In News:

• Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) refers to the sudden, unexplained death of an infant below one year of age, even after thorough medical investigation, including autopsy, review of medical history, and examination of the death environment.
• It is a major contributor to infant mortality globally, and October is observed as SIDS Awareness Month to promote public understanding and preventive practices.

Epidemiology and Vulnerable Age Group

• Most SIDS cases occur between 2 to 4 months of age, and around 90% of incidents occur before six months. While it can happen at any time, cases most commonly occur during sleep, typically between midnight and early morning hours. Slightly more male infants are affected compared to females.
• SIDS is the leading cause of death in infants aged 1 month to 1 year in countries like the United States, with approximately 2,500 infant deaths annually.

Understanding SIDS and SUID

SIDS forms part of a broader category termed Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID), which encompasses all sudden infant deaths, including those with clear causes (such as suffocation) and those without identified causes. About half of SUID cases are attributed specifically to SIDS.

Risk Factors and Possible Mechanisms

Although SIDS remains medically unexplained, research suggests a combination of biological vulnerability and environmental triggers during a critical developmental period. Proposed mechanisms include immaturity of the brain regions regulating breathing, heart rate, temperature, and arousal from sleep, as well as possible genetic predisposition.

Recognised risk factors include:

• Premature birth and low birth weight
• Exposure to tobacco smoke or alcohol during pregnancy
• Unsafe sleep environment or sleeping position
• Lack of prenatal care
• Overheating during sleep
• Teenage pregnancy
• Male sex
• Sibling history of SIDS
• Being a twin
• History of apnea episodes

Importantly, vaccines do not cause SIDS; recent studies indicate that timely vaccination may actually reduce SIDS risk by up to 50%.

Prevention and Safe-Sleep Guidelines

While SIDS cannot always be prevented, certain practices can significantly reduce risk. Key recommendations include:

• Always place infants on their backs for sleep.
• Use a firm, flat sleep surface with only a fitted sheet.
• Avoid loose bedding, pillows, toys, and crib bumpers in the sleep area.
• Have the baby sleep in the same room but not the same bed for at least the first six months.
• Avoid smoking, alcohol, and drug exposure during and after pregnancy.
• Maintain a cool sleeping environment and avoid overheating.
• Breastfeeding and the use of pacifiers are associated with reduced risk.
• Stop swaddling once the infant can roll over.
• Provide supervised tummy time while the infant is awake to promote development and prevent flat-head syndrome.

Consumer devices marketed to prevent SIDS, such as breathing monitors, have no proven benefit in preventing deaths.

In News:

• India’s human spaceflight programme, Gaganyaan, places paramount emphasis on astronaut safety. To achieve this, ISRO has developed a dedicated Crew Escape System (CES) — a rapid emergency mechanism designed to protect astronauts during the most critical phase of a mission: launch and atmospheric ascent.
• Recently, ISRO also developed a cost-effective single-stage test vehicle powered by the Vikas engine specifically to validate this escape system during flight trials.

Purpose and Importance

• In human space missions, crew safety takes priority over mission success. During launch and the initial ascent through the dense atmosphere, the launch vehicle experiences extreme stresses and accelerates to hypersonic speeds. Any malfunction at this stage — especially with rockets using solid boosters that cannot be shut down once ignited — demands immediate crew evacuation.
• The CES is engineered to rapidly detach the crew module from the launch vehicle in the event of an anomaly and move it to a safe distance within seconds.

How the Crew Escape System Works

The Crew Escape System is mounted on the forward end of the rocket and consists of multiple high-burn-rate solid motors that generate more thrust than the launch vehicle, ensuring faster acceleration of the escape module. Once activated, the CES pulls the crew module away, safely distancing it from the failing rocket.

After separation:

• The escape system detaches from the crew module
• A multistage parachute system deploys
• The module gradually decelerates
• Astronauts splash down safely in the sea

Throughout this sequence, the crew remains inside the pressurised module until recovery.

Decision-Making & Safety Systems

• Activation of the CES is controlled by the Integrated Vehicle Health Management (IVHM) system. This network of sensors, software and diagnostics continuously monitors launch vehicle performance and crew module health in real time.
• It detects anomalies, filters out false alarms, and triggers the escape sequence instantly if required.

Types of Crew Escape Systems

Crew escape mechanisms follow two broad designs:

• Puller type — used in Gaganyaan, where the system pulls the crew module away using high-thrust solid motors. Similar systems were used in the U.S. Saturn V, Russia’s Soyuz, and China’s Long March missions.
• Pusher type — used in systems like SpaceX Falcon-9, where small liquid-fuel engines push the spacecraft away.

ISRO adopted the puller-type design due to its proven reliability in high-stress atmospheric escape scenarios.

In News:

A team from the Botanical Survey of India (BSI) has identified a new species of balsam flower named Impatiens rajibiana in Arunachal Pradesh. The discovery was made in the natural forest areas of Shergaon, West Kameng district, highlighting the region’s rich floral biodiversity.

Key Details and Ecological Significance

• Impatiens rajibiana belongs to the Balsaminaceae family, commonly known as balsams.
• The species was located in moist, shaded habitats at an elevation of over 2,000 metres, indicating its preference for cool, humid, high-altitude forest ecosystems.
• Balsams are known for their delicate flowers and high levels of endemism, often restricted to narrow ecological zones.
• India currently hosts around 230 species of balsams, including the widely known Impatiens balsamina (garden balsam or touch-me-not).
• Arunachal Pradesh has emerged as a hotspot for balsam diversity. Between 2013 and 2017, more than 16 new species of Impatiens were documented from the state, such as Impatiens godfreyi and Impatiens sashinborthakurii, reinforcing the Eastern Himalayas’ status as a key centre of plant discovery.

Conservation Relevance

• The discovery of Impatiens rajibiana underlines the ecological value of the Eastern Himalayan region and the need for continued field surveys and conservation.
• As many balsam species have restricted distribution and small populations, they may be vulnerable to habitat disturbances, climate change, and anthropogenic pressures.
• Protecting fragile mountain ecosystems and promoting biodiversity research remain critical for safeguarding endemic plant species like Impatiens rajibiana.

In News:

• India is set to make a major leap in its air-to-air weapon capability with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) upgrading the Astra Mk-2 air-to-air missile.
• The missile’s range is being extended to beyond 200 kilometres, marking a significant improvement over earlier versions and positioning India among the few nations with such long-range Beyond Visual Range (BVR) missile technology.
• This upgrade is part of India’s broader push towards defenceindigenisation under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat vision.

Importance and Context

• The Astra programme reflects India's commitment to reducing dependence on foreign defence systems, strengthening self-reliance, and enhancing air superiority capabilities.
• The Astra Mk-1, with a range of around 90–110 km, has already been successfully inducted by the Indian Air Force (IAF) and proven operationally, including during Operation Sindoor.
• The Mk-2 variant, now under advanced development, will boost India's long-range interception capability, enabling IAF aircraft to engage enemy targets from well outside hostile air defence zones—an essential capability in modern aerial combat.

Key Features and Technological Advancements

• The Astra Mk-2 will be an extended-range, next-generation BVR missile capable of striking targets over 200 km away.
• It will employ a dual-pulse solid rocket motor, which provides an initial burst of acceleration followed by a second ignition phase for enhanced end-game manoeuvrability and precision. This propulsion design ensures higher terminal speed and greater accuracy compared to single-pulse missiles.
• The missile is expected to fly at speeds close to Mach 4.5 and will be equipped with a fully indigenous Radio Frequency (RF) seeker, fibre-optic gyroscopes, and advanced electronic countermeasure (ECM) resistance, making it highly effective in electronic warfare environments.
• Physically, the missile will be larger and heavier than its predecessor, with an estimated diameter of around 190 mm and a weight of approximately 175 kg. Its enhanced aerodynamic design will allow superior range and altitude engagement.

Operational Deployment and Strategic Impact

• Following successful development and testing, the Astra Mk-2 will be integrated with frontline fighter jets such as the Sukhoi-30MKI and LCA Tejas. The IAF plans to procure an initial stock of nearly 700 missiles, ensuring high operational availability.
• The missile’s extended range capability will serve as a key deterrent against regional adversaries. It is viewed as a counter to China’s PL-15, and it significantly surpasses Pakistan’s PL-15E, which has a maximum range of around 145 km. This enhancement will allow Indian pilots to neutralise hostile aircraft long before they pose a threat.

In News:

The Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Law and Justice recently inaugurated the Live Cases Dashboard under the Legal Information Management and Briefing System (LIMBS) at Shastri Bhawan, New Delhi. This marks a key advancement in the government's efforts to enhance transparency, efficiency, and coordination in legal case management.

About the Live Cases Dashboard

• A digital interface providing real-time visualisation of court cases involving the Government of India.
• Displays upcoming hearings — particularly cases scheduled within the next seven days — across the Supreme Court, High Courts, and other judicial bodies.
• Enables proactive decision-making and inter-ministerial coordination, helping departments prepare timely responses.

About LIMBS

• Web-based application designed to monitor litigation where the Union of India is a party.
• Launched for central ministries, departments, CPSUs and autonomous bodies in 2016, with a major upgrade in January 2020.
• Operates under the Department of Legal Affairs, Ministry of Law & Justice.
• Allows 24x7 access to government officials, advocates, arbitrators, nodal officers, and ministry users to upload and track case information.
• Offers a dashboard-based system providing a snapshot of legal matters to each stakeholder institution.

Significance

• The Government of India remains one of the largest litigants.
• LIMBS and its Live Cases Dashboard aim to reduce litigation burden in line with the vision of “Minimum Litigation, Maximum Governance”.
• Enhances transparency, accountability, and judicial efficiency.
• Promotes data-driven governance, timely legal response, and improved public resource management.