The story so far: Last week, the India Meteorological Department said the southwest monsoon set in over Kerala on May 24, a week ahead of its normal onset. Since 1975, the earliest monsoon onset over Kerala occurred on May 19, 1990, 13 days ahead of schedule. Is there a secret sauce to the monsoonâs early…
Researchers at a Kashmir-based Agricultural university have produced India’s first gene-edited sheep, marking a historic milestone in the field of animal biotechnology. The Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST) has called it a “ground-breaking scientific achievement”. Also Read | Drone startups looking beyond defence to serve agriculture, quick commerce The edited sheep contains…
A dugong sand sculpture at Danushkodi beach to mark World Environment Day in June 2022. Waving meadows of emerald grasses part as a portly shape drifts through the shallow waters. Like a blimp led astray, the creature uses its front flippers to paddle gently as it nibbles on the seagrass that makes its home. Silt…
India sees rise in Covid-19 cases: India is witnessing a notable rise in Covid-19 cases across several states, prompting health authorities to urge caution while reassuring the public that the current situation remains manageable. Here are the seven key developments shaping the Covid landscape in the country: 1. Bengaluru, Karnataka Covid update Karnataka is closely…
Elon Musk, the billionaire CEO of rocket company SpaceX, has claimed that his Starships can travel to Mars within six months, instead of the projected 10 years. How? By travelling when the planets align, âevery 26 monthsâ (or 2.2 years), which would shorten the physical distance between the Earth and Mars, and theoritically means that…
Image used for representation only. | Photo Credit: AP GUWAHATI A new study has shown that stingless bees, which produce a high-value honey with a distinct flavour, can increase the yield and quality of crops. Researchers from Nagaland Universityâs Department of Entomology identified Tetragonula iridipennis and Lepidotrigona arcifera, two species of stingless bees, as the most efficient among…
Fingerprints are personal and unique. Even identical twins do not have the same fingerprint. | Photo Credit: George Prentzas/Unsplash We use many features of our bodies to identify ourselves in government records. Fingerprints in particular are widely used, from unlocking phones with sensors to validating Aadhaar cards. But fingerprints can also be fickle. For example,…
As the Covid-19 cases are again rising in India, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Director General Dr Rajiv Bahl on Monday said the institution is monitoring the situation through the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme, which tracks cases nationwide. The ICMR is focusing on three main factors: how transmissible the COVID-19 virus is, whether it…
Watch: Technology, Science, and Policy: can they together save a warming planet? The Hinduâs deputy science editor Jacob Koshy discusses climate change with IISc professor Sambuddha Misra, Arunabha Ghosh, Founder-CEO, Council on Energy, Environment and Water, Suruchi Bhadwal, Director, Climate Change and Air Quality, TERI. âClimate change and economics have to be tied into one…
Representational image. File | Photo Credit: B. Jothi Ramalingam The story so far: On April 17, the Tamil Nadu Cabinet, at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister M.K. Stalin in Chennai, approved the Space Industrial Policy, thereby following Karnataka and Gujarat in formulating a State-specific document to stimulate development and woo investments in the space…
