Daily Current Affairs News: 5th December, 2025

National News

MEITY & MEA Enable Paperless Passport Verification via DigiLocker

State News

Australia’s Victoria University to Open First India Campus in Gurugram by 2026

• Victoria University (VU) is set to open its first international campus in Gurugram, India, by mid-2026, becoming one of the first foreign universities licensed under India’s NEP 2020 reforms.
• The campus will offer undergraduate and postgraduate programs in Business, IT, and Research & Innovation, featuring VU’s unique Block Model teaching, which allows intensive focus on one subject at a time.
• This move provides affordable global education, reduces the need to study abroad, and strengthens India-Australia academic collaboration.

International News

Meet the World’s Youngest Self-Made Woman Billionaire Luana Lopes Lara

• Luana Lopes Lara, 29, becomes the world’s youngest self-made woman billionaire with a net worth of ~$1.3B, thanks to her fintech company Kalshi, a prediction market platform that soared to an $11B valuation in 2025 after a landmark CFTC court victory.
• A former Bolshoi ballerina and MIT graduate in computer science and mathematics, Lara co-founded Kalshi in 2018 and holds a 12% stake, exemplifying entrepreneurial brilliance and innovation.

Weak La Niña Likely to Influence Global Weather in Winter 2025–26: WMO Predicts

• The WMO forecasts a 55% chance of weak La Niña from Dec 2025–Feb 2026, bringing moderate rainfall shifts globally, but above-average temperatures are expected due to ongoing climate change.
• Despite typical cooling, regions in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres may remain warmer, affecting agriculture, health, and energy planning, highlighting the interplay of natural ENSO cycles with long-term global warming.

Putin Receives Grand Ceremonial Welcome at Rashtrapati Bhavan During India Visit

• Russian President Vladimir Putin’s 2025 state visit to India revived high-level ties after four years, with a grand welcome at Rashtrapati Bhavan followed by the 23rd India–Russia Annual Summit.
• Key discussions focused on defence cooperation (S-400 deliveries, Su-30MKI upgrades), expanding energy trade, improving skilled labour mobility, and strengthening bilateral connectivity and trade.
• The visit also held major geopolitical significance as India balanced its strategic partnership with Russia amid US tariff pressures related to discounted Russian oil.

Asim Munir Formally Appointed Pakistan’s First Chief of Defence Forces

• Pakistan has appointed Field Marshal Asim Munir as its first Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) under the 27th Constitutional Amendment, giving him unified control over the Army, Navy, and Air Force while retaining his role as COAS.
• This centralised command structure—created by abolishing the CJCSC—grants authority over strategic and nuclear assets, marking a major shift that strengthens military dominance and raises concerns about the civil–military balance in the country.

Banking News

RBI Monetary Policy December 2025: Why India Cut Rates and What It Means for the Economy

• India’s MPC held its 58th meeting (Dec 3–5, 2025) and unanimously cut the repo rate to 5.25%, lowering SDF to 5.00% and MSF/Bank Rate to 5.50%, aiming to support growth amid record-low inflation and early signs of economic softening.
• Led by RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra, the committee highlighted strong GDP momentum, easing global risks, and a favourable inflation outlook—projecting FY26 inflation at 2% and GDP growth at 7.3%.
• With a neutral stance, the RBI signalled data-driven flexibility, while the decision reflects a balance between growth support, soft inflation, and global uncertainty.

Business News

IFFCO-TOKIO Partners with Cooperatives to Expand Micro Insurance Access for Underserved Communities

• IFFCO-TOKIO Partners with Cooperatives for Micro Insurance Access: On its 25th anniversary, IFFCO-TOKIO GIC teams up with cooperative societies to provide affordable micro insurance for underserved communities, supporting IRDAI’s ‘Insurance for All by 2047’ mission.
• The initiative covers health, motor, accident, and package policies through trusted local networks, aiming to boost financial inclusion and rural insurance penetration in line with India’s socioeconomic growth.

Economy News

Billionaire Wealth Transfer Enters Historic Phase

• The UBS Billionaire Ambitions Report 2025 reveals a historic wealth transfer, with 91 heirs inheriting $298 billion in the year to April 2025—the largest since 2015.
• This intergenerational shift is set to continue, with $5.9 trillion expected to pass to billionaire heirs over 15 years.
• The US, India, France, Germany, and Switzerland lead in wealth handovers, while heirs increasingly relocate to Switzerland, UAE, US, and Singapore for favorable taxes, stability, and quality of life.

Fitch Ups India’s FY26 Growth Forecast to 7.4% Amid Strong Consumer Demand

• Fitch Ratings has raised India’s FY26 GDP growth forecast to 7.4%, driven by strong private consumption, better real income dynamics, and GST reform gains, following an impressive 8.2% Q2 FY26 performance.
• The agency notes a narrowing nominal–real GDP gap, signalling stable inflation and more sustainable growth.
• While FY27 growth is projected to moderate to 6.4% with a shift toward private-led investment, inflation is expected to average just 1.5% in FY26, giving the RBI room for one more rate cut to 5.25%.
• Despite the rupee’s recent dip to a record low, Fitch expects a recovery to ₹87/USD by end-2026, though high US tariff barriers remain a key export challenge.

Sports News

Sunil Narine Makes T20 History With 600‑Wicket Milestone

• Sunil Narine has created T20 history by becoming the first-ever cricketer to take 600 wickets in competitive T20s, achieving the milestone on December 4, 2025 in the World ILT20.
• Playing for the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, the 37-year-old dismissed Tom Abell to reach the landmark, cementing his status as a T20 legend known for his variation, control, and longevity across leagues like the IPL, CPL, ILT20, and MLC.

Science & Technology News

Runway’s Gen-4.5 Surpasses OpenAI and Google in Text-to-Video AI Race

• Runway Gen-4.5 Tops AI Video Models: Runway launches Gen-4.5, now the world’s highest-rated text-to-video AI, surpassing OpenAI’s Sora 2 and Google’s Veo 3 with photorealistic visuals, temporal consistency, and creative control.
• Built on Nvidia Blackwell and Hopper GPUs, it scores 1247 Elo points, enabling smooth, high-quality video generation for creators, studios, and educators, though it still faces causality and success-bias limitations.

NITI Aayog & IBM Unveil Roadmap to Make India a Top‑3 Quantum Economy by 2047

• India Aims for Top-3 Quantum Economy by 2047: NITI Aayog’s Frontier Tech Hub, in collaboration with IBM, unveils a quantum technology roadmap targeting global leadership by 2047.
• The plan focuses on indigenous hardware & software, quantum start-ups, sectoral applications in defence, healthcare, energy, and finance, and public–private collaboration, building on the National Quantum Mission (₹6,003 crore).
• Goals include boosting innovation, strategic security, talent development, and capturing a significant share of the global quantum market.

Important Days News

International Cheetah Day 2025: India’s Cheetah Comeback Sparks Global Hope for Conservation

• International Cheetah Day (December 4) raises awareness about the world’s fastest land animal and ongoing conservation efforts, led globally by Dr Laurie Marker and the Cheetah Conservation Fund.
• With only 6,500–7,100 cheetahs left in the wild and all subspecies listed as vulnerable or critically endangered, India’s Project Cheetah has become a major revival success—boosting the population to 32 cheetahs (including 21 India-born cubs) by 2025 since reintroduction began in Kuno National Park in 2022.
• The day highlights the need for global conservation, habitat expansion, and public awareness to secure the future of this iconic species.

International Volunteer Day 2025: “Every Contribution Matters”

• World Soil Day 2025, observed on December 5, centers on the theme “Healthy Soils for Healthy Cities,” highlighting how urban soils are vital for food security, climate action, and city resilience.
• The day emphasizes that healthy soil regulates water, absorbs carbon, prevents floods, reduces heat, and supports clean air, while soil sealing from urbanization weakens these functions—urging cities to restore soil through green spaces, urban farming, and permeable infrastructure.

World Soil Day 2025: Focusing on “Healthy Soils for Healthy Cities”

• International Volunteer Day 2025, celebrated on December 5, highlights the theme “Every Contribution Matters,” marking the launch of the International Year of Volunteers for Sustainable Development (IVY 2026).
• This year’s observance underscores that every act of service—formal or informal—advances the SDGs, strengthens community resilience, and fosters intergenerational cooperation, with global events, national campaigns, and digital initiatives mobilizing volunteers worldwide.

Obituaries News

Swaraj Kaushal, Former Mizoram Governor Passes Away at 73

• Swaraj Kaushal, former Mizoram Governor and noted senior advocate, passed away at 73 on December 4, 2025, marking the end of a distinguished career in law, governance, and public service.
• Known for his role in post-accord integration in Mizoram (1990–93) and for his legacy as the husband of Sushma Swaraj and father of MP Bansuri Swaraj, Kaushal was respected for his constitutional expertise, patriotism, and principled public life.
• His sudden demise at AIIMS Delhi prompted nationwide condolences from leaders across the political spectrum.