UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 4 December 2025

UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 4 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 : (UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 4 December 2025)

1. Parliament disruptions

GS Paper 3:

2. India’s Climate Ambitions

 Content for Mains Enrichment (CME):

1. India’s Health Status

Facts for Prelims (FFP):

1. National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC)

2. Hornbill Festival

3. PM-WANI Scheme

4. Indian Statistical Institute (ISI)

5. Tensor Processing Unit (TPU)

 Mapping:

1. Thailand

UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 4 December 2025

GS Paper 2:

Parliament disruptions

Source:  FL

Subject:  Parliament —Structure, Functioning

Context: The 2025 Winter Session opened amid protests over electoral roll revision and a sharply curtailed sitting schedule, again stalling both Houses in the first days.

About Parliament disruptions:

What is Parliament?

• Parliament is the supreme legislative body of India, consisting of the President, Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha (Article 79).
• It performs four core functions: lawmaking, budget approval, executive accountability, and voicing people’s concerns.

Key Constitutional Provisions:

• Article 79–122: Deal with composition, powers, privileges and procedures of Parliament.
• Article 80: Composition of Rajya Sabha (Council of States).
• Article 81: Composition of Lok Sabha (House of the People).
• Article 107: Procedure for passing of Bills and both Houses must “agree” to the Bill.
• Article 118: Each House may make rules of procedure.
• Articles 120–121: Language in Parliament and limits on discussion regarding conduct of judges.

Trends in Disruptions and Decline in Functioning:

• Falling Number of Sittings:
  • Early Lok Sabhas met for 120–130 days/year; recent ones average 55–70 days/year, with some years barely ~60 sittings.
  • The 17th Lok Sabha (2019–24) became the shortest full-term House since 1952 in terms of days sat.
• Frequent and Organised Disruptions:
  • Disruption has become an accepted “strategy”: prolonged slogan-shouting, entering the Well, adjournments.
• Bills Passed with Little or No Debate:
  • A significant share of Bills are now passed within days of introduction, often in the midst of din.
  • In recent Lok Sabhas, many Bills were passed with less than an hour of discussion, and large parts of the Budget passed without debate.
• Drop in Committee Scrutiny:
  • Share of Bills referred to departmental standing committees has fallen from 60–70% earlier to well below 30% in recent terms.
• Question Hour and Oversight Time Shrinking: Question Hour often runs for only half or less of its scheduled time due to adjournments.

Reasons for Parliamentary Disruptions:

• Government’s Majoritarian Style:
  • Limited pre-session consultation on legislative agenda and reluctance to allow structured debates on Opposition-raised issues.
  • Perception that the executive “bulldozes” Bills using its numbers, making Parliament a rubber stamp.
• Opposition’s Strategy of “Agitation Inside the House”: Opposition parties treat disruption as a legitimate democratic tactic to highlight issues when they feel ignored or denied time.
• Erosion of Informal Conventions and Trust:

Earlier, all-party meetings, back-channel consultations and floor management helped avoid deadlock.

• • Growing polarisation and personalised attacks have eroded mutual trust needed for compromise.
• Media Incentives and Optics: Disruptions provide high-impact visuals for TV and social media, creating perverse incentives for theatrics.
• Weak Enforcement of Rules: Presiding officers hesitate to use suspension/expulsion powers without all-party consensus.

Implications of Persistent Disruptions:

• Weakening of Legislative Scrutiny: Bills passed without adequate debate or committee review may contain drafting errors, rights concerns or federal issues, reducing quality of laws.
• Erosion of Executive Accountability: Loss of Question Hour and debates means fewer opportunities to question ministers, weakening checks and balances.
• Undermining Federal and Plural Voices: Smaller parties and regional interests lose speaking time when the House is in constant uproar, centralising discourse.
• Loss of Public Trust in Institutions: Citizens see Parliament as a “shouting arena”, not a forum of reasoned deliberation, feeding cynicism about democracy.
• Marginalisation of MPs’ Representative Role: MPs cannot effectively raise constituency grievances or policy concerns; Parliament’s link between people and policy weakens.
• Precedent of Tit-for-Tat Politics: Each side justifies its behaviour by pointing to past disruptions by the other, trapping Parliament in a cycle of mutual vendetta.

Way Ahead:

• All-Party Code of Conduct:
  • Negotiate a formal, written, and publicly known code limiting entry into the Well, slogan-shouting, and repeated adjournment tactics.
  • Make graduated penalties (naming, suspension for specific days, loss of allowances) predictable and uniformly applied.
• Guaranteed Space for Opposition:
  • Reserve fixed days or time-slots each week or session (on the UK model of “Opposition Days”) for issues chosen by the Opposition.
  • In return, Opposition commits not to disrupt other listed business.
• Minimum Sitting Days by Law:
  • Enact a law or convention mandating at least 100–120 sitting days per year, with a pre-announced calendar.
  • This ensures enough time for Bills, Budget, Question Hour, and discussions.
• Mandatory Committee Scrutiny for Key Bills:
  • Make referral to standing/select committees the default for complex, rights-sensitive and economic Bills, with minimum time for review.
• Stronger Floor Management and Pre-Legislative Consultation:
  • Institutionalise pre-legislative consultation papers, stakeholder inputs and all-party briefings on major Bills.
  • This reduces surprises and mistrust, lowering the incentive to block proceedings.

Conclusion:

Parliamentary disruption has become systemic, weakening the core functions of India’s legislature. Both government and Opposition are responsible—one for stifling debate, the other for replacing deliberation with obstruction. Restoring dignity requires more sittings, assured space for dissent, firm rule enforcement, and a culture where disagreements are settled by debate, not disorder.

UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 4 December 2025 GS Paper 3:

India’s Climate Ambitions

Source:  IE

Subject:  Environment Conservation

Context: India is preparing to submit its next round of climate commitments (NDCs) for the 2035 horizon even as experts call for a clearer, economy-wide transition plan.

About India’s Climate Ambitions:

What are NDCs?

• Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) are each country’s self-defined climate commitments under the Paris Agreement, updated every five years (Article 4).
• They include targets for emissions reduction, renewable energy, adaptation, climate finance and technology deployment.

India’s Current NDC Targets:

• Reduce Emissions Intensity by 45% (2005–2030): India commits to lowering CO₂ emissions per unit of GDP by almost half, signalling a shift toward cleaner production while sustaining economic growth.
• 50% Non-Fossil Installed Capacity by 2030: India aims to ensure half of its total power capacity comes from solar, wind, hydro, nuclear and biomass, contingent on affordable global finance and technology transfer.
• Additional 2.5–3 Bt CO₂ Carbon Sink: Through large-scale afforestation and agroforestry, India plans to expand forest/tree cover to naturally sequester emissions by 2030.
• Promote LIFE Movement: India pledges to mainstream sustainable lifestyles through behavioural change campaigns encouraging low-carbon consumption and resource-efficient habits.
• Strengthen Adaptation in Vulnerable Sectors: Investments will be scaled in agriculture, water, coastal systems, Himalayan ecology, health and disaster management to reduce climate risks.
• Mobilise Climate Finance & Technology: India seeks both domestic funds and international support to expand renewable energy, adaptation systems, and indigenous research in climate technologies.

Performance of India’s Climate Ambitions:

• Non-Fossil Capacity Crossed 50% (June 2025): India achieved its 2030 target ahead of time, indicating rapid renewable expansion and strong policy momentum.
• Renewables Hit 51.5% Daily Share (July 2025): For the first time, more than half of India’s electricity demand was met from renewables in a single day, marking a milestone in grid integration.
• Emission Intensity Reduced by 36%: Steady efficiency gains and renewable uptake have sharply lowered carbon intensity, placing India ahead of its projected 2030 trajectory.
• Global Renewable Ranking: India now ranks 4th globally in total renewables, 3rd in solar, and 4th in wind, reflecting its emergence as a clean-energy powerhouse.
• Rapid Electrification Trends: Railways and urban mobility are shifting to electric systems, reducing oil dependence and creating structural emission reductions.

Challenges Associated with Climate Ambition:

• Absolute Emissions Still Rising: Despite efficiency gains, rapid GDP growth means total emissions will peak only around 2035, delaying net-emission decline.
• Persistent Coal Dependence: Coal remains critical for grid stability, making rapid phase-down difficult without viable alternatives or CCS solutions.
• $62 Billion Annual Investment Need: India requires sustained high-level investment through 2035 for renewables, storage, and grid upgrades, straining fiscal space.
• Technology & Storage Gaps: India lacks commercially scalable long-duration storage, green hydrogen systems, and CCS needed for deep decarbonisation.
• Inadequate Climate Finance: Global commitments fall short, forcing developing countries like India to self-finance major parts of the transition.
• Just Transition Pressures: Coal-heavy states must retrain workers, diversify economies, and ensure welfare as fossil fuel employment declines post-2040.
• Adaptation Lag vs. Climate Risks: Heatwaves, urban pollution and extreme weather are rising faster than India’s health, water and urban adaptation capacities.

Way Ahead:

• Announce a Peak-Emission Year (~2035): Formally identifying the emissions peak will bolster India’s credibility and align national planning with the 2070 net-zero roadmap.
• Target 80% Non-Fossil Capacity by 2035: Scaling solar, wind and storage to ~170 GW will allow clean electricity to dominate supply and meet rising demand reliably.
• Phase Down Unabated Coal Post-2030: Stopping new coal plants after 2030 and retiring older units gradually aligns emissions with India’s long-term climate objectives.
• Accelerate Electrification of Transport: Electrifying railways, buses and three-wheelers will cut oil imports and urban pollution while supporting clean mobility ecosystems.
• Strengthen Carbon Credit Trading Scheme: CCTS must evolve with tighter norms and wider sector coverage to become a credible market tool for emission reductions.
• Reform Electricity Pricing: Time-of-day tariffs and market-based trading will allow flexible pricing, supporting variability in renewable-dominated grids.
• Revive PM’s Council on Climate Change: A centralised apex body can coordinate federal action, monitor progress, and dynamically refine the national transition strategy.

Conclusion:

India has made early gains in renewables and efficiency, but the next phase needs deeper reforms and sharper targets. A credible, well-financed 2035 transition plan is essential to sustain global trust amid a warming climate. Clear timelines, strong investment and coordinated institutions will decide whether India can achieve a just and ambitious path to net-zero.

UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 4 December 2025 Content for Mains Enrichment (CME)

India’s Health Status

Context: India’s health infrastructure remains significantly below global benchmarks, with Parliament confirming persistent shortages in beds, specialists and frontline medical staff.

About India’s Health Status:

• Hospital Infrastructure Gap:
  • India’s hospital bed availability remains below IPHS norm of 1 bed/1,000 people, and far below the WHO benchmark of 3.5 beds/1,000.
• Human Resource Shortages:
  • Doctor–population ratio stands at 1:811, better than WHO’s 1:1,000 threshold but unevenly distributed across states.
  • India has 86 lakh allopathic doctors and 7.51 lakh AYUSH practitioners, but actual availability (~80%) reduces the effective workforce.
  • Nursing workforce is rising (42.9 lakh), yet government hospitals face persistent vacancies in nursing and paramedical cadres.
• Expansion in Medical Education:
  • Medical colleges increased from 387 to 818 in the last decade.
  • MBBS seats rose from 51,348 to 1,28,875 and PG seats from 31,185 to 82,059.

Relevance in UPSC Exam Syllabus:

• GS Paper II – Governance & Social Sector
  • Health infrastructure gaps, service delivery challenges, doctor-population ratios, IPHS norms, and healthcare equity are core topics.
  • Direct linkage to schemes, federal responsibilities, and public-health governance.
• GS Paper III – Inclusive Growth & Social Development
  • Human resources in health, demographic pressures, and infrastructure expansion relate to sustainable development and economic productivity.

UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 4 December 2025 Facts for Prelims (FFP)

National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC)

Source:  TH

Subject: Polity

Context: The NCBC has recommended excluding 35 communities—mostly Muslim—from West Bengal’s Central OBC list, following its scrutiny of OBC inclusions made in 2014.

About National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC):

What it is?

• A constitutional body under Article 338B, mandated to safeguard the rights and ensure the welfare of Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBCs).

Established in:

• Originally created under the NCBC Act, 1993, it gained constitutional status in 2018 through the 102nd Constitutional Amendment, which inserted Articles 338B and 342A.

Aim: To advise, monitor, investigate, and recommend matters related to SEBC inclusion/exclusion, welfare safeguards, socio-economic advancement, and violations of rights.

Composition:

• 5 members: Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, and three Members.
• Appointed by the President of India by warrant under his hand and seal.
• Members hold rank and pay equivalent to Secretary, Government of India.

Functions:

• Investigate and monitor implementation of Constitutional safeguards for SEBCs.
• Inquire into complaints of rights violations or misuse of reservation benefits.
• Evaluate socio-economic development programs for backward classes and advise governments.
• Ensure mandatory consultation by Union & States on policy matters affecting SEBCs.
• Submit annual and special reports to the President, which are tabled in Parliament and State Legislatures.

Powers:

• Has civil court powers: summoning witnesses, examining on oath, demanding documents, receiving evidence.
• Advises Union Government on inclusion/exclusion in the Central OBC List and final amendments must be enacted by Parliament under Article 342A.

Hornbill Festival

Source:  DD News

Subject:  Art and Culture

Context: The 26th Hornbill Festival (2025) in Nagaland is underway, with day three showcasing vibrant cultural performances by 18 Naga tribal troupes at Kisama Heritage Village.

About Hornbill Festival:

What it is?

• A premier cultural festival of Nagaland, known as the “Festival of Festivals,” celebrating the heritage, traditions, and artistic expressions of all major Naga tribes.

Celebrated in:

• Held annually from December 1–10 at Kisama Heritage Village, near Kohima in Nagaland.

History:

• Started in 2000 by the Government of Nagaland to promote inter-tribal unity, preserve indigenous culture, and boost tourism.
• Named after the Hornbill, a revered bird in Naga folklore symbolising valour, beauty, and tradition.

Key Features:

• Daily cultural shows featuring traditional dances, folk songs, war cries, and indigenous sports.
• Display of Naga arts: wood carving, textiles, crafts, paintings, sculptures.
• Food festivals, herbal medicine stalls, flower shows, and traditional archery & wrestling.
• Major events: Hornbill International Rock Festival, Morung exhibitions, fashion shows, and craft bazaars.
• Participation from international partner countries and neighbouring states.

Significance:

• Revives, preserves, and promotes the diverse cultural identity of Nagaland’s 17 major tribes.
• Acts as a platform for cultural assimilation, where village elders and youth interact and exchange traditions.
• Enhances tourism, economic activity, and global cultural ties.

PM-WANI Scheme

Source:  PIB

Subject:  Government Scheme

Context: The government has updated Parliament on the rapid expansion of the PM-WANI network, with over 3.9 lakh Wi-Fi hotspots deployed across India as of November 2025.

About PM-WANI Scheme:

What it is?

• PM-WANI (Prime Minister’s Wi-Fi Access Network Interface) is a national public Wi-Fi framework enabling affordable, widespread broadband access through decentralized Wi-Fi hotspots operated by small entrepreneurs.

Ministry: Implemented by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) under the Ministry of Communications.

Launched in: Approved by the Union Cabinet on 9 December 2020.

Aim:

• To democratize internet access, promote digital inclusion, and create a nationwide network of public Wi-Fi hotspots—supporting the goals of the National Digital Communications Policy (NDCP) 2018.

Key Features of PM-WANI:

• No License Required: PM-WANI allows small shops and local businesses to operate Wi-Fi hotspots without needing any licence, fee, or formal registration, making broadband delivery easy and low-cost.
• Four-tier Architecture: The system works through four components—PDOs providing Wi-Fi, PDOAs handling authentication and accounting, App Providers enabling user access, and a Central Registry (C-DoT) that records all entities.
• FTTH Support: PDOs are now permitted to use regular fibre-to-the-home broadband connections, reducing their operational costs and making hotspot deployment more viable.
• Roaming Between PDOAs: Users can seamlessly switch between hotspots operated by different PDO Aggregators, ensuring continuous connectivity similar to mobile network roaming.
• Mobile Data Offload: PDOs can partner with telecom operators to divert mobile data traffic onto Wi-Fi networks, improving network quality and reducing mobile congestion.
• User-Based Promotions: App Providers and PDOAs may send promotional messages or content to users, but only after obtaining explicit user consent to ensure privacy protection.
• Affordable Bandwidth (TRAI Rule): TRAI requires that all retail fibre broadband plans up to 200 Mbps be sold to PDOs at no more than twice the consumer tariff, ensuring that public Wi-Fi remains affordable.

Significance:

• Bridges the digital divide by providing low-cost internet in rural and underserved regions.
• Generates local entrepreneurship, creating lakhs of micro-Wi-Fi operators.
• Enhances digital payments, e-learning, telemedicine, and e-governance reach.

Indian Statistical Institute (ISI)

Source:  IE

Subject:  Economy

Context: The draft Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) Bill, 2025 has triggered strong protests by students, faculty, and staff at ISI Kolkata over proposed changes to the institute’s governance structure and autonomy.

About Indian Statistical Institute (ISI):

What it is?

• A premier national institution for research, education, and applied work in statistics, mathematics, computer science, quantitative economics, and related fields; recognised as an Institution of National Importance.

Established in: Founded in 1931 by eminent statistician Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis; declared an Institution of National Importance through an Act of Parliament in 1959.

Headquarters: Kolkata, with centres in Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, and Tezpur.

Aim:

• To advance statistical research, provide academic training, support national planning through data-driven approaches, and apply statistical science across sectors such as agriculture, economics, demography, and public policy.

Current System Governance:

• Registered as a society under the Societies Registration Act.
• Highest body: 33-member Council with elected members, government representatives, UGC nominee, and senior academic leaders.
• Director appointed by the Council and ISI has substantial autonomy in academics, appointments, and administration.
• Publishes the renowned journal Sankhyā and offers degree programs in statistics and related sciences.

Features of Indian Statistical Institute Bill, 2025:

• Converts ISI into a Statutory Body Corporate: Replaces the 1959 Act and transforms ISI from a registered society into a statutory body, similar to IITs/IIMs.
• Governance Shift to a New Board of Governance (BoG)

• • President of India becomes the Visitor.
  • BoG chaired by a Visitor-nominated chairperson based on Centre’s recommendation.
  • Majority representation from the Union government and its nominees.
  • Powers to make regulations, grant degrees, oversee administration, and control appointments.

• New Academic Council Structure:

• • Led by the Director, comprising division and centre heads.
  • Acts as an advisory body making academic recommendations to the BoG.

• Director Appointment Under Central Oversight:

• • Search-cum-selection committee constituted by the Union government.
  • Director appointed by the BoG chairperson.
  • Visitor empowered to remove Director and order inquiries and reviews.

• Replaces the ISI Act, 1959: The new Bill supersedes the earlier Act that conferred ISI’s national importance status.

Tensor Processing Unit (TPU)

Source:  Google

Subject:  Science and Technology

Context: Google’s release of the Ironwood TPU comes at a pivotal moment as the global AI boom accelerates demand for faster, specialised compute.

About Tensor Processing Unit (TPU):

What it is?

• A Tensor Processing Unit (TPU) is a custom application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) designed by Google specifically to accelerate machine learning—especially deep neural networks and matrix-heavy computations.

Developed in:

• TPUs were first deployed internally by Google in 2015 to run TensorFlow workloads and were released for external use via Google Cloud in 2018.

How it Works?

• TPUs use large matrix-multiply units (MXUs) capable of performing tens of thousands of multiply-accumulate operations per clock cycle.
• They process data in matrix form, breaking inputs into vectors, running them in parallel, and feeding results back to AI models.
• High-bandwidth memory and optimized interconnects enable extremely fast data movement for training large neural networks.

Key Features:

• Matrix Multiplication at Scale: 128×128 ALU arrays delivering massive parallelism.
• High Throughput: Designed for large batch sizes and weeks-long training runs.
• SparseCores: Specialized units for embedding-heavy models like recommendation engines.
  • Optimized for TensorFlow, JAX, PyTorch through Google Cloud’s AI stack.
• Low Power, High Efficiency: Purpose-built hardware avoids unnecessary general-purpose circuitry.

Superiority Over GPUs and CPUs:

Compared to CPUs:

• CPUs are flexible but slow for ML—processing one instruction at a time with limited parallelism.
• TPUs far outperform CPUs on ML tasks due to specialized matrix math hardware and lower power consumption.

Compared to GPUs:

• GPUs offer parallelism but still carry general-purpose overhead and less efficient matrix specialization.
• TPUs provide even higher throughput, dedicated MXUs, and tighter integration with ML frameworks—ideal for LLMs, vision models, and deep learning pipelines.

UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 4 December 2025 Mapping:

Thailand

Source:  WION

Subject:  Mapping

Context: Thailand has formally expressed its intention to join BRICS, seeking India’s support ahead of New Delhi’s BRICS chairmanship in 2026.

About Thailand:

• Location: Thailand is a Southeast Asian country located in the centre of mainland Southeast Asia, entirely within the tropical zone.
• Capital: Bangkok is the capital and the largest urban and economic centre.
• Neighbouring Nations: Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, and Malaysia.
• Geographical Features:
  • Northern & Western Mountains: Granitic ridges, highest peak: Mount Inthanon (2,585 m).
  • Khorat Plateau (Northeast): Tilted tableland with rolling terrain drained by Mekong tributaries.
  • Chao Phraya River Basin (Central): Fertile alluvial plains forming the agricultural heartland.
  • Southern Peninsula: Narrow peninsula with a mountainous spine and major islands like Phuket.

About BRICS:

• What it is?
  • BRICS is a major geopolitical grouping of eleven countries: Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, UAE, Ethiopia, Indonesia, and Iran.
• Established in:
  • Concept coined in 2001, first ministerial meeting held in 2006, first leaders’ summit in 2009 and became BRICS with South Africa’s entry in 2011.
  • Second major expansion occurred in 2024–25 with six new members.
• 2026 BRICS Summit Host: India will host the 18th BRICS Summit in 2026, taking over the presidency from Brazil.
• Key Features of BRICS:
  • Promotes reform of global governance institutions (UNSC, IMF, World Bank).
  • Focuses on economic resilience, financial cooperation, counterterrorism, energy security, and technology governance.
  • Includes the New Development Bank (NDB) as its financial institution.
  • Allows flexible participation modes such as Members, Partner Countries, BRICS Outreach and BRICS Plus.

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