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1. In the financial year ending March 2024, India experienced a significant decrease in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) equity inflows, reaching a five-year low of USD 44.42 billion, marking a 3.5% year-on-year contraction. This decline is attributed to external factors such as high interest rates in advanced economies and limited absorptive capacity in various sectors within India. Total FDI, including equity capital and other forms, contracted by 1% year-on-year to USD 70.95 billion. Singapore remained the top investor, followed by Mauritius, the United States, Netherlands, and Japan. Maharashtra retained its position as the most favoured destination for investors, although inflows decreased by 2%, with Karnataka following suit. Key sectors such as computer software and hardware, services, and trading received the most FDI, albeit experiencing declines in inflows.
2. The Southwest Monsoon has commenced over Kerala and expanded into significant portions of Northeast India, marking the initiation of the essential rainy season in the region. Its progress also extends into parts of the southwest and west-central Arabian Sea, southeast Arabian Sea, and the Lakshadweep area. Cyclonic circulations are expected to induce widespread light to moderate rainfall, with isolated heavy to very heavy downpours over Northeast India and southern peninsula regions. Concurrently, heatwave to severe heatwave conditions prevail over Northwest, Central, and East India, with gradual relief anticipated. The monsoon's onset is pivotal for India's agriculture, contributing approximately 70% of annual rainfall, driven by the temperature disparity between land and water, alongside factors like the Inter Tropical Convergence Zone, African Easterly Jet, Indian Ocean Dipole, and El Nino Southern Oscillation.
3. Chennai-based start-up Agnikul Cosmos recently made headlines by launching the world's first rocket, Agnibaan Sub Orbital Technology Demonstrator (SOrTeD), featuring a fully 3D-printed engine. This milestone test flight aimed to showcase the company's proprietary technologies and gather crucial flight data. The launch marked several firsts for India's space industry, including utilizing a private launch pad (Dhanush), employing a domestically developed semi-cryo engine-powered rocket, and unveiling the world's first single-piece 3D printed engine. The rocket's propulsion system utilizes a combination of liquid oxygen and kerosene. The successful launch was made possible with support from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe). 3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing, played a pivotal role in Agnikul Cosmos' achievement, enabling the fabrication of complex components envisioned in computer-aided designs into tangible three-dimensional objects, contrasting with traditional subtractive manufacturing methods.
4. IIT-Bombay and Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) have partnered to introduce India's pioneering Quantum Diamond Microchip Imager, aligning with the National Quantum Mission's objective of positioning India as a global leader in quantum technology. The initiative aims to develop an advanced sensing tool to elevate precision in semiconductor chip examination, reduce chip failures, and enhance energy efficiency. Similar to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), the Quantum Diamond Microchip Imager provides non-invasive and non-destructive imaging of semiconductor chips, surpassing conventional methods' limitations in detecting anomalies as chip sizes decrease. By harnessing nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamonds and employing specialized hardware and software, the technology significantly augments failure analysis, device development, and optimization processes. Moreover, it enables visualization of three-dimensional charge flow in multi-layer chips for advanced defect identification. The imager boasts diverse applications in microelectronics, biological and geological imaging, and precise imaging of magnetic fields, among others.
5. Djibouti, an East African nation, has initiated a bold approach in the fight against malaria by deploying genetically modified (GM) mosquitoes. Launched in May 2024, this pilot program signifies a significant advancement in combating the deadly disease. GM mosquitoes are bred with two genes: a self-limiting gene to prevent female offspring from reaching adulthood and a fluorescent marker gene for identification. Engineered to target female Anopheles stephensi mosquitoes responsible for malaria transmission, the aim is to interrupt the disease's transmission cycle. With a surge in malaria cases and limitations of traditional control methods, this initiative aims to address the growing threat posed by mosquitoes resistant to insecticides. However, concerns have been raised regarding potential environmental impacts and unforeseen consequences of releasing GM mosquitoes into the ecosystem. Despite these concerns, Djibouti's initiative follows a growing trend in using biotechnology to combat malaria, observed in other regions like Brazil, the Cayman Islands, Panama, and India.
6. The government of India plans to utilize food irradiation, a process involving exposure to ionizing radiation, to extend the shelf life of a 100,000 tonne onion buffer stock. This initiative aims to mitigate shortages and price hikes resulting from a 16% decline in onion output for the 2023-24 season, which brought production down to an estimated 25.47 million tonnes. Food irradiation helps ensure food safety by preventing spoilage, killing germs, eliminating pests, and delaying sprouting. India's hot and humid climate, coupled with long transport times, contributes to significant post-harvest losses in food and food grains, making food irradiation a valuable tool in reducing waste. Maharashtra leads in onion production, followed by other states like Karnataka, Orissa, and Uttar Pradesh, with India being the world's second-largest onion producer. Major export destinations for Indian onions include Bangladesh, Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates, Sri Lanka, and Nepal.
7. Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, have achieved a significant breakthrough in the mass production of recombinant proteins using Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) instead of methanol. Recombinant proteins, crucial for producing substances like vaccine antigens, insulin, and monoclonal antibodies, are typically produced using methanol to activate the AOX promoter in yeast cells. However, methanol poses safety hazards and can produce harmful byproducts. MSG offers a safer alternative by activating a different promoter in yeast cells, leading to protein production without associated risks. This method is not only safer but also more environmentally friendly, making it suitable for mass-producing valuable proteins in biotech industries. Methanol, commonly used in various industries, is flammable, poisonous, and requires stringent safety measures.