Daily Current Affairs and GK | 21 and 22 December 2025

Topic: Important Days

1. December 21 has been declared as a “Day of Reflection” by Australia.

• This has been done to honor the victims of the Sydney Bondi Beach terror attack.
• The day has also been announced to express solidarity with the Jewish community.
• In the attack on 14 December, 15 people were killed and 41 others were injured.
• The police killed one of the attackers, Sajid Akram, but his son, Naveed Akram, was injured during the shootout.
• The Day of Reflection falls on the final day of Chanukah, a time associated with light, faith, and resilience.
• Flags on government buildings will be flown at half-mast to honor the victims.
• Australians hav been asked to light a candle at 6.47 p.m. on 21 December and observe a minute of silence.
• Yellow lighting on buildings and a light projection from Bondi Pavilion are also parts of commemoration.
• Hanukkah (or Chanukah), also known as the Festival of Lights, is an important festival in Judaism.

Topic: MoUs/Agreements

2. An MoU signed between India and Netherlands to strengthen trade and investment cooperation.

• On 19 December, an MoU was signed between India and the Netherlands to enhance bilateral trade, investment, and overall economic cooperation between the two countries.
• Under the MoU, the India–Netherlands Joint Trade and Investment Committee (JTIC) has been established as a formal institutional mechanism for regular engagement.
• The agreement was signed between India’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
• The development was announced during the visit of Dutch Foreign Minister David van Weel to India and his bilateral meeting with External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar.
• The Joint Trade and Investment Committee has been mandated to review bilateral trade relations and promote two-way investment flows between the two nations.
• Identification and resolution of trade and investment barriers have been included among the core objectives of the committee.
• It has been decided that the JTIC will meet annually, with meetings to be held alternately in India and the Netherlands to ensure continuous dialogue.
• The committee will be co-chaired by the Additional Secretary of India’s Department of Commerce and the Director General for Foreign Economic Relations from the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
• The committee's objectives include identifying and eliminating trade and investment barriers, facilitating trade and investment measures, promoting dialogue between chambers of commerce and industry – especially for MSMEs – and enhancing cooperation in priority sectors.

Topic: Personality in News

3. Michaela Benthos became the first wheelchair user to travel to space.

• Blue Origin made history by sending a wheelchair user into space for the first time.
• Michaela “Michi” Benthaus selected to fly on the NS-37 mission aboard the New Shepard rocket.
• The mission was conducted by Blue Origin, the aerospace company founded by Jeff Bezos.
• Blue Origin's reusable suborbital launch vehicle, New Shepard, launched from the company's Texas launch pad.
• Miss Benthaus and five others departed from Texas on December 20 and reached a point just above the so-called "boundary" of space, known as the Kármán line.
• Michaela Benthaus has been using a wheelchair since a spinal cord injury caused by a mountain biking accident in 2018.
• She is an aerospace and mechatronics engineer and is currently associated with the European Space Agency.
• The NS-37 crew includes engineers, entrepreneurs, investors, and space enthusiasts from diverse backgrounds.
• Benthaus has previously participated in zero-gravity parabolic flights and served as an AstroAccess ambassador.
• She also commanded a two-week analog astronaut mission at the Lunares Research Station in Poland in 2024.
• NS-37 will be Blue Origin’s 16th human spaceflight, during which the crew will experience several minutes of microgravity.

Topic: National Appointment

4. Shashwat Sharma appointed as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Airtel India.

• A major leadership transition has been announced at Bharti Airtel with new senior appointments approved by the board.
• The appointment will take effect from January 1, 2026, for a five-year term, subject to shareholder approval.
• Gopal Vittal has been designated as Executive Vice Chairman as part of the leadership restructuring.
• Shashwat Sharma is currently serving as CEO-designate and will also be classified as key managerial personnel.
• Gopal Vittal will move from his present role as Vice Chairman and Managing Director to a whole-time director position.
• Soumen Ray has been elevated to the position of Group Chief Financial Officer of the Airtel group.
• Akhil Garg has been appointed as Chief Financial Officer for Airtel India, separating group and India-specific finance roles.
• Rohit Krishan Puri has been appointed as Company Secretary and Compliance Officer from January 1, 2026.

Topic: State News/Uttar Pradesh

5. The government has given its approval for the establishment of the first forest university in Uttar Pradesh.

• Government approval has been granted for the establishment of Uttar Pradesh’s first forest university.
• The university is planned to be established on 125 acres of land in Gorakhpur district.
• The Detailed Project Report has been finalised and the project cost has been estimated at ₹500 crore.
• The draft of the university act is under final review before cabinet approval and tender initiation.
• The university was announced by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath as a step toward strengthening environmental education.
• Academic programmes in forestry, wildlife, agroforestry, horticulture and environmental sciences will be offered.
• Degree and diploma courses will be introduced to train professionals in forest and conservation sciences.
• The campus will include hostels, laboratories, classrooms, an auditorium, sports facilities and faculty residences.
• The university is expected to enhance research in biotechnology, wildlife conservation and climate change studies.

Topic: Important Days

6. National Mathematics Day 2025: 22 December

• Every year on December 22, National Mathematics Day is celebrated across the country.
• It is celebrated to commemorate the birth anniversary of mathematical genius Srinivasa Ramanujan, who gave 3500 mathematical formulas to the world.
• The main objective of this day is to raise awareness among people about the importance of mathematics for the development of humanity.
• In 2012, then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh declared 22 December as National Mathematics Day on the 125th birth anniversary of Srinivasa Ramanujan.
• Srinivasa Ramanujan:

• He was born on 22 December 1887 in Tamil Nadu.
• He was the first Indian to be elected a Fellow of Trinity College.
• He is also known as the “man who knew infinity”.
• He had contributed to mathematical analysis, number theory, infinite series, and continued fractions.
• In 1918, Ramanujan became the second Indian to be chosen a Fellowship of the Royal Society.
• He was also one of the youngest people to receive the fellowship of the Royal Society.

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

7. The "Shunya Se Shatak: Ek Shatabdi Atal Bharat Ki" programme was held in Indore on 21 December.

• The programme marked the centenary of former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee's birth.
• Vice President C. P. Radhakrishnan participated in the programme.
• Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav and Governor Mangubhai Patel were also present.
• The statue of Lokmata Devi Ahilyabai was unveiled by Vice President, along with Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav and Governor Mangubhai Patel at the Daily College campus.
• On December 25, Union Home Minister Amit Shah will inaugurate industrial projects worth over 2 lakh crore rupees in Gwalior.
• Atal Bihari Vajpayee was born on December 25, 1924, in Gwalior.
• He served as the Indian Prime Minister thrice - first in 1996 for a term of 13 days, then for 13 months between 1998 and 1999.
• Atal Bihari Vajpayee was honoured with the Bharat Ratna, the country's highest civilian honour, in 2015.

Topic: Important Days

8. The second World Meditation Day was observed on 21 December.

• The United Nations General Assembly declared 21 December as World Meditation Day in 2024.
• 21 December was chosen because it coincides with the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere.
• This symbolizes introspection and inner calm.
• Indian spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar led a guided meditation session at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.
• The session at UN headquarters was organised during the “Meditation for Global Peace and Harmony” event.
• Sri Sri Ravi Shankar referred to Lord Krishna’s teachings to Arjuna on meditation yoga.
• Diplomats from around the world, UN officials, and yoga leaders joined him in meditation practice.
• The observance was organised with the support of India, Andorra, Mexico, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.

Topic: State News/Uttar Pradesh

9. January 1 to 31 will be observed as Road Safety Month by Uttar Pradesh.

• Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath issued directions for the campaign.
• The campaign will be focused on the 4E model, “Education, Enforcement, Engineering and Emergency Care”.
• The Chief Minister chaired a high-level review meeting.  
• The Chief Minister said the campaign should not be treated as a formality.
• He stressed that it must evolve into a people-centric movement.
• The Chief Minister highlighted the seriousness of road safety issues in Uttar Pradesh.
• As per official data, over 46,000 road accidents were reported till November 2025.
• Nearly 25,000 people lost their lives in these accidents.
• Chief Minister called the situation as extremely alarming and said that even one road death causes lifelong pain to a family.

Topic: Sports

10. East Bengal FC won the inaugural SAFF Women’s Club Championship 2025.

• They defeated Nepal’s APF (Armed Police Forces) FC by 3–0 in the final.
• The final was played at Dasrath Stadium in Kathmandu.
• This victory made East Bengal the first Indian women’s club to win an international title.
• Ugandan forward Fazila Ikwaput scored two goals in the final. India international Shilky Devi Hemam scored the third goal.
• East Bengal remained unbeaten throughout the tournament. They won four matches and drew one game.
• The team scored 14 goals in total. They did not concede any goals in five matches.
• East Bengal defeated clubs from Bhutan, Pakistan, and Bangladesh in the group stage. They drew 0–0 with APF FC in the final group match.
• Fazila Ikwaput became the tournament’s top scorer. All matches of the championship were held in Kathmandu.