Category: Science and Technology Current Affairs

Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme : In News A total of 1,862 disease outbreaks were reported to the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme last year, with the highest number being reported from Kerala, the Lok Sabha was informed recently. Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) is a decentralized, state-based surveillance programme in the country. It was launched with […]

Lithium Resources : Karnataka The Union minister of state for science and technology recently announced the discovery of 1,600 tonnes of lithium resources in Karnataka. Lithium is a chemical element with the symbol Liand atomic number 3. Classified as an alkali metal,lithium is a solid at room temperature. It is the lightest of the solid […]

NOvA (NuMI Off-axis νe Appearance) Experiment: New data from the NOvA experiment deepens the mystery surrounding the mass of Neutrinos. NOvA (NuMI Off-axis νe Appearance) is an experiment to study one of nature’s most elusive particles: neutrinos. It is managed by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, located outside of Chicago, United […]

Dark Oxygen: Scientists have recently discovered a strange phenomenon, dubbed “dark oxygen” in the deep sea. Dark Oxygen is being produced in complete darkness thousands of feet below the ocean surface is termed dark oxygen. Until now, it was thought that oxygen was created only through photosynthesis, a process that requires sunlight. Oceanic plankton, drifting […]

Ketamine Pill: Reports have suggested that tablets that release Ketamine slowly can improve symptoms of depression with fewer side effects. Ketamine Pill also known as Ketalar, is a medicine that doctors use to make people not feel pain during surgeries. It is sometimes called a “party drug”, blocks the receptor for an excitatory neurotransmitter, those […]

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 […]