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.