1 President Draupadi Murmu presented the National Science Awards-2025 at a function held at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
President Draupadi Murmu presented the National Science Awards 2025 at a ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi . These are the nation’s highest honors for outstanding contributions in the fields of science, technology, and innovation . The awards were given under four categories: Vigyan Ratna, Vigyan Shri, Vigyan Yuva-Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar, and Vigyan Team. Padma Vibhushan Professor Jayant Vishnu Narlikar was posthumously awarded the Vigyan Ratna Award . Eight scientists were awarded the Vigyan Shri Award and 14 young scientists were honored under the Vigyan Yuva category, while the Team Award in Science was given to Aroma Mission CSIR . The National Science Awards were instituted to recognize outstanding and inspiring contributions by scientists, technologists, and innovators working individually or in teams in the broad field of science and technology and technology-based innovations. To view the list of National Science Award recipients, please click here
Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan released the book ” Sanatan Sanskriti Ki Atal Drishti, ” written by Shri Vasudev Devnani, Speaker of the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly, at the Upa-Rashtrapati Nivas in New Delhi . The Vice President congratulated Shri Devnani for writing the book and called it a timely and important contribution, especially as the country celebrates the birth centenary of former Prime Minister Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee .
3 ISRO’s LVM-3M-6 mission successfully launched from Sriharikota
ISRO ‘s LVM-3M-6 mission launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Center at 8:54 a.m. The mission carried the Blue Bird Block-2 satellite into orbit under a commercial deal with US-based AST Space Mobile . The mission will deploy a next-generation communications satellite designed to deliver high-speed cellular broadband directly to smartphones worldwide . The Blue Bird Block-2 spacecraft is the heaviest payload launched into low Earth orbit in the history of the LVM-3 rocket , weighing 6.5 tons . The low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite arrived in India from the US on October 19. This is the second collaboration between the US and ISRO. In July, ISRO successfully launched the $1.5 billion NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar Mission (NISAR), which aims to obtain high-resolution Earth scans with the capability to penetrate fog, dense clouds, and ice layers. The LVM-3 rocket successfully launched Chandrayaan-2, Chandrayaan-3 and two OneWeb missions carrying 72 satellites.
4 Indian Coast Guard commissioned its first pollution control vessel, Samudra Pratap, at Goa Shipyard Limited
The Indian Coast Guard commissioned its first pollution control vessel, Samudra Pratap, at Goa Shipyard Limited . This is the first indigenously designed and built vessel of the Indian Coast Guard. The vessel is equipped with state-of-the-art technology and indigenously developed systems. Over 60 percent indigenous content has been used in its construction.
5 Ministry of Panchayati Raj launches two-day PESA Mahotsav
The Ministry of Panchayati Raj has launched a two-day PESA Mahotsav in Visakhapatnam to commemorate the anniversary of the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996. The PESA Act aims to empower tribal communities by expanding Panchayati Raj institutions in Scheduled Areas and strengthening the role of Gram Sabhas in local self-governance. The Mahotsav is being organized to raise awareness about the Act and enhance the capacity of Gram Panchayats in these areas.
6 India will provide a $450 million aid package to Sri Lanka affected by Cyclone Ditwaha.
India will provide a $450 million package to assist in the reconstruction of areas affected by Cyclone Ditwaha in Sri Lanka . External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar made this announcement while addressing the media in Colombo . He stated that the package includes a $350 million concessional line of credit and a $100 million grant, aimed at assisting in the reconstruction of areas affected by the cyclone. The External Affairs Minister stated that India’s assistance will provide enhanced assistance to the cyclone-affected areas. This includes rebuilding road, rail, and bridge connectivity, and assistance for the construction of damaged houses. The External Affairs Minister met with Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, held detailed discussions on the damage caused by the cyclone, and handed over a letter from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
7 Union Minister Shri G. Kishan Reddy inaugurates Centre of Excellence and Virtual Reality Mine Simulator at IIT (ISM) Dhanbad
Union Minister of Coal and Mines, Shri G. Kishan Reddy, who is on a two-day visit to Jharkhand, inaugurated the Center of Excellence established under the National Critical Minerals Mission at IIT (ISM), Dhanbad . He also launched the Virtual Reality Mine Simulator (VRMS) . This Center of Excellence, inaugurated by Union Minister Shri G. Kishan Reddy, will serve as a national hub for research and industrial-scale solutions in the field of critical minerals. The Center will primarily focus on areas such as exploration, extraction, processing, recycling, reuse, and waste-to-wealth of critical minerals. This Center of Excellence will partner with industry leaders and international universities such as the University of Cambridge and the University of St. Petersburg. It will also receive infrastructure support from IIT Gandhinagar, IIT BHU, and CPI (UK). VRSM, developed by IIT (ISM) Dhanbad in collaboration with Coal India Limited and its subsidiaries—Northern Coalfields Limited and Eastern Coalfields Limited, is India’s first ‘Virtual Reality’ based mine simulator for coal mining safety and productivity. Equipped with a 360-degree immersive virtual reality theatre, this VRMS uses real mine data and offers over 20 training modules covering heavy equipment operations and critical safety standard operating procedures.
8 NCDC and WHO meet to strengthen preparedness to combat influenza
The National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) India , on Monday launched a two-day meeting aimed at strengthening influenza preparedness in the country. The brainstorming session, titled ” Strengthening Inter-Ministerial and Inter-Sectoral Coordination for Influenza Preparedness and Response, ” is being held in New Delhi from December 22 to 23. It aims to provide an organised platform for discussions among key stakeholders ahead of the upcoming influenza season to strengthen preparedness and response mechanisms.
Tech giant Google has activated its Emergency Location Service (ELS) for Android smartphones in India . With this, Uttar Pradesh has become the first state in the country to fully integrate this advanced caller location technology with the 112 emergency service . A statement issued by the company said that now, when a call or SMS to 112 from an Android phone is made, the caller’s precise location will automatically be sent to emergency responders. ELS is an in-built feature in Android phones that shares the caller’s precise location when an emergency call is made.
- GPS,
- Wi-Fi , और
- mobile network signal
It uses ELS to pinpoint the caller’s location with an accuracy of approximately 50 meters . This technology is extremely helpful in situations where an emergency call is disconnected immediately after connecting. Even in such situations, emergency services receive the caller’s location and help can be delivered quickly. Google has clarified that the ELS service has been designed with strong privacy protections. This service is activated only during emergency calls or SMS, and is completely free to use, requiring no additional apps or hardware.
10. IIT Delhi develops world’s first AI lab assistant
AI, or Artificial Intelligence, will now work like real scientists in the laboratory . IIT Delhi has developed the world’s first AI Lab Assistant (LA) system , which can conduct experiments in laboratories on its own, just like a human scientist . IIT Delhi developed this system in collaboration with scientists from Denmark and Germany . Experts believe this step could completely transform the direction of scientific research. This research has been published in the prestigious journal Nature Communications . Until now, AI models like ChatGPT were limited to typing text or answering questions, but AI LA breaks these limitations. This AI can plan experiments, operate real instruments, set up microscopes, analyze results, and even make decisions like a scientist.
The logo, theme song, and mascot for the Khelo India Tribal Games (KITG) were officially unveiled on Tuesday at the late BR Yadav Sports Stadium in Bilaspur . The Khelo India Tribal Games 2026 will begin on February 14th next year . KITG 2026 will be jointly managed by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports , the Sports Authority of India (SAI) , the Indian Olympic Association , the National Sports Federation , and the Chhattisgarh State Organizing Committee , with technical standards comparable to international competitions. The official mascot is named “Morveer.” This name is deeply rooted in Chhattisgarh’s cultural landscape, derived from two words: “mor,” which means “mine” or “our” in Chhattisgarhi. “Veer” symbolizes courage and bravery. “Morveer” thus reflects the spirit, pride, and identity of India’s tribal communities. The first edition of the Games will feature seven competitive sports. Apart from Archery, Athletics, Football, Hockey, Wrestling, Swimming and Weightlifting, there will also be two Demonstration Sports which will showcase the traditional sports traditions of India. So far, 7 editions of Khelo India Youth Games, 5 editions of Khelo India University Games, 6 editions of Khelo India Winter Games, 2 editions of Khelo India Para Games, 1st edition of Khelo India Water Sports Festival and 1st edition of Khelo India Beach Games have been successfully organised with the participation of 36 States/UTs.
12 Deepti Sharma shines, becomes world’s number one T20 bowler
Indian women’s cricket team ‘s star all-rounder Deepti Sharma has become the world’s new number one bowler in the T20 format . Deepti Sharma has overtaken Australia’s Annabel Sutherland to take the top spot. Deepti Sharma is the only Indian bowler in the top 10. Australia’s Annabel Sutherland is in second place, while Pakistan’s Sadia Iqbal is in third. Both players have dropped one spot each. England’s Sophie Ecclestone is in fourth place, and England’s Lauren Bell is in fifth. In the new women’s ODI batting rankings, South African captain Laura Wolvaardt has once again reached the number one spot, surpassing India’s Smriti Mandhana . Wolvaardt has gained one spot, while Mandhana has slipped to second place, losing one spot.