Natural Hydrogen: The American Association of Petroleum Geologists and USGS have started formal hydrogen exploration initiatives. Hydrogen is considered the fuel of the future due to its potential to decarbonise the global economy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions Natural hydrogen, also known as white hydrogen, refers to naturally occurring molecular hydrogen in the Earth’s crust, […]
Category: Science and Technology Current Affairs
Global Call to Ban Chlorpyrifos
Global Call to Ban Chlorpyrifos: The Conference of the Parties (COP) to the Basel, Rotterdam, and Stockholm (BRS) Conventions in Geneva proposed the banning of toxic pesticide Chlorpyrifos by listing it under Annex A of Stockholm Convention (complete global ban without exemptions). However, India opposed the move, citing the absence of viable alternatives and the […]
Sarvam to Build India’s First Indigenous AI Model
Sarvam to Build India’s First Indigenous AI Model: The Indian government has selected Bengaluru-based start-up Sarvam to develop the country’s first homegrown Artificial Intelligence (AI) Large Language Model (LLM) under the IndiaAI Mission.The company is developing three model variants: Sarvam-Large (advanced reasoning), Sarvam-Small (real-time applications), and Sarvam-Edge (compact on-device tasks). Sarvam will receive 4,000 Graphic […]
Bio-Input Resource Centres
Bio-Input Resource Centres: The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare released guidelines for setting up Bio-Input Resource Centres (BRCs) to promote natural farming under the National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF). Bio-Input Resource Centres are cluster-level enterprises that provide farmers with locally prepared natural farming inputs like bio-fertilizers, bio-pesticides, and organic formulations. They also act […]
African Swine Fever Outbreak in Mizoram
African Swine Fever Outbreak in Mizoram: Mizoram is currently grappling with a severe outbreak of African Swine Fever (ASF), which has led to the death of over 3,000 pigs within a month, primarily affecting the districts of Siaha, Lawngtlai, Lunglei, and Mamit. The outbreak has not only devastated local pig farming but also forced authorities […]
GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance
GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance: Gavi, the international vaccine alliance, is trying to convince President Donald Trump’s administration to maintain vital funding for the body by arguing that a donation would boost the US vaccine industry.It is an independent public-private partnership that was created in 2000 to improve access to new and underused vaccines for children […]
Cucumber Mosaic Virus : Study
Cucumber Mosaic Virus : Study A team of researchers recently reported developing an RNA-based antiviral agent that confers strong protection against cucumber mosaic virus (CMV), a widespread and destructive plant virus. Cucumber Mosaic Virus (CMV) is one of the most common plant viruses. CMV was first identified in 1916 as the causal agent of cucumber […]
Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre
Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre: The government recently authorised Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) to share and receive information from the Enforcement Directorate under the anti-money laundering law, a move aimed at detecting money trails and combating cyber frauds I4C has been established under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to act as a nodal […]
National Zero Measles-Rubella Elimination Campaign
National Zero Measles-Rubella Elimination Campaign: The National Zero Measles-Rubella Elimination Campaign (2025-26) has been launched on World Immunization Week (24-30 April), under the Universal Immunization Programme (UIP). It aims to eliminate Measles and Rubella (M-R) in India by 2026 through 100% immunization coverage. As per 2024–25, India’s M-R vaccination coverage is more than 90% for […]
Telecom Regulatory Authority of India
Telecom Regulatory Authority of India: The JCoR meeting, held at TRAI headquarters, New Delhi, emphasised the need for a unified and collaborative approach to combat spam and fraudulent calls, especially targeting senior citizens. Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) established under the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Act, 1997, passed by Parliament. Primary mandate is […]
