Category: Science&Tech

Glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) test

The widely used glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) test, considered the gold standard for diagnosing and monitoring Type-2 Diabetes (T2D), may produce misleading results in South Asian populations—particularly in India—due to the high prevalence of certain blood disorders, according to an article published in The Lancet Regional Health: Southeast Asia. Researchers have flagged concerns that conditions such as anaemia, haemoglobinopathies (including sickle cell disease and thalassaemia), and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency can Read More …

ISRO Identifies Mons Mouton Site for Chandrayaan-4 Mission Landing

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has identified a landing location in the Moon’s south polar region for the Chandrayaan-4 mission, marking a key milestone in India’s next lunar endeavour. ISRO had shortlisted four potential landing sites in the Mons Mouton (MM) region of the lunar south pole—MM-1, MM-3, MM-4 and MM-5. After detailed evaluation of terrain safety and mission requirements, MM-4 has been selected as the final landing site Read More …

Dry Dress Rehearsal & Wet Dress Rehearsal

NASA has detected a hydrogen leak during a wet dress rehearsal for its Artemis II mission, highlighting the critical role such tests play in launch preparation. A dress rehearsal in rocketry is a full run-through of launch-day activities, carried out to validate personnel, hardware, software and timelines as a fully integrated system. There are two main types of dress rehearsals: Wet dress rehearsals are especially important because they are the Read More …

Quantum Computer

A quantum computer is a computing device that uses the principles of quantum mechanics to process information and solve certain complex problems far faster than classical computers. Quantum Mechanics Quantum mechanics is a branch of physics that studies the behaviour of matter and energy at atomic and sub-atomic levels, where classical laws of physics no longer fully apply. Bits vs Qubits This unique property allows quantum computers to process many Read More …

Kyasanur Forest Disease (KFD)

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is making steady progress towards the development of an improved vaccine against Kyasanur Forest Disease (KFD), a neglected but serious tick-borne viral haemorrhagic fever endemic to India’s Western Ghats region. According to officials, the vaccine candidate has been successfully developed, with animal challenge and toxicity studies completed. In a major milestone, GLP-grade vaccine material has been manufactured, and a Phase I human clinical Read More …

Amaravati Quantum Valley

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on February 7 laid the foundation stone for the country’s first Quantum Technology Valley at Uddandarayunipalem village in Thullur mandal, located in the Amaravati capital region. Envisioned on the lines of Silicon Valley, which spearheaded the global IT revolution, the Amaravati Quantum Valley aims to emerge as a world-class hub comparable to leading global quantum centres such as Boston, Singapore, and Shanghai. The Read More …

Sodium-ion batteries (SiBs)

Among the various battery chemistries developed over the decades — including nickel-cadmium and lead-acid — lithium-ion batteries (LiBs) have emerged as the dominant global technology, driven by their high energy density, low self-discharge rates and long cycle life. Sustained global focus over the past two decades has led to steady improvements in lithium-ion performance, cementing their role in electric vehicles, consumer electronics and energy storage systems. However, experts note that Read More …

CSIR-CCMB Study Reveals New Clues to Fungal Virulence

Fungal infections, among the most underestimated global health threats, are contributing to rising hospitalisations and deaths while also devastating crops, reducing agricultural yields and aggravating food insecurity. Addressing this dual crisis affecting both public health and agriculture, researchers at the CSIR–Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad, have uncovered a crucial insight into how fungi become pathogenic. The study reveals that a fungus’s ability to switch shapes — a Read More …

First open call of the Technology Development Board (TDB) under RDI Fund

Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology, Dr. Jitendra Singh, on 4 February launched the first open call of the Technology Development Board (TDB) under the Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) Fund, marking a major step towards strengthening India’s innovation ecosystem through structured, long-term financing for indigenous technologies. Under the ANRF Framework The initiative has been unveiled under the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) and aims to Read More …

DRDO Successfully Demonstrates Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet (SFDR) Missile Technology

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) on February 3, 2026, successfully demonstrated Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet (SFDR) technology from the Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur, off the coast of Odisha. With this achievement, India joins an elite group of nations possessing SFDR technology, a critical capability for the development of long-range air-to-air missiles, providing a significant tactical edge over adversaries. SFDR technology is vital for next-generation air combat as Read More …

Suborbital space tourism

Private space company Blue Origin, owned by Jeff Bezos, announced on January 31 that it will suspend its New Shepard suborbital space tourism programme for at least two years, shifting its focus towards strengthening its lunar capabilities. The New Shepard programme is part of suborbital space tourism, a form of space travel in which paying passengers are flown to the edge of space but do not complete a full orbit Read More …

Budget 2026-27: ₹20,000 Crore Allocated for Carbon Capture Technologies

The Union Budget has earmarked ₹20,000 crore over the next five years for the development of carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) solutions, signalling a major policy push towards technologies critical for reducing emissions from India’s most carbon-intensive industries. The move is seen as a long-term enabler for India’s goal of achieving net-zero emissions. CCUS focuses on capturing carbon dioxide (CO₂) released during industrial processes and preventing it from entering Read More …

Rare Auroral Activity Captured Over Hanle Dark Sky Reserve in Ladakh

Intense red-coloured auroral activity was captured by the all-sky camera at the Indian Astronomical Observatory (IAO), Hanle, in Ladakh on the nights of January 19 and 20. This marks the sixth instance during the current solar cycle that such auroral activity has been observed from the region. Cause: Strong Geomagnetic StormAccording to the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), which operates the observatory, the aurora was caused by a strong geomagnetic Read More …

Doomsday Clock Moved to 85 Seconds to Midnight

On 27 January, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists moved the Doomsday Clock to 85 seconds to midnight, marking the closest the clock has ever been to the symbolic point of global catastrophe. Midnight represents the moment when human actions would render the Earth uninhabitable. What the Doomsday Clock RepresentsThe Doomsday Clock is a powerful metaphor designed to convey the urgency of existential threats facing humanity. It translates complex and Read More …

Stealth Solar Eruption Triggers Intense Geomagnetic Storm: Study

Astronomers have investigated a Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) that travelled from the Sun to Earth in March 2023, passing through a coronal hole—an opening in the Sun’s magnetic field that allows solar wind to escape. Despite being relatively subtle, the CME triggered intense geomagnetic storms on Earth, highlighting new challenges in space weather forecasting. What Made This CME ExceptionalUnlike typical strong CMEs, which are usually accompanied by X-ray flares and Read More …