December 16, 2025 - Current Affairs

Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin): VB G RAM G Bill, 2025

Context

The Union Minister of Rural Development and Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare introduced the Viksit Bharat - Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin): VB G RAM G Bill, 2025 in Lok Sabha.

About

It will replace the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 (MGNREGA).

The move will mark a shift from a “demand-driven framework” to a “supply-driven scheme”.

Dowry Eradication Urgent Constitutional, Social Necessity: SC

In News

The Supreme Court issued systemic directions to strengthen enforcement of anti-dowry laws.

SC observed that dowry is a deep-rooted social evil cutting across communities and requires institutional accountability, not merely penal provisions.

SC Directions

Judicial Monitoring: High Courts must monitor pending cases under IPC Sections 304-B (dowry death) and 498-A (cruelty) for expeditious disposal, with the judgment circulated for compliance review.

Administrative Enforcement: States must appoint and resource Dowry Prohibition Officers (DPOs) under Section 9 of the Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961, disseminating their contact details widely.

Capacity Building & Sensitisation: Police and judicial officers require periodic training on case sensitivity, distinguishing genuine claims from frivolous ones, while district administrations and Legal Services Authorities run grassroots awareness campaigns.

Appointment to Chief Information Commissioner

Context

The President of India administered the oath of office to Raj Kumar Goyal as the Chief Information Commissioner of the Central Information Commission.

About Central Information Commission

The Central Information Commission (CIC) is a statutory body in India, established under the provisions of the Right to Information Act (2005).

The Central Information Commission consists of a Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) and not more than ten Information Commissioners (IC).

The members are appointed by the President on the recommendation of a Committee consisting of:

Siliserh Lake and Kopra Jalashay Designated as New Ramsar Sites

Context

India designated Siliserh Lake and Kopra Jalashay as its 95th and 96th Ramsar Sites, increasing the country's total to 96, up from 26 in 2014.

What are the Wetlands?

The Ramsar Convention’s definition for wetlands includes:

“areas of marsh, fen, peatland or water, whether natural or artificial, permanent or temporary, with water that is static or flowing, fresh, brackish or salt, including areas of marine water the depth of which at low tide does not exceed six metres”.

Human-made wetlands: Fish and shrimp ponds, farm ponds, irrigated agricultural land, salt pans, reservoirs, gravel pits, sewage farms and canals.

Mangroves’ Cells Help Plants Survive in Saltwater

Context

A new study published in Current Biology explains the cellular adaptations that enable mangrove species to tolerate extreme salt stress, offering insights for developing salt-tolerant crops in the future.

Key Highlights of the Study

Key cellular traits (not stomata-based): Mangroves do not rely on smaller or more numerous stomata to increase photosynthesis.

Instead, they exhibit: unusually small leaf epidermal pavement cells and thicker cell walls, which together give them more mechanical strength to tolerate low osmotic potentials.

News In Short 16-12-2025

Context

A commemorative postage stamp in honour of the king Perumbidugu Mutharaiyar II (Suvaran Maran) was released by Vice President C P Radhakrishnan.

About

Perumbidugu Mutharaiyar (705 AD-745 AD), also known as Suvaran Maran, was a ruler of the Mutharaiyar lineage, feudatories of the Pallavas.

He belonged to the illustrious Mutharaiyar dynasty, which ruled the central regions of Tamil Nadu between the 7th and 9th centuries CE.

He ruled from Tiruchirappalli for nearly four decades and that his reign was marked by administrative stability, territorial expansion, cultural patronage, and military prowess.