1 . Glaw Lake – India’s 101st Ramsar Site
Syllabus Mapping: GS III: Environment & Ecology • Wetlands Conservation • Biodiversity • International Environmental Conventions
- India has designated Glaw Lake in Arunachal Pradesh as its 101st Ramsar Site, making it the first Ramsar Site in the State. The designation reinforces India’s commitment to wetland conservation, biodiversity protection and sustainable management of freshwater ecosystems.
- Glaw Lake is a pristine freshwater lake located within the Kamlang Tiger Reserve & Wildlife Sanctuary in the Eastern Himalayas.
- It is fed by perennial mountain streams and supports a rich diversity of flora and fauna.
- The wetland and its catchment harbour 150+ tree species and 49 orchid species, highlighting its high ecological significance.
- The Ramsar designation aims to strengthen wetland conservation, climate resilience, water security, and sustainable livelihoods of local communities.
- With this addition, India’s Ramsar Sites increased to 101, while Arunachal Pradesh became the latest State to join India’s Ramsar network.
- The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands is an international treaty adopted in 1971 at Ramsar (Iran) for the conservation and wise use of wetlands. India became a Contracting Party in 1982.
- Montreux Record is a register of Ramsar Sites where ecological character has changed or is likely to change due to human interference. Loktak Lake (Manipur) and Keoladeo National Park (Rajasthan) are the two Indian wetlands currently included in the Montreux Record.
2. Ujh Multipurpose Project (UMP)
Syllabus Mapping: GS III: Water Resources • Irrigation • Hydropower • Infrastructure • India–Pakistan Water Relations
- The Government reviewed the implementation roadmap of the Ujh Multipurpose Project (UMP) in Jammu & Kashmir, which will be executed in phases to enhance irrigation, hydropower generation, drinking water supply and optimal utilisation of India’s Ravi river waters.
- Ujh Multipurpose Project (UMP) is being implemented by WAPCOS Ltd., a PSU under the Ministry of Jal Shakti.
- The project is located on the Ujh River, a major tributary of the Ravi River in Kathua district, Jammu & Kashmir.
- It is designed to:
- Generate 186–212 MW of hydropower.
- Provide irrigation to nearly 90,000 hectares in J&K (Kathua & Samba) and Punjab (Pathankot & Gurdaspur).
- Supply drinking and industrial water to Kathua district.
- The project will be implemented in phases, allowing construction to proceed while land acquisition continues simultaneously.
- It is expected to strengthen water security, agricultural productivity, regional development and has strategic importance in optimising India’s utilisation of Ravi river waters.
- The Shahpurkandi Project, also on the Ravi River, complements the Ujh project by improving India’s utilisation of waters from the Eastern Rivers for irrigation and power generation.
3. Indigenous African Swine Fever (ASF) Vaccine
Syllabus Mapping: GS III: Agriculture & Allied Sectors • Animal Husbandry • Biotechnology • Biosecurity • Atmanirbhar Bharat
- The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has developed India’s first indigenous African Swine Fever (ASF) vaccine, marking a major milestone in strengthening animal health security, reducing economic losses and promoting self-reliance in veterinary vaccine development.
- It is a MA-104 cell line-based Live Attenuated Vaccine (LAV) developed against African Swine Fever Virus (ASFV) Genotype II.
- The vaccine has successfully completed laboratory evaluation and field validation in collaboration with the Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying (DAHD).
- Recommended for healthy pigs above 8 weeks of age, administered as a 1 mL intramuscular injection, followed by a booster dose after 14 days.
- Developed using the widely available MA-104 cell line, enabling large-scale, low-cost production without dependence on proprietary manufacturing platforms.
- The vaccine is expected to reduce pig mortality, improve livelihood security of pig farmers, and strengthen India’s animal disease preparedness and biosecurity.
- African Swine Fever (ASF) is a highly contagious viral disease affecting domestic and wild pigs.
- It is caused by the African Swine Fever Virus (ASFV), a large double-stranded DNA virus belonging to the family Asfarviridae.
- ASF is not a zoonotic disease—it does not infect humans and poses no food safety risk.
- World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) classifies ASF as a notifiable transboundary animal disease due to its severe economic impact on the livestock sector.
4. India’s First Telomere-to-Telomere (T2T) Reference Genome of Pigeonpea
Syllabus Mapping: GS III: Biotechnology • Agriculture • Food & Nutritional Security • Genetic Improvement of Crops
- The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has developed India’s first fully annotated Telomere-to-Telomere (T2T) reference genome of pigeonpea (Arhar/Tur), providing a complete genetic blueprint that will accelerate the development of climate-resilient, high-yielding and nutritionally enriched pulse varieties.
- The genome has been developed for the pigeonpea variety ‘Asha’ (Cajanus cajan L. Millsp.).
- It is India’s first fully annotated Telomere-to-Telomere (T2T) reference genome of a pulse crop and has been approved as the global reference genome for pigeonpea.
- The complete genome sequence includes all 11 chromosomes, along with 11 centromeres and 22 telomeres, providing a comprehensive genetic map of the crop.
- The genome annotation identified over 36,500 genes, enabling precise identification of traits related to yield, disease resistance, nutritional quality and climate resilience.
- The breakthrough will support molecular breeding, marker-assisted selection, genome editing, and pangenome research, leading to faster development of improved pigeonpea varieties.
- The achievement strengthens India’s Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses (2025–31) by reducing import dependence and improving pulse productivity.
- Pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan), popularly known as Arhar/Tur, is an important kharif pulse crop and a major source of plant protein in India.
- India is the largest producer and consumer of pigeonpea globally.
- Telomeres are protective DNA sequences present at the ends of chromosomes, while centromeres are the regions responsible for proper chromosome separation during cell division.
- A Telomere-to-Telomere (T2T) Genome represents the complete DNA sequence of every chromosome, including previously difficult-to-sequence regions such as centromeres and telomeres, making it the highest-quality reference genome.
- In 2011, ICAR-NIPB developed the world’s first draft genome of a pulse crop, and the first crop genome sequenced entirely in India, laying the foundation for this latest breakthrough.
5. SAMARTH Centres (Smart Advanced Manufacturing and Rapid Transformation Hubs)
Syllabus Mapping: GS III: Manufacturing • Industry 4.0 • Industrial Policy • Skill Development • Make in India
- The Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI) informed Parliament that four SAMARTH (Smart Advanced Manufacturing and Rapid Transformation Hub) Centres have been established under the Scheme for Enhancement of Competitiveness in the Indian Capital Goods Sector – Phase II to accelerate the adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies in Indian manufacturing.
- The centres promote adoption of Industry 4.0 and Smart Manufacturing technologies across Indian industries, particularly MSMEs.
- They provide:
- Industry 4.0 Experience Centres for live demonstrations.
- Model Smart Factories showcasing digital manufacturing solutions.
- Skill development and capacity-building programmes in emerging manufacturing technologies.
- Focus areas include:
- Artificial Intelligence (AI)
- Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT)
- Robotics & Autonomous Systems
- Additive Manufacturing (3D Printing)
- Digital Manufacturing
- To further expand outreach, the Ministry has also approved 10 Cluster Industry 4.0 Experience Centres through the Centre for Industry 4.0 (C4i4), Pune.
