CURRENT AFFAIRS 15 December, 2025

CURRENT AFFAIRS 15 December, 2025

1. A NEW RESEARCH PAPER BY ARVIND PANAGARIYA, CHAIRMAN OF THE 16TH FINANCE COMMISSION, FINDS THAT INDIA HAS “VIRTUALLY ELIMINATED” EXTREME POVERTY BETWEEN 2011–12 AND 2023–24 –

What are the Key Highlights of the Study on Poverty?

• Extreme Poverty Nearly Eliminated: Poverty fell from 21.9% to 2.3% between 2011–12 and 2023–24, indicating near-elimination of extreme poverty driven by rising consumption and better access to welfare, nutrition, and basic services.
• Poverty Declined Across all Social Groups: SCs, STs, OBCs and FCs all saw major reductions, with ST poverty dropping to 8.7%, though remaining higher than other groups.
• Religious poverty gaps have sharply narrowed, with Muslims now recording slightly lower rural poverty than Hindus, reversing the common perception of higher Muslim poverty.
• Faster Reduction in Rural Areas: Rural poverty declined by 22.5 percentage points, outpacing urban reduction of 12.6 points due to stronger welfare and consumption growth.
• Near-Zero Poverty: Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Goa, Delhi, Chandigarh, and Daman & Diu recorded poverty levels close to zero.

What is Poverty?

• Poverty: According to the World Bank, poverty is “pronounced deprivation in well-being.” The poor are those who do not have sufficient income or consumption to rise above an adequate minimum threshold.
• The international poverty line, which is used to measure extreme poverty in low-income economies, is set at USD 3.00 per person per day (based on 2021 purchasing power parity).
• According to NITI Aayog, poverty is measured by setting a poverty line (the minimum expenditure needed to meet basic socially acceptable needs) and the poverty ratio denotes the share of the population living below this line.

Poverty Estimation in India:

• Post-Independence: The Planning Commission (1962) initiated an official poverty assessment.
• Later committees like Alagh Committee (1979) and Lakdawala Committee (1993) refined the methodology, focusing on consumption expenditure and calorie norms.
• Tendulkar Committee (2009): Shifted from calorie-based norms, recommended a uniform all-India Poverty Line Basket (PLB), and adopted Mixed Reference Period (MRP) consumption data.
• It estimated the 2011–12 poverty line at Rs 816 (rural) and Rs 1,000 (urban) per capita per month.
• Rangarajan Committee (2014): Formed after criticism of the Tendulkar method, it reverted to separate rural and urban PLBs, estimating Rs 972 (rural) and Rs 1,407 (urban) per capita per month.

2. INDIA RANKS AS WORLD’S THIRD MOST COMPETITIVE NATION IN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, AFTER US AND CHINA –

• India has emerged as the world’s third most competitive country in artificial intelligence, ranking behind only the United States and China. The finding comes from Stanford University’s Global AI Vibrancy Tool, highlighting India’s growing influence in the global AI race despite its lower-middle-income status.

Stanford AI Vibrancy Rankings

• According to the latest data, the United States leads global AI competitiveness with a vibrancy score of 78.6, reflecting its dominance across research, infrastructure, policy, and economic impact. China ranks second with a score of 36.95, driven by strong performance in talent development, infrastructure, and AI-led economic activity. India stands third with a score of 21.59, outperforming several advanced economies, including the United Kingdom, Japan, Germany, France, Canada, Singapore, and South Korea.

3. INDIA’S FOREIGN RESERVES TOUCH $687.26 BILLION IN DECEMBER 2025 –

• India’s foreign exchange reserves saw a moderate rise in the week ending December 12, 2025, increasing by USD 1.03 billion to reach USD 687.26 billion. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) released this update, noting that the central bank continues to monitor the foreign exchange market closely to ensure stability. The latest rise comes after a decline in the previous week, signalling a balanced recovery supported by gold reserves and SDR gains.

Latest Data

• According to RBI’s weekly statistical supplement, the components of the reserves moved as follows,

Key Movements Category Wise

• Total forex reserves: Up by USD 1.03 billion, now at USD 687.26 billion
• Foreign Currency Assets (FCA): Fell by USD 151 million to USD 556.88 billion
• Gold reserves: Increased notably by USD 1.188 billion to USD 106.984 billion
• Special Drawing Rights (SDRs): Rose by USD 93 million to USD 18.721 billion
• FCA remains the largest segment of India’s forex basket, and its movement reflects changes in the valuation of currencies such as the euro, pound, and yen against the US dollar.

What is Forex Resrves?

• Forex reserves are crucial for maintaining confidence in the economy, stabilising the currency, and meeting external obligations. India’s reserves include,

1. Foreign Currency Assets (FCA)
2. Gold reserves
3. Special Drawing Rights (SDRs)
4. RBI’s reserve position with the IMF

4. CHHATTISGARH GETS ITS FIRST RAMSAR SITE: KOPRA RESERVOIR DECLARED WETLAND OF INTERNATIONAL IMPORTANCE –

• Chhattisgarh has achieved a major environmental milestone with the declaration of the Kopra Reservoir in Bilaspur district as the state’s first Ramsar Site. This recognition places Chhattisgarh on the global map of wetlands of international importance, strengthening India’s commitment to biodiversity conservation, sustainable water management, and climate resilience.

Kopra Reservoir Earns Ramsar Recognition

• The Ramsar designation for Kopra Reservoir was officially announced on 12 December 2025. The recognition followed coordinated efforts by the State Wetland Authority, forest officials, environmental experts, researchers, and local communities.

Why Kopra Reservoir Is Unique

• It is a freshwater wetland system shaped by both natural and man-made features
• The reservoir is primarily rain-fed
• Supported by small seasonal streams
• Acts as a crucial water body in a semi-rural landscape

5. UNION CABINET APPROVES CENSUS OF INDIA 2027 AT ₹11,718.24 CRORE COST –

• The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the proposal to conduct the Census of India 2027 at an estimated cost of ₹11,718.24 crore. The exercise will be the largest administrative and statistical operation undertaken in the country and is aimed at generating updated, high-quality demographic and socio-economic data to support evidence-based policymaking at all levels of governance.

Phased Census Timeline and Coverage

• Census 2027 will be conducted in two phases. The Houselisting and Housing Census will take place from April to September 2026, followed by Population Enumeration in February 2027. In snow-bound and non-synchronous areas such as Ladakh, parts of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, population enumeration will be carried out earlier in September 2026. The census will cover the entire population of the country, visiting every household and collecting detailed information through structured questionnaires.

MCQ QUIZ

Q1.   National Film Heritage Mission (NFHM) was launched by which ministry ?

1. a) Ministry of Culture
2. b) Ministry of Information & Broadcasting
3. c) Ministry of Education
4. d) Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology

Q2.   Who has been named TIME magazine’s “2025 CEO of the Year” ?

1. a) Sundar Pichai
2. b) Satya Nadella
3. c) Neal Mohan
4. d) Parag Agrawal

Q3.   Which country has introduced a world-first ban preventing children under 16 from using major social media platforms ?

1. a) United States
2. b) United Kingdom
3. c) Canada
4. d) Australia

Q4.   With reference to India’s First Indigenous Hydrogen Fuel Cell Passenger Vessel, consider the following statements:

1. It is a 24-metre hydrogen fuel cell-powered AC catamaran launched for commercial service on the Yamuna river.
2. The vessel’s propulsion system utilizes Low-Temperature PEM fuel cell technology.
3. The only emission from the vessel during operation is water, making it completely pollution-free.

          How many of the statements given above are correct ?

1. a) Only one
2. b) Only two
3. c) All three
4. d) None

Explanation-

• About India’s First Indigenous Hydrogen Fuel Cell Passenger Vessel:
• A 24-metre hydrogen fuel cell-powered AC catamaran crafted for zero-emission passenger movement, ensuring clean mobility on inland waterways.
• Location: Namo Ghat, Varanasi — the vessel’s maiden commercial run began here along the Ganga.
• Developed by: Cochin Shipyard Ltd (CSL), showcasing indigenous excellence in clean marine engineering.
• Statement 1 is incorrect. The vessel is a 24-metre hydrogen fuel cell-powered AC catamaran, but its maiden commercial run was launched at Namo Ghat, Varanasi, along the Ganga river, not the Yamuna.
• Statement 2 is correct. The propulsion utilizes Low-Temperature PEM fuel cell technology.
• Statement 3 is correct. The vessel emits only water, ensuring completely pollution-free navigation. This aligns with the feature of a Hydrogen Fuel Cell, which converts hydrogen and oxygen into electricity, yielding only water and heat.
• Since only two statements (2 and 3) are correct, option (b) is the answer.

Q5.   With reference to the Sea of Japan (East Sea), consider the following statements:

1. It is a major marginal sea of the western Pacific Ocean, bounded by Japan to the west and the Korean Peninsula to the east.
2. It is connected to the Pacific Ocean via several narrow straits, including the Korea Strait and the La Perouse Strait.
3. The core flashpoint between Japan and Russia involves the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands located within the Sea of Japan.

          Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?

1. a) 1 only
2. b) 2 only
3. c) 3 only
4. d) 1 and 3 only

Explanation-

• About Sea of Japan:
• The Sea of Japan is a major marginal sea of the western Pacific Ocean, characterised by a deep, semi-enclosed basin with restricted water exchange through narrow straits.
• Statement 1 is incorrect. The Sea of Japan (East Sea) is a major marginal sea of the western Pacific Ocean. However, it is bounded by the Korean Peninsula and Russia to the west and the Japanese archipelago (Hokkaido, Honshu, and Kyushu) to the east. The statement reverses the positions of Japan and the Korean Peninsula.
• Statement 2 is correct. It is a semi-enclosed basin with restricted water exchange through several narrow straits, including the Korea Strait (via Tsushima Strait) and La Perouse Strait.
• Statement 3 is incorrect. The Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands are a core flashpoint between Japan, China, and Taiwan, and they are located in the East China Sea, not the Sea of Japan. The core territorial dispute between Japan and Russia involves the Kuril Islands (or Northern Territories to Japan), which are located north of Japan, near the Sea of Okhotsk and the Pacific Ocean.

Answer Key