Recent 6 months news in Science

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has announced the 4-member crew for the Artemis III mission, which is scheduled for a Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) mission in late 2027. The crew comprises Randy Bresnik (Commander), Andre Douglas, and Frank Rubio from the USA, alongside Luca Parmitano from the European Space Agency (ESA).

The mission will test docking procedures between Starship of SpaceX, Blue Moon lander of Blue Origin, and Orion capsule of NASA, launched by the Space Launch System (SLS). This mission aims to demonstrate operational readiness for future human lunar landings and planned lunar operations.

The National e-Governance Division (NeGD), an independent business division under the Digital India Corporation (DIC) of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), has empanelled 6 firms to provide AI and Machine Learning (ML) solutions for central ministries and agencies.

The selected firms are TCS, NEC India, Kyndryl Solutions, Innefu Labs, CoRover.ai, and Cactus Technology Solutions. The empanelment is valid for 2 years, with a provision for an extension of up to 1 year.

The ICAR-Indian Institute of Oilseeds Research (ICAR-IIOR), Hyderabad, has launched “Oilseeds Kisaan Mitra,” a WhatsApp-based AI advisory service.

The initiative aims to harness digital technology to benefit the farming community. It enables oilseed farmers across India to access free, trusted, and instant crop advisory through WhatsApp.

Union Minister of State Dr. Jitendra Singh has announced the launch of a digital portal supported by the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) to strengthen scientific research and innovation. The announcement was made during a joint review meeting of all science Ministries in New Delhi.

The portal serves as a capacity-building platform for researchers and young innovators, providing support in scientific writing, publication processes, Intellectual Property (IP) protection, and patent-related procedures.

The Digital India BHASHINI Division (DIBD) has launched the ‘VYOMA Innovation Challenge’ to promote the development of open-source, multilingual, and voice-first AI solutions. The initiative is launched in partnership with Current AI and Kalpa Impact.

The challenge focuses on creating AI solutions that can operate in offline and low-connectivity environments. It is structured around ‘Sunno Sutra’, a multilingual, voice-first, open-source handheld AI reference device.

Technology Hub (T-Hub) has inaugurated the third cohort of the ORBIT programme, an Atal Innovation Mission (AIM)-supported Atal Innovation Incubation Centre (AIC)-T-Hub Space-Tech Accelerator Programme. The third cohort includes 13 startups, including Sanyak Space Technologies, Humanity Space, Red Balloon Aerospace, and Nibiaa Devices.

With this, the ORBIT programme has supported 36 space-tech startups in total, while the broader space-tech initiatives of T-Hub have engaged over 100 startups. It is to be noted that previous cohorts have collectively raised nearly ₹30 crore in funding and developed 18 Intellectual Properties (IPs).

Chandigarh University in Punjab has become the first private university in India to launch an ‘IndiaAI Data Lab’.

The lab has been established in partnership with Intel India to enhance students’ employability by providing industry-relevant skills in AI, Data Science, and emerging technologies.

Microsoft has unveiled “Majorana 2”, its second-generation topological quantum computing chip developed using its agentic AI platform, “Microsoft Discovery”.

The prototype features 12 topological qubits as a model for scalable systems, with the company aiming to develop commercially viable quantum systems by 2029. Additionally, Microsoft has introduced “Scout”, an AI-powered Microsoft 365 assistant designed to autonomously manage schedules, emails, and meetings.

The Department of Higher Education (DoHE) under the Ministry of Education (MoE) has launched the Prime Minister Research Chair (PMRC) Scheme 2026. The scheme aims to integrate accomplished Indian-origin researchers, scientists, technologists, and professionals from across the globe into the research and innovation ecosystem of India.

The scheme identifies 13 priority sectors categorized under three pillars: Lead Institutions, Host Institutions, and PMRC Fellows. The MoE has designated 7 premier institutions as Lead Institutions to facilitate the implementation of the scheme across various thematic areas.

The selection of participating institutions and fellows is monitored by an Empowered Committee chaired by Professor Ajay Kumar Sood, the Principal Scientific Advisor (PSA) to the Government of India.

The Frontier Tech Hub of the NITI Aayog has released a 10-year roadmap titled “Future of India’s Semiconductor Industry” to strengthen India’s position in the global semiconductor value chain.

The roadmap, unveiled by Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, aims to establish a semiconductor value chain worth $120–$150 billion by 2035, with India potentially capturing 10–13% of the global semiconductor market.

It is to bo noted that India imported semiconductor products worth $150 billion between FY17 and FY25. Projections suggest that annual imports could rise to $240 billion by 2035 if current trends continue.

The Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft, orbiting the Moon since 2019, has provided evidence of subsurface water ice deposits within the permanently shadowed regions (PSRs) of lunar south polar craters. This study, conducted by the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) in Ahmedabad, was published in the Nature Portfolio Journal (NPJ) Space Exploration.

Researchers utilized the Dual-Frequency Synthetic Aperture Radar (DFSAR) to analyze ‘doubly shadowed craters’ within the PSRs. The findings from a 1.1 km crater in the Faustini Basin indicate an impact into an ice-rich subsurface that briefly flowed before refreezing.

Union Minister Jitendra Singh has inaugurated the indigenously developed Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (PECVD) system and the new Research Entrepreneurship for Translation, Innovation and NAvigation (RETINA) incubation centre at the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science (IACS) campus in Kolkata.

The inauguration coincided with the 150th-anniversary celebrations of IACS, which is recognized as Asia’s oldest research institution and the birthplace of the Raman Effect. It is to be noted that the PECVD system is India’s first completely indigenous technology developed for the fabrication of amorphous silicon solar cells.

IIT Madras has launched an advanced hydrodynamic testing facility named “Circulating Water Tunnel Facility” at its Thaiyur campus in Chennai.

The facility is designed to strengthen indigenous ship design, ocean engineering research, and hydrodynamic testing capabilities in India. It was constructed with ₹4.5 crore in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funding provided by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd (MDL).

An international team of researchers led by Dr. Ronaldo Laishram from the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ) has discovered an ancient cosmic structure named the “Loktak Protocluster”.

Located 12.6 billion light-years away in the constellation Sextans, the structure allows astronomers to observe the universe as it existed when it was only 1.2 billion years old (9% of its current age).

It is named after Loktak Lake in Manipur, the largest freshwater lake in Northeast India, famous for its “phumdis” (floating masses of vegetation). The discovery was made by integrating data from the Japan-based Subaru Telescope and the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) of NASA.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has unveiled a $20 billion, 3-phased plan to establish a permanent lunar base equipped with rovers and drones.

The plan aims to set up the base by March 2027, with the objective of landing astronauts on the moon in 2028. The mission is structured into 3 phases: Moon Base-I (2026-2028), Moon Base-II (2029-2032), and Moon Base-III (2032 onwards).

China has launched the Shenzhou-23 spacecraft carrying 3 astronauts to the Tiangong Space Station for scientific research and orbital operations.

The spacecraft was launched onboard a Long March-2F Y23 (LM-2F Y23) carrier rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. The mission marks the first spaceflight of the country expected to support a year-long human residency in orbit. It is scheduled to conduct over 100 scientific experiments during its orbital tenure.

The Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) has selected 10 institutions under its Convergence Research Centres of Excellence (CoE) programme. The initiative aims to promote multidisciplinary and transdisciplinary research to address complex societal challenges.

The selected institutes include IIT Gandhinagar (Gujarat), IIT Madras, IIT Dharwad (Karnataka), and IIT Kanpur. These centres are eligible for funding support of up to ₹25 crore for projects with a maximum duration of 5 years.

Union Minister of State Dr. Jitendra Singh has inaugurated India’s first ‘SkyCast’ system at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi. With this, India has become the 19th country globally to implement this advanced integrated aviation weather monitoring system.

Developed under ‘Mission Mausam’, the system aims to enhance aviation safety by facilitating safer take-offs and landings. It integrates advanced atmospheric sensors to monitor atmospheric conditions up to an altitude of 3 km. A second facility is planned to be established at the Jewar Airport in Uttar Pradesh.

Union Minister of State Dr Jitendra Singh has launched the second phase of the Unique Methods of Management and Treatment of Inherited Disorders (UMMID) programme for Rare Genetic Disorders (RGDs) in New Delhi.

Under Phase-II, the initiative will expand its network by setting up 25 additional National Inherited Diseases Administration (NIDAN) Kendras across 13 states and one Union Territory, along with three proposed training centres in Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Chandigarh. The NIDAN Kendras are designed to provide genetic testing and counselling.

It is to be noted that the first phase of the UMMID initiative was launched in 2019 by the Ministry of Science and Technology as the first comprehensive national program in India to introduce molecular diagnostics for rare genetic diseases.

Red Balloon Aerospace has launched “Mission SANA”, the first indigenous super-pressure platform of India carrying commercial payloads from 7 national and international partners.

The launch places India among only 5 nations globally, alongside the United States, France, Japan, and China, to possess indigenous stratospheric (hydrogen) balloon capability.

The VISTA super-pressure platform of the company ascended to an altitude of 25 km above Earth from the Indira Gandhi Stadium in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh. It is to be noted that Red Balloon Aerospace, established in 2025, achieved operational commercial flight within an 8-month timeframe.