Daily Current Affairs and GK | 2 December 2025

Topic: Awards and Prizes

1. Jay Shah has received the CNN-News18 Indian of the Year 2025 award.

• Jay Shah received the award in the Outstanding Achievement category.
• The award recognises his major influence in shaping the future of global cricket.
• The award acknowledges his work in strengthening governance and supporting the rise of new cricketing nations.
• He has pushed for a strong expansion of women’s cricket.
• Shah has helped modernise cricket’s commercial ecosystem.
• Women’s cricket was a key focus. The event followed the conclusion of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025.
• India’s women’s team had recently won the World Cup.
• Captain Harmanpreet Kaur, coach Amol Muzumdar, and several players received the Indian of the Year Award in the Sports category.
• Reforms in women’s cricket during Shah’s tenure as BCCI honorary secretary from 2019 to 2024 included equal match fees and the launch of the Women’s Premier League.

Topic: Art and Culture

2. A 77-foot-tall bronze statue of Lord Rama has been unveiled by PM Modi at the Shree Samsthan Gokarn Partagali Jeevottam Math in Canacona, Goa.

• This event marked the beginning of the Math’s 550th-year celebrations, Sardha Panchashatamanotsava.
• The Ramayana Theme Park developed by the Math has also been inaugurated by PM Modi.
• He also released a special postal stamp and a commemorative coin.
• PM Modi also took part in the Laksha Kantha Gita Parayana programme at the Sri Krishna Matha.
• He inaugurated the Suvarna Teertha Mantapa located in front of the Krishna sanctum.
• He also dedicated the Kanaka Kavacha for the sacred Kanakana Kindi.
• He recited shlokas from the Bhagwat Gita. He stated that the collective recitation of shlokas demonstrated India’s spiritual heritage and social unity.
• He drew a connection between Udupi and Dwarka in Gujarat.
• He acknowledged the legacy of Jagadguru Madhwaachaarya, the founder of the Math.

Topic: National News

3. Delhi IGI Airport declared India’s first high-capacity water-positive airport.

• Delhi’s IGI Airport was declared India’s first high-capacity airport to achieve “water-positive” status, marking a major step in sustainable water management.
• The airport was recognised at the Water Innovation Summit 2025 for meeting Scope I Water Neutrality under the NITI Aayog–CII Framework.
• GMR Aero-led Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) said that Indira Gandhi International Airport has transformed from a groundwater-scarce place to one that replenishes more water than it uses.
• Years of work in conservation, restoration and monitoring were acknowledged as the foundation for this achievement.
• Over 625 rainwater-harvesting structures and two underground reservoirs with a capacity of 9 million litres are now operating on the campus.
• A 16.6 MLD zero-liquid-discharge sewage treatment plant recycles all airport wastewater for HVAC, landscaping, toilet flushing and other non-potable uses.
• Water-efficient infrastructure such as drip and sprinkler systems have been deployed across landscaped areas to reduce wastage.
• DIAL stated that the water-neutrality assessment recognised IGIA’s measurement systems, watershed-level restoration work and conservation efforts.
• CEO Videh Kumar Jaipuriar said that becoming water-positive reflects the company’s commitment to responsible resource use and strengthens IGIA’s path toward net-zero goals.

Topic: Defence

4. On 2 December, the 14th India–Maldives exercise, EKUVERIN, started in Kerala.

• The 14th edition of the India-Maldives bilateral exercise is being conducted from 2 December to the 15th of this month in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
• The exercise will be held between the Indian Army and the Maldives National Defence Forces.
• EKUVERIN aims to strengthen interoperability in counterinsurgency and counter-terrorism operations.
• The training focuses on semi-urban, jungle, and coastal terrains.
• Integration of niche military technologies has been highlighted as a key component of the exercise.
• Both nations intend to share operational best practices to promote regional security.
• The term “Ekuverin” means “Friends”, reflecting the friendly ties between India and the Maldives.
• The exercise is conducted annually and alternates between India and the Maldives.
• EKUVERIN is one of the three major joint activities between the two countries.
• The two bilateral exercises are “Ekuverin” and “Ekatha”, while “Dosti” is a trilateral exercise involving Sri Lanka.

Topic: National Appointments

5. Vice Admiral Sanjay Sadhu assumed charge as CWP&A.

• Vice Admiral Sanjay Sadhu, AVSM, NM, has been appointed as the Controller of Warship Production & Acquisition, effective 28 November 2025.
• He succeeded Vice Admiral Rajaram Swaminathan, AVSM, NM, who superannuated on 30 Nov 25 after 38 years of distinguished service to the nation.
• He was commissioned into the Indian Navy in 1987 and holds a postgraduate degree in mechanical engineering and an MPhil in defence and strategic studies.
• His career of over 38 years includes major operational, staff, and yard appointments.
• He has served on the Aircraft Carrier INS Viraat and frontline frigates INS Brahmaputra and INS Dunagiri.
• Before becoming a Flag Officer, he held roles such as Additional General Manager at Naval Dockyard Mumbai and Principal Director Marine Engineering at Naval Headquarters.
• He contributed significantly to the modernisation and acquisition of INS Vikramaditya from Russia.
• After elevation to Flag Rank, he served in senior roles including Additional Director General, Warship Design Bureau (Submarine Design Group).

Topic: Sports

6. Kohli broke Tendulkar's century record, and Rohit Sharma surpassed Afridi in ODI sixes.

• Virat Kohli made a record-breaking 52nd ODI century in Ranchi, where he surpassed Sachin Tendulkar for the most centuries in a single format.
• His 135 runs off 120 balls were scored at a strike rate of 112.50, marking a dominant performance in the ODI series opener against South Africa on 30 November.
• Kohli also overtook Tendulkar and David Warner by recording the most ODI centuries against South Africa with his sixth ton.
• He further moved past Sachin’s record for the most fifty-plus scores in ODIs at home by achieving his 59th such score.
• On the other hand, Rohit Sharma, in the same match, broke Shahid Afridi’s world record for the most sixes in ODI history.
• Rohit surpassed Afridi’s tally of 351 sixes by hitting three sixes in the Ranchi match, completing the feat in only his 277th match.
• He reached this record faster than Afridi and also went past Chris Gayle’s ODI six-hitting numbers.

Topic: Banking/Finance

7. According to report released by NPCI, UPI transaction volumes grew about 32% year-on-year in November 2025.

• The unified payments interface (UPI) transactions crossed 19 billion transfers during November 2025.
• The unified payments interface (UPI) registered 22 per cent annual growth in transactions.
• NPCI data shows the average daily value of UPI payments reached about ₹87,721 crore in November.
• Daily transaction counts averaged roughly 682 million in November. This was slightly higher than the 668 million recorded in October.
• In October, UPI logged around 20.7 billion transactions. This reflected nearly 25% annual growth in transaction count.
• Transaction value in October grew about 16% year-on-year to ₹27.28 lakh crore.
• UPI continued to dominate digital payments in India.
• Total transactions in the first half of 2025 reached 106.36 billion. This represented about 35% year-on-year growth.

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

8. A streamlined approval system for exploration programs and Geological Reports to accelerate coal and lignite exploration has been introduced by the Ministry of Coal.

• India’s growing energy needs have prompted reforms aimed at faster, more transparent, and technologically advanced resource exploration.
• The Ministry has overhauled its earlier methodology, removing the requirement for a January 2022-constituted committee to approve exploration plans and Geological Reports.
• Accredited Prospecting Agencies registered with QCI-NABET can now submit and peer-review exploration documents under the simplified process.
• The revised framework is intended to make exploration procedures more business-friendly and is publicly available on the Ministry’s website.
• The reform expands the role of private prospecting agencies.
• The new approval model is expected to shorten Geological Report clearance time by at least three months.
• The initiative aims to speed up exploration, reduce procedural delays, and support sustainable use of the country’s coal resources.

Topic: International News

9. India has been invited for the first time to lead the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA).

• Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar will assume the Chairship at an event in Stockholm in Sweden.
• He stated that India’s global reputation for conducting free, fair and transparent elections is widely recognised.
• He added that the chairship is a source of pride for Indian citizens and election officials.
• International IDEA, founded in 1995, is an inter-governmental organisation. It currently comprises 37 member states.
• The organisation includes countries such as the United States and Japan as Observers.
• Since 2003, International IDEA has held observer status at the United Nations General Assembly.
• India is a founding member of International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA).
• It has long contributed to IDEA’s governance, research work and electoral training initiatives.
• International IDEA is headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden.

Topic: Indian Polity

10. Manipur Goods and Services Tax (Second Amendment) Bill, 2025 has been passed by Lok Sabha.

• The bill amends Manipur Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017.
• The bill was introduced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
• Its seeks to match the Manipur’s GST rules with the Centre’s revised GST slabs.
• The bill also seeks to replace an ordinance issued in October 2025.
• The amendment implements recent recommendations of the GST Council.
• These include shifting to two main GST slabs of 5% and 18%.
• Previously, the Manipur Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2025 was passed by Lok Sabha in August 2025 to replace an earlier ordinance.
• The 56th GST Council decided to rationalise GST rates on about 375 items.
• It decided to merge the 5%, 12%, 18% and 28% slabs into two rates of 5% and 18%.