Category: Science

Science

What’s ailing India’s battery scheme for EVs? | Explained

January 31, 2026 admin

The ACC PLI scheme, launched in October 2021, was designed to catalyse a domestic battery manufacturing ecosystem and reduce a near-total reliance on Chinese imports. File image for representation only. | Photo Credit: PTI The story so far: An ambitious ₹18,100 crore scheme to facilitate the manufacture of advanced chemistry cell batteries in India, particularly…

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The story of dapsone: from dye to drug

January 31, 2026 admin

India observes Anti-Leprosy Day on January 30, the death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. For most of history, leprosy was treated not as a medical condition but as a moral one. Across major religions and ancient traditions, people with leprosy were described as impure, cursed, or unclean. They were made to live outside towns, barred from…

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Working towards first uncrewed mission for Gaganyaan programme: ISRO Chairman

January 31, 2026 admin

ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan. File | Photo Credit: ANI ISRO is working towards the first uncrewed mission of its ambitious Gaganyaan Mission scheduled for 2027, Chairman V. Narayanan has said. The Gaganyaan mission is India’s first human spaceflight programme currently under development. It aims to send a three-member crew on a three-day mission to space…

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US judge signals Elon Musk’s xAI may lose lawsuit accusing Altman’s OpenAI of stealing trade secrets

January 31, 2026 admin

Lawyers for xAI and OpenAI did not immediately respond to requests for comment [File] | Photo Credit: REUTERS A U.S. federal judge signaled on ‌Friday she may dismiss a lawsuit by Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence startup xAI accusing Sam Altman’s rival OpenAI of stealing trade secrets to gain an unfair advantage in developing AI technology….

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Why some rivers refuse to mix

January 30, 2026 admin

Two rivers meet, and yet, they do not become one. They run side by side, different in colour and texture, divided by a sharp, visible line that seems to defy everything we know about water. After all, place two droplets together and they merge instantly. So how can two massive, fast-moving rivers touch, and still…

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Private sector seeks anchor contracts as Dept of Space struggles to use funds

January 29, 2026 admin

From the historic high of landing on the moon to the recent sobering reality of failed launches and near-misses that have triggered internal reviews, the last five years have been a period of strategic volatility for the Department of Space (DoS). What began as a celebrated era of ‘unlocking’ the sector, marked by the Indian…

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IIT-Kanpur team develops new way to predict solar cycles

January 29, 2026 admin

Solar flares and coronal mass ejections spew material from the sun’s surface into space. | Photo Credit: SOHO/NASA The sun is a giant magnetic ball that goes through roughly 11-year cycles of activity that drive solar flares and space weather that can disrupt satellites and power grids on the earth. But predicting the strength and…

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Can international patent law handle a permanent space presence?

January 29, 2026 admin

Space stations, lunar bases, and Mars missions have moved from humans’ imagination to engineering reality. In these environments, innovation emerges through collaboration rather than isolation. Living on the moon or Mars will depend on continuous technological innovation, including on systems that extract water, generate energy and recycle waste and which can adapt to harsh and…

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Delhi HC issues notice to Centre on PIL challenging ban on adopting frozen embryos

January 28, 2026 admin

Image used for representational purposes only. File | Photo Credit: Shiv Kumar Pushpakar The Delhi High Court issued notice to the Central Government on Wednesday (January 28, 2026), seeking its stand on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) challenging the blanket ban on the adoption of frozen embryos. A Bench of Chief Justice D. K. Upadhyaya…

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PRIYA trial links teen B12 intake to long-term health in babies

January 28, 2026 admin

It is known that the Indian population, particularly vegetarians, is deficient in vitamin B12. The vitamin essential for the formation of blood cells and the functioning of nerve cells is mainly found in animal-derived food. B12 deficiency during pregnancy has been associated with neural tube defects and poor foetal growth, affecting long-term health. In 1993,…

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