Current Affairs - Technology

The Phenome India ‘National Biobank’ is located at the CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB) in New Delhi. Inaugurated by Dr. Jitendra Singh, the Union Minister of State for Science and Technology, the biobank is a significant step in biomedical research and data collection in India. It aims to gather genomic, lifestyle, and clinical data from participants, contributing to advancements in personalised medicine and public health. The Ministry of Science and Technology supports this initiative, making New Delhi a central hub for this national-scale scientific effort to improve healthcare outcomes through integrative biological research.

A web crawler is an automated bot that systematically browses the internet to collect data for training AI models (like OpenAI's GPTBot) or powering real-time information retrieval in AI assistants. These crawlers operate without universal consent frameworks, raising copyright concerns as they ingest news articles, blogs and educational content. Unlike general search engine crawlers, AI-specific variants focus on harvesting training datasets for Large Language Models, creating ethical dilemmas around unlicensed content usage. India currently lacks regulations to govern such data scraping, highlighting the need for consent-based digital ecosystems and technical safeguards for content creators.

Ananth Technologies, a Hyderabad-based company, has received approval from IN-SPACe to launch India’s first private satellite internet service, marking a historic move in the country’s space and telecommunications sectors. Scheduled to begin operations in 2028, the service will utilise Indian-made satellites placed in geostationary orbit, enabling consistent internet delivery, especially in rural and underserved regions. With a planned investment of ₹3,000 crore, the project positions Ananth Tech as India’s domestic alternative to global players like Starlink and OneWeb. This move also reflects India’s push to open its space sector to private firms, aiming for faster innovation and broader digital access.

In a major milestone for global telecommunications, Reliance Jio surpassed T-Mobile to become the world’s largest Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) provider in 2025. With over 20 million FWA subscribers driven by its innovative Jio AirFiber service, Jio's rapid expansion has revolutionised internet access in India. The company’s 5G-powered plug-and-play broadband solution offers affordable connectivity starting at ₹599/month, helping bridge the digital divide in rural and underserved regions. Covering 98% of India's population with its 5G network, Jio’s model of scalable, low-cost FWA delivery is now seen as a blueprint by telecom companies in other developing countries.

The Indian Railways launched the RailOne App on July 2, 2025, as a comprehensive digital platform aimed at consolidating various passenger and freight services into one unified system. Introduced by Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw during the 40th Foundation Day of the Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS), the app offers a wide range of features, including ticket booking, PNR enquiry, meal ordering, journey planning, and freight services. It integrates existing platforms like RailConnect and UTSonMobile for single sign-on access, enhances security through biometric and mPIN login, and simplifies the user experience with a clean interface and reduced app clutter on devices.