ಬೋಧಿವೃಕ್ಷ

Abathsahayeswarar Temple Wins UNESCO Heritage Award The 12th-century Abathsahayeswarar Temple at Thukkachi, near Kumbakonam, received the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Award of Distinction for Heritage Conservation (2024). The restoration was carried out by the Tamil Nadu HR&CE Department and IIT Madras' National Centre for Safety of Heritage Structures (NCSHS). Associated with Chola rulers Kulottunga I and Vikrama Chola, it is the only major temple built entirely during Vikrama Chola's reign. The temple is a rare Kara Kovil (chariot-shaped shrine) and houses Lord Sarabeshwarar. Restoration combined traditional Sthapatya Veda with drone surveys, 3D mapping, digital anastylosis, and careful restoration of the temple's prakarams. https://www.shankariasparliament.com/current-affairs/prelim-bits-5/thukkachi-temple

i-DRONE Initiative for Faster TB Diagnosis The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) tested drone-assisted transport of tuberculosis (TB) sputum samples under the i-DRONE initiative in Telangana's Yadadri-Bhuvanagiri district. Using a hub-and-spoke model, drones carried samples from nearby health centres to diagnostic laboratories, reducing the median diagnosis time from 15 days to 5 days. The initiative also cut patients' out-of-pocket expenses from about ₹9,451 to ₹91 by lowering travel and wage-loss costs. It linked 11 Primary Health Centres, 60 sub-centres, and four TB Units, improving access to timely TB diagnosis in remote areas.

18 Years of Sariska Tiger Reintroduction The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change marked 18 years of the Sariska Tiger Reintroduction Programme, the world's first successful scientific reintroduction of tigers into a locally extinct habitat. Three publications were released, including the Road Map on Active Management of Tigers in India and the Annual Report of Project Cheetah (2024–25). India has expanded its tiger reserves from 46 to 58 and achieved the St. Petersburg Declaration target of doubling wild tiger numbers. The workshop highlighted community participation, prey-base augmentation using Gaur and Barasingha, and lessons from Project Cheetah for future wildlife restoration. https://ddindia.co.in/2026/06/tiger-conservation-goes-beyond-protecting-a-single-species-bhupender-yadav/

Greater Tunb Island Greater Tunb is a small but strategically significant island in the Persian Gulf near the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz, through which nearly one-fifth of global oil trade passes. Controlled by Iran since 1971, it, along with Lesser Tunb, overlooks one of the world's busiest maritime chokepoints, giving it strategic leverage over commercial shipping. The island remains a longstanding territorial dispute between Iran and the UAE, which also claims Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb, and Abu Musa. Recently, the island gained attention after U.S. airstrikes targeted Iranian defence installations and missile sites amid escalating regional tensions. Source: https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/what-is-greater-tunb-island-the-strategic-point-in-the-strait-of-hormuz-targeted-by-us-airstrikes/article69932074.ece

I-2SEA Submarine Cable System The I-2SEA submarine cable system has been unveiled to strengthen digital connectivity between India, Malaysia, and Singapore. Built by a consortium of Microsoft, Singtel, Tata Communications, and Lightstorm, the 3,600-km high-capacity cable will connect Singapore to Machilipatnam, with onward connectivity to Hyderabad and a second landing in South Chennai. It is designed to support hyperscalers, GPU infrastructure providers, and AI-driven enterprises across the India–Southeast Asia corridor. The project will connect major AI and data centre hubs and is expected to be ready for service by Q4 2029. https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/telangana/submarine-cable-system-project-linking-india-malaysia-singapore-unveiled/article71173557.ece

🌱 Saushrutam 2026 The President of India highlighted the enduring relevance of Acharya Sushruta, urging medical professionals to uphold medical ethics, innovation, and compassionate patient care. She expressed confidence that Saushrutam 2026 would generate new knowledge and strengthen international cooperation in Ayurvedic surgery, enhancing Ayurveda's contribution to holistic healthcare. The three-day international seminar, hosted by the All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), brings together eminent surgeons, academicians, and researchers from India and abroad to advance research, knowledge exchange, and global collaboration in Ayurvedic surgical sciences. Source: https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2284764&reg=48&lang=1

🌱 Protein Biosensors Protein biosensors enable rapid, real-time detection of disease biomarkers, helping diagnose conditions like sepsis, cancer, malaria, and COVID-19 much earlier than conventional tests. Modern biosensors use aptamers (synthetic DNA/RNA molecules) instead of antibodies because they are cheaper, more stable, and highly specific. Advances in nanotechnology, CRISPR, machine learning, and nanomaterials (gold nanoparticles, graphene, carbon nanotubes, MXenes) have greatly improved sensitivity. Emerging applications include wearable microneedle sensors, multi-marker diagnostics, and cell-free biosensors for environmental monitoring, food safety, and detection of biological threats. https://epaper.thehindu.com/ccidist-ws/th/th_international/issues/194331/OPS/G4EG7ERM4.1+GULG8IIPE.1.html

🌱 15th July - World Youth Skills Day On World Youth Skills Day 2026, the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship emphasized lifelong learning, innovation, and adaptability to prepare youth for future jobs. The government highlighted initiatives such as IndiaSkills, Centres of Excellence, apprenticeships, and industry partnerships to enhance employability. It also stressed greater participation of women in non-traditional sectors. Additionally, the WorldSkills India Champions Club was launched to mentor aspiring competitors and promote excellence in vocational skills. https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2285084

Karnataka will establish India’s first government-driven AI university Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar announced the establishment of India’s first government-driven Artificial Intelligence University and an AI Hub at Google I/O Connect India 2026 in Bengaluru. The AI University will focus on world-class talent, advanced research, and academia-industry-government collaboration, while the AI Hub will incubate startups and innovators. Karnataka aims to become an AI-native state, integrating AI in governance, education, healthcare, agriculture, and public services. With Bengaluru’s strong tech ecosystem, this initiative positions Karnataka as a global hub for responsible AI innovation. https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/karnataka-will-establish-indias-first-government-driven-ai-university-says-chief-minister-dk-shivakumar/article71220051.ece

Pygoluciola mawsynram (New Firefly Species) Researchers from Assam Don Bosco University and Debraj Roy College discovered a new firefly species, Pygoluciola mawsynram, in Mawsynram (Meghalaya), the world's wettest place. Published in the Asian Journal of Conservation Biology, the discovery increases the global Pygoluciola species count from 28 to 29 and India's count to five. The species was identified through morphological and DNA-based phylogenetic analyses and has a limited distribution, being found at only 10 of 29 surveyed sites. Named after Mawsynram and the Khasi community, the discovery highlights the importance of indigenous conservation practices, Northeast India's biodiversity, and the need for further scientific surveys. Source: https://www.indiatodayne.in/meghalaya/story/northeast-researchers-discover-new-firefly-species-name-it-after-meghalayas-mawsynram-1263026-2026-07-12⁠

Indian Giant Flying Squirrel The Indian Giant Flying Squirrel (Petaurista philippensis) is a nocturnal, arboreal rodent of the Sciuridae family, capable of gliding using a skin membrane (patagium) between its limbs. Recently, it was spotted in Ramnagar forests, Uttarakhand, after nearly 12 years. It is distributed across South and Southeast Asia and southern and central China, inhabiting dry deciduous, evergreen forests, and plantations, mainly in hilly regions. One of the largest flying squirrels (30–45 cm body; tail up to 60 cm), it has grey-brown fur and a bushy tail. It is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN Red List. Source: https://vajiramandravi.com/current-affairs/upsc-prelims-current-affairs/2026/07/14/

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AI Companies —> Models (with function) • OpenAI —> GPT (text/LLM), DALL·E (image), Whisper (speech-to-text), Codex (coding) • Google DeepMind —> Gemini (multimodal), Imagen (image), Veo (video), AlphaFold (protein) • Anthropic —> Claude (LLM, safety-focused) • Meta —> LLaMA (open LLM) • xAI —> Grok (real-time conversational AI) • Mistral AI —> Mistral (efficient LLM), Mixtral (MoE LLM) • DeepSeek —> V-series (LLM, reasoning/coding) • Microsoft —> MAI (multimodal—voice/image) • Stability AI —> Stable Diffusion (image) • Midjourney —> Midjourney (image) #prelims

🌊🐠 CORAL REEFS 🌟 What are Corals? 🔹 Coral reefs are built by thousands of tiny animals called coral polyps 🔹 ❌ Not plants → ✅ They are animals 🌍 Distribution 🔹 Found in tropical & subtropical oceans worldwide 📏 Depth Range 🔹 Mostly in shallow waters (<150 ft) 🔹 Some reefs extend deeper (~450 ft) 🌿 Biodiversity Importance 🔹 🌳 Second only to rainforests in biodiversity 🔹 🌊 Cover <0.2% of oceans 🔹 🐟 Support 25% of marine fish species 🤝 Symbiotic Relationship 🔹 Corals have a partnership with zooxanthellae (microscopic algae) ☀️ Role of Zooxanthellae 🔹 Perform photosynthesis 🔹 Produce nutrients (energy for coral) 🔹 Give corals their color 🏠 What Coral Provides 🔹 Safe home for algae 🔹 Provides CO₂ & waste nutrients 🔹 Stable environment for growth 🔄 Mutual Benefit Summary ☀️ Sunlight → 🌿 Zooxanthellae photosynthesis → ⚡ Nutrients to coral → 🐠 Healthy reefs 🎯 Key Takeaway for UPSC 🔹 Small organisms, but huge ecological impact 🔹 Critical for marine biodiversity & ecosystem balance 🌎✨ Protect Coral Reefs, Protect Our Planet!