Science & Technology

Context: The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has notified the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Amendment Rules, 2025.
The amendment aims to prevent the misuse of Artificial Intelligence (AI)—particularly deepfakes, misinformation, and election-related manipulation—by mandating greater transparency and accountability in online content moderation.

Objectives of the Amendment

• Prevent the spread of synthetic or manipulated media.
• Ensure user awareness about AI-generated or altered content.
• Strengthen oversight and accountability in online content blocking.
• Maintain a balance between innovation and digital safety.

Key Provisions of IT Amendment Rules 2025

1. Authority Restriction

Only senior officials can issue takedown notices:

• Joint Secretary (or above) in Ministries/Departments.
• Deputy Inspector General (DIG) or above in police departments.

This ensures misuse prevention and greater accountability in content regulation.

2. Reasoned Orders

Each takedown order must include:
- The statute or rule violated.
- The legal justification.
- The specific URL or content identifier to be removed.

This makes the process transparent and verifiable.

3. Monthly Review

All takedown actions under Rule 3(1)(d) must be reviewed monthly by a senior officer not below the rank of Secretary, ensuring procedural compliance and preventing arbitrary censorship.

Regulating Synthetic & AI-Generated Content

Definition

“Synthetic information” refers to any content artificially created or algorithmically modified using computer resources to appear genuine.

Labelling Requirement

• Platforms must label all AI-generated or modified content to alert users about its artificial origin.
• This aims to build digital literacy and public trust in online spaces.

User Declaration & Verification

• Users must declare whether their uploaded content is AI-generated or altered.
• Significant Social Media Intermediaries (SSMIs)—those with over 5 million registered users—must deploy tools to verify user declarations and detect synthetic content.

Safe Harbour Protection

Platforms retain “safe harbour” immunity under Section 79 of the IT Act, 2000, if they act in good faith to identify and remove synthetic or manipulated content.
This provision incentivises proactive compliance while protecting genuine intermediaries.

Significance

The IT Amendment Rules 2025 mark a critical step in responsible digital governance by:

• Curbing AI misuse and disinformation,
• Promoting accountable online regulation, and
• Safeguarding citizens’ rights to authentic information.

These amendments align with India’s broader goal of building a secure, transparent, and ethical AI ecosystem under the Digital India framework.

Context: The United States has reported the first suspected local transmission of the Clade I Mpox strain, with no international travel link identified. The confirmation raises public health concerns, as Clade I is considered more virulent than the Clade II strain that caused the global 2022 outbreak.
This incident marks a potential shift in the epidemiology of Mpox, signaling community-level spread within North America.

About Mpox

• Causative Agent: Mpox (formerly known as Monkeypox) is a zoonotic viral infection caused by the Monkeypox virus (MPXV), belonging to the Orthopoxvirus genus, closely related to smallpox.
• Transmission: Occurs via contact with infectious lesions, body fluids, contaminated materials, or respiratory droplets from infected individuals or animals.
• Symptoms: Fever, headache, swollen lymph nodes, muscle pain, and characteristic painful skin lesions (often on face, hands, and genital areas).
• Severity: Children, pregnant women, and immunocompromised individuals are more prone to complications such as secondary infections and pneumonia.

Clades of Mpox

• Clade I:
  • Geographic Origin: Central Africa (mainly Congo Basin).
  • Fatality Rate: 1–10%.
  • Severity: More virulent and transmissible.
• Clade II (A & B):
  • Origin: West Africa.
  • Fatality Rate: <1–4%.
  • Responsible for 2022 Global Outbreak.

Treatment and Prevention

• Treatment: No specific antiviral cure exists. However, Tecovirimat (TPOXX) and Brincidofovir are used under emergency authorisations to manage severe infections.
• Vaccination:
  • Jynneos (Imvamune/Imvanex) by Bavarian Nordic is the approved vaccine offering cross-protection against both Mpox clades.
  • Target groups include healthcare workers, laboratory staff, and close contacts of confirmed cases.
• Public Health Response: Enhanced surveillance, contact tracing, and isolation remain critical for containment.

India’s Status

Between December 2024 and March 2025, India recorded 10 confirmed cases of Clade 1b Mpox, all traced to travel from Gulf countries.

There has been no community transmission reported domestically so far. India continues to follow WHO-recommended surveillance and vaccination guidelines under the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).

Significance

• The local transmission of Clade I indicates the virus’s capacity to adapt and spread beyond endemic regions.
• It underscores the need for genomic monitoring, rapid diagnostics, and international cooperation under the International Health Regulations (IHR) framework.

Context: A recent study conducted by researchers at Tampere University, Finland, has revealed a surprising connection between oral bacteria and heart attacks. The study examined coronary arteries from 121 sudden-death autopsies and found that Viridans streptococci were present in about 42% of both autopsy and surgical cases, making them the most frequently detected bacterial species.

About Viridans Streptococci

Viridans streptococci are a group of gram-positive cocci commonly found in the oral cavity, but also present in the gastrointestinal, respiratory, and female genital tracts. Normally harmless, they are part of the body’s commensal microbiota.

However, under certain conditions, they can turn pathogenic, being a leading cause of infective endocarditis (IE) — an infection that affects the inner lining of the heart, especially in individuals with previously damaged cardiac tissue.

Viridans Streptococcal Biofilm Formation

The bacteria have the ability to form biofilms — sticky, protective layers that allow them to adhere to surfaces such as atherosclerotic plaques (fatty buildups inside arteries).

Within these biofilms, bacteria remain hidden from the immune system, enabling them to persist undetected for long periods.

Link Between Oral Bacteria and Heart Disease:

The study highlights how biofilm-forming Viridans streptococci can play a direct role in triggering heart attacks:

1. Biofilm Stability: The bacteria remain embedded deep within arterial plaques, shielded from immune response.
2. Biofilm Disruption: Over time, fragments of the biofilm can break loose.
3. Inflammation Trigger: When released, these bacteria provoke inflammation in the arterial wall, weakening the fibrous cap that covers the fatty plaque.
4. Plaque Rupture: The weakened cap eventually ruptures, leading to clot formation, which can block blood flow and cause a heart attack.

Significance of the Study:

The findings underscore the link between oral health and cardiovascular health, suggesting that oral bacteria may be silent contributors to heart disease.

The presence of Viridans streptococci in coronary plaques demonstrates the importance of maintaining good oral hygiene to reduce systemic inflammation and cardiac risk.

Conclusion

The Tampere University study provides crucial evidence that the mouth-heart connection is not merely coincidental but biologically plausible.

By forming biofilms within arterial plaques, Viridans streptococci act as hidden players in the development of atherosclerosis and heart attacks — highlighting how preventive dental care may play an unexpected role in cardiovascular protection.

Context: The Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF), established under the ANRF Act, 2023, has recently launched SARAL (Simplified and Automated Research Amplification and Learning) — an AI-driven tool to make scientific research more accessible and comprehensible to the public.

About ANRF

The Anusandhan National Research Foundation is a statutory body functioning under the Department of Science & Technology (DST). It replaces and subsumes the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), serving as the apex body to provide strategic direction to research and development (R&D) across the country.

Core Objectives:

• To seed, grow, and promote R&D across universities, colleges, and research institutions.
• To foster innovation and interdisciplinary research aligned with India’s developmental priorities.
• To encourage private sector participation, with an ambitious funding target of ₹50,000 crore (2023–2028) — about 70% expected from non-government sources.
• To act as a single-window system for funding and supporting R&D activities nationwide.

Alignment with NEP 2020:

The ANRF plays a key role in implementing the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which emphasizes research-driven higher education. By supporting university-based research and collaboration between academia and industry, ANRF aims to transform India into a global research and innovation hub.

Strategic Vision:

The foundation seeks to advance India’s capabilities in emerging fields through initiatives such as the AI Science & Engineering Open India Stack — a framework envisioned to revolutionize research in:

• Drug and chemical discovery
• Aerospace design
• Advanced materials
• Climate and weather prediction

SARAL Initiative:

The newly launched SARAL tool represents a major leap toward democratizing science communication.

Using Artificial Intelligence, SARAL can generate summaries of complex research papers in easily understandable formats such as videos, podcasts, posters, and presentations, making scientific knowledge more accessible to students, policymakers, and the general public.

Conclusion

The Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) marks a transformative step in India’s journey toward becoming a knowledge-driven economy. Through funding, innovation, and the integration of AI tools like SARAL, ANRF aims to bridge the gap between research and society — ensuring that science becomes both inclusive and impactful.

Context: Chennai-based spacetech startup Agnikul Cosmos has announced that its upcoming rockets will be fully reusable, ensuring no component is discarded. This aligns with the International Astronautical Congress (IAC) 2025 theme: “Sustainable Space: Resilient Earth.”

Key Highlights

• Agnikul’s Vision: To offer globally competitive small-satellite launch services with complete reusability.
• Technology Achievements:
  • Successfully tested 3D-printed sub-orbital rocket Agnibaan SOrTeD (2024).
  • Plans for orbital launches with reusability.
• Support Mechanism: Backed by IN-SPACe, which provides policy and technical support.
• Focus Areas: Cost efficiency, scalability, and compliance with space debris mitigation.

Reusable Launch Vehicles (RLVs)

• Definition: A rocket system that can be launched, recovered, and reused multiple times. Unlike expendable rockets, RLVs ensure controlled re-entry and reduce space junk.
• Advantages:
  • Cuts down launch costs.
  • Minimizes space debris, mitigating risks like the Kessler Syndrome (cascading orbital collisions).
  • Enhances sustainability of global space missions.

India’s Efforts in RLVs

• ISRO Milestones:
  • RLV-TD HEX-01 (2016): Demonstrator flight for re-entry.
  • RLV LEX Series (2024): Autonomous landing tests.
  • PUSHPAK Mission: Ongoing experimental reusability projects.
• Agnikul’s Initiative: Complements ISRO’s programmes by targeting commercial small-satellite launches.

Global Context

• SpaceX (USA): Falcon 9, Falcon Heavy — world leaders in reusable rockets.
• China: Long March 8 with partial reusability.
• India’s Entry: Aims to position itself as a sustainable, affordable, and competitive space launch hub.

Significance

• Strengthens India’s Atmanirbhar Bharat vision in space technology.
• Encourages startups–ISRO collaboration, expanding the private space ecosystem.
• Demonstrates India’s commitment to sustainable space exploration and debris-free orbits.

Context: Scientists have proposed the Laser Interferometer Lunar Antenna (LILA) as a next-generation project to detect gravitational waves directly from the Moon’s surface.

What is an Interferometer?

An interferometer is a precision instrument that uses the interference of light waves to measure extremely small changes in distance. This principle is used in gravitational-wave detection.

About LILA

• Objective: Detect mid-frequency gravitational waves (0.1–10 Hz), a range inaccessible to Earth-based LIGO or space-based LISA.
• Lead Institution: Vanderbilt Lunar Labs, USA, in collaboration with global partners.
• Design: Network of lunar interferometers placed on the Moon’s surface.
• Significance: Fills the “decihertz gap” in the gravitational-wave spectrum.

Developmental Phases

1. Pioneer Phase:
   • Robotic deployment of an interferometer with 3–5 km arms.
   • Test of mid-band sensitivity and new technologies.
2. Horizon Phase:
   • Construction of a triangular array with 40 km-long arms.
   • Astronaut-led assembly using quantum sensors and advanced seismic isolation.

Why the Moon?

• Vacuum Advantage: No atmosphere to distort laser signals.
• Low Seismic Noise: The Moon has fewer vibrations than Earth.
• No Newtonian Noise: Absence of oceans and large mass movements reduces disturbances.

Scientific Significance

• Complements LIGO & LISA: Bridges the gap in the gravitational-wave spectrum.
• Astrophysical Breakthroughs: Enables study of intermediate-mass black holes and exotic cosmic events.
• Lunar Science: Provides insights into the Moon’s deep interior, aiding 3D geophysical mapping.

Conclusion

If realized, LILA will revolutionize astrophysics, enabling humanity to observe parts of the universe never seen before. Its lunar placement could make it the quietest and most sensitive gravitational-wave detector ever built, marking a leap forward in space science.

Context: AstroSat, India’s first dedicated multi-wavelength space observatory, launched by PSLV-C30 (XL) in 2015 from Sriharikota, has completed a decade of successful operations in 2025.

About AstroSat

• Multi-Wavelength Coverage: Simultaneous observations in Visible, Ultraviolet (UV), Low-energy X-ray, and High-energy X-ray bands.
• Payloads:
  • Ultra Violet Imaging Telescope (UVIT)
  • Large Area X-ray Proportional Counter (LAXPC)
  • Cadmium–Zinc–Telluride Imager (CZTI)
  • Soft X-ray Telescope (SXT)
  • Scanning Sky Monitor (SSM)
• Operations: Managed by Mission Operations Complex (MOX) at ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC), Bengaluru.

Major Contributions & Discoveries

• Provided new insights into compact celestial objects such as black holes and neutron stars.
• Enabled observation of Proxima Centauri, the nearest star system to Earth.
• Achieved the first detection of Far Ultraviolet (FUV) photons from galaxies 9.3 billion light-years away.
• Supplied extensive data to the global astronomy community, boosting India’s role in international collaborations.

Significance

• Showcased India’s ability to design, build, and operate advanced space observatories.
• Strengthened India’s contribution to astrophysics and multi-wavelength astronomy.
• Reinforced ISRO’s reputation in low-cost, high-impact space missions.