International Relations & Politics:
The 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit concluded with Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to New Delhi on December 4-5, 2025. During the summit, India and Russia exchanged sixteen agreements across diverse sectors including defense, trade, economy, healthcare, academics, culture, and media. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed confidence that the two nations would achieve their USD 100 billion bilateral trade target well ahead of the 2030 deadline. Discussions are also in progress for an early Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the Eurasian Economic Union. Further strengthening ties, India announced the launch of a free 30-day e-tourist visa and a 30-day Group Tourist Visa for Russian citizens, while Russia committed to joining the International Big Cat Alliance. Cooperation in space, science, and technology was also reaffirmed, with ongoing collaboration between ISRO and Roscosmos. President Putin extended an invitation to PM Modi for the 24th India-Russia Annual Summit in Moscow in 2026.
The summit took place amidst existing tensions in India-US relations, particularly concerning increased US tariffs on Indian exports, partly aimed at influencing India's oil purchases from Russia. A US trade delegation is expected to visit New Delhi next week for trade deal discussions. Domestically, there was political discourse surrounding the dinner hosted for President Putin, with reports indicating that Rahul Gandhi was not invited, while Shashi Tharoor was.
Economy:
The Reserve Bank of India's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) unanimously decided to cut the policy repo rate by 25 basis points, bringing it down to 5.25% from 5.50%. This move was attributed to easing inflationary pressures, aided by recent GST rate cuts and improved supply conditions. The RBI revised its inflation projection for the fiscal year 2025-26 downwards to 2% (from 2.6%) and significantly raised its GDP growth forecast for the same period to 7.3% (from 6.8%). RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra characterized the current macroeconomic situation as a "rare goldilocks period" marked by high economic growth and low inflation. Despite these positive indicators, the Indian rupee experienced a new record low, dropping past 90 to the dollar on December 4, with economists suggesting further declines without a US-India trade agreement. In corporate news, Reliance Industries has commenced work on a draft prospectus for the planned Initial Public Offering (IPO) of Jio Platforms. Additionally, the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) launched two new insurance products, 'Protection Plus' and 'Bima Kavach'.
Science & Technology:
India is setting ambitious goals in quantum technologies, aiming to be among the top three countries globally in filing related patents by 2035 and establishing itself as a global leader in the quantum economy, according to a roadmap developed by NITI Aayog. The 11th India International Science Festival (IISF) is scheduled to begin on December 6 and run until December 9 in Panchkula, Haryana. The festival's theme, "Vigyan Se Samruddhi: for Aatmanirbhar Bharat," emphasizes science-led progress and aims to integrate traditional knowledge systems with modern scientific research. In healthcare, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and telemedicine are emerging as critical tools for early stroke detection and treatment, addressing India's growing stroke crisis. The Indian Railways has also commissioned Kavach 4.0, an automatic train protection system, on major routes.
Social Welfare:
Union Minister Annpurna Devi launched a "100-Day Intensive Awareness Campaign for a Child Marriage Free Bharat" on December 4, 2025, marking a significant step towards eradicating child marriage. In a related social concern, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar highlighted Punjab as the state recording the highest number of human trafficking cases.
Appointments:
Arun Kumar Singh's tenure as Chairman of the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) was extended by one year, effective December 7, 2025. Stefan Priesner of Austria was appointed as the UN Resident Coordinator in India for a four-year term, commencing December 1, 2025.
Sports (Non-Cricket):
In hockey, India's Junior Women's team secured a 4-0 victory over Ireland, placing them at the top of Pool C in the Junior Women's Hockey World Cup. The Indian Men's Junior Hockey team is set to face Belgium in the quarter-finals of the FIH Hockey Men's Junior World Cup 2025 in Chennai. In squash, rising star Anahat Singh clinched the Chennai Squash Title by defeating veteran Joshna Chinappa. Chess saw Arjun Erigaisi emerge victorious in the Jerusalem Masters 2025, overcoming Viswanathan Anand in the final. In football, East Bengal triumphed over Punjab FC with a 3-1 win in the first semifinal of the AIFF Super Cup.
Other Notable News:
Major airline IndiGo experienced significant disruptions on December 4, cancelling over 170 flights nationwide due to stricter pilot-rest regulations. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has granted IndiGo a temporary exemption from certain Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) rules until February 10 to help stabilize operations. Separately, news from November 2025 reported that a suspected terror module, allegedly linked to Jaish-e-Mohammed, had planned blasts at six locations in the National Capital Region on December 6, intended to avenge the Babri Masjid demolition.