Current Affairs 29 December 2025

India’s first indigenous MRI scanner developed by VoxelGrids.

• VoxelGrids, a Zoho-backed Indian startup, has developed India’s first indigenous MRI scanner.
• The 1.5-tesla MRI scanner has been deployed at Chandrapur Cancer Care Foundation near Nagpur.
• The MRI scanner is indigenously designed and manufactured in India.
• It does not use liquid helium, unlike conventional MRI machines.
• The system is around 40% cheaper to build, than imported MRI scanners.

Iran Launches Three Domestically Built Satellites from Russia.

• Iran launched satellites Paya, Zafar-2, and Kowsar-1.5 via a Russian Soyuz rocket on Dec 28, 2025.
• The 500km low-Earth orbit mission targets agriculture, water management, and environmental monitoring.
• Paya (150kg) is Iran's heaviest-ever deployment, featuring high-resolution color imaging capabilities.

NTH and DRDO’s DMSRDE Ink Strategic Research & Training Pact.

• National Test House and Defence Materials and Stores Research & Development Establishment (DRDO) signed an MoU to collaborate on research, testing, and facility sharing.
• The partnership focuses on non-metallic materials like polymers, ceramics, and technical textiles.
• Joint initiatives include seminars and workshops to build technical capacity for national defense.

2,000-Year-Old Buddhist Site Unearthed in Baramulla, Kashmir.

• Excavations in Zehanpora village revealed Kushan-era stupas and monastic buildings.
• Blurry photos from a French museum and drone surveys helped locate the man-made mounds.
• The site links ancient Kashmir to the Gandhara trade route and Kushan capital, Huvishkapura.

Parvati–Arga Bird Sanctuary declared Eco-Sensitive Zone in UP.

• The Government has declared the Parvati–Arga Bird Sanctuary in Uttar Pradesh as an Eco-Sensitive Zone.
• The sanctuary is spread over 1,084 hectares.
• It serves as an important habitat for migratory birds from Central Asia and Tibet.
• The move aims to protect biodiversity in and around the sanctuary.
• The initiative also seeks to develop the area as a responsible eco-tourism destination.