Daily Current Affairs 2025  

27/02/2026

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CA-27/02/2026

• Jointness in operations: The course brings together officers from the Army, Navy, and Air Force to think collectively about future battlefields.
• Focus areas: Emerging technologies like AI, cyber warfare, space operations, and multi-domain strategies are usually central themes.
• Strategic foresight: It’s designed to prepare senior officers for evolving threats, ensuring India’s armed forces remain agile and integrated.
• Networking & collaboration: Beyond lectures, these courses foster cross-service understanding, which is crucial for integrated theatre commands

• Chungthang–Lachen Axis: This road corridor is vital for connectivity to Lachen, a strategic and tourist destination in North Sikkim.
• Taram Chu Bridge: A 400 ft Bailey Suspension steel bridge, rebuilt after severe damage from natural disasters, now restores road access across the Taram Chu river.

• The region suffered repeated disasters:
  • Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) in October 2023
  • Cyclone Remal in June 2024
  • Cloud bursts in May–June 2025
• These events had cut off connectivity, isolating communities and impacting tourism and defense logistics.

• Cleared 96 landslides
• Built 4 major bridges and repaired 2 others under Project Swastik
• Carried out 8 km of fresh formation cutting and diversions to bypass unstable slopes and sinking zones
• The Taram Chu Bridge is a centerpiece of this recovery, ensuring reliable access to Lachen once again.

• Strategic: Enhances defense mobility in a sensitive border region.
• Economic & Social: Restores tourism and local livelihoods in Lachen.
• Resilience: Demonstrates India’s ability to rebuild critical infrastructure in high-altitude, disaster-prone terrain.

• Organizers: MeitY in collaboration with DSCI and MyGov.
• Objective: To build expertise in cybersecurity technologies, foster start-ups, and support a secure and resilient digital ecosystem.
• Prize Pool: ₹6.85 crore — one of the largest government-backed cybersecurity innovation competitions in India.
• Awards:
  • Winner: ₹1 crore
  • First Runner-up: ₹50 lakh
  • Second Runner-up: ₹25 lakh
• Focus Areas: Securing next-generation systems, critical infrastructure, and emerging technologies.
• Recent Winners (2026):
  • Cambrian Skillsda Technologies and Consultancy Services LLP (CSTCS) won the top prize for its solution on securing next-generation biometric systems.

• Credit Support: Facilitates collateral-free loans and credit schemes for MSMEs.
• Marketing Assistance: Helps small enterprises access larger markets through exhibitions, trade fairs, and B2B platforms.
• Technology Support: Provides training, incubation, and technology transfer through Technical Service Centers.
• Skilling & Capacity Building: Runs programs to enhance entrepreneurial and workforce skills.
• Raw Material Assistance: Supplies raw materials at competitive rates to MSMEs.
• Equity & Subsidy Schemes: Offers subsidies and equity support to strengthen small businesses.

• Acts as a bridge between government schemes and small businesses.
• Strengthens India’s MSME ecosystem, which contributes significantly to GDP and employment.
• Provides inclusive opportunities for entrepreneurs from SC/ST communities through dedicated hubs.

• Strategic Location: India’s Northeast borders Bangladesh, Myanmar, and is close to Southeast Asia, making it a natural gateway for trade with ASEAN countries.
• Recent Developments: The launch of train services from Tripura to Bangladesh is seen as a cost-effective trade route that could strengthen regional supply chains.
• Economic Potential: Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh emphasized the role of local resources, such as bamboo, in building sustainable industries that can feed into cross-border trade.
• Regional Connectivity: Tripura is being positioned as a key node in linking India with Southeast Asia, underscoring its importance in cross-border commerce and logistics.

• Boosts India-ASEAN Relations: Strengthening trade corridors aligns with India’s Act East Policy, deepening economic and cultural ties with Southeast Asia.
• Infrastructure Growth: Rail, road, and port projects in the Northeast could transform the region into a logistics hub.
• Local Development: Harnessing natural resources like bamboo and improving connectivity can generate jobs and uplift local communities.

• Safety: Lower risk of cytokine release syndrome compared to CAR-T.
• Scalability: NK cells can be derived from cord blood, induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), or established cell lines, enabling mass production.
• Versatility: Effective against both hematological malignancies and solid tumors.
• Allogeneic Use: Can be administered across patients without severe graft-versus-host disease risks.

• The Technology Development Board (TDB) under India’s Department of Science & Technology has backed East Ocyon Bio Private Limited (Gurgaon) to develop an indigenous CAR-NK platform.
• The project focuses on “off-the-shelf” CAR-NK therapies targeting:
  • Treatment-resistant solid tumors
  • Leishmaniasis, a neglected tropical disease prevalent in rural India
• This initiative aims to establish India’s first platform-based ecosystem for CAR-NK therapies, strengthening capabilities in advanced immunotherapy and biotherapeutics manufacturing.

Feature	CAR-NK Therapy	CAR-T Therapy
Source	NK cells (cord blood, iPSCs, cell lines)	Patient’s own T cells (autologous)
Safety Profile	Lower risk of cytokine storm	Higher risk of severe immune reactions
Scalability	Off-the-shelf, mass-producible	Patient-specific, time-intensive
Applications	Solid tumors + infectious diseases	Mostly hematological cancers
Cost & Accessibility	Potentially lower, more accessible	High cost, limited availability

• Global Impact: CAR-NK is being explored worldwide as a next-generation immunotherapy.
• India’s Leap: By investing in CAR-NK, India positions itself at the forefront of affordable precision medicine, especially for underserved populations.
• Future Outlook: If successful, CAR-NK could democratize access to advanced cancer and infectious disease treatments.

• Innovation: Wall claddings made using recycled quartz waste and multi‑grade quartz, leveraging geopolymer technology.

• Objective: Establish a state‑of‑the‑art manufacturing facility to scale up production of sustainable building materials.

Aspect	Conventional Portland Cement	Geopolymer Technology
Raw Materials	Limestone, clay → requires calcination at ~1450°C	Industrial byproducts (fly ash, slag, quartz waste) + alkaline activators
Carbon Footprint	Very high (cement industry contributes ~8% of global CO₂ emissions)	Ultra‑low carbon, since it avoids limestone calcination and reuses waste
Energy Use	Energy‑intensive kilns	Lower energy demand, no high‑temperature calcination
Strength & Durability	Good compressive strength, but prone to chemical attack	High strength, excellent resistance to acids, fire, and corrosion
Circular Economy	Limited recycling	Actively uses industrial waste (e.g., quartz, fly ash)
Applications	Concrete, mortar, claddings	Wall claddings, tiles, precast elements, eco‑construction

• Climate Impact: Cement production is one of the largest industrial sources of CO₂. Geopolymers cut emissions drastically.
• Waste Utilization: By using recycled quartz waste, Carbon Craft Design is turning an environmental liability into a resource.
• Performance: Geopolymer claddings are not only greener but also more durable, making them attractive for sustainable architecture.
• Policy Alignment: Fits India’s push for green building materials under initiatives like the National Mission on Sustainable Habitat.

• Genus: Impatiens (commonly known as balsams or “touch-me-nots”)
• Discovery: Documented in 2026 by a team of botanists from Kohima Science College, Nagaland University, the University of Warsaw, and the Botanical Survey of India.
• Habitat: Found in the rich biodiversity hotspot of Nagaland, which remains underexplored.
• Distinctive Features:
  • Bears striking purple flowers
  • Grows up to 35 cm in height
• Name Origin: The species name nagorum honors the Naga tribes of Nagaland.
• Publication: Officially described in the international journal Phytotaxa.

• Researchers engineered mice with human antibody genes to mimic human immune responses.
• They developed genetically human monoclonal antibodies that specifically target EBV.
• These antibodies prevent two key viral antigens from binding to and entering human immune cells

• In mouse models with human immune systems, one of the newly identified monoclonal antibodies successfully blocked EBV infection.
• This marks the first time a human-derived antibody has been shown to prevent EBV infection in vivo.
• The study was published in Cell Reports Medicine in February 2026

• EBV infects 95% of the global population and is linked to cancers (Burkitt’s lymphoma, nasopharyngeal carcinoma), autoimmune diseases, and even neurodegenerative conditions.
• There is currently no vaccine or cure for EBV.
• These antibodies could serve as a foundation for preventive therapies or vaccines against EBV-related diseases

• Transmission:
  • Spreads primarily through saliva ("the kissing disease") but also via other bodily fluids.
  • Most people worldwide are infected at some point in their lives.
• Common Illnesses Caused:
  • Infectious mononucleosis (mono): fatigue, fever, sore throat, swollen lymph nodes.
  • Can also contribute to certain cancers (e.g., Burkitt’s lymphoma, nasopharyngeal carcinoma) and autoimmune conditions.
• Symptoms:
  • Many infections, especially in childhood, are asymptomatic.
  • Adolescents and young adults are more likely to develop noticeable symptoms (mono).
• Prevalence:
  • EBV is one of the most common human viruses globally.
  • By adulthood, most people have been infected, often without realizing it.
• Treatment:
  • No specific antiviral cure.
  • Management focuses on relieving symptoms (rest, hydration, pain relievers).
• Prevention:
  • No vaccine currently exists.
  • Avoiding saliva exchange (e.g., not sharing drinks, utensils) reduces risk.

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