🎭 Culture & Important Events

🔷 International Universal Health Coverage Day

International Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Day is observed annually across the globe on December 12.
Objective: To raise awareness about the need for accessible, affordable, high-quality health services for all without financial hardship.
Theme 2025: The global theme for this year is “Unaffordable health costs? We're sick of it!”
Goal: UHC is a key component of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3 (Good Health and Well-being) and helps countries build strong, resilient health systems.

💰 Economy & Banking

🔷 ADB Raises India’s FY26 Growth Forecast to 7.2%

The Asian Development Bank (ADB), in its Asian Development Outlook (ADO) December 2025, revised India's GDP growth forecast for FY26 to 7.2%.
Previous Forecast: This is an upward revision of 70 basis points (bps) from their earlier estimate of 6.5%.
Reason: The revision is due to India's stronger-than-expected Q2 performance (8.2% growth), powered by robust domestic consumption and the positive effects of recent tax/GST reforms.
Inflation Outlook: ADB also revised India's FY26 inflation projection down to 2.6% from 3.1%, citing lower food prices and favourable monsoon conditions.

🔷 Centre Launches 'Your Money, Your Right' Movement

The Ministry of Finance launched the 'Your Money, Your Right' movement to help citizens claim their unclaimed funds in banks, insurance, and mutual funds.
Scale of Unclaimed Funds: Approximately ₹78,000 crore is lying unclaimed with Indian banks, with significant amounts also in insurance and mutual fund companies.
Tool for Banks: The UDGAM Portal (Unclaimed Deposits – Gateway to Access inforMation) is the central platform used for checking unclaimed bank deposits.
Goal: The movement aims to ensure the financial security of citizens by returning lost money and to improve the efficiency of the financial system.

🔬 Science & Technology

🔷 ISRO Plans Gaganayaan Mission with LVM in 2027

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) announced plans to use the Launch Vehicle Mark (LVM) for the Gaganayaan Human Spaceflight Mission in 2027.
Launch Vehicle: The LVM (formerly GSLV Mk III) is ISRO's most powerful rocket and will be used to launch Indian astronauts into space.
Significance: Gaganayaan marks India's first attempt to send a crewed mission into space, demonstrating major progress in human spaceflight capability.
Related Update: The Jal Shakti Hackathon – 2025 was launched to promote innovation in water security, aligned with 'Water Vision @2047'.

🔷 Agentic AI Focuses on Autonomous Decision-Making

India is witnessing strong momentum in the deployment of Agentic AI (Artificial Intelligence).
Definition: Agentic AI uses AI agents (machine learning models) that can set goals, plan, and execute tasks autonomously with minimal human involvement.
Difference: Unlike traditional AI that only responds to commands, Agentic AI mimics human decision-making to solve complex problems in real-time.
Relevance: This advanced AI is crucial for India’s growth in sectors like data analysis, logistics, and complex industrial automation.

🏆 Awards & Honours

🔷 Alia Bhatt Wins Golden Globe Horizon Award

Indian actress Alia Bhatt was honoured with the inaugural Golden Globe Horizon Award at the Red Sea International Film Festival.
Location: The film festival was held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Reason: The award recognizes her rising impact and exceptional talent in international cinema.

🔷 Supriya Sahu Wins UNEP Champions of the Earth Award

Ms. Supriya Sahu, Additional Chief Secretary of Tamil Nadu, received the UN Environment Programme’s (UNEP) 2025 Champions of the Earth Award.
Category: She was honoured in the Policy Leadership category.
Contribution: The award recognizes her exceptional work in sustainable cooling, plastic pollution reduction, and ecosystem restoration in the state.

🪖 Defence & Security

🔷 Indian Navy Commissions Diving Support Craft A20

The Indian Navy commissioned the Diving Support Craft (DSC) A20 at Kochi under the Southern Naval Command.
Type: DSC A20 is the first vessel of the indigenously designed and constructed Diving Support Craft.
Capability: The craft will enhance the Navy's ability to conduct diving support, underwater inspection, and salvage assistance operations along the coast.

🌐 International Relations & Agreements

🔷 Mexico Imposes New Tariffs on Indian Goods

Mexico imposed new tariffs, ranging from 5% to 50%, on imports from countries without a Free Trade Agreement (FTA), including India.
Duration: The duties are scheduled to remain in force for two years, until 2027.
Impact: While analysts believe the overall impact on India’s total exports will be limited, it poses a challenge for specific textile, steel, and electronic goods exports to Mexico.

📌 December 12, 2025 General Knowledge

Universal Health Coverage Day: Observed annually on December 12 to promote health for all and mark the UN General Assembly's 2012 resolution urging countries to accelerate UHC progress.
1911 (Capital Shift): On this day, King George V announced the decision to shift India’s capital from Calcutta to Delhi.
1959 (UN): The UN General Assembly adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child.
1963 (Kenya): Kenya gained complete independence from the United Kingdom.