About Bhakra Dam:

• It is a concrete gravity dam across the Sutlej River, in the Bilaspur district of Himachal Pradesh.
• It is near the border between Punjab and Himachal Pradesh.
• It is the highest straight gravity dam in the world.
• It is Asia’s second tallest dam, next to the Tehri Dam.
• Operation and maintenance of the Bhakra dam is done by the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB).
• The dam created the massive Gobind Sagar reservoir and plays a crucial role in irrigation, flood control, and hydroelectric power generation for Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, and Chandigarh.
  • In terms of storage of water, it is the second largest reservoir in India, the first being Indira Sagar Dam in Madhya Pradesh.
• Nangal Dam is another dam downstream of Bhakra Dam.
  • Nangal Dam is an earthen dam.
  • It serves as an auxiliary dam to channel the water released from Bhakra Dam to two powerhouses. 

About Tangkhul Hui:

• Tangkhul Hui, also known as Haofa, is a breed of dog raised by the Tangkhul people in the Ukhrul district of Manipur.
• It is also considered by some as a guard dog due to its strong will and protective instinct.
• The population of purebred Haofa is steadily declining, making it increasingly rare to find dogs of original lineage.

 About Kombai:

• It is an Indian dog breed that originated in the Kombai region of Tamil Nadu.
  • Also known as the Indian Bore Hound or Combai.
  • Known for its bravery and loyalty, the Kombai was historically prized by South Indian royalty and warriors for protection and combat.

About Air-Ships Based High-Altitude Pseudo-Satellite (AS-HAPS):

• HAPS are solar-powered unmanned aerial vehicles designed to operate in the stratosphere nearly double the cruising altitude of commercial aircraft.
• Unlike conventional satellites that orbit at least 200 km above Earth and require expensive rocket launches, HAPS platforms can remain airborne for months or even years using solar power during the day and high-density batteries at night.
• This gives them satellite-like capabilities at a fraction of the cost, hence the term "pseudo satellite."
• HAPS hovers persistently over specific locations, providing real-time monitoring of border areas to detect changes or movements.
• Equipped with high-definition optical and infrared cameras, state-of-the-art sensors, these aerial platforms are suitable for round-the-clock missions, border patrolling, target tracking, maritime surveillance and navigation, and even missile detection.
• India and HAPS:
  • India has been developing indigenous HAPS capability through the National Aerospace Laboratories in Bengaluru.

Why in news?

India’s AI success will hinge less on large GPU clusters and more on how AI applications improve everyday life. From enabling ASHA workers to detect high-risk pregnancies, helping farmers reduce pesticide use, to enhancing learning outcomes in government schools, AI’s real value lies in social impact.

The Economic Survey 2026 emphasises Human Primacy and Economic Purpose as core principles, calling for AI adoption to remain aligned with welfare and inclusion. A national AI strategy must reflect domestic realities and ensure benefits reach all sectors and citizens.

Encouragingly, Indian innovators are already building AI solutions in health, agriculture, education, urban governance, and disaster management. With sustained policy and ecosystem support, these solutions could scale nationwide and evolve into a cohesive India AI Applications Stack, with potential for global export.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• AI in Healthcare: Expanding Access and Early Detection
• AI in Agriculture: Smarter Farming, Lower Costs
• AI in Education: Personalised and Inclusive Learning
• Government as Ecosystem Orchestrator for India’s AI Applications Stack

AI in Healthcare: Expanding Access and Early Detection

• Niramai: Early Breast Cancer Screening
  • Niramai has developed a non-invasive, AI-based thermal imaging tool for breast cancer screening.
  • Unlike traditional mammography, it works effectively for women of all ages, including those with dense breast tissue.
  • Portable and affordable, it enables large-scale screening in rural and semi-urban areas.
• Qure. ai: Rapid Medical Imaging Analysis
  • Qure.ai uses AI to analyse X-rays and CT scans within seconds, detecting over 35 conditions such as tuberculosis, lung cancer, and heart failure.
  • It is especially valuable in districts with limited radiologist availability, enabling faster triage and treatment.
• AISteth: Remote Cardiac and Respiratory Diagnosis
  • AISteth is an AI-powered stethoscope that converts heart and lung sounds into visual waveforms.
  • With around 93% accuracy, it supports frontline health workers in identifying cardiac and respiratory problems early, strengthening primary healthcare delivery.

AI in Agriculture: Smarter Farming, Lower Costs

• Neoperk: Instant Soil Health Analysis
  • Neoperk uses near-infrared spectroscopy and machine learning to deliver lab-accurate soil health results in under five minutes.
  • By analysing 12 key parameters without chemicals, it enables farmers to optimise fertiliser use, improve soil quality, and cut input costs.
• CottonAce: Pest Management Through AI
  • Developed by the Wadhwani Institute for Artificial Intelligence, CottonAce allows farmers to upload pest images via a mobile app and receive instant, localised pesticide advice.
  • It has helped thousands of cotton farmers manage threats like pink bollworm, boosting crop quality and profitability.
• Niqo Robotics: Precision Spraying
  • Niqo Robotics deploys AI-powered robots with computer vision to detect pests and weeds in real time.
  • This enables selective spraying, reducing pesticide use by up to 60–90%, lowering costs and minimising environmental damage.
• Cropin: Digital Farming Ecosystem
  • Cropin offers an AI-enabled platform for farm monitoring, credit analytics, and farmer engagement.
  • It supports climate-smart and predictive farming practices, transforming fragmented agricultural operations into scalable, data-driven systems.

AI in Education: Personalised and Inclusive Learning

• PadhaiWithAI: Improving Math Outcomes
  • PadhaiWithAI offers an AI-powered personalised learning platform aimed at improving mathematics performance in government schools.
  • Within six weeks, it significantly raised pass rates and boosted high-achiever performance, demonstrating scalable potential for rural education reform.
• Rocket Learning’s Appu: Early Childhood Support
  • Rocket Learning’s AI companion, Appu, interacts with parents and children via WhatsApp.
  • Through short, play-based activities, it strengthens foundational literacy and numeracy among children under six, making early learning accessible at scale.
• Belagavi Smart City: Adaptive eBooks
  • Belagavi Smart City has introduced AI-enabled deep learning eBooks in public libraries.
  • These books adapt storylines and difficulty levels in real time, leading to improved engagement and a 12% increase in reading speed within two weeks.

Government as Ecosystem Orchestrator for India’s AI Applications Stack

• The government can play a catalytic role by acting as an ecosystem orchestrator for grassroots AI innovations.
• By enabling procurement of empanelled domestic AI solutions across departments, hospitals, and schools, it can create reliable demand and accelerate nationwide adoption.
• By establishing clear benchmarks for AI use in health, agriculture, and education, the government can foster a trusted environment for citizens and institutions.
• Standard-setting would reduce uncertainty and encourage responsible deployment at scale.
• Building the India AI Applications Stack
  • Once proven domestically, high-impact solutions can be integrated into an India AI Applications Stack—a unified suite of scalable, India-tested AI applications ready for global markets.
  • Platforms such as the Global Partnership on AI can support international collaboration and outreach.
  • A robust national governance framework, harmonised with international standards like the European GDPR, can position the India AI Applications Stack as a plug-and-play solution for other countries, enhancing India’s global AI leadership.

About Quorum Sensing:

• It is a mechanism by which bacteria regulate gene expression in accordance with population density through the use of signal molecules.
• Quorum sensing allows bacteria populations to communicate and coordinate group behaviour and commonly is used by pathogens (disease-causing organisms) in disease and infection processes.
• Standard quorum-sensing pathways consist of bacteria populations, signal molecules, and behavioral genes.
• The signal molecules, known as autoinducers, are secreted into the environment by bacteria and gradually increase in concentration as the bacteria population grows.
• After reaching a certain concentration threshold, the molecules become detectable to bacteria populations, which then activate corresponding response genes that regulate various behaviours, such as virulence, horizontal gene transfer, biofilm formation, and competence (the ability to take up DNA).
• Since many of these processes are effective only at certain population sizes, quorum sensing is a key behaviour-coordination mechanism in many microbes.
• Although quorum sensing is common among bacteria, the precise sensing system and class of quorum-sensing compounds used may differ.
• In addition, the manner in which different types of bacteria apply quorum sensing varies
  • For example, the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which can cause pneumonia and blood infections, uses quorum sensing to regulate disease mechanisms.
  • In other organisms, quorum sensing is used for symbiotic processes and cell growth; an example is the nitrogen-fixation mechanism of the bacterium Rhizobium leguminosarum.

About Himalayan Tahr:

• It is a large hoofed mammal that lives in the Himalayas.
• Scientific Name: Hemitragus jemlahicus
• Habitat and Distribution: It is found in southern Tibet, northern India, western Bhutan, and Nepal.
• Features:
  • Their horns are different between males and females.
  • Their bodies are perfect for the cold Himalayan weather. They have thick, reddish wool coats and thick undercoats.
  • As an ungulate, the Himalayan tahr has an even number of toes. They can grip both smooth and rough surfaces.
• Conservation Status:
  • IUCN Red List: Near Threatened.

About National Medicinal Plants Board:

• It is working as a section of Ministry of AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha & Homoeopathy).
• Mandate: To develop an appropriate mechanism for coordination between various ministries/ departments/ organizations in India and implements support policies/programs for overall growth of medicinal plants sector both at the Central /State and International level.
• Objective: Main objective is the development of medicinal plants sector through developing a strong coordination between various ministries/ departments/ organizations for implementation of policies / programs on medicinal plants.
• Functions of National Medicinal Plants Board:
  • It focuses on in-situ & ex-situ conservation and augmenting local medicinal plants and aromatic species of medical significance.
  • It also promotes research & development, capacity building through trainings, raising awareness through promotional activities like creation of Home/School herbal gardens.
  • It encourages the protection of patent rights and IPR.
  • Identification, Inventorisation and Quantification of medicinal plants.

About Sangtam Community:

• The Sangtam tribe is a major tribe of Nagaland.
• Socio-political life of the Sangtams:
  • Clans: There are six major clans amongst the Sangtams- Dhongru, Jingru, Langtidhongru/ Langkidhongru, Mungzaru, Anaru/Yingphidhongru and Rudidhongru clans.
  • Language: The common dialect of the Sangtams is known as Sangtamyu which is spoken by around 90% of the population.
  • The Sangtam people traditionally practice jhum cultivation (shifting agriculture), which remains central to their livelihood.
  • They follow a patriarchal system of lineage and inheritance as well.
  • Festivals celebrated by Sangtams: Mongmong, Tsohsuh, Hünapungbi.

Why in news?

A recent study (2024–25) by scholars from the École Française d’Extrême-Orient (EFEO) and the University of Lausanne has documented nearly 30 inscriptions in Tamil-Brahmi, Sanskrit, and Prakrit inside six tombs in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings in the Theban Necropolis.

While Greek graffiti in these tombs had been catalogued as early as 1926, the Indian inscriptions — dating between the 1st and 3rd centuries CE — had largely gone unnoticed.

The discovery highlights deeper cultural and mobility links between South Asia and the Mediterranean world during antiquity.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• The Repeated Name: Cikai Koṟṟaṉ in Egypt’s Tombs
• “Kopāṉ Came and Saw”: Indian Voices in Egyptian Tombs
• Beyond Tamil: Northern Indian Presence in Egyptian Tombs
• From Berenike to Thebes: Expanding the Map of Indian Mobility
• Rethinking the Roman–Indian Exchange

The Repeated Name: Cikai Koṟṟaṉ in Egypt’s Tombs

• Among the Indian graffiti found in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings, the Tamil name Cikai Koṟṟaṉ stands out.
• It was inscribed eight times across five tombs, including one placed prominently about four metres high near an entrance—suggesting deliberate visibility and assertion of presence.
• Linguistic Blend: Sanskrit and Tamil Roots
  • The name reflects cultural hybridity:
    • “Cikai” may derive from the Sanskrit śikhā, meaning tuft or crown.
    • “Koṟṟaṉ” is distinctly Tamil, linked to roots meaning victory or slaying, and associated with Koṟṟavai, the Chera warrior goddess, and koṟṟavaṉ (king).
  • This fusion highlights the multilingual and cosmopolitan character of early historic Indian merchant communities.
• Links to Tamilagam and Trade Networks
  • The name Koṟṟaṉ also appears in:
    • A pottery sherd from Berenike, a Red Sea port with Indian inscriptions.
    • The Sangam corpus, where the Chera ruler Piṭṭāṅkoṟṟaṉ is addressed as Koṟṟaṉ.
  • These parallels firmly connect the Egyptian graffiti to the literary and epigraphic traditions of ancient Tamilagam, reinforcing evidence of deep Indo-Mediterranean interactions.

“Kopāṉ Came and Saw”: Indian Voices in Egyptian Tombs

• Another striking inscription discovered in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings reads: “Kopāṉ varata kantan” — “Kopāṉ came and saw.”
• Scholars note that this phrasing closely mirrors common Greek graffiti formulae found in the same tombs.
• It suggests that Indian visitors were consciously adopting an existing Mediterranean tradition of marking presence at sacred sites.
• Familiar Tamil Names in a Foreign Land
  • The name Kopāṉ has parallels in early Tamil inscriptions from Tamil Nadu, including Ammankovilpatti. Other names identified in the tombs include:
    • Cātaṉ
    • Kiraṉ
  • Both are well attested in Tamil-Brahmi inscriptions from South India, reinforcing the connection between these Egyptian markings and ancient Tamilagam.
• Participation in a Cosmopolitan Travel Culture
  • The inscriptions appear alongside a large body of Greek graffiti inside the tombs.
  • According to researchers, Indian visitors were not creating separate cultural spaces but participating in a shared Mediterranean practice — inscribing their names to record their visit.
  • This reflects a cosmopolitan network of mobility in the 1st–3rd centuries CE, where Indian travellers ventured far inland beyond Red Sea ports.

Beyond Tamil: Northern Indian Presence in Egyptian Tombs

• Of the nearly 30 documented inscriptions, around 20 are in Tamil-Brahmi, while the remaining are in Sanskrit, Prakrit, and Gandhari-Kharosthi.
• This linguistic diversity indicates that visitors were not limited to southern India but came from multiple regions across the subcontinent.
• One Sanskrit inscription mentions an envoy of a Kshaharata king who “came here.”
  • The Kshaharata dynasty ruled parts of western India in the 1st century CE, suggesting that individuals linked to ruling elites, not just merchants, were part of these networks.
• The range of languages confirms that Indo-Roman trade was not confined to Tamil merchants from the Malabar coast.
• Traders and travellers from northwestern and western India, including Gujarat and Maharashtra, also participated in transoceanic exchanges.
• The Valley of the Kings graffiti captures a moment in history when the Indian Ocean world was deeply interconnected, with merchants, envoys, and travellers from different Indian regions leaving their mark far inland in Egypt.

From Berenike to Thebes: Expanding the Map of Indian Mobility

• Beyond Port Trade - Earlier evidence of Indo-Roman contact centred on Berenike, the Red Sea port linking Roman Egypt with the Indian Ocean. Excavations there revealed Indian inscriptions and trade goods such as pepper, beads, and textiles.
• Inland Presence in the Nile Valley - The discovery of Tamil-Brahmi, Sanskrit, and Prakrit inscriptions in the Valley of the Kings—far inland along the Nile—extends this narrative. It suggests Indian visitors travelled beyond coastal trade hubs, engaging in local commemorative practices and sightseeing.
• Literacy and Cosmopolitanism - The inscriptions—mostly brief names and arrival statements—demonstrate: Literacy in Indian scripts; Mobility across long distances; Possible familiarity with Greek.
  • They reflect merchant communities confident enough to mark their presence thousands of miles from home.
• Rethinking Tamil-Brahmi Evidence
  • With only around a hundred Tamil-Brahmi inscriptions known from India, the addition of about 20 in Egypt is significant.
  • This raises questions about:
    • The survival of writing materials in Tamilagam
    • The social groups that practised stone inscription

Rethinking the Roman–Indian Exchange

• Classical writers like Pliny and Ptolemy documented Roman trade with India, highlighting exports such as pepper, ivory, gemstones, and textiles.
• However, debates persisted over whether interaction was merely commercial or involved deeper reciprocal movement.
• The newly documented inscriptions transform abstract trade into lived history. These names confirm that Indians were physically present in Roman Egypt, not just distant trading partners.
• The Valley of the Kings as a Roman-Era Tourist Site
  • Originally built in the 16th century BCE, the Valley of the Kings became a site visited by Mediterranean travellers during the Roman period.
  • Alongside Greek graffiti, Indian inscriptions now reveal participation in this shared commemorative culture.
• Literary Echoes and Cultural Memory
  • The Tamil names resonate with the Sangam corpus, and linguistic elements linked to the goddess Koṟṟavai appear on Egyptian walls.
  • This strengthens connections between epigraphic evidence and early South Indian literary traditions.
• Preserved Across Two Millennia
  • Though modest and lightly scratched, the Tamil-Brahmi, Sanskrit, and Prakrit inscriptions survived due to Egypt’s dry climate and the protected interiors of rock-cut tombs.
  • Their endurance provides rare, tangible proof of the Indian Ocean world’s interconnected past.