In News:

In a strategic move to address the perennial air quality crisis in the National Capital Region, the Delhi Government has partnered with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras to pilot and study "smog-eating" photocatalytic coatings. This experimental technology, applied directly to road surfaces, aims to neutralize tailpipe emissions at the source, transforming gray infrastructure into active air purification systems.

Understanding the Technology: Photocatalytic Depollution

Photocatalytic coatings represent a frontier in "green" civil engineering. They utilize light energy to accelerate natural chemical reactions that decompose pollutants.

• Primary Compound: The technology predominantly employs Titanium Dioxide (TiO?).
• Why TiO?? It is favored for its chemical stability, cost-effectiveness, and seamless compatibility with traditional construction materials like bitumen and concrete.
• The Mechanism: * Activation: When UV rays from sunlight hit the TiO?-coated surface, it creates highly reactive oxidizing agents.
  • Neutralization: These agents break down harmful gases—specifically Nitrogen Dioxide (NO?) and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)—into harmless substances like water-soluble nitrates or CO?, which are then washed away by rain.

Contextualizing the Crisis: The Nature of Smog

The term "smog" (a portmanteau of smoke and fog) refers to a complex mixture of primary and secondary air pollutants. To understand the efficacy of these coatings, it is essential to distinguish between the two primary types of smog:

The IIT Madras study specifically targets Photochemical Smog, as road coatings are most effective where vehicular density and sunlight exposure are highest.

Strategic Significance for Urban Governance

The adoption of "smog-eating" roads aligns with India's National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) and offers several strategic advantages:

• Source-Point Treatment: By coating roads, the technology tackles emissions exactly where they are most concentrated—at the tire-to-pavement interface.
• Multi-Functional Infrastructure: It converts existing passive assets (roads) into environmental cleaning tools without requiring additional land or energy-intensive machinery.
• Passive Operation: Unlike "Smog Towers" which require massive fans and electricity, photocatalytic coatings work autonomously using solar energy.

In News:

In a significant boost to India’s Rashtriya Gokul Mission, the ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI), Izatnagar, has successfully produced indigenous Sahiwal cattle calves using a sophisticated suite of reproductive biotechnologies. The process integrated Ultrasound-Guided Ovum Pick-Up (OPU), In Vitro Fertilization (IVF), and Embryo Transfer (ET), marking a leap in the rapid multiplication of high-yielding indigenous germplasm.

Profile of the Sahiwal Breed: The "Golden" Milch Cow

The Sahiwal is globally recognized as one of the premier dairy (milch) breeds of the Indian subcontinent.

• Origin and Nomenclature: The breed originates from the Sahiwal area in the Montgomery district (now in Punjab, Pakistan). It is known by various local names, including Lola (due to its loose skin), Montgomery, Multani, and Teli.
• Physical Characteristics: * Typically brownish-red in color, ranging from mahogany to greyish-red.
  • Bulls often exhibit darker extremities compared to cows.
• Performance Metrics:
  • Lactation Yield: Average yield is approximately 2,325 kg, with a high-performance range of 1,600 kg to 2,750 kg.
• Resilience Traits: The Sahiwal is prized for its heat tolerance, tick resistance, and high immunity against both internal and external parasites. These traits have led to its successful export to Africa, the Caribbean, and other Asian nations to improve local hardy stocks.

Deciphering the Technology: OPU–IVF–ET

The success at IVRI relies on a multi-stage biotechnological intervention designed to bypass the limitations of natural breeding.

Key Advantages of OPU-IVF:

• Reduced Generation Interval: Allows for faster multiplication of elite animals.
• Pedigree Preservation: Enables offspring production from known, high-yielding lineages.
• Flexibility: The procedure can even be performed on pregnant animals (up to 100 days of gestation).

Strategic Significance for India

• Aatmanirbharta in Agriculture: Reducing dependence on imported exotic breeds (like Holstein Friesian) by enhancing the productivity of climate-resilient indigenous breeds.
• Climate Change Adaptation: As global temperatures rise, the heat-tolerant genes of Sahiwal cattle provide a sustainable solution for food security in the tropics.
• Socio-Economic Impact: High-yielding indigenous cattle improve the income of small and marginal farmers while producing milk with potentially higher A2 beta-casein content, which has a growing niche market.

In News:

Every year, March 24 is observed as World Tuberculosis (TB) Day to commemorate Dr. Robert Koch’s 1882 discovery of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

For 2026, the World Health Organization (WHO) has retained the theme “Yes! We can End TB!”, signaling a shift from global ambition to localized, high-impact action.

In India, the day serves as a critical checkpoint for the National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP). While India missed its audacious 2025 elimination deadline, the focus has now pivoted toward aggressive "mission-mode" strategies to bridge the remaining gaps.

The Current Status of TB in India

India’s TB landscape is a study in contrasts—significant statistical improvements set against a backdrop of a staggering absolute burden.

• Global Burden: India accounts for approximately 25% of global TB cases and 28% of global TB deaths.
• Key Progress Indicators (2015–2024):
  • Incidence: Declined by 21%.
  • Mortality: Reduced from 28 per lakh (2015) to 21 per lakh (2024).
  • Treatment Coverage: Increased dramatically from 53% to 92%.
  • Success Rate: Under the Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan, the success rate reached 90%, surpassing the global average of 88%.
• The "Missing Cases" Challenge: Despite these gains, nearly one lakh cases remain undiagnosed annually, contributing to 8.8% of the global detection gap.

Evolution of India's Strategy: From Control to Elimination

India transitioned from the Revised National TB Control Programme (RNTCP) to the National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP) in 2020. The programme is anchored by the National Strategic Plan (2017–2025) and the Detect–Treat–Prevent–Build (DTPB) framework.

Major Technological and Medical Advancements:

• Molecular Diagnostics: India operates the world’s largest TB lab network; 92% of patients now receive upfront Rifampicin drug-resistance testing, ensuring they aren't started on ineffective first-line drugs.
• BPaLM Regimen: The introduction of the BPaLM (Bedaquiline, Pretomanid, Linezolid, and Moxifloxacin) regimen has revolutionized Multi-Drug Resistant (MDR) TB care, reducing treatment duration from 18–24 months to just 6 months.
• Digital Ecosystem: The Ni-kshay portal and the newly launched TB Mukt Bharat App facilitate real-time patient tracking and treatment adherence.

Social and Nutritional Support: The Ni-kshay Ecosystem

Recognizing that TB is as much a social disease as a biological one, India has integrated nutrition and community support into the clinical cycle:

• Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana (NPY): Financial support has been increased to ?1,000/month, providing a total of ?3,000 to ?6,000 over the treatment course.
• Ni-kshay Mitras: A unique "crowdsourced" healthcare model where citizens and corporates "adopt" TB patients to provide monthly food baskets and vocational support.

Critical Gaps and Strengthening Measures

To achieve the definition of elimination (less than one notified case per million population per year), India must address the following:

• Active Case Finding (ACF) for Subclinical TB: Nearly half of India's TB cases are subclinical (asymptomatic). Mass rollout of AI-enabled portable Chest X-rays and non-invasive tongue swabs is essential to find "silent" transmitters.
• Tribal-Centric Interventions: TB prevalence among Scheduled Tribes is 50% higher than the national average. Innovative financing, such as utilizing District Mineral Foundation (DMF) funds, can bridge the infrastructure gap in mining-affected tribal belts.
• TB Preventive Treatment (TPT): Shifting focus to household contacts of active patients to treat the infection in its latent stage before it progresses to active disease.
• Urban Micro-strategies: High-transmission urban wards require "micro-level" interventions through initiatives like the TB Mukt Urban Ward.

In News:

In a significant addition to India’s botanical diversity, scientists from the Botanical Survey of India (BSI) have discovered a new species of wild kiwi, named Actinidia indica. The discovery was made in the biodiversity-rich landscapes of Arunachal Pradesh, further cementing the state’s reputation as a "cradle of speciation" in the Eastern Himalayas.

Geographic Distribution and Habitat

• Location: The species has been recorded within a restricted, narrow stretch near the Ziro Valley in the Lower Subansiri district of Arunachal Pradesh.
• Elevation: It is found at an altitude of approximately 1,725 metres above sea level.
• Ecological Niche: Actinidia indica thrives in a unique transition zone between temperate and subtropical forests. This biologically sensitive habitat provides the specific micro-climatic conditions required for the species to survive.

Morphological Characteristics

The new species belongs to the family Actinidiaceae. It possesses several distinct physical traits that differentiate it from other known kiwi species:

• Growth Habit: It is a perennial climbing shrub, capable of reaching heights of 2 to 4 metres.
• Botanical Features: * Branches: Young branches are characterized by a dense covering of hairs.
  • Folliage: It bears large, ovate (egg-shaped) leaves.
  • Flowers: The plant produces white to creamy-colored flowers, typically measuring between 4 cm and 6 cm in diameter.
• Fruit Identity: The species produces olive-green, globose (spherical) fruits (2.5–4 cm). A defining taxonomic feature is its distinctive reticulate lenticel pattern (a net-like arrangement of pores on the fruit's skin), which helped researchers identify it as a new species.

Taxonomic and Global Significance

• Global Count: This discovery increases the global count of the Actinidia genus to 56 species.
• Indian Context: While the genus Actinidia is widely known for the commercial kiwi fruit (largely native to China), only a very small number of these species occur naturally in India. The identification of Actinidia indica highlights the high level of endemism in the Northeast.

In News:

The Indian Navy is set to commission INS Taragiri (F41), a state-of-the-art stealth guided-missile frigate, on April 3, 2026. As the fourth ship of the ambitious Project 17A (Nilgiri-class), its induction marks a critical milestone in India’s quest for maritime "Aatmanirbharta" (self-reliance).

Project 17A: A Strategic Overview

Project 17A is an advanced follow-on to the Shivalik-class (Project 17) frigates. The initiative involves the construction of seven stealth frigates, with four being built at Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd (MDL) in Mumbai and three at Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) in Kolkata.

• Naming Convention: The ships are named after prominent Indian mountain ranges: INS Nilgiri, Himgiri, Udaygiri, Taragiri, Dunagiri, Vindhyagiri, and Mahendragiri.
• Design Philosophy: Designed by the Navy’s in-house Warship Design Bureau (WDB), these vessels utilize "Integrated Construction" methodology, which involves pre-outfitting hull blocks to compress the construction timeline.

Key Features and Technical Specifications of INS Taragiri

INS Taragiri represents the pinnacle of indigenous shipbuilding, boasting approximately 75% indigenous content.

• Stealth and Survivability: * Reduced Radar Cross-Section (RCS): The ship features a sleeker hull form and enclosed mooring decks to minimize radar and infrared signatures.
  • Hull Material: Constructed using indigenous DMR 249A low-carbon micro-alloy grade steel.
• Propulsion and Performance:
  • CODOG System: Utilizes a Combined Diesel or Gas configuration, pairing two gas turbines (for high speed) with two main diesel engines (for fuel-efficient cruising).
  • Capabilities: Displacing approximately 6,670 tonnes, the frigate can achieve speeds exceeding 28-32 knots with high operational endurance.
• Weaponry and Combat Suite:
  • Surface-to-Surface: Armed with the supersonic BrahMos cruise missile system.
  • Surface-to-Air: Equipped with Barak-8 (MRSAM) missiles for long-range air defense, guided by the EL/M-2248 MF-STAR AESA radar.
  • Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW): Features indigenous triple-tube torpedo launchers and RBU-6000 rocket launchers.
  • Naval Gunery: Includes a 76mm Super Rapid Gun Mount (SRGM) and AK-630 Close-In Weapon Systems (CIWS).

Strategic Significance for India

• Regional Deterrence: The induction is timely given the growing Chinese naval presence and increasing militarization in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
• Operational Readiness: INS Taragiri will bolster the Eastern Naval Command, particularly in multi-dimensional missions ranging from high-intensity combat to Operation Sankalp (maritime security) and HADR (Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief).
• Economic Impact: The project supports the domestic industrial ecosystem, involving over 200 MSMEs and generating direct employment for thousands, directly aligning with the "Make in India" and "Viksit Bharat" frameworks.