NATIONAL AFFAIRS

Union Minister Annpurna Devi Launches 100-Day Intensive Awareness Campaign for a Child Marriage Free Bharat

The Union Minister of State for Women and Child Development (MoWCD), Annpurna Devi, officially launched the 100-Day Intensive Awareness Campaign for a Child Marriage Free Bharat at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi. The launch directly marks the first anniversary of the Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat Abhiyan.

The Three-Spell Campaign Strategy

The campaign is being executed through a structured, three-phase operational timeline to secure ground-level compliance:

• Spell 1 (November 27 – December 31, 2025): Focuses heavily on academic spaces. It drives awareness activities, including debates, essay competitions, interactive sessions, and pledge ceremonies across schools, colleges, and universities.
• Spell 2 (January 1 – January 31, 2026): Focuses on social infrastructure. The MoWCD will directly engage with faith leaders, community influencers, and marriage service providers to amplify legal age mandates and child safety.
• Spell 3 (February 1 – March 8, 2026): Focuses on administrative formalization. The campaign will drive the mobilization of Gram Panchayats and Municipal Wards to pass formal resolutions declaring their local jurisdictions entirely child marriage free.

Inter-Ministerial Coordination

To ensure comprehensive enforcement, the initiative links the MoWCD with four coordinating ministries: the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), the Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR), the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD), and the Ministry of Education (MoE).

Exam Hints: Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat Campaign

• What: 100-Day Intensive Awareness Campaign for a Child Marriage Free Bharat
• Launched By: Annpurna Devi (Union Minister, MoWCD)
• Launch Location: Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi
• Final Target Date: Concludes on International Women's Day (March 8, 2026)
• Coordinating Line Ministries: MoHFW, MoPR, MoRD, and MoE

NITI Aayog and IBM Unveil Roadmap to Make India a Top-3 Quantum Economy by 2047

The Frontier Tech Hub of the National Institution for Transforming India (NITI Aayog) has unveiled its macro roadmap titled Roadmap on Transforming India into a leading Quantum-Powered Economy. The comprehensive document outlines policy and technological parameters to position India as one of the world's top-3 quantum economies by the centenary year 2047.

Key Infrastructure Targets for 2035

The roadmap identifies critical intermediate benchmarks to be achieved over a decade, specifically targeting 2035:

• Startup Incubation: Incubating a minimum of 10 globally competitive quantum computing startups, with each independently surpassing USD 100 million in operational revenue.
• Market Share Capture: Capturing greater than 50% of the aggregate value in the global quantum software and services commercial market.
• Supply Chain Sovereignty: Achieving absolute Quantum Atmanirbharata (Self-Reliance) by securing and controlling domestic nodes on critical hardware points in global quantum supply chains.

Dual-Phase Implementation Strategy

• Phase 1 (2025–2030): Centers on building academic-industrial scale and market momentum. It prioritizes the spatial expansion of regional quantum hubs and targets the seed-funding of at least 50 early-stage tech startups.
• Phase 2 (2030–2035): Shifts the operational focus from foundational capacity building directly toward asserting global technology leadership and export scaling.

Knowledge and Development Partners

The policy document was developed by NITI Aayog's Frontier Tech Hub with International Business Machines (IBM) Corporation acting as the primary Knowledge Partner, alongside strategic inputs from an Expert Council representing industry leaders, national labs, and academia.

India-Indonesia Joint Special Forces Military Exercise 'Garuda Shakti 2025' Begins in Bakloh

The 10th edition of the bilateral joint special forces military training framework, Exercise Garuda Shakti 2025, commenced at the Special Forces Training School (SFTS) located in Bakloh, Himachal Pradesh.

Scope, Tactics, and Operational Training

The intensive field program encompasses troop-level tactics, specialized techniques, and procedures under counter-terrorism configurations. The operational modules include:

• Unarmed tactical combat and combat precision shooting.
• Advanced sniping and tactical heliborne induction operations.
• Joint planning for deployment of tactical drones, counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems (counter-UAS), and precision loiter-munition strikes in semi-mountainous terrain conditions.
• A final comprehensive validation exercise designed to simulate real-world hot operational scenarios to test the tactical synchronization of the forces.

Contingent Strengths

The domestic front is represented by elite operators from the Parachute Regiment (Special Forces) of the Indian Army, working in direct interoperability with specialized personnel drawn from the Indonesian Special Forces.

Exam Hints: Garuda Shakti 2025

• What: India-Indonesia Joint Special Forces Exercise
• Edition: 10th Edition
• Location: SFTS, Bakloh, Himachal Pradesh
• Indian Contingent: Parachute Regiment (Special Forces)
• First Iteration: Launched in 2012 (The 9th edition in 2024 was hosted by Indonesia)

Atal Innovation Mission Partners with Hitachi to Develop 'MStar Global AI Connect' Platform

The Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), operating under NITI Aayog, signed a formal Statement of Intent (SoI) with Hitachi MGRM Net Limited (HMN) to jointly architect and roll out the MStar Global AI Connect platform.

The primary objective of this Artificial Intelligence-driven architecture is to systematically link students, educators, academic institutions, and industrial bodies to accelerate the commercialization of homegrown Indian innovations from laboratory prototypes to active markets.

Key Structural Pillars of the Initiative

• School-to-Startup Pipeline: The initiative establishes a scalable, digital pathway designed to detect and nurture young innovators in primary and secondary schools, transforming them into future job creators.
• Virtual Ecosystem Integration: The platform will use AI engines to bridge geographic gaps by deploying virtual Atal Tinkering Labs (vATLs) and virtual Atal Incubation Centers (vAICs). This ensures multilingual participation across rural and underserved districts.
• End-to-End Workflows: AI frameworks will automate and streamline ideation, functional prototyping, technology readiness level tracking, intellectual property (IP) creation, challenge grant allocations, investor matching, and global export compliance.

Execution Signatories

The SoI was executed in New Delhi by Dr. Deepak Bagla, Mission Director of AIM, alongside Dr. Bharat Kaushal, Executive Chairman of Hitachi India and Managing Director of HMN.

BANKING & FINANCE

NPCI International and ACLEDA Bank Sign MoU to Enable UPI and KHQR Cross-Border Payments

NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL), the dedicated international operating arm of the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), executed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with ACLEDA Bank Plc., Cambodia's premier publicly listed commercial bank.

The service agreement defines the technical and operational protocols required to integrate India's Unified Payments Interface (UPI) engine with Cambodia's KHQR ecosystem.

Operational Parameters and Timeline

• National Network Operations: Under authorization from the National Bank of Cambodia (NBC), ACLEDA Bank operates Cambodia's national Quick Response (QR) network, known as Bakong (KHQR).
• Interoperability Targets: The technical mapping will enable merchant outlets in Cambodia to seamlessly accept UPI payments from Indian travelers, while simultaneously enabling KHQR acceptance profiles across India’s merchant network.
• Launch Schedule: Commercial cross-border QR transaction functionalities are officially scheduled to go live in the second semester (H2) of 2026, covering retail outlets, hotels, tourist centers, and transportation networks.

Vrutti Partners with HSBC India to Launch 'FPO Shakti' Blended Financing Facility

Vrutti, an ecosystem enterprise under the Catalyst Platform, has joined forces with HSBC India to launch FPO Shakti. The program is designed as a blended, stage-based financing facility engineered to help Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) safely clear the capitalization gap that historically stalls early-stage rural collectives.

Financial Architecture of FPO Shakti

• Facility Management: The financial infrastructure will be monitored and executed by Friends of Women's World Banking (FWWB) India acting as the designated Facility Manager.
• Capital Instruments: The facility blends stage-appropriate capital deployment mechanisms, including revolving credit funds, first-loss guarantees, and revenue-linked financing models, which are combined with technical support from Business Support Organisations (BSOs).
• Initial Cohort and Scale: The initial phase rolls out with an acceleration cohort of 15 early-growth FPOs undergoing a 24-month (2-year) structured transition training in corporate governance, financial discipline, digital record-keeping, and market linkages. The long-term mandate aims to scale the framework to over 100 organizations.

ECONOMY & BUSINESS

Fitch Raises India's GDP Forecast for FY26 to 7.4% on Private Consumption Strength

Global macroeconomic rating firm Fitch Ratings Inc. published its Global Economic Outlook (GEO) - December 2025 report, officially upgrading India's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth forecast for the Financial Year 2025-26 (FY26) to 7.4%, indicating a 50 basis points (bps) increase from its previous projection of 6.9%.

Drivers and Growth Projections

The rating agency pinpointed robust private consumer spending as the structural engine of India's immediate GDP performance, buoyed by positive real income dynamics, improving consumer sentiment indexes, and the systemic formalization benefits derived from the latest Goods and Services Tax (GST) administrative reforms.

Summary of Fitch Economic Projections

Inflation Dynamics

Fitch notes that India's consumer inflation hit a historical low of 0.3% in October 2025, driven down by sharp corrections in food supply costs. This deflationary trend supports the low average projection of 1.5% for FY26, before base effects and domestic demand normalize inflation back to 4.4% in FY27.

Nokia Partners with Bharti Airtel to Open 5G Network APIs for Developers

Finland-based telecom multinational Nokia Corporation has finalized a strategic enterprise partnership with India's Bharti Airtel Limited to open up the telecom operator's pan-India 5G network capabilities to third-party developers, cloud service providers, and global enterprises.

Technical Architecture: Network as Code

The partnership uses Nokia's proprietary Network as Code platform combined with an integrated developer portal.

• Subscription Monetization: Following successful proof-of-concept testing, Airtel will securely expose its network Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) on a commercial subscription architecture.
• Application Capability: By using these open APIs, software developers can virtualize specific segments of the carrier network. This enables them to extract telemetry data and securely alter network behavior to create high-performance consumer solutions across 5G, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and edge computing.

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS

Jindal Stainless Limited Ranks in Global Top 5% of Dow Jones Sustainability Index

Jindal Stainless Limited (JSL) achieved elite sustainability status following the release of the S&P Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) Corporate Sustainability Assessment (CSA) for the Financial Year 2024-25 (FY25). JSL entered the top 5% of all global steel enterprises evaluated under the framework.

Structural Performance Breakdown

JSL locked in 4th place globally in the overall Steel Sector and captured the 1st rank worldwide in the Stainless-Steel sub-segment, accumulating an aggregate Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) score of 78.

Component Performance Matrices

• Environmental Domain Score: 83
• Social Domain Score: 73
• Governance and Economic Domain Score: 76
• Transparency and Reporting Dimension: 100 (Perfect Score)
• Data Availability Dimension Rate: 97

The annual DJSI CSA evaluation strictly audits corporate long-term sustainability configurations, inspecting energy conservation vectors, operational carbon-mitigation pathways, hazardous waste loops, and active supply-chain ethics.

BPCL Named Only Indian Entity in Global Top 100 Corporate Startup Stars 2025

Maharatna Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) was officially inducted into the Top 100 Corporate Startup Stars (CSS) 2025 list. The selection was jointly certified by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and open innovation advisory group Mind the Bridge (MTB) at an annual awards gala in Paris, France. BPCL holds distinction as the sole Indian corporate entity included in the global index.

Core Startup Engines Evaluated

• Project Ankur: Launched originally in 2016, BPCL's flagship incubation infrastructure has supported more than 30 deep-tech startups, funding commercial innovations focused on cleaner, smarter, and sustainable energy transitions.
• BPCL Ankur Fund: The dedicated financial architecture provides strategic equity funding rounds to early-stage, disruptive clean-energy startups that align with India's long-term net-zero goals.

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

Reliance Retail Appoints Jeyandran Venugopal as First President and CEO

Reliance Retail Ventures Limited (RRVL), the retail flagship of Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), has formally structured its C-suite hierarchy by appointing Jeyandran Venugopal as its first-ever President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

Corporate Profile and Trajectory

Venugopal commands over 25 years of operational experience across consumer retail, digital e-commerce ecosystems, and advanced systems architecture.

• Flipkart CPTO: Prior to this appointment, he served as the Chief Product and Technology Officer (CPTO) at Flipkart since 2019, directing product strategy, big data science, and core logistics engineering.
• Myntra and Jabong: He previously held the post of Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at Myntra and Jabong, where he scaled fashion-tech platforms. His early career features technical leadership roles at Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Yahoo.
• Corporate Alignment: In his new role, Venugopal will manage core retail operations closely alongside RRVL Executive Director Isha Ambani, under the broad strategic oversight of Mukesh Ambani and Manoj Modi.

RBI Approves Appointment of Vikram Sahu as CEO of Bank of America India

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has granted formal regulatory approval for the appointment of Vikram Sahu as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Bank of America N.A. (BANA) India for a defined tenure of three years.

Executive Framework and Governance

Sahu commands nearly 30 years of institutional banking experience across financial markets in Hong Kong, Singapore, New York, London, and Mumbai.

• Goldman Sachs: He spent over 14 years at Goldman Sachs, where he held the position of Head of Research for South Asia.
• Bank of America: Sahu previously operated as the Global Head of Equity Research for Bank of America.
• Dual Mandate: His appointment as CEO complements his active role as India Country Executive, where he continues to report to Jin Su, President of Bank of America Asia-Pacific. Sahu will chair BANA India's Local Management Team (LMT) and the India Country Leadership Team (CLT) to drive regulatory compliance and asset growth.
• Succession: He takes over the CEO position from Kaku Nakhate, who transitions up to serve as the Chair of Bank of America in India.

SPORTS

Indian Fast Bowler Mohit Sharma Announces Retirement From All Forms of Cricket

Veteran Indian pace bowler Mohit Sharma has officially announced his retirement from all formats of competitive cricket, ending an active career spanning over a decade across international tours and the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Career Statistics and Milestones

• International Profile: Sharma made his international debut for Team India in 2013, appearing in 26 One Day Internationals (ODIs) collecting 31 wickets, and 8 Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) securing 6 wickets.
• 2015 ICC World Cup: He was a key component of India's bowling attack during the 2015 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, claiming 13 wickets during India's run to the semi-finals.
• IPL Dominance: He made over 120 IPL appearances, representing Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings), Delhi Capitals (DC), and Gujarat Titans (GT).
• Purple Cap & Achievements: Sharma won the coveted IPL Purple Cap in 2014 with CSK and mounted a historic comeback in IPL 2023 with Gujarat Titans, finishing as the tournament's second-highest wicket-taker with 27 scalps. He was widely recognized as a death-overs specialist due to his mastery over back-of-the-hand slower balls, hidden cutters, and deceptive pace variations.

OBITUARY

Former Mizoram Governor Swaraj Kaushal Passes Away at 73

Distinguished constitutional lawyer, senior politician, and veteran public servant Swaraj Kaushal passed away in New Delhi at the age of 73. Born on July 12, 1952, in Solan, Kaushal was an expert in criminal law and historic peace negotiations. He was the husband of the late former Union Minister of External Affairs, Sushma Swaraj, and father to New Delhi Member of Parliament, Bansuri Swaraj.

Landmark Legal and Peace Milestones

• Mizoram Peace Accord (1986): Kaushal secured the legal release of Mizo National Front (MNF) leader Laldenga in 1979. He then served as the official constitutional adviser to the MNF during complex peace negotiations, playing a pivotal role in drafting and executing the historic Mizoram Peace Accord of 1986, which ended decades of underground insurgency.
• Baroda Dynamite Case: During the Emergency period (1975–77), Kaushal was part of the legal defense team for socialist leader and former Union Minister George Fernandes in the high-profile Baroda Dynamite Case.
• Record Youngest Governor: In 1987, he was appointed the first Advocate General of Mizoram. In 1990, at the age of 37, he was appointed the Governor of Mizoram, making him one of the youngest individuals ever to hold a gubernatorial office in Indian history, serving until 1993.
• Parliamentary Tenure: He served as a Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha from 1998 to 2004, representing the Haryana Vikas Party (HVP).

State Profile: Mizoram (Quick Facts for Exams)

• Chief Minister: Lalduhoma
• Current Governor: General Dr. Vijay Kumar (V.K.) Singh (Retired)
• Capital: Aizawl
• Major Ecological Asset: Dampa Tiger Reserve

IMPORTANT DAYS

International Cheetah Day 2025: December 4

International Cheetah Day is observed worldwide on December 4 to direct global conservation attention toward the critical status of Acinonyx jubatus, the world's fastest land mammal and one of the planet's most vulnerable big cats.

Origin and Conservation Significance

• The Story of Khayam: The calendar date directly commemorates the birthday of Khayam, a cheetah hand-reared from infancy by Dr. Laurie Marker, an American conservation biologist and founder of the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) in Namibia. Dr. Marker initiated the day to prove that captive-born big cats could be trained to hunt and survive wild reintroduction.
• First Observance: The day was officially instituted by the CCF and first celebrated globally on December 4, 2010.
• Population Status: The species is in a severe survival crisis, with a highly fragmented wild population estimated at fewer than 7,100 individuals globally. Under India's active Project Cheetah reintroduction program, the domestic cheetah population stands at 32 individuals (housed in Kuno National Park and Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary), which includes 21 cubs born on Indian soil.

International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development 2025: December 5

The United Nations International Volunteer Day (IVD) is observed annually on December 5 to honor the socio-economic contributions of volunteers and to build formal state support for volunteer mobilization strategies linked to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

• 2025 Theme: "Every Contribution Matters"
• Launch of IVY 2026: The 2025 official UN event, held at the UN General Assembly Hall in New Delhi and New York, served as the formal global launchpad for the upcoming International Year of Volunteers for Sustainable Development (IVY 2026).
• UNV Programme Metrics: Administered by the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) program, active volunteer mobilizations hit a historic record high of 14,631 deployed personnel under UN operations, registering a 77% expansion compared to pre-pandemic baseline levels.
• History: Formally established by the UN General Assembly via Resolution A/RES/40/212 in December 1985, with the first global observation executed on December 5, 1985.

Executive Profile: UNV Programme

• Executive Coordinator: Toily Kurbanov
• Global Headquarters: Bonn, Germany

World Soil Day 2025: December 5

The United Nations World Soil Day (WSD) is celebrated annually on December 5 to advocate for the sustainable management of global soil resources and combat soil degradation. The 2025 edition marks the 12th official global observance of WSD.

• 2025 Theme: "Healthy Soils for Healthy Cities"
• Date Significance: The date of December 5 was chosen to honor the official birthday of H.M. King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand, who formally sanctioned and championed the global soil security movement.
• History: The International Union of Soil Sciences (IUSS) first proposed the day in 2002. It gained formal UN backing via the Global Soil Partnership overseen by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The UN General Assembly officially adopted it via Resolution A/RES/68/232 in December 2013, leading to the inaugural celebration on December 5, 2014.

Global Soil Conservation Awards 2025

• 8th King Bhumibol World Soil Day Award: Awarded to the French Association for Soil Studies (Association Française pour l'Étude du Sol - AFES) for its exceptional cross-continental leadership during the WSD conservation campaigns.
• 10th Glinka World Soil Prize: Awarded to Professor Ganlin Zhang of the Institute of Soil Science under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, in recognition of his lifetime research contributions to sustainable soil preservation and advanced soil mapping.