IMPORTANT DAYS
Navy Day observed on December 4.
• India observes Navy Day on 4 December every year to honour the bravery and contributions of the Indian Navy.
• The date marks the success of Operation Trident (1971), when the Navy destroyed four Pakistani vessels, including the PNS Khaibar.
• Navy Day 2025 was commemorated with an impressive Operational Demonstration at Shangumugham Beach in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
• The demonstration highlighted the Navy’s advanced platforms and combat readiness.
• The event reaffirmed India’s position as the ‘Preferred Security Partner’ in the Indian Ocean Region.
• Visitors witnessed coordinated drills and manoeuvres performed by frontline warships and aircraft.
• The celebration showcased the Navy’s growing capabilities, professionalism, and commitment to securing maritime interests.
International Cheetah Day & India’s Conservation Efforts
• International Cheetah Day is observed annually on 4 December, a tradition that began in 2010.
• Marking the occasion, MP Chief Minister Mohan Yadav will release three enclosure-housed cheetahs into the wild at Kuno National Park.
• India currently hosts 32 cheetahs, including 21 cubs born on Indian soil under Project Cheetah.
• The day was created by Dr. Lauri Marker, founder and executive director of the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF).
• She selected the date in honour of Khayam, a cheetah she hand-raised in Oregon during the 1970s.
• Project Cheetah, launched in September 2022, aims to revive the species in India after decades of extinction.
• As part of this effort, 20 cheetahs were imported to Kuno—8 from Namibia (2022) and 12 from South Africa (2023).
APPOINTMENTS
Appointment of Special Public Prosecutor in Red Fort Blast Case
• The Union Home Ministry has selected senior advocate Madhav Khurana to serve as the Special Public Prosecutor in the Red Fort blast case.
• He will represent the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and handle the trial as well as related proceedings.
• His appointment is valid for three years, during which he will appear before the NIA Special Court and the Delhi High Court.
• The case concerns the November 10 car explosion near Red Fort, which resulted in the death of 15 people.
• Investigators say the blast was triggered when alleged suicide bomber Umar Un Nabi detonated an IED inside a Hyundai i20.
• So far, the NIA has taken seven main suspects into custody in connection with the incident.
• Khurana’s role will be crucial in navigating the trial, ensuring effective prosecution, and managing all legal actions tied to the case.
GOVERNMENT SCHEMES
100-Day Awareness Drive for a Child Marriage Free Bharat
• The Ministry of Women and Child Development has launched a 100-day nationwide campaign to strengthen the movement toward a Child Marriage Free Bharat.
• The launch featured a National Pledge and a special film showcasing real stories of progress from different regions.
• This campaign commemorates one year of the Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat initiative, which began on 27 November 2024.
• Running from 27 November 2025 to 8 March 2026, the drive aims to rally citizens, institutions, and community leaders against child marriage.
• The campaign is divided into three phases, starting with awareness programmes in schools, colleges, and universities through debates, essays, and pledge ceremonies.
• The second phase will involve religious figures, community influencers, and marriage-related service providers to expand the message at the grassroots.
• In the final phase, Gram Panchayats and municipal wards will be encouraged to pass resolutions declaring their areas free from child marriage.
ECONOMY NEWS
Central Excise (Amendment) Bill 2025
• The Lok Sabha has passed the Central Excise (Amendment) Bill, 2025, enabling substantial hikes in excise duties and cess on various tobacco products.
• The Finance Minister clarified that the Bill restores earlier excise powers, ensuring tax incidence remains stable after the compensation cess regime ends.
• She highlighted that compensation cess rates have remained unchanged since 2017, and cigarettes currently bear nearly 53% total tax burden on retail price.
• The revised excise structure will continue to benefit states, with 41% of the revenue being devolved to them.
• The government has promoted crop diversification away from tobacco, with over 1.12 lakh acres shifting to alternative crops between 2018 and 2021-22.
• Under the new slabs, excise duty on cigarettes rises sharply to ₹2,700–₹11,000 per 1,000 sticks, alongside steep increases on chewing tobacco (25% → 100%), hookah tobacco (25% → 40%), and smoking mixtures (60% → 325%).
• The legislation seeks to discourage tobacco consumption by sharply increasing prices of harmful tobacco products and strengthening public-health measures.
SUMMIT AND CONFERENCE
22nd India–Russia Defence Cooperation Commission
• New Delhi hosted the 22nd India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Military and Military Technical Cooperation, co-chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Russian Defence Minister Andrei Belousov.
• Both leaders reviewed the full spectrum of bilateral defence ties and assessed ongoing and future cooperation projects.
• They also discussed key regional and global developments, reaffirming shared strategic interests.
• During his visit, Belousov is scheduled to pay homage at the National War Memorial by laying a wreath for India’s fallen soldiers.
• The two ministers last met in June 2025 in Qingdao, where Russia reiterated its commitment to timely delivery of the S-400 ‘Sudarshan Chakra’ air defence systems.
• The S-400 designation ‘Sudarshan Chakra’ draws inspiration from the mythical weapon of Lord Vishnu.
• Earlier, in October 2025, New Delhi also hosted the 5th Meeting of the Working Group on Military Cooperation, strengthening the ongoing framework under the Commission.
