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Current Affairs 03rd December 2025
1. Amar Subramanya appointed as Apple’s Vice President of AI
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NewRole: Amar Subramanya has been appointed as Apple's Vice President of AI, signaling a major restructuring in the company's Artificial Intelligence leadership.
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Succession: He replaces veteran executive John Giannandrea, who will transition into an advisory role before his planned retirement in spring 2026.
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Key Responsibilities: Subramanya will oversee critical AI development areas, including Apple Foundation Models, Machine Learning (ML) research, and AI Safety and Evaluation.
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Reporting Structure: He will report directly to Craig Federighi, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Software Engineering, indicating the high strategic importance of the role.
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Experience: This is a high-profile move in the AI talent war, as Subramanya previously served as Corporate VP of AI at Microsoft and, notably, spent 16 years at Google where he led engineering for the Gemini AI assistant.
Foot notes:
About Apple-
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CEO: Tim Cook
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Headquarters: United States
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Founded: 1976
2. IGI Becomes India’s First Water-Positive Airport
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Definition of Achievement: The IGI Airport is certified as water-positive, meaning the facility replenishes more water to the environment than it consumes through its entire operations.
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Pioneering Status: IGI is the first airport in India in the major category (handling over 40 million passengers annually) to earn this significant environmental distinction.
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Rainwater Harvesting: The airport installed an extensive network of over 625 rainwater harvesting structures and constructed two new underground reservoirs with a combined capacity of 9 million litres for capture and groundwater recharge.
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Complete Recycling: A crucial component is the 16.6 Million Liters per Day (MLD) Zero-Liquid Discharge Sewage Treatment Plant (STP), which ensures 100% of the airport's wastewater is recycled and reused for non-potable purposes (like cooling and irrigation).
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Sustainability Goal: This achievement is a key step towards the airport's broader, long-term vision of becoming a net-zero airport and enhancing its overall climate resilience and environmental stewardship.
3. RBI Appoints UshaJanakiraman as Executive Director
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Effective Appointment Date: UshaJanakiraman has been formally appointed as an Executive Director (ED) of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), with the appointment taking effect from December 1, 2025.
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Key Department Oversight: In her new role, she will head the Department of Supervision, specifically looking after the critical functions of Risk, Analytics, and Vulnerability Assessment for regulated entities.
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Extensive RBI Experience: She is a seasoned career central banker with over three decades of experience within the RBI, having worked across diverse areas including regulation, banking supervision, public debt management, and currency management.
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Previous Role: Prior to her elevation, she served as the Chief General Manager-in-Charge of the Department of Regulation at the RBI's Central Office in Mumbai.
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Professional Qualification: Her appointment also highlights her strong technical grounding, as she is a qualified Chartered Accountant (CA), which is valuable for her supervisory role focused on risk and financial reporting.
Foot notes:
About RBI-
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Governor: Sanjay Malhotra
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Headquarters: Mumbai
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Established: 1935
4. India–Maldives Joint Exercise ‘Ekuverin’ Begins
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Nature and Meaning: 'Ekuverin' is an annual bilateral joint military exercise between the Indian Army and the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF); the name means "Friends" in the Maldivian language, Dhivehi.
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Focus of Training: The primary aim is to enhance interoperability and operational synergy between the two forces, specifically focusing on Counter-Insurgency and Counter-Terrorism (CI/CT) operations.
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Terrain and Scope: The drills are designed to simulate operations across challenging environments, including jungle, semi-urban, and coastal terrain, reflecting common security challenges in the region.
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Strategic Context (Neighbourhood First): The exercise, which is held alternately in India and the Maldives since 2009, serves as a crucial component of India's 'Neighbourhood First' policy to strengthen defence cooperation and promote peace in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
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Recent Edition (The 14th): The 14th edition of Exercise Ekuverin is currently being conducted from December 2 to 15, 2025, in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, with equal-strength contingents from both armies participating.
5. ManaliKshirsagar Becomes Nagpur University’s First Female Vice-Chancellor
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Historic First: Dr.ManaliKshirsagar is the first woman Vice-Chancellor appointed to RashtrasantTukadojiMaharaj Nagpur University (RTMNU) in its over 100-year history since its establishment in 1923.
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Appointment Details: She was appointed by the Governor of Maharashtra and University Chancellor, AcharyaDevvrat, and her tenure is set for five years.
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Academic Profile: She holds a unique and strong academic background, possessing a PhD in Computer Science alongside an MBA in Finance and Marketing, a blend of technical and managerial expertise.
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Administrative Experience: Prior to her elevation, she served as the Director (Technical) and Advisor at YeshwantraoChavan College of Engineering (YCCE) in Nagpur, bringing over three decades of academic leadership experience.
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Focus of Her Tenure: Her administration is expected to focus on key areas of reform, including the centralisation and timely completion of examinations, improving the university's NIRF ranking and visibility, and implementing the National Education Policy (NEP).
6. PNB appoints HarmanpreetKaur as Its First-Ever Female Brand Ambassador
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Historic First: HarmanpreetKaur, Captain of the Indian Women's Cricket Team, is PNB's first-ever female Brand Ambassador in the bank's history, marking a major milestone in its brand transformation journey.
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Symbolic Alignment: The partnership, themed "Banking On Champions," leverages Kaur's qualities of leadership, resilience, and excellence to mirror the ethos and values of the public sector bank.
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Core Message: The collaboration aims to promote key social and financial messages, focusing on financial literacy, women's empowerment, and inspiring young girls in sports and other fields across India.
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Product Unveil: In her first official act as brand ambassador, she unveiled four key digital and premium offerings of the bank, including the PNB RuPay Metal Credit Card Luxura and the revamped digital platform PNB One 2.0.
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Personal Connection: Kaur highlighted her long-standing relationship with the bank, noting that her first-ever bank account at the age of 18 was with the PNB Moga branch, adding a personal and authentic touch to the association.
Foot notes:
About PNB-
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MD & CEO: Ashok Chandra
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Headquarters: Delhi
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Founded: 1894
7. R. Chander Takes Over as LIC Managing Director
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Formal Appointment: RamakrishnanChander (R. Chander) has been appointed by the Government of India as a Managing Director (MD) of the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC), effective December 1, 2025.
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Tenure: His appointment is for a fixed term, running until his date of superannuation on September 30, 2027, or until further government orders.
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Previous Key Role: Prior to his elevation to MD, he was serving as the Executive Director (Investment – Front Office) and Chief Investment Officer (CIO), overseeing one of the largest investment portfolios in the country.
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Extensive Career: Chander is a veteran career official of LIC, having joined the corporation in 1990 as an Assistant Administrative Officer and accumulating over 35 years of experience across diverse functions.
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Diverse Expertise: His experience spans critical areas, including marketing, administration (Senior Divisional Manager), Pension & Group Schemes (P&GS), and leading the Corporation's Strategic Business Unit for International Operations as an Executive Director.
Foot notes:
About LIC-
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CEO & MD: R. Doraiswamy
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Headquarters: Mumbai
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Founded: 1956
8. UNFPA India felicitated IUSSP with the 2025 UN Population Award
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Recipient and Award: The International Union for the Scientific Study of Population (IUSSP) was honoured by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) India for winning the 2025 United Nations Population Award in the Institutional Category.
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Reason for Recognition: The award recognizes IUSSP's outstanding and pivotal global contributions to advancing population science, fostering international research collaboration among demographers, and providing evidence-based policy inputs worldwide.
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Felicitation Event: UNFPA India formally felicitated the IUSSP during the 46th Annual Conference of the Indian Association for the Study of Population (IASP), held in Kolkata in November 2025.
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Strategic Focus: The timing of the felicitation underscored the importance of strong population research for India's future, as the IASP conference was themed on "Demographic Drivers of India's Inclusive Growth" and leveraging its youth population.
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Global Relevance: IUSSP's work is considered critical for addressing complex modern demographic challenges, including ageing populations, climate-related migration, and ensuring that population dynamics are integrated into sustainable development agendas.
9. International Day of Persons with Disabilities observed on 03rdDecember
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Date and Purpose: The International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD) is observed annually on December 3rd, promoting the rights, dignity, and well-being of persons with disabilities in all aspects of political, social, economic, and cultural life.
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UN Proclamation: The Day was officially proclaimed in 1992 by the United Nations General Assembly (Resolution 47/3) to raise awareness of the situation of persons with disabilities and the benefits of their inclusion.
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Global Magnitude: The observance highlights the fact that an estimated 1.3 billion people worldwide experience significant disability, representing about 16% of the global population, making them the world's largest minority group.
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2025 Theme: The theme for the 2025 observance is: "Fostering disability-inclusive societies for advancing social progress," emphasizing that inclusion is essential for achieving true, sustainable social development.
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Policy Framework: The Day mobilizes support for the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), ensuring that disability inclusion is central to achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
10. Former England Cricketer Robin Smith passed away
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Date and Age: Robin Smith, a former England and Hampshire batter, passed away unexpectedly on December 1, 2025, at the age of 62 at his home in Perth, Australia.
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Playing Style and Nickname: Smith was renowned as a fearless and courageous batter, particularly against the world's fastest bowlers of the era (like the West Indies pacers). He was famous for his ferocious square cut shot and was affectionately nicknamed "The Judge."
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International Career Highlights: He represented England in 62 Test matches, scoring 4,236 runs at an impressive average of 43.67 with nine centuries. He also played in 71 One-Day Internationals (ODIs), including the 1992 World Cup final.
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ODI Record: His spectacular, unbeaten innings of 167 against Australia in a 1993 ODI stood as the highest score by an England player in an ODI for 23 years.
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County Career and Personal Struggle: He was a legendary figure for his county, Hampshire, playing for them for over two decades. His family confirmed that in the years following his retirement, he struggled publicly with alcoholism and mental health issues.
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