General Awareness

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY - September 2024

Sep 2024

Jan 31, 2026

India’s first LNG-Diesel dual-fuel DEMU train operationalised

Indian Railways has operationalised the country’s first LNG-Diesel dual-fuel DEMU train at Sabarmati, Ahmedabad. The project converted driving power cars of a 1,400 horsepower DEMU to run on a dual-fuel system, substituting nearly 40 percent of diesel with Liquefied Natural Gas without compromising performance. The move aligns with national clean energy goals and aims to reduce emissions and fuel costs in rail operations. Officials say the dual-fuel DEMU could be scaled to other routes if successful, potentially boosting energy efficiency and environmental benefits while maintaining reliability. Tests also evaluated acceleration, braking, and range with necessary infrastructure updates at Sabarmati.

First LNG-Diesel dual-fuel DEMU in India
Location: Sabarmati, Ahmedabad
Diesel substitution: ~40 percent with LNG
Objective: reduce emissions and fuel costs
Possible scale-up contingent on success

Jan 30, 2026

IIT Madras Pravartak launches AI training for rural teachers

IIT Madras Pravartak Technologies Foundation has partnered with SWAYAM Plus to offer a free AI training program for rural school teachers. The course, titled AI for Educators – K12 Teachers, begins on February 5, 2026, with registrations open until January 31. The 40‑hour certification covers generative AI tools, prompt engineering, AI‑driven lesson planning, and AR/VR-based learning, focusing on inclusive education and responsible AI use. The program is designed to empower teachers to integrate AI in classrooms and strengthen digital capabilities across rural India.

AI for Educators – K12 Teachers course starts Feb 5, 2026.
Registration open until Jan 31; 40 hours of training.
Part of SWAYAM Plus in collaboration with IIT Madras Pravartak.
Covers generative AI, prompt engineering, and AI‑driven planning.
Aims for inclusive, responsible AI use in classrooms.

Google DeepMind unveils AlphaGenome for disease genetics

Researchers at Google DeepMind introduced AlphaGenome, an AI tool designed to identify genetic drivers of disease by predicting how mutations influence gene regulation and cellular activity. The system aims to reveal which regulatory changes cause diseases, accelerating the development of new therapies. Experts note that many common conditions, including heart disease and autoimmune disorders, involve complex gene regulation patterns. AlphaGenome is presented as a research aid to understand functional genome elements and the broader biology of disease, potentially guiding future experiments and drug discovery.

AlphaGenome identifies genetic drivers of disease.
Predicts how mutations affect gene regulation and cell activity.
Aims to accelerate discovery of new therapies.
Addresses complexity of gene regulatory networks in common diseases.
Sen-ted as a research tool for understanding genome function.

IIT Madras SWAYAM Plus launches AI training for rural teachers

IIT Madras Pravartak Technologies Foundation, in collaboration with SWAYAM Plus, has launched a free AI training program for rural school teachers. The 40‑hour course, titled AI for Educators – K12 Teachers, begins February 5, 2026, with registrations open until January 31. The program covers generative AI tools, prompt engineering, AI‑driven lesson planning, and AR/VR‑based learning, emphasizing responsible AI use and inclusive education. This initiative aims to empower teachers across India to integrate AI into classroom instruction and assessment, enhancing digital literacy and practical teaching methods in rural settings.

Free AI training for rural teachers starts Feb 5, 2026.
40‑hour certification under SWAYAM Plus with IIT Madras Pravartak.
Registration closes January 31.
Covers generative AI, prompts, and AR/VR learning.
Aims to improve rural digital education and inclusivity.

Airtel partners with Adobe to offer free Adobe Express Premium

Bharti Airtel announced a global first in telecom by offering its 360 million customers free access to Adobe Express Premium for a year. The subscription, valued at about ₹4,000 annually, enables users to create social content, marketing materials, short videos, and other design assets with ease. The partnership aims to democratise access to professional design tools, empowering students, creators, and small businesses regardless of design experience. Airtel’s Siddharth Sharma described the collaboration as a step toward enabling digital expression and AI‑assisted content creation across the country.

Adobe Express Premium free for 360 million Airtel users for 1 year.
Value of subscription ~₹4,000 per user annually.
Aims to democratise access to professional design tools.
Targets students, creators, and small businesses.
Emphasizes AI‑assisted content creation for all users.

Jan 29, 2026

Wings India 2026 opens as Asia’s major aviation summit in Hyderabad

Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu inaugurated Wings India 2026 at Begumpet Airport, Hyderabad. The biennial aviation summit runs from 28 to 31 January and attracts leading players from the global aviation sector. The minister described Wings India as the premier aviation platform in the region, intended to showcase India’s growing manufacturing base and rising domestic demand for air services. The event emphasises strengthening aerospace manufacturing capabilities and domestic aviation services, with government and industry partners exploring collaboration across manufacturing, infrastructure, and policy support.

Event period: 28–31 January 2026
Inaugurated by Civil Aviation Minister in Hyderabad
Aims to boost India’s aerospace manufacturing and aviation services
Brings global players to India for collaboration
Focus on domestic growth and policy support

AXISCADES signs strategic MRO partnership with OGMA (Portugal)

AXISCADES Technologies announced a strategic partnership with OGMA - Indústria Aeronáutica de Portugal to provide maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO), airframe engineering, and certification services for Embraer and other manufacturers’ aircraft in India. The collaboration combines AXISCADES’ aerospace engineering capabilities with OGMA’s MRO expertise. The partners will explore opportunities in India, the UAE, and the MENA region. AXISCADES is developing a major integrated aerospace and defence manufacturing and MRO hub near Bengaluru, featuring dedicated hangars, engine shops, and certification testing.

Strategic MRO partnership with OGMA (Portugal)
Focus on Embraer and other aircraft fleets in India
Joint opportunities in India, UAE, and MENA
AXISCADES to build large aerospace MRO hub near Bengaluru
Facilities include hangars, engine shops, and testing labs

Jan 28, 2026

IIT Guwahati maps 492 high-risk glacial lakes in Eastern Himalayas

Researchers at IIT Guwahati have developed a predictive model to identify where glacial lakes may form in the Eastern Himalayas. The framework helps in disaster preparedness and long-term water management as climate change accelerates glacier melt. The study indicates that landscape features, not only climate factors, influence lake formation and potential glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs). Past events like Kedarnath (2013) and Uttarkashi (2025) underscore the risk to roads, villages and hydropower. The model aims to guide early warning systems and mitigation planning for high-altitude regions.

492 glacial lakes mapped in Eastern Himalayas.
Landscape features influence lake formation; climate factors also involved.
Study supports disaster preparedness for GLOFs.
References to Kedarnath and Uttarkashi floods as context.

Microsoft unveils Maia 200 AI chip to rival Nvidia

Microsoft announced its Maia 200 AI chip on January 26, 2026, built on TSMC’s 3-nanometer process. The device aims to improve AI inference efficiency and outpace competitors such as Amazon’s Trainium and Google’s TPU Ironwood. Maia 200’s FP4 performance reportedly triples the speed of Trainium 3rd generation and increases computational efficiency. The release signals a broader industry shift toward in-house AI accelerators as tech firms seek different supply chains and performance benchmarks. Microsoft positions Maia 200 as part of a diversified strategy to strengthen AI infrastructure for cloud and edge deployments.

Maia 200 chip announced January 26, 2026.
Fabricated on TSMC 3nm process.
Inferred performance claims: higher efficiency than Trainium and TPU Ironwood.
Represents shift to in-house AI accelerators.

Jan 26, 2026

AI-powered assistive eyewear launched in Bengaluru for the visually impaired

An AI-enabled assistive eyewear, branded Smart Vision Glasses Ultra, was launched in Bengaluru. Developed by SHG Technologies with clinical validation from Narayana Nethralaya, the device helps visually impaired users read text in multiple languages, recognize currency, identify objects, recognize faces and navigate environments. The eyewear is designed to resemble regular fashion eyewear, aiming for daily practicality and independence for users. The product represents a significant step in assistive technology for mobility and daily living.

Product: Smart Vision Glasses Ultra
Developer: SHG Technologies
Clinical validation: Narayana Nethralaya
Functions: text reading, currency, object, face recognition, navigation
Design: resembles regular eyewear

Spotify launches AI-driven prompted playlist for Premium users in US, Canada

Spotify has rolled out an AI-driven feature called prompted playlist for Premium users in the United States and Canada. The tool uses listening history and voice prompts to tailor playlists. This follows earlier AI updates and aims to attract more users from the free tier to paid subscriptions. The expansion represents ongoing investments in machine learning to enhance user discovery, with potential implications for music streaming competition and consumer choices across markets.

Feature: prompted playlist (AI-driven)
Markets: US and Canada
Input: listening history and voice prompts
Goal: convert free users to Premium
Context: ongoing AI updates in streaming

Humanoid robot ASC ARJUN debuts at Visakhapatnam railway station

A new humanoid robot named ASC ARJUN was launched at Visakhapatnam railway station to boost security and passenger assistance. The rollout was led by Divisional Railway Manager Lalit Bohra and Inspector General (RPF) Alok Bohra. The robot will support security, crowd management, cleanliness monitoring and safety awareness, marking a milestone in Indian Railways’ modernization and digital transformation efforts. Officials say ASC ARJUN will operate alongside human staff to improve passenger experience and safety at busy stations.

Robot name: ASC ARJUN
Location: Visakhapatnam railway station
Role: security, passenger assistance, crowd management
Operator: Railways’ RPF
Significance: first of its kind in Indian Railways

SRIHER unveils 512-slice CT scanner with lower radiation doses

Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research (SRIHER) unveiled the GE Revolution Apex Elite 512-slice CT scanner, designed to deliver high-resolution images at reduced radiation doses. The device was inaugurated by T. S. Swaminathan, former director of Barnard Institute of Radiology, in the presence of SRIHER Chancellor V. R. Venkataachalam. The scanner is expected to improve diagnostic efficiency while maintaining patient safety, supporting faster and more accurate examinations in urban and regional healthcare settings.

Model: GE Revolution Apex Elite 512-slice CT
Benefit: lower radiation doses
Inaugurator: T. S. Swaminathan
Impact: improved diagnostics and safety
Setting: SRIHER, Tamil Nadu

ISRO–ESA heliophysics workshop held in Thiruvananthapuram

An ISRO–ESA five-day heliophysics workshop is underway in Thiruvananthapuram, focusing on Aditya-L1, the solar orbiter, and Proba-3 missions. ISRO stated that about 50 solar and heliophysics experts from Europe and other countries, along with roughly 150 Indian scientists and students, are participating. The workshop aims to discuss scientific opportunities and collaborations in solar physics, enhancing understanding of the Sun’s influence on space weather and Earth’s environment.

Location: Thiruvananthapuram
Duration: five days
Missions discussed: Aditya-L1, Solar Orbiter, Proba-3
Participants: ~50 international, ~150 Indian
Organizer: ISRO and ESA

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