DAILY GK 4 DEC 2025
1.
WORLDSKILLS ASIA COMPETITION 2025
·
India finished 8th among 29 countries with 6 medals, comprising 1 silver, 2 Bronze, and 3 Medallions for
Excellence, at the 3rd edition of the WorldSkills Asia Competition (WSAC
2025), held in Taipei,
Taiwan.
·
The United Arab
Emirates (UAE) topped
the medal table with 10 awards (4 gold, 4 silver, 2 Medallions for
Excellence), followed by Saudi Arabia in
second and Malaysia in third.
·
The event witnessed participation of over 500 competitors from 29 countries in 44 skill
categories, encompassing traditional and advanced future skills.
2.
SIPRI TOP 100 GLOBAL ARMS-PRODUCING COMPANIES 2024
·
Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) released
a fact sheet titled “The SIPRI Top 100 Arms-Producing and Military
Services Companies, 2024.
·
As per the ranking, only
three Indian Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) at 44th place
with a total revenue of USD 4,010 million, Bharat
Electronics Limited (BEL) at 58th (USD
2,750 million) and Mazagon Dock
Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) at 91st
(USD 1,370 million) feature among
the world’s top 100, all under the Ministry of Defence (MoD).
·
Lockheed Martin Corporation(USA)
secured the top spot with a total
revenue of USD 71,040, followed by RTX
(USA) (USD 80,740), formerly Raytheon Technologies Corporation, in second place, and Northrop Grumman Corporation (USA)(USD 41,030) in third.
·
The total arms revenue of
the SIPRI Top 100 companies reached USD
679 billion in 2024, marking a record
increase of 5.9% from 2023, with 77 companies
reporting higher revenues and 42 companies achieving double-digit growth.
·
Czechoslovak Group (Czech Republic), ranked 46th, recorded the highest growth of 193% in the Top 100, with USD 3.6 billion in 2024
from USD 1.2 billion in 2023.
·
SpaceX,
ranked 77th, generated arms revenue of USD 1.8 billion in 2024, an increase of
103% from USD 0.8 billion in 2023.
·
India generated arms
revenues of USD 7.5 billion, an increase of 8.2%
from USD 6.9 billion in 2023, accounting for 1.1% of total arm revenues of
top 100 companies.
3.
IWMI LAUNCHES SOLAR-PHASE II
·
The International
Water Management Institute (IWMI), a global Non-Profit Organization(NPO),in
partnership with the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) launched
the second phase of Solar Energy for
Agricultural Resilience (SoLAR-Phase II) in India and Bangladesh (South
Asia) and Kenya and Ethiopia (East
Africa).
·
The initiative aims to accelerate climate-resilient
solar-powered irrigation and solar-based agricultural technologies across
South Asia and East Africa.
·
The SoLAR Phase II project
builds on
the achievements and insights gained from Phase I (December
2019–May 2025) in South Asia, while extending its reach to
include East African countries.
·
Phase I showed that IWMI’s
grid-connected and off-grid Solar-Powered Irrigation pumps (SIPs) ensured
reliable irrigation, cut diesel use, reduced Carbon Dioxide (CO2) emissions,
and, in many cases, helped prevent groundwater over-extraction.
·
SoLAR II promotes
sustainable solar energy in agriculture to boost climate resilience, cut
fossil-fuel dependence, and strengthen water-energy-food (WEF) sustainability.
·
SoLAR-Phase II will be
implemented in partnership with government and implementing agencies responsible for solar
agriculture policies and programs and runs from July 2025 to
December 2028.
·
By July 2025, the Pradhan
Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evamUtthaan Mahabhiyan (PM-KUSUM) scheme
had solarised irrigation pumps for more than 1.43 million farmers,
making it the world’s largest programme of its kind.
·
Insights
from SoLAR Phase II will guide the post-2027 version of PM-KUSUM,
helping make it more groundwater-smart and gender-inclusive.
·
International Water Management Institute (IWMI) Headquarters – Colombo, Sri Lanka.
4.
‘SOYUZ MS-28’
ROCKET LAUNCHED USA-RUSSIAN CREW TO ISS
·
Russian Spacecraft ‘Soyuz MS-28’ successfully
launched 3 crew members which included two Russian cosmonauts and one American
astronaut, to the International Space
Station (ISS) for 8 months, marking the final launch of Expedition 73.
·
The Soyuz 2.1a booster
rocket was lifted off from Russia-leased Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan
and successfully deployed the Soyuz MS-28 rocket into the designated orbit.
·
It included Roscosmos
cosmonauts namely Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev and
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) astronaut Chris
Williams.
·
These 3 new crew members now joins the Expedition
73 which included NASA astronauts Mike Fincke, Zena Cardman, and Jonny Kim; Japan Aerospace
Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Roscomos
cosmonauts Sergei Ryzhikov, Alexey Zubritsky, and Oleg Platonov.
5.
HANSA-3 (NG) TRAINER AIRCRAFT
·
Union Minister of State (MoS) (Independent
Charge, IC) Dr. Jitendra Singh, Ministry of Science
& Technology (MoS&T) unveiled the production version of Hansa-3
(NG) trainer aircraft, India’s 1st indigenous all-composite airframe two-seater aircraft.
·
This aircraft is designed to meet the expanding demand for Private Pilot License (PPL)
and Commercial Pilot License (CPL)
training.
·
India is expected to need
nearly 30,000 pilots over the next 20
years.
·
Industry partner, Pioneer
Clean Amps Pvt. Ltd. will set up a 150 crore manufacturing
facility in Kuppam, Andhra Pradesh (AP), with annual
production of a maximum 100 aircrafts.
6.
INDIA’S FIRST PRIVATE NAVIGATION HUB ‘ACEN’
·
V. Narayanan, Chairman, Indian Space Research
Organization (ISRO), inaugurated Anant Centre of
Excellence for Navigation (ACEN), India’s first-ever private navigation technology
hub, at Kinfra Park in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
·
ACEN was established by Ananth Technologies Limited (ATL), an
aerospace and defence company.
·
ACEN Objectivesis to Develope indigenous navigation
technologies such as Inertial Navigation System (INS), Global Satellite
Navigation System (GNSS) receivers, advanced sensors, gyroscopes,
accelerometers, and Precision Timing Systems (PTS).
7.
NIRDC LAUNCHES ‘InDApp’,
·
The National
Industries Research and Development Council (NIRDC),
under the guidelines of the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises
(MSME), launched InDApp (India’s Industrial Empowerment Application), a single-window digital platform designed to
simplify and accelerate business processes for MSMEs.
·
It provides easy
access to approvals, real-time market data, and business opportunities
across India, enabling entrepreneurs to make faster and informed decisions.
·
InDApp functions as an integrated single-window
platform, boosting the speed, transparency, and efficiency of MSME
engagement.”.
·
The platform has been developed with support from seven
ministries.
8.
INDIAN NAVY RECEIVES ‘INS TARAGIRI’
·
The Indian Navy (IN) inducted the
Indian Naval Ship (INS) Taragiri (Yard 12653), the fourth ship of the Nilgiri‑class frigate
(Project 17A) and the third
constructed by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilding Limited (MDL),
at MDL, Mumbai
·
Project 17 Alpha is an initiative approved
by the Government of India (GoI) to
build seven advanced warships and frigates for the IN.
·
The first ship, INS
Nilgiri, built by MDL, was delivered to the INin December 2024.
9.
GSL DELIVERS THIRD FPV ‘ICGS AMULYA’ TO
INDIAN COAST GUARD
·
Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) delivered
‘Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICGS) Amulya’,
the third in a series
of eight Fast Patrol Vessels (FPVs) built for
the Indian Coast Guard(ICG).
·
The contract for these 8 FPVs was
awarded around 2022 under the “Buy (Indian–IDDM)” category, with Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL)
handling both design and construction.
·
Earlier vessels in the series, including ICGS Adamya (first) and ICGS Akshar (second), were delivered and
commissioned in 2025.
·
The vessel measures 51.43
meters (m) in length, 8 m in breadth, with a displacement of 330 tons and a
draught of 2.5 m.
·
ICGS Amulya is
designed for fisheries protection, Exclusive Economic Zones(EEZ) surveillance,
coastal patrol, anti-smuggling, anti-piracy, and search-and-rescue
operations, enhancing the operational reach of the Indian Coast Guard.
10. DRDO TESTS FIGHTER
AIRCRAFT ESCAPE SYSTEM
·
Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO), under
Ministry of Defence (MoD), successfully conducted the high-speed
rocket-sled test of a fighter aircraft’s emergency
escape system in Chandigarh.
·
The test achieved a
controlled velocity of 800 kilometres per hour(km/h) and
successfully validated all key functions, canopy severance, ejection
sequencing, and full aircrew recovery.
·
The trial employed a dual-sled setup carrying the fore-body
of a fighter jet, specifically the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas fore-section,
to accurately simulate real flight conditions on the ground.
·
Test Output includes Canopy Severance System (CSS) safely
blew away the cockpit canopy at high speed.
·
Ejection
sequencing occurred in the correct order with precise timing such as canopy
jettison, seat ejection, and parachute deployment.
·
Test
dummy endured forces within safe limits,
indicating the system ensures pilot safety.
·
The test was conducted in collaboration with Hindustan
Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and Aeronautical
Development Agency (ADA) under the MoD.
