🏛️ Polity & Governance

🔷 Parliament Discusses 150 Years of Vande Mataram

Parliament held a special discussion to mark the 150th anniversary of 'Vande Mataram', a song deeply linked to India’s freedom movement.
Origin: The song was written by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay and featured in his 1882 novel, Anandamath.
Historical Role: It became a powerful nationalist slogan, especially during the Swadeshi and Anti-Partition Movement (1905).
Constitutional Status: The Constituent Assembly officially adopted it as the National Song of India on January 24, 1950, granting it equal status with the National Anthem.

🔷 House Panel Flags Lapses in NTA Exams

A Parliamentary House Panel released a report flagging major administrative lapses and delays in national exams conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA).
Concerns: The committee noted repeated issues, including delaying CUET results and errors in exams like JEE Main, which erodes students' trust.
Recommendations: The panel urged the NTA to strengthen in-house capacity for conducting exams and expressed support for pen-and-paper exams like those successfully conducted by UPSC and CBSE.
UGC Issues: The committee also noted the long vacancy of the UGC Chairperson post and delays in finalizing UGC Equity Regulations 2025 regarding OBC and disability inclusion.

💰 Economy & Banking

🔷 SEBI Launches PaRRVA for Investor Protection

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) launched PaRRVA (Past Risk and Return Verification Agency).
Objective: The agency aims to prevent misleading claims about past performance in advertisements for financial products.
Need: A SEBI survey found that over 62% of prospective investors rely on social media influencers for advice, often leading to poor decisions.
Mandate: PaRRVA will be the central authority to verify and validate the historical returns and risks claimed by financial entities.

🔬 Science & Technology

🔷 India Makes Strides in Neurotechnology

Reports highlight India's emerging strengths in Neurotechnology, especially in the development of Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) devices.
Key Development: IIT Kanpur recently unveiled a BCI-based robotic hand, showing potential for use in stroke rehabilitation.
Ethical Challenge: The sector faces regulatory and ethical challenges in India, primarily concerning the privacy of brain data and the potential for neural manipulation.
Global Context: India's efforts are being benchmarked against global initiatives like the US BRAIN Initiative and advancements by companies like Neuralink.

🔷 Ancient Spiral Galaxy 'Alaknanda' Discovered

Researchers from the National Centre for Radio Astrophysics (NCRA-TIFR), Pune, announced the discovery of an ancient spiral galaxy named 'Alaknanda'.
Telescope Used: The discovery was made using data from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).
Age: The galaxy is estimated to be approximately 12 billion years old, offering critical insights into the early universe.
Significance: The discovery helps astrophysicists understand how large, structured galaxies like our own Milky Way formed shortly after the Big Bang.

🎭 Culture & Important Events

🔷 International Anti-Corruption Day

International Anti-Corruption Day is observed every year on December 9 worldwide.
Commemoration: The day marks the adoption of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) by the UN General Assembly in 2003.
Theme 2025: The global theme for 2025 is “Uniting with Youth Against Corruption: Shaping Tomorrow's Integrity,” emphasizing the role of young people in promoting transparency.
Goal: To raise awareness about the serious problem of corruption and promote the role of the Convention in combating it globally.

📌 December 9, 2025 General Knowledge

International Anti-Corruption Day (2003): Declared by the UN General Assembly to raise awareness about corruption and promote the UN Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC).
1946 (Constituent Assembly): The Constituent Assembly of India held its first session in New Delhi on this day, with Dr. Sachidananda Sinha as the temporary Chairman.
1893 (Rabindranath Tagore): The first poem of Rabindranath Tagore appeared in the 'Sadhana' magazine, marking his early career.
1967 (NATO): The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) headquarters shifted from Paris to Brussels, Belgium.