CURRENT AFFAIRS

The Union Finance Minister has tabled the Health Security Se National Security Cess Bill, 2025 in Parliament, clarifying that the new cess will be imposed only on demerit goods such as pan masala, without affecting essential household commodities.

The Union Government has approved the construction of third and fourth railway lines on the 32 km Badlapur–Karjat stretch in Maharashtra. This expansion strengthens a crucial segment of the Mumbai–Chennai High Density Network (HDN)—one of the busiest rail corridors in India.

India’s rupee breached the ₹90-per-dollar mark for the first time, rattling financial markets and deepening concerns about the country’s external sector outlook.

In 2015, the United Nations adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, introducing 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 169 targets to address global challenges such as poverty, inequality, hunger, health crises, climate change, and environmental degradation.

On November 28, 2025, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) took a significant step by issuing 244 "Consolidated Master Directions." The aim is to reduce the compliance burden on regulated entities (REs) and bring transparency and clarity to the regulatory framework.

The Government of India is set to introduce the Insurance Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2025 during the sixth session of the 18th Lok Sabha. 

The government has authorised private entities accredited by the Quality Council of India (QCI) to act as Accredited Prospecting Agencies (APAs) under the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF), in its 2025 Article IV Staff Report, has once again awarded India’s national accounts—including GDP statistics—a C-grade, indicating the presence of methodological or coverage-related shortcomings that hinder effective economic surveillance.

The Union Government has approved the Textiles Focused Research, Assessment, Monitoring, Planning and Start-up (Tex-RAMPS) Scheme aimed at modernising India’s textile sector through innovation, data systems, and start-up support.

Economists project that India’s GDP growth for Q2 of FY26 will exceed the RBI’s estimate of 7%, potentially touching 7.3%—slightly below Q1’s strong 7.8% expansion. Despite the late-August 50% U.S. tariff hike, India’s economic momentum remains resilient.