16 December 2025 Current Affairs (With PDF)

Stay updated with 16 December 2025 Current Affairs on this page! We bring you the most relevant and important news updates from around the world and India, specially curated for competitive exams and different entrance exams. Today's Current Affairs cover all significant national and international headlines, legal updates, economic news, and environmental highlights to boost your preparation. With our crisp, to-the-point coverage, you can confidently tackle current affairs questions in your exams.

India’s Leadership Role in the Sustainable Indian Ocean Blue Economy

India envisions the Indian Ocean as a shared, inclusive, and cooperative maritime commons, not a zone of rivalry. This outlook is captured in the guiding idea: “From the Indian Ocean, for the World.”

Growing Challenges in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR)

1. Climate Change Impacts

• Ocean warming and acidification
• Sea-level rise threatening coastal and island states

2. Ecological Degradation

• Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing
• Depletion of fish stocks and damage to marine biodiversity

3. Socio-Economic Instability

• Loss of coastal and fishing livelihoods
• Intensified storm surges and coral reef degradation, undermining food security and social stability

India’s Blue Ocean Strategy: Way Forward

1. Cooperative Ocean Governance

• Treat the Indian Ocean as a global commons
• Focus on: Biodiversity protection, Sustainable fisheries, Ecosystem restoration, Shared maritime security
• MAHASAGAR Doctrine as a framework for collaborative maritime engagement

2. Building Climate Resilience

• Establish a Regional Resilience and Ocean Innovation Hub
• Strengthen: Early warning systems, Ocean observation and data-sharing networks, Disaster preparedness and adaptation capacities across IOR countries

3. Promoting Inclusive Blue Growth

• Regional cooperation in: Green shipping, Offshore renewable energy, Sustainable aquaculture, Marine biotechnology
• Ensure benefits reach small island and developing coastal states

4. Leveraging Global Finance

• Harness momentum from Blue Economy and Finance Forum (BEFF) 2025
• One Ocean Partnership (launched at COP30; target of $20 billion for ocean action by 2030)
• Proposal for an Indian Ocean Blue Fund to channel international finance into regional priorities

Why the Indian Ocean Matters for India

1. Economic Significance

• 95% of India’s trade by volume and 68% by value passes through the Indian Ocean
• ~80% of crude oil imports transported by sea

2. Resource Dependence

• EEZ: ~2.02 million sq. km
• Coastline: ~11,000 km
• Marine fisheries production: 44.95 lakh tonnes (2023–24)
• Exclusive rights in the Central Indian Ocean Basin for polymetallic minerals (manganese, cobalt, nickel, copper)

3. Security Dimension

• Exposure to non-traditional maritime threats: Smuggling and piracy, IUU fishing, Human trafficking, WMD proliferation
• Highlighted by events such as the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks

Methane Management: A Pathway to Waste-Free Cities in India

• India is the third-largest methane emitter globally, accounting for about 9% of global methane emissions. Nearly 15% of India’s methane emissions originate from the waste sector, making urban waste management a low-hanging fruit for rapid climate action.
• Unlike agriculture or energy systems—which require long-term structural reforms—waste-sector methane can be reduced quickly through focused, technology-enabled interventions.

Major Sources of Methane Emissions in India

• Waste sector: Open dumps, landfills, untreated organic waste
• Agriculture: Enteric fermentation in livestock, manure management, rice cultivation
• Energy: Coal mining, fossil fuel use, leaks from oil and gas systems

Why Focus on Waste-Sector Methane?

• Faster mitigation compared to agriculture or energy
• Urban governance tools already exist
• Direct co-benefits: cleaner cities, energy generation, improved public health

Key Interventions for Methane Management in Urban Waste

1. Monitoring and Measurement

• Satellite-based methane tracking: Regional-scale monitoring to detect trends
• High-resolution data to identify hotspots
• ISRO (2023) identified major methane hotspots at: Pirana (Gujarat), Deonar & Kanjurmarg (Maharashtra), Ghazipur (Delhi)

2. Strengthening Source Segregation

• Enforce segregation at source under SBM–Urban and SBM–Gramin
• Separate wet, dry and hazardous waste
• Prevent organic waste from reaching dumps, reducing methane generation at origin

3. Promote Waste-to-Energy and Bio-CNG

• Scale up biogas and Bio-CNG plants under the GOBARdhan scheme
• Capture methane from wet waste for: Clean cooking fuel, Transport fuel, Electricity generation
• Converts climate liability into an economic asset

4. Expand Scientific Landfills

• Implement Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016
• Replace open dumps with engineered landfills featuring: Landfill gas collection systems, Leachate treatment, Controlled waste disposal

5. Integrate Waste Methane into Climate Commitments

• Identify methane-reduction actions within India’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)
• Align municipal solid waste policies with national climate goals
• Enable access to climate finance and results-based funding

About Methane

• 84 times more potent than CO₂ over a 20-year period
• Second-largest contributor to anthropogenic global warming after CO₂
• Short-Lived Climate Pollutant (SLCP) with ~12-year atmospheric lifespan
• Major precursor to ground-level ozone, affecting air quality and health
• Rapid methane cuts are critical to limiting warming to 1.5°C

Fourth National Lok Adalat, 2025

Why in News

• The 4th National Lok Adalat (NLA) of 2025 successfully resolved 2.59 crore disputes in a single day, reinforcing Lok Adalats as a key ADR mechanism in India.
• Between 2022–23 and 2024–25, over 23.5 crore cases have been disposed of through Lok Adalats nationwide.

Lok Adalat: Legal Framework

• Established under: Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987
• Nature: Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanism
• Objective: Reduce judicial pendency (≈ 4.7 crore cases as per NJDG), Ensure speedy, inexpensive, and consensual justice, Strengthen access to justice
• Organising Authority: National Legal Services Authority (NALSA): Chief Justice of India is the Patron-in-Chief

Key Features

1. Binding Nature: Awards are final and binding

• Deemed to be a civil court decree
• No appeal lies against Lok Adalat awards

2. Jurisdiction / Scope: Pre-litigation disputes, Pending cases in courts

• Excluded: Non-compoundable criminal offences, Matrimonial disputes involving divorce

Types of Lok Adalats

1. National Lok Adalat (NLA)

• Conducted simultaneously across India on a single day
• Held at all levels: Supreme Court to Taluk Courts
• Objective: Mass disposal of cases

2. Permanent Lok Adalat (PLA)

• For disputes related to Public Utility Services (PUS) such as: Transport; Postal & telegraph; Electricity, water supply, sanitation
• Monetary jurisdiction: Up to ₹1 crore
• Can decide cases on merits if settlement fails

3. E-Lok Adalat

• Uses digital platforms
• Enables remote participation
• Enhances access, especially post-COVID

4. Mobile Lok Adalat

• Moves from place to place
• Targets remote and underserved areas

India Expands Ramsar Footprint with Two New Wetlands

Why in News

India has added Siliserh Lake (Rajasthan) and Kopra Reservoir (Chhattisgarh) to the Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance, taking the country’s total Ramsar sites to 96.

Newly Designated Ramsar Sites

1. Siliserh Lake

• Location: Paitpur, Alwar district, Rajasthan
• Ecological Setting: Situated in a semi-arid landscape, Lies within the buffer zone of Sariska Tiger Reserve
• Origin & Hydrology: Man-made wetland, created in 1845 CE: Formed by constructing a bund across a tributary of the Ruparel River

2. Kopra Jalashay (Reservoir)

• Location: Bilaspur district, Chhattisgarh
• River Basin: Located in the upper catchment of the Mahanadi River
• Wetland Characteristics: Large open-water expanse: Shallow, nutrient-rich backwaters supporting high productivity
• Key Faunal Species: Bar-headed Goose, Egyptian Vulture, River Tern, Greater Spotted Eagle
• Major Threats: Siltation, Invasive alien species, Intensive agriculture in surrounding areas

3. About the Ramsar List

• Origin: Established under the Convention on Wetlands, adopted in Ramsar, Iran (1971)
• Global Reach: Nearly 90% of UN Member States, including India, are Contracting Parties
• Significance: Ramsar designation provides national recognition and international visibility, Highlights wetlands of global ecological value
• Selection Criteria: A site must satisfy at least one of nine ecological criteria, such as biodiversity support, species conservation, or ecosystem services

Meteor

The Geminid meteor shower was observed worldwide. Geminids are known for being bright, fast, and often yellow in colour. The shower peaks in mid-December, when up to ~120 meteors per hour can be visible under ideal conditions.

About Meteor

• A meteor (popularly called a shooting star) is the streak of light produced when a meteoroid enters Earth’s atmosphere and burns due to friction with air molecules.
• Meteoroids are small rocky or metallic bodies in space, ranging in size from dust grains to small asteroids.
• Most meteors disintegrate completely before reaching the Earth’s surface.
• If a meteoroid survives atmospheric entry and lands on Earth, it is called a meteorite.

Related Terms

• Meteoroid: Object in space.
• Meteor: Light phenomenon in the atmosphere.
• Meteorite: Fragment that reaches the ground.

Geminid Meteor Shower

• Parent body: 3200 Phaethon (an asteroid-like object).
• Radiant: Appears to originate from the constellation Gemini.
• Visibility: Best seen from both hemispheres, especially after midnight.

Ponduru Khadi

Ponduru Khadi, from Srikakulam district, Andhra Pradesh, has received the Geographical Indication (GI) tag, recognising its unique heritage and production process.

About Ponduru Khadi

• Raw Material: Made primarily from short-staple hill variety cotton, which is naturally pest-resistant.
• Production: Entirely hand-spun and hand-woven using traditional techniques.
• Significance: Enables chemical-free farming due to pest resistance, Produces a coarse yet durable yarn, distinct from long-staple cotton khadi, Preserves indigenous spinning traditions, especially the use of the traditional puduku (local charkha).
• Cultural Importance: Historically associated with Mahatma Gandhi, who appreciated Ponduru Khadi for its authenticity and self-reliance ethos.

About Geographical Indication (GI) Tag

• A GI is a sign used on products that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities, reputation, or characteristics essentially attributable to that origin.
• In India, GI registration is governed under the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999.
• Benefits of GI Tag: Legal protection against misuse or imitation, Enhances market value and branding of traditional products, Supports local artisans and rural livelihoods.

Supernova Stent

AIIMS, New Delhi, conducted India’s first clinical trial of an advanced stroke-treatment device named the Supernova Stent, marking a significant milestone in indigenous neuro-interventional care.

About Stroke

• Occurs when blood supply to part of the brain is blocked or a blood vessel ruptures.
• Can lead to permanent brain damage, long-term disability, or death if not treated rapidly.

About Supernova Stent

• Type: Mechanical thrombectomy device (stent-retriever).
• Function: Physically captures and removes blood clots from blocked cerebral arteries, Restores blood flow to the brain (reperfusion), crucial in large vessel occlusion (LVO) strokes.
• Clinical Validation: Proven safe and highly effective in the GRASSROOT Trial (Gravity Stent-Retriever System for Reperfusion of Large Vessel Occlusion Stroke).

Significance

• First indigenous clinical trial of an advanced stroke device in India.
• Improves access to time-critical, life-saving stroke interventions.
• Reduces dependence on costly imported neuro-interventional devices.
• Strengthens India’s capabilities in advanced medical technology and clinical research.

Thalassemia

Thalassemia patients have welcomed the introduction of the National Blood Transfusion Bill, 2025, a Private Member’s Bill aimed at creating a dedicated legal framework for regulating blood and blood component management in India—critical for transfusion-dependent patients.

About Thalassemia

• Nature: A genetic (inherited) blood disorder.
• Cause: Insufficient or abnormal production of hemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying protein in red blood cells.
• Pathophysiology: Produces fewer and fragile RBCs with a shorter lifespan, Leads to chronic anemia and reduced oxygen delivery to body tissues.
• Types: Alpha thalassemia (defects in alpha-globin chains), Beta thalassemia (defects in beta-globin chains; includes major, intermedia, and minor).
• Clinical Management: Regular blood transfusions are required for many patients (especially thalassemia major), Iron chelation therapy to manage iron overload from repeated transfusions, Curative options (selected cases): Bone marrow/hematopoietic stem cell transplantation; emerging gene therapies.

MahaCrimeOS AI

Maharashtra has launched MahaCrimeOS AI to strengthen its response to the rising incidence of cybercrime by leveraging artificial intelligence for faster and smarter investigations.

About MahaCrimeOS AI

• Platform: An advanced AI co-pilot system developed in collaboration with Microsoft, Built using Azure OpenAI Service.
• Objective: Streamline police workflows by analyzing vast, unstructured, and multilingual data such as FIRs, charge sheets, bank statements, call records, and digital evidence, Reduce investigation turnaround time by up to 80%.
• Key Functions: Automated data extraction from complex documents, Protocol guidance for investigators to ensure procedural compliance, Crime linkage analysis to detect patterns, networks, and repeat offenders across cases.

Operation Thunder 2025

Around 30,000 live animals were seized globally under Operation Thunder 2025, marking one of the largest coordinated crackdowns on wildlife trafficking.

About Operation Thunder

• Nature: A large-scale, global law enforcement operation targeting illegal wildlife and forest product trade.
• Coordination: INTERPOL & World Customs Organization
• Support: International Consortium on Combating Wildlife and Forestry Crime (A partnership of CITES Secretariat, INTERPOL, UNODC, World Bank, and WCO)

Objectives

• Intercept and seize illegally traded wildlife and forestry commodities across the entire global supply chain.
• Identify, disrupt, and dismantle transnational criminal networks involved in: Wildlife trafficking, Illegal logging, Trade in protected species and derivatives

All Set with 16 December Current Affairs? Let’s Quiz!

Ready to put your knowledge to the test? Take our daily quiz now and reinforce what you learned!

16 December 2025 Current Affair Quiz

Why is 16 December 2025 Current Affairs Important for You?

• Essential for Exams: The Current Affairs of 16 December 2025 cover topics that are often asked in competitive exams.
• Boosts Your Knowledge: Helps you stay informed about the latest events and updates.
• Improves Accuracy: Daily practice with Current Affairs of 16 December 2025 improves your speed and accuracy in exams.
• Quick Revision: Acts as a daily revision tool for upcoming exams.
• Saves Time: You don’t need to search multiple sources; everything is here in one place!
• Helps in Interviews: Being updated with Current Affairs of 16 December 2025 gives you confidence for personal interviews and group discussions.

How to Use 16 December 2025 Current Affairs for Exam Preparation? 

• Read Properly: Go through the 16 December 2025 Current Affairs to stay updated.
• Make Notes: Summarize key points and important updates in your own words.
• Link with Syllabus: Identify topics relevant to your exam and connect them with your syllabus.
• Practice Daily Quizzes: Test your knowledge by taking daily quizzes based on 16 December 2025 Current Affairs.
• Revise Often: Review the updates multiple times to boost your recall and confidence.
• Discuss with Peers: Join discussions and share insights to deepen your understanding.