30.03.25

Purpose: Operation Brahma is India’s humanitarian mission launched in response to the devastating 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck Myanmar on March 28, 2025.

Trigger: The earthquake caused widespread destruction and killed over 1,600 people in Myanmar and neighboring Thailand.

Aid Efforts:

• Deployment of rescue teams, medical aid, and relief supplies.
• Two Indian naval ships, INS Satpura and INS Savitri, dispatched with 40 tonnes of humanitarian aid to Yangon.
• The Air Force deployed multiple aircraft carrying relief materials.
• An 80-member National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team equipped with specialized rescue tools deployed.
• The Indian Army deployed a 118-member medical team to establish a 60-bed Medical Treatment Centre in Mandalay.

Key Players:

• National Disaster Response Force (NDRF).
• Indian Army (Shatrujeet Brigade Medical Responders).
• Indian Navy (INS Satpura, INS Savitri).
• Indian Air Force.
• Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

Scale of Operation: Operation involves large-scale deployment of resources, including ships, aircraft, medical teams, and rescue personnel, highlighting India’s commitment to aid the affected country.

Political Support: Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with Myanmar’s military leader, General Min Aung Hlaing, offering support and solidarity.

India’s Commitment: The mission reinforces India’s role as a “first responder” to natural disasters in the region, demonstrating the country’s commitment to humanitarian aid and its ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ philosophy of the world being one family.

What is GTO: A highly elliptical orbit used as a transfer stage for satellites. Perigee is about 180-200 km, apogee around 35,900 km (near geostationary).

Why GTO is Important: Satellites are initially placed in GTO to conserve fuel and reduce energy required from the launch vehicle. Satellites then use their own propulsion to reach geostationary orbit (GEO).

ISRO’s Semi-Cryogenic Engine Development: ISRO achieved a breakthrough with a 2,000 kN semi-cryogenic engine (LOX/Kerosene). First hot test of the Engine Power Head Test Article (PHTA) was successful.

Engine Details: The semi-cryogenic engine uses liquid oxygen (LOX) as an oxidizer (cryogenic) and refined kerosene (RP-1) as fuel (stored at ambient temperature), providing higher density impulse.

Impact of the New Engine: The new semi-cryogenic engine (SE2000) will replace the current L110 stage in LVM3, increasing the payload capacity in GTO from 4 to 5 tonnes.

Test Highlights: The PHTA test validated ignition and boost strap mode operation, all engine parameters performing as expected during the 2.5-second test. A complex test facility (SIET) was established for the engine’s testing.

Benefits: The engine will deliver higher performance compared to the existing L110 stage, employing non-toxic and non-hazardous propellants.

Future Plans: ISRO plans further tests on the PHTA before fully integrating the engine.

Frankincense at Risk: The IUCN warns that Frankincense-producing trees (Boswellia species) face extinction.

Species Status: Five Boswellia species on Socotra Island (Yemen) moved from Vulnerable to Endangered, one to Critically Endangered, and three newly assessed as Critically Endangered. The main species are B. serrata, B. carterii, and B. sacra.

What is Frankincense: An aromatic resin used in incense, perfumes, and traditional medicine, historically significant and one of the gifts to Jesus.

Threats: Habitat Destruction & Overgrazing: Goats graze on young saplings, hindering tree regeneration due to a decline in rotational grazing.

Threats: Climate Change & Extreme Weather: Cyclones, flash floods, landslides, and prolonged droughts damage and uproot trees, and also hinder sapling growth.

Threats: Unsustainable Harvesting: Excessive tapping for resin extraction weakens trees and reduces seed production.

Conservation Efforts Needed: There’s a lack of effective protective measures. Building fences around young trees by local communities can protect them from goats and also produce frankincense honey for additional income.

Government Action on Pollution: Maharashtra government has decided to remove water hyacinth from the Ulhas River within 15 days in response to citizen protests. This indicates a serious acknowledgment of the pollution issue.

Collaborative Effort: A new action plan is being drafted, involving municipal corporations, the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB), and the state government, signaling a multi-agency approach to cleaning up the Ulhas and Waldhuni rivers.

Immediate and Long-Term Measures: The plan includes both immediate actions like removing water hyacinth and long-term strategies to address pollution, implying a commitment to sustained improvement.

Origin and Geography: The Ulhas River originates in the Sahyadri hill ranges in Raigad district, flowing west for 122 km before emptying into the Arabian Sea.

Basin Area: The river basin covers 4,637 sq km entirely within Maharashtra, encompassing parts of Thane, Raigad, and Pune districts.

Tributaries: The river has several tributaries, with Kalu and Bhasta being major right-bank tributaries.

Historical Significance: The estuary of the Ulhas River is home to historical ports like Kalyan, Kopri, and Shurparaka, showing cultural and historical significance.

Focus on Cleanup: Kalyan Lok Sabha MP Dr. Shrikant Shinde convened the meeting, highlighting the local and political importance of the river cleanup.

What: The Future Circular Collider (FCC) is a proposed $30 billion particle accelerator being developed by CERN. It is a 91 km circular tunnel located beneath the Swiss-French border.

Purpose: The FCC aims to collide particles at unprecedented energies to study fundamental forces and particles, generate Higgs bosons in large numbers (Phase 1, ~2040), and potentially discover new particles

Significance: The FCC’s potential to replicate Big Bang conditions and test theories like supersymmetry could lead to groundbreaking discoveries. It has the potential to advance our understanding of dark matter and fundamental physics.

Cost and Funding Concerns: The initial cost is estimated at $30 billion, raising concerns about long-term funding implications for other scientific advancements.

Division within the Scientific Community: The project faces division, with supporters including CERN leadership and senior physicists.

Alternative Proposals: Physicists are considering other options like linear accelerators and plasma wave technology.

Strategic Importance: The ‘Chicken’s Neck’ (Siliguri Corridor) is a crucial land link connecting India’s northeastern states to the rest of the country. It’s essential for moving military personnel, goods, and supplies.

Geopolitical Sensitivity: The corridor is strategically significant and lies close to the India-China border, specifically the Chumbi Valley in Tibet.

Vulnerability: At its narrowest, the corridor is approximately 22 kilometers wide. Any disruption to this corridor, potentially through conflict, could cut off India’s access to its northeastern states.

Bordering Nations: The corridor is flanked by Nepal to the west, Bhutan to the north, and Bangladesh to the south.

Bangladesh-China Involvement: The invitation of China to invest in a river conservation project near the corridor by Bangladesh.

Xenotransplantation Defined: The transplantation of animal organs, tissues, or cells into humans.

Recent Breakthrough: Successful transplantation of a gene-modified pig liver into a brain-dead human recipient by Chinese researchers from Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an.

Purpose of the Study: To evaluate the survival and function of the pig liver over a 10-day period.

Key Modifications: Six genes in the pig liver were edited to prevent immune rejection, and human genes were inserted for enhanced compatibility.

Positive Outcomes: The pig liver produced bile and albumin, indicating basic functionality. Stable blood flow was maintained, and no signs of rejection were observed with immunosuppressants.

Potential Use: Could serve as a “bridge therapy” for patients awaiting human liver transplants, addressing the shortage of donor organs.

Limitations: Study was limited to a 10-day observation period. Long-term viability and full liver functionality are uncertain. Full range of liver functions were not measured.

Why Pigs? Anatomical and physiological similarities with humans, and pigs are easily farmed, making organ availability cost-effective and scalable. The variety of pig breeds allows organ size to be matched with human requirements.

Historical Context: Early xenotransplantation attempts with the human heart were made in the 1980s. Pig heart valves have been used in humans for over 50 years.

Importance of the Study: Advances in gene editing are making it possible to modify pig organs to reduce the risk of rejection, with the potential to save lives and improve patient outcomes.

Amur Tiger Roadkill Crisis: A recent study in Oryx reveals a concerning increase in Amur tiger roadkill incidents in the Russian Far East, threatening their long-term survival.

Significant Increase in Fatalities: Roadkill incidents have surged, with 46% of the total collisions between 1980 and 2023 occurring from 2020-2023.

Vulnerable Demographics: Primarily adult tigers are affected, also subadults and cubs have been involved in collisions. Winter, twilight, and night time are the riskiest times.

Habitat and Human Impact: Road expansion into tiger habitats, increasing traffic, and a lack of wildlife crossings contribute to the problem. Roads grant poachers access and fragment territories.

Prey Scarcity and Road Proximity: Declines in wild boar, a primary food source, have forced tigers closer to roads, increasing collision risks, especially in winter.

Critical Need for Mitigation: The research calls for wildlife-friendly road designs, including crossings, tunnels, and fences, alongside stricter traffic law enforcement and habitat protection.

Endangered Status: The Amur tiger is currently classified as “Endangered” on the IUCN Red List, with an estimated population of 265–486 (2022) in Russia.