Natural farming: Himachal introduces MSP, subsidies, DBT and cluster schemes to expand adoption and rural incomes.
Himachal Pradesh aims to bring 9.61 lakh families into natural farming and reports 2,22,893 farmers adopting practices on about 38,437 hectares. The state provides a Minimum Support Price for natural-farming produce, targeted subsidies for input preparation (Rs 750 per drum, up to three drums per family), infrastructure grants (up to Rs 8,000 for cowsheds; up to Rs 25,000 for indigenous cows), and channels payments via direct benefit transfer. Procurement disbursements have been made for naturally grown maize, wheat and raw turmeric. A 2,600-cluster Him Unnati programme and promotion of high-altitude crops complement the transition measures.

Navi Mumbai International Airport begins commercial operations Dec 25, easing Mumbai congestion and boosting regional connectivity.
Navi Mumbai International Airport will commence commercial operations on December 25 with the implementing agency planning 30 air traffic movements on day one and major carriers operating inaugural arrivals and departures, aiming to reduce congestion at the existing Mumbai airport and establish a multi-airport system supported by multimodal connectivity.

South Eastern Coalfields listing: Coal India board gave in-principle approval; listing subject to regulatory clearances.
Coal India's board gave in-principle approval for SECL to be listed, following a government directive to pursue listings of key subsidiaries; the approval will be forwarded to the Ministry of Coal for onward processing with the department managing public asset transfers, and the proposed listing is subject to required regulatory clearances before any listing or offering may proceed.

Jharkhand PESA rules empower gram sabhas with consent rights in mining and defined roles in land, forests, water.
Jharkhand approved rules under the Panchayat Extension of Scheduled Areas (PESA) Act incorporating the Act's provisions after stakeholder consultations and public feedback; the rules specify gram sabha consent in mining, define gram sabha roles in land acquisition, minor forest produce, prohibition of money lending and water resource management, and do not provide for direct revenue collection by gram sabhas.

Facial biometric verification to be used in major entrance exams from 2026 to verify candidate identity and prevent impersonation.
The National Testing Agency will implement facial biometric verification and live photograph capture in major entrance examinations from 2026 to verify candidate identity and prevent impersonation, following a 2025 Proof of Concept that integrated face authentication with existing digital infrastructure and examination protocols.

Rupee edges up to 89.63 on a weak dollar, with crude prices and FII outflows capping gains and a Rs 89.30-89.90 range expected.
The rupee rose 5 paise to 89.63 per US dollar on a weaker US dollar, while gains were capped by higher crude prices and foreign institutional investor outflows; analysts expected USD INR to trade around Rs 89.30-89.90 and warned that delays in an India US trade deal could pressure the rupee at higher levels.

Case disposals rise over six percent in 2025, yet civil and criminal backlogs remain substantial and reform needed.
Case disposals rose over six per cent in 2025 (from 1,02,963 to 1,09,239), credited to streamlined procedures and increased judicial productivity, with individual judges' disposal totals noted. Despite this improvement, significant pendency persists: 2,07,081 civil cases (1,47,963 pending over a year) and 50,785 criminal cases (34,835 pending over a year). Systemic issues-understaffing, procedural complexity, and rising filings including e-filings-continue to outpace disposals, indicating the need for sustained procedural and administrative reforms to reduce backlog and enhance timely access to justice.

Coal block auctions draw major private bidders aiming to secure feedstock for coal gasification and cleaner fuel investments.
Central government coal block auctions for promoting coal gasification attracted major private bidders across multiple blocks; bids were opened only for blocks with two or more participants. Major firms submitted joint and consortium bids for blocks in Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh to secure long term feedstock for downstream industrial use and cleaner coal technology investments.

Delhi excise rules increase duty-free sacramental wine quota to 4,000 litres and raise denatured spirit storage limits.
Rule 20 of the Delhi Excise Rules, 2010 now allows the Bishop of Delhi to possess duty-free sacramental wine up to 4,000 litres annually via permits from an authorised distillery with excise commissioner approval; previously the limit was 91 litres. The special condition in Form P-6 raises denatured spirit storage at licensed premises from 6,744 to 15,000 kilolitres and increases the annual authorised possession limit from 64,000 to 1,20,000 kilolitres, revising licensing and storage thresholds for commercial and industrial procurement.

Park Medi World acquires KP Institute of Medical Sciences in an all-cash Rs 245 crore deal to expand northern network.
Park Medi World will acquire the entire existing shareholding of KP Institute of Medical Sciences in an all-cash Rs 245 crore share purchase, transferring full ownership of the 360-bed tertiary-care hospital to Park Medi World, with planned post-closing integration and operational alignment to improve clinical programmes, efficiency and bed utilisation.

NTPC to build 1 tonne/day green hydrogen plant in Greater Noida using plasma gasification and PSA/membrane process.
NTPC will establish a green hydrogen project of 1 tonne per day at its Greater Noida NETRA campus using plasma gasification to convert waste into tar-free syngas, followed by hydrogen production via PSA and membrane separation technologies as a waste-to-hydrogen demonstration.

AIADMK and BJP begin talks to coordinate campaign strategy for the upcoming assembly election while not settling seat-sharing.
Pre-election coalition discussions between AIADMK and BJP focused on strategic coordination, organisational strengthening, and readiness for the Assembly election, while explicitly not resolving seat-sharing or the return of expelled leaders; further consultations on alliance composition and voter mobilisation were agreed.

Purandar airport to provide higher negotiated compensation, alternative land, TDR benefits, rehab and job priority for affected farmers.
The government will negotiate compensation above ready reckoner rates and provide monetary payment plus alternative land, alongside transferable development rights under the Purandar aerocity scheme. Rehabilitation will reflect family structures and address small holders, sisters' shares and landless farmers. Affected farmers' children will receive 100 percent job priority, a skill development centre will be established, cases from earlier agitations will be withdrawn, and inclusion of affected farmers as stakeholders and a dedicated corporation for project-affected persons is under consideration.

India's rise in institutional deliveries to 89% is credited with reducing maternal mortality while expanding medical colleges via PPPs.
An increase in institutional deliveries to 89% is identified as the principal driver of a marked reduction in the Maternal Mortality Rate, and the government is expanding health-system capacity by establishing new medical colleges under a public-private partnership model to increase MBBS seats, deploy doctors to villages, and strengthen health infrastructure in tribal and underserved districts.

Andhra Pradesh reports top manufacturing and industrial GVA rankings during 2019-24, countering claims of brand destruction.
Andhra Pradesh registered notable manufacturing and industrial GVA growth during 2019-24, with the state cited as first in South India and fifth nationally for manufacturing GVA growth and first in South India and eighth nationally for industrial sector growth; these data, attributed to the RBI, were presented to counter opposition claims that the state's brand was damaged under the current government.

Gold and silver hit record highs as Fed rate-cut expectations and geopolitical tensions boost safe-haven demand.
Gold and silver reached record prices as domestic gold hit Rs 1,40,850 per 10 grams and spot gold neared USD 4,500 per ounce; analysts attribute the rallies to expectations of multiple Federal Reserve rate cuts and rising geopolitical tensions strengthening safe-haven demand, with market attention turning to upcoming US economic data for guidance on policy.

Usage-based car insurance using telematics issues driving scores to personalise premiums and provide real-time crash response.
Zuno SmartDrive is an app-led usage-based insurance product that uses mobile telematics to record driving behaviour, issue a five-day driving score that unlocks discounts and benefits, and segments risk for personalised pricing. The model identifies harsh braking and rapid acceleration as primary predictors of higher claims exposure, treats behaviour rather than geography or vehicle type as the main underwriting signal, and includes real-time crash detection to trigger emergency support and priority claims handling.

Intergenerational mobility: multi-sector collaboration and CSR reforms are vital to turn growth into lasting poverty exits.
Panelists identified multi-sectoral collaboration as essential to convert economic growth into sustained upward mobility, stressing that education alone cannot secure lasting poverty exits; they highlighted the regulatory and programmatic role of Companies Act, 2013-driven CSR shifting toward long-term investments, the protective function of social security schemes, public health, and residential schooling, and the enabling effect of digital connectivity in narrowing service gaps.

A.P. Moller Capital to invest up to INR 1,350 Crores in Rays Power Infra renewable projects via project SPVs.
A.P. Moller Capital will commit up to INR 1,350 Crores to renewable projects developed by Rays Power Infra through project specific Special Purpose Vehicles, intended to catalyse about INR 5,200 Crores in total project capital expenditure, scale utility scale solar, wind and hybrid projects, and enhance long term revenue visibility while employing Rays Power Infra's Co Development model and full lifecycle project development capabilities.

Srishti Manipal Institute exhibition showcases student art and design reimagining the future through transdisciplinary projects.
Srishti Manipal Institute staged a four-day exhibition combining postgraduate research and undergraduate final-year projects that deployed transdisciplinary art, design and technology to address community, climate action, urban systems and applied domains such as healthcare, education and sustainability, emphasizing systems-oriented work and direct public engagement.