Chhattisgarh plans to translocate wild buffaloes from Assam to revive its declining wild buffalo population.

About Wild Buffaloes (Asiatic Wild Water Buffalo or Bubalus arnee)

• Distribution: India, Nepal, Bhutan, Thailand, and Cambodia.

• In India, major populations occur in Assam (Kaziranga National Park), with smaller populations in Meghalaya, Chhattisgarh, and Maharashtra.
• India hosts over 90% of global population (~3,500–3,700 individuals).

• Found in open grasslands, alluvial plains, and marshes, although they may use woodlands for shelter during heat stress or heavy rainfalls.
• Conservation status: Schedule I of Wildlife Protection Act, 1972; Endangered (IUCN Red List); Appendix III of CITES.

Researchers have successfully engineered lettuce and tobacco plants to produce myoglobin, offering it a nutritional value of plant-based meat.

About Myoglobin

• It is a protein found in muscles of animals, including humans. 
• It stores oxygen in muscle cells so muscles have a ready supply of oxygen when they need to work.
• Significance: Gives meat its red colour, contributes to the taste and aroma of meat, contains heme iron which is easily absorbed by human body and is an important source of dietary iron.

FDA approves first mRNA vaccine for seasonal flu.

About mRNA vaccine

• They use genetic instructions to make body's cells produce a harmless protein (antigen) of a pathogen.

• Immune system recognizes this protein and develops immunity without exposure to the actual disease-causing organism.

• Limitations: Limited mucosal immunity, allowing breakthrough infections; Cold-chain storage requirements (-20°C to -80°C).

Difference Between Traditional Vaccines and mRNA Vaccines

• Content: Traditional – weakened/killed pathogen or proteins; mRNA – genetic instructions only.
• Action: Traditional – introduces antigen directly; mRNA – cells make antigen.
• Development: Traditional – slower to develop; mRNA – faster to design and update.

Iran and Oman have agreed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz for 60 days.

About Strait of Hormuz 

• Location: Located between Iran (North) and Oman and UAE to south, it connects Persian Gulf with Gulf of Oman and Arabian Sea.
• Energy transit hub: 20% of world’s oil passes through it. 
  • Primary export route for oil produced by Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Iraq, Bahrain and Iran.
  • About 40% of India’s crude oil imports, over 50% of its LNG imports, and 90% of its LPG imports transit through it. 

12^th century Veeragallu discovered at Neeragunda in Karnataka throws light on the Hoysala ruler Vishnuvardhana.

• Veeragallus are hero stones or memorial stones placed in honour of warriors.
• Discovered Veeragallu carry kanada inscription mentioning death of Hoysala ruler Vishnuvardhana in 1141 AD. 

About Hoysalas 

• Ruled many parts of today’s Karnataka and Tamil Nadu between the 11th and the 14th centuries. 
• Belur and Halebid in Karnataka were capitals of the dynasty.
• Founders: Nripa Kama II.

The Sacred Ensembles of Hoysalas comprising Temples of Chennakeshava (Belur), Hoysaleshwara (Halebidu), and Keshava (Somanathapur), were declared UNESCO World Heritage Sites

Scientists at the Bose Institute, Kolkata developed General Concurrence Percolation (GCP) to improve the efficiency and reliability of quantum communication networks by strengthening quantum entanglement. 

• Quantum networks rely on a phenomenon called quantum entanglement to transfer information securely and efficiently between distant stations. 

About General Concurrence Percolation (GCP)

• Geometric Solution: Uses a localized geometric routing strategy instead of deleting intermediate nodes.
• Working Mechanism: Strengthens entanglement along the shortest communication paths, creating a dense and efficient quantum network.
• Key Advantages: Lowers entanglement threshold, preserves network topology and resources, and provides a predictable framework for scalable quantum networks.  

During the BRICS Culture Ministers' meeting, India renewed diplomatic efforts to bring back the 11th-century Vagdevi idol from the United Kingdom.

About Vagdevi Idol

• Artistic Style & Era: Exquisite 11th-century marble sculpture from the Paramara period, associated with the Bhojshala complex, Dhar.
• Discovery: In Dhar (1875); acquired by the British Museum (1909).
• Contested Identity: India identifies it as Vagdevi (Goddess Saraswati); British Museum classifies it as Ambika (Jain tradition).
• Craftsmanship: Attributed to Vararuci, identified by some scholars as Dhanapala, court poet of King Bhoja.

About Paramara (Parmar) Dynasty

• Region: Ruled Malwa with capitals at Ujjain and Dhara (Dhar) (8th to early 14th century).
• Rulers: Upendra (founder), Vakpati I, Vairi Singh II, Siyaka II, Vakpati II (Munj), Raja Bhoja (greatest ruler; and author of ~84 works), etc.

The Tenth BRICS Industry Ministers' Meeting concluded under India's BRICS Chairship 2026.

Key Outcomes

• Joint Declaration adopted to strengthen industrial cooperation.
• MSME Framework approved to boost SME ecosystems.
• Launched Photovoltaic Working Group.
• Finalised Startup Action Plan.
• India proposed a BRICS Incubator Network and Startup Innovation Fund.
• Reaffirmed the importance of the BRICS Partnership on the New Industrial Revolution (PartNIR) as a key platform for advancing practical collaboration, knowledge sharing, capacity building, and industrial innovation

The Ministry of Ayush launched 3 flagship initiatives including the Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS) PARAMPARA to promote evidence-based Ayurveda.

• CCRAS-PARAMPARA is the flagship initiative for the systematic documentation, evaluation and scientific validation of India's Local Health Traditions, ethnomedical practices and traditional veterinary knowledge.

About CCRAS

• CCRAS is an autonomous body of the Ministry of Ayush.
• It is an apex body in India for the formulation, coordination, development, and promotion of research on scientific lines in the Ayurveda of medicine.