Daily Current Affairs – 16-12-2025
National News
Lok Sabha Clears Supplementary Demands for Additional Expenditure
The Lok Sabha has approved the first tranche of Supplementary Demands for Grants, providing ₹41,455 crore for additional government expenditure in the current financial year. Of this, ₹18,525 crore has been allocated for fertiliser and related subsidies, while nearly ₹9,500 crore has been sanctioned for the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas to compensate oil marketing companies for under-recoveries. The approved package also includes ₹1,304 crore for the Department of Higher Education and ₹225 crore for the Ministry of Commerce. The gross additional expenditure proposed amounts to ₹1.32 lakh crore, of which the net cash outgo is ₹41,455.39 crore, with the remaining ₹90,812 crore met through savings from various ministries and departments. The Supplementary Demands were presented by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill to Be Referred to Joint Parliamentary Committee
The Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan introduced the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill in the Lok Sabha, proposing the creation of a 13-member single higher education regulatory body to oversee universities and higher education institutions. Following its introduction, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju stated that the government intends to refer the Bill to a Joint Parliamentary Committee of both Houses of Parliament for detailed examination. The Bill seeks to establish a single overarching Higher Education Commission, supported by three specialised councils responsible for regulation, accreditation, and academic standards, to address issues arising from multiple regulators. The proposed commission will be headed by a Chairperson appointed by the President of India, and its jurisdiction will cover all Central Universities and their affiliated colleges, as well as Institutions of National Importance under the Ministry of Education, including IITs, NITs, IISc, IISERs, IIMs, and IIITs.
Suresh Goyal Appointed Director General of NCAER
Suresh Goyal has been appointed as the Director General of the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) and will assume office on January 5. He will succeed Poonam Gupta, who served as Director General of NCAER from July 2021 to April 2025. NCAER is an economic policy think tank, and Suresh Goyal brings over 30 years of experience across the private and public sectors.
Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, 2025 Introduced
The Central Government introduced the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, 2025 in the Lok Sabha, proposing major reforms in higher education regulation by integrating the University Grants Commission (UGC), All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), and National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) into a single unified regulatory authority. The proposed body will have three divisions for regulation, accreditation, and academic standards and will apply to Central, State, and private universities, deemed universities, affiliated and autonomous colleges, along with institutions offering engineering, management, teacher education, open, distance, online education, and foreign universities operating in India. The Bill also extends to Institutions of National Importance, including the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs), which were earlier governed by their own Acts of Parliament. The legislation explicitly excludes professional education in medicine and law, which will continue to be regulated by bodies such as the National Medical Commission, Bar Council of India, Pharmacy Council of India, and Veterinary Council of India.
SHANTI Bill Introduced to Allow Private Participation in Nuclear Power
The Central Government introduced the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Bill, 2025 in the Lok Sabha, aiming to allow Indian and foreign private sector participation in setting up and operating nuclear power plants. The Bill seeks to replace the Atomic Energy Act, 1962 and the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage (CLND) Act, 2010, and proposes a new atomic energy regulatory framework accountable to Parliament, while ending the monopoly of the Nuclear Power Corporation of India in nuclear plant operations. It provides statutory status to the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) and introduces a revised civil nuclear liability framework, limiting the conditions under which operators can claim compensation from equipment suppliers and capping penalties for violations based on plant size, with a maximum penalty of ₹1 crore even in cases of severe breach. The Bill was introduced by Union Minister of State for Science and Technology Jitendra Singh. The reform aligns with India’s clean energy goals, as nuclear power currently contributes 1.5% of installed capacity and 3% of electricity generation, and supports the plan to increase nuclear capacity from 8.8 GW to 100 GW by 2047, in line with India’s 2070 net-zero emissions target. The Union Budget also announced a ₹20,000 crore mission for developing small modular reactors and 220 MW pressurised heavy water reactors.
Sports News
Shafali Verma and Simon Harmer Named ICC Players of the Month for November
Shafali Verma and Simon Harmer have been named the ICC Players of the Month for November, earning their maiden ICC Player of the Month awards. Shafali Verma received the award for her performance in the Women’s World Cup final, while Simon Harmer was recognised for his achievement of taking 17 wickets in two Test matches against India. For the award, Shafali Verma was shortlisted ahead of Thipatcha Putthawong and Esha Oza, and Simon Harmer surpassed Taijul Islam and Mohammad Nawaz.