About Pangenome

• A pangenome includes not only the core genes shared by all varieties but also the unique genes found in individual strains, offering a comprehensive map of genetic diversity in Asian rice.
• This project is comparable to the Human Genome Project (2003) in its goal to map genome-wide variations, but it is focused on rice, which is a staple food for nearly two-thirds of the world population.
• India, a major rice producer, recorded a record production of 220 million tonnes in 2024-25 over 51,000 hectares, with an average yield of 4.2 tonnes/hectare.
• The new pangenome database enables the development of advanced rice cultivars with enhanced traits, such as disease tolerance and resilience to climate shocks.

Key Findings

• Researchers used high-fidelity sequencing (PacBio HiFi) and advanced computational tools to assemble 87 billion base pairs of novel genetic sequences, which were absent from the earlier reference genome of Oryza sativa ssp. japonica.
• A total of 69,531 genes were identified, out of which:
  • 28,907 are core genes common to all varieties,
  • 13,728 are specific to wild rice, and
  • About 20% of all genes were unique to wild rice species, offering potential for future improvements in rice breeding.
• Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) recently developed two genome-edited rice varieties – Samba Mahsuri and MTU 1010 – that show promise for higher yield and drought resistance, though they are not yet released for cultivation.

Threats

• Climate change is a significant threat to rice production in India. The country has seen an average temperature rise of 0.7°C since 1901, and 2024 was the hottest year recorded, with minimum temperatures 0.9°C above average.
• Rising temperatures also increase arsenic uptake in rice, posing risks to both health and crop yield stability

What was discovered?

• These mutations affect a cellular complex called the RNA exosome, which plays a critical role in RNA processing, surveillance, and degradation.
• This reveals the potential to use yeast as a model organism for studying human neurological disorders, particularly those related to RNA exosome dysfunction.

What are RNA Exosomopathies?

• RNA exosomopathies are disorders caused by mutations in genes coding for RNA exosome components.
• These disorders primarily lead to brain maldevelopment, affecting structures like the pons and cerebellum.
• A key example is Pontocerebellar Hypoplasia Type 1 (PCH1), which results in severe motor, cognitive, and developmental impairments in infants.

Role of the RNA Exosome

• The RNA exosome is a multi-protein complex discovered in yeast in 1997.
• It is responsible for:
  • Processing, surveillance, and degradation of different types of RNA molecules.
  • Maturation of ribosomal RNA (rRNA) – essential for building ribosomes.
  • Elimination of faulty messenger RNA (mRNA) and regulation of non-coding RNAs (ncRNA).

Experimental Findings (Study 1 – Journal RNA)

• Researchers introduced human disease mutations into corresponding yeast genes.
• Found defects in:
  • RNA surveillance
  • Ribosome production
  • Protein synthesis
• Each mutation had a distinct molecular signature, explaining the varied clinical symptoms in patients.

 Creation of a Humanised Yeast Model (Study 2 – Journal G3)

• Scientists replaced segments of yeast RNA exosomes with human or mouse genes.
• Of 9 core proteins, 6 were successfully replaced, with 3 supporting normal yeast growth.
• Introduced known brain-defect mutations into this model.
• Proved that mutations directly impair RNA exosome function and are not mediated through indirect processes.

Why Yeast?

• Yeast is a simple eukaryote, easy to genetically modify and culture.
• Offers a cost-effective and fast method for testing hypotheses and potential drug interventions.
• Using yeast models allows rapid screening of RNA exosome mutations and their functional consequences.

What Are Magnetars?

• Magnetars are a type of neutron star characterised by exceptionally strong magnetic fields, estimated to be a thousand times stronger than typical neutron stars. Occasionally, they emit intense bursts of energy in the form of flares.
• The discovery was based on data from a giant flare emitted by a magnetar in 2004, during which unusual gamma-ray emissions were recorded almost a day after the initial flare by NASA’s Compton Gamma Ray Observatory.
• The delayed emission was not consistent with standard flare afterglows. Instead, it displayed signatures of radioactive decay from neutron-rich isotopes, suggesting the presence of r-process nucleosynthesis.

What Is R-Process Nucleosynthesis?

• The r-process or rapid neutron-capture process is a series of nuclear reactions where atomic nuclei rapidly capture neutrons, forming heavy elements like gold, platinum, and uranium. It requires extreme energy environments and neutron-rich matter.
• Researchers estimated that approximately 9 septillion kg of r-process material was ejected at nearly light speed during the flare. This material likely underwent rapid neutron capture, resulting in the synthesis of heavy elements.
• This discovery suggests that magnetars could have contributed to the universe’s heavy element inventory much earlier than neutron star collisions, offering insights into the chemical evolution of galaxies.

About Nongkhyllem Wildlife Sanctuary:

• Location: Situated in Ri-Bhoi district of Meghalaya, within the Eastern Himalayan Global Biodiversity Hotspot.
• Topography: Features undulating plains, low hills, and rugged terrain shaped by the Umtrew River and its tributaries (Umran, Umling, Umtasor).
• Main river: Umtrew River, forming the western boundary of the sanctuary.
• Fauna: Home to over 400 bird species, including the endangered Rufous-necked Hornbill, and mammals like the Clouded Leopard, Elephant, and Himalayan Black Bear.
• Flora: Dominant species include Shorea robusta, Tectona grandis, Terminalia myriocarpa, and Gmelina arborea.
• Legal and Conservation Status: Established in 1981 as a protected sanctuary under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
  • Rated as the best-managed protected area in Northeast India in the 2021 Management Effectiveness Evaluation (MEE) Report.

About National Technology Day

• National Technology Day is observed annually on 11th May to commemorate key milestones in India's technological advancement.
• Historical Milestones on 11th May 1998:
  • Pokhran-II Nuclear Tests under Operation Shakti, establishing India as a nuclear weapons state.
  • First test flight of the indigenously developed “Hansa-3” aircraft at Bengaluru.
  • Successful test firing of the Trishul missile, a short-range surface-to-air missile developed by DRDO.
• The day was officially declared by then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 1998, and since 1999, it has been celebrated as National Technology Day.
• Organising body: The event is organised by the Technology Development Board (TDB), a statutory body under DST, which promotes the commercialisation of indigenous technologies.

About YANTRA

• The word “YANTRA”, drawn from India’s ancient scientific and cultural traditions, signifies not just mechanical tools but also symbolic power representing:
  • Systems thinking
  • Synergistic innovation
  • Scalable technological solutions
• The term “Yugantar”, meaning epochal transformation, reflects India’s transition from technology adoption to global technology leadership, signalling a shift in India's innovation narrative.

About  National Scheme for Upgradation of Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) and the establishment of five National Centres of Excellence (NCOEs) for Skilling:

• It will be implemented as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme with an outlay of Rs.60,000 crore (Central Share: Rs.30,000 crore, State Share: Rs.20,000 crore, and Industry Share: Rs.10,000 crore), with co-financing to the extent of 50% of the Central share by the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank,
• The scheme will focus on upgradation of 1,000 Government ITIs in hub and spoke arrangement with industry aligned revamped trades (courses) and Capacity Augmentation of five (5) National Skill Training Institutes (NSTIs), including setting up of five National Centres of Excellence for Skilling in these institutes.
• The Scheme aims to position existing ITIs as government-owned, industry-managed aspirational institutes of skills, in collaboration with State Governments and industry.
• Over a five-year period, 20 lakh youth will be skilled through courses that address the human capital needs of industries.
• The scheme will focus on ensuring alignment between local workforce supply and industry demand, thereby facilitating industries, including MSMEs, in accessing employment-ready workers.
• A need-based investment provision has been kept under the scheme, allowing flexibility in fund allocation based on the specific infrastructure, capacity, and trade-related requirements of each institution.
• A unique feature of this scheme is the introduction of an industry-led Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) model to oversee ITI upgradation.
  • This approach will ensure better industry participation, course alignment, and outcome-driven implementation.
• Under the scheme, infrastructure upgradation for improved Training of Trainers (ToT) facilities will be undertaken in five NSTIs, namely Bhubaneswar, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kanpur, and Ludhiana.
• Additionally, pre-service and in-service training will be provided to 50,000 trainers.

About Credit Guarantee Scheme for Startups (CGSS):

• The Government of India established the CGSS in 2022 for providing credit guarantees to loans extended by Scheduled Commercial Banks, Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs), and Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI)-registered Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs).
• CGSS is aimed at providing credit guarantees up to a specified limit against loans extended by Member Institutions (MIs) to finance eligible borrowers, viz., Startups as defined in the Gazette Notification issued by Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) and amended from time to time.
• The National Credit Guarantee Trustee Company Limited (NCGTC) is the implementing agency of the Scheme.
• CGSS does not provide guarantee cover to DPIIT-recognised startups directly, but the Trustee (NCGTC), which in turn provides guarantee cover to Member Institutions (MIs) who provide loans to startups.
• The instruments of assistance would be in the form of venture debt, working capital, subordinated debt/mezzanine debt, debentures, optionally convertible debt and other fund-based as well as non-fund-based facilities, which have crystallised as debt obligations.
• The credit guarantee cover under the Scheme would be transaction-based and umbrella-based.
  • In transaction-based guarantee cover, the guarantee cover is obtained by the MIs on a single eligible borrower basis. It will promote lending by Banks/ NBFCs to eligible startups.
  • The umbrella-based guarantee cover will provide guarantee to Venture Debt Funds (VDF) registered under AIF regulations of SEBI.
• Recent Changes:
  • The revised framework has enhanced guarantee coverage, increasing the maximum limit from ₹10 crore to ₹20 crore per eligible borrower.
  • The extent of guarantee has also been increased. For loans up to ₹10 crore, the guarantee will now cover 85 percent of the amount in default, while for loans above ₹10 crore, the coverage will be 75 percent.
  • Further, the Annual Guarantee Fee (AGF) for startups in 27 Champion Sectors has been reduced to 1 percent p.a. from 2 percent p.a.

About Gomti River:

• It is a tributary of the Ganges (Ganga) River, flowing entirely through the state of Uttar Pradesh.
• The river is also known by the names Gumti or Gomati.
• The Gomti River is unique in that it is both rain- and groundwater-fed; the other major tributaries of the Ganga in this region are snow-fed rivers originating in the Himalayas.
• Course:
  • It originates from the Gomat Taal, otherwise called Fulhaar Jheel, which is located near the Madho Tanda in the Pilibhit district in Uttar Pradesh.
  • The river drains the area between the rivers Ramganga and Sharda.
  • After flowing southwards through the districts of Lucknow, Barabhanki, Sultanpur, Faizabad, and Jaunpur, it joins with the River Ganga near Saidpur.
• The river extends to about 900 km.
• It drains a basin of about 7,240 square miles (18,750 square km).
• Major tributaries of the Gomti include the Sai River, Chowka River, Kathina River, and Saryu River.
• Major cities situated on the banks of the River Gomti are Sultanpur, Lucknow, Jaunpur, and Lakhimpur Kheri.

About LICONN  Technology:

• Light-microscopy-based Connectomics (LICONN) is a new method to map the brain’s complex neural networks at the nanoscale while simultaneously identifying specific molecules within those connections.
• It was developed at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA).
• LICONN combines conventional light microscopy technology with the properties of hydrogel and experimental techniques, artificial intelligence, and analytical methods.
• It is the first technology beyond electron microscopy (EM) that is capable of reconstructing brain tissue with all the synaptic connections between neurons.
• Until now, researchers studying brain connectivity faced a challenging trade-off: they could either see the detailed physical structure of neural connections using electron microscopy (EM) or identify specific molecules using light microscopy—but not both simultaneously at the resolution needed to trace individual connections.
• LICONN allows researchers to see structures in the brain that are smaller than what normal light microscopes can detect.
• They do this by soaking brain tissue in a special gel that expands it by about 16 times its original size, then use fluorescent stains to highlight different proteins and advanced computer programs, including AI, to identify and trace the shapes of neurons.

About Tapti Basin Mega Recharge Project (TBMRP):

• The Tapti River (called Tapi in Maharashtra) originates in Madhya Pradesh’s Betul district and flows through parts of Maharashtra.
• TBMRP is a joint project of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.
• It is the world’s largest groundwater recharge initiative.
• The project aims to channelise adequate water to northeastern Maharashtra, including Nagpur, for drinking purposes, and to southern Madhya Pradesh, particularly the Chhindwara district, for irrigation.
• The total water usage of the Tapti Basin Mega Recharge Project will be 31.13 thousand million cubic feet (TMC), of which 11.76 TMC has been allocated to Madhya Pradesh and 19.36 TMC to Maharashtra.
• It will facilitate irrigation of 1,23,082 hectares of land in MP and 2,34,706 hectares in Maharashtra.
• Under the Project, four water structures are proposed:
  • Low diversion weir at Kharia Gutighat dam site: The weir is proposed at Khalwa tehsil of Khandwa district in MP and Amravati tehsil of Maharashtra on the border of both states with 8.31 TMC capacity.
  • Right bank canal phase I: A 221-km-long canal is proposed from the right bank of the proposed Kharia Gutighat weir, with 110 km in MP. The canal will irrigate over 55,000 hectares of area in MP.
  • Left bank canal phase I: A 135.64-km-long canal is proposed from the left bank of the proposed Kharia Gutighat weir, with 100.42 km in MP. It will irrigate over 44,000 hectares of area in MP.
  • Left bank canal phase II: Its length will be 123.97 km, which will irrigate over 80,000 hectares in Maharashtra.