science and tech

H5N1 Virus, Impact, Reasons Behind Large-Scale Spread in India

Context: Since 2020, a highly pathogenic avian influenza, H5N1, has been affecting birds worldwide, with more than 80 countries reporting infections as of December 2023. What is Bird Flu? Bird flu or avian influenza primarily infects poultry and wild birds,...

Cancer Cases in India as per Lancet Commission Report

Context: As per the Lancet Commission report, cases of prostate cancer are projected to double from 1.4 million per year in 2020 to 2.9 million per year by 2040 worldwide, with low and middle-income countries predicted to see the highest...

Ozone Found on Jupiter’s Moon Callisto

Context: Scientists from around the world, including India, published a study in the journal Icarus detailing the discovery of ozone on Jupiter's moon Callisto. The research focused on recreating the chemical processes occurring on Callisto's surface when exposed to sunlight,...

India TB Report 2024 released by Union Health Ministry

Context: According to the India TB Report 2024 released by the Union Health Ministry, India has seen a 16% decline in new tuberculosis (TB) cases and an 18% reduction in mortality since 2015. India TB Report 2024 Important Highlights The...

Elon Musk’s Neuralink Brain Chip and Associated Concerns

Elon Musk announced that his company Neuralink has implanted its brain-computer interface into a human for the first time. Noland Arbaugh, a 29-year-old patient with paralysis from the shoulders down, successfully used the Neuralink chip to play online chess using...

National Data Governance Framework Policy for Non-Personal Data (NPD)

Context: Digitisation is pivotal for India’s aim to become a $5 trillion economy, with data and AI potentially contributing up to $500 billion to GDP by 2025, according to NASSCOM. The government's digitisation efforts are yielding large volumes of citizen...

Editorial of the Day (21st March): NASA’s DART Mission

Context: NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission was a groundbreaking endeavour aiming to assess and demonstrate the capabilities of planetary defence by altering the trajectory of an asteroid. About Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) Mission Mission Goal: DART was...

In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF) Treatment, Applications, Challenges

Centre's Notice to Punjab Over Sidhu Moosewala's Mother's IVF Treatment The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has requested a report from the Punjab government regarding the in-vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment received by Charan Kaur (mother of the late Punjabi...

Can Intermittent Fasting Worsen Heart Health?

Intermittent Fasting Intermittent fasting has gained popularity as a dietary approach where individuals restrict their eating to specific time windows, alternating with periods of fasting. While it has shown short-term benefits like weight loss and improved insulin sensitivity, recent research...

Devin AI: World’s First AI Software Engineer

Devin AI: World's First AI Software Engineer Devin AI is the world's first fully autonomous AI software engineer, developed by Cognition, an AI startup. Devin is designed to help with coding and machine learning, and can write code, develop websites,...