Mepco bill

Science quiz: Most powerful non-nuclear bombs  A railgun runs a strong electric current through parallel rails, using the resuting electromagnetic forces to accelerate a projectile to extreme speeds. START THE QUIZ 1 / 5 | Eighteen years ago, Russia tested a weapon it called the “Father of All Bombs.” It was a ___________ weapon because … Read more

Solar System in the galaxy illustration September began with bang with the Full Moon also known as Corn/Harvest moon and a total Lunar Eclipse on September 7 that was visible throughout Asia and Australia and the central and eastern parts of Europe and Africa. Now, get ready for the next half. New Moon: The Moon … Read more

Last month, China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology introduced interim measures to tighten controls on ‘rare earth’ mining and processing. The rules are the latest in Beijing’s efforts to centralise oversight of extraction, exports, and refining. While China’s trading partners such as India and the U.S. are seeking alternative sources to reduce dependency, data … Read more

Modern computing banks on conventional electronics and algorithms to process data. But because the hardware operates according to the laws of physics, data processing has a physical speed limit. The availability of power further constrains this speed, especially if the software being run is a power-guzzling artificial intelligence (AI) model. Thus one major preoccupation of … Read more

Material-engineered multicolor luminescent plants (This article forms a part of the Science for All newsletter that takes the jargon out of science and puts the fun in! Subscribe now!) Glow-in-the-dark plants are not new. In fact, scientists created the first bioluminescent plant way back in 1986, when they combined genes from firefly, Photinus pyralis, with … Read more

The first colour image of Mars transmitted by the Viking 1 lander. | Photo Credit: NASA/JPL A: Since the previous century, scientists have been reporting signs of life on Mars. In 1976, a Viking mission experiment reported signs of metabolism but another detector found no organic molecules. In 1996, the meteorite ALH 84001 was presented … Read more

Designer clownfish developed by NBFGR. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement  Scientists at the National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources (NBFGR) claimed to have developed designer clownfish through cross-breeding of two clownfish species – Amphiprion percula (male) and Amphiprion ocellaris (female). The research findings were published in an article by scientists Ajith Kumar T.T. and P. … Read more

The “Gen Z” protests in Nepal that began as a movement against the ban on social media outlets and corruption on Monday, took a violent turn the next day, with attacks on all institutions. The proximate reasons apart, political instability — marked by frequent changes in government and unethical alliances — has kept Nepal’s stark … Read more

Data suggests that the private–government school cost gap is widest at the pre-primary level | Photo Credit: RAMAKRISHNA G Data from a recent government survey suggests that the cost of private kindergarten education in India is disproportionately high. Two sets of data from the Comprehensive Modular Survey: Education 2025 point to this conclusion. First, the cost gap … Read more

India issues more than half a billion antibiotic prescriptions annually in the private sector alone. | Photo Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto Antimicrobial resistance is one of the most pressing global health threats of the 21st century, already causing around 5 million deaths a year. A major driver is the overuse of antibiotics, particularly for conditions that … Read more

ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan during the signing of an agreement between NewSpace India Limited, ISRO, IN-SPACe and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited for the transfer of the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle technology. | Photo: X/@isro via PTI This marks a significant step in industry participation in the space sector ISRO signed a formal agreement with Hindustan Aeronautics … Read more

The Ganga river flows in spate during the monsoon season as it passes under the Howrah Bridge, in Kolkata, August 3, 2025. | Photo Credit: PTI Steel truss bridges have been the backbone of transport networks since the late 19th century. They are built from interconnected steel bars and they can span long distances and … Read more

A gender-wise breakdown of Muslims and non-Muslims deleted from the rolls also showed no notable variation. Of all deleted Muslim electors, 56% were female, compared with 55% among non-Muslims. The chart below shows the gender-wise share of deletions among Muslims and non-Muslims. A booth-wise analysis of deletions showed that in about 490 of the more … Read more

Over the last few years, chatbots have permeated practically every aspect of our digital existence, encompassing customer service, mental health support, entertainment, and education. Powered by sophisticated artificial intelligence (AI) models, these conversational agents can generate remarkably human-like responses, sometimes almost indistinguishable from real people. This swift progression in natural language processing frequently raises a … Read more

Why does the ‘brain-eating amoeba’ eat the brain?

There are about 20,000 species of bees in the world, each with unique flight patterns and flower preferences. Many have co-evolved with specific plants so perfectly that their size, shape, and behaviour match the flowers they pollinate. A world without bees Imagine waking up to find every flower shut tight, no honey on your toast, … Read more

On September 22, India will simplify its GST rates into two main slabs, 5% and 18%, with a special 40% bracket for “sinful” and ultra-luxury goods. Many everyday foods get cheaper. For example, pizza bread will drop from 5% to zero and a long list of sugar-based products, including sugar-boiled confectionery, chocolates, jams, and fruit … Read more

Passwords are no longer enough to keep your accounts safe. If someone steals or guesses your password, they can log into your account without your knowledge. To reduce this risk, many services use Two-Factor Authentication (2FA). It adds a second requirement when you log in, usually a code that changes every 30 seconds. One of … Read more

You were probably taught in high school that new neurons, or brain cells, are not born during adulthood. That it stops during your childhood. The actual picture has been more complicated: scientists have been debating among themselves for a long time as to when neurogenesis stops, although most of them believed it was possible in … Read more

(1) Goods and Services Tax rationalisation announced Union Finance Minister announced the rationalised GST slabs of 5% and 18% after the GST Council’s meeting on Wednesday last week (September 3, 2025). The rationalisation removed the 12% and 28% tax slabs, making several products cheaper. On the other hand, a 40% slab made some sin goods … Read more

A French doctor accused of intentionally poisoning 30 child and adult patients, 12 of whom died, went on trial on September 8, saying before the hearing he was not responsible for the “distress” of his alleged victims and their families. Frederic Pechier, 53, worked as an anaesthetist at two clinics in the eastern city of … Read more

If you’re lost somewhere on the earth, you can use GPS or public landmarks to find your way back. Navigation in the vastness of space isn’t so easy, however — especially if you’re on a spacecraft racing billions of kilometres away from the earth. There is no GPS in space and where a landmark is … Read more