SNIPPETS: 8 DECEMBER 2025

ECONOMY

• RBI cut repo rate by 25 bps to 5.25% + cumulative 125 bps cuts since Feb + inflation at decadal low (CPI 0.25%) + GDP growth strong at 2% six-quarter high creating a “rare Goldilocks period” + lower EMIs & improved credit flow + ₹1 lakh crore OMO bond purchase + $5-billion sell swap to stabilise rupee + policy stance neutral.

ENVIRONMENT

• Quarrying paused in Telangana to protect endangered Rock Eagle Owl eggs + species under Schedule I + IUCN population decreasing + threats include poaching worth ₹35–40 lakh/bird + incubation 6–8 weeks + human access restricted to avoid abandonment + shows community-led conservation success in industrial zone.

SCIENCE

• C-CAMP launched Centre of Excellence for Sustainability & Climate Change + partnership with Ashraya Hasta Trust + focus on climate-ready agriculture, healthcare & environment + aims for bioscience-based climate solutions + scale to 30 innovations in 3 years + targets methane-cutting crops, resilient crop strains, disease surveillance + strengthens India’s climate-adaptation capacity.
• NATGRID now receives ~45,000 data requests/month + operational since 2023 + integrates Aadhaar, bank, DL, travel & limited social media data + expanded access to state police & SP-level officers + enables real-time multi-agency intelligence + reduces inter-agency dependence + boosts early threat detection amid rising cyber-incidents.
• Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS is releasing high levels of carbon-based chemicals + observations show unusually high methanol, a key prebiotic molecule + methanol acts as a building block for complex molecules linked to origins of life + comets are dust, rock, and ice remnants from the formation of the solar system 4.6 billion years ago + three interstellar comets identified: Oumuamua, 2I/Borisov, and 3I/ATLAS + Oumuamua, meaning “messenger from afar” in Hawaiian, was detected by Pan-STARRS1 telescope in 2017

DEFENCE

• DRDO successfully conducted a high-speed rocket-sled test of an indigenous fighter aircraft escape system at the Rail Track Rocket Sled facility (TBRL, Chandigarh) + validated canopy severance, ejection sequencing, and aircrew recovery + carried out with HAL & ADA, marking a major boost to India’s escape-system capability.