News In Short 15-12-2025

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel

Syllabus: GS1/Personalities

Context

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tributes to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the Iron Man of India, on his 75th death anniversary (15 December 1950). 

About

• Born on October 31, 1875, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel served as independent India’s first Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister. 
• He is widely regarded as the architect of India’s national integration and a key force behind the establishment of modern civil services, including the Indian Administrative Service (IAS).
• He headed various Constitutional Committees, such as Advisory Committee on Fundamental Rights, Committee on Minorities and Tribal and Excluded Areas, Provincial Constitution Committee. 
• He was posthumously honoured with the Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award in the country in 1991.

Contributions in India’s Freedom Struggle

• Kheda Satyagraha, 1917: As a prominent local leader in the Kheda district of Gujarat, Patel supported Mahatma Gandhi in organising the Satyagraha against unjust land revenue taxes imposed by the British.
• Non-Cooperation Movement, 1920-22: Patel significantly impacted the Non-Cooperation Movement, recruiting approximately 300,000 members and raising 1.5 million rupees.
  • He advocated the boycott of British goods and use of Khadi as a symbol of economic and cultural self-sufficiency.
• Bardoli Satyagraha, 1928: During the Bardoli Satyagraha, Patel supported the local population suffering from famine and increased land taxes.
• Civil Disobedience Movement 1930-34: He actively participated in the Salt Satyagraha, a nonviolent protest against the British salt monopoly. 
• Quit India Movement, 1942: He organised protests and strikes against British rule, and delivered compelling and electrifying speeches throughout India, inspiring and mobilising people to join mass protests, engage in acts of civil disobedience, boycott tax payments, and stage civil service shutdowns.

Do you know?

• Since 2014, Rashtriya Ekta Diwas, also known as National Unity Day, has been celebrated every year on October 31 to commemorate the birth anniversary of Sardar Patel. 
• The Statue of Unity, the world’s tallest statue, was unveiled on 31 October 2018 at Kevadia in Gujarat on the 143rd birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
• Civil Services Day is observed on 21 April to mark Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s address to the first batch of civil servants of Independent India in 1947.

Source: DDNews

Bison Horn Maria Dance

Syllabus: GS1/ Culture

Context

• The traditional Bison Horn Maria dance was performed during a village festival at Judiya Para in Bastar, Chhattisgarh.

About

• Performed by: Dandami Madia (Maria /Gaur Maria) tribes of Bastar, Chhattisgarh.
  • Both men and women perform the dance, during village festivals and major community occasions.
• Costumes: Male dancers wear horn-shaped headgear made of bamboo, decorated with bison horns, feathers, shells and bright cloth strips.
  • Women wear brass chaplets and heavy necklaces.
• Instruments: Log drums slung around the neck provide rhythmic beats.
• Performance: Men mimic bison charging and hunting, while women dance alongside, often with sticks, in a synchronized, ritualistic way.
• Ritual chants invoke deities such as Budhadev and Danteshwari Mai, reinforcing spiritual continuity.

Source: TH

Bridge Summit 2025

Syllabus: GS2/ Governance

Context

• Bridge Summit 2025, the world’s largest debut media event, concluded at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre after a three-day programme.

About

• BRIDGE Summit is a first-of-its-kind event that acts as both a conference and exhibition for the entire scope of media and entertainment related industries.
• It gathers 1000s of creators, communicators, brands, leaders, and decision-makers in one space to collectively align towards a more valuable, connected, and prosperous future.
• BRIDGE Alliance is a global organization that unites leaders across media, technology, politics, finance and the creative industries to build a more connected, resilient, and forward-looking framework for the world’s media, entertainment and content ecosystem.

Source: DD News

Supernova Stents

Syllabus: GS2/ Health

In News

• All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, conducted India’s first clinical trial of a new and advanced stroke treatment device named the Supernova Stent.
  • Strokes occur when blood flow to the brain is interrupted by a clot or vessel rupture, leading to potential brain damage.

About

• The Supernova stent-retriever is an upgraded clot-retrieval device that can remove multiple types of blood clots, more effectively open blocked arteries, and significantly improve outcomes for stroke patients.
• The GRASSROOT trial (Gravity Stent-Retriever System for Reperfusion of Large Vessel Occlusion Stroke), led by AIIMS Delhi across eight Indian centers, confirmed the device’s safety and efficacy in real-world settings.

Source: AIR

FDA Approves Two Oral Therapies to Treat Gonorrhea

Syllabus: GS2/ Health

Context

• The U.S. The Food and Drug Administration recently approved two new oral medicines to treat gonorrhea.

About

• Gonorrhoea is a preventable and curable sexually transmitted infection caused by the bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae.
• In 2020 there were an estimated 82.4 million new infections among adults globally.
• Antimicrobial resistance to gonorrhoea is a serious and growing problem, rendering many classes of antibiotics as ineffective with the risk of becoming untreatable.
• Gonorrhoea can be passed from a pregnant mother to her baby.
• Diagnosis: Molecular tests, Gram stain microscopy.

Source: CNN

Ponduru Khadi

Syllabus: GS3/ Economy

In News

• Ponduru Khadi from Srikakulam district in Andhra Pradesh has received Geographical Indication (GI) tag recognition.

About

• Ponduru Khadi is a handwoven fabric primarily produced from short-staple, hill-variety, pest-resistant cotton grown locally. 
• This cotton enables chemical-free farming practices, promoting sustainable agriculture and eco-friendly production methods traditional to the region.

What is GI Tag?

• GI tag protects products linked to a specific geographical origin, ensuring their unique qualities, reputation, or characteristics.
• In India, it is granted under the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999.

Source: TH

MahaCrimeOS AI

Syllabus: GS2/Governance; GS3/AI

Context

• Microsoft Chairman Satya Nadella announced the statewide rollout of its AI-powered investigation platform for the Maharashtra Police “MahaCrimeOS AI”.

MahaCrimeOS

• The platform MahaCrimeOS AI, was developed jointly with the Maharashtra Government and its specialised AI policing initiative, MARVEL (Maharashtra Research and Vigilance for Enhanced Law Enforcement).
• MahaCrimeOS AI ingests complaints in any format, such as PDFs, audio, handwritten notes or images and then uses multimodal intelligence to extract critical information in any language.
  • The system adapts investigation paths, automates analysis and profiles persons of interest with unparalleled speed and efficiency.

MARVEL

• MARVEL is a special-purpose vehicle (SPV) government entity created in 2024 to introduce AI-based solutions in policing. 
• MARVEL was set up to strengthen police intelligence, improve crime prediction and modernise investigation methods, making Maharashtra the first state in India to create an independent AI body for law enforcement.

Source: IE

Lunarcrete

Syllabus: GS3/Science & Technology

Context

• Researchers are developing Lunarcrete, concrete produced using lunar materials for sustainable long-term habitats on the Moon.

What is Lunarcrete?

• Lunarcrete is an umbrella term for ‘concrete made on the moon’.
  • It is a proposed construction material made using lunar regolith (Moon soil) as the primary aggregate instead of Earth-based sand and gravel.
• Purpose: It supports in-situ resource utilisation (ISRU) by enabling construction of habitats, landing pads, and roads on the Moon without transporting materials from Earth.
• Significance: 
  • It can provide radiation shielding, protection from micrometeorites, and thermal insulation for long-duration human presence.
  • It is seen to be crucial for future lunar missions and permanent bases under programmes like Artemis and aligns with emerging space infrastructure technologies.

Source: TH