Daily GK Update- 7th Dec, 2025

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. NHAI Partners with Reliance Jio to Launch Telecom-Based Safety Alert System on National Highways: NHAI signs MoU with Reliance Jio to introduce a telecom-based safety alert system across National Highways, aiming to enhance road safety for commuters.Travellers will receive real-time alerts via SMS, WhatsApp, and high-priority calls about accident-prone stretches, stray-cattle zones, fog-affected areas, and emergency diversions, using Jio’s 4G and 5G network.The system will be integrated with NHAI’s digital platforms like the ‘Rajmargyatra’ app and emergency helpline 1033, providing early warnings without additional roadside hardware, and similar collaborations are planned with other telecom providers.

 

2. Dr. Manali Kshirsagar Becomes First Full-Time Woman Vice-Chancellor of Nagpur University: Manali Kshirsagar has become the first full-time woman Vice-Chancellor of Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University, taking over from acting VC Dr. Madhavi Chavare and marking a historic milestone in the university’s 100-year history since 1923.She plans to introduce technology-driven and innovative academic courses aimed at improving student employability and aligning university education with modern industry requirements.Announced by Maharashtra Governor and Chancellor Acharya Devvrat, Dr. Kshirsagar begins her five-year term with a focus on academic modernization and preparing students with future-ready skills.

 

3. AIM–NITI Aayog and Hitachi MGRM Net Launch AI-Powered “MStar Global AI Connect” to Build India’s Nationwide Innovation Backbone: AIM–NITI Aayog and Hitachi MGRM Net Ltd. signed a Statement of Intent (SoI) to develop “MStar™ Global AI Connect”, an AI-driven single innovation platform to boost innovation and entrepreneurship across India.The partnership aims to build a federated national digital innovation backbone, connecting rural, urban, and suburban schools with mentors, incubators, accelerators, research institutions, and industry under the vision of “Viksit Bharat”.The initiative will strengthen the school-to-startup pipeline, enable virtual ATLs/AICs, support ideation-to-pilot workflows, enhance IP creation, and accelerate lab-to-market translation of Indian innovations.Leaders from both sides emphasized that the collaboration will democratize access to innovation, nurture young talent, improve frontier-technology skills, and create an inclusive, multilingual, scalable innovation ecosystem for India’s future.

 

4. Suparna Mitra Appointed MD & CEO of TeamLease Services: Suparna Mitra to join TeamLease Services as Managing Director & CEO effective 2 February 2026, marking a planned leadership transition.She will succeed Ashok Reddy, the current MD & CEO, as part of the company’s long-term succession and governance strategy.Vice-Chairman Manish Sabharwal will step down from executive duties but continue on the board as a non-executive, non-independent director.

 

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Oxford University Press Names “Rage Bait” as Word of the Year 2025: Oxford University Press has named “rage bait” as the Word of the Year 2025 — a phrase that refers to online content deliberately designed to provoke anger, outrage or shock to drive engagement.The usage of “rage bait” has reportedly tripled over the past year, reflecting how digital content and social media algorithms are increasingly rewarding emotionally provocative material.The selection points to a larger cultural shift in 2025: from curiosity‑driven “clickbait” to emotion‑driven online behaviour — highlighting concerns about misinformation, digital wellbeing, and the ethics of engagement in the internet age.

 

2. RBI Approves Vikram Sahu as CEO of Bank of America India: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has approved Vikram Sahu as the new CEO of Bank of America NA (BoFA) in India.Sahu will take on this role in addition to his current position as India Country Executive.Sahu replaced Kaku Nakhate, who served as the bank CEO for about 15 years.The appointment was confirmed through an internal memo circulated by the US-headquartered bank to its employees.

 

3. China’s Trade Surplus Crosses $1 Trillion for the First Time: China recorded a historic trade surplus of more than $1 trillion by the end of November, driven by strong demand from non-US markets despite continued weakness in shipments to the United States. The latest export surge reversed the previous month’s decline and exceeded market forecasts, marking a significant moment in global trade dynamics.Official data showed that China’s cumulative surplus for the year reached $1.08 trillion, already surpassing the full-year figure of the previous year. The surge followed a temporary pause in the trade dispute between China and the United States after a late-October meeting between Presidents Xi Jinping and Donald Trump. The truce halted successive tariff escalations, creating short-term stability for exporters.Despite easing tensions, exports to the United States continued to drop sharply. November shipments fell 28.6 per cent to $33.8 billion. However, exports to other regions expanded, pushing total exports up by 5.9 per cent year-on-year and surpassing Bloomberg’s projection. Analysts noted that rerouted trade and price competitiveness driven by domestic deflation helped support this resilience.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

DEFENCE

 

1. Rajnath Singh Inaugurates 125 Border Infrastructure Projects: Defence minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated 125 new border infrastructure projects across multiple frontier states, marking a major push to boost strategic connectivity. The projects, built at a cost of ₹5,000 crore, aim to enhance troop mobility, support local development, and strengthen national security in remote and sensitive regions.The minister inaugurated the projects virtually from the site of the 920-metre Shyok tunnel in Ladakh. The package includes 28 roads, 93 bridges and four additional structures spread across Ladakh, Jammu & Kashmir, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, West Bengal and Mizoram. These projects improve access to remote villages and forward military locations, ensuring reliable movement even in landslide and avalanche-prone areas.Rajnath Singh said the new connectivity network acts as a backbone for national security. Faster deployment of troops, weapons and essential logistics will reduce operational vulnerabilities. The minister noted that the government, armed forces and the Border Roads Organisation are working in alignment to strengthen infrastructure and integrate border populations with the national mainstream.

 

SPORTS

 

1. PNB Appoints Harmanpreet Kaur as Its First Female Brand Ambassador :Punjab National Bank (PNB) has appointed Harmanpreet Kaur, captain of the Indian women’s cricket team, as its first-ever female brand ambassador.The partnership highlights PNB’s commitment to promoting women empowerment, leadership, and excellence in sports.As brand ambassador, Harmanpreet Kaur will feature in the bank’s marketing and customer outreach campaigns to strengthen its brand visibility and youth connect.

 

2. Praggnanandhaa Becomes First Indian to Qualify for Candidates 2026: Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa has secured a landmark achievement by qualifying for the Candidates 2026 after winning the FIDE Circuit 2025. His breakthrough cements his position as India’s sole male representative at the world championship qualification stage, marking a historic moment for Indian chess.Praggnanandhaa’s dominant year on the international circuit proved decisive. He clinched titles at the Wijk Aan Zee Masters, Superbet Chess Classic Romania, UzChess Cup Masters, and the London Chess Classic Open. Consistent form across major events helped him gather the highest circuit points, ensuring direct qualification.Apart from his title victories, he secured runner-up at the Stepan Avagyan Memorial and finished 12th at the Sinquefield Cup, competing against elite opposition. His run to the fourth round of the FIDE World Cup added further weight to his impressive season. These performances underline his growth as a world-class contender.

 

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

 

1. Government to Set Up 50,000 New Atal Tinkering Labs Across Schools to Boost Innovation: The Government plans to establish 50,000 new Atal Tinkering Labs (ATLs) in schools across India, aiming to foster innovation, creativity, and problem-solving skills among students.Over 10,000 ATLs have already been set up under the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) of NITI Aayog, initiated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to promote research and innovation at the school level.The initiative was highlighted in the Union Budget 2025-26 by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, emphasizing the government’s commitment to nurturing curiosity, scientific temper, and innovative thinking among young students over the next five years.

 

2. Japan Issues Tsunami Warning After 7.6-Magnitude Earthquake: A powerful 7.6-magnitude earthquake struck northeast of Misawa in Japan, prompting authorities to issue an immediate tsunami warning. The event highlights Japan’s continued vulnerability to major seismic disturbances due to its tectonic setting. The US Geological Survey confirmed the quake’s magnitude and depth, while national agencies moved swiftly to alert coastal communities.The earthquake occurred around 73 kilometres east-northeast of Misawa at 7:45 pm local time. It originated at a depth of just over 53 kilometres, placing it in the shallow category, which typically results in stronger ground shaking. Emergency systems were activated to monitor aftershocks and assess structural impacts.Japan’s Meteorological Agency warned that the first tsunami waves, potentially reaching three metres, could strike coastal areas between Aomori and Iwate. Port towns were instructed to evacuate to higher ground. Public broadcaster updates urged residents to remain alert and avoid low-lying zones.

 

3. India’s BharatGen AI System Initiative: India has begun a major push to build its own sovereign artificial intelligence ecosystem with the launch of BharatGen Technology Foundation at IIT Bombay. The initiative aims to develop a Large Language Model tailored to India’s multilingual and multicultural environment, reflecting regional accents, scripts, and communication patterns.The foundation was registered at the Powai campus on 7 November 2025. It marks a significant expansion of IIT Bombay’s role beyond academics into national-scale AI development. The goal is to produce an indigenous model capable of understanding and generating content across more than 22 Indian languages in text and speech.The project has received substantial central support. The Department of Science and Technology has provided Rs 235 crore, while the Ministry of Electronics and IT has allocated Rs 1,058 crore under the IndiaAI Mission. This backing is intended to accelerate the transition from research prototypes to deployable AI systems.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. CRISIL raises India’s GDP growth forecast to 7% for FY25 after stronger-than-expected first-half performance: CRISIL revised India’s GDP growth forecast to 7% for the current financial year, citing stronger-than-expected 8% growth in the first half, driven mainly by robust private consumption, manufacturing, and services.Despite real GDP growth of 8.2% in Q2, nominal GDP growth remained moderate at 8.7% due to easing inflation; growth is expected to slow to 6.1% in the second half due to factors like higher U.S. tariffs.

 

2. GST collection moderates after rate cuts to ₹1.7 lakh crore in November: The first full month after the GST rate cut showed a moderate 0.7% rise in total GST collections, reaching ₹1.7 lakh crore in November, though officials stated that overall consumption momentum remains positive.Domestic GST revenues fell by 2.3% to ₹1.24 lakh crore, while GST from imports grew over 10% to around ₹46,000 crore, reflecting differing trends in domestic and international demand.Tax experts noted that GST collections reflect consumption patterns, whereas GDP growth is influenced by broader factors like government spending and investment; the recent GST 2.0 rate reduction also contributed to the muted collection figures.

3. Retail Sale Price Now Mandatory on All Pan Masala Packs from February 2026: From 1st February 2026, all pan masala packages, including small packs of 10 grams or less, must display the Retail Sale Price (RSP) along with all declarations required under the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011.The earlier proviso under Rule 26(a), which allowed small packs to avoid certain declarations, has been withdrawn, ensuring full compliance for all pack sizes.The amendment ensures transparent pricing, prevents misleading or deceptive labeling on smaller packs, and enables consumers to make better informed purchasing decisions.By mandating RSP on all packs, the amendment supports effective implementation of RSP-based GST, allowing accurate tax assessment and revenue collection across all pack sizes.