Current Affairs - National

Muzaffarpur, a district in Bihar, achieved the first position in the Inspire Award 2025 rankings by contributing an impressive 7,403 innovative student ideas. This remarkable achievement highlights the region’s strong emphasis on nurturing creativity and scientific thinking among school students. The Inspire Award – MANAK scheme, which targets students from classes 6 to 10, is designed to promote original and socially relevant ideas that can lead to practical solutions for community challenges. Muzaffarpur’s leading performance showcases how grassroots innovation is being fostered at the school level, setting a benchmark for other districts across India.

India recently enriched its cultural and natural heritage representation by adding seven new sites to UNESCO’s Tentative List of World Heritage Sites. This brings the total number of Indian properties on the list to 69. The seven newly added sites include the Deccan Traps in Maharashtra, the Geological Heritage of St Mary’s Island Cluster in Karnataka, the Meghalayan Age Caves, the Naga Hill Ophiolite, Erra Matti Dibbalu, the Tirumala Hills, and the Varkala Cliff. This development highlights India’s efforts to preserve and showcase its geological and cultural diversity on a global platform.

AIIMS Delhi has created history by becoming the first government medical college in India to provide training on the da Vinci Robotic Surgical System. Installed at its Skills, E-Learning and Telemedicine (SET) Facility, this system marks a significant advancement in medical education and surgical innovation. Alongside the Hugo Robotic Trainer, AIIMS now has two dedicated robotic systems exclusively for training medical students, residents, faculty, and healthcare professionals. This initiative is vital as it democratises access to advanced surgical training, reduces dependence on foreign institutions, enhances patient care outcomes, and positions AIIMS Delhi as a global hub for surgical innovation and excellence.

India is now focusing on isobutanol blending with diesel as part of its biofuel strategy, following unsuccessful ethanol-diesel trials. Isobutanol (C₄H₁₀O) is a four-carbon alcohol with higher energy density than ethanol, making it more compatible with diesel. It is less hygroscopic, which reduces risks of corrosion in pipelines and engines. Trials by the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) are underway for 10% isobutanol–diesel blends, and its use is also being studied in CNG–isobutanol flex-fuel options for tractors. This initiative supports the National Biofuel Policy 2018, aiming to reduce oil imports, enhance farmer incomes, and promote sustainable energy solutions.

The Gyan Bharatam Portal, launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, on 12th September 2025, is a landmark initiative to digitise, preserve, and provide public access to India’s vast manuscript heritage. It functions as a national digital repository enriched with AI-driven tools for search, translation, and annotation. Beyond preservation, it encourages research, publication, capacity building, and global collaborations, making ancient knowledge accessible worldwide. This initiative supports India’s vision of cultural revival and aligns with the National Education Policy 2020, while strengthening the idea of a Viksit Bharat by valuing knowledge traditions as a foundation of future progress. The launch coincided with the International Conference on “Reclaiming India’s Knowledge Legacy through Manuscript Heritage,” highlighting the theme of reviving India’s ancient wisdom in a modern digital format.