Weekly Current Affairs Test : 15th to 21st December 2025

A forest department team recently conducted a raid in the Kaimur Wildlife Sanctuary, seizing a large number of deer heads, horns, and animal flesh, and arrested a poacher. Kaimur Wildlife Sanctuary is located in the Kaimur district of Bihar. It lies in the Kaimur Hills range, a region known for its rugged and historically significant terrain. The Kaimur Hills are home to two ancient forts and the Mundeshwari Temple, regarded as one of the oldest Hindu temples in India. It is the largest wildlife sanctuary in Bihar, covering an area of about 1,342 square kilometres.

The National Sanskrit University recently organised a symposium, panel discussion, and exhibition highlighting the unique spiritual and cultural association of the Chenchu tribal community with the Ahobilam shrine and Lord Narasimha. The Chenchus are a food-gathering tribal community that primarily inhabits the Nallamalai forest region of Andhra Pradesh. The Chenchu community is officially classified as a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) in Andhra Pradesh due to its socio-economic conditions. Besides Andhra Pradesh, Chenchu populations are also found in the states of Telangana, Karnataka, and Odisha.

The Union Cabinet has approved the renaming of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) to Pujya Bapu Gramin Rozgar Yojana, signalling a major overhaul of the country’s flagship rural employment scheme. The government has proposed increasing the guaranteed employment under the scheme from 100 days to 125 days per rural household per year. It has also planned to revise the minimum daily wage under the scheme to ₹240, along with additional budgetary allocations to support the expanded scope.

More than 24 countries will participate in the inaugural Commonwealth Kho Kho Championship, scheduled to be held from March 9 to 14 next year. The championship will be hosted in India, although the venue is yet to be finalised. The Kho Kho Federation of India is in discussions with several states to finalise the venue after receiving approval from Commonwealth Sport (CS). The event will feature 16 men’s teams and 16 women’s teams, reflecting equal participation across genders. The tournament will be organised on the lines of the first Kho Kho World Cup, held in January this year in New Delhi, which saw participation from 23 nations.

A first-of-its-kind study in eastern India tracked a bar-headed goose using a GSM–GPS transmitter, revealing its migration route and flight pattern. The bar-headed goose is a migratory bird known as one of the highest-flying birds in the world. It can fly at altitudes of up to 25,000 feet while crossing the Himalayas, surviving extremely low oxygen levels and freezing temperatures. The species is native to Central Asia, where it breeds, and is found across India, Pakistan, Nepal, Kazakhstan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Japan, and nearby regions. In India, its distribution extends from the northeastern region to southern parts of the country. It prefers high-altitude lakes during breeding and freshwater lakes, rivers, and streams during wintering.

India has been ranked third globally in the ‘Artificial Intelligence (AI) Vibrancy’ index by Stanford University, following the US and China. The 2025 version of Stanford’s ‘Global AI Vibrancy Tool’ uses data up to 2024 and assesses countries’ preparedness for AI across seven pillars: Research & Development, Responsible AI, Economy, Talent, Policy & Governance, Public Opinion, and Infrastructure. The tool ranks 36 countries overall, with indicator-level data expanded to 67 countries in the AI Metrics Over Time category.

Chile has elected Jose Antonio Kast as its new president, representing a major shift toward right-wing leadership—the most pronounced since the country’s return to democracy. Kast, leader of the Republican Party, won the runoff election against leftist rival Jeannette Jara, following a polarising campaign focused on crime, migration, and economic stagnation. Since 2010, Chile has alternated between left and right governments; this election follows that pattern but marks a stronger right-wing tilt.

After record-breaking rains, an ancient lake in Death Valley National Park, previously vanished, has reappeared. Death Valley National Park is located in southeastern California, USA, and is the hottest and driest place in North America. It holds the record for the highest temperature ever recorded in the United States. It is the largest national park in the continental US. The valley is a rift valley (graben) formed by the sinking of rock between major block-faulted mountains running parallel in the east and west.

In December 2025, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami launched the “Meri Yojana” Portal in Dehradun to make welfare scheme information easily accessible to citizens. The portal is an online platform aimed at providing citizens with comprehensive information on welfare schemes offered by both the Central and State Governments. It is part of the state government’s effort to ensure transparent, accessible, and time-bound delivery of benefits to eligible citizens. The portal and related initiatives reflect Uttarakhand’s focus on digital governance, DBT-based benefits, citizen awareness, and local economic empowerment.

The Moei River, known as the Tonge Yin River in Myanmar, is an important river in northern Thailand and has recently been in the news as young men from Gujarat were lured across it into alleged cyber-fraud compounds in Myanmar. It is a tributary of the Salween River, joining it after flowing along the Thailand–Myanmar border. The river originates in the Tenasserim Hills, located in the Myanmar–Thailand border region. The Moei River acts as a natural international boundary between Thailand and Myanmar for a significant part of its course.

India’s Centralised Public Grievance Redressal and Monitoring System has reduced pending public grievances by 74 percent since 2021. Centralised Public Grievance Redressal and Monitoring System is a 24×7 online platform for citizens to file service delivery complaints. It is developed and monitored by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances under the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances, and Pensions. It works as a single portal connected to all Union and State government ministries and departments. Citizens can access it through the website, a mobile app, and the Unified Mobile Application for New-age Governance.

Since its start in 2009–10, the Capacity Building for Service Providers Scheme has trained about 6,43,000 people, with over 84,000 getting jobs in the tourism industry. It is a Central Government scheme launched by the Ministry of Tourism to develop India’s tourism potential. The scheme focuses on skill development and certification for both organised and unorganised tourism and hospitality sectors. Training programmes are conducted across urban, rural, and tribal areas of the country.

A new study warns that heavy use of artemisinin and favourable conditions can create new hotspots of drug resistance, with resistance markers slowly rising in parts of Africa. Artemisinin is an antimalarial drug obtained from the sweet wormwood plant called Artemisia annua. It was discovered in the 1970s and became a major breakthrough when malaria parasites developed resistance to older drugs like chloroquine. It is effective against all malaria-causing parasites of the Plasmodium genus, mainly during the blood stage. Artemisinin quickly reduces parasites but stays in the body for a short time, so it is combined with other drugs. The World Health Organization recommends artemisinin-based combination therapies as the standard treatment for Plasmodium falciparum malaria.

Indian cricketer Shikhar Dhawan launched his autobiography The One: Cricket, My Life and More at an event in New Delhi. The launch highlighted how mindset and manifestation shaped his cricket career and life decisions. The book reflects principles that guide his venture Da One Group, which focuses on structured athlete development and grassroots sports. He also linked the book’s philosophy to the Shikhar Dhawan Foundation, working in education and community development.

Migratory birds have begun arriving at the Vellode Bird Sanctuary located at Vadamugam Vellode, about 12 kilometres from Erode district in Tamil Nadu. It is one of the most famous bird sanctuaries in Tamil Nadu and lies on the Central Asian Flyway, a major migratory route. The sanctuary receives rainfall mainly from the Northeast Monsoon between September and December. It acts as a breeding and resting ground for both resident and migratory birds.

A new species of snakehead fish has been discovered and named Channa bhoi. It was found in a small mountain stream near Iewmawlong village in the Ri-Bhoi district of Meghalaya. The species is named to honour the indigenous Bhoi community of the Khasi tribe living in Ri-Bhoi. It belongs to the Gachua group of snakehead fishes, a group rich in species diversity in the Eastern Himalayan region.

Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN) reviewed construction progress of the 900 Megawatt (MW) Arun-3 Hydroelectric Project (HEP) in Nepal. Arun-3 is a run-of-the-river project on the Arun River, a tributary of the Koshi River, in Sankhuwasabha district, Eastern Nepal. It is developed by SJVN Arun-III Power Development Company (SAPDC), a wholly-owned subsidiary of SJVN, on Build-Own-Operate-Transfer (BOOT) basis. SJVN is a joint venture between Government of India and Government of Himachal Pradesh.

Indian Army received the last 3 AH-64E Apache attack helicopters, completing a fleet of 6, based at 451 Army Aviation Squadron, Jodhpur (Rajasthan). AH-64E Apache, also called Apache Guardian, is the most advanced multi-role combat helicopter in the world. It performs advanced reconnaissance, precision strikes, and close air support missions. It was developed by the United States. AH-64E is the latest and most upgraded version used by the United States Army.

Scientists have raised concerns that Narpuh Wildlife Sanctuary is facing serious conservation challenges due to limestone mining and cement factory activities nearby. The sanctuary is located in the East Jaintia Hills district, near Jowai town, in Meghalaya. It was officially notified as a wildlife sanctuary in 2014, and it is the only protected area in the Jaintia Hills region. The sanctuary is surrounded by Reserve Forests on all sides except the south-west side, which shares a boundary with the Assam.

Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi received Ethiopia’s highest civilian honour, “The Great Honour Nishan of Ethiopia,” from Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali. The award was conferred during a special ceremony at the Addis International Convention Centre. It recognises Modi’s exceptional contribution to strengthening India–Ethiopia partnership and his global leadership. He became the first head of state/head of government globally to receive this honour. He dedicated the award to the 1.4 billion (140 crore) people of India.

Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) informed that CSIR–Central Food Technological Research Institute (CSIR–CFTRI), Mysuru worked on four Grant-in-Aid projects on annatto. Annatto is a natural food colour and flavour from seeds of the achiote tree (Bixa orellana), native to tropical Americas. Nearly 70% of natural food colours come from annatto, giving yellow-orange colour to cheese, butter, yogurt, sausages, smoked fish, ice cream, and baked goods. Colour comes from carotenoid pigments; seeds are ground into powder or paste or extracted as dye. It adds mild peppery, nutty and floral flavour; safe in normal amounts but may cause allergies.

BharatNet is an ambitious Government of India project approved in 2011 to provide broadband connectivity to all Gram Panchayats (GPs) in the country. It aims to offer open and unrestricted broadband access to telecom operators, Internet Service Providers (ISPs), Cable TV operators, and content providers to enable services such as e-health, e-education, and e-governance in rural areas. Phase I is complete and Phase II is ongoing and aims to connect 1.5 lakh additional Gram Panchayats. Phase III is ongoing and focuses on future-proofing the network by integrating 5G technology.

Kavach is an indigenously developed Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system designed to improve railway operational safety across the Indian Railways network. It was developed by the Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO) of Indian Railways. As of December 2025, the system has been commissioned on over 2,000 km of railway routes, with 7,129 km of Optical Fibre Cable (OFC) laid, 860 telecom towers installed, 767 stations connected, 3,413 km of trackside equipment deployed, and 4,154 locomotives fitted with Kavach. About 40,000 technicians and operators have been trained, reflecting the scale of operational readiness.

Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICGS) Sarthak is an Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) that made a port call at Chabahar, Iran. It is the 4th of 5 Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPVs) built by Goa Shipyard Limited for the Indian Coast Guard (ICG). Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs) are multi-mission platforms for concurrent operations. It was commissioned on 28 October 2021. It functions as a command platform for search and rescue, anti-maritime crime, and marine environment protection duties.

Sai Jadhav, at 23, became the first woman officer to graduate from the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Dehradun, breaking a 93-year tradition since its opening in 1932. More than 67,000 cadets have graduated from IMA until now; Sai is the first woman to do so. Sai has been commissioned as a Lieutenant in the Territorial Army, the first woman from IMA to join through this route. She will make history again in June 2026 during the IMA parade at Chetwode Building, symbolizing institutional change.

The Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting informed Lok Sabha about the Development Communication and Information Dissemination Scheme. It is a Central Sector Scheme under Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB). It supports information dissemination and citizen outreach for Government programmes, schemes and initiatives. Central Bureau of Communication (CBC) is a unit under Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) providing communication solutions to Ministries, Departments, Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) and autonomous bodies.

The Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying informed Rajya Sabha about white spot disease. It is a highly contagious viral infection affecting crustaceans like prawns, yabbies and crabs. It is caused by White Spot Syndrome Virus (WSSV). All decapod crustaceans (order Decapoda) from marine, brackish and freshwater environments are susceptible.

Forest Department recorded sighting of two Wild Dogs (Dholes) in Kheoni Wildlife Sanctuary. Kheoni Wildlife Sanctuary is located in Madhya Pradesh and has dry deciduous forests. Dhole is a wild canid carnivorous species, also called Indian wild dog, whistling dog, red wolf, red dog and mountain wolf. It inhabits dense jungles, mountains, steppes, scrub and pine forests. It is found across Central, Eastern and Southeastern Asia; stronghold in India’s Western and Eastern Ghats. It is listed as endangered in IUCN conservation status.

Jharkhand approved the Platform Based Gig Workers (Registration and Welfare) Act, 2025 with Governor Santosh Gangwar’s assent. The Act provides a formal welfare and social security system for gig and platform workers. It covers delivery, transport and on-demand service workers. A Gig Workers’ Welfare Board will handle registration, identity cards and welfare schemes. The Act mandates minimum wages, medical insurance and social security benefits for workers. Aggregators violating provisions may face penalties up to ₹10 lakh. Jharkhand becomes one of the first states to regulate the gig economy through a dedicated law.

Jharkhand won their maiden Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2025, beating Haryana by 69 runs in Pune. Captain Ishan Kishan smashed 101 off 49 balls; Kumar Kushagra scored 81 off 38. Jharkhand posted 262/3 in 20 overs – highest total in an Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) final and 5th highest overall. The Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy is a domestic Twenty20 (T20) cricket tournament in India. It is organised by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The tournament is named after former Indian Test cricketer Syed Mushtaq Ali.