GOVERNANCE & POLICY

**Extensive Electoral Roll Revisions Underway:** The Election Commission of India (ECI) is conducting a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls across various states and Union Territories. This exercise has resulted in the deletion of a substantial number of voters. Over 90 lakh voters were deleted from the draft roll in Tamil Nadu, while Gujarat saw over 73 lakh voters removed. Madhya Pradesh identified over 41.80 lakh voter names for deletion in the first phase of its SIR exercise. Cumulatively, more than 1.4 crore electors have been excluded from draft electoral rolls across three states and two Union Territories. The Supreme Court of India has cautioned the ECI to take a "sympathetic view" of representations seeking an extension of the enumeration deadline, emphasizing that hurried revisions risk excluding genuine voters and that speed should not override accuracy and inclusiveness.

**Parliament Passes SHANTI Bill 2025 for Nuclear Energy Overhaul:** Parliament has successfully passed the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Bill, 2025. This landmark legislation is set to replace the Atomic Energy Act, 1962, and the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, 2010. The SHANTI Bill aims to provide a new legal framework to expand nuclear power, facilitate private participation, and restructure liability and regulation within the nuclear sector, marking a significant shift in India's nuclear governance framework.

**Securities Markets Code Bill, 2025 Introduced:** The Union Government has introduced the Securities Markets Code Bill, 2025, in the Lok Sabha. This Bill seeks to consolidate multiple existing laws into a single, principle-based code, with the objectives of enhancing investor protection, improving the ease of doing business, and boosting capital mobilization in a technology-driven financial ecosystem.

**Debate Over VB-G RAM G Bill:** The new VB-G RAM G legislation has sparked considerable debate, with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi accusing the Modi government of "demolishing 20 years of MGNREGA in a single day" and labeling the Bill as "anti-village". Opposition MPs have protested in Parliament against the proposed rural jobs Bill, claiming it is designed to extract money from states rather than reform.

**Home Minister Amit Shah Highlights Infrastructure Growth:** Addressing the Confederation of Real Estate Developers' Associations of India (CREDAI) National Conclave 2025, Home Minister Amit Shah highlighted 11 years of infrastructure growth in India. He emphasized the government's flagship initiatives, including the National Infrastructure Pipeline, Bharatmala, Sagarmala, and Parvatmala, as instrumental in strengthening urban development and positioning India as a global leader in infrastructure.

**Goa Celebrates 64th Liberation Day:** Goa marked its 64th Liberation Day on December 19, 2025, commemorating its freedom from Portuguese rule.

**Merger of Regional Rural Banks (RRBs):** In a move to improve scale, efficiency, and viability, 26 Regional Rural Banks have been merged across 11 States/Union Territories, reducing the total number of RRBs to 28 by 2025 from 196 in 1975.

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

**India and Oman Sign Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA):** India and Oman have formalized a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), marking India's second major trade pact in West Asia after the UAE. This agreement grants zero-duty access to 99% of India's exports by value, permits 100% Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) for Indian companies in Omani service sectors, and extends the permitted stay for Indian contractual service suppliers in Oman to two years. Notably, Oman has become the first country to recognize trade in AYUSH within its trade framework. This deal is Oman's first Free Trade Agreement (FTA) in nearly two decades and aligns with India's strategy to diversify markets.

**India Summons Bangladesh Envoy:** The Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi summoned the High Commissioner of Bangladesh after a radical group in Dhaka announced a march to the Indian High Commission. The protest was reportedly against India's alleged interference in Bangladeshi politics, and India reminded Bangladesh of its responsibility to ensure the security and safety of India's mission and visa facilities.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

**India Unveils Indigenous DHRUV64 Microprocessor:** The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has announced the launch of DHRUV64, a fully indigenous microprocessor. Developed by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), DHRUV64 is considered a critical milestone in India's efforts to build a domestic semiconductor and processor ecosystem, aiming to reduce dependence on imported chip technologies.

SOCIAL WELFARE & ENVIRONMENT

**Reports Highlight Persistent Crisis of Sexual Violence and Intimate Partner Violence:** Recent reports from the WHO (2000–2023) and the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Study (1990-2023) have underscored the persistent global crisis of intimate partner violence (IPV) and non-partner sexual violence. The reports indicate that nearly 1 in 3 women worldwide have experienced such violence. In India, nearly 30% of women aged 15–49 experience IPV, exceeding the global average of 25.8%.

**Delhi Tightens Vehicular Pollution Controls:** Amid severe air quality concerns, the Delhi government has implemented stricter vehicular pollution controls. Non-BS VI private vehicles registered outside Delhi have been barred from entering the city, and fuel stations will now only sell fuel to vehicles possessing a valid Pollution Under Control Certificate (PUCC).