The Union Cabinet announced nationwide celebration of 150th anniversary of the national song ‘Vande Mataram’.

About Vande Mataram

• Origin: Composed in Sanskrit by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee and first published in Anandamath (1882).
• On 24th January 1950, it was declared that Vande Mataram would have equal status with the National Anthem (Jana-gana-mana).
  • Jana Gana Mana, originally composed in Bengali by Rabindranath Tagore, was adopted in Hindi version by the Constituent Assembly on January 24, 1950.
• Theme: Pays tribute to Mother India, inspiring devotion, courage, and unity.
• It was recited by Rabindranath Tagore in 1896 at the annual session of the Indian National Congress.

Bamiyan Buddhas statues were in the news recently.

About Bamiyan Buddhas statues

• Location: sandstone cliffs of the Bamiyan valley in central Afghanistan.
• Period: Built in the 6th century
• Artistic Significance: Exemplified Gandharan Buddhist art.
  • Closely connected with spread of Buddhism across Central Asia
• Destruction: Destroyed by the Taliban in 2001
• UNESCO Recognition: Bamiyan Valley declared a World Heritage Site in 2003.

Bathukamma Festival celebrations in Telangana create 2 Guinness World Records.

About Bathukamma Festival

• It is a floral festival celebrated by the women folk of Telangana and some parts of Andhra Pradesh.
• It is celebrated every year for nine days during Durga Navratri.
• It involves preparation of Bathukamma - the traditional art of flower arrangement using seasonal flowers with medicinal values.
• Bathukamma means “come back to life-Mother” and it is dedicated to Goddess Parvati.
• It is declared as Telangana State Festival.

Nobel Peace Prize for 2025 is awarded to Maria Corina Machado.

• It is awarded for her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy’ in Venezuela.

Nobel Peace Prize

• Since WW-II, The Peace Prize (started in 1901) has been awarded to honour efforts in four main areas: 
  • arms control and disarmament.
  • peace negotiation.
  • democracy and human rights.
  • work aimed at creating a better organized and more peaceful world. 
• Indian citizen who won Nobel peace prize
  • Mother Teresa (1979) 
  • Kailash Satyarthi (2014)

India won a record 22 medals including 6 Gold, marking its best-ever performance at World Para-Athletics Championships 2025.

• India (fourth Asian nation) hosted the World Para Athletics Championships for the first time in 2025.

About World Para Athletics

• Para athletics is the biggest sport within the Paralympic Movement.
• The first Para athletics competition was held in 1952.
• Governed by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), it includes a wide range of competitions:
  • Paralympic Games: Held every four years.
  • World Para Athletics Championships: Held biennially.
  • World Para Athletics Grand Prix: Held annually in different cities since 2013.