Daily Current Affairs – 20-12-2025
Economy News
Ather Energy enters auto insurance distribution
Ather Energy, an electric two-wheeler manufacturer, announced on Friday its entry into the auto insurance distribution sector by launching a wholly-owned subsidiary to provide vehicle insurance services to its customers, with the new entity operating as a Corporate Agent and partnering with multiple insurance companies to offer auto insurance policies to customers across India, with the company headquartered in Bengaluru.
Adani Group plans ₹1 lakh crore investment in airports
Adani Group has planned an investment of ₹1 lakh crore in its airports business over the next five years, in view of the expected annual growth of 15–16% in India’s aviation sector, with the announcement made by Jeet Adani, Director of Adani Airports, ahead of the commencement of commercial operations at Navi Mumbai International Airport on December 25, as reported by Press Trust of India.
Personalities, Awards and Events
Two Seasons, Two Strangers’ wins Best Film at IFFK
At the 30th International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK), which concluded on Friday, the Japanese film Two Seasons, Two Strangers, directed by Sho Miyake, won the Golden Crow Pheasant (Suvarna Chakoram) award for Best Film, while Argentine filmmakers Carina Piazza and Lucía Bracelis received the Silver Crow Pheasant (Rajatha Chakoram) award for Best Director for their film Before the Body.
Tamil Nadu News
Large-Scale Deletion of Electors After Special Intensive Revision
As part of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, the Election Commission of India released the integrated draft electoral rolls for Tamil Nadu and Gujarat on December 19, leading to the deletion of 97.3 lakh electors in Tamil Nadu and 73.7 lakh electors in Gujarat, representing over 15% and 14.5% of their respective electorates. In Tamil Nadu, the total number of electors reduced from 6.41 crore (as on October 27) to 5.43 crore, with deletions attributed to 26.9 lakh deceased voters, 66.4 lakh shifted or absent voters, and 3.98 lakh duplicate entries. Chennai recorded the highest share of deletions in the State, with 14.2 lakh electors removed, accounting for 35.6% of its pre-SIR electorate. In Gujarat, the electorate declined from 5.08 crore to 4.34 crore, with deletions including 18.1 lakh deceased, 49.95 lakh shifted or absent, 3.81 lakh duplicate, and 1.89 lakh others. Archana Patnaik, Chief Electoral Officer of Tamil Nadu, stated that the draft rolls were released in all districts in the presence of recognised political parties, and the claims and objections period will be open from December 19, 2025, to January 18, 2026.
Operation of 125 Low-Floor Electric Buses in Tamil Nadu
Udhayanidhi Stalin, Deputy Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, inaugurated the operation of 125 low-floor electric buses at Poonamallee in Avadi, with a total project cost of ₹214.50 crore. The initiative includes 45 low-floor air-conditioned electric buses and 80 low-floor non-AC electric buses, implemented under the third phase of electric bus expansion by the Metropolitan Transport Corporation. As part of the project, the Poonamallee bus depot was upgraded into an electric bus depot at a cost of ₹43.53 crore, featuring 25 charging points, maintenance facilities, an administrative office, a passenger lounge, new transformers, and fire safety equipment. The inauguration event was held at the Poonamallee depot and was presided over by S. S. Sivasankar, with the presence of Sa. Mu. Nasar, Alby John Varghese, and A. Krishnaswamy.
International News
EU Approves Interest-Free Loan to Ukraine Without Using Russian Assets
Brussels, leaders of the European Union decided to provide an interest-free loan of €90 billion (about ₹9.5 lakh crore) to Ukraine for its 2026–2027 financial year requirements, without using frozen Russian assets. The decision was confirmed by Charles Michel, President of the European Council, stating that the funds would be raised from the market through the EU budget. The EU had earlier been using only the interest income from frozen **Russia**n assets to support Ukraine, while proposals to use the assets themselves faced opposition from several member states, including Belgium, where a large share of Russian assets worth €210 billion is held in Euroclear. Opposition was also expressed by Viktor Orbán, along with concerns raised by Malta, Luxembourg, and the Czech Republic, leading to the final decision to extend the loan without directly using frozen Russian assets.
Outbound Tourism from India Led by Gen Y and Gen Z in 2025
Data released by Niyo Pay revealed that in 2025, Gen Y (born 1981–1996) and Gen Z (born 1997–2012) dominated outbound tourism from India, with 9 out of every 10 international travellers belonging to these two generations. The analysis was based on the travel details of 10 lakh Indian travellers and showed that 63.8% travelled solo, 19.93% as couples, 12.26% with family, and 4.01% with friends, indicating a preference for low-cost international travel. Nearly two-thirds of foreign trips originated from metro cities, mainly New Delhi, Bengaluru, and Mumbai, and the most preferred destinations were Asian and Central Asian countries. Spending patterns showed 47.28% on shopping, 20.69% on food, 19.93% on transport, and 9.09% on accommodation, highlighting changing travel and consumption trends among younger Indian generations.
Sri Lanka Invites Indian Investment in Medical Manufacturing Sector
Ranil Jayawardena, Health Minister of Sri Lanka, during his two-day official visit to India, invited Indian companies to invest in medical devices and drug manufacturing in Sri Lanka. While in New Delhi, he participated in the World Health Organization Conference on Traditional Medicine and held discussions with Anupriya Patel, Minister of State for Health, Government of India, and representatives of the medical sector. Sri Lanka’s medical industry is valued at about 600 million US dollars, and the country currently procures 85% of its medical requirements from India. The Indian government had extended assistance to Sri Lanka during its economic crisis by supplying medicines and medical equipment under Operation Sanjeevani and through Operation Sagar IX. The Sri Lankan government has also been focusing on developing Siddha, Ayurveda, and traditional medicine systems, and Indian medical industry leaders were invited to establish manufacturing units in Sri Lanka to achieve self-sufficiency in medical devices and promote exports.
ISRO to Launch American Communication Satellite on December 24
On December 24, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is scheduled to launch an American communication satellite using the LVM3 rocket. The commercial launch is being carried out by NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), which operates under ISRO and has successfully launched more than 430 foreign satellites so far. Under a Memorandum of Understanding, ISRO will launch the BlueBird-6 communication satellite of the American company OpenAI Space Portal from the second launch pad at Sriharikota at 8:55 AM on December 24. The BlueBird-6 satellite, meant for communication services, weighs 6,500 kg, making it the heaviest satellite launched by ISRO to date, and it is intended to support mobile connectivity and high-speed 5G internet services in remote areas.
Sports News
National Shooting Championship: Gold in 10m Air Pistol Mixed Team
In New Delhi, at the National Shooting Championship, the 10m Air Pistol Mixed Team event saw the Army team of Lakshita Bishtoy and Harvan Kumar win the gold medal in the Senior category, defeating the Haryana pair Sanjukta Inder Singh and Samrat Rana by 16–10, while the Rajasthan team of Anjali Shekhawat and Amit Sharma secured bronze. In the Junior category, the Karnataka duo Jonathan Gavin Antony and Avanthika Madhu won gold by 17–11 against Haryana’s Subil Benwala and Palak Gulia, with Madhya Pradesh’s Aradhana Mishra and Yukpratap Singh Rathore taking bronze. In the Youth category, Madhya Pradesh’s Aradhana and Yukpratap won gold, Karnataka’s Kambowda Gowda and Taron Tan earned silver, and Rajasthan’s Himanshi Jugra and Pawan Mandiwal claimed bronze.
National News
Prime Minister Modi Tops X Platform Engagement in India
Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India, featured in the top 10 most liked posts on the X social media platform in India over the last 30 days, with 8 posts collectively receiving 1.60 lakh reposts and 14.76 lakh likes, making him the only politician included in this list. Among the most engaged posts were photographs related to the visit of Vladimir Putin, including a car journey with him, the presentation of a Bhagavad Gita copy, his welcome at the Prime Minister’s residence, and the guard of honour at Rashtrapati Bhavan, along with a congratulatory post on the marriage of Anthony Albanese and a post related to the hoisting of the saffron flag on the main tower of the Ayodhya Ram Temple. The report also noted the introduction of a new feature on the X platform that displays a country-wise list of the most liked posts over a 30-day period.
WHO Global Summit on Traditional Medicine Held in New Delhi
Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India, participated in the second Global Summit on Traditional Medicine organised by the World Health Organization (WHO) at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, which was held for three days. During the event, the Prime Minister launched the ‘My AYUSH Integrated Service Platform’ for the AYUSH sector and released the Global AYUSH Mark for ensuring the quality of AYUSH products and services. He also released a special postage stamp on Ashwagandha, a medicinal herb associated with Indian traditional medicine, which has gained global recognition. The summit focused on strengthening research, data collection, safety, and evidence-based validation of traditional medicine systems, with Ashwagandha highlighted as an example of a traditional medicinal herb promoted through scientific research, especially after its increased global use during the COVID-19 period.