Daily current affairs: 8 December 2025

Long Description : India and Australia reaffirmed their partnership in skills and mobility by focusing on joint initiatives in areas such as sports, advanced construction, and new-age technologies. The discussions emphasised aligning skill standards, encouraging mutual recognition of qualifications, and supporting smoother movement of skilled professionals between the two countries. India proposed an Annual India–Australia Skills Meet to institutionalise dialogue on harmonised standards and future cooperation. The collaboration is also expected to support industry needs in both countries and contribute to India’s broader vision of building a globally competitive workforce for Viksit Bharat 2047.

Long Description : The Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, informed Lok Sabha that the government views youth as catalysts of national development and central to achieving the Developed India 2047 vision. Programmes under the Department of Youth Affairs, including MY Bharat, NSS, RGNIYD, and NPYAD, focus on leadership, community engagement, entrepreneurship exposure and nation-building activities. Over 3.9 million NSS volunteers participate annually in community service and social awareness drives, while initiatives such as the National Youth Festival (now Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue), National Youth Parliament Festival and youth exchange programmes provide platforms for innovation, debate and leadership. These efforts aim to equip youth with skills, values and opportunities for meaningful contribution to social and economic development.

Long Description : India is hosting the 20th session of UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) in New Delhi, with the week-long meeting scheduled to conclude on 13 December 2025. The event at historic venues such as the Red Fort highlights India’s unique combination of tangible and intangible heritage. Delegates are discussing nominations to the ICH Lists, best practices for safeguarding living traditions, and international cooperation frameworks. Hosting this session reinforces India’s long-standing engagement with UNESCO and its commitment to preserving diverse cultural expressions, including festivals, performing arts, traditional craftsmanship and oral traditions, which are crucial for community identity and cultural continuity.

Long Description : The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India notified that it has submitted its formal response to a back-reference from the Department of Telecommunications, as mentioned in a press release dated 08 December 2025. While detailed contents are not fully visible, such back-references usually relate to clarifications or further analysis on TRAI’s earlier recommendations in areas like licensing, tariffs, spectrum or quality of service. This step forms part of the consultative mechanism between the regulator and the government before final policy decisions are taken. For exam purposes, it illustrates the institutional role of TRAI as an independent regulator advising the Union government on telecom regulation and consumer protection.

Long Description : The government issued a press release titled “Welfare of Organised and Unorganised Sectors” detailing steps taken to improve labour welfare. It refers to the four Labour Codes—Code on Wages 2019, Industrial Relations Code 2020, Social Security Code 2020 and Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code 2020—which aim to simplify and modernise labour laws. The note also highlights measures for social security, occupational safety and welfare for informal workers, including platforms such as e‑Shram. For exams, this item is important for labour reforms, social security coverage and the policy objective of formalisation and better working conditions across sectors.

Long Description : A daily bulletin dated 08 December 2025 was issued, carrying updates from the Election Commission among other ministries. Such bulletins typically provide information on poll schedules, voter turnout, law and order arrangements, MCC implementation and other operational aspects of elections. While the full text is not fully visible, the document is relevant for understanding the Election Commission’s routine communication and transparency practices. For competitive exams, this underlines the constitutional role of the Election Commission as an independent body responsible for conducting free and fair elections and keeping the public informed through official bulletins.

Long Description : Speaking at a leadership summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi referred to recently released data showing India’s GDP growth at around 8% in the second quarter of 2025–26. He called this a strong macroeconomic signal, contrasting it with slower global growth and lower growth in advanced economies. The Prime Minister framed India as a high‑growth, relatively low‑inflation economy, attributing progress to reforms, improved macro‑stability and unlocking of previously untapped potential in regions such as the Northeast and sectors like space, blue economy and start‑ups. For exams, this supports themes of India as a global growth engine and the government’s narrative on sustained high growth.

Long Description : A commentary in The Indian Express explained that the Monetary Policy Committee opted for an interest rate cut in the backdrop of GDP growth of about 8.2% in Q2 and very low inflation near 0.25% in October 2025. The author termed this a “goldilocks” situation, allowing the RBI to support growth while keeping its stance neutral. The piece noted supportive factors such as rationalised GST rates, lower income tax burden, strong rural demand and capital expenditure. It also mentioned that growth could moderate later due to external headwinds, while the current account deficit is projected to remain comfortable. For exams, this is relevant for monetary policy, inflation–growth dynamics and external sector trends.

Long Description : An “Explained” article examined the growing gap in India’s merchandise trade, which may cross 300 billion dollars in the current fiscal, and how this is being partly balanced by a record surplus in invisibles like services exports and remittances. The surplus on invisibles has increased sharply since 2007–08 and is expected to hit a new high above 280 billion dollars in 2025–26. However, the piece argues that capital flows and market sentiment continue to influence the rupee’s external value, leading to what it terms a “capital account problem”. For exams, the article is useful for understanding current account dynamics, services‑led strength and currency pressures.

Long Description : The Indian Express carried an article explaining the origin and usage of the phrase “Hindu rate of growth”, originally coined to describe India’s low growth in the pre‑1991 period. Using GDP data, the author argued that India’s growth had started to pick up before the 1991 liberalisation and accelerated significantly thereafter, making the old label outdated. The discussion links this to PM Modi’s remarks and the broader narrative of structural transformation. For aspirants, this topic connects economic history, growth phases, policy reforms and political discourse around development benchmarks.

Long Description : An opinion piece highlighted the limitations of using GDP as the sole measure of economic progress, pointing to extreme air pollution in North Indian cities where AQI levels have crossed 400. The author noted that increased sales of items like air purifiers may add to GDP, but do not indicate genuine welfare improvements. Instead, the article stresses the need for policies that promote decent employment, green technologies and cleaner cities. For exams, this discussion is relevant for inclusive and sustainable growth, environmental economics and critical evaluation of GDP‑centric development models.

Long Description : At a panel on AI and AGI during the India International Science Festival (IISF) 2025, experts from academia and industry discussed India’s strengths in artificial intelligence. Speakers highlighted national AI Centres of Excellence, growing GPU‑based computing infrastructure, and the IndiaAI Mission, which is building sovereign datasets and foundational models tailored to Indian needs. They emphasised that AI is being adopted widely in sectors such as agriculture, climate modelling and language technologies, aided by India’s demographic dividend and supportive policies. For exams, this reflects India’s science and technology priorities, emerging tech policy and aspirations for technological self‑reliance.

Long Description : The Press Information Bureau released its regular daily bulletin for 08 December 2025, compiling key press notes from various ministries in a single document. Such bulletins typically cover announcements on schemes, cabinet decisions, conferences, international engagements and sector‑specific updates. While the detailed list is not fully visible here, the bulletin itself is a useful one‑stop reference for aspirants tracking official developments. It also illustrates PIB’s institutional role as the nodal communication agency of the Government of India, which regularly issues authenticated information for public and media consumption.

Long Description : The press release from November 2025, relevant for the current week, stated that the President of India, Droupadi Murmu, will grace the National Human Rights Commission’s Human Rights Day event at Bharat Mandapam on 10 December 2025. Human Rights Day is observed every year on 10 December to mark the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948. The function typically includes addresses on rights awareness, institutional mechanisms and contemporary rights challenges. For exams, this links to fundamental rights, human rights institutions, NHRC’s role and important days and events observed by constitutional and statutory bodies.

Long Description : A column by economist Surjit Bhalla in The Indian Express compared India’s GDP with major economies, noting that India may soon overtake Japan but still lags behind large sub‑national economies like California. The article contends that favourable growth and macro‑conditions could lead policymakers into complacency, creating a “comfort zone”. It calls for deeper structural reforms to boost productivity, investment and human capital rather than relying solely on high aggregate growth numbers. For aspirants, this article is useful in debates on reform fatigue, long‑term growth strategies and comparative economic performance.

Long Description : The Indian Express live news blog for 08 December 2025 included a segment on unclaimed bank deposits in India’s evolving banking landscape. The note mentioned that the sector has transitioned from paper-based, branch-centric operations to more digital, technology‑driven models, raising issues around dormant accounts and customer awareness. Such items are relevant for banking awareness, financial inclusion and consumer protection frameworks. For examinations, this can be linked with RBI regulations on unclaimed deposits, depositor education and the role of the Depositor Education and Awareness Fund.

Long Description : Among the cultural updates in the Indian Express live blog was an announcement that the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) is organising its renowned Film Appreciation Course in Lucknow. Traditionally conducted in Pune or in collaboration with select institutions, this course introduces participants to film language, aesthetics and history. By taking it to Lucknow, FTII aims to widen access to film education and engage regional audiences and students. For exams, this is relevant for institutions of national importance in culture and media, as well as initiatives promoting art and cultural literacy in different parts of the country.