India’s resolution on ‘Strengthening the Global Management of Wildfires’ was today adopted at the 7th Session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-7) in Nairobi, Kenya. The resolution, moved by India, received wide support from Member States, reaffirming global recognition of the urgent need to address the rising threat of wildfires worldwide.
India underlined that wildfires have emerged as one of the most pressing environmental challenges globally. The resolution aimed at strengthening international cooperation and coordinated action for wildfire management.
The Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Amazon Seller Services Private Ltd. to enable artisans enrolled under the PM Vishwakarma Scheme to access online markets, enhance product visibility and expand their customer base across India.
The PM Vishwakarma Scheme launched on 17th September 2023, provides holistic end-to-end support to artisans registered under PM Vishwakarma. It focuses on improving product quality through skill training and modern toolkit, expanding market reach,enabling access to credit, and strengthening traditional skills passed down through generations under the guru-shishya parampara.
Through this MoU, Amazon will collaborate with the Ministry of MSME to support artisans engaged in traditional product-based trades such as carpentry, pottery, metalsmithing, goldsmithing, sculpture, tailoring, locksmithing, basket/mat/coir making, doll and toy making, garland making, cobbler work, etc.
Under this partnership:
Amazon will facilitate onboarding of eligible Vishwakarma artisans onto its online marketplace
MoMSME will assist in obtaining necessary approvals, registrations and clearances from relevant departments as per existing rules.
The partnership will also strengthen visibility for handmade products through Amazon’s Karigar initiative, which showcases India’s rich handicraft heritage and supports digitization of artisans.
PM Vishwakarma beneficiaries also participated in the booth at the Amazon Smbhav Summit 2025 held on 10th December 2025 in New Delhi.
Senior journalist Sangeeta Barooah Pisharoty was on December 14, 2025 elected as the first woman president of the Press Club of India.
Ms. Pisharoty's team swept all office-bearers and managing committee positions, scoring an emphatic 21-0, in the elections held on December 13. The counting of votes took place on December 14, 2025.
Afzal Imam was elected as the secretary general of the Club while Jatin Gandhi emerged victorious as the vice-president.
Aditi Rajput (Treasurer) and P R Sunil (Joint Secretary) were elected unopposed.
The managing committee members are Niraj Kumar, Abhishek Kumar Singh, Jahanvi Sen, Ashok Kaushik, Kallol Bhattacharjee, Praveen Jain, Agraj Pratap Singh, Manoj Sharma, Nyanima Basu, P B Suresh, V P Pandey, Prem Bahukhandi, Sneha Bhura, Javed Akhtar, Rezaul Hasan Laskar, and Sunil Kumar.
Anahat Singh applied the finishing touches as India created history by defeating top seeds Hong Kong China in the final to win the Squash World Cup 2025 title at the Express Avenue Mall in Chennai.
The win marked India’s maiden Squash World Cup title, improving on their previous best finish of a bronze medal at the 2023 edition.
India became the first Asian country to win the Squash World Cup and fourth after Australia, England and Egypt.
After blanking Switzerland and Brazil by identical 4-0 margins in the group stage ties, India dominated South Africa and two-time winners Egypt 3-0 in the quarter and semi-finals, respectively, to earn a title clash at the mixed-team squash event.
India 3-0 Hong Kong China
Joshna Chinappa bt Ka Yi Lee 3-1: 7-3, 2-7 ,7-5, 7-1 (23m)
Abhay Singh bt Alex Lau 3-0: 7-1, 7-4, 7-4 (19m)
Anahat Singh bt Tomato Ho 3-0: 7-2, 7-2, 7-5 (16m)
Velavan Senthilkumar m/w Henry Leung
The Indian squash team, seeded second, did not lose a single match en route to the title.
India's PNB Housing Finance appointed Ajai Kumar Shukla as managing director and chief executive officer for five years starting December 18, sending shares of the mortgage lender up 5%.
Shukla, who has more than three decades of experience in housing and mortgage lending, will replace Girish Kousgi, who was viewed by analysts as a key driver of the company's push into the affordable housing segment, helping its loan book grow faster than rivals.
Shukla is currently the chief business officer at Tata Capital Housing Finance. He has previously held roles in the mortgage businesses of ICICI Bank and LIC Housing Finance.
The government on December 12, 2025 approved a Bill that seeks to open up the tightly-controlled civil nuclear power sector for private participation as India eyes 100 GW atomic energy capacity by 2047.
At a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Union Cabinet is learnt to have approved the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Bill.
Ms. Sitharaman also announced the Nuclear Energy Mission for research and development of small modular reactors or SMRs with an outlay of ₹20,000 crore, and to operationalise five indigenously developed SMRs by 2033.
Chhattisgarh’s Kopra Reservoir in Bilaspur district has been designated a Ramsar site by the Union government, chief minister Vishnu Deo Sai said, calling it “a moment of immense pride” as the state’s first such wetland.
He said the global recognition reflects the state’s rich biodiversity, diverse bird habitats, and sustained water-conservation efforts.
Ramsar sites are wetlands of international importance designated under the Ramsar Convention, headquartered in Gland, Switzerland.
The Chhattisgarh government had submitted a proposal to the Centre seeking Ramsar site status for the Kopra Reservoir last month.
The reservoir, marked by a blend of natural and man-made features, is considered a vital hub for water resources, irrigation, and biodiversity in the region.
The recognition marks a significant step towards the goal under the “Chhattisgarh Anjor Vision 2047,” which aims to secure Ramsar status for 20 wetlands in the state by 2030.
The River Gandak is declared as National Waterway (NW) – 37 under National Waterways Act, 2016. Two jetties have been deployed on NW-37 (River Gandak) at Mangalpur (Nautan) & opposite bank in Bettiah. M/s. Rail India Technical and Economic Service Ltd. (RITES) have been engaged to update the Detailed Project Report (DPR) prepared by Government of Bihar in 2013,
at a cost of Rs. 92.75 lakh.
To ascertain the potential for cargo and passenger movement on the River Gandak, upgradation of DPR has been awarded to M/s RITES.
For operationalization of NW–37 (River Gandak), two Community Jetties have been deployed at Mangalpur (Nautan) & opposite bank in Bettiah.
Routes including waterways for movement of cargo have already been included in the Treaty of Transit between Govt. of India and Nepal.
Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways- Shri Sarbananda Sonowal Ji.
In Shooting, Olympian Raiza Dhillon delivered a commanding performance today at the shotgun ranges, at Karni Singh Shooting Range in Tughlaqabad, claiming a golden double in the Women’s and Junior Women’s Skeet events at the 68th National Shooting Championship Competitions (NSCC).
Raiza shot 56 in the Women’s Skeet final to secure the gold medal, one better than Yashasvi Rathore, who settled for silver with 55. Fellow Olympian Ganemat Shekhon finished third to take bronze after hitting 45 targets.
In the Women’s Skeet Team event, Rajasthan clinched the gold medal, with Yashasvi Rathore, Darshna Rathore and Olympian Maheshwari Chauhan 110 combining to 343 hits to top the standings.
Madhya Pradesh finished second with a total score of 328, while Punjab claimed the bronze medal with 325.
Raiza continued her dominant run in the Junior Women’s Skeet final, shooting 55 to finish one ahead of Vanshika Tiwari, who took silver with 54. Mansi Raghuwanshi won the bronze medal with 45. Punjab finished third to claim the bronze medal with 314.
Rupee depreciated 9 paise to an all-time low of 90.58 against US dollar in early trade, weighed down by uncertainty over an India-US trade deal and persistent foreign fund outflows.
Forex traders said rupee is trading with a negative bias as investors are in wait and watch mode and awaiting cues from the India-US trade deal front.
At the interbank foreign exchange market, the rupee opened at 90.53 against the US dollar, then fell further to an all-time intraday low of 90.58 against the greenback, registering a fall of 9 paise over its previous close.
The rupee had slipped 17 paise to close at an all-time low of 90.49 against the American currency.
Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, was trading 0.05 per cent lower at 98.35.
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, was trading higher by 0.52 per cent at USD 61.44 per barrel in futures trade.
On the domestic equity market front, the 30-share benchmark index Sensex was trading 298.86 points lower at 84,968.80, while the Nifty was down 121.40 points at 25,925.55.
Foreign Institutional Investors sold equities worth Rs 1,114.22 crore on Friday, according to exchange data.
The President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu, presented the National Energy Conservation Awards 2025 and National Painting Competition on Energy Conservation prizes in New Delhi (December 14, 2025) on the occasion of National Energy Conservation Day.
In 2025, with the adoption of resolution A/RES/80/106, the United Nations established 14 December as the International Day Against Colonialism in All Its Forms and Manifestations. This observance reaffirms the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples (Resolution 1514 (XV)),
emphasizing the necessity of bringing to a speedy and unconditional end colonialism in all its forms and manifestations.
This International Day supports the UN’s determination to implement the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples and related decisions, and to promote decolonization as one of its main mandates.
