Daily Current Affairs – 22-12-2025
Important Days
National Mathematics Day – December 22
December 22 is observed as National Mathematics Day in India to commemorate the birth anniversary of Srinivasa Ramanujan, one of India’s greatest mathematicians. The day is observed to highlight the importance of mathematics, promote scientific temper, and encourage mathematical education and research among students. National Mathematics Day was declared in 2012 by the Government of India as part of celebrations marking Ramanujan’s 125th birth anniversary, and it continues to be observed annually across educational and research institutions.
National News
PFRDA Introduces New Rules for National Pension System
The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) has introduced major changes to the National Pension System (NPS) to provide greater flexibility at retirement and enable the creation of a higher pension corpus. Under the revised rules, the mandatory annuity purchase has been reduced from 40% to 20% of the accumulated corpus, and this requirement applies only if the total pension corpus exceeds ₹12 lakh. If the corpus is below ₹8 lakh, subscribers can withdraw the entire amount as a lump sum, while those with a corpus between ₹8 lakh and ₹12 lakh can use the newly introduced Systematic Unit Redemption (SUR) facility to withdraw savings in a phased manner over a minimum period of six years without any annuity requirement. The changes also extend the maximum investment age in NPS to 85 years, allowing a longer accumulation phase, and provide multiple exit options after 15 years of subscription, attaining 60 years of age, superannuation, or retirement, whichever is earlier.
₹10,601 Crore Fertiliser Plant Launched in Assam
Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone on Sunday for a ₹10,601 crore brownfield ammonia–urea fertiliser plant at Namrup in Dibrugarh district, Assam. The project will be implemented by Assam Valley Fertiliser and Chemical Company Limited (AVFCCL) within the premises of Brahmaputra Valley Fertiliser Corporation Limited (BVFCL). The fertiliser plant will have an annual urea production capacity of 12.7 lakh tonnes and is scheduled to be commissioned in 2030. The project is expected to strengthen fertiliser availability in Assam and the North-East region and contribute to industrial development, with local production aimed at reducing logistics costs and improving supply efficiency.
Environmental Protection as a Constitutional Duty of Corporations
The Supreme Court of India, while hearing a petition filed in 2019 by M. K. Ranjitsinh, held on December 21 that environmental protection is a constitutional duty of corporations and not a voluntary charitable activity. The case concerned threats to the Great Indian Bustard arising from existing and proposed renewable energy power projects in Rajasthan and Gujarat. In an order passed by a Bench comprising B. R. Gavai and A. S. Bopanna, the Court referred to Article 51A(g) of the Constitution of India, which mandates the fundamental duty to protect and improve the natural environment, and clarified that this duty also applies to corporations as legal entities. The Court further linked environmental protection to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) under Section 135 of the Companies Act, 2013, stating that companies must balance profit-oriented activities with environmental protection, and that CSR obligations are part of constitutional compliance. It was directed that directors of companies have a legal duty to consider employees, shareholders, society, and environmental protection, and that prevention of environmental damage must take priority over post-damage compensation, with CSR funds to be used for conservation measures. The Court ordered that all existing and proposed renewable energy companies in Rajasthan and Gujarat must comply with these directions.
Private Sector Entry in Atomic Energy Sector
Droupadi Murmu has granted assent on December 21 to the Shanti Bill, which was passed during the Winter Session of Parliament, enabling private sector participation in India’s atomic energy sector. The new law repeals the Atomic Energy Act, 1962 and the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, 2010, and consolidates all atomic energy–related regulations under a single legislation. Under this Act, the atomic energy sector, which was earlier under the exclusive control of the Central Government, is now opened to private investment and technical collaboration, allowing private companies or government joint ventures, after obtaining proper licensing from the Central Government, to establish, operate, and maintain nuclear power plants, with the objective of increasing national nuclear power generation capacity. However, activities critical to national security, including uranium and thorium mining, nuclear fuel enrichment and reprocessing, and high-level radioactive waste management, will continue to remain exclusively under the Central Government or government-owned public sector undertakings.
President Approves V-G RAM G Act with ₹1.50 Lakh Crore Allocation
Droupadi Murmu accorded formal assent on 21 December to the new rural employment legislation, following which it was notified in the official gazette as the Viksit Bharat Rural Employment and Livelihood Guarantee Act, 2025 (V-G RAM G), as confirmed by the Union Ministry of Rural Development and announced by Shivraj Singh Chouhan. The scheme, originally introduced in 2005 during the Congress-led government and renamed in 2009 as the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), has now been restructured with an enhanced provision of 125 days of guaranteed employment per year, compared to the earlier 100 days, along with provisions for timely wage payment and compensation if work is not provided within 15 days of application. The Act prioritises water management, rural infrastructure, livelihood-related infrastructure, and climate change adaptation works, with a total allocation of ₹1.50 lakh crore, and introduces cost-sharing, under which North-Eastern and Himalayan States contribute 10%, while other States and Union Territories contribute 40% of the expenditure. States are required to frame their own employment guarantee schemes within six months of the Act coming into force, and employment under the scheme will not be provided during peak agricultural seasons to avoid labour shortages.
President Assents to 125-Day Rural Employment Guarantee Law
President Droupadi Murmu gave assent to the new Rural Employment Guarantee Bill, which was subsequently notified in the official gazette as law. The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), implemented in 2005 by the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, earlier guaranteed 100 days of employment annually in rural areas, and has now been renamed the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (G RAM G). Under the new law, 125 days of work will be provided annually in rural areas, with wages paid weekly or within 15 days of completion of work, and compensation for delays. The scheme will cover activities related to water conservation, rural infrastructure, and disaster management, with cost-sharing between the Centre and States in a 60:40 ratio, 90:10 for North-Eastern and Himalayan States, and 100% Central funding for Union Territories without legislatures. Planning, implementation, and monitoring authority will rest with the Gram Sabha, scheme officers, and district officials, and to ensure labour availability during sowing and harvesting seasons, the scheme will not be implemented for up to 60 days in a year, aligning with the goal of ‘Developed India by 2047’.
Reports and Indices
Indian Women Lead in Global AI Skill Penetration
According to the Stanford AI Index prepared by Stanford University – Human-Centred Artificial Intelligence, Indian women have the highest relative AI skill penetration globally, with a score of 1.91 in 2025, indicating that AI skills among Indian women are nearly twice the global average, based on LinkedIn profile declarations. This places India ahead of the United States (1.71), Canada (0.97) and the United Kingdom (0.90), and marks an improvement from 1.61 in 2024. In comparison, Indian men recorded a skill penetration rate of 2.38 in 2025, down from 2.78 in the previous year, while India’s overall AI skill penetration stood at 2.51, ranking second globally after the United States (2.63). Despite strong participation at entry and mid-career levels, a leadership gap persists, as a joint report by NASSCOM and Boston Consulting Group reported a 64% gender disparity in AI leadership roles in India, indicating that senior AI positions remain predominantly male-dominated.
Economy News
Unicorn Count Remains Flat in 2025 amid IPO Shift
In 2025, only five startups in India achieved unicorn status (valuation above $1 billion), the same number as in 2024, indicating a flat unicorn tally, despite a recovery in growth-stage funding. According to Venture Intelligence, $3.2 billion was invested in Series B and Series C startups during 2025, compared to $2.6 billion in 2024. The five startups that crossed the $1 billion valuation mark are Dhan, Jumbotail, Drools, Porter, and Juspay. This figure is significantly lower than 2022, when 22 startups became unicorns. The data reflects a structural shift in the startup ecosystem, with late-stage companies increasingly opting for IPOs instead of valuation-driven private funding rounds. In 2025, all five new unicorns raised their latest funding mainly from private equity firms or large corporate investors, highlighting the growing role of private equity in late-stage funding, particularly in consumer-facing and financial services sectors, while private-market valuations remain aligned with public market benchmarks.
Growth of Women Investors in Indian Stock Market
Ashish Chauhan, Chief Executive Officer of the National Stock Exchange (NSE), stated that the number of women investors in the Indian stock market has increased to 3 crore, recording an average annual growth of 25% over the last 10 years. Investors from 99.85% of India’s PIN code areas now participate in the stock market, taking the total investor base to 12.2 crore, of which one-fourth are women. Additionally, 56% of total Jan Dhan bank accounts in India are held by women. The share of women employees increased from 23% in FY 2018 to 42% in FY 2024. Women’s role in corporate governance has also expanded, with one in five board members of listed corporate companies being women, and approximately 1.6 crore businesses in the country are currently led by women entrepreneurs.
Sports News
Smriti Mandhana Reaches 4000 T20I Runs
Smriti Mandhana became the first Indian woman and the second woman in the world to score 4000 runs in Women’s T20 Internationals (T20Is). The only other batter to have achieved this milestone is Suzie Bates of New Zealand, who has scored 4716 T20I runs. Smriti Mandhana, a left-handed opening batter, also became the fastest woman to reach 4000 T20I runs in terms of balls faced, achieving the landmark in 3227 balls, compared to 3675 balls taken by Suzie Bates.
Pakistan Wins U-19 Asia Cup Cricket Tournament
In the Under-19 Asia Cup Cricket Tournament held at Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Pakistan won the championship title by defeating India in the final match by a margin of 191 runs. Batting first, Pakistan scored 347 runs for 8 wickets in 50 overs, with Saim Ayub scoring 172 runs off 113 balls, while Ahmad Hussain contributed 56 runs and Usman Khan added 35 runs. Chasing a target of 348 runs, the Indian Under-19 team was bowled out for 156 runs in 26.2 overs, with Dipesh Devendran scoring 36 runs, as captain Ayush Matre was dismissed for 2 runs. With this victory, Pakistan lifted the U-19 Asia Cup trophy, and Saim Ayub was awarded both the Man of the Match and Player of the Series titles.
Australia Clinches Ashes Series with Third Test Win
In the Ashes Test Series, Australia defeated England by 82 runs in the 3rd Test match held at Adelaide Oval, thereby securing the 5-match series 3–0. The match began on 17 December, with Australia scoring 371 runs in the first innings, led by Alex Carey (106) and Usman Khawaja (82), while England were bowled out for 286 runs. In the second innings, Australia posted 349 runs, with Travis Head scoring 170 and Alex Carey adding 72, setting a target of 435 runs for England. In response, England were all out for 352 runs, resulting in Australia’s victory by 82 runs. Alex Carey was named Man of the Match for scoring 106 runs in the first innings and 72 runs in the second innings. The 4th Test match of the series is scheduled to begin on 26 December at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, and is referred to as the Boxing Day Test.
Personalities, Awards and Events
Former Refugee Appointed Head of UN Refugee Agency
The United Nations General Assembly approved on December 21 the appointment of Barham Salih (65) as the head of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), making him the first former refugee to lead the agency. He will assume office from January 1 for a five-year term as the head of one of the United Nations’ key agencies with 193 member states. The post of UN High Commissioner for Refugees was earlier held by António Guterres. Salih’s appointment marks the first selection since the 1970s of a person from the Middle East to head UNHCR, after Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan of Iran. Salih, a Kurdish leader, earlier served as the President of Iraq from 2018 to 2022 and returned to Iraq after the removal of Saddam Hussein’s regime in 2003.
SASTRA–Ramanujan Award 2025 Conferred on American Professor
The SASTRA–Ramanujan Award 2025 was conferred on Alexander Smith, Professor at Princeton University, USA, during a ceremony held on 21 December at the SASTRA Deemed University – Srinivasa Ramanujan Centre in Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu. The award ceremony was part of the 21st International Conference, a three-day event, organised at the Ramanujan Centre of SASTRA Deemed University. The award was presented by Kalaiselvi, Director-General of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), in the presence of Vaidhyasubramaniam, Vice-Chancellor of SASTRA Deemed University, and Krishnaswami Alladi, Chairman of the SASTRA–Ramanujan Award Selection Committee, marking the annual recognition of excellence in mathematics in memory of Srinivasa Ramanujan.