Daily Current Affairs and GK | 18 December 2025

Topic: Indian Polity

1. The Repealing and Amending Bill, 2025 has been passed in Lok Sabha.

• The Repealing and Amending Bill, 2025 allows the repeal of certain enactments and the amendment of certain other enactments.
• It repeals 71 Acts. These acts include Indian Tramways Act, 1886, the Levy Sugar Price Equalisation Fund Act, 1976, and the Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (Determination of Conditions of Service of Employees) Act, 1988.
• It amends four Acts. These include the General Clauses Act, 1897 and the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908.
• It amends previously mentioned Acts to update terminologies for registered posts.
• The Bill also amends the Indian Succession Act, 1925 to remove the requirement to obtain validation of wills by the Courts in certain cases.
• Disaster Management Act, 2005 is being amended to rectify a drafting error. 
• As per Union Minister of Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal, government (since May 2014) has repealed a total of 1,577 laws.
• These repealed laws had become redundant and obsolete.
• Government has completely repealed 1,562 laws and 15 laws have been re-enacted.
• The objective of the Repealing and Amending Bill, 2025, is to repeal or amend 71 Acts.
• Out of 71 Acts,  65 are Amendment Acts and six are Principal Acts.

Topic: Summits/ Conferences/ Meetings

2. The Second WHO Global Summit on Traditional Medicine started on 17 December 2025 in New Delhi.

• World Health Organization and the Ministry of Ayush, Government of India are co-hosting the event.
• It is a three-day event. It causes policymakers, scientists, practitioners, indigenous knowledge holders and civil society leaders from across the world to come together.
• Its aim is to promote a vision of balanced, inclusive, and sustainable health systems.
• The theme of the summit is “Restoring balance: The science and practice of health and well-being.”
• This years' summit follows the first Summit held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, in 2023.
• The New Delhi edition aims to increase global recognition of Traditional Medicine.
• The summit is guided by the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025–2034.
• It explores how Traditional Medicine can support people-centered healthcare and planetary well-being.
• Over 170 expert speakers across 25 sessions are participating in the summit.

Topic: National News

3. The National Workshop on strengthening of Geospatial Ecosystem hosted by Survey of India.

• On 17 December 2025, a National Workshop on Strengthening of Geospatial Ecosystem titled “Geospatial Mission: An Enabler of Viksit Bharat” hosted by the Survey of India at Yashobhoomi, New Delhi.
• The workshop organised under the Department of Science and Technology to deliberate on innovations shaping India’s geospatial future.
• Policymakers, technologists, industry leaders and domain experts brought together to strengthen collaboration in the geospatial sector.
• The event inaugurated by Dr. Jitendra Singh, Minister of State (I/C) for Science & Technology, Earth Sciences and Personnel.
• The National Geospatial Mission announced in Union Budget 2025–26 reflects the government’s commitment to advanced geospatial technologies.
• Discussions focused on integrating geospatial tools into urban planning, infrastructure development and environmental monitoring.
• Key sessions covered modernisation of the National Geodetic Reference Frame and strengthening of mapping infrastructure.
• The role of standards in harmonising geospatial frameworks highlighted during the workshop.
• Experts deliberated on keeping pace with rapid technological advancements in data acquisition, analytics and processing.
• The initiative aims to build a robust, standardised and future-ready geospatial ecosystem aligned with the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.

Topic: Indian Polity

4. The Sabka Bima Sabki Raksha Bill 2025 passed by the Lok Sabha.

• The Sabka Bima Sabki Raksha (Amendment of Insurance Laws) Bill 2025 has been passed by the Lok Sabha.
• Amendments are being made to the Insurance Act 1938, LIC Act 1956 and IRDA Act 1999 through the Bill.
• The Bill is aimed at accelerating growth of the insurance sector while strengthening policyholder protection.
• Greater transparency in regulation-making and improved regulatory oversight are being ensured through the legislation.
• Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman stated that over ₹17,000 crore has been infused into public sector insurance companies.
• The Bill seeks to improve ease of doing business and uninterrupted services by insurance intermediaries.
• Insurance density, penetration and coverage have recorded significant growth over the last 11 years.
• The GST Council decision to waive GST on life and health insurance premiums was highlighted during the discussion.
• The government has launched several flagship programs, such as the PM Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana, PM Suraksha Bima Yojana, PM Jan Arogya Yojana, and agricultural insurance schemes, aimed at benefiting the poorest people who cannot afford insurance.

Topic: National News

5. India is the world’s largest makhana producer, with 80% of the global share.

• On December 16, Parliament was informed that India is the world's largest producer of makhana, accounting for approximately 80% of global production.
• Bihar has been identified as the backbone of national makhana output, contributing around 85% of production.
• Darbhanga district has been acknowledged as a major hub for makhana cultivation and processing.
• The information was shared in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare.
• Darbhanga hosts the ICAR-National Research Centre on Makhana, strengthening research and innovation.
• The district has been identified under the One District One Product initiative for makhana.
• The sector holds strong potential to improve the economic condition of farmers and fishermen.
• The National Makhana Board has been established through a gazette notification dated 14 September 2025.
• The Board will focus on productivity enhancement, value addition, marketing and export promotion.
• A ₹476.03 crore Central Sector Scheme has been approved to strengthen the makhana value chain from 2025–26 to 2030–31.

Topic: Space and IT

6. DHRUV64 indigenous microprocessor launched to strengthen chip self-reliance.

• A landmark milestone was achieved by India with the launch of DHRUV64, the country’s first fully indigenous 1.0 GHz, 64-bit dual-core microprocessor.
• The processor has been developed by Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) under the Microprocessor Development Programme (MDP).
• DHRUV64 strengthens India’s indigenous processor pipeline and provides a reliable, homegrown technology for both strategic and commercial applications.
• The launch marks a major step toward self-reliance in advanced chip design.
• DHRUV64 is being positioned as a reliable platform for both strategic and commercial applications.
• Indigenous microprocessors reduce dependence on foreign suppliers and strengthen digital infrastructure.
• The chip supports sectors such as 5G, automotive systems, industrial automation and IoT.
• India had already initiated its indigenous microprocessor ecosystem with SHAKTI and AJIT in 2018, followed by VIKRAM and THEJAS64 in 2025 for space and industrial applications.
• DHRUV64 provides startups, academia, and industry with an indigenous platform to design, test, and scale computing products without relying on foreign processors.
• The DIR-V Programme was launched in April 2022 by the Government of India to advance the Aatmanirbhar Bharat vision and establish India as a global hub for Electronics System Design and Manufacturing (ESDM).
• This program develops a complete portfolio of RISC-V-based microprocessors for strategic, industrial, and consumer applications.

Topic: Personality in News

7. President Droupadi Murmu inaugurated the 1066th birth anniversary celebrations of Adi Jagadguru Sri Shivarathreeshwara Shivayogi Mahaswamiji.

• The event was held at Malavalli in Karnataka’s Mandya district.
• She said spiritual leaders across history have guided humanity with wisdom and compassion.
• The President noted that true greatness comes from sacrifice, service and inner strength.
• She described Adi Jagadguru Sri Shivarathreeshwara Shivayogi Mahaswamiji as a lasting source of inspiration.
• She said his teachings remain relevant even after more than a thousand years.
• The President referred to the Jagadguru Sri Veerasimhasana Mahasansthana Math at Suttur.

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

8. PM-KUSUM scheme is promoting solar energy adoption in agriculture to raise farm incomes and support sustainable farming practices.

• Over 20 lakh farmers across India have benefited from the scheme, according to information given in the Rajya Sabha.
• Under Component A, farmers can lease their land for solar plants and earn up to ₹80,000 per hectare annually.
• Component B supports the replacement of diesel irrigation pumps with solar-powered pumps.
• Farmers using a typical 5 HP diesel pump can save roughly ₹60,000 each year on fuel after shifting to solar.
• The cost of installing solar pumps is recovered in less than one year.
• Component C allows farmers to earn nearly ₹25,000 per acre per year by leasing land for solar installations.
• The scheme operates on a demand-based model.
• Funding and capacity allocation under the scheme tied to state and UT progress.
• Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan (PM-KUSUM) Scheme

• The government has extended the scheme until March 2026 because its pace of implementation has been hampered by the pandemic.
• PM-KUSUM Scheme was launched in 2019.
• Its main aim is to ensure energy security for farmers in India and to increase the share of installed capacity of electric power from non-fossil-fuel sources to 40% by 2030.

Topic: Sports

9. India secured a total of 56 medals at the Dubai 2025 Asian Youth Para Games.

• India's medals included 19 gold in the event concluded on 13 December.
• The Games were held under the patronage of Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
• Around 1,500 athletes from 35 countries took part in the competition.
• Total 25 records were made during the Games. These included nine world records and 16 Asian records.
• Uzbekistan topped the medals tally with 197 medals. These included 99 gold.
• Iran came at second place with 216 medals and 62 gold.
• India individual performances in para table tennis were notable.
• Baby Sahana Ravi won gold in the Class SF-9 under-23 category.
• Vishwa Vijay Tambe claimed silver in the Class SM-10 event.
• The Dubai Games introduced AI-powered robots into official operations for the first time.
• These robots assisted during medal presentations.
• The fifth edition of the Games included competitions across 11 sports. The Indian contingent took part in eight sports.

Topic: Important Days

10. International Migrants Day 2025: 18 December

• International Migrants Day is annually celebrated on 18 December.
• This day is celebrated to create awareness regarding the plight of migrants across the world.
• It is observed to mark the anniversary of adopting the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families by the United Nations General Assembly in 1990.
• UNGA had proclaimed 18 December as International Migration Day on 4 December 2000.
• This year, theme of International Migrants Day is My Great Story: Cultures and Development.
• The theme highlights how human mobility drives growth and enriches societies.
• Established in 1951, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) is the lead United Nations agency working in the field of migration and assists millions of migrants every year.