Category: Science and Technology Current Affairs

Magnetotactic Bacteria: Researchers have uncovered fossil remains of magnetic particles, known as magnetofossils produced by magnetotactic bacteria, in rock varnish layers in Ladakh, India. Magnetotactic bacteria are mostly prokaryotic organisms that arrange themselves along the earth’s magnetic field. These are present in freshwater and marine habitats. These organisms were believed to follow the magnetic field […]

Tinzaparin: Researchers found tinzaparin significantly reduced damage to human cells due to spitting cobra venom. Tinzaparin is a drug used to treat serious blood clots, can reduced damage to cells due to spitting cobra venom. It is a low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) with antithrombotic properties. It is used for the treatment of deep venous thrombosis, a […]

Llama 3.1: Meta has unveiled its new open source AI model Llama 3.1 Llama 3.1 is Meta’s largest ever open source AI model, and it has outperformed the likes of OpenAI’s GPT-4o and Anthropic’s Claude 3.5 Sonnet on numerous benchmarks. The new Llama 3.1 models are reportedly far more complex compared to Llama 3 models. […]

Greenium: The Chief Economic Advisor recently said that private investors need to “walk the talk” on prioritising sustainable investments, citing the low “greenium” from them on India’s sovereign green bond offerings. Greenium refers to the savings an issuer of a green bond realises on the associated coupon payment because the bond is green. It is […]

GM Mustard Approval: Highlights of SC Verdict on GM Mustard: Justice Nagarathna criticised the GEAC for clearing the project without relying on any indigenous studies on the crop’s effect in India and its possible environmental ramifications and only foreign research studies were considered while making the recommendation. In contrast, Justice Karol upheld the GEAC’s clearance […]

Neutrinos: Neutrinos play an important role in particle physics and astrophysics. It is a fundamental elementary particle, and atmospheric neutrinos can be studied when solar radiation hits the Earth’s atmosphere. Neutrinos are subatomic particles that have no electric charge, have a small mass, and are left-handed (the direction of its spin is opposite to the […]

2024 UNAIDS Global AIDS Update: The 2024 UNAIDS Global AIDS Update, titled “The Urgency of Now: AIDS at a Crossroads”, presented a critical overview of the current state of the HIV/AIDS epidemic and the global response to it. The report underscores the potential to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030, emphasising the […]

Nipah Virus : 14-Year-Old Boy From Kerala Died A 14-year-old boy from Kerala died after testing positive for the Nipah virus. Nipah virus (NiV) is a zoonotic virus (transmitted from animals to humans) and can also be transmitted through contaminated food or directly between people. The organism that causes Nipah Virus encephalitis is an RNA […]

International Mathematical Olympiad: Six-member student teams from India have secured the country its best performance ever in the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) 2024. International Mathematical Olympiad is the World Championship Mathematics Competition for High School students and is held annually in a different country. The first IMO was held in 1959 in Romania, with 7 […]

DIGIPIN:   The Department of Posts has issued a beta version of National Addressing Grid under the brand name of DIGIPIN, which can be used for creating and sensing geo-location of addresses, for public feedback. DIGIPIN is an initiative to establish a standardized, geo-coded addressing system in India, for ensuring simplified addressing solutions for citizen-centric […]