Daily Current Affairs: Hainan's Split & Government Schemes

📅 Date: 21 December 2025 (Sunday)

Important News and Articles: 21 December 2025

Welcome to your Sunday digest. Today we cover China's massive economic move with its "Hawaii," important government schemes for entrepreneurs, and a butterfly that has become a global logo. Let's dive in!

1. Geopolitics: China Splits off Hainan Island

China has made a bold move by splitting off Hainan Island from the mainland for customs processing. Think of it as creating a new Hong Kong-style commercial hub to join major trans-Pacific trade deals.

        🏝️ About Hainan Island (The "Hawaii of China"):
        Location: Southernmost tropical island of China.
Capital: Haikou (known as the "Coconut City").
Geography: Separated from the mainland by the Qiongzhou Strait.
Strategic Role: It acts as a maritime gateway between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean.
Economy: It hosts the Boao Forum (dubbed "Asia’s Davos") and is China's largest free-trade port.

    

2. Government Schemes Corner

A. National Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Hub (NSSH)

Ministry: Ministry of MSME (implemented by NSIC).
Objective: To empower SC/ST entrepreneurs to participate in public procurement.

🎯 The 4% Rule: The scheme aims to fulfill the mandated target of 4% procurement from SC/ST enterprises by Central Ministries and CPSEs.

B. Antariksh Prayogshala (Space Labs)

Organization: IN-SPACe.
Goal: To create space labs within academic institutions.
Funding: Maximum financial support of ₹5 Crore per institution.

C. Quick Scheme Updates

TIDE 2.0 (MeitY): Supports tech entrepreneurship through financial aid.
Jiyo Parsi (Ministry of Minority Affairs): Launched in 2013-14 to reverse the declining population of the Parsi community.

3. Environment: The Butterfly Effect (COP17)

Armenia has unveiled the logo for the upcoming COP17 to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). The star of the logo? A blue butterfly!

Name: Erivan Anomalous Blue.
Habitat: Found only in and around Yerevan (Armenia) in calcareous grasslands.
Significance: It is an indicator species reflecting ecosystem health.

🌿 Static GK: Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)

History: Opened for signing at the 1992 Rio Earth Summit.
Members: 196 contracting parties.
Governing Body: Conference of the Parties (COP) - meets every two years.
Secretariat: Montreal, Canada.

4. Science & Tech: Doppler Weather Radars

The Ministry of Earth Sciences informed that India now has 47 Doppler Weather Radars (DWRs). But how do they work?

Principle: They use the Doppler Effect to measure the velocity and position of objects (like rain clouds) at a distance.
Mechanism: A beam of energy hits an object and reflects back. The time taken tells the distance; the frequency change tells the speed.
Bands Used:
- S-Band: Long-range detection (Most common).
- C-Band: Cyclone tracking.
- X-Band: Thunderstorms and lightning.

📍 Place in News: Bura Chapori Wildlife Sanctuary

State: Assam.
River: Situated along the Brahmaputra River.

Stay updated! Remember "Hainan" for Geopolitics and the "4% Target" for the NSSH scheme for your exams.

Important News and Articles: 21 December 2025