science & Technology, and the Swedish Energy Agency.
• Core Innovations: Key focus areas include using hydrogen in rotary kilns for low-carbon steelmaking, recycling steel-slag for green cement production, and utilizing Artificial Intelligence (AI) to optimize energy use in cement facilities.
• Key Industrial & Institutional Stakeholders:
  • Indian Corporates: Tata Steel, JK Cement, Ambuja Cements, Jindal Steel and Power, Prism Johnson, and My Home Industries.
  • Swedish Partners: Cemvision, Kanthal, Swerim, Höganäs AB, Metsol AB, and Captimise AB.
  • Knowledge Partners: IIT Bombay, IIT-ISM Dhanbad, IIT Bhubaneswar, IIT Hyderabad, and Datta Meghe College of Engineering.

National Quantum Mission: Hub for Quantum Communication Inaugurated in Tamil Nadu

Professor Abhay Karandikar, Secretary of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), virtually inaugurated the IIT-Madras C-DOT Samgnya Technologies Foundation at the IIT Madras Research Park in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. This is India’s first dedicated national-level hub focused exclusively on quantum communication technologies.

• Mission Framework: Established under the Government of India’s National Quantum Mission (NQM).
• Technical Mandate: The foundation will lead national research and international collaborations in Quantum Cryptography, Post-Quantum Security, Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Networks, and Satellite-based Quantum Communication.
• The Four Thematic Hubs under NQM: With this launch, the structure of NQM’s thematic hubs is finalized as follows:

NITI Aayog’s AIM Partners with HUL for Circular Economy Accelerator

NITI Aayog’s Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) has partnered with Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) to launch a nationwide startup acceleration program aimed at driving India's transition to a circular economy.

• Project Umbrella: Operating under HUL's flagship 'Circular Bharat' initiative.
• Target: The program will identify, mentor, and accelerate 50 high-potential startups in the circular economy space over the next three years.
• Focus Areas: Plastic recycling tech, waste-to-resource conversions, reuse/refill retail models, and next-generation biodegradable packaging solutions.

2. Policy & Banking Regulations

PFRDA Issues Sweeping New Investment Guidelines for Government Pension Schemes

The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) has released a comprehensive Master Circular updating the investment boundaries for government-sector pension schemes. This framework applies immediately to the Unified Pension Scheme (UPS), Central/State Government NPS, APY, and corporate government pension portfolios, completely replacing the March 2025 guidelines.

• Government Securities (G-Secs): Pension funds can allocate up to 65% of their total portfolio into sovereign G-Secs.
• Corporate Debt: Allocation up to 45% is permitted in rated corporate bonds, infrastructure debt, and bank deposits.
• Short-Term Debt & Money Markets: Capped at 10% for instruments like Commercial Paper (CP) and Certificates of Deposit (CoD).
• Equity Cap: Total equity exposure remains restricted to a maximum of 25%, accessible via IPOs, FPOs, Offers for Sale (OFS), and index-linked basket funds.
• Alternative Asset Class Broadening: Pension funds can now diversify into commodity and infrastructure assets up to specified exposure limits, including Gold & Silver ETFs, REITs, InvITs, AAA-rated Municipal Bonds, and Government Debt ETFs.

SBI & Bank of Baroda to Establish IDPIC Fraud Detection Platform

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has given regulatory approval to the State Bank of India (SBI) and Bank of Baroda (BoB) to jointly set up the Indian Digital Payment Intelligence Corporation (IDPIC). This collective utility will deploy a national-level digital payments intelligence platform to detect and neutralize fraudulent transactions across all Public Sector Banks (PSBs).

• Legal & Financial Structure: Registered as a non-profit Section 8 Company under the Companies Act, 2013. It carries an authorized capital of ₹500 crore and a paid-up capital of ₹200 crore.
• Seed Capital: SBI and BoB are anchoring the initiative with ₹10 crore each in seed funding, with other public sector lenders joining as equity partners in subsequent expansion phases.
• Exemption Window: The Department of Financial Services (DFS) granted both banks a temporary exemption from Section 19(2) of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949, legally allowing them to hold a stake greater than 30% in IDPIC until October 2026.

IndusInd Bank and Jio-bp Introduce Co-Branded Mobility Credit Card

IndusInd Bank has partnered with Jio-bp (the joint venture between Reliance and British Petroleum) to launch the ‘IndusInd Bank Jio-bp Mobility+ Credit Card’.

• Network Integration: Built on the native RuPay network, making it fully eligible for UPI-linked credit card payments.
• Target Group: Tailored for high-frequency vehicle users, offering reward points ("Smiles") on fuel refilling, grocery shopping, and transit dining.
• Core Perks: Features a 1% fuel surcharge waiver exclusively at Jio-bp stations, along with 24x7 integrated roadside assistance.

3. Economy, Corporate Investment & Environment

ADB Revises India's FY26 GDP Growth Forecast Upward to 7.2%

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) released its December 2025 edition of the Asian Development Outlook (ADO) report, upgrading India's economic growth prospects significantly.

• GDP Hike: Boosted India's GDP growth forecast for Financial Year 2025-26 (FY26) by 70 basis points to 7.2% (up from its previous 6.5% projection). This follows India's robust 8.2% expansion clocked in Q2 of FY26, driven by strong domestic consumption and stabilized GST structures.
• FY27 Horizon: ADB retained India's FY27 growth projection at 6.5%.
• Inflation Drop: Realigned India's FY26 consumer inflation projection downward to 2.6% (from 3.1%) due to cooling food supply pressures and tax rationalizations. However, inflation is expected to revert toward 4.2% in FY27.

Amazon Commits $35 Billion India Investment by 2030

At the Amazon Smbhav Summit in New Delhi, global technology major Amazon announced plans to scale its total investment in India to over $35 billion by 2030.

• Strategic Deliverables: Channeled toward expanding AI tools for localized e-commerce, supporting MSMEs, and scaling India-enabled exports from $20 billion to $80 billion by 2030. The company projects these expansions will create 3.8 million total jobs across the country.
• Academic Partnership: Amazon signed an MoU with Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya (GSV), Vadodara to co-develop professional coursework covering automated logistics, drone operations, AI-driven freight modeling, and supply chain sustainability.

ZSI Discovers Two New Jumping Spider Species in Meghalaya

Scientists from the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) have discovered two new species of jumping spiders in Meghalaya, adding to the documented biodiversity profile of the Indo-Burma ecological hotspot. The findings were officially published in the international animal taxonomy journal Zootaxa.

• The Family: Both species belong to the family Salticidae (known for hunting prey actively via calculated pounces rather than relying on webs).
• Asemonea dentis: Named dentis (Latin for tooth) due to a unique tooth-like protrusion found on the male's palpal femur. Males present a greenish-brown body, while females are creamy-white.
• Colyttus nongwar: Discovered in and named after Nongwar village in the Khasi Hills. It features a characteristic oval reddish-brown carapace with light-brown abdomens marked by chevron patches.

4. International Frameworks & Summit Outcomes

CITES CoP20: Global South Drives Protection Status for 77 Species

The 20th Conference of the Parties (CoP20) to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES) concluded its milestone 50th-anniversary session at Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

• Key Verdicts: Member nations approved 353 administrative choices, including changing the protection listings of 77 vulnerable wildlife species.
• Appendix-I Enhancements (Highest Protection level): The Oceanic Whitetip Shark, Whale Shark, and all species of Manta and Devil Rays were successfully moved up to Appendix-I. Ecuador secured an Appendix-I upgrade for the Galapagos Land and Marine Iguanas.
• India's Diplomatic Win: The Indian delegation successfully opposed and blocked a European Union (EU) proposal that sought to include Guggul (Commiphora wightii), a medicinal plant heavily utilized in traditional Ayurveda, into Appendix-II restrictions.

5. Sports & State Initiatives

Germany Wins FIH Men’s Junior Hockey World Cup in Chennai; India Bags Bronze

The 14th edition of the International Hockey Federation (FIH) Men’s Junior Hockey World Cup 2025 wrapped up matches across Chennai and Madurai in Tamil Nadu.

• Champions: Germany captured its eighth world title by edging past Spain 3–2 in a tense final penalty shootout after tying 1–1 in regular match play.
• India’s Performance: The Indian Junior Men's team staged a massive comeback in the third-place match, recovering from a 0-2 deficit against Argentina to seal a 4-2 victory, capturing the Bronze medal.

Gujarat & UN-FAO Launch 'Smart Blue Harbours' Project

The Government of Gujarat, in collaboration with the Union Ministry of Fisheries and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, has launched the Smart Blue Harbours initiative.

• Locations: Being rolled out at Jakhau (Gujarat), Vanakbara (Diu), and Karaikal (Puducherry).
• Funding: Backed by ₹452.32 crore via the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) to build modern integrated jetties, digital ice-cold chain systems, and automated harvest tracking to maximize blue-economy yields.

Telangana Launches 'Google for Startups Hub' in Hyderabad

The Government of Telangana alongside Google LLC has inaugurated the 'Google for Startups Hub' inside the iconic T-Hub campus in Hyderabad.

• Mandate: Aimed at mentoring early-stage, AI-first technological ventures by providing physical hardware labs, deep-tech engineering support from Google specialists, and investor pathways.
• Financial Backing: The hub will leverage the Telangana Government's ₹1,000 crore Startup Fund of Funds, aligning with a long-term economic goal of producing 100 localized tech unicorns by 2034.

Quick Reference Info-Box (Static GK Integration)

DBS Bank Global Honors

• Named Global Bank of the Year 2025 by The Banker (a Financial Times publication). This marks DBS's third global title win in this category (previously winning in 2018 and 2021).

UNICEF Day 2025

• Observed globally on December 11, marking the 79th Anniversary of its creation in 1946.
• Historical Highlight: UNICEF transitioned into a permanent arm of the UN in 1953 and won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1965. Its current tagline is "For Every Child".

International Mountain Day 2025

• Observed on December 11 under the global coordination of the FAO.
• 2025 Theme: "Glaciers matter for water, food and livelihoods in mountains and beyond".