Constitutional Amendments
- General Information:
- Constitutional amendments are outlined in Part 20, Article 368 of the Constitution, adopted from South Africa.
- 106 constitutional amendment acts have been passed to date.
- The 129th Constitutional Amendment Bill was presented for 'One Nation One Election'.
- First Amendment (1951): Added Schedule 9 to the Constitution, related to land reforms.
- Seventh Amendment (1956): Related to the State Reorganisation Commission.
- 21st Amendment (1967): Added Sindhi as the 15th language to Schedule 8 of the Constitution.
- 26th Amendment (1971): Abolished the Privy Purse (privileges to former rulers).
- 36th Amendment (1975): Granted Sikkim full statehood within India.
- 42nd Amendment (1976) - "Mini Constitution":
- Amended the Preamble for the first time, adding "Socialist," "Secular," and "Integrity" words.
- Added Part IVA (Fundamental Duties, Article 51A) based on the Sardar Swaran Singh Committee recommendations.
- Added Article 39A (Free Legal Aid).
- Added Article 48A (Environmental and Forest Protection).
- Added Part XIVA (Tribunals, Articles 323A and 323B).
- Transferred five subjects (Education, Forests, Wildlife, Weights & Measures, Administration of Justice) from the State List to the Concurrent List.
- 44th Amendment (1978): Removed the Right to Property from the list of Fundamental Rights, making it a legal right under Article 300A.
- 52nd Amendment (1985): Added Schedule 10 to the Constitution, related to the Anti-defection Law.
- 61st Amendment (1989): Reduced the voting age from 21 years to 18 years.
- 69th Amendment (1991): Granted Delhi the status of National Capital Region (NCR) and provided for a Legislative Assembly for Delhi with a 10% limit on the size of the Council of Ministers (Article 239AA).
- 70th Amendment (1992): Included elected members of the Delhi and Puducherry Legislative Assemblies in the Electoral College for the President's election.
- 71st Amendment (1992): Added three new languages (Nepali, Manipuri, Konkani) to Schedule 8, increasing the total to 18 languages.
- 73rd Amendment (1992):
- Added Part IX (Panchayati Raj) and Articles 243 to 243O.
- Added Schedule 11 (29 subjects) related to rural local self-government.
- Implemented on April 24, 1993.
- 74th Amendment (1992): Added Part IXA (Urban Local Bodies) and Schedule 12.
- 86th Amendment (2002):
- Added Article 21A, making the Right to Education a Fundamental Right.
- Added the 11th Fundamental Duty (Article 51A(k)) regarding parental duty to provide education to children.
- 89th Amendment (2003): Created the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) by inserting Article 338A, separating it from the National Commission for Scheduled Castes.
- 91st Amendment (2003): Limited the size of the Council of Ministers at the Centre and in States to 15% of the total members of the Lok Sabha/Legislative Assembly, respectively (with an exception for Delhi at 10%).
- 92nd Amendment (2003): Added four new languages (Bodo, Dogri, Maithili, Santhali) to Schedule 8, making the total 22 languages.
- 97th Amendment (2011): Added Part IXB (Cooperative Societies) and Article 43B.
- 99th Amendment (2014): Established the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC), which was later declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.
- 100th Amendment (2015): Related to the Land Boundary Agreement (Tin Bigha Corridor) between India and Bangladesh.
- 101st Amendment (2016): Introduced the Goods and Services Tax (GST), implemented on July 1, 2017.
- 102nd Amendment (2018): Granted constitutional status to the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) by inserting Article 338B.
- 103rd Amendment (2019): Provided 10% reservation for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) by inserting Articles 15(6) and 16(6).
- 104th Amendment (2019): Extended reservation for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies by 10 years and abolished the reservation for Anglo-Indians.
- 105th Amendment (2021): Restored the power of states to identify and specify socially and educationally backward classes (OBCs).
- 106th Amendment (2023): "Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam" provides 33% reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies (to be implemented after delimitation and census).
- 129th Constitutional Amendment Bill: Presented for 'One Nation One Election', associated with the Ram Nath Kovind Committee.
Countries, Capitals, and Currencies
| Country | Capital | Currency |
|---|---|---|
| India | New Delhi | Rupee |
| Bangladesh | Dhaka | Taka |
| Myanmar | Naypyitaw | Kyat |
| Nepal | Kathmandu | Rupee |
| China | Beijing | Yuan / Renminbi |
| Bhutan | Thimphu | Ngultrum |
| Sri Lanka | Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte | Rupee |
| Mongolia | Ulaanbaatar | Tugrik |
| Pakistan | Islamabad | Rupee |
| Uzbekistan | Tashkent | Som |
| Turkmenistan | Ashgabat | |
| Kazakhstan | Astana (formerly Nur-Sultan) | Tenge |
| Kyrgyzstan | Bishkek | Som |
| Tajikistan | Dushanbe | Somoni |
| Iran | Tehran | Rial |
| Iraq | Baghdad | |
| Bahrain | Manama | |
| Lebanon | Beirut | |
| UAE | Abu Dhabi | Dirham |
| Türkiye | Ankara | Lira |
| Israel | Jerusalem | New Shekel |
| Jordan | Amman | |
| Saudi Arabia | Riyadh | Riyal |
| Yemen | Sana'a | |
| Syria | Damascus | |
| Oman | Muscat | |
| Indonesia | Jakarta | Rupiah |
| Malaysia | Kuala Lumpur | Ringgit |
| Cambodia | Phnom Penh | Riel |
| Philippines | Manila | Peso |
| Thailand | Bangkok | Baht |
| Vietnam | Hanoi | Dong |
| North Korea | Pyongyang | Won |
| South Korea | Seoul | Won |
| Brunei | Bandar Seri Begawan | |
| Hong Kong | Victoria | |
| Japan | Tokyo | Yen |
| Afghanistan | Kabul | |
| Qatar | Doha | |
| Azerbaijan | Baku | Manat |
| Georgia | Tbilisi | |
| Albania | Tirana | |
| Iceland | Reykjavik | Krona |
| Austria | Vienna | |
| Italy | Rome | |
| Estonia | Tallinn | |
| Greece | Athens | Euro |
| Czech Republic | Prague | Koruna |
| Germany | Berlin | Euro |
| Denmark | Copenhagen | Krone |
| Norway | Oslo | Norwegian Krone |
| Netherlands | Amsterdam | Euro |
| Portugal | Lisbon | Euro |
| Poland | Warsaw | Złoty |
| Finland | Helsinki | |
| France | Paris | Euro |
| Bulgaria | Sofia | Euro |
| Belgium | Brussels | Euro |
| Belarus | Minsk | Ruble |
| Ukraine | Kyiv | Hryvnia |
| United Kingdom | London | Pound |
| Romania | Bucharest | |
| Latvia | Riga | |
| Lithuania | Vilnius | |
| Spain | Madrid | Euro |
| Switzerland | Bern | Franc |
| Sweden | Stockholm | Krona |
| Serbia | Belgrade | |
| Hungary | Budapest | Forint |
| Ireland | Dublin | |
| Russia | Moscow | Ruble |
| Egypt | Cairo | |
| Libya | Tripoli | |
| Morocco | Rabat | |
| Nigeria | Abuja | |
| Namibia | Windhoek | |
| Sudan | Khartoum | |
| South Sudan | Juba | |
| Congo Republic | Kinshasa | |
| Congo (Rep. of) | Brazzaville | |
| Somalia | Mogadishu | Shilling |
| Seychelles | Victoria | Rupee |
| Ethiopia | Addis Ababa | Birr |
| Uganda | Kampala | |
| Kenya | Nairobi | |
| Mauritius | Port Louis | Mauritian Rupee |
| Tanzania | Dodoma | |
| Rwanda | Kigali | |
| Zimbabwe | Harare | |
| Ghana | Accra | Cedi |
| South Africa | Pretoria (Admin.), Cape Town (Leg.), Bloemfontein (Jud.) | Rand |
| USA | Washington D.C. | Dollar |
| Canada | Ottawa | |
| Mexico | Mexico City | Peso |
| Cuba | Havana | |
| Jamaica | Kingston | |
| Greenland | Nuuk (Godthåb) | Krone |
| Argentina | Buenos Aires | |
| Bolivia | La Paz | |
| Brazil | Brasília | Real |
| Chile | Santiago | |
| Colombia | Bogota | |
| Ecuador | Quito | |
| Peru | Lima | Sol |
| Uruguay | Montevideo | |
| Venezuela | Caracas | Bolivar |
| Australia | Canberra | |
| New Zealand | Wellington | |
| Fiji | Suva | |
| Papua New Guinea | Port Moresby | |
| Palau | Ngerulmud |
December Current Affairs Review
- Operations & Initiatives:
- Operation Sagar Bandhu: India's aid operation for Sri Lanka after Cyclone Mitwah.
- Matrix Initiative: Launched by Maharashtra to promote technology and startup ecosystem.
- Prerna Yojana: Launched by Assam for students.
- E-Svathu 2.0: Launched by Karnataka for rural property digitization.
- Project Mahadeva: Launched in Maharashtra (by Lionel Messi) to promote grassroots football.
- Hinterland Broo: DRI operation that shut down a mephedrone manufacturing unit in Maharashtra.
- Bharat Vin Portal: Launched by the Ministry of Jal Shakti.
- PARVR (Prevention of Abusive Research and Return on Investment): Launched by SEBI to prevent misleading return claims in advertisements.
- Maha Crime OS AI: Maharashtra partnered with Microsoft for this.
- Green Deposit Scheme: Launched by Meghalaya to control plastic pollution at eco-tourism sites.
- Chaupal Program: Launched by the Ministry of Textiles to strengthen handicraft artisans.
- International Engagements & Appointments:
- India elected to UNESCO Executive Board for 2025-29.
- India signed a ₹7900 crore deal with the USA for MS-60R Navy helicopters.
- India-Maldives Joint Military Exercise "Ekuverin" (14th edition) held in Kerala.
- India to buy Heron Mark II drones from Israel.
- Indian Army tested BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, developed with Russia's cooperation.
- International Telecommunication Union Conference 2025 held in Baku, Azerbaijan.
- India signed Reolose Agreement with Russia.
- India-Malaysia Joint Military Exercise "Harimau Shakti" held in Rajasthan.
- Australia's Victoria University laid the foundation for its first India campus in Haryana.
- SIPRI Global Arms Producing Companies list included India's HAL, BEL, and MDL.
- New INTERPOL President: Lucas Philipp.
- 11th UN Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) Forum held in Riyadh.
- India signed an MoU with Liberia to strengthen pharmacopoeia cooperation.
- Indian Army's joint exercise "Ekta" with Maldives.
- India-UAE joint military exercise "Desert Cyclone."
- Indian Air Force-Russia exercise: Avia Indra.
- Awards & Recognition:
- Golden Peacock Award (56th IFFI): Film "Skin of Youth" (Vietnam), festival held in Goa.
- Athlete of the Year: Armand Duplantis (pole vault).
- Polos Mark Gregorius Award: Tessy Thomas (Missile Woman of India).
- Time Magazine's CEO of the Year 2025: Neal Mohan (YouTube CEO).
- UNEP Champion of the Earth Award 2025: Supriya Sahu.
- IASSA Corporate Award: C-DOT, the first Indian organization to win it.
- PETA India Person of the Year 2025: Raveena Tandon.
- National Energy Conservation Award 2025: Group A winner was Karnataka.
- PM Modi received "The Great Honor of Nishan" (Ethiopia's highest award).
- PM Modi received 29th highest award from Oman.
- Reports & Rankings:
- Central Ground Water Board's Ground Water Quality Report 2025: Nitrate is the most widespread pollutant.
- Deaflympics 2025: India ranked 6th.
- Riyadh: Set a world record for the longest driverless metro network (176 km).
- WorldSkills Asia Competition 2025: India ranked 8th.
- India Tourism Data Compendium 2025: Maharashtra topped in attracting foreign tourists.
- Women Peace and Security Index 2025-26: India ranked 131.
- RBI's GDP growth estimate for 2025-26: 7.3%.
- Qatar ISSF World Cup Final 2025: India ranked 2nd.
- FEI Asian Equestrian Championship 2025: India ranked 3rd.
- Swiss Air Quality Monitor IQAir: Lahore is the world's most polluted city.
- Stanford Global AI Vibrancy Index 2025: India ranked 3rd (after the US and China).
- Arton Capital Passport Index: India ranked 67th.
- Asia Power Index: India ranked 3rd (after the US and China).
- WADA 2024 Testing Figures Report: India had the highest anti-doping rule violations.
- India ranked 1st in world's makhana producing countries.
- Key Events & Developments:
- Assam amended Animal Cruelty Prevention Bill 2025 to allow Moh-Juj (buffalo fight).
- Bureau of Indian Standards' new seismic zonation map includes the Himalayan region (Zone VI) as most sensitive.
- France announced military service for 18-19 year olds.
- Nagaland's Hornbill Festival (26th edition) started on December 1.
- India's first Water Positive Airport: Indira Gandhi International Airport.
- PM Office's new name: Seva Teerth (Raj Bhavan's new name: Lok Bhavan).
- Indian researchers discovered the spiral galaxy "Alaknanda" (sister galaxy to Milky Way).
- Ashwini Vaishnav launched Semiconductor Training Labs "Parangat" in Punjab.
- PNB appointed Harmanpreet Kaur as its first female brand ambassador.
- Sukapha Divas observed in Assam.
- Numaligarh Refinery Limited received Navratna status.
- Darjeeling Mandarin (orange) received GI tag.
- Devvrat Mahesh Rekhe completed "Dandakram Parayan" of Yajurveda after 200 years.
- DRDO successfully tested a Fighter Aircraft Escape System in Chandigarh.
- Tamil Nadu now has 74 GI tags (highest in India) after 5 new products.
- Central Excise Amendment Bill for GST Compensation Cess ended for pan masala, tobacco, and cigarettes.
- 18th Plenary Meeting of Global Forum on Tax Information Exchange held in India.
- Indian Navy Day (December 4) celebrated in Kerala.
- India's Heritage Footfall Ranking 2024-25: Taj Mahal topped for domestic and foreign tourists.
- Bihar launched "Mukhyamantri Bharat Darshan Yojana" for secondary students.
- Sarvagya Kushwaha (3 years old) became the youngest FIDE Rated Chess Player.
- Ozone hole over Antarctica showed record contraction; first discovered by Foreman in 1985.
- 15th International Sand Art Festival held in Odisha.
- Nitish Kumar made World Book of Records for taking oath as CM 10 times.
- India opened a new Consulate Building in Shanghai (China) after 32 years.
- Russia became the 19th member of the International Big Cat Alliance (initiated by India).
- Washington Agreement (peace dealer) took place between Zaire and Rwanda.
- Wildlife Crime Control Bureau, under INTERPOL Red Notice, arrested the first wildlife criminal in Madhya Pradesh.
- ED issued a show-cause notice to Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan for Fema and RBI violations regarding masala bonds.
- India's second inter-state tiger relocation from Pench Tiger Reserve to Rajasthan.
- 7th Session of the UN Environment Assembly started.
- Rajasthan became the first state to digitize 100% water roles.
- Supreme Court directed 30% reservation for women in State Bar Councils.
- Veteran socialist leader Dr. Baba Adhav passed away at 95 in Pune.
- UNESCO included Diwali in the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (16th item from India).
- TRYNJA initiative for reforms in WTO.
- World's highest War Memorial is in Galwan.
- Microsoft (Satya Nadella) announced a $17.5 billion investment in India.
- UNICEF Foundation Day 2025: December 11.
- UNESCO included 72 cities in its Global Network of Learning Cities.
- India's first indigenous Hydrogen Fuel Cell ship launched in Varanasi.
- Chojing Angmo (from Himachal Pradesh) became India's first and world's fifth visually impaired woman to climb Mount Everest.
- India's Ginger Capital: Mizoram.
- Global AI Show 2025 held in Abu Dhabi.
- Australia banned headscarves in schools for girls under 14.
- NASA's MAVEN spacecraft (related to Mars mission) lost contact after a decade.
- "Yellow Line" is a new border between Israel and Gaza.
- INTERPOL issued a Blue Notice against criminals related to a nightclub fire in Goa.
- Cheraichang Festival (to restart Asia's first safe Royal World Sanctuary) held on Majuli Island, Assam.
- Preah Vihear Temple is in Cambodia.
- ASEAN-India Tourism Exchange Program held in Guwahati.
- Kopra Reservoir became Chhattisgarh's first Ramsar site (95th in India); Silied Lake (Alwar, Rajasthan) is 96th.
- Central Cabinet approved 100% FDI in the Insurance Sector.
- Korbha Thermal Power Station (Bihar) to be India's first Power Museum.
- 200th birth anniversary reception of Dadabhai Naoroji held in London.
- Madhya Pradesh CM declared the state free from Naxalism (specifically the Balaghat area).
- Brookfield to invest $1 billion to build Asia's largest GC in Maharashtra.
- Indian Railways electrified 99.2% of its Broad Gauge network.
- Hanukkah Festival is a Jewish community festival.
- IPL Auction 2026's most expensive player: Cameron Green.
- PM Modi paid tribute at the Adwa Victory Memorial in Ethiopia.
- First female officer to pass out from the Indian Military Academy (in 93 years): Sai Jadhav.
- Indian Navy commissioned the first indigenously designed Diving Support Craft (DSC-20) in Kerala.
- Hansi became Haryana's 23rd district.
- 18th BRICS Summit in 2026 will be hosted by India.
- Capuchin monkeys brought from South Africa to Bannerghatta Biological Park in Karnataka.
- India's first Forest University is in Gorakhpur.
- Photonics Odyssey won the NASA Space Apps Challenge 2025 (related to Chennai).
- President Murmu attended a meeting of state PSC chairpersons in Hyderabad (Ramoji Film City).
- Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy first-time winner: Jharkhand.
- New Appointments:
- India's Chief Information Commissioner: Rajkumar Goyal.
- SBI MD: Ravi Ranjan.
- Sports:
- Deaflympics 2025: India ranked 6th.
- Sultan Azlan Shah Cup 2025: Indian team won Silver.
- Virat Kohli: Broke Sachin Tendulkar's record with his 52nd ODI century.
- Syed Modi International Tournament 2025 (badminton): Held in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.
- Jerusalem Masters 2025 (chess): Won by Arjun Erigaisi (defeated Viswanathan Anand).
- 5th Khelo India University Games: Chandigarh University topped, held in Rajasthan.
- Guwahati Open 2025 Men's Singles title: Sanskar Saraswat.
- Qatar ISSF World Cup Final 2025: India ranked 2nd.
- FEI Asian Equestrian Championship 2025: India ranked 3rd.
- FIH Junior Men's Hockey World Cup 2025: India won Bronze.
- Squash World Cup 2025: Held in Chennai; India won against Hong Kong, China.
- 33rd Southeast Asian Games: Held in Thailand.
- Tennis Premier League 2025: Won by GM Delhi SS.
- Books:
- "Kashmir in the Line of Fire": Authored by Ranjan Mahajan.
- "The 11th Hour: An Equitant of Stories": Authored by Salman Rushdie.
- "Bharat That Is India": Authored by Abhijit Jog.
- Days & Observances:
- World AIDS Day: December 1.
- **World Computer Litera
- World Soil Day: December 5.
- Mahaparinirvan Diwas (Dr. B.R. Ambedkar's death anniversary): December 6.
- International Anti-Corruption Day 2025: December 9.
- World Human Rights Day: December 10.
- UNICEF Foundation Day 2025: December 11.
- International Universal Health Coverage Day 2025: December 12.
- Vijay Diwas 2025: December 16 (commemorates 1971 war victory).
- International Migrants Day: December 18.
- New Discoveries & Products:
- India's first Coral Reef Research Center: To be established in Andaman Nicobar.
- India's first Private Navigation Center "Anant Center of Excellence": Inaugurated in Kerala.
- India's first Indigenous Hydrogen Fuel Cell ship: Launched in Varanasi.
- India's first wildlife-safe road: Started in Madhya Pradesh (on Bhopal-Jabalpur road).
- India's first Yoga-Ayurveda Cluster: Patanjali University, Haridwar.
- Dhruv 64: An indigenous microprocessor.
- Indian Navy's first indigenously designed Diving Support Craft (DSC-20): Commissioned in Kerala.
- India's first Forest University: Gorakhpur.
- Miscellaneous:
- Assam amended Animal Cruelty Prevention Bill 2025 to allow Moh-Juj (buffalo fight).
- Navratna status granted to Numaligarh Refinery Limited.
- Ponduru Khadi (Andhra Pradesh) received GI tag.
- MGNREGA Bill's new name for the scheme mentioned as "Vikashit Bharat Guaranteed Rural Ajeevika Mission" (VBGRAAM), guaranteeing 125 days of employment.
- Time Magazine's Person of the Year 2025: Architects of Artificial Intelligence.
- Chilean President: Jose Antonio Kast.
- INTERPOL operation "Thunder" saved nearly 30,000 trafficked animals.
- India-Jordan agreement on UNESCO World Heritage Sites (Petra, Ajanta/Ellora).
- Italy became the first country to receive UNESCO recognition for all national cuisines.
- Korbha Thermal Power Station (Bihar) to be India's first Power Museum.
- Late Ramvanji Sutar: Sculptor.