U.S. Pauses all Immigration Applications From 19 Non-European Countries including Afghanistan
U.S. President Donald Trump's administration on December 2, 2025 said it paused all immigration applications, including green card and U.S. citizenship processing, filed by immigrants from 19 non-European countries, citing concerns over national security and public safety.
The pause applies to people from 19 countries that were already subjected to a partial travel ban in June, placing further restrictions on immigration — a core feature of U.S. President Donald Trump's political platform.
India Assumes Chairship of International IDEA, CEC Gyanesh Kumar Represents Country
India invited for the first time to chair the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA). On behalf of India, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar assumed the Chairship of International IDEA in Stockholm, Sweden, in December 2025. Over India's chairship, CEC Gyanesh Kumar said the entire world knows and acknowledges the successful conduct of free, fair and transparent elections in India. He further said that it is a moment of great pride for all the citizens and election workers of India.
Established in 1995, International IDEA is an intergovernmental organisation with a current membership of 37 countries, including the United States and Japan as Observers. International IDEA also held an observer status in the United Nations General Assembly since 2003. India is a founding member of International IDEA and has participated actively in governance processes and collaborated on electoral research, capacity building and training programmes.
MapmyIndia Mappls Partners with Zoho CRM for Location Intelligence
MapmyIndia Mappls, a digital mapping and geospatial technology company, and Zoho, a global technology company headquartered in India, in December 2025, announced a collaboration to integrate MapmyIndia's Address Capture and Nearby Lead Finder features directly within Zoho CRM.
With this integration, Zoho CRM users can capture verified addresses, visualize customer locations, discover potential leads in nearby areas, and optimize sales routes — all powered by MapmyIndia's indigenous mapping platform, which has been digitally mapping India since 1995. This collaboration empowers businesses to operate more efficiently, serve customers better, and make informed, location-aware decisions — using technology rooted in India's soil.
RBI Retains SBI, HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank as Systemically Important Banks
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said in December 2025, that State Bank of India (SBI), HDFC Bank, and ICICI Bank will continue to be classified as systemically important banks.
Systemically important banks are ones which are too big to fail due to their size, cross-jurisdictional activities, complexity, lack of substitutability, and interconnectedness. The disorderly failure of these banks has the potential to cause significant disruption to the essential services they provide to the banking system, and in turn, to the overall economic activity.
RBI Promotes Usha Janakiraman as Executive Director with Immediate Effect
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI), in December 2025, appointed Usha Janakiraman as Executive Director (ED) with immediate effect. Prior to being promoted as ED, Janakiraman was serving as Chief General Manager-in-charge, Department of Regulation, Central Office, Mumbai. She has experience of more than three decades in the RBI having worked in the areas of regulation, external investment and operations, banking supervision, public debt management, currency management and other areas in the Central bank.
As Executive Director, she will look after the Department of Supervision (Risk, Analytics and Vulnerability Assessment). Smt. Janakiraman is a Chartered Accountant.
Erling Haaland Becomes Fastest Player to 100 Premier League goals, Beats Alan Shearer's Record
Manchester City's Erling Haaland became the fastest player to reach 100 Premier League goals with his blistering left-footed strike in the 17th minute of a wild 5-4 victory at Fulham in December 2025.
City winger Jeremy Doku crossed to the big Norwegian who finished with a first-time shot, achieving the feat in 111 games, 13 fewer than the previous fastest centurion Alan Shearer.
DoLR to Organise National Symposium on Naksha and LandStack to Enhance Urban Digital Land Reforms
The Department of Land Resources (DoLR), Ministry of Rural Development, hosted a National Symposium on NAKSHA and LandStack in December 2025 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. Held as part of GeoSmart India 2025, the event aimed to accelerate the use of modern geospatial technology to improve urban land records and strengthen citizen services across the country. The symposium brought together government officials, technical experts, and industry leaders for in-depth discussions on creating a transparent and future-ready digital land system for India.
Vivek Chaturvedi is Appointed as New CBIC Chairman
The Government of India has appointed Vivek Chaturvedi, a 1990-batch Indian Revenue Service (Customs & Indirect Taxes) officer, as the new Chairman of the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC). His selection was approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet, as mentioned in an order issued by the Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT).
Vivek Chaturvedi is a senior IRS officer with more than 30 years of experience in the field of indirect taxes. Over the years, he has worked in several key positions, contributing to tax administration, compliance, and policy matters. His long career in the revenue services has earned him a reputation for leadership and integrity.
India-Maldives Joint Military Exercise Begins in Thiruvananthapuram
The 14th edition of the Joint Military Exercise, EKUVERIN, between the Indian Army and the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) commenced on December 2, 2025 in Thiruvananthapuram.
The Ministry of Defence informed that the bilateral training engagement, scheduled from December 2 to 15, brings together a 45-member Indian Army contingent from a Garhwal Rifles battalion and an equal-strength MNDF contingent.
Derived from the Dhivehi word for "Friends", EKUVERIN symbolises the longstanding bonds of trust, friendship, and military cooperation between India and the Maldives. The exercise, held alternately in both countries since 2009, remains a cornerstone of India's neighbourhood first policy and underlines New Delhi's commitment to strengthening defence partnerships in the Indian Ocean Region, it added.
It further said that over the next two weeks, troops from both nations will engage in joint training to enhance interoperability and operational synergy in counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism (CI/CT) operations across jungle, semi-urban, and coastal terrain. The exercise will include tactical drills, joint mission planning, and exchange of best practices, aimed at improving coordinated responses to shared security challenges.
EKUVERIN-14 highlights the expanding defence cooperation between India and the Maldives and reaffirms their shared commitment to regional peace, stability and maritime security in the Indian Ocean Region.
International Day of Persons with Disabilities 2025
The International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD) is observed every year on 3 December to promote awareness, dignity, and equal opportunities for people with disabilities. The 2025 theme — "Fostering disability inclusive societies for advancing social progress" — highlights a crucial truth: without disability inclusion, no society can achieve real development.
This theme builds on renewed commitments made by global leaders to ensure a just, equitable, and sustainable world where every individual, including persons with disabilities, can participate fully in social, economic, political, and cultural life.
Karnataka Introduces e-Swathu 2.0 for Rural Property Digitalisation
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has launched the upgraded e-Swathu 2.0, a digital platform aimed at regularising rural properties in Karnataka. The system is expected to generate up to Rs. 2,000 crore in revenue by bringing 95 lakh properties in gram panchayats under the tax net.
IIM-Raipur Announces New Business Accelerator Programme with 100% Fee Sponsorship, Applications Underway
Indian Institute of Management Raipur (IIM Raipur) has partnered with the National SC-ST Hub (NSSH) of the Ministry of MSME, Government of India, to launch a comprehensive Business Accelerator programme. Applications for the Business Accelerator programme are open until December 15, 2025, with the programme set to begin on January 17, 2026.
The initiative aims to empower existing and aspiring SC/ST entrepreneurs, start-ups, and small business owners by equipping them with the skills, knowledge, and support essential for scaling their ventures.
The new programme is designed to help participants move beyond survival and achieve sustainable, scalable growth. The programme follows a blended learning model that combines immersive on-campus sessions at IIM Raipur with engaging live online classes. It also offers 72 hours of structured instruction and 18 hours of dedicated mentoring by IIM Raipur faculty, industry leaders, and seasoned practitioners, ensuring a transformative and growth-driven learning experience for every participant.
Delhi Airport Becomes India's First 'Water-Positive' Airport
Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI), in December 2025, achieved a major sustainability milestone, became India's first airport with over 40 million passengers to be certified as 'water-positive'.
A water-positive facility is one that replenishes more water than it consumes—a distinction IGI earned through a combination of innovative infrastructure and water management practices.
The airport now boasts 625 rainwater harvesting structures, two newly constructed underground reservoirs with a total capacity of 9 million litres, and a 16.6 million litre per day (MLD) zero-liquid-discharge sewage treatment plant. These systems allow IGI to capture, store, and recycle water for multiple non-potable purposes.
26th Edition of Hornbill Festival begins in Nagaland
The 26th Hornbill Festival began on 1st December at the Naga Heritage Village in Kisama, Kohima, coinciding with Nagaland's Statehood Day. This ten-day festival brings together all major Naga tribes to celebrate their rich traditions, music, dance, crafts, and local food. Over the years, the Hornbill Festival has become one of India's most famous cultural events.
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