🇮🇳 National News
President Droupadi Murmu released a new edition of the Constitution of India in the Santhali language, written in the Ol Chiki script, at Rashtrapati Bhavan on 25 December 2025.
She stated that this initiative would enable the Santhali-speaking community to read and comprehend the Constitution in their mother tongue, calling it a moment of pride and inclusion.
The release marks the 100th anniversary of the Ol Chiki script, highlighting its cultural and linguistic significance. Santhali is one of India’s ancient languages and is listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution, reinforcing its constitutional importance.
The event was attended by the Vice President of India and the Minister of State for Law and Justice. The President appreciated the Ministry of Law and Justice for undertaking this effort to promote linguistic diversity.
The Government of India is preparing to introduce the country’s first unified national anti-terrorism policy. The policy aims to establish a coordinated framework for the prevention, investigation, and response to terror-related threats.
Key focus areas include:
- Digital and online radicalization
- Exploitation of porous/open borders
- Foreign-funded conversion and extremist networks
Emphasis is placed on improving coordination among intelligence agencies, central forces, and state police. Inputs are being drawn from consultations with state police chiefs and central security agencies.
Lessons from recent terror incidents, including attacks in Pahalgam and near the Red Fort, are shaping the policy framework.
The 40th Asian Waterbird Census and the 60th International Waterbird Census will be conducted on 10–11 January 2026. The census will cover the Godavari estuary, including the Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary in Andhra Pradesh.
Jointly organised by:
- Andhra Pradesh Forest Department
- Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS)
- Wildlife Institute of India (WII)
- World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)
Indian Skimmer (Endangered), Great Knot (Endangered), Eurasian Curlew (Near Threatened), and Eurasian Oystercatcher.
The Godavari estuary’s mangroves, mudflats, and sandbars serve as crucial feeding and breeding habitats, giving it global importance in waterbird conservation.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Rashtra Prerna Sthal in Lucknow on 26 December 2025. The inauguration coincided with the 101st birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
The 65-acre national memorial, located at Vasant Kunj, features 65-foot-tall bronze statues of:
- Atal Bihari Vajpayee
- Syama Prasad Mookerjee
- Deendayal Upadhyaya
These statues symbolise nationalism, democratic values, and public service.
A major attraction is a 98,000 square foot lotus-shaped museum that narrates India’s democratic evolution and highlights the contributions of these leaders to nation-building.
The Central Government has announced a complete ban on new mining leases across the entire Aravalli Range, stretching from Gujarat to the National Capital Region (NCR). The decision aims to conserve one of the oldest mountain ranges in the world.
The move includes expansion of protected and no-mining zones. The Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) has been tasked with:
- Identifying ecologically and geologically sensitive areas
- Preparing a science-based conservation and management plan
The objectives include curbing illegal mining, preventing desertification, protecting biodiversity, and enhancing groundwater recharge through large-scale landscape conservation.
Existing mining activities will continue but under stricter environmental monitoring and Supreme Court guidelines.
Gujarat has officially been declared a tiger-bearing state after a gap of 33 years. The declaration follows confirmed camera-trap evidence of a resident tiger in the Ratanmahal Sanctuary, located along the Gujarat–Madhya Pradesh border.
The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has included Gujarat in the All India Tiger Estimation 2026. Gujarat was previously excluded from the tiger census in 1989 due to the absence of verified tiger sightings.
The development marks Gujarat’s return to India’s national tiger conservation framework.
🌐 International News
India will take over as the Chair of the Kimberley Process from 1 January 2026. This will be India’s third term as Chair of the global diamond certification initiative. India first assumed the role of Vice Chair on 25 December 2025.
The Kimberley Process was established in 2003 under a UN mandate to prevent the trade of conflict (blood) diamonds.
As Chair, India will focus on:
- Strengthening governance mechanisms
- Promoting digital certification systems
- Enhancing traceability and transparency
- Making the process more inclusive and effective
The move reflects India’s growing leadership in ethical and sustainable global trade.
🛡️ Defence
The Indian Army updated its social media policy on 25 December 2025. Personnel are permitted limited use of messaging apps for unclassified communication with known contacts.
Permitted messaging apps:
- Telegram
- Signal
- Skype
Public social media platforms like X (Twitter), Instagram, Quora, and YouTube are restricted to passive viewing only. LinkedIn usage is allowed solely for uploading résumés and sharing basic professional information. Posting content, commenting, or expressing opinions online remains strictly prohibited.
The policy aims to balance digital awareness with operational and national security.
🔬 Science & Technology
IIT Delhi has developed AILA (Artificially Intelligent Lab Assistant) using an Agentic AI framework.
AILA can autonomously:
- Understand experimental objectives
- Design experimental procedures
- Conduct real laboratory experiments
- Analyse results with minimal human involvement
AILA can operate and control advanced instruments such as Atomic Force Microscopes. The system can modify experimental parameters in real time based on observed results, reducing experiment durations from hours or days to just minutes.
This innovation enhances research speed, equipment utilisation, and overall productivity. It represents a major milestone in AI-driven scientific research in India.
🏆 Sports News
R Praggnanandhaa and Anish Giri guided Alpine SG Pipers to their first Global Chess League title (Season 3). The final was held in Mumbai, where they defeated defending champions Triveni Continental Kings.
Anish Giri was awarded Finals MVP for his exceptional tactical play. Praggnanandhaa’s crucial victory over Vidit Gujrathi sealed the championship.
The win underlines India’s growing dominance in international chess and the strength of young Indian players in high-pressure, rapid-format team events.
🤝 Summits & Conferences
Armenia introduced the official logo for COP17, featuring the Erivan Anomalous Blue butterfly, a species endemic to Yerevan. The butterfly symbolises local biodiversity and global environmental responsibility.
The logo uses 23 blended colours, representing the 23 targets of the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. It highlights ecosystem vulnerability, species interdependence, and the urgency of effective biodiversity action.
COP17, scheduled for October 2026, will host the first global progress review under the framework.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will chair the 5th National Conference of Chief Secretaries in New Delhi on 27–28 December 2025. The theme of the conference is “Human Capital for Viksit Bharat”.
Key focus areas include:
- Education and skilling
- Higher education
- Sports development
- Deregulation and governance reforms
- Technology-driven governance
- AgriStack
- Atmanirbhar Bharat initiatives
The conference aims to strengthen Centre–State cooperation and promote cooperative federalism. The goal is to align national and state efforts toward building a skilled, future-ready workforce.
📅 Important Days
Veer Bal Diwas is observed every year on 26 December. It honours the supreme sacrifice of the Sahibzadas, the sons of Guru Gobind Singh Ji.
Special remembrance is given to:
- Sahibzada Zorawar Singh
- Sahibzada Fateh Singh
They were executed in 1705 by Mughal authorities for refusing to renounce their faith.
The day was officially declared in 2022 by the Government of India. It also commemorates the martyrdom of Sahibzada Ajit Singh and Sahibzada Jujhar Singh, both elder sons who were martyred in the Battle of Chamkaur.
The observance promotes values of courage, righteousness, and sacrifice.
Sardar Udham Singh was born on 26 December 1899 in Sunam, Punjab. He witnessed the Jallianwala Bagh massacre of 1919, which deeply influenced his revolutionary path.
He later joined the Ghadar Party to fight British colonial rule.
In 1940, he assassinated Michael O’Dwyer in London to avenge the massacre. Sardar Udham Singh was subsequently executed and is remembered as Shaheed-i-Azam.
He remains a powerful symbol of justice, sacrifice, and resistance in India’s freedom struggle.
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