Current Affairs

Non-animal testing methods/New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) assess drug safety, efficacy and quality using biological (in vitro/ex vivo) and computational (in silico) tools. Examples include organ-on-chip, stem cell organoids (used to link Zika to microcephaly), human blood cell assays replacing rabbit pyrogen tests, and AI models predicting toxicity/arrhythmias. New Drugs and Clinical Trials (Amendment) Rules, 2023 permit human-relevant NAMs. Traditional animal testing approves only 10–14% Phase I candidates; a report cites >50% time reduction and ~70–90% cost cuts in India; NAM centres exist in US/EU/Japan. Ethical issues cite animal suffering, Kant’s imperative, Singer’s “speciesism” and utilitarian limits.

Prime Minister flagged off India’s first hydrogen-powered train between Jind and Sonipat (Haryana), using hydrogen fuel-cell technology. Its power system has two hydrogen driving cars (1,200 kW each) with lithium iron phosphate batteries and hydrogen cylinders. An integrated hydrogen railway ecosystem at Jind includes electrolysis-based production, storage, compression and refuelling at one plant. Ten coaches carry 2,600 passengers; runs at 75 kmph (designed 110); longest and ~3,200 HP. Key issues: high costs, safety and infrastructure needs.

Abathsahayeswarar Temple, Thukkachi (near Kumbakonam), Thanjavur district, won the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Award of Distinction for Heritage Conservation 2024. Restoration was led by Tamil Nadu HR&CE with IIT Madras’ NCSHS, blending Sthapatya Veda with scientific methods. Linked to Kulottunga I (Thevaram recitation endowment) and Vikrama Chola (only major temple built entirely in his reign). Inscriptions call it Thenthirukalathi/Vikramacholeeswaram. Kara Kovil (chariot-shaped) shrine houses Lord Sarabeshwarar; conservation used drone/3D mapping, numbered granite resetting, and invasive-plant removal to restore two prakarams.

Researchers from the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE), Bengaluru, discovered two new rare solitary bee species in Siang Valley, Arunachal Pradesh: Elaphropoda triangulata (named for triangular abdominal markings) and Habropoda adi (honouring the Adi indigenous community). Both are presently known only from male specimens. Solitary bees are key pollinators, nesting alone and not living in colonies like honeybees.

CDSCO approved Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy (semaglutide), a GLP-1 receptor agonist, for adults with noncirrhotic Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatohepatitis (MASH) with moderate–advanced fibrosis (F2–F3), alongside low-calorie diet and exercise; it is a once-weekly subcutaneous injection. Approval is based on Part 1 of the international ESSENCE trial: 63% steatohepatitis resolution and 37% fibrosis reduction without worsening inflammation; benefits not solely from weight loss. India estimates suggest ~2/3 have fatty liver disease.

The Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh commissioned India’s first and deepest 1,000 m geothermal wells (2 wells) executed by ONGC at Puga Valley. These wells support the 1 MW Puga geothermal power project, India’s first demonstration-scale geothermal project. Geothermal energy is heat in Earth’s crust. India has 381 GSI-identified hot springs (35°C–89°C) and 10 geothermal provinces; governed by MNRE’s National Policy on Geothermal Energy 2025.

Madhya Pradesh’s near-complete Sleemanabad Tunnel is a key component of the Bargi Diversion Project and part of the 197 km Right Bank Main Canal; it is described as India’s longest underground water-conveyance tunnel, carrying Narmada waters from Bargi reservoir to the drought-prone Vindhya region and Son basin by gravity flow. Narmada (India’s 5th largest) rises at Amarkantak (Maikal Hills), flows west in a rift valley; basin spans MP, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh; bounded by Vindhyas, Maikala, Satpuras, Arabian Sea; tributaries: Tawa, Banjar, Dudhi, Hiran, Kolar.

MoHUA approved guidelines for PARIVARTAN (Programme for Accelerated Renewal and Incentivization of Vehicle Assets for Reducing Transport Air Pollution and Network Emissions) to replace older, highly polluting trucks/buses in NCR with BS-VI or electric vehicles. Implemented by MoRTH and funded by NCRPB, it covers Rajasthan, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and NCT Delhi. Incentives include MV tax/fee waivers, 5% interest subvention, minimum 8% OEM discount, fuel vouchers, EV assistance and CoD trading via a digital platform linked to VAHAN, V-Scrap, DigiELV, PFMS and lenders.

Power Secretary reviewed SJVN’s 900 MW Arun-3 run-of-the-river hydropower project on the Arun River (Sankhuwasabha, eastern Nepal), a Koshi tributary. Key works: ~70 m concrete gravity dam, 11.74 km headrace tunnel, underground powerhouse (left bank) with 4×225 MW units. Cost >$1.6 bn; generation 4,018.87 million units/year; Nepal’s largest on completion. BOOT via SAPDC (GoI–Himachal JV): 5-year construction, 25-year operation, then transfer to Nepal; Nepal gets 21.9% free power; export Dhalkebar–Muzaffarpur.

Scientists identified a previously unknown monkey species, Likweli (Colobus congoensis), in the rainforests of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, marking Africa’s 5th new monkey species discovery in 75 years. A colobus, it has glossy black fur, orange‑pink lips and a roaring call; it is herbivorous with ruminant-like foregut fermentation and lacks a functional thumb. Small population faces hunting and deforestation; finding reshapes Central African primate evolution.

India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) has entered into force, giving duty-free access to the UK for 99% of India’s tariff lines and requiring Indian exporters to meet UK food-safety, traceability and certification norms. India will phase tariff cuts (5–10 years) on select UK imports: cars 110%→10% in 10 years (quota; EV/hybrid/hydrogen from year 6), trucks 44%→8.8% by year 5 (quota) and 22% by year 10 (beyond quota), Scotch/gIn 150%→75% then 40%, other spirits 150%→110% (year 1)→75% (year 10), plus cuts on consumer goods, medical devices and silver (0 in 10 years); UK gains in silver and aerospace, and select luxury goods.

At ICAR’s 98th Foundation Day, the Viksit Krishi roadmap (pillar of Viksit Bharat 2047) was unveiled to make agriculture climate-resilient, technology-driven and globally competitive. Targets: 100 Climate Smart Villages before ICAR centenary; One Institute–One Grand Innovation in 2 years; reach 100 million farmers by 100th Foundation Day. Mission ICAR-100 to transform KVKs (≥100 villages/KVK), plus open digital platform, anti-counterfeit legal strengthening, ₹10,000 crore internal resources by 2029, and releases of 43 varieties, 17 technologies, 14 publications.

Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences (CeNS), Bengaluru, an autonomous institute under the Department of Science and Technology, developed a self-powered wearable ammonia sensor for ultra-low detection. It uses a hybrid VOx/VS₂ heterostructure engineered via controlled surface transformation, detecting ammonia down to 319 ppb with high selectivity, room-temperature operation, stable cycling, and >10-week reliability. A threshold-triggered prototype classifies safe/warning/danger for industrial, lab and agricultural leakage-risk settings.

The Union Cabinet, through the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), approved the Mobile Phone Manufacturing Scheme (MPMS) with an outlay of ₹62,500 crore after the Production Linked Incentive Scheme for Large Scale Electronics Manufacturing (PLI-LSEM) ends on March 31, 2026. MPMS runs for 5 years (FY 2026-27 to FY 2030-31) under MeitY, offering 2.25%-5% incentives on eligible sales, plus up to 1.5% for domestic components and 3% for design/R&D, aiming at patents and technological sovereignty.

West Bengal government revised the eco-sensitive zone around Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary (Darjeeling) from 5 km to 1 km. The sanctuary lies in Himalayan foothills between Teesta and Mahananda rivers; began as a 1955 game sanctuary and notified in 1959, mainly to protect Indian bison and Royal Bengal Tiger. Altitude 500–4,300 ft; riverine and mixed-wet forests; 243 bird species, including Central Asian migrants.

An international team sailed to Greenland to assess if rapid glacier melt could disrupt a key Atlantic Ocean current system. Greenland, the world’s largest non-continent island, lies in the North Atlantic between North America and Europe; geographically part of North America; an autonomous Danish province (former colony). It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean (N), Greenland Sea (E), North Atlantic (SE), Davis Strait (SW) and Baffin Bay (W). Capital: Nuuk; polar climate (to −50°C in winter, 10–15°C in summer); highest point: Gunnbjorn’s Fjeld; resources include coal, iron ore, lead, zinc, molybdenum, diamonds, gold, platinum and niobium.

RBI issued a draft “Guidance on Regulatory Expectations for Data Governance” for all Regulated Entities, including commercial banks and NBFCs, mandating stronger data risk management, security and accountability. It requires a two-tier structure: a board-level Data Governance Committee and an executive cross-functional committee. Frameworks must follow proportionality and pillars of accountability, integrity, transparency, auditability, traceability and standardization; establish a Single Source of Truth; undergo internal/external audits; ensure third-party data liability; and be led by a senior executive (≥ CGM), with defined Data Owner/Steward/Custodian roles.

The State of Palestine welcomed India’s announcement of three development projects for Palestinians: a Speciality Hospital to strengthen a compromised healthcare network with depleted facilities, equipment and essential pharmaceuticals; an Artificial Limb Fitment Centre to provide long-term care, prosthetics and physical rehabilitation for thousands who lost limbs during military campaigns; and a Vocational Training Institute to impart technical skills for rebuilding communities and reviving the economy.

The rare Laudankia Vine Snake (Ahaetulla laudankia) was photographed in Udaipur’s Ubeshwar area, the first record from Udaipur in 30 years. A diurnal, arboreal species of dry deciduous forests, scrublands and hill slopes, it is slender, chestnut-brown with black speckles, long snout and horizontal pupils; adults 80 cm–1.5 m. Endemic from Eastern Ghats through central India to eastern Rajasthan; rare in Rajasthan. Diet: lizards, geckos, small frogs and birds. Mild venom, not dangerous to humans.

Indian Air Force launched AS-HAPS to develop unmanned High-Altitude Pseudo Satellites operating in the stratosphere (20–30 km) for long-duration, lower-cost persistent ISR and data relay. Authorised through Directorate of Operations (Remote), it follows Make-I with up to 70% Centre funding for prototypes. A steerable repositionable airship will carry optical, ELINT and communications payloads; domestic sensors/radars planned; fixed-wing HAPS also envisaged. Global context: EUROHAPS/Stratobus, US tests, China balloons.

The Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare accepted the Registration Committee’s recommendation (under the Insecticides Act, 1968) to ban paraquat dichloride in India. Paraquat is a chemical herbicide used against broadleaf weeds and grasses and as a harvest-aid desiccant (e.g., cotton); it destroys plant tissue on contact with no residual soil activity. The ban covers manufacture, import, transport, distribution, sale and use, citing adverse health effects, poisoning incidents, high fatalities and no specific antidote; it is already banned/restricted in 70+ countries.

Chief Justice of India Surya Kant notified four special division benches in the Supreme Court to exclusively hear and dispose the oldest pending cases, segregating them from fresh miscellaneous filings. Two civil benches are headed by Justices P K Mishra and S V N Bhatti, and two criminal benches by Justices Manoj Misra and Ujjal Bhuyan. Old matters will be heard uninterrupted on Tuesdays–Thursdays; miscellaneous matters on Mondays and Fridays. Pendency has crossed 90,000; 75,402 fresh filings occurred in 2025, aided by e-filings and virtual hearings.

Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune, using primary Southwest monsoon measurements over the northern Western Ghats and Pune, found ~25% of monsoon rain mass evaporates below-cloud before reaching ground, with day-to-day loss ranging 4–61%, driven by ambient temperature, heat and dry air. It used isotopic enrichment, freezing/trapping vapour and rain, laser spectrometry, and a below-cloud interaction model; larger monsoon drops and higher humidity limit losses.

NABARD facilitated GI registration for 28 new products, including handicrafts, handloom textiles and bamboo crafts from multiple states. Established in 1982, headquartered in Mumbai, NABARD is the Government of India-owned apex development finance institution regulating and promoting sustainable agriculture and rural development. It has supported 176 GI products, strengthens value chains via GI Facilitation Centres, and runs a GI store at Aihole, Karnataka.

NABARD launched Gramodyam, an entrepreneurship development programme to unlock rural India’s entrepreneurial potential. Implemented by NSDC under the Union Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, and delivered through the Institute for Industrial Development, it targets about 4,000 entrepreneurs in three years across all States/UTs. It uses a digital-first hybrid model, provides counselling, training, mentoring, credit/market linkages, e-KYC verification, digital loan support, and real-time tracking via NSDC’s platform.