LEGAL NEWS
Repealing and Amending Bill, 2025
• The Lok Sabha has passed the Repealing and Amending Bill, 2025, aimed at legal streamlining.
• The legislation seeks to remove outdated laws and fine-tune existing statutes to improve clarity.
• It provides for the repeal of 71 laws, including several obsolete colonial-era and sector-specific Acts.
• Notable repealed laws include the Indian Tramways Act, 1886, Levy Sugar Price Equalisation Fund Act, 1976, and a BPCL service conditions Act of 1988.
• The Bill also amends four key Acts, such as the General Clauses Act, 1897 and the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908.
• Changes include updating terminology related to registered posts and easing procedures under the Indian Succession Act, 1925 by removing court validation of wills in certain cases.
• A drafting error in the Disaster Management Act, 2005 is being corrected through this amendment.
• The government stated that since 2014, 1,577 redundant laws have been dealt with, including 1,562 repeals and 15 re-enactments, reflecting ongoing legal reform.
Sabka Bima Sabki Raksha Bill, 2025: Lok Sabha Approval and Key Features
• The Lok Sabha has cleared the Sabka Bima Sabki Raksha (Amendment of Insurance Laws) Bill, 2025.
• The Bill introduces changes to the Insurance Act, 1938; LIC Act, 1956; and IRDA Act, 1999.
• Its objective is to boost insurance sector growth while enhancing safeguards for policyholders.
• The legislation strengthens regulatory transparency and supervision in insurance governance.
• It also focuses on ease of doing business and ensuring uninterrupted operations for insurance intermediaries.
• The Finance Minister noted that over ₹17,000 crore has been infused into public sector insurers.
• Insurance coverage, penetration, and density have expanded steadily over the past 11 years.
• The discussion highlighted GST exemption on life and health insurance premiums and government schemes like PMJJBY, PMSBY, PMJAY, and crop insurance, aimed at protecting the poorest sections.
IMPORTANT DAYS
International Migrants Day 2025
• International Migrants Day is observed every year on 18 December across the world.
• The day focuses on raising awareness about the rights, challenges, and contributions of migrants globally.
• It commemorates the UN General Assembly’s adoption of the Convention on Migrant Workers’ Rights in 1990.
• The United Nations officially designated 18 December as International Migrants Day in 2000.
• The 2025 theme, “My Great Story: Cultures and Development”, highlights migrants’ personal journeys.
• The theme emphasises how human mobility contributes to economic growth and cultural diversity.
• Migration is recognised as a force that strengthens societies and promotes development.
• The International Organization for Migration (IOM), founded in 1951, serves as the UN’s lead agency on migration and supports millions of migrants worldwide.
NATIONAL NEWS
India’s Dominance in Makhana Production and Policy Support
• India leads the world in makhana production, contributing nearly 80% of the global output.
• This information was shared by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha on December 16.
• Bihar forms the core of India’s makhana sector, accounting for about 85% of national production.
• Darbhanga district has emerged as a key centre for cultivation, processing, and trade of makhana.
• The district hosts the ICAR–National Research Centre on Makhana, supporting research and technological advancement.
• Darbhanga has also been selected under the One District One Product (ODOP) scheme for makhana.
• The sector is seen as a major opportunity to enhance incomes of farmers and fishermen.
• To strengthen the value chain, a National Makhana Board has been notified (September 2025), supported by a ₹476.03 crore Central Sector Scheme (2025–26 to 2030–31) focusing on productivity, value addition, and exports.
SPORTS
India at the Dubai 2025 Asian Youth Para Games
• India ended the Games with 56 medals, including an impressive 19 gold, as the event concluded on 13 December 2025.
• The fifth edition of the Asian Youth Para Games was hosted in Dubai under the patronage of Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
• Nearly 1,500 athletes representing 35 nations competed across the championship.
• The Games witnessed 25 new records, comprising nine world records and 16 Asian records.
• Uzbekistan finished at the top of the medal standings with 197 medals (99 gold).
• Iran secured second position, collecting 216 medals, including 62 gold.
• India’s standout moments came in para table tennis, where Baby Sahana Ravi won gold (Class SF-9 U-23) and Vishwa Vijay Tambe earned silver (Class SM-10).
• The tournament featured 11 sports, with India participating in eight, and also marked a first with the use of AI-powered robots during medal ceremonies.
