Published on: April 23, 2025
Snippets : 23 APRIL 2025
Snippets : 23 APRIL 2025
- Due to a shortage of manual labour, farmers in Karnataka are increasingly adopting agricultural machinery, with over 7.5 lakh machines sold under government schemes in the past five years. These include a range of equipment from rotavators and power weeders to high-end combine harvesters, used across soil preparation to post-harvest operations. Tractors are vital for operating many of these tools. Government schemes, particularly the High-Tech Harvester Hub Scheme, cover up to 50% of costs and have facilitated the establishment of 344 harvester hubs at a cost of ₹130 crore. Mechanisation has led to a rise in the area under crops like ragi, with many farmers switching to less labour-intensive crops. Women farmers benefit significantly through reduced physical effort and increased productivity. However, challenges remain, including high machinery costs without subsidies, low awareness of schemes, and a backlog of subsidy applications worth ₹200 crore, signaling the need for broader outreach and support.
- On World Earth Day (April 22), the focus is on long-term sustainable environmental action through diverse and impactful initiatives. Bengaluru-based startup DrinkPrime addresses the issue of excessive plastic waste by providing a closed-loop water purification system, reducing around 7.5 lakh kg of plastic waste monthly and serving over 2.5 lakh users. The “Wake the Lake” initiative by United Way has rejuvenated 80 polluted lakes in Bengaluru, improving biodiversity and urban water security. The One Billion Drops campaign promotes rainwater harvesting, installing over 8,200 wells and conserving 10.4 million litres of water. Meanwhile, EY GDS has established 21 insect cafes in major public parks using sustainable materials to provide habitats for pollinators, thus boosting urban biodiversity and ecological balance.
- For the first time in Karnataka, the Forensic Psychological Autopsy (FPA) was employed in a legal investigation, marking a significant step in integrating mental health assessments into forensic procedures. Initiated by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed by the Karnataka High Court, and supported by experts from NIMHANS, the FPA aimed to evaluate whether the investigation itself contributed to the suicide of a person named Jeeva. This method, previously used in high-profile cases such as the Sushant Singh Rajput case and the Burari deaths, involves collecting psychological, social, and behavioral data from multiple sources to understand the deceased’s mental state before death. Techniques such as video analysis of interrogations, behavioral observations, and a review of social interactions and communication patterns were used. This case sets a legal precedent in Karnataka and underscores the growing importance of psycho-legal tools in cases involving potential abetment to suicide.
- The Yeshasvini Health Insurance Scheme is a community-based initiative in Karnataka aimed at providing affordable healthcare for cooperative society members, especially in rural and semi-urban areas. It offers an annual coverage of up to ₹5 lakh per family for over 2,191 medical procedures, including 69 newly added advanced treatments like interventional radiology, CTVS, and cancer care. Premiums vary based on location—₹500/year for rural families of four and ₹1,000/year for urban—with access to 786 empanelled hospitals. The scheme targets low-income households, including self-help groups and cooperative workers such as beedi workers and fishermen, and covers emergencies like snake bites and farming injuries. Eligibility requires a minimum 90-day co-op membership, age below 75, and a family income under ₹30,000/month. While it excludes certain treatments like dialysis, transplants, and pre-existing conditions, it remains a vital health support system with proposed funding from government grants and enrolments. Rate revisions are underway to attract more hospitals, addressing unchanged procedure costs since 2017-18.
- In 2025, scientists detected the presence of either dimethyl sulphide (DMS) or dimethyl disulphide (DMDS) in the atmosphere of K2-18b.
- On April 20, 2025, Nepal marked its inaugural National Yak Day to honor the yak’s cultural, ecological, and economic significance in Himalayan regions. Spearheaded by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), the initiative emphasized integrating yaks into sustainable development plans for the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH), while recognizing the vital role of indigenous communities like the Sherpa, Tamang, Thakali, Rai, and Limbu in yak herding. Yaks—classified as Bos mutus (wild) and Bos grunniens (domesticated)—inhabit high-altitude alpine zones across the Himalayas, Tibetan Plateau, Mongolia, and parts of India. Adapted for extreme environments, they possess unique physical traits such as thick hair, high lung capacity, and specialized red blood cells. Domesticated yaks are central to local livelihoods, providing milk, meat, and transportation, and are also used in trekking. Crossbreeding with cattle produces hybrids like dzo or chauri gai, essential for agropastoral systems. As wild yaks are classified as ‘Vulnerable’ by the IUCN, there is a growing call for conservation efforts to protect habitats, maintain genetic diversity, and promote sustainable yak management.
- The Space Docking Experiment (SpaDeX), conducted by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), achieved its second successful docking between two Indian satellites—SDX01 (Chaser) and SDX02 (Target), each weighing approximately 220 kg. Launched aboard PSLV-C60 into a 460 km circular orbit with a 45-degree inclination, the mission’s primary goal was to demonstrate autonomous rendezvous, docking, and undocking in low-Earth orbit. It also aimed to test electric power transfer between docked satellites, develop composite control systems, and verify payload operations after undocking. With this milestone, India became the fourth nation to accomplish successful satellite docking in space, after the United States, Russia, and China.
- Recently, scientists have developed a water-based, non-toxic recycling method for Perovskite Solar Cells (PSCs), eliminating the need for hazardous solvents. PSCs are a type of photovoltaic technology that utilizes perovskite crystal structures—typically with the formula ABX₃, where ‘A’ and ‘B’ are cations and ‘X’ is an anion—for converting sunlight into electricity. These crystals mimic the structure of calcium titanium oxide (CaTiO₃) and offer high power conversion efficiency at a lower cost than traditional silicon-based solar cells, though they face challenges related to lifespan and stability. In India, Carbon-Based Perovskite Solar Cells (CPSCs) represent the first indigenously developed perovskite product, designed for better stability and lower fabrication costs. Indian researchers have improved CPSC performance by using Guanidinium iodide (GuI) to enhance thermal stability and 5-amino valeric acid iodide (5-AVAI) for moisture resistance through surface passivation. The new recycling process begins with sodium acetate, whose acetate ions bind with lead ions to form water-soluble lead acetate. Sodium iodide is then used to regenerate the degraded perovskite crystals, while hypophosphorous acid stabilizes the water-based solution over time. Ethanol and ethyl acetate are also used to dissolve other components of the solar cell, allowing each layer to be effectively recycled and reassembled.
- The Bullseye Galaxy (LEDA 1313424) was recently discovered by an international team using the Hubble Space Telescope and W.M. Keck Observatory. Its unique structure, featuring eight confirmed rings and a ninth observed through the Keck Observatory, formed approximately 50 million years ago from a collision with a blue dwarf galaxy, resulting in star formation in ring-like patterns. Spanning 250,000 light-years in diameter, nearly five times larger than the Milky Way, it retains a gas connection to the dwarf galaxy despite the current separation of 130,000 light-years. The Bullseye Galaxy may evolve into a Giant Low Surface Brightness (GLSB) Galaxy, a rare type believed to offer insights into dark matter, characterized by diffuse stellar disks, large amounts of neutral hydrogen, and low star formation rates, challenging current cosmological models
