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SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY - January 2025

Jan 2025

Dec 10, 2025

NASA ISS mission: Jonny Kim returns after eight months in space

NASA astronaut Jonny Kim, along with Roscosmos cosmonauts, returned to Earth on December 9, 2025, completing an eight-month science mission aboard the International Space Station. The Soyuz MS-27 landed in Kazakhstan, marking a landmark mission involving 245 days in space and over 3,900 orbits of the planet. This mission contributed to life science, nanomaterial research, and robotics demonstrations in microgravity. Kim’s return closes Expedition 72/73 and adds to the historical record of international collaboration in space exploration. NASA plans post-flight medical checks and continued research deployment, with a focus on future deep-space missions.

NASA astronaut Jonny Kim returns from ISS on 9 December 2025.
Mission lasted 245 days with 3,920 orbits of Earth.
Para-landing near Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan, via Soyuz MS-27.
Research included bioprinted tissues and Space Robotics demonstrations.

Tata Electronics signs Intel as first major customer for a $14 billion chip-foray

Tata Electronics has signed Intel as the first major customer for its upcoming semiconductor facilities in India, signaling confidence in India’s chip-manufacturing push. The group plans to invest about $14 billion to build a fabrication plant in Gujarat and an assembly and testing facility in Assam. Intel will work with Tata on advanced packaging and scaled AI-ready solutions for India’s market. The partnership coincides with Prime Minister Modi’s push to position India as a global semiconductor hub. Timelines indicate initial production in Assam by 2026 and first chips from Gujarat around 2027, with collaboration spanning design, manufacturing, and ecosystem development.

Tata Electronics signs Intel as first major customer for its Indian chip facilities.
Total investment around $14 billion for Gujarat fab and Assam OSAT facility.
Intel-to-Tata collaboration focuses on advanced packaging and AI-ready chips.
Assam operations expected to begin by 2026; Gujarat fab mid-2027 for first production.
Marks a significant milestone in India’s domestic semiconductor ambitions.

IISF 2025 ends with emphasis on women in science and youth engagement

The India International Science Festival (IISF) 2025 closed with a strong emphasis on women in science and youth engagement. The closing sessions highlighted Nari Shakti and leadership in science, alongside discussions on gene editing, climate research, and space technology. Organisers reported continued collaboration between government ministries, universities, and industry to promote STEM education and encourage grassroots participation. IISF 2025 demonstrated India’s science diplomacy by reaching thousands of students and researchers, and it is expected to influence policy and STEM outreach in the coming years.

IISF 2025 closes with focus on women in science and youth engagement.
Closing tracks include gene editing, climate research, and space tech.
Public outreach and cross-sector collaboration emphasized.
Event aims to shape STEM policy and education strategies.

IIT Bombay launches India’s first incubator-linked deep-tech VC fund

The Society for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (SINE) at IIT Bombay announced India's first incubator-linked deep-tech venture capital fund, Y-Point Venture Capital Fund, with a total size of Rs 250 crore. The fund, announced on December 9, 2025 in Mumbai, will back early-stage deep-tech startups, providing risk capital and mentorship through the incubator network. IIT Bombay becomes the first Indian academic institution to manage its own venture fund. The move aims to accelerate translation of research to market-ready products, especially in areas like AI, robotics, and advanced materials. Industry partners and academia expect stronger early-stage support for deep-tech ventures.

IIT Bombay, via SINE, launches Y-Point Venture Capital Fund worth Rs 250 crore.
First incubator-linked deep-tech VC fund in India.
Targets early-stage deep-tech startups, with customized risk capital.
Announced on December 9, 2025, in Mumbai.
Aims to accelerate lab-to-market translation of research.

India International Science Festival 2025 concludes in Panchkula

The India International Science Festival (IISF) 2025 concluded in Panchkula on December 9, 2025, after four days of exhibitions and workshops. The event drew more than two lakh visitors and included tracks on New Age Technology, Blue Economy, Clean and Nuclear Energy, and Himalayan studies. The final day emphasized Nari Shakti and women’s leadership in science, with discussions on women-led development in S&T. The festival showcased youth participation and collaboration between academia, industry, and government to strengthen India’s science and innovation ecosystem. Organizers highlighted the need for broader outreach to students and rural communities.

IISF 2025 concluded in Panchkula on 9 December 2025.
Four-day festival attracted over 200,000 attendees.
Highlights included women-led S&T development discussions.
Tracks covered technology, energy, blue economy, and climate topics.

Dec 09, 2025

Software Edition of SIH 2025 Inaugurated at GHRCE, Nagpur

G H Raisoni College of Engineering (GHRCE), Nagpur, inaugurated the Smart India Hackathon 2025 – Software Edition at its nodal centre on December 9, 2025, under the aegis of the Ministry of Education, AICTE, and MIC. The event continues SIH’s national open-innovation platform, with extensive participation from student teams and problem statements sourced from government ministries, PSUs, and industry partners. SIH 2025 has seen high levels of engagement, with notable participation across multiple states, reinforcing India's commitment to innovation-driven growth and youth skill development.

SIH 2025 Software Edition inaugurated at GHRCE, Nagpur.
Nodal centre under MIC, AICTE; runs Dec 9 onward.
Hundreds of student teams participate; problems from ministries and industry.
Part of India's ongoing innovation and skilling push.

IIT Kharagpur Hosts SIH 2025 Hardware Edition Grand Finale

IIT Kharagpur will host the grand finale of the Smart India Hackathon 2025 – Hardware Edition from December 8–12. The event marks the institute’s platinum jubilee and continues the open-innovation format launched in 2017, organised by the Innovation Cell of the Ministry of Education and AICTE. Teams from across the country compete to solve real-world challenges posed by ministries and industry partners. The finale will showcase student ingenuity, with demonstrations of hardware prototypes and demonstrations of problem-solving approaches intended to boost national competitiveness in technology development.

IIT Kharagpur to host SIH 2025 hardware finale (Dec 8–12).
Platinum jubilee of IIT Kharagpur; open-innovation platform since 2017.
Hosted by MIC and AICTE; challenges from ministries and industry.
Showcases student prototypes and national technical talent.

Deloitte India Launches AI-Powered Tax Pragya Platform

Deloitte India introduced Tax Pragya, an AI-powered platform for tax research, in December 2025. The tool analyzes over a million tax-related court judgments and two decades of Deloitte’s internal papers to deliver near-instant, insight-rich analyses. It is designed to reduce time spent on legal research and provide real-time guidance to clients facing complex tax laws and litigation. By leveraging natural language processing and machine learning, Tax Pragya highlights relevant precedents, summarizes outcomes, and suggests implications for case strategy. Deloitte anticipates broad adoption across corporate tax teams as AI-augmented advisory becomes more common.

Tax Pragya is an AI-driven tax-research platform by Deloitte India.
Analyzes over a million tax judgments and two decades of papers.
Provides near-instant insights and summarized outcomes.
Aims to reduce time spent on legal research for tax professionals.
Expected wide adoption across corporate tax advisory teams.

Dec 08, 2025

NASA to Launch Two Balloons from Antarctica to Study Neutrinos

NASA announced plans to launch two major scientific balloons from Antarctica early December to study extreme particles that shape the universe. The PUEO mission will target ultra-high-energy neutrinos from space, while the GAPS mission searches for antimatter linked to dark matter. Flights will depart from McMurdo Station and are expected to involve long-duration circumpolar trajectories spanning several weeks. The missions aim to shed light on fundamental questions about cosmic rays, neutrinos, and antimatter, contributing to our understanding of the universe’s composition and evolution through innovative balloon-borne experiments.

NASA launching two balloons from Antarctica in early December.
PUEO studies ultra-high-energy neutrinos; GAPS searches for antimatter.
Flights originate at McMurdo Station; long-duration missions planned.
Objectives include insights into dark matter and cosmic particles.
Balloon experiments provide cost-effective, extended data collection.

Dec 06, 2025

Google Rolls Out Gemini 3 Deep Think Mode for Ultra Users with Enhanced AI Reasoning

Google has officially rolled out the Gemini 3 Deep Think mode for its AI Ultra subscribers, offering a significant upgrade in reasoning and problem-solving capabilities within the Gemini app. This new feature, previewed last month during the launch of the Gemini 3 AI models, is now available for use and is tailored to handle complex mathematics, scientific reasoning, and logic-based queries. Deep Think mode builds on the foundations of earlier Gemini models and reflects Google's aim to deliver deeper, more context-aware AI assistance.

Dec 05, 2025

Meghalaya hosts Regional AI Impact Conference 2025 in Shillong

Meghalaya hosted the Regional Artificial Intelligence Impact Conference 2025 in Shillong on 3 December 2025 at the State Convention Centre. The event, organized ahead of the India AI Impact Summit 2026 planned for February 2026, showcased regional AI adoption under the theme people, planet and progress. A virtual address by the Union Minister overseeing AI emphasised the government’s plan to democratise AI across sectors. Under the IndiaAI Mission, over Rs 10,300 crore has been allocated to develop AI infrastructure and capabilities nationwide. The conference highlighted AI's potential in governance, education, health, and rural development in the northeast.

Regional AI conference held in Shillong on 3 December 2025
Ahead of India AI Impact Summit 2026
Theme: People, Planet, Progress
IndiaAI Mission: Rs 10,300 crore allocated

IIA marks 10 years of UVIT on AstroSat

The Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) marked ten years of operation of the UltraViolet Imaging Telescope (UVIT) aboard ISRO’s AstroSat. UVIT, the primary payload of AstroSat launched on 28 September 2015, observes ultraviolet to X‑ray wavelengths to study astronomical objects. IIA designed, assembled, and delivered UVIT from its Hosakote campus, within the DST framework. To commemorate the milestone, IIA organised a one-day academic workshop on 4 December 2025, noting UVIT’s contributions to imaging and spectroscopy. AstroSat carries five payloads enabling multi-wavelength observations, strengthening India’s space science capabilities and public outreach in astronomy and planetary science for students and researchers nationwide across India.

UVIT operational for 10 years on AstroSat
launched 28 September 2015
IIA Hosakote designed and built UVIT

NSC Mumbai hosts two-day Science Festival showcasing nuclear science

Nehru Science Centre in Mumbai hosted Science Festival India 2025, a two-day event on 3–4 December 2025 in collaboration with ROSATOM and Energy of the Future. The festival offered hands-on activities, including a DIY Science Session where participants built tall towers and Nuclear Quest, an interactive challenge exploring atomic structures, clean energy, and Arctic technologies. A lecture, Nuclear Myths Busted, by NPCIL scientist Dr. A. P. Jayaraman explained radiation with demonstrations. Attendees also learned about AstroSat UVIT and discussed nuclear technologies’ role in improving daily life for students and the public.

Festival held 3–4 December 2025 in Mumbai
Focus on nuclear science and innovation
Includes DIY towers and Nuclear Quest

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