UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 23 December 2025
Kartavya Desk Staff
UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 23 December 2025 covers important current affairs of the day, their backward linkages, their relevance for Prelims exam and MCQs on main articles
InstaLinks : Insta Links help you think beyond the current affairs issue and help you think multidimensionally to develop depth in your understanding of these issues. These linkages provided in this ‘hint’ format help you frame possible questions in your mind that might arise(or an examiner might imagine) from each current event. InstaLinks also connect every issue to their static or theoretical background.
Table of Contents
GS Paper 2:
• Higher Education in India
Higher Education in India
• India–New Zealand Free Trade Agreement
India–New Zealand Free Trade Agreement
Content for Mains Enrichment (CME):
• Pa Pa Pagli Project
Pa Pa Pagli Project
Facts for Prelims (FFP):
• SHAKTI Scholars – NCW Young Research Fellowship
SHAKTI Scholars – NCW Young Research Fellowship
• Raccoon roundworm
Raccoon roundworm
• Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) Spacecraft
Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) Spacecraft
• Ghost Pairing
Ghost Pairing
• Micrometeoroids and Orbital Debris (MMOD)
Micrometeoroids and Orbital Debris (MMOD)
Mapping:
• Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park
UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 23 December 2025
GS Paper 2:
Higher Education in India
Source: PIB
Subject: Education
Context: NITI Aayog has released a comprehensive policy report on “Internationalisation of Higher Education in India” to operationalise NEP-2020’s vision of internationalisation at home.
• The report outlines a roadmap to make India a global hub for higher education and research by 2047, aligned with Viksit Bharat @2047.
About Higher Education in India:
What it is?
• Internationalisation of Higher Education refers to the intentional integration of international, intercultural, and global dimensions into the purpose, curriculum, research, and governance of higher education institutions.
Core Features of Internationalisation of Higher Education (IoHE):
• Internationalisation at Home: Global curricula, foreign faculty, joint courses, and international research exposure are embedded within Indian campuses, benefitting nearly 97% students who remain in India.
• Two-way Academic Mobility: Promotes balanced inbound and outbound student–faculty exchanges, joint supervision of PhDs, and visiting professorships.
• Cross-border Institutional Presence: Enables foreign university campuses in India and offshore campuses of Indian HEIs abroad, expanding India’s academic footprint.
• Research-led Global Integration: Focus on joint research, co-authored publications, shared laboratories, and participation in global research consortia.
• Education as Soft Power: Higher education is leveraged as an instrument of diplomacy, cultural influence, and long-term global engagement, especially with the Global South.
Potential of Higher Education in India:
• Demographic Advantage: With an average age of 28.4 years, India offers a vast, young talent pool for global education, innovation, and research.
• Scale and System Capacity: India hosts 1,200+ universities and 40 million students, providing unmatched scale for international student absorption.
• Cost-Quality Edge: Quality education in engineering, medicine, and management is available at 30–40% lower cost than in Western countries.
• Knowledge Economy Strengths: Success in IT, space, pharmaceuticals, and digital public infrastructure enhances India’s credibility as a learning hub.
• Global Ranking Presence: 54 Indian institutions in QS World Rankings 2026 signal readiness to host 1 lakh international students by 2030.
Challenges to Internationalisation of Higher Education
• Inbound–Outbound Imbalance: Over 13 lakh Indian students study abroad, while India hosts only ~50,000 foreign students, reflecting weak inbound appeal.
• High Forex Outflow: Overseas education remittances reached USD 3.4 billion in 2023–24, straining national resources.
• Regulatory Fragmentation: Multiple regulators, slow approvals, and absence of a single degree-equivalence framework deter foreign participation.
• Uneven Institutional Readiness: Most state and rural universities lack international hostels, faculty support systems, and global academic offices.
• Limited Global Branding: India’s universities suffer from low international visibility, weak alumni diplomacy, and inconsistent global outreach.
Three Global Strategies for Internationalisation of Higher Education:
• Transnational Education (TNE) hubs: Countries like Australia, UAE, and Singapore attract global universities through branch campuses, joint degrees, and flexible regulation, positioning themselves as regional education hubs.
• Academic mobility & talent attraction: Nations such as Germany and Canada use liberal visa regimes, post-study work options, and funded fellowships (e.g., DAAD) to attract international students, researchers, and faculty.
• Global research & ranking-driven collaboration: Leading systems (US, UK, EU) prioritise joint research grants, co-authored publications, and global rankings, using international partnerships to boost innovation, funding, and academic prestige.
NITI Aayog’s Recommended Strategy:
• Inter-Ministerial Task Force: Establish a high-level body anchored in the Ministry of Education to coordinate targets, funding, and global engagement.
• National Equivalence Portal: Create a single-window digital platform for recognition of professional and non-professional degrees to ease student mobility.
• “Campus-within-a-Campus” model: Allow foreign universities to operate co-located campuses within Indian HEIs using a brownfield approach with a 10-year sunset clause.
• Country Centres of Excellence (CoEs): Designate Central Universities as nodal hubs for specific partner nations (e.g., 54 CoEs for 54 countries) to deepen bilateral research.
• Vishwa Bandhu Fellowship: Launch a flagship fellowship to attract global researchers and diaspora faculty from India’s 3.5-crore overseas community.
• Expansion beyond GIFT City (IFSC): Extend the GIFT model beyond finance into Law, Management, Public Policy, and Sports Science.
• Revamped NIRF framework: Integrate internationalisation indicators—international faculty ratios, inbound students, joint publications—into national rankings.
• Tagore Academic Mobility Framework: Establish multilateral credit-recognition and mobility arrangements for ASEAN, BIMSTEC, BRICS, and other regional groupings.
Conclusion:
The NITI Aayog roadmap marks a strategic shift from India being a “source” of global students to a “destination” for global talent. By prioritising Internationalisation at Home, India seeks to retain brain capital, reduce forex outflow, and reclaim its civilisational role as a Vishwa Guru. Achieving the target of 8 lakh international students by 2047 is central to realising the vision of a developed, knowledge-led Viksit Bharat.
Q. Examine the rationale for creating a single apex regulator for higher education under the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, 2025. Analyse the governance gains expected from merging multiple regulators. Discuss the risks such consolidation poses for institutional autonomy and academic diversity. (15 M)
India–New Zealand Free Trade Agreement
Source: LM
Subject: Bilateral Relations
Context: India and New Zealand have concluded negotiations on a comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (FTA) in just nine months, with formal signing expected in 2026.
About India–New Zealand Free Trade Agreement:
What is an FTA?
• A Free Trade Agreement (FTA) is a bilateral pact where countries reduce or eliminate tariffs and non-tariff barriers on goods and services to boost trade, investment, and economic cooperation.
Targets of the India–New Zealand FTA
• Trade expansion: Double bilateral trade from the current level to USD 5 billion within five years, deepening economic engagement.
• Investment inflows: Facilitate USD 20 billion in New Zealand investments over 15 years, aligned with Make in India.
• Export diversification: Provide Indian exporters alternative markets amid high tariffs in the US and global protectionism.
• Services and mobility growth: Strengthen services trade and skilled mobility through temporary employment visas and education linkages.
Existing Trade Between India and New Zealand:
• Trade volume: Bilateral trade reached USD 1.3 billion in FY25, registering a strong 49% year-on-year growth, yet remains modest relative to the economic size of both countries.
• Indian exports: India’s exports are concentrated in pharmaceuticals, textiles, engineering goods, and IT/IT-enabled services, reflecting strengths in manufacturing and knowledge-based sectors.
• Indian imports: Imports from New Zealand largely consist of wool, fruits, forestry products, and dairy-related items, highlighting New Zealand’s comparative advantage in agriculture.
• Trade imbalance: The trade structure is asymmetrical, with New Zealand exporting agri-products and India exporting manufactured goods and services, limiting value-chain integration.
• Untapped potential: Despite economic complementarities, trade remains below potential due to tariff barriers, regulatory constraints, and limited business awareness.
Key Features of the India–New Zealand FTA
• Tariff liberalisation: India will offer duty concessions on 95% of New Zealand exports, while New Zealand will provide duty-free access on 100% of India’s tariff lines.
• Protection of sensitive sectors: India has excluded dairy, rice, wheat, sugar, onions, edible oils, and rubber, balancing trade liberalisation with farmer livelihood protection.
• Boost to labour-intensive sectors: Preferential access will support exports from textiles, apparel, leather, footwear, engineering goods, and pharmaceuticals, aiding employment generation.
• Services and mobility provisions: The FTA introduces 5,000 temporary employment visas annually, allowing Indian professionals to work in New Zealand for up to three years.
• Trade facilitation rules: Provisions on rules of origin, customs cooperation, SPS measures, and TBTs aim to reduce procedural delays and improve market predictability.
Challenges Associated with the FTA:
• Agricultural sensitivities: Concerns from farmer groups, especially in dairy and horticulture, restrict deeper liberalisation and require careful policy calibration.
• Domestic political opposition in New Zealand: Sections of New Zealand’s ruling coalition oppose the pact, citing immigration pressures and dairy-sector disadvantages.
• Low trade base: Given the relatively small existing trade volume, economic gains may accrue gradually rather than immediately.
• Non-tariff barriers: Divergent regulatory standards, certification norms, and SPS requirements may continue to constrain exports.
• Implementation capacity: The agreement’s success depends on how effectively MSMEs and service providers utilise its provisions.
Way Ahead:
• Strengthen supply chains: Beyond tariff cuts, both countries should build integrated manufacturing and agri-processing value chains to deepen trade.
• Deepen services cooperation: Expanding collaboration in IT, education, healthcare, tourism, and professional services can unlock high-value growth.
• Leverage diaspora and skills: Mobility provisions should be used to enhance people-to-people ties, skill transfer, and innovation linkages.
• Support MSMEs: Targeted trade facilitation, standards support, and export credit will help MSMEs access New Zealand markets.
• Continuous review mechanism: Regular monitoring through joint trade committees can address sectoral concerns and fine-tune implementation.
Conclusion:
The India–New Zealand FTA represents a new-generation trade agreement balancing market access with domestic sensitivities. By expanding trade, investment, and skilled mobility, it strengthens India’s Indo-Pacific economic strategy. Effective implementation can transform the pact into a durable platform for diversified and resilient bilateral ties.
Q. Why has India accelerated Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations with diverse partners in recent years? Evaluate the strategic and economic factors driving this shift. (15 M)
#### UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 23 December 2025 Content for Mains Enrichment (CME)
Pa Pa Pagli Project
Context: Gujarat’s Dahod district has gained attention for a play-based early childhood education model in Anganwadi centres, where the UNICEF-supported “Pa Pa Pagli” initiative has improved learning outcomes and confidence among children aged 3–6 years.
About Pa Pa Pagli Project:
What it is?
• “Pa Pa Pagli (First Steps of the Child)” is a play-oriented pre-school education initiative of the Gujarat Women and Child Development Department.
• It targets children aged 3–6 years enrolled in Anganwadi centres, especially in educationally backward districts like Dahod.
Key features:
• Games-cum-learning model: Learning through structured play, stories, songs, puzzles and movement-based activities.
• Life-skills orientation: Focus on social skills, communication, hygiene and routine habits.
• Anganwadi transformation: Expands Anganwadis beyond nutrition and health to early cognitive development.
• Digital and visual aids: Use of educational videos and activity-based tools.
• Institutional support: Implemented with technical support from UNICEF India for quality standards.
Significance:
• Early brain development: Leverages the critical window where 85% of brain development occurs before age six.
• Reduced learning gaps: Builds school-readiness and lowers future dropout risks, especially in tribal and rural areas.
• Equity in education: Strengthens foundational learning among marginalised and first-generation learners.
Relevance in UPSC Syllabus:
• GS Paper I – Society
• Human development, education indicators, demographic dividend Role of early childhood interventions in social outcomes
• Human development, education indicators, demographic dividend
• Role of early childhood interventions in social outcomes
• GS Paper II – Social Justice
• Issues relating to children, early childhood care and education (ECCE) Anganwadi services, ICDS, and role of the state in human development
• Issues relating to children, early childhood care and education (ECCE)
• Anganwadi services, ICDS, and role of the state in human development
#### UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 23 December 2025 Facts for Prelims (FFP)
SHAKTI Scholars – NCW Young Research Fellowship
Source: DD News
Subject: Government Scheme
Context: The National Commission for Women (NCW) has launched ‘SHAKTI Scholars’ – NCW Young Research Fellowship to promote policy-oriented research on women-centric issues.
About SHAKTI Scholars – NCW Young Research Fellowship:
What it is?
• SHAKTI Scholars is a six-month, grant-based research fellowship designed to support young scholars and independent researchers in undertaking policy-relevant, multidisciplinary research on issues affecting women in India.
Launched by: National Commission for Women (NCW)
• Encourage evidence-based research on women-centric challenges.
• Build a pipeline of young researchers contributing to gender-responsive governance.
• Support research that can inform laws, schemes, and institutional reforms.
Eligibility criteria:
• Nationality: Indian citizens only
• Age: 21 to 30 years
• Minimum qualification: Graduation from a recognised institution
• Preference: Candidates pursuing or having completed post-graduation, M.Phil., or PhD Disciplines such as Gender Studies, Law, Social Sciences, Public Policy, Economics, Health, Technology, Development Studies, etc.
• Candidates pursuing or having completed post-graduation, M.Phil., or PhD
• Disciplines such as Gender Studies, Law, Social Sciences, Public Policy, Economics, Health, Technology, Development Studies, etc.
Key features:
• Research grant – ₹1 lakh: The fellowship provides financial support to cover data collection, fieldwork, analysis, and documentation costs.
• Duration – 6 months: A six-month timeframe balances rigorous research with timely policy relevance and feasibility.
• Phased fund release: Grants are disbursed in stages, ensuring accountability and progress-linked research execution.
• Research themes include:
• Women’s safety and dignity
• Gender-based violence and POSH implementation
• Legal rights and access to justice
• Cyber safety
• Health, nutrition, education, and skill development
• Economic empowerment and labour force participation
• Women’s leadership, political participation, and work-life balance
Raccoon roundworm
Source: IT
Subject: Science and Technology
Context: A new European study has found widespread spread of raccoon roundworm (Baylisascaris procyonis) in wild raccoon populations across nine European countries, with very high infection rates.
About Raccoon roundworm:
What it is?
• Raccoon roundworm is a zoonotic parasitic infection caused by the nematode Baylisascaris procyonis, which primarily infects raccoons but can accidentally infect humans and other animals, causing severe neurological and ocular damage.
Origin:
• Native to North America, where raccoons are natural hosts.
• Spread to Europe through import of raccoons for pets and fur farms in the early 20th century.
• Escaped raccoons established wild populations, carrying the parasite with them
Found in:
• Primary host: Raccoons (Procyon lotor).
• Other animals: Dogs, birds, rodents, and small mammals (as accidental hosts).
• Geographic spread: North America (endemic). Europe (now established in at least nine countries, Germany as epicentre).
• North America (endemic).
• Europe (now established in at least nine countries, Germany as epicentre).
• India: Not established due to absence of wild raccoon populations.
Symptoms in humans:
Human infection is rare but often severe due to larval migration:
• Early symptoms: Nausea, fatigue, liver enlargement.
• Neurological signs: Loss of coordination, reduced attention, muscle weakness.
• Severe outcomes: Ocular larva migrans: Blindness. Neural larva migrans: Brain damage, coma, death.
• Ocular larva migrans: Blindness.
• Neural larva migrans: Brain damage, coma, death.
• High-risk group: Children (soil contact, poor hand hygiene)
Key features:
• Extremely hardy eggs: Eggs become infectious after 2–4 weeks in soil. Can survive for years in the environment.
• Eggs become infectious after 2–4 weeks in soil.
• Can survive for years in the environment.
• High reproductive output: Adult worms release millions of eggs in raccoon faeces.
• Difficult diagnosis: No widely available definitive tests in humans.
• High severity, low frequency: Rare infections, but disproportionately serious outcomes.
Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) Spacecraft
Source: TH
Subject: Science and Technology
Context: NASA has lost contact with the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) spacecraft after it went silent in early December 2025 following a routine communication blackout.
About Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) Spacecraft:
What it is?
• MAVEN is a NASA Mars orbiter mission dedicated to studying the upper atmosphere, ionosphere, and atmospheric escape processes of Mars to understand how the planet transformed from a warm, wet world to a cold, dry one.
Launched in: November 18, 2013
• Determine how and how fast Mars lost its atmosphere to space.
• Understand the role of the Sun and solar wind in driving atmospheric escape.
• Support surface missions through data relay services.
Key features of MAVEN:
• Orbiter mission: MAVEN follows an elliptical orbit that samples multiple altitudes, allowing scientists to observe daily, seasonal, and solar-driven atmospheric changes.
• Upper-atmosphere focus: The mission studies neutral gases, charged ions, solar wind, and magnetic fields, directly targeting the region where atmospheric escape occurs.
• Eight scientific instruments: MAVEN carries eight specialised payloads, including mass spectrometers and plasma sensors, designed for detailed atmospheric diagnostics.
• Imaging Ultraviolet Spectrograph (IUVS): Though MAVEN lacks a conventional camera, IUVS maps the global structure and composition of Mars’ upper atmosphere in ultraviolet light.
• Communications relay role: MAVEN functions as an interplanetary relay satellite, transmitting data from rovers like Curiosity and Perseverance back to Earth.
• Highly elliptical orbit: Its orbit allows close passes through the upper atmosphere and distant observations, enabling vertical profiling of atmospheric processes.
Major discoveries and contributions:
• Atmospheric loss quantified: MAVEN confirmed that solar wind stripping has been a dominant mechanism removing Mars’ atmosphere over billions of years.
• Water loss pathways identified: The mission showed how water vapour breaks into hydrogen and oxygen, with lightweight hydrogen escaping irreversibly to space.
• Impact of solar storms: MAVEN observed that solar flares and coronal mass ejections sharply increase atmospheric escape rates during extreme space-weather events.
Ghost Pairing
Source: DH
Subject: Science and Technology
Context: The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has issued an advisory warning users about WhatsApp “ghost pairing”, a new cyber fraud technique.
About Ghost Pairing:
What it is?
• Ghost pairing is a social-engineering–based cyberattack in which fraudsters secretly link (pair) a victim’s WhatsApp account to the attacker’s device, gaining real-time access to chats, media, and contacts without hacking the phone itself.
• Gain unauthorised access to WhatsApp conversations
• Steal sensitive information (photos, OTP hints, documents)
• Extort money, commit identity fraud, or empty bank accounts through follow-up scams
How it works?
• Impersonation: Attacker messages the victim using a familiar name, or poses as a bank, tax, or government official.
• Bait message: Victim receives a message like “Hi, check this photo” or “Your account will be blocked” with a malicious link.
• Urgency and panic: Social pressure is applied using threats such as bank account freeze or number deactivation.
• Verification trap: Victim is tricked into approving a WhatsApp device-linking request or entering a pairing/verification code.
• Silent takeover: Attacker’s device gets linked as a companion device, giving them full WhatsApp access without alerting the victim.
Key features:
• No SIM swap required.
• No password cracking involved.
• Exploits human trust, urgency, and fear.
• Works across WhatsApp, Telegram, and similar messaging apps.
• Enables real-time spying and data extraction.
Limitations of the attack:
• Requires user action: The scam succeeds only if the victim clicks a link or approves pairing.
• Traceable transactions: Financial fraud leaves digital trails; quick reporting can freeze accounts.
• Linked-device visibility: Users can detect and remove unknown devices from WhatsApp → Linked Devices.
Micrometeoroids and Orbital Debris (MMOD)
Source: TH
Subject: Science and Technology
Context: Concerns over space debris safety resurfaced after orbital debris damaged a window of China’s Shenzhou-20 crewed spacecraft. The incident has renewed global attention on protecting astronauts and spacecraft from Micrometeoroids and Orbital Debris (MMOD).
About Micrometeoroids and Orbital Debris (MMOD):
What it is?
• Micrometeoroids and Orbital Debris (MMOD) refers to a combined threat from naturally occurring space particles and human-made debris orbiting Earth, capable of damaging or destroying spacecraft due to their extremely high velocities.
Located in:
• Orbital debris: Concentrated mainly in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) between 200 km and 2,000 km altitude.
• Micrometeoroids: Present throughout interplanetary space, with slightly higher density near Earth due to gravitational pull.
Formation:
• Micrometeoroids: Formed mainly from asteroid collisions in the asteroid belt and debris from comets, travelling at very high speeds.
• Orbital debris: Generated from defunct satellites, exploded rocket stages, accidental collisions, and anti-satellite (ASAT) weapon tests.
• Cascade effect (Kessler Syndrome): Collisions between debris create more fragments, potentially triggering a self-sustaining chain reaction of debris generation.
Key features:
• Extremely high velocity: Micrometeoroids travel at 11–72 km/s, while orbital debris moves at around 10 km/s, making even tiny fragments lethal.
• Huge population: Over 34,000 objects larger than 10 cm are tracked, while hundreds of millions of smaller fragments remain untrackable.
• Highly directional risk: Spacecraft face maximum danger on the forward-facing surface, where relative collision speeds are highest.
• Difficult to detect: Most MMOD particles are too small to be tracked, requiring probabilistic risk modelling rather than real-time avoidance.
• Long persistence: Debris can remain in orbit for decades or centuries, especially in higher LEO and beyond.
Implications:
• Threat to astronaut safety: Even millimetre-sized debris can cause catastrophic damage to crewed spacecraft and space stations.
• Risk to satellites and missions: MMOD impacts can disable satellites, disrupt communication, navigation, and Earth observation systems.
• Rising collision avoidance costs: Frequent debris-avoidance manoeuvres increase fuel use and reduce mission lifetimes.
• Barrier to future space exploration: Unchecked debris growth could make certain orbits unsafe or unusable, limiting human expansion in space.
• Need for global governance: Existing UN space debris guidelines are non-binding, highlighting gaps in enforceable international space law.
#### UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 23 December 2025 Mapping:
Yellowstone National Park
Source: TG
Subject: Mapping
Context: The US Geological Survey (USGS) shared footage showing mud erupting from the Black Diamond Pool in Yellowstone National Park, highlighting renewed hydrothermal activity.
About Yellowstone National Park:
What it is?
• Yellowstone National Park is the world’s first national park, globally renowned for its geothermal activity, volcanic landscape, wildlife, and intact ecosystems. It hosts about half of the world’s known hydrothermal features, including geysers, hot springs, and mud pools.
Located in: Northwestern United States.
• Covers about 8,992 sq km (3,472 sq miles).
History:
• Established on March 1, 1872 by the U.S. Congress
• Recognised as the first national park in the world
• Designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve (1976) and World Heritage Site (1978).
Key features:
• Geothermal dominance: Home to over 10,000 hydrothermal features and more than 300 geysers, including Old Faithful and Steamboat Geyser (world’s tallest).
• Volcanic hotspot: Lies above a mantle hotspot, with magma chambers driving geysers, hot springs, fumaroles, and mud pots.
• Seismic activity: Experiences hundreds of minor earthquakes annually, reflecting active tectonics beneath the park.
• Distinct physical landscape: Features volcanic plateaus, mountain ranges (Absaroka, Gallatin, Teton), deep canyons, obsidian cliffs, and lava flows.
• Hydrology: Contains Yellowstone Lake, the largest high-altitude lake in North America, and the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River.
• Rich biodiversity: Supports iconic wildlife such as bison, grizzly bears, wolves, elk (wapiti) in a largely intact ecosystem.
Significance:
• Global geothermal laboratory: Serves as a natural site for studying volcanism, hydrothermal systems, and seismic processes.
• Conservation milestone: Set the global precedent for the national park conservation model.
• Climate and ecological research: Provides insights into ecosystem resilience, climate change, and wildlife dynamics.
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