Prayas Neuro Rehabilitation Centre

Context:

The Ministry of Ayush launched “Prayas”, a first-of-its-kind Integrated Neuro-Rehabilitation Centre at AIIA Goa, marking a milestone in blending Ayurveda, Yoga, and modern therapies for paediatric neuro care.

About Prayas Neuro Rehabilitation Centre:

What is Prayas?

Integrated Centre: It is a novel, multi-disciplinary Neuro-Rehabilitation Centre established to offer holistic, patient-centric care.

Unique Combination: It is among the first centres in India to unify Ayurveda, Physiotherapy, Yoga, Speech Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and modern Paediatrics under a single umbrella.

Host Institution: All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), Goa.

Launched By: The Ministry of Ayush.

Aim and Function:

Primarily focuses on providing comprehensive neuro-rehabilitation to children (paediatric care) with neurological and developmental conditions.

Aims to create evidence-based solutions by combining the best of traditional knowledge and modern rehabilitation sciences.

Functions:

Deliver integrative patient-centred care for paediatric neurological challenges.

Combine traditional wisdom (Ayurveda, Yoga) with modern rehabilitation sciences.

Serve as a research and training hub for Ayush-based innovations in neuro care.

Act as a model of holistic healthcare aligned with India’s National Health Policy.

Provide comprehensive family support through multidisciplinary therapies.

Two New Ramsar Sites in Bihar

Context:

India added two new Ramsar sites in Bihar—Gokul Jalashay and Udaipur Jheel— raising the national tally to 93 wetlands of international importance, consolidating India’s top position in Asia.

About Two New Ramsar Sites in Bihar:

Gokul Jalashay (Buxar, 448 ha):

An oxbow lake on the southern edge of the Ganga.

Acts as a flood buffer for nearby villages.

Home to 50+ bird species.

Supports fishing, farming, irrigation; villagers conduct community-led cleaning rituals annually.

Udaipur Jheel (West Champaran, 319 ha):

An oxbow lake surrounding a village.

280+ plant species, including Alysicarpus roxburghianus (endemic herb).

Important wintering ground for ~35 migratory birds, incl. vulnerable Common Pochard.

About Ramsar Sites:

What it is?

Wetland sites of international importance under the Ramsar Convention (1971), promoting conservation and sustainable use.

Origin: Signed in Ramsar, Iran (1971); came into force in 1975 under UNESCO.

Aim: Protect wetlands as critical ecosystems for biodiversity, water security, flood control, and livelihoods.

Key Features:

Provides framework for national action + international cooperation.

Identifies wetlands vital for rare ecosystems, migratory birds, endangered species, fisheries, and hydrological balance.

India and Ramsar Sites:

Current total (Sept 2025): 93 wetlands across 13.6 lakh hectares.

Growth: 26 (2012) 93 (2025), with 51 sites added since 2020.

Global Standing:

India: 3rd in the world (after UK – 176, Mexico – 144).

Asia: 1st in number of Ramsar sites.

Bihar: Now has 5 Ramsar sites (with the new additions).

Siphon-Powered Desalination

Context:

Indian Institute of Science (IISc) researchers have developed a siphon-powered desalination system that converts seawater into clean drinking water faster and cheaper.

About Siphon-Powered Desalination:

What it is?

A thermal desalination system that uses the principle of siphonage to continuously draw, evaporate, and condense seawater into potable water.

Developed by: Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru

How it works?

Composite siphon: Fabric wick + grooved metal surface draws seawater.

Gravity flow: Flushes away salt before crystallization.

Thin film evaporation: Water spreads on heated metal, evaporates.

Ultra-narrow air gap: Just 2 mm away, vapor condenses on cooler surface.

Multistage stacking: Recycles heat through multiple evaporator–condenser pairs for higher efficiency.

Key Features:

Efficiency: Produces >6 liters of potable water/m²/hour under sunlight (several times higher than solar stills).

Materials: Low-cost — aluminum and fabric.

Energy use: Runs on solar or waste heat; fully off-grid compatible.

Durability: Handles extremely salty water (up to 20% salt) without clogging.

Scalable & Sustainable: Suitable for villages, disaster zones, island nations, and coastal areas.

Significance:

Water Security: Helps address drinking water scarcity in water-stressed and off-grid regions.

Innovation Leap: Overcomes long-standing issues of salt buildup and scaling limits in solar desalination.

Sustainable Development: Low-cost, eco-friendly solution aligned with SDG-6 (Clean Water and Sanitation).

World Food India (WFI) 2025

Context:

The 4th edition of World Food India (WFI) 2025 will be inaugurated by Prime Minister of India on 25th September 2025 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.

About World Food India (WFI) 2025:

What it is?

A flagship international event hosted by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI).

Serves as a global platform for food innovation, investment, technology, and sustainability in India’s food ecosystem.

Origin & History:

Conceptualised by MoFPI to showcase India as a food processing hub.

First edition in 2017, followed by 2nd in 2023, 3rd in 2024, and now the 4th in 2025.

Structured to strengthen India’s positioning as the “Food Basket of the World.”

Aim:

Promote foreign and domestic investment in India’s food processing sector.

Strengthen farm-to-fork linkages and value addition.

Encourage sustainable and future-ready food systems.

Showcase India’s diverse food culture to the global community.

Features of WFI 2025:

Parallel Events:

3rd Global Food Regulators Summit (FSSAI).

24th India International Seafood Show (SEAI).

Reverse Buyer-Seller Meet (APEDA).

Core Pillars:

Sustainability & Net Zero Food Processing.

India as a Global Food Hub.

Frontiers in Processing & Packaging Technologies.

Food for Nutrition, Health & Wellness.

Livestock & Marine Products driving rural economy.

Significance:

Economic: Strengthens investments in R&D, cold chains, startups, logistics, and retail.

Global positioning: Positions India as a global food hub and innovation leader.

Strategic: Promotes sustainable food systems in line with SDGs.

Combined Operational Review and Evaluation (CORE) Programme

Context:

Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff (HQ IDS) launched the Combined Operational Review and Evaluation (CORE) Programme in New Delhi.

About Combined Operational Review and Evaluation (CORE) Programme:

What it is?

A five-day professional engagement programme on national and regional security issues.

Acts as a forum for civil–military dialogue, strategic review, and leadership development.

Organisation Involved:

HQ Integrated Defence Staff (IDS) as the nodal organiser.

Participants include senior officers from Armed Forces, and ministries of Defence, External Affairs, and Home Affairs.

Aim:

To strengthen civil–military synergy in addressing multidimensional threats.

To enhance strategic awareness and foster balanced decision-making among future leaders.

Features:

Themes – regional/global security, tech transformation of warfare, strategic communication, inter-agency synergy.

Method – lectures, discussions, and interactions with subject-matter experts and professionals.

Focus – joint problem-solving, leadership exposure, cross-domain learning.

Participants – senior civil and military officers for holistic security perspectives.

Significance:

Builds intellectual foundations for senior leadership.

Encourages jointness in Armed Forces and coordination with civilian agencies.

Enhances preparedness for complex, multidimensional threats at national and international levels

NITI Aayog’s ‘AI for Viksit Bharat Roadmap’

Context:

NITI Aayog launched the ‘AI for Viksit Bharat Roadmap’ and ‘Frontier Tech Repository’ under its Frontier Tech Hub.

About NITI Aayog’s AI for Viksit Bharat Roadmap:

What it is?

A comprehensive national blueprint to harness Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a growth accelerator.

Focus: Productivity enhancement, sector-specific AI adoption, innovation-driven R&D.

Objective: Bridge 30–35% of India’s growth gap to achieve sustained 8%+ GDP growth by 2035.

Approach:

Accelerate AI adoption in key industries (banking, manufacturing, pharma, auto).

Transform R&D with generative AI to leapfrog innovation.

Strengthen data, compute, talent, and governance infrastructure for inclusive growth.

Key Summary of Report:

AI’s Economic Potential: Can add $500–600B to GDP by 2035 through productivity gains and efficiency

Sectoral Priority: Banking & manufacturing could derive 20–25% of sectoral GDP from AI; pharma & auto identified for leapfrog innovation

Data Capital of the World: India to become global hub of trusted, anonymized data ecosystems through AI Kosh, sectoral data grids, and DPI integration

AI Skilling Ecosystem: Plans for AI Open University, AI Chairs in top institutes, national certification programs, and workforce reskilling to close skill gaps

Generative AI in R&D: Can cut drug discovery timelines by 60–80%, speed automotive design validation, and reduce costs of innovation

Frontier Tech Repository: 200+ case studies in agriculture, healthcare, education, and national security to inspire states & districts

Frontier 50 Initiative: Support for 50 aspirational districts to implement frontier tech solutions for service saturation

Impact Awards: Recognition for top 3 states leveraging technology for governance, education, health & livelihood transformation

India’s Opportunity:

Demographic Dividend: Large STEM workforce to lead global AI innovation and service exports.

Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI): UPI, Aadhaar, ABHA, and Account Aggregator create scalable AI use cases.

Global AI Hub Potential: AI Kosh + 38,000+ GPU compute network can attract global R&D investments.

Export Competitiveness: AI-enabled manufacturing, pharma, and auto components can boost India’s share in global value chains.

Inclusive Growth: AI adoption in agriculture, health, education can improve service delivery in rural and underserved regions.

Challenges:

Talent Gaps: Limited high-end AI researchers and applied AI professionals.

Fragmented Data Ecosystem: Need for standardised, privacy-compliant, sectoral data-sharing frameworks.

Compute Infrastructure: GPU shortages, lack of edge-cloud networks could slow deployment.

Regulatory Uncertainty: Patent norms for AI-discovered drugs, cybersecurity compliance for AI models need clarity.

Adoption Divide: MSMEs and small financial institutions may struggle to afford AI solutions, widening inequality in adoption.

Way Ahead:

National AI Mission Execution: Fast-track implementation of IndiaAI Mission with periodic monitoring.

AI-Ready Infrastructure: Invest in AI-ready industrial parks, federated compute networks, and data exchanges.

Skilling at Scale: Launch AI micro-credentials, lifelong learning pathways, and reverse diaspora programs for top talent.

Robust AI Governance: Build frameworks for ethical AI, explainability, risk audits, and consumer protection.

Public-Private Partnerships: Incentivise startups, industry, and academia to co-develop solutions and scale innovation.

Conclusion:

The AI for Viksit Bharat Roadmap is a bold step to make India a global AI powerhouse. If executed well, it can close the growth gap, generate millions of new-age jobs, and place India at the forefront of responsible, inclusive, innovation-driven growth. Timely execution, governance, and skilling will decide whether India leads or lags in the global AI revolution.

Salamis Bay

Context:

INS Trikand, a stealth frigate of the Indian Navy, reached Salamis Bay, Greece.

It will participate in the first-ever bilateral maritime exercise between India and Greece to boost interoperability and naval cooperation.

About Salamis Bay:

What it is?

A natural bay on the west coast of Salamis Island, Greece, connected to the Saronic Gulf.

Location: Situated in the Aegean Sea region, about 16 km from Athens, near Salamis town.

Features:

Maximum length ~9 km, Cape Petriti forms its southwestern end.

Historically significant — site of the famous Battle of Salamis (480 BCE) where the Greeks defeated the Persians.

About Greece:

Location: Southeastern Europe, southern tip of the Balkan Peninsula.

Capital: Athens (largest city), followed by Thessaloniki and Patras.

Neighbouring Nations: Shares borders with Albania, North Macedonia & Bulgaria, Turkey.

Key Features:

Known as the cradle of Western civilisation and birthplace of democracy.

Possesses the longest Mediterranean coastline with thousands of islands.

Home to 20 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, preserving ancient temples, theatres, and Byzantine monuments

Samudra Pradakshina: World’s First Tri-Service All-Women Sailing Circumnavigation

Context:

What is it?

Samudra Pradakshina is India’s first-ever tri-service all-women circumnavigation sailing expedition.

Involves sailing around the globe, meeting global norms of true circumnavigation (as per World Sailing Speed Record Council).

Flagged off: September 2025, Gateway of India, Mumbai

Duration: Sept 2025 – May 2026 (~8 months)

Distance: ~26,000 nautical miles

Vessel & Route Details

Vessel: IASV Triveni, a 50-foot indigenous Class A yacht, built in Puducherry.

Route:

Easterly circumnavigation

Crosses Equator twice

Rounds major Capes: Leeuwin (Australia), Horn (South America), Good Hope (Africa)

Crew Composition

10 women officers from the Army, Navy, and Air Force

Led by:

Lt Col Anuja Varudkar (Indian Army)

Sqn Ldr Shraddha P Raju (Indian Air Force)

Aims & Objectives

Nari Shakti: Celebrate courage, endurance, and leadership of women in uniform.

Tri-service Integration: Strengthen jointness and interoperability among armed forces.

Science & Research:

Partnering with National Institute of Oceanography (NIO)

Study microplastics, ocean biodiversity, and marine health.

Strategic & Diplomatic Outreach:

Use port calls to promote military diplomacy and cultural engagement.

Historical Context

Significance

Women Empowerment: First global tri-service, women-led maritime expedition—milestone in gender inclusion in Indian defence.

Aatmanirbhar Bharat: Showcases indigenous shipbuilding, sailing, and maritime R&D capabilities.

Blue Economy & Maritime Vision: Aligns with India’s SAGAR policy (Security and Growth for All in the Region).

Strategic Messaging: Demonstrates India's maritime strength, expeditionary capabilities, and global presence.

Two New Species of Aspergillus section Nigri from the Western Ghats

Context:

Scientists at the MACS–Agharkar Research Institute (Pune), under the Department of Science & Technology (DST), have discovered two new species of black fungi (Aspergillus section Nigri) in the Western Ghats, highlighting the region’s rich fungal biodiversity.

About Aspergillus Section Nigri

Commonly known as black aspergilli, these fungi are widespread in soil and plants.

Industrially significant for their role in producing citric acid, fermentation processes, and applications in food and agriculture.

Referred to as “workhorses of biotechnology” due to their versatile commercial uses.

Newly Discovered Species

Aspergillus dhakephalkarii

Rapid growth with brown spores and orange sclerotia (resting structures).

Spores are smooth and oval-shaped, differing from the rough or spiny spores of related species.

Aspergillus patriciawiltshireae

Also fast-growing with abundant sclerotia.

Spores are spiny with branching structures forming multiple columns.

Additionally, two species, A. aculeatinus and A. brunneoviolaceus, were reported for the first time in India.

Significance

Confirms the Western Ghats as a hotspot for hidden fungal diversity.

Potentially benefits biotechnology, industrial fermentation, citric acid production, and agriculture (soil nutrient cycling).

Enhances India’s role in fungal taxonomy, ecology, and biotech research.

National Cooperative Exports Limited (NCEL)

Context:

National Cooperative Exports Limited (NCEL) and Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) signed an MoU to boost cooperative-led agricultural exports.

About National Cooperative Exports Limited (NCEL):

What it is?

A national-level multi-state cooperative society, functioning as an umbrella organization for all cooperative exports in India.

Established in: 25 January 2023, registered under the Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act, 2002.

Headquarters: New Delhi, India.

Objective:

To strengthen India’s cooperative sector in international markets by facilitating exports, improving farmer incomes, and realising the vision of “Sahakar se Samriddhi”.

Promoters:

Major cooperative institutions: AMUL (GCMMF), IFFCO, KRIBHCO, NAFED, and NCDC.

Functions:

Act as an umbrella platform for cooperatives to enter global trade.

Support export of agri, dairy, fisheries, horticulture, handloom, handicraft, textiles, and allied products.

Provide infrastructure support, branding, compliance, and market access.

Empower cooperatives to compete globally through training and market intelligence

India Rankings 2025

Context:

The Ministry of Education released the India Rankings 2025 under the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF).

About India Rankings 2025:

What it is?

India Rankings is the annual ranking of higher education institutions based on the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF), introduced in 2015. It covers universities, colleges, and specialized institutions across disciplines.

Published by: The Ministry of Education, Government of India, with data support from agencies like Scopus, Web of Science, and Derwent Innovation.

Aim:

To promote accountability, transparency, and quality benchmarking among Higher Education Institutions (HEIs).

To guide students, parents, and policymakers with credible performance indicators.

To align higher education with NEP 2020 goals and India’s vision of becoming a knowledge superpower by 2047.

Criteria Used (5 Parameters & Weightage):

Teaching, Learning & Resources (30%) – faculty quality, student strength, financial resources.

Research & Professional Practice (30%) – publications, citations, patents.

Graduation Outcomes (20%) – placement, higher studies, median salary.

Outreach & Inclusivity (10%) – gender balance, regional diversity, inclusivity.

Perception (10%) – academic and public reputation.

Trends in Report (2025): (No need to remember everything just have the idea)

IIT Madras retained dominance – ranked 1st in the Overall category for the 7th year in a row, and 1st in Engineering for the 10th year.

IISc Bengaluru’s consistent lead – topped Universities for the 10th consecutive year and Research Institutions for the 5th year.

Domain leaders unchanged – IIM Ahmedabad in Management, AIIMS Delhi in Medical, IIT Roorkee in Architecture, and NLSIU Bengaluru in Law maintained their top positions.

Delhi colleges dominance – Hindu College secured 1st place for the 2nd year, while six of the top 10 colleges are from Delhi.

Expansion of categories – 9 categories and 8 subject domains covered; new SDG-based rankings introduced, topped by IIT Madras.

Growing participation – 7,692 unique institutions applied, with 14,163 submissions, reflecting a 297% rise in applications since 2016.

Emerging diversity in leaders – Jamia Hamdard (Pharmacy), IGNOU (Open Universities), Symbiosis (Skill Universities), and IARI Delhi (Agriculture) highlight non-IIT/non-IIM excellence.

Mira Variable Stars

Context:

A new IUCAA-led study (with Nobel laureate Adam Riess as co-author) has used Mira variable stars to measure the Hubble constant with 3.7% precision.

This provides an independent anchor for the cosmic distance ladder, potentially helping resolve the ongoing Hubble tension.

About Mira variable stars:

What it is?

Mira variables are cool, pulsating red giant stars whose brightness varies regularly due to expansion and contraction cycles in their outer layers.

Discovery:

The prototype star Mira (Omicron Ceti) was identified as variable in 1596 by David Fabricius and further studied in the 17th century, making it the first recognized variable star.

Features:

Brightness variation period: 100–1,000 days.

Surface temperature: ~3,000 K (about half of the Sun's surface).

Located in the late evolutionary stage (dying giant stars).

Strong period–luminosity relationship, similar to Cepheid variables.

Oxygen-rich types (used in the study) are less affected by metallicity, giving cleaner luminosity calibration.

Significance:

Serve as “standard candles” in astronomy—helping measure cosmic distances.

Provide a new independent calibration for Type Ia supernovae in the extragalactic distance ladder.

Crucial in determining the Hubble constant and addressing the Hubble tension (discrepancy in expansion rate of the Universe measured via early vs. late-Universe methods).