News of The Day: 13th December 2025

News of The Day – 13th December 2025

The Hindu, Indian Express, Live Mint, Business Standard, Economic Times, PIB and AIR, etc

(with Syllabus Relevance)

(GS-1: Modern History)

• About Savarkar’s statue in Andaman & Nicobar.
• 115th anniversary of patriotic poem ‘Sagara Pran Talamalala’.
• Savarkar’s role in the freedom struggle, social reforms, and cultural nationalism.

• About National Film Heritage Mission
• Ongoing NFHM restores classics; 18 restored films showcased at IFFI 2025.
• Focuses on digitisation, conservation, restoration of India’s cinematic legacy.

(GS-2: Polity and Governance)

• About the census
• First fully digital Census;
• Two phases: House listing (Apr-Sep 2026), Population Enumeration (Feb 2027).
• Includes caste enumeration; self-enumeration option; tech-driven with mobile apps.
• World’s largest statistical exercise; delayed from 2021 due to COVID.

(GS-2:Polity and Governance)

• Renaming of MGNREGA to Pujya Bapu Gramin Rozgar Guarantee Yojana.
• Guaranteed employment days increased from 100 to 125 per household.
• Aims to enhance rural livelihood security; reflects policy shift honouring Mahatma Gandhi’s legacy while expanding benefits.

(GS-2: International Relations)

• About Pax Silica
• US led nine-nation coalition for secure silicon supply chain (critical minerals to AI).
• India was excluded despite a bilateral MoU with the U.S. on critical minerals.

(GS-2: International Relations)

• Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) with Oman. 
• Aims to boost bilateral trade (currently ~$10-12 billion);
• Strengthens ties marking 70 years of diplomacy; opens Gulf market access.

(GS-3: Economy)

• About Copra production.
• MSP for milling copra raised to ₹12,027/quintal (+₹445); ball copra to ₹12,500/quintal (+₹400).
• Incentivises coconut growers; meets rising domestic/international demand.

(GS-3: Economy)

• About the CoalSETU window .
• Allows any industrial use/export (up to 50% of allotment)
• excludes coking coal/traders.
• Promotes flexible utilisation, reduces import dependence, boosts exports amid surplus production.

(GS-3: Economy)

• NCAER study highlights slow but rising skilled workforce share.
• Increasing skilled workers by 9-12 percentage points could create millions of jobs by 2030 in labour-intensive sectors.
• Emphasises skilling and small enterprise productivity as key drivers for Viksit Bharat goals.

(GS-3: Environment)

• India’s resolution on strengthening global wildfire management adopted at UNEA-7.
• Warns of potential 50% increase in wildfires by 2100
• UNEP’s Global Fire Management Hub.