Prelims Current Affairs includes International Volunteer Day, World Soil Day, Central Excise (Amendment) Bill 2025, Alaknanda Galaxy Discovery, Navratna Status.

IMPORTANT DAYS

1. INTERNATIONAL VOLUNTEER DAY

Observed every year on 5 December.
Aim: To appreciate the contribution of volunteers and encourage people to participate in community service.

2. WORLD SOIL DAY

Celebrated every year on 5 December.
Aim: To highlight the importance of healthy soil for food security, ecosystems and human life.
Proposed by: International Union of Soil Sciences (2002).
Adopted by: UN General Assembly (2014).
Theme: Healthy soils for healthy cities.

POLITY

3. CENTRAL EXCISE (AMENDMENT) BILL 2025

Current Context: Lok Sabha has passed the Central Excise (Amendment) Bill, 2025 along with the Health and National Security Cess Bill to introduce a new tax system on “sin goods” like tobacco and pan masala.

OBJECTIVE OF THE REFORM

• Ensure revenue continues after GST compensation cess ends in March 2026.
• Keep high taxes on harmful products such as tobacco.
• Use collected revenue for public health and national security.
• Help repay loans taken for supporting states during COVID-19.

KEY FEATURES OF CENTRAL EXCISE (AMENDMENT) BILL 2025

•  Replaces GST compensation cess with fresh central excise duty on tobacco products.
• Rates:  ₹5,000–₹11,000 per 1,000 cigarettes (based on size).
• 60–70% tax on raw tobacco.
  1. 100% tax on nicotine-based inhalation products.
  2. Duty will be in addition to 40% GST.

HEALTH & NATIONAL SECURITY CESS BILL 2025

• New cess on pan masala and other notified products.
• Not shareable with states (outside divisible tax pool).
• Revenue will exclusively fund:

1. Public health programmes
2. National security measures

SPACE

4. ALAKNANDA GALAXY DISCOVERY

Current Context: Researchers at NCRA–TIFR, Pune, identified a new spiral galaxy “Alaknanda”.

ABOUT ALAKNANDA GALAXY

Location: ~12 billion light-years away.
Structure: Classic spiral with two arms + bright central bulge.
Size: ~30,000 light-years in diameter.
Star Formation: ~60 solar masses per year.
Similarity: Early-age Milky Way–like.
Tool Used: NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope.

ABOUT SPIRAL GALAXIES

• Rotating disk of stars, gas, and dust.
• Bright young stars in spiral arms.
• Central bulge: older, dimmer stars + often a supermassive black hole.
• Many possess a bar structure like the Milky Way.

ECONOMY

5. NAVRATNA STATUS

Current Context: Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) has been upgraded to Navratna status among CPSEs.

ABOUT NRL

• Established in 1993 under Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas.
• Achieved Navratna rank due to strong financial performance.

CRITERIA FOR NAVRATNA STATUS

• Must already be Miniratna Category-I CPSE.
• Must have “excellent/very good” MoU rating in at least 3 of the last 5 years.
• Composite score 60+ on indicators like:

1. Net profit to net worth
2. Earnings per share
3. Profit before interest & taxes to turnover

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