🇮🇳 National News
The Supreme Court has ruled that the right to obtain a passport is an integral part of personal liberty guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution.
The Court clarified that the existence of pending criminal cases does not automatically disqualify an individual from being issued a passport, provided a competent court grants permission under applicable laws.
Passport issuance falls under administrative procedures, while permission to leave the country must be assessed by criminal courts, not passport authorities.
The judgment reinforces due process of law, judicial oversight, proportionality in restrictions, and prevention of excessive administrative interference in fundamental rights.
India holds the third-largest rare earth reserves globally, accounting for approximately 6–7% of total global resources. However, India contributes less than 1% to global rare earth production, highlighting a significant strategic imbalance.
Key reasons for this gap include:
- Stringent regulatory and environmental restrictions
- Challenges related to radioactive monazite deposits
- Limited mining, processing, and refining infrastructure
- Weak value-chain integration
China dominates global production and controls over 90% of rare earth refining capacity. A limited-scale India–Japan joint venture represents initial progress, but overall output remains marginal.
The issue reflects execution and policy bottlenecks affecting clean energy transition, critical mineral security, and national strategic autonomy.
The Union Government has notified the Parvati-Arga Bird Sanctuary in Uttar Pradesh as an Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ).
The ESZ covers an area of 1,084 hectares around the sanctuary. The wetland ecosystem serves as a habitat for migratory birds from Central Asia and the Tibetan region.
The ESZ designation aims to conserve biodiversity and fragile ecosystems, regulate environmentally harmful activities, and promote sustainable and responsible ecotourism while balancing environmental protection with local livelihood opportunities.
🌐 International News
Israel has announced that US President Donald Trump will be awarded the Israel Prize for Peace in 2026. The announcement was made by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu following discussions in Florida.
This marks the first time a non-Israeli has been selected for the Israel Prize, and the first-ever introduction of a Peace category under the award.
The honour recognises Trump’s contributions to Middle East peace initiatives, strengthening US–Israel relations, and diplomatic efforts including Gaza peace negotiations and hostage release initiatives.
💼 Business & Economy
India has officially overtaken Japan to become the world’s fourth-largest economy, with a GDP of $4.18 trillion.
The achievement is driven by strong domestic consumption, structural economic reforms, and sustained high growth momentum. India recorded 8.2% real GDP growth in Q2 of 2025–26.
India maintains its position as the fastest-growing major economy and is projected to surpass Germany by 2030, reinforcing its expanding influence in the global economic landscape.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) conducted an Open Market Operation (OMO), injecting ₹50,000 crore into the banking system to address a liquidity deficit of ₹62,302 crore.
The deficit was caused by large tax outflows, increased currency circulation, slow government spending, and RBI’s forex market interventions.
By purchasing government securities, the RBI provided durable liquidity, supported credit flow to the economy, stabilised interest rates, and improved monetary policy transmission.
India’s banking sector recorded multi-decade lows in asset stress, according to RBI data.
Gross NPAs: 2.1% | Net NPAs: 0.5% | Slippage Ratio: 1.4% (5th consecutive year)
Nearly 43% of the reduction in GNPAs came from recoveries and account upgrades. Additional factors include strong provisioning norms and improved credit appraisal and underwriting.
The data reflects stronger bank balance sheets, improved financial stability, and a sustained turnaround in asset quality.
🛡️ Defence
The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, approved procurement proposals worth ₹79,000 crore to modernise the Army, Navy, and Air Force.
Key approvals include:
- Army: Loitering munitions and advanced radar systems
- Navy: Remotely piloted aircraft and secure communication radios
- Air Force: Astra Mk-II missiles, precision-guided kits, and simulators
The decision enhances operational readiness, surveillance and strike capabilities, and preparedness against evolving security threats.
DRDO successfully conducted the maiden flight test of the Pinaka Long Range Guided Rocket (LRGR-120) at Chandipur. The rocket achieved a range of 120 km with high precision.
The test demonstrated in-flight manoeuvrability, accuracy and guidance capability, and compatibility with existing Pinaka launchers.
The system was developed by multiple DRDO labs including ARDE, HEMRL, DRDL, and RCI. The test strengthens India’s indigenous rocket artillery capability, battlefield mobility, and rapid deployment efficiency.
INSV Kaundinya commenced its maiden international voyage from Porbandar to Muscat on December 29, 2025.
The vessel is constructed using ancient stitched shipbuilding techniques, reviving historic India–Oman maritime links and highlighting India’s seafaring heritage.
The voyage strengthens maritime diplomacy and cultural ties in the Indian Ocean Region.
🏆 Sports
India delivered an impressive performance at the FIDE World Rapid Chess Championships 2025 held in Doha.
Koneru Humpy – Bronze (Women’s category) with 8.5 points | Arjun Erigaisi – Bronze (Open category) with 9.5 points, finishing behind Magnus Carlsen and Vladislav Artemiev.
Humpy narrowly missed a historic third world rapid title, finishing third on tie-breaks. Other Indian players like Vaishali, Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa, and Nihal Sarin also delivered strong performances.
The results underline India’s growing depth and dominance in global chess.
🔬 Science & Technology
Sheikh Khalifa Medical City, Abu Dhabi, became the first hospital globally to administer ITVISMA gene therapy for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) on December 28, 2025.
One-time, single-dose treatment targeting the SMN1 gene to enable production of SMN protein. Approved for patients aged 2 years and above, including adults.
The breakthrough marks a major milestone in precision medicine and rare disease treatment. However, high treatment costs raise concerns over accessibility and affordability.
The Ministry of Science and Technology has developed PathGennie, an open-source drug discovery software that accurately predicts drug–protein unbinding pathways without introducing artificial distortions.
Benefits of PathGennie include:
- Faster drug discovery timelines
- Improved reliability of simulations
- Reduced R&D costs
The initiative strengthens India’s ecosystem in computational biology, biotechnology, and pharmaceutical innovation, supporting India’s ambition to become a global hub for affordable and advanced drug development.
🕊️ Obituaries
Khaleda Zia, Bangladesh’s first female Prime Minister, passed away at the age of 80 after a prolonged illness.
Served as Prime Minister twice: 1991–1996 and 2001–2006. As leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), she played a pivotal role in restoring democracy.
Born in 1945, she was the widow of former President Ziaur Rahman. Her death marks the end of an era in Bangladesh’s political history, symbolising decades of opposition politics and democratic struggle shaped by her long-standing rivalry with Sheikh Hasina.
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