President Draupadi Murmu approved the Peace Bill

1 President Draupadi Murmu approved the Peace Bill

President Draupadi Murmu  has given her assent to the Sustainable Nuclear Energy Harness and Development, India Transformation Bill, 2025 – Peace Bill,  passed in   the winter session of Parliament  . This bill consolidates all laws related to the civilian nuclear sector and provides for private sector participation in this sector. The bill repeals the Atomic Energy Act, 1962, and the Civil Nuclear Damage Liability Act, 2010, which were considered obstacles to the development of the civilian nuclear sector in India.

Developed India – Ji Ram Ji Bill 2025 approved by President Draupadi Murmu

President Draupadi  Murmu given assent  to the Vikasit Bharat-Employment and Livelihood Mission-Gramin Vikasit Bharat-Ji Ramji Bill, 2025.  Parliament passed it during the winter session. This Act extends the statutory wage employment guarantee for rural families to 125 days per financial year. The Ministry of Rural Development stated that this is a significant step towards reforming the rural employment policy. The Ministry further stated that this law promotes empowerment, inclusive growth, synergy of development initiatives and providing benefits to all those in need. The Vikasit Bharat-Ji Ramji Act   replaces the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act -MGNREGA 2005 .

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi  laid  the foundation stone of the Ammonia-Urea Fertilizer Project  of  Assam Valley Fertilizers and Chemicals Company Limited  at  Namrup in Dibrugarh district  of  Assam  . Addressing a public gathering on the occasion, Shri Modi said that this is the land of great heroes like Chaolung Sukhapa and Mahavir Lachit Borphukan. He highlighted the contributions of Bhimbar Deuri, Shaheed Kushal Kunwar, Moran Raja Bodusa, Malati Mem, Indira Miri, Swargadeo Sarbananda Singh and Veer Sati Sadhani. The Prime Minister laid the foundation stone of the Ammonia-Urea Fertilizer Project of  the Brahmaputra Valley Fertilizer Corporation Limited (BVFCL) at Namrup in Dibrugarh district of Assam. the Bhoomi Pujan (groundbreaking ceremony) of the new brownfield Ammonia-Urea Fertilizer Project  at the existing premises of  in Namrup, Dibrugarh district  , Assam. Continuing the Prime Minister’s vision for the welfare of farmers, this project, with an estimated investment of over ₹10,600 crore, will meet the fertilizer needs of Assam and neighboring states, reduce dependence on imports, create substantial employment, and accelerate regional economic development. It is a cornerstone of industrial revival and farmer welfare.

India and the Netherlands  have taken a significant step towards strengthening   their  economic partnership ties by establishing a Joint Trade and Investment Committee.  have established the Joint Trade and Investment Committee (JTIC),  . The decision was formalized through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which aims to create a dedicated institutional framework for bilateral trade and investment cooperation  . The Joint Trade and Investment Committee (JTIC) will serve as a bilateral mechanism to review, guide, and expand economic relations between India and the Netherlands. The Committee will focus on strengthening trade flows, encouraging bilateral investment, and enhancing cooperation in areas of mutual interest. The JTIC aims to ensure regular and institutionalized dialogue, moving beyond ad hoc meetings.

India and the Netherlands sign MoU to collaborate on the National Maritime Heritage Complex (NMHC) at Lothal in Gujarat

India and the Netherlands  have   signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen cooperation in the field of  maritime heritage . This is a significant step towards the development of  the National Maritime Heritage Complex (NMHC)   in   Lothal  , Gujarat . The MoU was exchanged during a bilateral meeting between External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar  and  Dutch Foreign Minister David van Weel  . This MoU brings together the NMHC, being developed under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, and the National Maritime Museum in Amsterdam. Under the agreement, both sides will collaborate on the exchange of knowledge, expertise, and best practices in the design, curation, and conservation of maritime museums. This partnership will also facilitate joint exhibitions, research projects, and cultural exchange programs, as well as explore new initiatives to enhance visitor experience, education, and public awareness. The NMHC in Lothal is envisioned as a world-class heritage complex showcasing India’s 4,500-year-old maritime heritage. The collaboration with the Amsterdam-based museum is expected to strengthen its global reputation, promote inclusive education and tourism, and ensure affordable access for students, local communities and disadvantaged groups.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)  will launch  the communications satellite Bluebird Block-2  on Wednesday  . This  satellite, owned by the US-based AST Spacemobile company , will be the largest commercial satellite ever launched into low Earth orbit aboard  the LVM-3-M6 rocket  . This is the next generation of Bluebird Block-2 satellites, designed to provide cellular broadband connectivity to common mobile smartphones directly from space. The LVM-3, a three-stage launch vehicle developed by ISRO, has previously been used to launch 72 satellites in the Chandrayaan-2 and Chandrayaan-3 missions, as well as two OneBeam missions. The LVM-3 also successfully completed the M-5 CMS-03 mission last month.

7 Michi Benthaus, the first wheelchair user to go into space

Amazon  founder  Jeff Bezos  ‘ space company,  Blue Origin,  has made history.  German aerospace engineer Michaela Benthaus (Michi Benthaus)  became the first wheelchair user to   cross the  Kármán  line (100 kilometers altitude), the boundary of space,  aboard the company’s  New Shepard rocket. The flight took place on December 20, 2025,  from the West Texas Launch Site in Texas. The NS-37 mission carried six passengers. During this approximately 10-minute suborbital flight, passengers experienced weightlessness for a few minutes and witnessed a stunning view of Earth. Michi Benthaus is a German aerospace and mechatronics engineer. She has been working as a Young Graduate Trainee at the European Space Agency (ESA) since 2024. She suffered a serious spinal cord injury in a mountain biking accident in 2018, and has been using a wheelchair ever since.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)  has   released  RESPOND Basket 2025 , inviting research proposals  from  universities and academic institutions across the country  . The initiative aims to align academic research with ISRO’s current and future space mission requirements, so that advanced scientific research can directly contribute to national space goals. RESPOND Basket 2025 is a compilation of mission-oriented research problem statements identified by ISRO and various centers within the Department of Space (DoS). These problem statements are directly linked to ISRO’s immediate operational needs and long-term research and development (R&D) priorities. The initiative encourages practical and application-based research that can be implemented in actual space missions, rather than general or theoretical research.

9 A grand celebration of ‘PESA Mahotsav’ will be held in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh on December 23–24, 2025

The Ministry of Panchayati Raj is organizing a two-day ” PESA Mahotsav ”  as  a celebration of folk culture  to mark the anniversary of the enactment of the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 (PESA). The festival will be held  in  Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh ,  on   December 23 and 24, 2025. ”  PESA Day” will also be celebrated on December 24   to commemorate the anniversary of the PESA Act .  Shri Konidala Pawan Kalyan,  Deputy Chief Minister and Minister of Panchayati Raj and Rural Development, Government of Andhra Pradesh, will inaugurate the festival. Approximately 2,000 delegates from all 10 PESA states  , including Panchayat representatives, sportspersons, and cultural artists, are expected to participate in the event . Several important national activities related to PESA will be launched on December 24, 2025. These include PESA Portal for effective dissemination of information and monitoring of PESA implementation, PESA indicators to assess the progress of implementation in the states, training modules on PESA in tribal languages ​​to increase awareness and strengthen capacity building at the grassroots level, and an e-book on Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh, documenting the traditional knowledge, culture and heritage of the region.

 The first anniversary   of the Fit India Sundays on Cycles campaign, an initiative of  the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports,   was celebrated in  Puducherry . Led by Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya,  the cycle rally of youth and students was flagged off by Puducherry Lieutenant Governor  K. Kailasanathan  and Chief Minister  N. Rangasamy  . The rally aims to raise public awareness about the benefits of cycling. Puducherry Assembly Speaker R. Selvam and Home Minister A. Namassivayam were also present at the event.

Jammu and Kashmir gets its first Gen Z post office

Jammu and Kashmir  has  achieved a significant milestone towards modernization of  public services  .  The state’s first ‘Gen Z Post Office’ has been inaugurated   at AIIMS Vijaypur campus . This initiative  reflects the changing thinking of the Department of Posts (India Post)  , which aims to make postal services digital, accessible and in line with the expectations of the youth. With this, AIIMS Vijaypur has become the first AIIMS in the country where a Gen Z Post Office has been established. The Gen Z Post Office was inaugurated on 17 December 2025 at AIIMS Vijaypur.