Daily Current Affairs News: 15th December, 2025

National News

Vice-President Releases Commemorative Stamp Honouring Emperor Perumbidugu Mutharaiyar

• Vice-President C. P. Radhakrishnan released a commemorative postage stamp honouring Emperor Perumbidugu Mutharaiyar II in New Delhi, highlighting his contributions to temples, irrigation, and Tamil literature, while praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership in promoting Tamil culture, recognising unsung Tamil rulers, and preserving India’s cultural heritage as part of Viksit Bharat @2047.

State News

ADB Approves USD 240 Million Loan for Chennai Metro Expansion In Tamil Nadu

• The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $240 million loan—the second tranche of the Chennai Metro Rail Investment Project—to support the expansion of Chennai’s metro network.
• The funding will cover 20 km of elevated and underground corridors and 18 new stations with universal access, disaster-resilient infrastructure, and features to enhance safety for women and vulnerable users.
• Part of a $780 million multitranche facility, the project aims to provide cleaner, safer, and more reliable urban transport while promoting low-carbon development and long-term financial sustainability of Chennai Metro.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella Launches AI-Powered Tool for Maharashtra Police

• Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella launched MahaCrimeOS AI, an AI-powered crime investigation platform, for the Maharashtra Police, extending next-generation tools to all 1,100 police stations across the state.
• Developed jointly with the state’s MARVEL initiative, the system can process complaints in any format—PDFs, audio, handwritten notes, or images—and in any language, using multimodal intelligence to extract critical information and generate automated investigation plans.
• MahaCrimeOS AI streamlines complex investigations, including cybercrime, financial fraud, and crimes against women, by analyzing telecom data, gathering open-source intelligence, and automating workflows according to police protocols.

Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve to Become New Cheetah Habitat in MP

• Madhya Pradesh will develop Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve at Nauradehi as its third cheetah habitat before the next monsoon, following Kuno National Park (28 cheetahs) and Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary (2 cheetahs), strengthening India’s cheetah reintroduction programme.
• As part of the next phase, eight cheetahs from Botswana are expected in January 2026.
  This initiative enhances biodiversity protection, wildlife management, and ecotourism, while highlighting India’s global leadership in big cat conservation.

International News

UNESCO Adds Endangered Traditional Arts and Crafts to Urgent Safeguarding List

• UNESCO has added several endangered traditional arts and crafts to its List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding, including Boreendo (Pakistan), Mwazindika Dance (Kenya), and Dong Ho Folk Woodblock Printing (Vietnam).
• Announced during a historic session at the Red Fort, Delhi, the move aims to protect cultural diversity, support community traditions, and provide international assistance for practices at risk of disappearing.

UNEA Adopts India’s Resolution on Global Wildfire Management

• India achieved a major diplomatic and environmental victory at UNEA-7 in Nairobi, with its resolution on “Strengthening the Global Management of Wildfires” adopted by broad support from UN Member States.
• The resolution emphasizes international cooperation, proactive prevention, capacity building, and an integrated approach linking climate action, biodiversity protection, and disaster risk reduction.
• Highlighting the rising frequency, scale, and intensity of wildfires due to climate change and deforestation, India’s initiative gains global visibility and encourages countries to work together on effective wildfire management strategies.

India Ranks Third in Global AI Index After US and China

• India has emerged as the third most competitive country in AI globally, according to Stanford University’s Global AI Vibrancy Tool report, moving up from seventh in 2023.
• The rise reflects India’s fast-growing tech ecosystem, strong talent base, and major initiatives to strengthen the AI ecosystem.
• The US leads the ranking with a wide margin, excelling in R&D, economy, and infrastructure, while China ranks second, strong in AI research, publications, and model development. India’s leap highlights its growing role in the global AI race.

Appointments News

Press Club of India Elects Sangeeta Barooah Pisharoty as Its First Woman President

• Senior journalist Sangeeta Barooah Pisharoty was elected the first woman President of the Press Club of India, as her panel achieved a clean sweep (21–0) in the December 2025 elections.
• Key office-bearers include Afzal Imam (Secretary General), Jatin Gandhi (Vice-President), Aditi Rajput (Treasurer), and P R Sunil (Joint Secretary), marking a historic milestone for press leadership and gender representation.

Awards News

NTPC, NETRA and CSIR Scientist Receive Awards for Technological Innovations

• At the First DV Kapur Foundation Energy Innovation Awards held on 12 December 2025 in New Delhi, Prof Ajay Kumar Sood, Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India, felicitated winners for outstanding contributions to energy technology and sustainability.
• Dr Achu Chandran, Principal Scientist at CSIR-NIIST, won the Category 1 award (for innovators under 38) for his work on Nano Electricity Generators.
• NTPC’s R&D wing, NETRA, received the Category 2 award for advancements in Green Use of Coal Technologies, with Shri Shaswattam and his team honored.

Defense News

Indian Navy to Commission INAS 335 (Ospreys) In Goa

• The Indian Navy will commission INAS 335 (Ospreys), its second squadron of MH-60R Seahawk helicopters, on 17 December 2025 at INS Hansa, Goa, with CNS Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi attending.
• The squadron’s MH-60R helicopters are equipped for multi-role maritime operations including anti-submarine warfare (ASW), anti-surface warfare (ASuW), search and rescue (SAR), and maritime surveillance, with advanced weapons, sensors, and avionics.
• This commissioning strengthens naval aviation, enhances maritime domain awareness in the Indian Ocean Region, and supports India’s ongoing naval modernization efforts.

Ranks & Reports News

World’s Strongest Passport in 2025 Revealed: Check Where India Stands

• The United Arab Emirates has emerged as the world’s strongest passport in 2025, topping the Passport Index by Arton Capital with a mobility score of 179, offering access to the most visa-free and visa-on-arrival destinations; Singapore and Spain follow closely, while India ranks 67th globally, indicating comparatively limited travel freedom, even as countries like the UK, US, and Canada see a decline in passport strength.

Sports News

WWE Icon John Cena Retires After 20-Year Career

• John Cena, the iconic professional wrestler and 17-time world champion, officially retired after competing in his final match at Saturday Night’s Main Event (SNME), where he tapped out to World Heavyweight Champion Gunther.
• Cena’s 20-year WWE career included 14 WWE Championship reigns, 3 World Heavyweight Championships, multiple mid-card and tag-team titles, two Royal Rumble wins, and a career Grand Slam.
• His retirement was celebrated by fans, fellow wrestlers, and legends like The Rock, Triple H, CM Punk, and Mick Foley, highlighting his legacy of “Hustle, Loyalty, Respect” and immense contributions to professional wrestling.

India Crowned Champion of WSF Squash World Cup for the First Time

• India created history by winning the WSFSquashWorldCup2025 for the first time, defeating top-seeded Hong Kong 3–0 in the final held in Chennai.
• Backed by a home crowd, standout performances from Joshna Chinappa, Abhay Singh, and Anahat Singh sealed the title, marking India’s second World Cup medal and underlining its rise as a global squash power.

MRF Tyres Bags 2025 FIA European Rally Championship Title

• MRF Tyres wins 2025 FIA European Rally Championship Team Title, marking its third ERC triumph after 2022 and 2023, recognised at the FIA Awards Gala; the Chennai-based company credited the victory to the dedication of its engineers and staff, emphasizing how preparation, performance, and passion combine to deliver winning tyres.

Science & Technology News

AIIMS Delhi Conducts India’s First Dedicated Clinical Trial of Advanced Brain Stent

• AIIMS Delhi has made medical history by conducting India’s first dedicated clinical trial (GRASSROOT trial) of an indigenous brain stent, the Supernova stent, developed by Gravity Medical Technology, demonstrating excellent safety and efficacy in treating severe stroke patients.
• The study, published in a BMJ Group journal, led to CDSCO approval based solely on Indian clinical data, strengthening Make in India, Atmanirbhar Bharat, and India’s medical device innovation ecosystem.

Google Unveils Project Suncatcher to Develop Solar-Powered Data Centres in Space

• Google has announced Project Suncatcher, a pioneering initiative to build solar-powered data centres in space using satellite-based infrastructure by 2027; leveraging Tensor Processing Units (TPUs) for AI computation and laser-based optical links for high-speed satellite communication.
• The project aims to meet rising AI data demand, reduce Earth-based energy consumption, and navigate Outer Space Treaty regulations, marking a major step in sustainable space computing.

ISRO Projects Seven Launches Including Uncrewed Gaganyaan Mission by March 2026

• ISRO plans seven launches by March 2026, including the first uncrewed Gaganyaan mission with robot Vyommitra, demonstration of electric propulsion, quantum key distribution, and the first industry-built PSLV .
• Key missions include Bluebird-6, Oceansat, EOS-N1, EOS-5/GISAT-1A, TDS-01, and a dedicated SSLV launch, marking advances in human spaceflight, commercial satellite launches, and self-reliant technologies.