Daily Current Affairs for UPSC IAS: 6th December 2025

Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) Scheme:

Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) scheme has steadily expanded its reach, the Minister of State for Food Processing Industries recently said that major components of the scheme have made notable progress as of 31 October 2025.

• Launched on June 29, 2020, PMFMPE is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries.
• It is designed to address the challenges faced by micro-enterprises and to tap the potential of groups and cooperatives to support the upgradation and formalization of these enterprises.
• Objectives: To build the capability of microenterprises to enable:
  • Increased access to credit by existing micro food processing entrepreneurs, FPOs, self-help groups, and co-operatives.
  • Integration with an organized supply chain by strengthening branding & marketing.
  • Support for the transition of existing 200,000 enterprises into a formal framework.
  • Increased access to common services like common processing facilities, laboratories, storage, packaging, marketing, and incubation services.
  • Strengthening of institutions, research, and training in the food processing sector; and
  • Increased access for enterprises to professional and technical support.
• The scheme envisages an outlay of ₹ 10,000 crores over a period of five years from 2020-21 to 2024-25.
• The expenditure under the scheme would be shared in a 60:40 ratio between Central and State Governments, in a 90:10 ratio with the Northeastern and the Himalayan States, a 60:40 ratio with UTs with the legislature, and 100% by the Center for other UTs.
• Under the scheme, 2,00,000 micro food processing units will be directly assisted with credit-linked subsidies.
• Adequate, supportive common infrastructure and institutional architecture will be supported to accelerate the growth of the sector.

Zambezi River : New Study

A new study suggests the Zambezi River actually starts off in Angola’s southern highlands, at the source of a river called the Lungwebungu, giving the Zambezi a new total length of 3,421 km, or 342 km longer than previously thought.

• The Zambezi River, sometimes spelled as Zambesi or Zambeze, is Africa’s 4th longest river and the continent’s longest east-flowing stream.
  Course:
• It starts off in Angola’s southern highlands, at the source of a river called the Lungwebungu.
• It flows for about 3,421 kilometers through Angola, Zambia, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique before emptying into the Indian Ocean.
• The river is known for several notable waterfalls, including Victoria Falls, one of the world’s largest waterfalls, and the Chavuma Falls on the Zambia-Angola border.
• The Cohara Bassa and Kariba Dams, two of Africa’s major hydroelectric power sources, are located along the Zambezi’s course.
• Zambia accounts for the largest drainage area (41.6%) of the river.
• The main tributaries of the Zambezi River include the Shire, Kafue, Luangwa, Kabompo, and Cuando (Kwando) rivers.

Onchocerciasis:

Niger becomes the first country in the African Region to eliminate onchocerciasis.

• Onchocerciasis, or river blindness, is a disease caused by Onchocerca volvulus, a parasitic worm.
• The parasite can spread to humans through repeated bites of infected blackflies of the Simulium species.
• The flies breed by fast-flowing rivers and streams in certain remote, tropical, agricultural areas.
• Onchocerciasis itself isn’t contagious because it can’t spread directly from one person to another.
• But the disease can spread when blackflies bite infected people, ingest the larvae, and then bite people who aren’t infected.
• It is common throughout sub-Saharan Africa and certain areas of Brazil and Venezuela in South America.
• Symptoms include a potentially disfiguring skin rash and vision problems, even blindness.
• Globally, it is second only to trachoma in causing infection-related blindness.
• According to the World Health Organization (WHO), river blindness remains one of the most neglected tropical diseases, especially in remote and rural areas.
• Treatment for river blindness is ivermectin, an oral antiparasitic medication.

Ramgarh Vishdhari Tiger Reserve: In News

Marking the state’s first inter-state tiger translocation and the country’s second, a tigress is set to be airlifted from the Pench Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh to around 800 km away in Ramgarh Vishdhari Tiger Reserve (RVTR) in Rajasthan’s Bundi in the next few weeks.

• It is located in Rajasthan’s Bundi district.
• Spread over 1,501.89 sq.km., the reserve has a 481.90 sq.km. core area and a 1,019.98 sq.km. buffer zone.
• It is strategically positioned to serve as a crucial corridor between the Ranthambore Tiger Reserve to the northeast and the Mukundara Hills Tiger Reserve to the south.
• It was notified as a tiger reserve on May 16, 2022.
• The Mez River, a tributary of the Chambal River, meanders through the reserve.
• The reserve’s topography is characterized by the rugged terrains of the Aravalli and Vindhyan mountain ranges, interspersed with valleys and plateaus.
• The area is dominated by leopards and sloth bears.
• Other important fauna include the Jungle cat, Golden jackal, Hyaena, Crested Porcupine, Indian Hedgehog, Rhesus macaque, hanuman langur, etc.

Red-breasted Parakeet:

Two pairs of red-breasted parakeets were recently spotted on the NIT-Patna campus by a group of environmentalists.

• The red-breasted parakeet, or moustached parakeet, is a colorful bird found across many parts of Asia.
• Scientific Name: Psittacula alexandri
• It’s known for its bright feathers and a unique “moustache” marking.
• These parakeets are quite common and have several different looks depending on where they live.
• Their home stretches from parts of India and Nepal, through Southeast Asia, including countries like Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia.
• They prefer living in forests, woodlands, and even in areas near farms or towns.
• It is a medium-sized parrot.
• It can grow to about 33 to 38 centimeters long, including its long tail.
• The male has overall green plumage with a distinct pink breast and belly, a grey head, a blue upper tail, a green tail tip, and a red upper bill.
• The female is similar to the male but has duller pink underparts and a black upper bill.
• These birds are very social and often live in small groups or larger flocks.
• They are quite noisy, especially when flying or feeding.
• Their calls are usually loud squawks and screeches.
• Conservation Status: IUCN Red List: Near Threatened

UMEED Portal: Update

The union Minister said that the government will not impose any penalties and strict action for the next three months against those who have not registered waqf properties on the UMEED Portal.

• The ‘Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency, and Development (UMEED) Portal is a centralised digital platform to register Waqf properties across the country.
• It aims to promote better management and enhance transparency.
• It serves as a centralized digital platform for real-time uploading, verification, and monitoring of Waqf properties.
• Under this initiative registrations of properties are facilitated by respective State Waqf Boards.
• It was formed under the Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development Act, 1995.
• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Minority Affairs
• Key Features of the Portal
  • Creation of a digital inventory with geo-tagging of all Waqf properties
  • Online grievance redressal system for better responsiveness
  • Transparent leasing and usage tracking
  • Integration with GIS mapping and other e-Governance tools
  • Public access to verified records and reports
  • Properties that are registered under women’s names will not be eligible to be classified as Waqf properties.

Technology Development Fund Scheme:

The Defence Research and Development Organisation has handed over seven technologies developed under the Technology Development Fund (TDF) scheme to armed forces.

• It has been established to promote self-reliance in Defence Technology as a part of the ‘Make in India’ initiative.
• It encourages the participation of public/private industries, especially MSMEs and startups, so as to create an ecosystem for enhancing cutting-edge technology capability in the defence sector.
• The project cost of up to INR 50 crore will be considered for funding.
• The funding may be up to 90% of the total project cost.
• The maximum development period will be four (4) years.
• Eligibility:
  • Entity Type: A public limited company, a private limited company, a partnership firm, a limited liability partnership, a one-person company, or a sole proprietorship registered as per applicable Indian laws registered in India especially MSMEs and Startups.
  • The industry must be owned and controlled by a resident Indian citizen.
  • An entity with excess of 49 percent foreign investment not be eligible.
  • Startups must be recognized by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) as per Government of India (GOI) guidelines.
  • Startups incorporated for less than three years from date of submission of application will be considered as nascent startups.
  • Startups should not have received any grants/grants-in-aid by any government scheme for a similar technology.
  • The startup must be owned and controlled by a Resident Indian citizen with a shareholding of at least 51%.
  • A nascent Startup should be incubated at one of the Central/State government assisted incubators.
• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Defence.

Shingles Disease: Study

A study found that Shingles vaccine reduces risk of death from dementia.

• Shingles is a viral infection that causes a painful rash.
• It is caused by the varicella-zoster virus— the same virus that causes chickenpox.
• After a person recovers from chickenpox, the virus remains dormant in the nerve cells and can reactivate years later, especially when the immune system is weakened due to age, illness, or immunosuppressive medications.
• Symptoms of Shingles:
  • Shingles typically presents as a painful rash, often forming a stripe of blisters on one side of the torso, neck, or face.
  • Other symptoms may include itching, tingling, burning, headache, fever, and sensitivity to light or touch.
  • It is not contagious, but the virus can be spread to someone who has never had chickenpox.
  • It is most common in people over 50 or those with weakened immune systems.
• Treatment: There is a vaccine called Shingrix available, which helps in preventing shingles and its complications.

Donald Trump receives inaugural FIFA Peace Prize at World Cup 2026:

Donald Trump was awarded the first-ever FIFA Peace Prize during the official draw ceremony for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, held on 5 December 2025 at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. The award, presented by FIFA President Gianni Infantino, was meant to recognise Trump’s “extraordinary actions to promote peace and unity around the world.” Trump, who has long sought global recognition, called the honour “one of the greatest of my life.”The newly launched FIFA Peace Prize aims to acknowledge individuals who have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to uniting people through peace-promoting actions. While details on the selection process remain unclear, it is reportedly overseen by FIFA’s newly formed “social responsibility” committee, chaired by controversial figures, sparking further scrutiny.The award includes a trophy, medal, and certificate, intended to celebrate contributions that use sport and diplomacy to bring people together.

India To Hosts 20th UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Session at Red Fort:

India is set to host the 20th session of the Inter-governmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) from 8th to 13th December 2025 at the historic Red Fort in New Delhi. This global cultural event will gather representatives from across the world to deliberate on nominations for the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists, making it a landmark moment in India’s cultural diplomacy.India has nominated Diwali, the widely celebrated festival of lights, for inclusion in UNESCO’s list this year — highlighting its cultural, spiritual, and social significance.

RBI Raises India’s FY26 GDP Growth Forecast to 7.3%:

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has revised India’s GDP growth forecast for FY2025–26 to 7.3%, up from its earlier projection of 6.8%. This upward revision follows a strong second-quarter performance and is seen as a reflection of continued domestic demand, policy reforms, and supportive macroeconomic conditions. The announcement was made after the latest meeting of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), which also included a 25 basis point repo rate cut — lowering the policy rate to 5.25% to support economic activity.

Amit Shah Inaugurates EARTH Summit 2025 in Gandhinagar:

On 5 December 2025, Amit Shah, Union Home & Cooperation Minister, inaugurated the EARTH Summit 2025 in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. Alongside the summit launch, he unveiled over 13 new services and products under the newly introduced Sahakar Sarathi initiative — signalling a major push to modernise India’s cooperative and rural banking sector and strengthen the rural economy.The EARTH Summit is a nationwide series of summits (this is the second edition) aimed at addressing challenges in agriculture, animal husbandry, cooperatives and allied rural sectors through policy dialogues and actionable solutions. The third and final summit will culminate with a policy framework in Delhi next year

Google launches Gemini 3 Deep Think mode for Ultra subscribers:

Google has officially rolled out the Gemini 3 Deep Think mode for its AI Ultra subscribers, offering a significant upgrade in reasoning and problem-solving capabilities within the Gemini app. This new feature, previewed last month during the launch of the Gemini 3 AI models, is now available for use and is tailored to handle complex mathematics, scientific reasoning, and logic-based queries. Deep Think mode builds on the foundations of earlier Gemini models and reflects Google’s aim to deliver deeper, more context-aware AI assistance.