Daily Current Affairs – 23-12-2025
Sports News
Karnataka All-rounder K. Gowtham Announces Retirement
In Bengaluru, K. Gowtham, the Karnataka all-rounder, announced his retirement in 2025. An off-spinner and attacking batter, he represented Karnataka in 59 First-Class and 68 List A matches, and earned one ODI cap for India in 2021 against Sri Lanka. His notable performances include an eight-wicket haul against Tamil Nadu in the 2019 Ranji Trophy, leading Karnataka to a 26-run win, and defending 13 runs in the final over to secure a one-run victory in the 2019–20 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy final against Tamil Nadu. His last First-Class match was in February 2023. In the IPL, he became the most expensive uncapped player when signed by Chennai Super Kings for ₹9.25 crore in 2021, and was earlier bought by Rajasthan Royals for ₹6.2 crore in 2018.
FIFA Men’s Rankings 2025: Spain Finishes at the Top
According to the latest men’s team rankings released by FIFA on Monday, Spain finished 2025 as the top-ranked men’s football team in the world. The rankings showed limited changes from the previous list published on November 19, with the top 10 positions remaining unchanged, placing Spain first, followed by Argentina, France, England, Brazil, Portugal, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, and Croatia.
Economy News
India’s Core Sector Grows by 1.8% in November 2025
According to data released by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the Index of Eight Core Industries (ICI) recorded a 1.8% growth in November 2025 compared to the same month of the previous year. During the month, cement, steel, fertiliser, and coal registered positive growth, with coal production rising by 2.1%, though its cumulative output declined by 1.4% during April–November 2025–26. Crude oil production contracted by 3.2% in November, with its cumulative index declining by 1.3% so far in the current financial year, while natural gas output fell by 2.5% year-on-year in November, and cumulatively declined by 3% during April–November 2025–26. Petroleum refinery products, the largest component of the core sector, declined by 0.9% in November, but showed a marginal cumulative growth of 0.2%. Fertiliser production grew by 5.6% in November, with a cumulative increase of 1.3%, while steel output rose by 6.1%, recording a strong cumulative growth of 9.7% during April–November 2025–26. Cement emerged as the best-performing sector, registering the highest year-on-year growth of 14.5%.
International News
PSU–Safran Pact for Advanced Defence Systems under Make in India
In New Delhi, India Optel Limited (IOL), a Mini Navratna Defence Public Sector Undertaking, signed a collaboration agreement in 2025 with Safran Electronics & Defense under the Make-in-India programme to manufacture two high-precision defence systems in India. The systems covered are the SIGMA 30N Digital Ring Laser Gyro Inertial Navigation System and the CM3-MR Direct Firing Sight, as stated by the Ministry of Defence. SIGMA 30N is used across artillery guns, air defence systems, missiles, and radars, while CM3-MR is designed for artillery guns and anti-drone applications. The agreement was signed by Tushar Tripathi, Chairman and Managing Director, IOL, and Alexandre Ziegler, Head, Defence Global Business Unit, Safran, in the presence of Sanjeev Kumar, Secretary (Defence Production). The collaboration builds on a Memorandum of Understanding signed in January 2024, with IOL responsible for manufacturing, final assembly, testing, quality control, and lifecycle support to meet Indian Army operational requirements.
Indigenous ASW Shallow Water Craft ‘Anjadip’ Inducted into Indian Navy
In New Delhi, the Indian Navy inducted Anjadip, the third of eight Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW SWC), in 2025, with delivery taking place in Chennai. The vessel has been indigenously designed and built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata, under a public–private partnership with L&T Shipyard, Kattupalli, and constructed as per the Indian Register of Shipping (IRS) classification rules. Measuring about 77 metres in length, these are the largest Indian naval warships propelled by waterjets and are equipped with lightweight torpedoes, indigenous anti-submarine rockets, shallow-water sonar, and an indigenous 30-mm naval surface gun, with over 80% indigenous content. Anjadip is named after Anjadip Island and is a reincarnation of the erstwhile INS Anjadip, a Petya-class corvette decommissioned in 2003. With this induction, GRSE delivered its 115th warship and 77th to the Navy, marking the delivery of five warships in a single year, and the vessel was accepted by Gautam Marwaha, Rear Admiral, Chief Staff Officer (Technical), Eastern Naval Command.
US H-1B and H-4 Visas: Mandatory Social Media Review
The U.S. Embassy in India has announced that social media account scrutiny has been made mandatory from December 15, 2025, for all H-1B work visa applicants and H-4 visa applicants for family members of H-1B holders. The enhanced screening, which was already applicable to F, M, and J student visas, has now been extended to work visas such as H-1B and H-4 as part of the visa vetting process and applies globally to all nationalities. This measure aims to detect and prevent fraud in the H-1B visa programme and may lead to delays in visa processing, for which applicants have been advised to apply early.
National News
NITI Aayog Proposes $10 Billion Research Fund to Internationalise Higher Education
In New Delhi, NITI Aayog released a report titled “Internationalisation of Higher Education in India: Prospects, Potential, and Policy Recommendations” in 2025, proposing 22 policy interventions to globalise India’s higher education system in line with the National Education Policy (NEP), 2020. The report highlighted an imbalance in student mobility, noting that in 2024, for every one international student coming to India, 28 Indian students went abroad for higher education. Key proposals include the creation of Bharat Vidya Kosh, a national research sovereign wealth fund with a proposed $10 billion corpus, introduction of Vishwa Bandhu Scholarships for foreign students and Vishwa Bandhu Fellowships for foreign research faculty, and the launch of an Erasmus+-like programme. The report also recommended easing regulations to allow more international campuses in India, updating curricula, and expanding NIRF ranking criteria. It estimated that by 2047, India could host 7.89 lakh to 11 lakh international students, compared to about 47,000 international students in 2022, and was released shortly after the introduction of the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, 2025, which mandates the proposed Standards Council (Manak Parishad) to design non-binding frameworks for higher education internationalisation.
Bengaluru Firm Begins Ground Testing of Electric Flying Taxi
On December 2025, a Bengaluru-based company, Sarla Aviation, began ground testing of its half-scale electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) demonstrator, named SYLLA SYL-X1, at its Bengaluru test facility. The demonstrator has a 7.5-metre wingspan and is the largest private eVTOL demonstrator under development in India. The aircraft is a functional sub-scale model designed to validate structural behaviour, propulsion integration, and system-level safety architecture, and is developed with certification intent to support a future full-scale aircraft with a 15-metre wingspan. The company’s flagship programme is a six-seater electric flying taxi intended to reduce commute times in Indian metropolitan cities such as Bengaluru, Mumbai, Delhi, and Pune.
Civil Servants’ Role in Achieving ‘Developed India 2047’ Goal
C. P. Radhakrishnan, Vice President of India, stated in New Delhi that civil servants have a crucial role in achieving the government’s vision of ‘Developed India 2047’, which aims to transform India into a developed nation by 2047. Speaking at a programme involving trainee officers of the Indian Defence Accounts Service (IDAS), he highlighted the importance of inclusive development, ensuring that benefits reach marginalised people at the grassroots level. He also underlined that the Indian Defence Accounts Service (IDAS) plays a key role in managing the financial resources of the Indian Armed Forces, and that proper and prudent financial management is essential to maintain the operational readiness of the armed forces, with an emphasis on integrity, transparency, and accountability in handling public tax revenue.
Tamil Nadu News
CM Inaugurates School and Library Infrastructure Projects Worth ₹210 Crore
M. K. Stalin, Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, inaugurated school buildings, district government model school buildings, and hostel buildings constructed by the School Education Department at a total cost of ₹210.17 crore in Chennai. He also inaugurated library buildings worth ₹19.72 crore and laid the foundation stone for a new Mayiladuthurai District Central Library building costing ₹4.40 crore. At the Secretariat, the Chief Minister inaugurated 392 new classroom buildings, 4 laboratories, 16 student toilet buildings, and 8 drinking water facilities in 60 government schools across 20 districts built at ₹96.49 crore, along with 2 district government model school buildings and hostel buildings in Cuddalore and Villupuram districts costing ₹113.68 crore, 68 library buildings in 20 districts costing ₹17.82 crore, and 3 branch library buildings in Cuddalore, Thanjavur, and Nagapattinam districts costing ₹1.90 crore. Additionally, via video conference, he inaugurated 9 new police stations, 9 police station buildings, and 3 newly created police sub-divisions constructed at a cost of ₹43.91 crore under the Special Police, Fire and Rescue Services, Prisons and Correctional Services, and Home (Transport) Departments.
Personalities, Awards and Events
V.O.C. Port Sets Record by Handling Longest Container Vessel
V.O. Chidambaranar Port in Thoothukudi achieved a historic milestone by successfully handling its longest container vessel at the Dakshin Bharat Gateway Terminal. The vessel, MSC Mylena, measuring 304 metres in length and 40 metres in width, has a carrying capacity of 6,724 TEUs. Arriving from the Port of Colón, Panama, the ship handled 3,977 TEUs at the port, including 2,676 TEUs of imports, 1,104 TEUs of exports, 148 TEUs of restowing, and 49 TEUs of transshipment, before proceeding to the Port of Colombo, Sri Lanka. During the current financial year up to November 2025, the port handled 5,62,928 TEUs, marking an 8.06% increase compared to the corresponding period of the previous financial year.
Saudi Arabia’s Highest Civilian Honour for Asim Munir
Syed Asim Munir, Chief of Army Staff of Pakistan, was conferred Saudi Arabia’s highest civilian award, the King Abdulaziz Medal of Excellence, in Islamabad. The award was granted through a royal decree issued by King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia. The honour recognises Asim Munir’s role in strengthening long-standing bilateral relations between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. During his official visit to Saudi Arabia, Asim Munir met Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Arabian Minister of Defence, and discussions were held on mutual interests, regional security, defence and military cooperation, and evolving geopolitical challenges.