General Awareness

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY - January 2025

Jan 2025

Jan 03, 2026

IIT Madras launches IITM Global to become world's first multinational IIT

On 2 January 2026, IIT Madras launched IITM Global, a research foundation aiming to transform the institute into the world's first multinational IIT. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar inaugurated the initiative on the campus, signaling expanded international partnerships, innovation ecosystems, and joint programmes. IITM Global seeks to connect campuses, industry, and startups across borders while preserving IIT Madras's academic standards. The launch also marks the start of IITM Festival Fortnight, including Shaastra 2026 (2–6 January) and Saarang 2026 (8–12 January), which bring technology, culture, and community outreach to students and the public. The move aims to broaden research funding, global mobility, and collaborative education.

IIT Madras launches IITM Global on 2 January 2026.
Aims to become the world’s first multinational IIT.
Jaishankar inaugurates the initiative.
Fortnight events Shaastra (2–6 January) and Saarang (8–12 January).
Seeks to expand international partnerships and research funding.

Jan 02, 2026

Chinese Scientists Discover Eight Water-Formed Caves on Mars

Chinese researchers report eight water‑formed caves in the Hebrus Valles region on Mars, potentially karst formations shaped by dissolved soluble rocks. These caves are the first of their kind identified on another planet and may provide insights into past water activity and habitability. The discovery adds a new dimension to Martian geoscience and expands targets for future exploration missions seeking signs of ancient life or habitable environments. Scientists emphasise the need for follow‑up robotic investigations to confirm cave characteristics and assess any accessible resources below the Martian surface.

Discovery of eight water‑formed caves on Mars (Hebrus Valles).
Caves may be karst formations created by water activity.
First such caves identified beyond Earth; implications for past water on Mars.
Calls for follow‑up missions to study caves and potential resources.

Jan 01, 2026

PathGennie Open-Source Tool for Accelerated Drug Discovery

The Ministry of Science and Technology has released PathGennie, an open-source software tool aimed at speeding up drug discovery. PathGennie predicts whether candidate drugs will unbind from their protein targets without distortions typical of standard methods, helping researchers evaluate binding stability more efficiently. The open-source nature supports collaboration among academic, industry, and start-up groups, potentially reducing development timelines and costs. The project aligns with India’s push to strengthen computational biology and pharmaceutical innovation. Scientists can adapt PathGennie to local drug research pipelines, while the software may attract global contributors to India’s life sciences ecosystem.

PathGennie is an open-source software for drug discovery.
It predicts unbinding of drugs from protein targets without common distortions.
Aims to speed up lead identification and validation.
Open-source nature encourages broad collaboration and reproducibility.
Potential application in Indian pharma and biotech research.

Dec 31, 2025

First Global ITVISMA Gene Therapy Administered at Abu Dhabi Hospital

Abu Dhabi's Sheikh Khalifa Medical City became the first hospital globally to administer ITVISMA, a one-time gene therapy for spinal muscular atrophy. The treatment, delivered in December 2025 under the supervision of the Department of Health, Abu Dhabi, is developed by Novartis. ITVISMA replaces the defective SMN1 gene to enable production of the survival motor neuron protein. It is a single-dose therapy approved for patients aged two years and above, broadening access beyond infancy. The development marks a milestone in precision medicine and could influence future gene therapies and healthcare policies in the Gulf region.

First global administration of ITVISMA at Sheikh Khalifa Medical City.
Gene therapy for spinal muscular atrophy; single-dose.
Developed by Novartis; approved for age two and above.
December 2025 administration under DOH supervision.
Impact on future gene therapies and regional policy.

Dec 30, 2025

Iran Launches Three Satellites with Russian Soyuz Rockets

Iran successfully placed three domestically developed satellites into low-Earth orbit using Russian Soyuz launch vehicles, further underscoring deepening strategic and technological cooperation between the two U.S.-sanctioned countries. The launch took place in December 2025 and was confirmed by Iranian state media.
As per reports, the satellites—Paya, Zafar-2, and a second unit of Kowsar—were carried aboard Russian Soyuz rockets. All three satellites are designed for low-Earth orbit operations. They are intended to support civilian applications such as monitoring agricultural productivity, managing natural resources, and assessing environmental conditions across Iran and neighbouring regions.

Noida International Airport Partners Tech Mahindra for Network, Cyber Security Backbone

Noida International Airport (NIA) partnered with Tech Mahindra to establish and operate an integrated Network and Security Operations Centre (NOC-SOC). The project will provide 24x7 monitoring and management of airport IT infrastructure, including applications, databases, networks, servers and storage. The integrated NOC-SOC is designed for proactive threat detection, rapid incident response and high system availability to support uninterrupted airport operations. The collaboration underscores the airport’s emphasis on cyber resilience as it nears operational launch and integrates advanced digital controls into its core processes.

NIA to host NOC-SOC with Tech Mahindra
24x7 monitoring of IT infrastructure planned
Focus on proactive threat detection and incident response
Aims for high system availability at launch
Highlights emphasis on cyber resilience for airport operations

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