General Awareness

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY - July 2023

Jul 2023

Mar 15, 2026

ZSI describes two new lichen moth species in Eastern Himalayas

Zoological Survey of India scientists describe two new lichen moth species, Caulocera hollowayi and Asura buxa, in the peer-reviewed journal Zootaxa on 2 March 2026. The discoveries originate from specimens collected in the eastern Himalayas, including Golitar in Sikkim and Panijhora in West Bengal. The new species increase India's Lepidoptera diversity and highlight the region’s biodiversity. Descriptions include morphology, habitat notes, and comparisons with similar species. This research supports ongoing fieldwork in biodiversity hotspots and informs conservation planning for high-altitude ecosystems. The findings contribute to global taxonomic databases and regional biodiversity strategies.

New species: Caulocera hollowayi and Asura buxa described in Zootaxa (2 March 2026).
Locations: Golitar, Sikkim; Panijhora, West Bengal.
Significance: expands Lepidoptera diversity in India.
Content: morphological descriptions and habitat data.
Impact: supports conservation planning and biodiversity databases.

ISRO–AIIMS MoU to advance space medicine research

ISRO has signed a memorandum of understanding with the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) to cooperate on space medicine and research. The MoU will study how the human body responds to long-duration space travel and develop medical systems for astronauts in orbit. It was signed by ISRO's HSFC director Dinesh Kumar Singh and AIIMS director Dr M Srinivas. Scientists from both organisations will conduct ground-based and space-based studies across physiology, immunology, nutrition, microbiome, neuroscience, and related areas. The partnership supports India’s future human spaceflight missions and strengthens cross-institutional capabilities.

Parties: ISRO and AIIMS sign MoU on space medicine.
Focus: human physiology and medical systems for long-duration space travel.
Areas: physiology, immunology, nutrition, microbiome, neuroscience, metabolism.
Methods: ground-based and space-based studies.
Impact: supports future human spaceflight missions.

New Lepidoptera species discovered in Sikkim and West Bengal

In the eastern Himalayas, scientists report additional Lepidoptera discoveries connected to recent moth descriptions. The team provides diagnostic characters and habitat notes to distinguish these new taxa from known relatives. Specimens were collected from Golitar in Sikkim and Panijhora in West Bengal, underscoring the region’s rich biodiversity and ongoing taxonomic work. This work builds on earlier identifications of Caulocera hollowayi and Asura buxa and contributes to the understanding of Lepidoptera diversity in India. The findings have practical value for future biodiversity surveys and conservation planning in northeast India.

Additional Lepidoptera discoveries from eastern Himalayas (Sikkim and West Bengal).
Key data: diagnostic characters and habitat notes.
Sites: Golitar (Sikkim) and Panijhora (West Bengal).
Relation to prior work: follows Caulocera hollowayi and Asura buxa descriptions.
Implication: informs future surveys and conservation planning.

Mar 14, 2026

New Flying Reptile Bakiribu waridza Identified from Dinosaur Vomit

Scientists report a new flying reptile species, Bakiribu waridza, described from a 100‑million‑year‑old regurgitated fossil—dinosaur vomit—from the Romualdo Formation in the Araripe Basin, Northeast Brazil. The study, titled ‘A regurgitator reveals a new filter‑feeding pterosaur from the Santana Group,’ appears in Scientific Reports. The fossil, preserved with other specimens, marks the first description of an extinct species from fossilised vomit. The discovery provides unusual insight into pterosaur diversity and feeding strategies during the Cretaceous period, suggesting new ecological roles for flying reptiles in ancient coastal ecosystems.

Discovery: Bakiribu waridza; fossil from Araripe Basin, Brazil.
Age: ~100 million years old; regurgitated material used for description.
Publication: Scientific Reports article on the regurgitator pterosaur.
Significance: first description of a species from fossil vomit.
Implication: adds to understanding of pterosaur ecology.

Razorpay Unveils AI Platform for Payment Operations

Razorpay unveiled an artificial intelligence platform at its FTX 2026 event, marketed as the world’s first Agent Studio built on Anthropic’s Claude Agent SDK. The platform includes an agentic experience layer designed to streamline onboarding, payment integration, and operational management for online merchants. Razorpay asserts that its AI agents can automatically intervene when customers abandon a purchase, using transaction context to initiate voice or chat interactions to recover the sale. The launch represents a significant step in fintech, enabling automated customer engagement and payment optimization, potentially transforming how merchants manage checkout flows and post‑purchase processes.

Product: Agent Studio built on Claude Agent SDK.
Launch event: FTX 2026; debut of Razorpay AI platform.
Key feature: AI agents intervene in abandoned carts.
Impact: simplifies onboarding and payment operations for merchants.
Significance: advances AI‑driven fintech workflows.

Mar 13, 2026

V.O. Chidambaranar Port launches Digital Twin initiative

The V.O. Chidambaranar Port Authority becomes the first Indian major port to launch a Digital Twin platform for port management. The platform, inaugurated on 23 February 2026 by Sarbananda Sonowal, mirrors port infrastructure, assets and the maritime ecosystem in a real-time virtual model. It integrates IoT sensors, GPS, LiDAR mapping, drone imagery and CCTV networks to deliver enhanced operational visibility, predictive analytics and data-driven decision making across departments. The initiative aims to improve efficiency, safety and coordination in port operations, while enabling scenario testing and proactive maintenance as part of a broader move toward smart maritime infrastructure.

Milestone: first Indian major port with Digital Twin
Inauguration: 23 February 2026 by Sarbananda Sonowal
Technology: IoT, GPS, LiDAR, drones, CCTV
Benefits: real-time visibility, analytics, decision support
Impact: improved efficiency and maintenance

Mar 12, 2026

Deloitte opens ConnectSafe Cyber Security Facility in Bengaluru

Deloitte has launched a new cyber security facility named ConnectSafe in Bengaluru to strengthen protection against cyber threats targeting connected technologies and critical infrastructure. The facility focuses on identifying vulnerabilities and testing systems against advanced cyber attack scenarios, with a particular emphasis on protecting operational technology ecosystems that control physical infrastructure. Compared with traditional security centres, ConnectSafe aims to defend industrial and utility networks, factories and banks from disruptions, data theft and outages. It positions India as a training and testing hub for cutting-edge cyber defence practices.

Deloitte launches ConnectSafe cyber security facility in Bengaluru.
Facility targets protection of operational technology and critical infrastructure.
Emphasises testing against advanced cyber attack scenarios.
First-of-its-kind in India focusing on OT environments.
Must-know last 48 hours: 11 March 2026 National Conference of Women Elected Representatives; 12 March 2026 World Kidney Day.

Scientists Trace Earth's First Animals to 541 Million Years Ago

Scientists tracing Earth's earliest animal life have identified evidence in rocks dated to about 541 million years ago. The findings push back the emergence of complex life, suggesting soft-bodied sea sponges were among the first animals to inhabit the oceans, well before the Cambrian explosion. Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology analysed Precambrian rock samples and detected chemical fossils known as steranes, molecular traces from sterols essential to eukaryotic membranes. The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, indicates early multicellular life with sponge-like features, offering new insights into early animal evolution for Earth's history.

Timeline: ~541 million years ago; earliest animal life identified
Significance: suggests soft-bodied sponges among first animals
Method: MIT analysis of Precambrian rocks; detection of steranes
Publication: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences; implications for evolution

Mar 11, 2026

Sheshnaag-150: India Tests Indigenous Swarming Drone

India is advancing unmanned warfare with Sheshnaag-150, a long‑range swarming attack drone under testing. Developed by Bengaluru‑based defence start‑up Newspace Research Technologies, the drone seeks cost‑effective, flexible capabilities comparable to global swarming platforms. The system completed its maiden flight about a year ago and is now evaluated as part of India’s evolving drone‑warfare strategy. Modern conflicts have demonstrated how inexpensive drones can affect infrastructure, vehicles and logistics. Sheshnaag‑150 aims to replicate this effect using indigenous technology and swarm operations, reducing dependence on expensive foreign platforms. The project emphasizes domestic design, manufacturing, and rapid deployment for future warfare needs. Officials say the program aligns with Make in India and strategic autonomy objectives.

Sheshnaag-150 is a long‑range swarming drone under testing in Bengaluru.
Developed by Newspace Research Technologies to enable cost‑effective operations.
Maiden flight occurred about a year ago; current evaluations are part of Defense reforms.
Aims to mirror effects of low‑cost drones used in modern conflicts.
Supports India's Indigenous drone program and strategic autonomy goals.

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