India’s first indigenous Automated Biomedical Waste Treatment Rig, Sṛjanam, was launched at AIIMS Delhi. 

• Developed by CSIR-NIIST (National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology), Thiruvananthapuram, it disinfects biomedical waste without costly incinerators.

About Bio-Medical Waste

• Definition: Biomedical waste includes waste generated from diagnosis, treatment, immunization, research, or biological production/testing in healthcare settings.
• India’s Biomedical Waste Challenge: India produces 743 tonnes of biomedical waste daily, requiring safe and efficient disposal (CPCB, 2023).
• Regulation: Bio-Medical Waste Management Rules, 2016 mandate proper segregation, treatment, and disposal

Solvent Extractors’ Association of India urged Cente to regulate the surge of refined soybean and palm oil imports from Nepal citing ‘Rule of Origin’ norm’s violation. 

About SAFTA 

• Genesis: SAFTA, the free trade pact of SAARC, replaced the 1993 SAARC Preferential Trading Arrangement in 2006. 
• Members:  Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. 
• Special treatment to LDCs: SAFTA recognizes the need for special and differential treatment for LDCs in its preamble.

 However, South Asia’s intraregional trade remains low, hovering around 5% due to poor transport infrastructure, political disputes, etc. 

Biolumpivaxin, an LSD vaccine recently developed by Bharat Biotech and ICAR got license from Central Drug Standards Control Organization.

About Lumpy Skin Disease

• Viral disease that affects primarily cows and lesser buffalos.
• Pathogen: by lumpy skin disease virus of the capripox virus genus in the Poxviridae family.
• Symptoms: Causes fever, and nodules on the skin and can also lead to death.
• Transmission: By blood-feeding insects, such as certain species of flies, mosquitoes, or ticks.

States receive central funding to combat LSD through training, awareness, and vaccination programs.

Researchers found a new quantum state in twisted bilayer-trilayer graphene, where electrons form a lattice but allow resistance-free edge currents. 

• This could aid quantum computing as it offer stability against noise

About Graphene

• Graphene is an allotrope of carbon.
• It is a one-atom-thick carbon sheet arranged in a hexagonal lattice. 
• It is the thinnest, lightest, and strongest material, 200 times stronger than steel and 1,000 times lighter than paper. It is 98% transparent, chemically stable, and highly conductive.

The government has revised certain guidelines related to the Market Intervention Scheme (MIS).

Market Intervention Scheme (MIS)

• It has been made a component of the integrated scheme of PM-AASHA (Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanraksan Abhiyan).
  • PM-AASHA aims to ensure  remunerative prices to farmers with components such as Price Support Scheme (PSS), Price Deficiency Payment Scheme (PDPS), Private Procurement & Stockist Scheme (PPPS)
• Purpose: prevents farms from distress selling of commodities of various perishable agricultural/horticultural commodities
• Implementation Mechanism: on the request of the State/UT Government for procurement 
• Condition: There should be a reduction of at least 10% in the market prices in the States/UTs as compared to the rates of the previous normal season
• Procurement/coverage: limit of production quantity of crops has been increased from the existing 20% to 25%.

India and Egypt to commence joint military exercise ‘Cyclone 2025’.

About Cyclone 2025

• Participants: India & Egypt
• Location: Rajasthan
• Objective: Enhance defence cooperation, improve interoperability, and share special forces skills in desert warfare.

Doctors recently conducted a cross-blood transplant in a patient with a rare Bombay blood group.

About Bombay Blood Group (HH blood group)

• It is a rare blood group 
• Discovery: 1st discovered in Mumbai in 1952 by Y.M. Bhende.
• Characteristics: presence of serum antibodies anti-A, anti-B, and anti-H, which can cause agglutination in all blood groups within the ABO system. 
• Clinical Feature: People with Bombay blood group cannot receive blood transfusions from any ABO group, including type O, which has the H antigen. 
• Note: They can only receive blood from another Bombay blood group donor.

India and the UK have initiated the second phase of the bilateral ASPIRE program as part of the Fourth India-UK Energy Dialogue.

About ASPIRE Program

• It is a bilateral initiative aimed at promoting clean energy transition and sustainable development in India.
• Focus of Second phase of ASPIRE:-
  • Round-the-Clock Power Supply: Providing technical support to ensure uninterrupted electricity.
  • Renewable Energy Expansion: Strengthening India’s clean energy initiatives.
  • Industrial Efficiency & Decarbonization: Promoting energy efficiency and reducing carbon emissions.
• The program is implemented in partnership with India’s Ministry of Power (MoP) and Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE).