🧵 Culture & Heritage
• Ponduru Khadi (Andhra Pradesh) received the Geographical Indication (GI) tag , recognising its traditional handspun and handwoven cotton legacy.
🏦 Banking & Finance
• Under “One State–One RRB” , 26 Regional Rural Banks across 11 States/UTs were consolidated by DFS, effective 1 May 2025 .
• RBI released the 10th Handbook of Statistics on Indian States 2024-25 , offering comparable state-wise economic data.
• SEBI approved IPOs of 7 companies , expected to mobilise ₹6,000+ crore .
• 11 States projected to have debt-to-GSDP ratio ≥35% in FY26 , as informed in the Rajya Sabha .
• SBI signed €150 million LoC with KfW (Germany) to finance climate-friendly energy projects in India.
• IDFC First Bank launched “Global Savings Account” for NRIs , allowing deposits in USD & EUR .
• Government announced OFS to divest up to 3% stake in Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) .
• India conducted investor roadshows in London for minority stake sale in GIC Re .
• PFRDA announced reforms in NPS to enhance retirement flexibility for non-government subscribers .
🪖 Defence & Governance
• Sai Jadhav (23) became the first woman officer to pass out from IMA, Dehradun .
• Vice Admiral Tarun Sobti (DCNS) visited Maldives (15–17 Dec 2025) for Exercise Ekatha 2025 closing ceremony.
• President Droupadi Murmu inaugurated “Param Vir Dirgha” at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Vijay Diwas .
• MY Bharat Portal launched a dedicated webpage for Republic Day Celebrations 2026 (RDC-26) .
🌍 International Affairs
• PM Narendra Modi conferred Ethiopia’s highest civilian honour — “Great Honour Nishan of Ethiopia” .
• India & Ethiopia signed 3 MoUs during PM Modi’s first official visit to Addis Ababa .
🎬 Cinema, Media & Sports
• Neeraj Ghaywan’s film Homebound shortlisted for Best International Feature Film at Oscars 2026 .
• FIFA Best Football Awards 2025 held in Doha, Qatar .
• Hurun Global 1000 Report 2025 expanded ranking to 1,000 most valuable companies globally.
📊 Indices & Reports
• Global Investment Risk & Resilience Index 2025 released by Henley & Partners + AlphaGeo .
Month: Current Affairs - December 19, 2025
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