Daily Current Affairs and GK | 4 December 2025

Topic: National Appointments

1. Usha Janakiraman has been appointed as Executive Director at the RBI.

• Janakiraman's appointment has become effective from 01 December. 
• Janakiraman was serving as Chief General Manager-in-Charge, Department of Regulation.
• Janakiraman has over 30 years of experience in RBI. Her experience spans across regulation, external investments, supervision, public debt, currency management, and other areas.
• Janakiraman was a part of the core team that contributed to consolidation of over 9,000 RBI circulars into a streamlined set of 244.
• As Executive Director, Janakiraman will oversee the Department of Supervision (Risk, Analytics and Vulnerability Assessment).
• Janakiraman is a Chartered Accountant by qualification.

Topic: National Appointments

2. Madhav Khurana has been appointed by Union Home Ministry as special public prosecutor in Red Fort blast case.

• Madhav Khurana is a senior advocate. He has been appointed as the special public prosecutor for conducting the trial and other matters in Red Fort blast case.
• The case is about the November 10 car blast near the Red Fort that claimed 15 lives.
• As per government order, Khurana has been appointed special public prosecutor for a period of 3 years on behalf of the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
• He will carry out trial and other legal matters before the NIA special court and the Delhi High Court.
• NIA has arrested 7 key accused in the Red Fort blast case.
• Alleged suicide bomber Umar Un Nabi blew himself in Hyundai i20 car with the use of improvised explosive device.

Topic: Awards and Prizes

3. The National Awards for the Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities 2025 presented by the President of India.

• On 3 December, the National Awards for the Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities for 2025 were presented in New Delhi by President Droupadi Murmu on the International Day of Persons with Disabilities.
• It was emphasised by the President that Divyangjan deserve full equality and must be included as equal partners in the nation’s progress.
• The belief was highlighted that a society becomes truly developed only when persons with disabilities participate equally in the developmental process.
• The theme for the International Day of Persons with Disabilities 2025, “Fostering disability-inclusive societies for advancing social progress,” was underlined as a reflection of this forward-looking vision.
• It was noted by the President that India is shifting from a welfare-based approach to a rights-based, dignity-centred system for persons with disabilities.
• The use of the respectful term “Divyangjan” since 2015 was recalled as a step taken to honour and recognise the strength of persons with disabilities.
• The government’s efforts to expand national-level institutions in areas like sign-language research, mental health rehabilitation, and sports training were highlighted as part of the empowerment ecosystem.
• Millions of Divyangjan have been provided Unique Disability ID cards to facilitate access to various specialised benefits and services.
• The President stressed that society must remain active and alert in protecting the dignity and interests of Divyangjan, complementing governmental initiatives.

Topic: Defence

4. A high-speed rocket-sledge test of a fighter aircraft escape system successfully conducted by DRDO.

• On 2 December, a high-speed rocket-sledge test of a fighter aircraft escape system was successfully carried out by DRDO at a controlled velocity.
• With this advanced dynamic test, India was placed among the select nations possessing in-house capability for testing high-performance escape systems.
• The test was undertaken jointly with Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) at the Rail Track Rocket Sledge facility of the Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory, Chandigarh.
• Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh extended praise to DRDO, IAF, ADA, HAL and industry partners, recognising the achievement as a major step toward indigenous self-reliance.
• It was explained that dynamic ejection tests are far more complex than static assessments like Net tests or Zero-Zero tests, and are used to evaluate the performance of ejection seats and canopy-severance systems.
• A dual-sledge setup carrying the LCA aircraft forebody was propelled to a precisely regulated velocity through phased ignition of multiple solid rocket motors.
• Canopy fragilisation patterns, ejection sequencing and recovery mechanisms were simulated using an instrumented Anthropomorphic Test Dummy, designed to mimic real pilot responses.
• Critical loads, accelerations and forces experienced during an actual ejection were recorded to assess pilot safety during high-speed escape situations.
• The entire ejection sequence was captured using onboard cameras and ground-based imaging systems for thorough analysis and validation.

Topic: Summits/Conferences/Meetings

5. The 18^th Plenary of the Global Forum on Tax Transparency was inaugurated by the Finance Minister.

• On 2 November, the 18th plenary meeting of the Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes was inaugurated in New Delhi by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
• The plenary is being hosted by India from 2nd to 5th December 2025 under the theme “Tax Transparency: Delivering a Shared Vision Through International Cooperation.”
• The Global Forum, with 172 member jurisdictions including all G20 nations, is recognised as the primary body for implementing global tax transparency standards such as Exchange of Information on Request (EOIR) and Automatic Exchange of Financial Account Information (AEOI).
• In her address, the Finance Minister stated that the global financial environment has shifted from secrecy toward transparency, now seen as essential for fairness and responsible governance.
• She highlighted that voluntary tax compliance in India has increased due to simplification, clarity and trust-based governance mechanisms.
• The Minister emphasised that technology and AI are being utilised for analysing financial information, while warning that innovation should still follow established procedures.
• She added that deeper cooperation among nations is required to manage new challenges like digital taxation and emerging forms of beneficial ownership.
• It was underlined by Revenue Secretary Arvind Shrivastava that India has effectively implemented AEOI since 2017 using secure IT systems and data analytics to generate actionable intelligence.
• The plenary schedule includes peer reviews, panel discussions, regional progress updates and deliberations on crypto-asset reporting frameworks and global risk assessments.

Topic: National Appointments

6. The first woman vice chancellor appointed by Nagpur University in its 102-year history.

• Nagpur University entered a historic milestone with the appointment of Manali Makarand Kshirsagar as its first woman Vice Chancellor since the institution was founded in 1923.
• Dr Manali Makarand Kshirsagar has been appointed as the 25th Vice Chancellor of Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University.
• The announcement was made by Maharashtra Governor and Chancellor Acharya Devvrat regarding her selection for the top post.
• Dr Kshirsagar, aged 54, is an alumna of Nagpur University and currently serves as director-technical and adviser at Yeshwantrao Chavan College of Engineering.
• She holds a PhD in computer science along with an MBA in finance and marketing.
• The governor’s order specifies that her tenure will extend for a period of five years.
• The appointment has been viewed as both symbolic and strategically important for the institution’s future direction.

Topic: Important Days

7. Navy Day: 04 December

• Navy Day is celebrated on 4 December every year.
• The day recognises the achievements and role of the Indian Navy.
• On this day in 1971, Indian Navy sank four Pakistani vessels, including PNS Khaibar during Operation Trident. 
• India celebrated Navy Day 2025 with a Operational Demonstration at Shangumugham beach in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
• The event showed the Navy’s operational platforms.
• The event also showcased its resolve as the ‘Preferred Security Partner’ in the Indian Ocean Region
• The Operational Demonstration featured coordinated manoeuvres by frontline platforms.

Topic: Indian Economy

8. Central Excise (Amendment) Bill, 2025 has been approved by Lok Sabha.

• The Bill allows major increases in excise duties and cess on tobacco products.
• These changes aim to maintain tax incidence after the compensation cess period ends.
• The Finance Minister clarified that the measure restores earlier excise powers rather than imposing a new tax.
• She noted that compensation cess rates have not changed since 2017.
• She stated that cigarettes currently face a total tax incidence of about 53% of retail price.
• She added that the revived excise revenue will still be shared with states through 41% tax devolution.
• The Minister said the government has consistently promoted crop diversification away from tobacco.
• Over 112,000 acres have shifted from tobacco cultivation to other crops between 2018 and 2021-22.
• The Bill raises cigarette excise slabs to ₹2,700–₹11,000 per thousand sticks, far above the earlier ₹200–₹735 range.
• The duty on chewing tobacco increases from 25% to 100 %.
• The duty on hookah tobacco increases from 25% to 40%.
• The duty on smoking mixtures increases from 60% to 325%.
• The legislation aims to curb tobacco use by making harmful products significantly more expensive.

Topic: Summits/ Conferences/ Meetings

9. 22nd India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Military and Military Technical Cooperation ministerial meeting held in New Delhi.

• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his Russian counterpart Andrei Belousov jointly co-chaired the meeting.
• During the meeting, two leaders reviewed relations between the two countries in the field of defence.
• They also exchanged views on contemporary regional and global issues of mutual interest. 
• During his visit, Belousov will visit the National War Memorial.
• He will place a wreath to honour Indian soldiers who died in the line of duty.
• Two leaders met in June 2025 in Qingdao, China. Moscow reaffirmed its commitment to timely S-400 deliveries.
• The S-400 system is officially designated ‘Sudarshan Chakra’, on the name of the mythological weapon of Lord Vishnu.
• In October 2025, 5th Meeting of the Working Group on Military Cooperation of India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Military and Military Technical Cooperation was held in New Delhi.

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

10. A 100-day intensive awareness campaign for a Child Marriage Free Bharat launched by Ministry of Women and Child Development.

• The launch programme included a National Pledge to End Child Marriage.
• It also included the screening of a special film on stories of change from across the country.
• The campaign marks one year of the Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat initiative.
• The campaign will continue from November 27, 2025 to March 8, 2026.
• It aims to mobilise citizens, institutions and community leaders to make the nationwide movement against child marriage stronger.
• Ministry had launched Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat campaign  on 27 November 2024. It completed one year on 27 November 2025.
• A 100-day intensive awareness campaign has three phases.
• The first phase will focus on activities in schools, colleges and universities.
• These activities will include debates, essays, interactive discussions and pledge-taking sessions.
• The second phase will involve religious leaders, community influencers and marriage service providers.
• The third phase will encourage Gram Panchayats and municipal wards to pass formal resolutions, declaring their jurisdictions free from child marriage.