Recent Current Affairs related to DST

Union Minister of State Dr Jitendra Singh has launched the redeveloped websites of the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and the Ministry of Science and Technology (MoS&T) to enhance the accessibility of scientific information and research opportunities for citizens.

The updated portals support 22 languages through the BHASHINI (BHASHa INterface for India) integration. Additionally, these websites comply with the Digital Brand Identity Manual (DBIM) 3.0 and the Guidelines for Indian Government Websites and Apps (GIGW) 3.0.

Mahesh Kakde, a professor at the IISc Bengaluru, has been named the winner of the 2026 Ramanujan Prize for Young Mathematicians from Developing Countries for his work in algebraic number theory.

With this, he has become the 5th Indian to receive the honour. The award carries a cash prize of $10,000.

The Technology Development Board (TDB) has signed an agreement with Peptris Technologies in Bengaluru to provide financial support of ₹86 crore under the Research Development and Innovation (RDI) Fund.

The financial support is allocated for a project titled “VIGOR: Advancing AI-Discovered Molecules from Bench to Clinic”, which has a total project cost of ₹172 crore. The project aims to advance four drug candidates from Technology Readiness Level (TRL)-4 to TRL-6.

Pondicherry University (PU) has signed an MoU with the NIT Nagaland under the Anusandhan National Research Foundation-Partnerships for Accelerated Innovation and Research (ANRF-PAIR) program to bolster academic and research cooperation.

It is to be noted that NIT Nagaland is the first institution from the North-East region to participate in the PAIR project. Under the PAIR Network Scheme, the IISc Bengaluru will act as the hub institution, while PU and NIT Nagaland will serve as the spoke institutions.

The Technology Development Board has signed an agreement with the Bengaluru-based BigEndian Semiconductors to provide financial assistance of ₹130 crore for the execution of “Project VeerAI”. The total cost of the project is estimated at ₹260 crore.

The financial support is sanctioned under the Research Development and Innovation (RDI) Fund. The project aims to advance the technology from Technology Readiness Level (TRL)-5 to TRL-9 to ensure its commercial readiness.

The Technology Development Board (TDB) has signed an agreement with Multi Nano Sense Technologies Pvt Ltd to provide financial support of ₹37.51 crore under the Research Development and Innovation (RDI) Fund.

The total approved cost of the project is ₹75.02 crore. The project focuses on the development of a Platform Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) + Analog Front-End (AFE) System-on-Chip (SoC) Multi-Gas Sensor to elevate its technology readiness from Technology Readiness Level (TRL)-4 to TRL-9.

The IISc Bengaluru, has established the Foundation for Quantum Computing Innovation (FQCI) to function as the Quantum Computing Thematic Hub (QC T-Hub) under the National Quantum Mission (NQM). It is to be noted that the NQM is implemented by the Department of Science and Technology (DST).

FQCI is tasked with developing skilled manpower and promoting entrepreneurship in quantum technologies through 5 specialized programmes: Quantum Computing (QC) Rise, QC Bridge, QC Leap, QC Accel, and QC Quest.

Indian researchers led by Dr Shubhasis Haldar have developed a deep-learning AI framework named “ACSCeND” to identify hidden cancer stem-like cells (CSCs).

The framework was developed through a collaboration between the SN Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences (SNBNCBS) and Ashoka University.

The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) has signed two MoUs with the Institute of Data Engineering, Analytics and Science Foundation (IDEAS), Indian Statistical Institute (ISI), Kolkata to undertake research studies.

The collaboration aims to deep dive into various statistics released by MoSPI and provide harmonisation with other data sources.

The Technology Development Board (TDB) has signed an agreement with the Gurugram-based Casey Aviation Pvt Ltd for the “Boost Electric Jump Take-Off (BE-JTO)” project. The TDB has sanctioned a conditional grant for this project under the “India–UK Collaborative Research & Development (R&D) Programme for Industrial Sustainability”, in partnership with the UK-based ARC Aerosystems Ltd.

The project aims to develop an advanced hybrid propulsion-based Jump Take-Off (JTO) system to enhance the operational capabilities of unmanned and light aircraft platforms. Additionally, the initiative aims to establish one of the first propulsion testing facilities in North India.