Daily Current Affairs and GK | 14 and 15 December 2025

Topic: Important Days

1. National Energy Conservation Day 2025 was observed on December 14 across India.

• This day is observed to raise awareness about the great value of energy conservation.
• The day also emphasises India's achievements in the area of energy efficiency, especially so that people give it more attention.
• National Energy Conservation Day is being celebrated on December 14 since 1991.
• President Droupadi Murmu was the chief guest of the event held at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, on December 14, 2025.
• President felicitated the winners of the National Energy Conservation Awards 2025 and National Painting Competition on Energy Conservation 2025.
• On the occasion of National Energy Conservation Day, Bureau of Energy Efficiency felicitates industrial units, institutions, and establishments with Energy Conservation Awards to recognize and encourage their efforts in lowering energy consumption.
• The National Energy Conservation Awards have 28 subsectors under 7 broad categories.
• Social Media Influencers and Digital Content Creators is the new category introduced this year to recognize role of influencers in spreading awareness on energy conservation.
• National Painting Competition on Energy Conservation is being organised by Bureau of Energy Efficiency, under the guidance of the Ministry of Power, since 2005.
• The competition has three levels: school, state/UT, and national.
• Bureau of Energy Efficiency was established on March 1, 2002, under the Energy Conservation Act, 2001.

Topic: Summits/ Conferences/Meetings

2. The first meeting of the National Makhana Board held and a scheme worth ₹476 crore was launched.

• On 12 December, the first meeting of the National Makhana Board has been held at Krishi Bhawan, New Delhi.
• The meeting was chaired by Dr. Devesh Chaturvedi, Secretary, Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
• Implementation of both the National Makhana Board and the Central Sector Scheme was initiated through this meeting.
• Annual Action Plans submitted by States and research institutions were reviewed and approved.
• Budget allocations were made for components aimed at holistic development of the makhana sector.
• The Board meeting emphasized that SAU Sabour and CAU Samastipur, Bihar will be required to supply seeds this year and next year to meet the states' seed needs.
• The State Agricultural University, Central Agricultural University, Bihar and NRC Makhana Darbhanga will train trainers from different states on cutting-edge technological aspects of the Makhana value chain to facilitate Makhana cultivation in traditional and non-traditional areas.
• The Board also stressed the need for research, technology development, infrastructure creation, improved cultivation methods, value addition, branding, market linkage, and export preparation.
• The central government has established the National Makhana Board, fulfilling its announcement in the Union Budget 2025-26.
• The Prime Minister officially launched the Board in Bihar on September 15, 2025.
• To support this initiative, the government has approved a Central Sector Scheme for Development of Makhana with an outlay of ₹476.03 crore for the period 2025-26 to 2030-31.
• The scheme focuses on research and innovation, quality seed production, farmer capacity building, improved harvesting and post-harvest practices, value addition, branding and marketing, export promotion, and quality control.