Published on: September 8, 2025
Snippets : 8 SEPTEMBER 2025
Snippets : 8 SEPTEMBER 2025
- The Karnataka government has sanctioned 6.17 acres at Hesaraghatta, Bengaluru to set up Quantum City (Q-City), envisioned as a hub for academic-industry collaboration, quantum hardware production, R&D clusters, and start-up incubation. This initiative, part of India’s first Quantum India Bengaluru Conclave, aims to develop a $20 billion quantum economy by 2035. Additionally, 8 acres were sanctioned for the International Centre for Theoretical Sciences (ICTS-TIFR) to boost research and scientific development.
- The Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) has requested the Registrar General of India (RGI) to enumerate Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) separately in the upcoming Census 2025. This aims to capture detailed demographic, cultural, and socio-economic data to improve welfare schemes like PM JANMAN. Currently, 75 PVTGs exist across 18 States and A&N Islands, facing poverty, malnutrition, and geographic isolation. Separate enumeration will aid precise targeting, policy planning, and re-examination of classification criteria for inclusive development.
- India is drafting legislation to protect its interests in international waters under the High Seas Treaty (BBNJ – Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdictions). The treaty, a legally binding agreement under UNCLOS (1982), aims to curb pollution, regulate seabed mining, establish Marine Protected Areas, and ensure equitable sharing of marine genetic resources. India has signed but not ratified it. A 12-member committee will draft the law, balancing conservation with national strategic and economic interests.
- Scientists have confirmed a vast hidden freshwater aquifer beneath the seafloor off the northeastern US coast, stretching from New Jersey to Maine. Initially hinted at 50 years ago, Expedition 501 extracted 50,000 litres of samples to verify its presence. The aquifer could help address global freshwater scarcity, though challenges like extraction, technology, costs, and environmental impact remain. Researchers aim to study its origin and sustainability for future use.
- India is drafting legislation to safeguard its interests in international waters after the adoption of the High Seas Treaty (BBNJ). The treaty, under UNCLOS (1982), seeks to regulate biodiversity beyond national jurisdictions by curbing overexploitation, creating Marine Protected Areas, and ensuring equitable resource sharing. High seas cover nearly 64% of the ocean, vital for navigation, fishing, and mining. India’s draft law, guided by a 12-member committee, will balance conservation goals with national strategic and economic interests.
- The Emerging Science, Technology and Innovation Conclave (ESTIC) will replace the historic Indian Science Congress (ISC), whose relevance has declined, last held in 2023. First edition: November 3–4, 2025 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, with participation from all science ministries, 11 technical sessions, and 75 deep-tech start-up exhibitions. Global dignitaries, including Nobel Laureate Andre Geim, will attend. ESTIC aims to revive India’s global scientific image and support Viksit Bharat 2047, marking a modern transition from ISC.
- India has joined the HealthAI Global Regulatory Network (GRN) to strengthen oversight of AI in healthcare. GRN, a Geneva-based nonprofit, promotes safe and equitable use of AI health tools through shared learning, joint standards, early warnings, and a global directory of AI solutions. India will collaborate via ICMR-NIRDHDS and IndiaAI, the government initiative under MeitY, aiming to build a comprehensive AI ecosystem and position India as a leader in ethical AI innovation and deployment.
- Researchers at S. N. Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences (SNBNCBS) discovered that protein p47, previously known as a helper for the cellular machine p97, can act as a “mechanical chaperone.” Unlike its traditional role in protein trafficking and degradation, p47 stabilizes polypeptides under stress, aids their movement from the ER to the cytoplasm, and prevents misfolding. This first single-molecule evidence highlights its autonomous force-dependent activity, opening avenues for therapies targeting protein instability.
- India has developed a rare, high-purity Methandienone Long-Term Metabolite (LTM) as a Reference Material (RM) for enhanced anti-doping testing. Created by NIPER with NDTL, it aids in detecting athletes using Methandienone and over 450 WADA-prohibited substances. This RM improves detection, strengthens sports integrity, and deters steroid use. NDTL is India’s premier human sports dope testing lab, accredited by NABL and WADA.
- Filmmaker Anuparna Roy won the Best Director award at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival for her debut film, Songs of Forgotten Trees. The film, presented by Anurag Kashyap, explores the life of an aspiring actor navigating a challenging city. Roy dedicated the award to women who have been “silenced, overlooked, or underestimated,” hoping it would inspire more female voices in cinema. During her acceptance speech, she also made a powerful statement in support of Palestine, emphasizing that every child deserves peace and freedom.
- Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu has announced the inaugural “Sun Rise Festival” in Dong village, Anjaw district, the easternmost village in India that receives the first rays of the sun every day. The 5-day festival will take place from December 29 to January 2, aiming to boost tourism and showcase the region’s natural beauty and cultural heritage
- Iceland has retained its position as the world’s most peaceful country according to the 2025 Global Peace Index (GPI) by the Institute for Economics & Peace. The GPI ranks 163 countries on safety, conflict, and militarisation. While global peacefulness declined and conflicts increased, Iceland leads, followed by Ireland, Austria, New Zealand, and Switzerland. Russia is ranked least peaceful. India is 115th, with Singapore, Japan, and Malaysia among Asia’s most peaceful nations.
