Daily Current Affairs and GK | 24 December 2025

Topic: Agriculture and Allied Sectors 

1. Area under Rabi crop sowing in 2025-26 has increased by over 8 lakh hectares from the area of the same period last year.

• According to data released by the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare on 22 December 2025, total Rabi crop coverage stood at 580.70 lakh hectares as of 19 December 2025. 
• At the same stage in the previous crop year, total Rabi crop coverage stood at 572.59 lakh hectares.
• An increase in pulses and oilseeds acreage caused this expansion in total Rabi crop coverage.
• Coverage under pulses has grown by 3.72 lakh hectares. An increase of 4.89 lakh hectares has been recorded for the Gram.
• Area under oilseeds reached 93.33 lakh hectares. This was led by rapeseed and mustard. 
• Among foodgrains, wheat sowing area was higher by 1.29 lakh hectares and rice sowing area recorded a rise of 1.83 lakh hectares compared with the same period last year.
• As per data, other crops showed a mixed trend. Lentils recorded a slight decline in area.

Topic: Defence

2. ‘Anjadip’, the third indigenous ASW Shallow Water Craft, inducted into the Indian Navy.

• On 22 December, Anjadip, the third of eight Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Crafts (ASW SWC), was received by the Indian Navy, marking another milestone in India’s indigenous naval shipbuilding program.
• The vessel was designed and built indigenously by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata, and was delivered at Chennai.
• The project was executed under a public-private partnership model between GRSE and L&T Shipyard, Kattupalli, following the classification rules of the Indian Register of Shipping.
• With an approximate length of 77 metres, Anjadip has been developed as the largest Indian naval warship to be propelled by waterjet propulsion systems.
• The craft has been equipped with advanced lightweight torpedoes and indigenously developed anti-submarine rockets for effective underwater combat operations.
• Shallow water sonar systems have been integrated into the platform to enhance detection, tracking and engagement of underwater threats in coastal regions.
• The ship is named after Anjadip Island, located off the coast of Karwar in Karnataka.
• It carries forward the legacy of the erstwhile INS Anjadip, a Petya-class corvette that was decommissioned in 2003.
• According to the Ministry of Defence, the vessel features over 80% indigenous content, highlighting a strong emphasis on self-reliance in defence manufacturing.

Topic: Environment and Ecology

3. The Supreme Court has established a uniform legal definition for the Aravalli hills and mountain range.

• A uniform legal definition for the Aravalli Hills and the Aravalli Range has been laid down by the Supreme Court to ensure consistent environmental protection and governance across states.
• These definitions were included in a Supreme Court ruling on November 20, 2025.
• The court adopted the recommendations of a committee established earlier that year, following its order in May 2024.
• An Aravalli Hill has been legally defined as any landform in the notified districts rising 100 metres or more above the surrounding local level, including its slopes and connected features, irrespective of gradient.
• The Aravalli Range has been defined as a group of two or more such hills located within 500 metres of each other, including the interconnecting area determined through scientific mapping and buffer analysis.
• The committee framing the definitions was chaired by the Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, and included representatives from Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and national expert bodies.
• The need for a uniform definition arose due to regulatory inconsistencies across states, which had enabled unauthorised mining and environmental degradation in the Aravalli region.
• The Supreme Court’s intervention aligns with India’s international obligations under the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and national initiatives like the Aravalli Green Wall Project.
• The Court directed the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change to prepare a Management Plan for Sustainable Mining through the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education, covering the entire Aravalli belt.
• Until the management plan is finalised, no new mining leases are to be granted in the Aravalli region, and existing operations must strictly comply with environmental safeguards.
• Preliminary assessments indicate that a vast majority of the Aravalli area—over 75 to 99% in studied districts—will remain protected, reinforcing conservation while allowing limited, regulated resource use.

Topic: Art and Culture

4. The two-day PESA Mahotsav organized in Visakhapatnam on 23 and 24 December, 2025.

• On 23 December, the two-day PESA Mahotsav has been commenced by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj in Visakhapatnam to mark the anniversary of the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996.
• The event organised to spread awareness about the PESA Act and to strengthen Gram Sabha-led governance in Scheduled Areas.
• The PESA Act is aimed at empowering tribal communities by extending Panchayati Raj institutions to Scheduled Areas.
• The Mahotsav is focused on enhancing the capacity of Gram Panchayats and reinforcing the constitutional role of Gram Sabhas.
• The Government of India’s commitment to community-led governance and tribal empowerment was highlighted by Joint Secretary Mukta Shekhar.
• The event is used as a platform to showcase tribal culture and traditional governance practices.
• The PESA Mahotsav mascot “Krishna Jinka” was unveiled during the inaugural programme.
• Around 1,500 participants from 10 states took part in sports events, traditional games and cultural programmes.

Topic: Important Days

5. National Farmers’ Day 2025: 23 December

• National Farmers’ Day is observed on 23 December across the country to honour the contributions of farmers to national development.
• The day is observed to mark the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Chaudhary Charan Singh.
• Chaudhary Charan Singh is remembered for his lifelong advocacy for farmers’ welfare and rural development.
• Tributes were paid to Chaudhary Charan Singh by Union Agriculture and Farmer Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
• The relevance of Chaudhary Charan Singh’s ideas in building a self-reliant India was highlighted by the agriculture minister.
• Farmers were acknowledged as the backbone of the nation for their resilience and tireless efforts.
• Several government initiatives have been launched to ensure farmers’ socio-economic upliftment and sustainable agriculture.
• Key schemes include Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi, Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana and Pradhan Mantri Kisan Maandhan Yojana.
• India’s agricultural sector, employing nearly half of the population, continues to remain a cornerstone of the national economy.

Topic: India and Its Neighborhoods

6. India announced $450 million reconstruction package for cyclone-hit Sri Lanka.

• A reconstruction package worth 450 million dollars has been announced by India for cyclone-affected regions of Sri Lanka.
• The announcement was made by External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar during his visit to Colombo on 23 December.
• The package includes a 350 million dollar concessionary line of credit and 100 million dollars in grants.
• The assistance is intended to support rehabilitation of road, railway and bridge connectivity damaged by Cyclone Ditwah.
• Support will also be provided for the construction of fully destroyed and partially damaged houses.
• India’s support was stated to be in line with the India’s neighbourhood first and Mahasagar policies.
• Under Operation Sagar Bandhu, India delivered relief material and medical supplies to Sri Lanka after the cyclone.
• India assured continued support through tourism promotion and encouragement of foreign investment in Sri Lanka.

Topic: Awards and Prizes

7. President Droupadi Murmu gave the Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar 2025 in New Delhi.

• Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar is the nation’s highest recognition for exceptional contributions in the fields of science, technology, and innovation.
• 2025 edition was the second edition of Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar.
• There were four categories-Vigyan Ratna, Vigyan Shree, Vigyan Yuva–Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar and Vigyan Team.
• Vigyan Ratna award has been posthumously given to Padma Vibhushan awardee Prof. Jayant Vishnu Narlikar.
• Prof. Jayant Vishnu Narlikar is an Indian astrophysicist and cosmologist, who developed the Hoyle–Narlikar theory to unify gravitation and matter creation.
• It provided a framework for a steady-state universe in the 1960s.
• Eight scientists have been honooured with the Vigyan Shree award.
• These included Dr Yusuf Mohammad Seikh, Jayan N and Prof. Mahan Maharaj.
• Fourteen young scientists were awarded the Vigyan Yuva–Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar award.
• These included Ankur Garg of ISRO, Prof Amit Kumar Agarwal of IIT Kanpur, Prof. Arkaprava Basu of IISc Bengaluru.
• The Vigyan Team award has been given to Team Aroma Mission of CSIR.
• Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar honours  contributions of scientists, technologists and innovators.
• It recognises individuals as well as teams working across science and technology and technology-led innovations.

Topic: Personality in News

8. Vinod Kumar Shukla passed away in Raipur on 23 December 2025.

• Vinod Kumar Shukla was a renowned litterateur and Jnanpith Award awardee.
• He was around 88 years old. He was recently awarded Jnanpith Award.
• For his novel, Deewar Mein Ek Khidki, he was awarded Sahitya Akademi Award.
• He earned wide acclaim for his poetry collection, Lagbhag Jai Hind, and the novel, Naukar Ki Kameez.
• He had been involved in literary writing for the past fifty years.
• He became 1st Indian author, who got the PEN/Nabokov Award for Achievement in International Literature in 2023.

Topic: Important Days

9. National Consumer Day: 24 December

• National Consumer Day is celebrated every year on 24th December to highlight the importance of the consumer movement and spread awareness about the rights and responsibilities of every consumer.
• This year's theme for National Consumer Day is “Efficient and Speedy Disposal through Digital Justice.”
• It was on this day in 1986 the Consumer Protection Act, 1986, received the President's assent.
• Consumer Protection Act, 1986 was replaced by Consumer Protection Act 2019 from 20th July 2020.
• The Central Consumer Protection Authority was set up on 24 July 2020 under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.
• It serves as a regulatory body to safeguard the interests of consumers as a collective.
• e-Jagriti was launched on 1 January 2025. It is now a significant digital platform for consumer grievance redressal in India.

Topic: Space and IT

10. BlueBird Block-2 communication satellite successfully launched by ISRO from Sriharikota using the LVM3-M6 rocket.

• ISRO was successful in accurately inserting the satellite into its planned Low Earth Orbit.
• The mission to launch BlueBird Block-2 communication satellite was 6th operational flight of Launch Vehicle Mark-3 (LVM3) launch vehicle of India.
• LVM3 (previously referred as the GSLV Mk III) is the most powerful rocket developed by ISRO to date.
• BlueBird Block-2 weighed around 6,100 kg and became the heaviest payload ever carried to Low Earth Orbit by the LVM3.
• BlueBird Block-2 was developed by US-based company AST SpaceMobile. It is part of a next-generation satellite constellation.
• The next-generation satellite constellation will provide space-based cellular broadband services.
• BlueBird Block-2, heaviest commercial satellite ever launched, arrived in India from the United States on October 19.