UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS

In a major policy shift, the Government of India has decided to allow private sector participation in the core conservation of centrally protected monuments, a responsibility that has traditionally rested exclusively with the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

The Prime Minister has highlighted the thousand-year survival of the Somnath Temple as a symbol of India’s indomitable civilisational spirit, as the country commemorates Somnath Swabhiman Parv (1026–2026) — marking one millennium since the first documented destruction of the shrine and its repeated resurgence thereafter.

The Prime Minister inaugurated “The Light and The Lotus: Relics of the Awakened One”, an international exposition of the sacred Piprahwa relics in New Delhi. The event followed the successful repatriation of priceless Buddhist relics that had been taken out of India during the colonial era and were nearly auctioned abroad, highlighting India’s evolving strategy of heritage diplomacy and peace-based soft power.

The President of India recently attended the Centenary celebrations of the Ol Chiki script of the Santhali language in Jamshedpur, Jharkhand, marking 100 years since the invention of the script.

The Indian Navy’s stitched sailing vessel INSV Kaundinya is set to undertake her maiden overseas voyage, marking a significant milestone in showcasing India’s ancient maritime traditions and seafaring heritage through a living naval experiment.

Recently, the Vice President of India released a commemorative postage stamp in honour of Perumbidugu Mutharaiyar II, also known as Suvaran Maran, recognising his historical contributions as a prominent ruler and administrator of early medieval South India.

Perumbidugu Mutharaiyar II, also known as Suvaran Maran and Shatrubhayankara, was a powerful South Indian ruler of the 8th century (c. 705–745 CE).

In response to a question in the Lok Sabha, the Minister of State for Information & Broadcasting informed that 1,469 film titles, amounting to nearly 4.3 lakh minutes of cinematic content, have been digitised so far under the National Film Heritage Mission (NFHM).

India is hosting the 20th Session of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in New Delhi from December 8 to 13, 2025.