Current Affairs - December 29, 2025 Current Affairs

The REPM scheme represents a strategic initiative to build India’s first fully integrated domestic manufacturing ecosystem for high-value rare earth permanent magnets. Its core focus is to promote manufacturing of sintered rare earth permanent magnets, which are vital for sectors such as electric vehicles, renewable energy, electronics, aerospace, and defence. By developing end-to-end capacity from rare earth oxides to finished magnets, the scheme aims to reduce dependence on imports, particularly from China. With an approved outlay of over ₹7,000 crore, the initiative supports long-term national goals like Atmanirbhar Bharat and Viksit Bharat by 2047 while strengthening supply-chain resilience.

The archaeological discovery involved the excavation of an ancient Buddhist site located in Zehanpora village, which falls within the Baramulla district of Kashmir. Researchers identified Kushan-era stupas and monastic buildings, pointing to the region’s strong Buddhist heritage around 2,000 years ago. The location was pinpointed using a combination of historical clues, including blurred photographs preserved in a French museum and modern drone surveys that revealed artificial mounds. The findings are significant as they connect ancient Kashmir with the Gandhara trade route and the Kushan capital of Huvishkapura, highlighting Baramulla’s historical importance.

Madhya Pradesh is set to become the first state in India to introduce medical colleges under the public-private partnership model. The initiative involves establishing new medical colleges in the districts of Dhar and Betul, where private partners will be responsible for building the required infrastructure. At the same time, the state government will retain administrative control over the associated district hospitals. These hospitals will be upgraded in strict compliance with National Medical Commission norms, ensuring quality medical education and healthcare delivery. This model aims to strengthen medical infrastructure while maintaining public oversight.

A strategic memorandum of understanding was signed to strengthen research and technical collaboration in the field of non-metallic materials such as polymers, ceramics, and technical textiles. The agreement emphasizes joint research activities, shared testing facilities, and coordinated efforts to enhance material evaluation capabilities crucial for national defence. In addition to research and testing, the collaboration also includes organizing seminars and workshops aimed at building technical skills and knowledge among professionals. Through this partnership, National Test House plays a key role in supporting advanced material development and quality assurance aligned with defence requirements.

The Women’s Singles title at the 87th Senior National Badminton Championships was claimed by Surya Charishma Tamiri, marking a significant achievement in her badminton career. The prestigious national tournament was held in Vijayawada and featured top players from across the country competing in various categories. While Surya Charishma Tamiri emerged victorious in the women’s singles event, the championships also saw Rithvik Sanjeevi S winning the men’s singles title. Multiple doubles titles were decided as well, highlighting the depth of talent and competitive spirit present at the national level of Indian badminton.

The achievement highlights a significant milestone in Indian chess on the global stage, achieved by Arjun Erigaisi. Finishing third with an impressive score of 9.5 out of 13 points, Arjun Erigaisi delivered a consistent and high-quality performance throughout the championship. A crucial victory in the final round allowed him to edge past strong competitors such as Hans Niemann and Leinier Dominguez on tiebreaks. This result marked India’s first male podium finish at the World Rapid Chess Championship since Viswanathan Anand, underscoring Arjun Erigaisi’s rise as a leading figure in international chess.

Koneru Humpy delivered an outstanding performance at the World Rapid Championship by finishing joint-first with a score of 8.5 out of 11 points. Despite remaining undefeated throughout the tournament, she had to settle for the bronze medal due to inferior tiebreaks after a draw in the final round denied her a chance at gold. The championship title was eventually claimed by Aleksandra Goryachkina following a playoff win against China’s Zhu Jiner. Koneru Humpy’s consistent and resilient play once again highlighted her status as one of India’s most accomplished and reliable chess grandmasters on the global stage.

The initiatives highlighted involve major dairy and cooperative infrastructure developments inaugurated by Union Home Minister Amit Shah. These include the Vita Milk Chilling Centre at Salempur village in Bhiwani district, constructed by the Haryana Dairy Cooperative Development Federation at a cost of ₹3.30 crore, and the HAFED Flour Mill at Jatusana in Rewari district. Additionally, a portal dedicated to the International Year of Cooperatives was launched. All the locations mentioned—Bhiwani and Rewari districts—are administrative regions within the state of Haryana, clearly identifying Haryana as the state where these projects were inaugurated.

This launch marked an important advancement in iran’s space and satellite development capabilities. The country successfully sent three domestically built satellites—Paya, Zafar-2, and Kowsar-1.5—into a 500 km low-Earth orbit with the assistance of a Russian Soyuz rocket. The mission focuses on practical applications such as agriculture planning, water management, and environmental monitoring. Among the satellites, Paya stands out as iran’s heaviest-ever satellite deployment at 150 kg and is equipped with high-resolution color imaging technology, demonstrating growing technical expertise in space-based observation systems.

The record-setting Santa Claus sculpture was created by Sudarsan Pattnaik, a renowned sand artist and Padma Shri awardee known for his large-scale and socially themed artworks. The massive sculpture was unveiled at Niladri Beach in Puri, Odisha, and gained global attention for its unique use of materials. Approximately 1.5 tonnes of apples were combined with sand to construct the artwork, which measured 60 feet in length, 45 feet in width, and 22 feet in height. The creative achievement was officially recognised by the World Records Book of India, highlighting Sudarsan Pattnaik’s innovation and artistic excellence.