UniFocus IAS ( UNIFOCUS UNIVERSAL )

Social Security for Unorganised Workers ICG commissions GSL’s new-generation Fast Patrol Vessel ‘Amulya’ WHO launches its first Strategic and Technical Advisory Group on Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine

The Central Government has formulated the four Labour Codes, namely, the Code on Wages, 2019, the Industrial Relations Code, 2020, the Code on Social Security, 2020 and the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 after amalgamating, simplifying and rationalising the relevant provisions of the previous 29 Central Labour Acts. The four Labour Codes have come into force with effect from 21st November 2025 across the country. The four Labour Codes reduce multiplicity of definitions & authorities, facilitate use of technology, bring transparency & accountability in enforcement. Simultaneously, it strengthens the protection available to workers, including unorganized workers. The Labour Codes have a large number of provisions to ensure the social security of unorganised workers in the country. Under the Social Security Code, 2020: Social Security cover to all workers including unorganised workers, Gig & Platform workers. To cater to new forms of employment, ...

Indian Coast Guard (ICG) Ship ‘Amulya’, the third in the series of eight new-generation Adamya-class Fast Patrol Vessels, was commissioned in Goa on December 19, 2025. This 51-metre vessel designed and built by Goa Shipyard Limited represents a new benchmark in indigenous shipbuilding. With more than 60% indigenous components, Amulya, which means ‘priceless’, underscores India’s steady progress towards defence self-reliance, in line with the Government’s   Aatmanirbhar Bharat  and   Make-in-India  initiatives. It integrates modern design philosophy focused on efficiency, endurance, and rapid response capability. Powered by two 3000 KW advanced diesel engines, the ship delivers a top speed of 27 knots and an operational endurance of 1,500 nautical miles, enabling extended missions in India’s maritime zones. It is fitted with indigenous state-of-the-art weapons/systems, offering superior manoeuvrability, operational flexibility and enhanced performance at sea. It will ...

  WHO has established the Strategic and Technical Advisory Group on Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine (STAG-TM), reflecting WHO’s growing capacity to apply scientific rigour to traditional medicine. The establishment of the Group represents a significant step in implementing the  WHO Global Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025–2034 ,  The STAG-TM will advise WHO on strategic direction for traditional medicine at global level by providing:  scientific advice to shape global research priorities;  technical support to develop norms and standards;  recommendations on approaches to integrate traditional medicine into health systems; and assistance to WHO in articulating policy options for Member States.  The group comprises 19 independent experts appointed through an open global selection process, ensuri...

Galileo satellites launched aboard an Ariane 6 rocket International Anti-Corruption Day has been observed annually on 9 December since 2003 NASA’s DiskSat Technology Demonstration Mission Launches to Low Earth Orbit Two international treaties to protect the ocean reach 100 accessions

On 17 December, two Galileo satellites (  SAT 33 and SAT 34 )  lifted off from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana aboard an Ariane 6 rocket. This marked the 14th launch for Europe’s Galileo constellation. Galileo is the world’s most precise satellite navigation system. It entered into Service in 2016. All smartphones sold in the European Single Market are now guaranteed Galileo-enabled. Programme is  managed and funded by the European Commission.   Ariane 6 is Europe’s heavy-lift launcher.  It has three stages: two or four boosters, and a core and upper stage.   The European Space Agency

On 31 October 2003, the General Assembly adopted the United Nations Convention against Corruption and requested that the Secretary-General designate the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) as the secretariat for the Convention’s Conference of States Parties ( resolution 58/4 ). Since then, 190 parties have committed to the Convention’s anti-corruption obligations, showing near-universal recognition of the importance of good governance, accountability, and political commitment. The Assembly also designated 9 December as International Anti-Corruption Day, to raise awareness of corruption and of the role of the Convention in combating and preventing it. The Convention entered into force in December 2005. The United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) is the only legally binding universal anti-corruption instrument. It was drafted and negotiated in Vienna, Austria in 2002-2003 and subsequently adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 31 October 2003. It ...

NASA’s DiskSat technology demonstration mission will test the performance of a new small spacecraft platform designed to expand the capabilities of current small spacecraft. By demonstrating the advantages of a flat, disk-shaped architecture over the conventional CubeSat design, DiskSat aims to enable lower-cost space missions, broaden scientific opportunities, and increase overall access to space. At 12:03 a.m. EST on Thursday, Dec. 18, DiskSat launched aboard a Rocket Lab Electron rocket from the company’s Launch Complex 2 on Wallops Island, Virginia. The demonstration will evaluate the performance of the DiskSat spacecraft themselves and a specialized dispenser mechanism. The dispenser is engineered to securely contain four DiskSat spacecraft during launch, then sequentially deploy them into low Earth orbit where they will perform maneuvers. Each DiskSat is a circular, flat spacecraft 40 inches (one meter) in diameter and one inch (two-and-a-half centimeters) thick – simila...

Key IMO instruments that protect the marine environment – the Ballast Water Management Convention and the Anti-Fouling Systems Convention - have recently achieved the milestone of 100 ratifications.  The Solomon Islands became the 100th State Party to the  International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships' Ballast Water and Sediments  ( BWM Convention ). Equatorial Guinea deposited its instruments of accession for both the BWM Convention and the  International Convention on the Control of Harmful Anti-Fouling Systems on Ships  ( AFS Convention ).    The Ballast Water Management Convention, adopted in 2004 and in force since 2017, prevents the spread of harmful aquatic organisms to new environments via ships’ ballast water (seawater taken on board for ship stability). Regulations require ships to manage their ballast water and sediments through ship-specific plans, including operational practices, record-keeping and certificatio...

ISRO's Respond Basket - 2025 Two Indian Projects among FAO-led projects to make agriculture resilient and sustainable in support of 1 million people From Social Media to OTT Platforms: Government Enforces Strict Accountability to Curb Obscenity, Misinformation and Cyber Offences Online OTT Content to Remain Outside CBFC Jurisdiction; Three-Tier Institutional Mechanism under IT Rules in Place India Ethiopia Relations

ISRO Academia Day is organized on 16th December, 2025 at ISRO HQ, to provide opportunities for academicians to gain insights into the current and emerging research areas of the Indian Space Programme. Secretary, DOS / Chairman, ISRO inaugurated the event and released the Respond Basket - 2025 in the presence of Scientific Secretary, ISRO, ISRO Centre/Unit Directors, Senior officials from across ISRO centres and Academicians. Respond basket 2025 consists of 125 selected research proposals from across ISRO centres. The research problem statements in Research Basket 2025 reflect ISRO's current and emerging needs in space science, technology, and applications. These topics have been selected from the most relevant and high-impact areas linked to future projects, where innovative thinking can drive the next wave of breakthroughs. About academicians 125 from 50 institutions were represented in the event. ISRO News

The   Global Environment Facility   (GEF) has approved eight projects led by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) worth nearly $60 million designed to help seven countries improve their management of agricultural landscapes, promote climate-friendly and biodiversity-positive livestock production, and restore forest, coastal, and marine ecosystems. The projects will leverage approximately $429 million in co-financing and will improve the management of 305,000 hectares of protected areas on land and sea. They will also restore 314,000 hectares of landscapes, improve the management of 1.2 million hectares of productive land, and mitigate 84.5 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions, benefitting over 1 million people across four continents. Projetcts approved for India: $9.9 million project in India  to improve integrated landscape management across 2.9 million hectares of protected areas, forests, and productive landscapes in Central India, home...

Safe, Trusted and Accountable Internet, Especially for Women and Children IT Act, IT Rules 2021 and Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Empower Authorities to Tackle Obscene, Harmful and Unlawful Online Content Major Social Media Platforms with over 50 Lakh Users Required to Appoint Local Officers and Publish Compliance Reports The policies of the Government are aimed at ensuring an Open, Safe and Trusted and Accountable Internet for its users, including women and children. The Government is committed to ensure that the Internet in India is free from any form of unlawful content or information, particularly vulgar and obscene content. Legal frameworks to counter unlawful content on digital platforms Information Technology (IT) Act, 2000 The IT Act and the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 (IT Rules, 2021), together, have put in place a stringent framework to deal with unlawful and harmful content in the digital space. It imposes ...

Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) is a statutory authority established under the Cinematograph Act, 1952 for examining and certifying cinematographic films for public exhibition. OTT content is regulated under the provisions of Part III of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021. The Code of Ethics requires OTT platforms to avoid publishing content prohibited by law and undertake age-based classification of content as per the guidelines in the Rules. These Rules also outline a three-tier institutional mechanism for ensuring adherence to content-related norms and for addressing public grievances. Level I: Self-regulation by the publishers Level II: Self-regulation by the self-regulating bodies of the publishers Level III: Oversight mechanism by the Central Government The grievances related to OTT content are duly forwarded to the concerned OTT platforms for appropriate action under the Level-I of the redressal mechanism viz...

  Key Takeaways PM Narendra Modi visited Ethiopia on 16-17 December 2025, on his first bilateral visit. He was conferred with ‘Great Honor Nishan of Ethiopia’ country’s highest honour during Addis Ababa visit. India and Ethiopia have elevated their bilateral ties to a Strategic Partnership, marking a new phase of cooperation. India, Ethiopia signed eight MoUs, agreements, including that for establishing a Data Centre at Ethiopia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and for debt restructuring under the G20 Common Framework.  Over  675 Indian companies  are registered with the Ethiopian Investment Commission, with total investments over  USD 6.5 billion,  especially in key sectors of manufacturing and pharmaceuticals, creating over 75,000 local jobs. Bilateral ties are supported by structured dialogues such as Foreign Office Consultations and Joint Trade Committee meetings. High-level political engagement is also sustained through Prime Minister-level meetings on th...