Senior Congress leader and former Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil died on Friday, December 12, 2025, at his residence in Latur, Maharashtra. He was 90 years old and passed away after a brief illness at his home, ‘Devghar’. His death marks the end of a remarkable five-decade journey in Indian politics.

Patil is survived by his son, Shailesh Patil, daughter-in-law, Archana Patil (a BJP leader), and two granddaughters. Meanwhile, political leaders from across party lines expressed their grief and paid tribute to his dedicated service.

Political Journey Spanning Five Decades

Born on October 12, 1935, in Chakur region of Latur, Patil started his political career with the Latur Municipal Corporation in 1967. Subsequently, he won his first election as MLA from Latur in 1972. He served a second term in 1978, establishing himself as a trusted leader.

However, his most remarkable achievement came in Parliament. Patil won the Latur Lok Sabha seat seven consecutive times between 1980 and 1999. This record demonstrates the deep trust voters placed in him. Nevertheless, he lost to BJP’s Rupatai Patil Nilangekar in 2004.

Key Positions Held

Cabinet Responsibilities

During the Rajiv Gandhi government, Patil handled multiple portfolios. These included Personnel, Defence Production, Civil Aviation, and Tourism. Additionally, he served as Minister of State for Defence and Commerce in earlier governments. Furthermore, he chaired important committees including the manifesto committee and Public Undertakings Committee.

The 26/11 Chapter

Patil served as Union Home Minister under Prime Minister Manmohan Singh from 2004 to 2008. However, he resigned on November 30, 2008, following the Mumbai terror attacks. He took moral responsibility for security lapses during the tragic incident. This decision reflected his strong ethical values and sense of accountability.

Legacy of Knowledge and Dignity

Patil graduated from Osmania University and studied law at Mumbai University. Moreover, he became known for his vast reading and meticulous study habits. His command over Marathi, English, and Hindi impressed colleagues across the political spectrum.

Party leaders remember him for his dignified conduct. He never indulged in personal attacks, either in public speeches or private conversations. Instead, he maintained high ethical standards throughout his career. His exceptional grasp of constitutional matters made him a respected parliamentarian.

Tributes Pour In

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed deep sadness over Patil’s passing. He said, “He was an experienced leader, having served as MLA, MP, Union Minister, Speaker during his long years in public life.” Modi added that Patil remained passionate about contributing to society’s welfare.

Saddened by the passing of Shri Shivraj Patil Ji. He was an experienced leader, having served as MLA, MP, Union Minister, Speaker of the Maharashtra Assembly as well as the Lok Sabha during his long years in public life. He was passionate about contributing to the welfare of… pic.twitter.com/muabyf7Va8

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 12, 2025

Similarly, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar called him a symbol of simplicity and moral values. He said Patil created a new ideal of public service. Furthermore, Rahul Gandhi described his death as an irreparable loss for the Congress party.

Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi posted, “His dedication to public service and contributions to the nation will always be remembered.”

पूर्व केंद्रीय मंत्री और वरिष्ठ कांग्रेस नेता शिवराज पाटिल जी के निधन का समाचार अत्यंत दुखद है और पार्टी के लिए एक अपूरणीय क्षति है।

जनसेवा के प्रति उनका समर्पण, राष्ट्र के लिए उनके योगदान हमेशा याद किए जाएंगे।

इस दुख की घड़ी में मेरी संवेदनाएं पूरे पाटिल परिवार, उनके…

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) December 12, 2025

Shivraj Patil leaves behind a legacy of principled politics, constitutional expertise, and unwavering dedication to public service that influenced generations of Indian politicians.

On Thursday, December 11, 2025, OpenAI launch ChatGPT 5.2 as its most advanced artificial intelligence model yet. The company describes it as “the most capable model series yet for professional knowledge work.” This release comes after Google’s Gemini 3 topped performance leaderboards, pushing OpenAI to accelerate its timeline. Nevertheless, company executives insist they planned this release months in advance.

The new model arrives in three versions. Each version serves different professional needs. Furthermore, all three models now have an updated knowledge cutoff date of August 31, 2025. This represents a significant improvement over previous versions.

Three Powerful Versions

GPT-5.2 Instant works as a fast, capable assistant for everyday tasks. It excels at answering questions, writing technical documents, and providing translations. Moreover, early testers praised its clearer explanations that highlight key information upfront. It also offers better career guidance and learning support.

GPT-5.2 Thinking handles deeper, more complex work. It performs exceptionally well at coding, financial modeling, and creating spreadsheets. Additionally, it can summarize long documents and solve multi-step math problems. The model produces more polished, professional outputs than earlier versions.

GPT-5.2 Pro represents the smartest option for difficult questions. It shows fewer major errors and stronger performance across complex domains. However, it takes longer to respond because it thinks more deeply about problems.

Performance Improvements

Real-World Applications

The model delivers practical benefits for professionals. For instance, it creates sophisticated spreadsheets with proper formatting and citations. Similarly, it builds compelling presentations with better design choices. Meanwhile, coding capabilities improved dramatically, with engineers reporting clearer, more reliable code generation.

Companies like Notion, Box, Shopify, Harvey, and Zoom tested the model internally. They found it exceptional at long-horizon reasoning and tool-calling. Likewise, Databricks, Hex, and Triple Whale praised its data science capabilities. Furthermore, coding platforms like JetBrains and Augment Code reported state-of-the-art performance.

Speed and Cost Advantages

Despite being 40% more expensive per token than GPT-5.1, the model actually costs less for many tasks. This happens because GPT-5.2 solves problems more efficiently. Consequently, it needs fewer attempts to deliver correct answers. The model produces outputs 11 times faster and at less than 1% of the cost of hiring human experts.

API Pricing Structure

The “Code Red” Story

Reports surfaced that OpenAI declared an internal “code red” on December 1, 2025. This directive came after Google’s Gemini 3 gained momentum. However, OpenAI’s CEO Fidji Simo explained that this simply helped focus resources. She emphasized that the company had worked on GPT-5.2 for many months.

CEO Sam Altman told CNBC that Google’s Gemini 3 had less impact than expected. Instead, the company remained confident in its development timeline. Additionally, Altman expects OpenAI to exit the “code red” status by January 2026.

Safety and Responsible AI

OpenAI improved safety features significantly. The model now handles sensitive conversations better. Specifically, it responds more appropriately to mental health concerns, self-harm discussions, and emotional distress. These improvements resulted in fewer undesirable responses compared to earlier versions.

The company also introduced age prediction technology. This system automatically applies content protections for users under 18. Moreover, OpenAI plans to launch “Adult Mode” in the first quarter of 2026 after implementing better age verification.

Availability and Rollout

OpenAI began rolling out GPT-5.2 on Thursday to paid subscribers. This includes Plus, Pro, Go, Business, and Enterprise plans. Similarly, developers can access the model through OpenAI’s API immediately. However, the company is deploying gradually to maintain system reliability.

ChatGPT subscription prices remain unchanged despite the improved capabilities. Nevertheless, API pricing increased to reflect the model’s superior performance. OpenAI has no plans to deprecate older models like GPT-5.1, GPT-5, or GPT-4.1.

Competition Heats Up

The AI race intensified throughout 2024 and into 2025. Google’s Gemini 3 Pro challenged OpenAI’s dominance by topping several benchmarks. Meanwhile, Anthropic released Claude Opus 4.5, which also scored higher on certain coding tests. Therefore, OpenAI faces fierce competition from multiple directions.

Some early comparisons between GPT-5.2 and Gemini 3 remain inconclusive. Both models excel in different areas. However, experts agree that competition benefits users by driving rapid innovation. Ultimately, the choice between models depends on specific use cases and preferences.

OpenAI’s launch chatgpt 5.2 marks another significant milestone in AI development. The model brings tangible improvements in reasoning, coding, vision, and professional task execution. Furthermore, it demonstrates that AI systems can now match or exceed human experts in many knowledge work tasks. As competition continues, users can expect even more powerful AI tools in the coming months.

Starting January 1, 2026, Mexico tariffs India and other Asian nations will reshape trade flows across the Pacific. Mexico’s Senate approved steep import duties reaching up to 50% on more than 1,400 products from countries without free trade agreements. Meanwhile, Indian exporters face a challenging reality as their goods become more expensive in Mexico’s market.

The new tariff structure affects major sectors. Automobiles will see duties jump from 20% to 50%. Similarly, auto parts will face tariffs between 25% and 50%. Furthermore, textiles and apparel will carry duties of 30% to 35%. Steel products will also face increased rates of 35% to 40%.

Impact on Indian Exports

India exported goods worth $8.9 billion to Mexico in 2024. However, the automobile sector will suffer the most damage. Major exporters include Volkswagen, Hyundai, Nissan, and Maruti Suzuki. Together, these companies ship around $1 billion worth of vehicles annually to Mexico.

🔴 BIG BREAKING

Mexico Slaps a Whopping 50% tariff on Indian Imports Starting 2026!

Auto Parts, Textiles, Steel, Cars, Machinery, Electronics, Chemicals, Aluminum—all Hammered.

India’s $8.9B Exports to #Mexico in 2024 now face a $11.7B Trade Meltdown, Wiping Out Our $6.1B… pic.twitter.com/W6W5gS7nLZ

— তন্ময় l T͞anmoy l (@tanmoyofc) December 11, 2025

Mexico ranks as India’s third-largest car export destination after South Africa and Saudi Arabia. Additionally, auto components worth $600-700 million will face higher duties. Other affected sectors include machinery, electrical equipment, aluminum, plastics, and pharmaceuticals.

Key Sectors at Risk

Why Mexico Raised Tariffs?

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum defended the move as protecting domestic industries. Moreover, Mexico imported $130 billion worth of goods from China in 2024, creating a massive trade imbalance. The government expects to generate $3.76 billion in additional revenue.

Nevertheless, analysts believe the timing connects to the United States pressure. The USMCA (United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement) review is scheduled for 2026. Consequently, Mexico wants to demonstrate its commitment to reducing Chinese imports into North America.

India’s Response

Before the tariffs passed, Indian automobile manufacturers urged their government to intervene. They wrote letters to Mexico’s Senate requesting status quo maintenance. Unfortunately, these efforts failed to change the outcome.

Now, India is exploring diplomatic solutions. Options include negotiating a free trade agreement or a partial scope arrangement covering automobiles and steel. However, these negotiations will take time while exporters face immediate cost increases.

Winners and Losers

Mexican steel, textile, and auto-parts manufacturers will benefit from reduced competition. On the other hand, Indian exporters will struggle with higher costs. Additionally, Mexican consumers may face increased prices for imported goods.

Countries affected by the tariffs include India, China, South Korea, Thailand, and Indonesia. In contrast, nations with existing trade agreements like the United States, Canada, and the European Union, remain exempt.

What Comes Next?

Experts predict India’s exports to Mexico could fall by 25% to 40%. The automobile sector faces the steepest decline. Therefore, Indian companies are reassessing their export strategies.

Some manufacturers may redirect shipments to other markets. Others might consider local production in Mexico to avoid tariffs. However, such investments require significant capital and time.

The Mexico tariffs India situation demonstrates how quickly global trade conditions can shift, forcing exporters to adapt their strategies or risk losing market share in key destinations.