The PRESS Pad

Kerala has created scientific history by becoming the first State in India to officially declare its own “State Microbe.”  Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan  declared Bacillus subtilis  as Kerala’s State Microbe during a function where he dedicated the newly established Centre of Excellence in Microbiome (CoEM)  to the people. This landmark move places Kerala at the forefront of microbiome-based research in India and signals a research-driven model of governance that integrates

India has entered a new phase of innovation financing with the launch of the Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) Fund , a ₹1 lakh crore initiative aimed at transforming how indigenous technologies are developed, scaled and commercialised. Unlike earlier government schemes that relied largely on grants and subsidies, the RDI Fund introduces a market-oriented, investment-driven approach  to support high-risk, high-impact innovation. The first Open Call under the RDI Fund

The United States space agency NASA  has temporarily lost contact with its Mars orbiter MAVEN , raising concerns about the status of the spacecraft that has been studying the planet’s atmosphere for over a decade. According to NASA, no regular data transmissions have been received from MAVEN for nearly two weeks . However, a brief fragment of a signal  was detected recently, suggesting that the spacecraft may have unexpectedly rotated out of its correct orientation , possibly

Named After the Sister River of Mandakini, the Milky Way’s Hindi Namesake — Alaknanda Galaxy Emerges as the Distant Cosmic Sister of Our Own Galaxy Image of the newly discovered spiral galaxy Alaknanda (inset) as observed in the shorter wavelength JWST bands. Several bright galaxies from the foreground Abell 2744 cluster are also seen. [Source: NASA/ESA/CSA, I. Labbe/R. Bezanson/Alyssa Pagan (STScI), Rashi Jain/Yogesh Wadadekar (NCRA-TIFR)] Indian researchers have made a grou

Ronaldo partners with founder Aravind Srinivas as Perplexity launches a dedicated CR7 hub and global sponsorship deal. How Did Cristiano Ronaldo and Perplexity AI Come Together? In a crossover few anticipated, global football legend Cristiano Ronaldo  has officially joined Indian-origin founder Aravind Srinivas’s company, Perplexity AI , as an investor.Aravind Srinivas shared the announcement online, expressing excitement about collaborating with the football icon. He wrote:

Captured by NASA’s PUNCH, Perseverance, Lucy, Psyche, and MAVEN, the rare interstellar comet exposes material formed billions of years ago in a distant planetary system. NASA has released striking new pictures of Comet 3I/ATLAS , an interstellar object  that astronomers say is billions of years old  and only the third known object from outside our Solar System  to pass through it. The images come from a wide range of NASA missions, including the Perseverance Mars rover , Mars

CSIR-IGIB’s CRISPR Gene Therapy Breakthrough for Sickle Cell Disease in India. India has launched its first indigenous CRISPR-based gene therapy  for Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) . The therapy is named BIRSA 101 . The therapy is dedicated to Bhagwan Birsa Munda , a renowned tribal freedom fighter. BIRSA 101  has been developed by the CSIR–Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB) . About Gene Therapy Gene therapy  is a medical technique that uses genes to treat, preve

Key Findings of the Global Burden of Disease Report, India’s Health Transition, and Global Efforts to Combat Non-Communicable Diseases The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Report  was released by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME)  at the World Health Summit in Berlin . It provides a comprehensive analysis of global, regional, and national health trends. The report quantifies health loss from diseases, injuries, and risk factors using Disability-Adjusted Lif

Over 600 Students Compete in IN-SPACe & ISRO’s Model Rocketry and CANSAT India 2024–25 Finale in Kushinagar The four-day grand finale of the Model Rocketry and CANSAT India Student Competition 2024–25  has begun on the scenic banks of the Narayani River at Tumkuhiraj, Kushinagar . The event, one of India’s largest student-led space competitions , is organised by the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe)  in collaboration with the Indian Space Res

Health Ministry Warns Against Use of Cough Syrups for Children Below 5; DEG Contamination and Improper Prescriptions Under Investigation...

Welcome to your Daily UPSC Prelims Current Affairs MCQs – 30th September 2025. This is part of our subject-wise daily series where...

The Agni-Prime, also known as Agni-P, is a next-generation missile with a range of up to 2000 km; as an Intermediate Range Ballistic...

Roads built today contain up to 50% less maltene content than older pavements, explaining faster cracks, potholes, and higher repair...

Hypertension, the “silent killer,” affects 1.3 billion people worldwide. A new Lancet study unveils an online Blood Pressure Treatment Efficacy Calculator, using data from 500 global trials to predict drug effectiveness, personalise therapy, and overcome delays in controlling high blood pressure.

Gaza faces a rare paralytic disease surge as Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) cases rise amid an Israeli blockade. Since June 2025, 85 suspected cases and 8 deaths have been reported. WHO links the outbreak to contaminated water, destroyed sewage systems, malnutrition, and medicine shortages, as Gaza’s hospitals operate beyond capacity.

The U.S. has reported its first New World screwworm infestation in decades. These larvae, from the “man-eater” fly Cochliomyia hominivorax, burrow into living tissue and are a greater threat to livestock than humans. Experts warn of economic losses up to $100 billion if outbreaks spread through cattle and wildlife.

More than four decades after the Soviet Venera probes first braved Venus, Russia is preparing to return. The Venera-D mission, set to launch no later than 2036, aims to unlock the secrets of Earth’s fiery twin with a lander, orbiter, and possibly a balloon. Scientists hope the mission will reveal how Venus transformed from a potential ocean world into a planet of extremes—and what lessons it holds for Earth.

The 18th International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics (IOAA) kicks off in Mumbai, bringing together over 300 students from 64 countries. Held from August 11–21, this prestigious competition challenges high schoolers in theory, observation, and data analysis while promoting global scientific collaboration.