Renowned sculptor Ram Vanji Sutar, best known for designing the world’s tallest statue — the Statue of Unity in Gujarat — passed away late on Wednesday night at his residence in Noida, his family confirmed. He was 100 and had been suffering from age-related ailments.

Confirming the demise, his son Anil Sutar said in a statement shared with the media, “It is with profound grief that we inform you of the passing of my father Shri Ram Vanji Sutar on December 17 at midnight at our residence.”

Born on February 19, 1925, in Gondur village of Dhule district in present-day Maharashtra, Sutar hailed from a humble background and displayed a keen interest in sculpting from a very young age. His passion and talent later earned him a gold medal from the prestigious JJ School of Art and Architecture, Mumbai.

Over a prolific career spanning several decades, Sutar created numerous iconic sculptures that adorn public spaces across the country. Among his most celebrated works are the statue of Mahatma Gandhi seated in a meditative pose and the equestrian statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj installed at the Parliament complex in New Delhi.

His magnum opus, the Statue of Unity, was built in honour of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, India’s first Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister, and stands as a global landmark symbolising national unity.

In recognition of his immense contribution to Indian art and culture, Sutar was conferred the Padma Shri in 1999 and the Padma Bhushan in 2016. More recently, he was honoured with the Maharashtra Bhushan Puraskar, the highest civilian award of the state.

With his passing, the nation has lost a master sculptor whose creations will continue to inspire generations.

source/content: daijiworld.com (headline edited)

The 1937 work set a new auction high for Tagore at AstaGuru’s Historic Masterpieces sale.

Rabindranath Tagore’s 1937 masterpiece, “From Across the Dark”, has fetched the record amount for the artist at Rs 10.73 crore at AstaGuru’s recently concluded “Historic Masterpieces” auction.

The auction, running from December 14-17, registered 100 per cent sell-out rate with all 87 lots sold, fetching a sale value of more than Rs 163.65 crore. The top lot at the auction was Tyeb Mehta’s “Untitled (Gesture)” that sold for approximately Rs 53.54 crore.

Tagore’s work reflects his deep engagement with themes of darkness, light, grief, and consolation. “This work holds extraordinary historical and emotional resonance. Painted in June 1937 during the artist’s final and most creatively sustained sojourn in Almora, it reflects the introspective, atmospheric style characteristic of his late period. The imagery, a solitary figure seated low in darkness and another reaching out from the shadows, embodies the psychological intensity of this phase, shaped by age, solitude, and long acquaintance with personal loss,” the auction house said in a statement.

Other prominent artists who created personal records at an auction include Krishen Khanna, Sadanand K Bakre, and Walter Langhammer.

Khanna’s biblical theme engagement titled “The Last Supper” went under the hammer for more than Rs 10.22 crore. In his stunning interpretation, Khanna adds his distinct humanist and expressionist sensibility to one of the most iconic scenes in Western art.

A world record was also achieved for Bakre with a work titled “Monalisa” which sold for over Rs 2.30 crore. Executed in 1961, this rare figurative work occupies a distinctive position within Bakre’s predominantly abstract and landscape-driven oeuvre.

A luminous coastal panorama capturing old Bombay by Langhammer was sold for over Rs 56.96 lakh, the highest price ever achieved for a work by the artist.

“Featuring landmark works by pioneering modern Indian artists, the auction included several pieces appearing at auction for the first time.

“The strong response from collectors reaffirms the growing interest for modernist works that are new to the market and distinguished by exceptional provenance. The achievement of these records emphatically underscores AstaGuru’s dedication to showcasing the finest examples of Indian modernism,” Manoj Mansukhani, director, Marketing at AstaGuru Auction House, said.

The line-up also showcased works by Indian modernists including Manjit Bawa, J Swaminathan, F N Souza, Jamini Roy, Bikash Bhattacharjee, Somnath Hore, Ram Kumar, K H Ara, Himmat Shah, and Ganesh Pyne.

Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Telegraph Online staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.

source/content: telegraphindia.com (headline edited)

Under Operation Sagar Bandhu, the Indian Army has stepped up efforts to restore damaged infrastructure in Sri Lanka in the aftermath of Cyclone Ditwah, focusing on reviving critical road connectivity in the worst-hit regions.

An Engineer Task Force of the Indian Army, working jointly with the Sri Lankan Army and the Sri Lankan Road Development Authority, has begun preparatory activities at key bridge sites in Chilaw and Kilinochchi in the Jaffna region. The work will pave the way for the installation of Bailey bridges to reconnect disrupted transport routes.

Sharing details of the ongoing mission, the Indian Army said groundwork is in progress for launching Bailey bridges that will help re-establish road access in cyclone-affected areas. The initiative is part of India’s broader humanitarian assistance efforts launched soon after the cyclone struck.

Earlier this week, the Engineer Task Force — comprising 48 personnel — was airlifted to Sri Lanka on an emergency basis to provide immediate engineering support. The team’s core mandate is to restore vital lines of communication by repairing and rebuilding damaged roads and bridges.

The task force includes highly trained bridging specialists, surveyors and watermanship experts, supported by personnel skilled in operating heavy earth-moving machinery, drones and unmanned systems. This mix of expertise enables swift and accurate operations even in difficult terrain and adverse weather conditions.

To support the mission, four sets of Bailey bridges were transported to Sri Lanka aboard Indian Air Force C-17 aircraft. The contingent is also equipped with pneumatic boats, outboard motors, HESCO bags and advanced tools such as heavy-lift drones and remotely operated boats, enhancing its ability to respond to complex ground conditions.

Meanwhile, the Indian Army has begun winding up its field hospital at Mahiyanganaya near Kandy, as local healthcare services have resumed normal operations. The Additional Directorate General of Public Information (ADGPI) said in a social media update that the 78-member medical team will return to India on December 14 following the reopening of the Mahiyanganaya General Hospital.

The Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka also highlighted India’s continued engagement, noting that the High Commissioner visited the field hospital along with the Governor of Uva Province, reaffirming India’s commitment to supporting Sri Lanka during the crisis.

India’s rapid deployment of engineering and medical assistance under Operation Sagar Bandhu reflects its resolve to stand by Sri Lanka during natural disasters and reinforces strong regional humanitarian cooperation.

source/content: daijiworld.com (headline edited)

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is preparing for the December 15 launch of the 6.5-tonne BlueBird-6 satellite, one of the heaviest commercial payloads it has handled. Developed by US-based AST SpaceMobile, the communications satellite will be lifted into orbit aboard India’s most powerful rocket, the LVM3. The spacecraft, which arrived in India on October 19, is a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite licensed in the United States.

AST SpaceMobile said the satellite will carry the largest commercial phased array ever deployed in LEO, spanning nearly 2,400 square feet—about 3.5 times the size of earlier BlueBird models and capable of delivering ten times more data capacity. The mission marks yet another milestone in India–US space cooperation.

This launch follows the successful July liftoff of NISAR, the $1.5-billion joint Earth-observation mission between NASA and ISRO. ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan had highlighted NISAR as the costliest satellite ever realised globally, developed in partnership with NASA and JPL, and placed into orbit using India’s GSLV launcher. The 2,392-kg satellite is designed to provide high-resolution scans of Earth’s terrain and ice sheets every 12 days using advanced SweepSAR technology.

The upcoming BlueBird-6 mission is being executed by New Space India Limited (NSIL), ISRO’s commercial arm. The LVM3, a three-stage heavy-lift launch vehicle, has recently demonstrated its capabilities by deploying India’s 4.4-tonne CMS-3 satellite on November 2. Capable of carrying up to 8,000 kg to LEO and 4,000 kg to GTO, the LVM3 continues to enhance India’s standing in the global commercial launch market.

source/content: daijiworld.com (headline edited)

India’s iconic festival of lights, Deepavali, has been officially inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The announcement was made on Wednesday during the 20th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH), hosted for the first time in India at the Red Fort, New Delhi.

“Deepavali commemorates the victory of good over evil, the triumph of light, and the unity and diversity of the Indian diaspora around the world, as well as all those who appreciate Indian culture. In the spirit of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam — the Indian belief that the whole world is one family — this festival celebrates our shared identity as a global family,” said Vivek Agarwal, Secretary, Union Ministry of Culture.

The session, chaired by Vishal V Sharma, Ambassador and Permanent Delegate of India to UNESCO, runs from December 8 to 13. Delegates from nearly 80 countries are examining 67 nominations that showcase traditions, practices, and cultural expressions cherished globally.

Hailing the inclusion, Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote on X, “People in India and around the world are thrilled. For us, Deepavali is closely linked to our culture and ethos. It is the soul of our civilisation. It personifies illumination and righteousness. The addition of Deepavali to the UNESCO Intangible Heritage List will contribute to the festival’s global popularity even further. May the ideals of Prabhu Shri Ram keep guiding us for eternity.”

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar described the recognition as “a recognition of the festival’s immense cultural, religious and spiritual significance and of its role in bringing people together.”

Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan welcomed the global acknowledgement, calling it a moment of national pride. In a social media post, he said Deepavali “is not merely a festival, but a civilisational phenomenon that unites the nation and resonates across the world.”

With Deepavali’s inclusion, India now has 16 elements on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Earlier, India’s 15 elements included Ramlila, Vedic chanting, Kutiyattam, Ramman, Chhau, Kalbelia, Mudiyettu, Buddhist chanting of Ladakh, Manipur’s Sankirtana, the Thatheras’ metal craft, yoga, Nawrouz, Kumbh Mela, Kolkata’s Durga Puja, and Gujarat’s garba.

Deepavali has been inscribed under the “Social practices, rituals and festive events” domain. The inscription formally recognises it as a living cultural tradition of global value, affirming the need to safeguard associated rituals and practices for future generations while enhancing the festival’s international visibility and strengthening India’s cultural profile worldwide.

source/content: daijiworld.com (headline edited)

Andhra Pradesh is set to spearhead India’s solar manufacturing revolution with the establishment of the country’s first integrated 6 GW solar ingot and wafer production facility in Anakapalli district. The project, born out of a Memorandum of Understanding signed at a recent partnership summit, has been approved by the State Investment Promotion Board (SIPB).

ReNew Photovoltaics, a subsidiary of ReNew Energy Global PLC, will invest Rs 3,990 crore to set up a greenfield plant at Rambilli in Anakapalli. The facility will be India’s first commercial-scale integrated ingot-wafer manufacturing unit, producing critical components for solar cells and modules.

The SIPB, chaired by Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, approved the proposal on Thursday, which is now slated for Cabinet approval next week. Once operational, the plant will reduce India’s dependence on imported solar components, particularly from China, supporting the nation’s ambitious target of 300 GW of solar capacity by 2030.

The state-of-the-art facility will be built on approximately 130–140 acres of land, which has already been identified for development. The project is expected to be completed by March 2026, with commercial production commencing by January 2028.

The plant will create around 1,200 high-skilled and semi-skilled jobs, and its operations will require a continuous power supply of 95 MW along with 10 million litres of water. The initiative is supported under the Government of India’s Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for solar manufacturing, underscoring the push towards self-reliance in renewable energy.

source/content: daijiworld.com (headline edited)

Summary

Heritage Institute of Technology, Kolkata, has added another feather to its cap as its student team, Team Waterloo, emerged as National Winners at the Smart India Hackathon (SIH) 2025.

The national triumph of Team Waterloo reinforces Heritage Institute of Technology’s commitment to nurturing future-ready innovators.

Heritage Institute of Technology, Kolkata, has added another feather to its cap as its student team, Team Waterloo, emerged as National Winners at the Smart India Hackathon (SIH) 2025 in the Software Edition. The team won for the NCIIPC India (a unit of NTRO) problem statement SIH25232, earning national recognition for developing a technologically advanced solution to detect and analyse illegal mining activities. The achievement was formally honoured at the national ceremony, where the team was felicitated on stage by AICTE Chairman Prof. T.G. Sitharam.

Team Waterloo’s award-winning platform stood out for its depth and real-world applicability. The solution integrates SAR-based deep learning detection, DEM-driven volumetric analysis, automated illegal mining assessment, and 2D and 3D geospatial visualisation, all within an offline-ready analytical environment. Designed to support actionable intelligence, the platform addresses a critical national challenge with precision, speed, and scalability.

A defining moment of the finale tested the team’s resilience and adaptability. Midway through the competition, officials from NTRO directed all finalists to shift from multispectral data to a purely SAR-based architecture. Rising to the challenge, the Heritage team re-engineered the entire system overnight, retraining a new SAR model, rebuilding backend pipelines, and enhancing the analytical interface using CesiumJS and Three.js. Their swift pivot and technical execution drew strong appreciation from the jury for accuracy and innovation under extreme time constraints.

Selected from 72,165 ideas and over 68,000 participating teams, and emerging victorious among 1,360 national finalists, the win places Heritage Institute of Technology among the top performers of SIH 2025, widely regarded as one of the most competitive editions of the hackathon.

The winning team comprised Ankit Kumar, Soumyadipta Dey (Lead), Jitaditya Ray, Samadrita Ghosal, Mayukh Sen, and Arnab Ghosh, mentored by Prof. Joydeb Hazra, SPOC, Smart India Hackathon, HITK, and Prof. Mousiki Kar of the institute.

Congratulating the students, Shri P.K. Agarwal, CEO, Heritage Group of Institutions, said the victory reflected the institute’s strong culture of innovation and national problem-solving. Prof. Basab Chaudhuri, Principal, Heritage Institute of Technology, added that the team’s performance showcased the strength of Heritage’s academic ecosystem and its focus on producing engineers capable of delivering impactful solutions under pressure.

The national triumph of Team Waterloo reinforces Heritage Institute of Technology’s commitment to nurturing future-ready innovators who can address complex real-world challenges with technology-driven solutions.

source/content: telegraphindia.com/edugraph (headline edited)

Summary

Two students and an educator from India were announced among 15 finalists from across the globe competing for the World Education Medals 2025.

The winner of each of the three medals will be announced next month and honoured at the Education Leaders Forum in London.

Two students and an educator from India were on Thursday announced among 15 finalists from across the globe competing for the World Education Medals 2025. Raul John Aju, a 16-year-old student from Kerala who founded AIrealm Technologies Pvt Ltd, and Bengaluru student Ashwat Prasanna who founded EyeSight are among the five shortlisted in the medal’s “Students” category.

Vineeta Garg, Head of IT at a Delhi school, is named among the five finalists for the World Education Medal in the “Educators” category.

“With changemakers like Raul John Aju, Ashwat Prasanna, and Vineeta Garg, I am confident we are moving in a positive direction for the future,” said Mayank Dhingra, Director and Global Head of Education Business and Strategy at HP – the IT company behind the medals. “Their innovative efforts demonstrate a promising path forward for education, ensuring it evolves to meet the needs of future generations,” he said. The World Education Medals were founded by HP to spotlight the innovative work of those using artificial intelligence (AI) to transform education and close learning gaps.

source/content: telegraphindia.com/edugraph (headline edited)

At a ceremony held at Namo Ghat, the Ports, Shipping, and Waterways minister inaugurated the vessel’s commercial operations.

At a ceremony held at Namo Ghat, the Ports, Shipping, and Waterways minister inaugurated the vessel’s commercial operations.

The Minister said it was a matter of national pride that India has now joined the list of countries such as China, Norway, the Netherlands, and Japan that operate hydrogen-powered vessels.

“This proves that our technical capabilities are ready for the future. This has been made possible due to the Prime Minister’s visionary leadership. The speed and approach with which every sector has been advancing has ensured that inland waterways now play an important role in India’s development journey,” he said in Varanasi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s parliamentary constituency.

Uttar Pradesh’s Minister of State for Transport (Independent Charge) Dayashankar Singh, Minister of State for Ayush, Food Safety and Drug Administration (Independent Charge) Dayashankar Mishra, and Minister of State for Stamp and Court Fees and Registration (Independent Charge) Ravindra Jaiswal were among the public representatives present on the occasion.

According to an official statement, the initiative is part of the ongoing modernisation of India’s inland waterways under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has prioritised clean transport, improved connectivity and enhanced public convenience.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

CEO Satya Nadella says it is company’s largest investment in Asia, with focus on cloud growth and digital sovereignty.

Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella on Thursday said the company is deepening its commitment to India’s artificial intelligence ecosystem with massive infrastructure investments.

Microsoft is also strengthening its cloud footprint and focusing on skilling millions of Indians for an AI-driven future, he said.

Speaking at a Microsoft event here, Nadella said, “We are very excited about investing in India to make sure that we’re able to bring the best in class infrastructure here, the USD 17.5 billion investment,” calling it Microsoft’s largest investment in Asia.

The Microsoft Chairman underlined the rapid expansion of the company’s cloud footprint across the country.

“We’re building on Azure as the world’s computer and we have 70 plus data centre regions all over the world. In India, the footprint continues to grow. We now have central India, West India, South India, and we have a partnership with Jio as well,” he said.

He further said that a new data centre region would become operational in 2026.

“We are very excited that in 2026, we will have a new DC in south central and then the most exciting part for me is that it’s 100 per cent sustainable,” he said.

Nadella also emphasised the importance of digital sovereignty and cybersecurity in an era of expanding AI deployment.

“We are taking sovereignty and making sure that there’s a portfolio of options for sovereignty. So you have the public cloud, you have sovereign controls in public cloud…” he noted.

He warned that sovereignty cannot be viewed in isolation from security.

“Cyber security is a signals game–you can be sovereign and not have global intelligence–you’ll be vulnerable in fact,” he said, noting that Microsoft processes “trillions of daily signals” to secure platforms from Azure to Windows.

Nadella said he recently met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was very encouraging of this investment (USD 17.5 billion), in particular, to drive society, the economy and growth.

This commitment, he noted, comes on top of the USD three billion investment he had announced during his last visit.

On India’s talent landscape, Nadella said the company will double down on its skilling programmes.

“We are now going to skill 20 million people across India in AI skills,” he said, adding that initiatives such as the government’s E-Shram programme demonstrate how AI can uplift unorganised workers.

He also highlighted India’s growing influence in the global developer ecosystem.

“India is slated to become the number one community in the world with GitHub by 2030,” he said, praising the “engagement and the type of projects that are coming out of this place, the contributions from India.” GitHub is a web-based platform for version control and collaboration that is primarily used by developers to store, manage, and share software code. It is built on top of Git, an open-source version control system, and provides a user-friendly graphical interface and a large suite of collaboration tools.

Nadella closed his speech by reiterating Microsoft’s mission. “At the end of the day, this is all about empowering every person and every organisation in India to be able to achieve more. Let’s keep building.”

Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Telegraph Online staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.

source/content: telegraphindia.com (headline edited)