भारत, जो विश्व का दूसरा सबसे बड़ा तंबाकू उत्पादक और उपभोक्ता है, गंभीर सार्वजनिक स्वास्थ्य भार का सामना कर रहा है क्योंकि सिगरेट कर खुदरा मूल्य का केवल लगभग 53% ही बनाते हैं, जो WHO मानक से काफी कम है।
तंबाकू के बारे में
तंबाकू एक वाणिज्यिक फसल है जो मुख्यतः निकोटियाना टैबैकम पौधे से प्राप्त होती है, जिसकी पत्तियों में निकोटीन होता है — यह एक अत्यधिक नशे का व्यसन उत्पन्न करने वाला एल्कलॉइड है जो केंद्रीय तंत्रिका तंत्र को उत्तेजित करता है।
इसका उपयोग धूम्रपान रूपों (सिगरेट, सिगार, बीड़ी) और बिना धूम्रपान रूपों (गुटखा, खैनी, चबाने वाला तंबाकू) में किया जाता है।
भारत एआई इम्पैक्ट समिट 2026 में “कृत्रिम बुद्धिमत्ता के युग में रोजगार योग्यता का भविष्य” पर उच्च-स्तरीय चर्चा आयोजित हुई, जिसमें नीति-निर्माताओं, उद्योग जगत के नेताओं, शिक्षाविदों और नवप्रवर्तकों ने भाग लिया।
परिचय
चर्चा में यह परखा गया कि स्वचालन के तीव्रता से बढ़ने के बीच कौन-सी कौशल, भूमिकाएँ और मानसिकताएँ प्रासंगिक बनी रहेंगी तथा व्यक्तियों को रोजगारयोग्य बने रहने के लिए क्या करना होगा।
वक्ताओं ने रचनात्मकता, सिस्टम थिंकिंग, अनुकूलनशीलता और आजीवन सीखने के महत्व पर बल दिया, जो संकीर्ण कार्य-आधारित विशेषज्ञता से अधिक मूल्यवान हैं।
President Droupadi Murmu inaugurated the centenary celebration of the Ol Chiki script in New Delhi, emphasising its importance in preserving Santhal heritage.
About
Ol Chiki was developed in 1925 by Pandit Raghunath Murmu to provide a dedicated writing system for the Santhali language.
It comprises 30 letters designed to capture Santhali phonetics with precision, allowing systematic documentation of its vocabulary and grammar.
Santhali, a member of the Austroasiatic language family, is spoken across Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal, Assam, and Bihar.
Recently, the head of the World Trade Organization agreed with U.S. calls for reforming the global trading system, noting it is resilient but not robust.
Global Trading System and Role of WTO
The World Trade Organization (WTO) is the sole global body governing international trade rules.
It is aiming to ensure smooth, predictable, and free trade through agreements negotiated and ratified by member nations.
Artificial intelligence can optimise distributed renewable energy by improving grid management, forecasting, storage efficiency, and cost savings.
Distributed Renewable Energy (DRE)
Distributed renewable energy (DRE) refers to small-scale, decentralised power generation systems typically ranging from a few kilowatts to megawatts that produce electricity from renewable sources directly.
Unlike conventional centralized power plants that require extensive transmission infrastructure, DRE systems operate independently or connect to the local distribution network.
A study in Nature recently revealed that researchers have developed a method to address many nonsense mutation diseases using a single genome-editing strategy.
About
Their approach is called Prime-Editing-mediated Readthrough of premature termination codons (PERT).
It reprogrammes one of the cell’s own genes into a tool to override premature stop signals, allowing the cell to ignore the faulty instruction and complete the protein.
The study offers a proof-of-concept for a gene-agnostic therapy that could benefit many rare diseases caused by nonsense mutations.
In the backdrop of rising temperatures and rapid urbanisation, district cooling is emerging as a climate-responsive and urban planning solution aligned with India’s sustainability goals.
What is District Cooling?
District cooling is a centralised system that supplies air-conditioning to multiple buildings through a network of insulated underground pipes.
A central plant produces chilled water (around 6–7°C), which circulates to connected buildings.
The water absorbs heat (returning at 12–14°C) and is re-cooled at the plant in a closed-loop system.
Recently, a Bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) cleared the way for the Great Nicobar Island mega-infrastructure project, noting that ‘considering the strategic importance’ of it and ‘other relevant considerations’.
About the Great Nicobar Project
It is a large-scale infrastructure initiative conceived by NITI Aayog, formally called as the Great Nicobar Island Development Project.
It is implemented through the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Integrated Development Corporation (ANIIDC).
