19^th December 2025

1. DHRUV64: Recently, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology announced the launch of DHRUV64, an indigenous microprocessor to strengthen India’s domestic processor development ecosystem.

• About DHRUV64: India’s first completely indigenous 64-bit microprocessor.

• A microprocessor is a single semiconductor chip that performs the core computing functions—arithmetic, logic, control, storage, input and output—acting as the CPU of electronic systems.
• It has been developed by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) under MeitY’s Microprocessor Development Programme.
• Key Features: It is a 64-bit, dual-core processor operating at 1 GHz, serving as the central processing unit for electronic devices.
  - It is capable of running operating systems while remaining energy-efficient for embedded applications.
  - Compared to commercial smartphone and laptop processors, its performance is relatively modest.
  - It has fewer cores, lower clock speeds, and does not include integrated GPUs or specialised accelerators for AI or graphics-intensive tasks.
  - DHRUV64 is built on the RISC-V architecture, an open and royalty-free instruction set that allows chip design without licensing fees.

2. Channa Bhoi: Recently, a new species of snakehead fish, Channa bhoi, was discovered by scientists in Meghalaya.
   

• About Channa bhoi: It was found in a small mountain stream near Iewmawlong village in the Ri-Bhoi district of Meghalaya.

• The species is named in honour of the indigenous Bhoi people of the Khasi tribe inhabiting the Ri-Bhoi region.
• It belongs to the Gachua group of snakehead fishes, which is noted for its rich diversity in the Eastern Himalayan region.
• The fish is distinct from related species due to its unique colouration.
• It has a bluish-grey body with tiny black spots on each scale, forming eight to nine horizontal broken lines along its sides.
• Its pectoral fins show characteristic banding patterns.
• Phylogenetic studies reveal it as a sister species to Channa bipuli, another snakehead species native to Northeast India.
• With this discovery, the total number of Channa species recorded in India has increased to 26.

3. Aravalli Hills: Recently, the Supreme Court finalised a uniform definition of the Aravalli hills and imposed a pause on new mining leases across Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan and Gujarat.

• About Aravalli Hills: One of the world’s oldest mountain systems, with a geological history of nearly two billion years.

• Extends about 650 km from Delhi to Gujarat, passing through Haryana, Rajasthan and Gujarat.
• Forms a critical ecological backbone of north-western India.
• Acts as a natural barrier against desertification by preventing the eastward spread of the Thar Desert into the Indo-Gangetic plains.
• Plays a key role in regional climate regulation by influencing rainfall patterns and moderating temperatures.
• Provides diverse ecosystems including forests, grasslands and wildlife habitats, aiding biodiversity conservation.
• Supports or gives rise to major rivers such as the Chambal, Sabarmati and Luni.
• Rich in mineral resources like limestone, marble, sandstone, copper, zinc and tungsten, making it a historic mining region.

4. Common Logo for all Regional Rural Banks: Recently, the Government of India, in collaboration with NABARD, unveiled a common logo for all Regional Rural Banks to strengthen the rural financial architecture.
   

• Key Highlights: Following the “One State One RRB” principle, 26 Regional Rural Banks were consolidated across 11 States and Union Territories.

• After consolidation, 28 Regional Rural Banks continue to operate across the country through a network of more than 22,000 branches in over 700 districts.
• The introduction of a common logo aims to enhance the visibility, identity, and recognisability of Regional Rural Banks, particularly in rural and remote areas.
• The logo reflects the core themes of progress, nurturing, and enlightenment, aligned with the developmental mandate of Regional Rural Banks.
• The upward arrow in the logo represents progress, growth, and advancement of rural economies.
• The hands symbolise care, support, and nurturing of rural communities.
• The flame signifies enlightenment, knowledge, warmth, and empowerment of rural populations.
• The colour scheme conveys institutional values, with dark blue representing finance and trust, and green symbolising life and growth.
• The unified branding is expected to give Regional Rural Banks a modern, distinct, and easily recognisable identity nationwide.

5. India and Russia: Recently, Russia approved a logistics-sharing agreement with India, reinforcing India–Russia defence ties with strategic implications for the Indo-Pacific and Arctic regions.

• Key Highlights: The Reciprocal Exchange of Logistics Support (RELOS) has been ratified: RELOS establishes a formal framework for reciprocal logistical support between the Indian and Russian armed forces during deployments and operations.

• The agreement governs the movement of military personnel, warships, and military aircraft, including access to airspace and ports of both countries.
• It enables refuelling, repairs, maintenance, and other support services for military forces operating on the other country’s territory.
• The agreement allows its provisions to be used in additional situations, subject to mutual consent of India and Russia.
• The agreement supports India’s Indo-Pacific strategy by leveraging Russia’s extensive military infrastructure across Eurasia and the Arctic region.
  • RELOS deepens India–Russia defence cooperation and reinforces both countries’ commitment to a multipolar global order.

6. India and the Netherlands: Recently, India and the Netherlands renewed their commitment to a free, open, inclusive, and rules-based Indo-Pacific region.

• Key Highlights: Talks covered bilateral security concerns and priority areas for co-development and co-production of defence equipment.

• To enhance military-to-military engagement, positioning defence cooperation as a key pillar of the Strategic Partnership.
• Emphasis was placed on connecting defence industries of both countries, particularly in niche and advanced technologies.
• A Letter of Intent was exchanged between the Defence Secretary of India and the Netherlands Ambassador to India, in presence of both ministers.
• Both countries plan to develop a Defence Industrial Roadmap focusing on technology collaboration, co-production and co-development.
• Strong people-to-people relations were highlighted, with the Indian diaspora in the Netherlands acting as a bridge of friendship.
• India and the Netherlands aim to expand defence cooperation in identified areas for long-term mutual benefit.

7. UNESCO: Recently, UNESCO’s flagship report Bhasha Matters: The State of the Education Report for India 2025 emphasized the importance of mother-tongue based education for improving equity, learning outcomes, and linguistic inclusion. It called for launching a National Mission on Mother-Tongue Based Multilingual Education (MTB-MLE).

• Key Highlights: Create a unified national framework with effective Centre–State coordination.

• Formulate and implement context-specific MTB-MLE policies aligned with local linguistic diversity.
• Recruit multilingual teachers and reform pre-service and in-service teacher training.
• Develop flexible language learning pathways based on students’ linguistic backgrounds.
• Systematically involve communities and integrate local knowledge systems into schooling.
• Produce quality textbooks, assessments and teaching materials in multiple languages.
• Extend MTB-MLE across middle, secondary and alternative education with gender sensitivity.
• Leverage digital platforms for multilingual teaching, learning and teacher support.
• Invest in translation, speech and AI tools while addressing the digital divide.
• Ensure adequate and equitable funding for multilingual education and language-responsive technologies.

8. Freshwater Sponges: Recently, scientists highlighted freshwater sponges as natural allies in combating aquatic metal pollution and ecosystem degradation.

• Key Findings: Freshwater sponges from the Sundarban delta were studied; findings published in Microbiology Spectrum (American Society for Microbiology).

• Freshwater sponges are among the earliest multicellular eukaryotes and play a vital role by filtering large volumes of water.
• The study identified freshwater sponges as effective bioindicators for monitoring toxic metal pollution in aquatic ecosystems.
• Sponges were found to accumulate significantly higher concentrations of toxic metals such as arsenic, lead, and cadmium.
• Microbial communities living within sponges play a crucial role in detoxifying polluted water and maintaining ecosystem health.
• Sponge-associated bacterial communities were found to be distinct from surrounding water, shaped by sponge species and habitat.
• These microbial symbionts actively contribute to metal resistance and detoxification in contaminated environments.
• Given widespread heavy-metal pollution in the Gangetic plain, freshwater sponges show strong promise for bioremediation strategies.

9. Agroforestry: Recently, new research by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research provided strong evidence that smallholder agroforestry delivers significant climate and livelihood benefits.

• Key Findings: Scientists from ICAR worked with 15 farmers in Odisha’s Eastern Ghats to integrate trees with existing crops on one-acre family farms.

• Agroforestry farms sequestered up to 154.5 megagrams of carbon dioxide equivalent over nine years while maintaining food production.
• The Eastern Ghats region faces severe climate stress due to erratic monsoons, intense rainfall, crop failures, and rising livelihood insecurity among tribal communities.
• Researchers highlighted agroforestry-based eco-village models integrating trees, crops, and livestock as sustainable solutions for food, nutrition, and livelihood security.
• Carbon sequestration varied by slope position, with lower slopes showing higher carbon storage due to better moisture and nutrient retention.
• Agroforestry farms also released substantial oxygen, delivering ecosystem services beyond carbon storage.
• The findings support India’s Paris Agreement commitment to create additional carbon sinks of 2.5–3.0 billion tonnes.
• Scaling smallholder-led agroforestry in climate-vulnerable regions can simultaneously enhance climate resilience, farm incomes, and environmental sustainability.