News in Shorts: 26 December 2025

Constitution of India in Santhali

Context: Recently, the President of India released the Constitution of India in Santhali (Ol Chiki script), completing official translations in all 22 Eighth Schedule languages.

About the Santhali Language

• Santhali (Santali), known to its speakers as Horo Ror, is one of India’s most widely spoken tribal languages and a major linguistic identity of the Santal community.
• Origin and Language Family
  • Belongs to the Austroasiatic language family, Munda branch
  • Closely related to Ho and Mundari languages
  • Considered among the oldest living languages of eastern India
• Script: Uses the Ol Chiki script, created by Pandit Raghunath Murmu
  • 2025 marks the centenary of the Ol Chiki script
  • Earlier, it was written using Bengali, Odia, and Roman scripts
• Geographic Spread and Speakers: Predominantly spoken in Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha, Assam, and Bihar.
  • It is also spoken in Bangladesh, Nepal, and Bhutan.
• Modern Usage and Status
  • Included in the Eighth Schedule through the 92nd Constitutional Amendment Act, 2003
  • Taught in schools, used in literature, media, and digital platforms
  • Represents growing cultural recognition and linguistic empowerment

Languages in Which the Constitution of India Is Published

• Original and Early Translations: The Constitution of India was originally adopted in English and Hindi (1950).
• 75th Constitution Day Releases: On November 26, 2025, the President of India released translated versions in nine languages—Assamese, Bodo, Kashmiri, Malayalam, Marathi, Nepali, Odia, Punjabi, and Telugu.
• Completion of Eighth Schedule Coverage: With the release of the Santhali (Ol Chiki script) edition in December 2025, the Constitution is now available in all 22 Eighth Schedule languages.

Significance

• Publishing the Constitution in Santhali strengthens tribal inclusion, promotes constitutional literacy, and reinforces India’s commitment to linguistic diversity and democratic accessibility.

Only Camellia sinensis is Tea

Context: Recently, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) tightened labelling norms for “tea” in India.

Key Highlights of the FSSAI Directive

• Restriction on Use of the Term “Tea”: Only infusions prepared from Camellia sinensis qualify as tea under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
• Misbranding of Herbal Infusions: Products such as “herbal tea”, “flower tea”, and “Rooibos tea” are considered misbranded, as they are not derived from the tea plant.
• Enforcement and Compliance: FSSAI has directed manufacturers, marketers, importers, sellers, and e-commerce platforms to discontinue misuse, with strict enforcement by state authorities.

About Camellia sinensis

• Camellia sinensis is the plant species from which black, green, white, and instant tea are produced.
• It is native to East Asia, the Indian Subcontinent, and Southeast Asia, with specific origins in regions like China (Yunnan), India (Assam), and the Himalayas in tropical and subtropical hilly areas.
• Key Features
  • Evergreen shrub or small tree
  • Produces leaves rich in polyphenols and caffeine.
• Cultivation Conditions
  • Climate: Tropical and subtropical, hot and humid
  • Temperature: Ideal range of 20°C–30°C
  • Rainfall: 150–300 cm, well-distributed
  • Soil: Slightly acidic, porous, calcium-free
  • Humidity: Around 80%, frost-free regions

Tea Production

• Tea Board of India: It is a statutory body established under Tea Act, 1953 with headquarters in Kolkata , West Bengal.
  • It regulates production, quality, exports, and GI protection (e.g., Darjeeling Tea)
• Production Ranking: India is second-largest producer of Tea globally and largest producer of black tea.
  • India produced 1284.78 million kg (mkg) of tea in 2024.
  • China is the largest producer.
• Major Regions in India: Assam Contributes to ~55% of national production.
  • Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka produce around  17%.

Significance

• The directive ensures consumer transparency, protects traditional tea identity, and safeguards India’s tea sector from misleading labelling practices.

Kimberley Process (KP)

Context: India will assume the Chairpersonship of the Kimberley Process from January 1, 2026, after serving as Vice Chair from December 25, 2025.

About the Kimberley Process (KP)

• The Kimberley Process is a tripartite international mechanism involving governments, the diamond industry, and civil society, aimed at regulating the global trade in rough diamonds.
• Objective: To prevent “conflict diamonds” from entering the legitimate diamond supply chain, in line with UN Security Council resolutions.
  • Conflict Diamonds are rough diamonds used by rebel groups to finance armed conflicts.
• Certification Mechanism: The Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) requires participants to trade rough diamonds only with other KP members, accompanied by a KP Certificate guaranteeing conflict-free origin.
• Origin: The KP emerged in the late 1990s following diamond-fuelled conflicts in Angola, Sierra Leone, and Liberia.
  • It is named after Kimberley, South Africa, where a consensus was reached in May 2000, and the KPCS became operational on January 1, 2003.
• India’s Participation: India is a founding member and a major participant in the KP, actively involved since 2003.
  • It chaired the KP earlier in 2008 and will lead it again in 2026, reflecting global trust in India’s commitment to transparent and responsible diamond trade.
• National Body: The Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) functions as India’s Importing and Exporting Authority under KPCS.

Significance

• India’s leadership comes amid global emphasis on sustainable sourcing, digital traceability, and strengthened governance in the diamond industry.

Rashtra Prerna Sthal

Context: On the 101st birth anniversary of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the Prime Minister inaugurated the Rashtra Prerna Sthal in Lucknow to honour his national legacy.

• 25th December is the birth anniversary of Atal Bihari Vajpayee which is also celebrated as Good Governance Day.

About Rashtra Prerna Sthal

• Rashtra Prerna Sthal is a national memorial in Lucknow dedicated to the life, ideals, and contributions of Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee, and Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya, representing India’s nationalist and governance traditions.
• Location: Spread across a 65-acre  in Vasant Kunj, Lucknow.
• Multipurpose Monuments: It integrates memorial, cultural, and educational spaces with different themes and utility.
• Monumental Statues: Features 65-foot bronze statues of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee, and Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya
  • The statues symbolise their roles in nation-building, political thought, and public service
• Lotus-Shaped Museum: A state-of-the-art museum, designed in a lotus-shaped structure, spread over approximately 98,000 square feet
  • Uses advanced digital and immersive technologies to showcase India’s national journey and leadership legacy

Significance

• The Rashtra Prerna Sthal preserves and promotes the ideals of selfless leadership, good governance, and nationalism embodied by Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee, and Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya.

Communist Party of India (CPI)

Context: December 26, 2025 marks 100 years of the Communist Party of India, commemorating its founding at the Kanpur (Cawnpore) conference (1925).

About the Communist Party of India (CPI)

• The Communist Party of India (CPI) is one of India’s oldest political parties, established to organise workers and peasants and to oppose British imperialism through socialist ideology.
• Founder: It emerged collectively through leaders such as Manabendra Nath Roy, Shripad Amrit Dange, Muzaffar Ahmad, Singaravelu Chettiar, and Shaukat Usmani.
• Contribution to India’s Freedom Struggle
  • Anti-imperialist mobilisation: Advocated complete independence and a workers’–peasants’ republic against colonial exploitation.
  • Labour and peasant movements: Communist leaders played a major role in the All-India Trade Union Congress (1920), Tebhaga movement in Bengal (1946–47), and the Telangana armed peasant struggle (1946–51).
  • Resistance despite repression: Leaders faced harsh colonial action through the Kanpur Bolshevik Conspiracy Case (1923) and Meerut Conspiracy Case (1929).
  • United fronts: Collaborated with socialist forces such as the Congress Socialist Party (1934) to broaden the anti-imperialist movement.
• Bifurcation: The CPI underwent a major bifurcation in 1964, leading to the formation of the CPI(Marxist) over ideological rifts regarding the Sino-Soviet split and relations with Congress.
  • Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) (CPI(ML) was formed after several Maoist-oriented factions that broke away from the CPI(M) around 1969.
• Current Status
  • The CPI functions as a constitutional parliamentary party, with presence in legislatures and strong links to trade unions and mass organisations.
    • It continues to advocate social justice, secularism, federalism, and workers’ rights.
  • CPI headquarters is located in New Delhi at Ajoy Bhavan.
  • Communist Party of India (CPI) is a State Party in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Manipur. 
    • Its national party status was withdrawn by the Election Commission of India in April 2023. due to poor electoral performance.

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