1. Centralized Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS)

Centralized Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS): Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) recently released the 34th Monthly Report on CPGRAMS performance.

• Key Highlights: 1.12 lakh grievances redressed by central ministries and departments, with an average disposal time of 15 days.
• Top Performers: Group A - Department of Food and Public Distribution, Telecommunications, and Posts.

o Group B - Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, Ayush, and Department of Land Resources.

• New Users: 48,000 registered (max from Uttar Pradesh).

• About CPGRAMS): It is an online platform for citizens to lodge grievances regarding public service delivery.
• Key Features:

o 24x7 Access: Available at all times.

o Single Portal: Connected to all Ministries/Departments of India and States.

o Role-based Access: Ministries and states have dedicated roles in the system.

• About CPGRAMS): It is an online platform for citizens to lodge grievances regarding public service delivery.
• Key Features:

o 24x7 Access: Available at all times.

o Single Portal: Connected to all Ministries/Departments of India and States.

o Role-based Access: Ministries and states have dedicated roles in the system.

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2. Pi Day

Pi Day: It was celebrated on March 14 to honour the mathematical constant π (pi) and its significance in mathematics, science, and engineering.

• About Pi Day: It is celebrated on March 14 (3/14), representing the first three digits of pi (3.14), which initiated in 1988 by physicist Larry Shaw at a San Francisco science museum.
• Officially recognized: By the US Congress in 2009 to promote interest in math and science.
• Historical Significance: Pi is the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter.

o Used in formulas across fields like physics, astronomy, and engineering since ancient times in Egypt, Babylon, and China.

o The symbol π was first used in 1706 by Welsh mathematician William Jones.

• Ramanujan’s Contribution: In 1914, Srinivasa Ramanujan published formulae to calculate pi up to millions of digits. These formulae formed the basis for early algorithms used before modern computers.
• Modern Computation: Today, supercomputers calculate trillions of pi’s digits, with no known end.
• Practical Applications: Key in space exploration for calculating orbits, rocket propulsion, and planetary positions.

o Applied in antenna alignment for satellites, designing refinery cylinders, and scaling heating/cooling tanks.

o Used in NASA’s Pi Day Challenge for solving puzzles like asteroid orbits and rover travel calculations.

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3. PM Internship Scheme (PMIS)

PM Internship Scheme (PMIS): Finance Minister of India recently launched the PM Internship Scheme (PMIS) Mobile App to enhance accessibility to internship opportunities.

• About the Mobile App features: Intuitive interface, easy navigation, and real-time alerts → Aadhaar face authentication for registration → Personalized dashboard and access to a dedicated support team.
• About PM Internship Scheme (PMIS): It was announced in Union Budget 2024 as part of a ₹2 lakh crore allocation for job creation and skill development over the next five years.

o Launched by: Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Government of India.

o Purpose: Provide real-life work experience to job seekers in top companies.

• Eligibility Criteria:

o Age: 18 to 24 years (relaxation for OBC/SC/ST).

o Education: 10th/12th Pass, ITI, Polytechnic, Diploma, or Bachelor's Degree from UGC/AICTE-recognized institutions.

• Exclusion: Students from IITs, IIMs, National Law Universities, and individuals with professional degrees like CA, MBA, MBBS, etc. to promote inclusivity.
• Top Participating Companies: Reliance Industries, TCS, HDFC Bank, Maruti Suzuki, L&T, Tech Mahindra, Bajaj Finance, Mahindra & Mahindra.
• Industries with Maximum Internships: Oil & Gas, Automotive, Banking and Financial Services, Travel and Hospitality, Manufacturing and Construction.

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4. Gene-edited bananas

Gene-edited bananas: It was recently developed by UK-based Biotech Company Tropic claim to remain fresh and yellow for 12 hours after being peeled.

• Aims to reduce food waste as bananas are highly perishable, with estimates suggesting that 50% of the crop goes to waste annually.
• About Gene-edited Bananas: Developed by Tropic to prevent browning and extend shelf-life.

o Browning is caused by the enzyme polyphenol oxidase (PPO), which breaks down the yellow pigment when in contact with oxygen.

o Bananas produce large amounts of ethylene, which triggers PPO activity and accelerates ripening.

o Gene-editing was used to disable PPO production without affecting the ripening process.

o Similar technique used in Arctic apples and shown to work in tomatoes, melon, kiwifruits, and mushrooms.

• Expected benefits: Reduces food wastage and CO2 emissions.

o Supports sustainability by cutting losses during harvesting and transportation.

o In India, fruit wastage caused a loss of over ₹30,000 crores in 2021, much of it from bananas and mangoes.

• Genome editing: It is a technology that allows scientists to alter an organism’s DNA by adding, removing, or changing genetic material.
• CRISPR-Cas9 (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats and CRISPR-associated protein 9): In this, researchers use a guide RNA and Cas9 enzyme to target and cut specific DNA sequences, allowing the cell's repair machinery to make precise genetic changes.
• Using CRISPR, the bacteria snip out parts of the virus DNA and keep a bit of it behind to help them recogniseand defend against the virus next time it attacks.

o Bacteria store viral DNA in CRISPR arrays to "remember" past infections.

o When re-infected, bacteria produce guide RNA that binds to the viral DNA, and the Cas9 enzyme cuts it, disabling the virus.

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5. National Youth Parliament Scheme (NYPS)

National Youth Parliament Scheme (NYPS): The Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs has unveiled an upgraded version of the National Youth Parliament Scheme (NYPS) web portal, known as NYPS 2.0.

• Unlike the previous version, NYPS 2.0 is open to all citizens across the country, regardless of economic status, gender, caste, creed, religion, race, region, and place.
• About National Youth Parliament Scheme (NYPS): Launched by Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs on 26th November 2019.
• Objective: Foster understanding of parliamentary processes and democratic principles.

o Promote discipline, tolerance, and respect for diverse viewpoints.

o Equip youth with skills to participate effectively in democratic processes.

o Provide insights into the workings of Parliament.

• NYPS 2.0: Open to all citizens; earlier limited to students of recognized institutions.
• Modes of Participation:

o Institution Participation: Educational institutions can organize Youth Parliament sittings.

o Two sub-categories:  Kishore Sabha (Students from Classes VI to XII) & Tarun Sabha (Students at Undergraduate and Postgraduate levels)

o Group Participation: Any group of citizens can organize Youth Parliament sittings.

o  Individual Participation: Citizens can participate in a quiz on the theme of "Bharatiya Democracy in Action".

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6. Miller-Urey hypothesis

Miller-Urey hypothesis: A new study adds another angle to the much-disputed Miller-Urey hypothesis, suggesting that water sprays alone could generate organic compounds without needing external electricity.

• The study, titled ‘Spraying of water micro-droplets forms luminescence and causes chemical reactions in surrounding gas’, was published in the journal Science Advances.
• About Miller-Urey Hypothesis: Proposed by Stanley Miller and Harold Urey in 1952.

o Suggests that life on Earth emerged from a lightning strike.

• Experiment: Applied electricity to a mixture of water and inorganic gases (methane, ammonia, hydrogen), leading to the formation of organic compounds (like amino acids).
• Significance: Provided one possible explanation for the origin of life on Earth.

• Criticism: Real lightning would have struck infrequently, mostly over open oceans, where organic compounds would quickly disperse.
• New Study Findings: Water sprays alone can generate organic compounds without external electricity, led by Stanford University chemist Richard Zare.
• Experiment: Spraying water into a mixture of nitrogen, methane, carbon dioxide, and ammonia resulted in the formation of organic compounds like hydrogen cyanide, glycine, and uracil.
• Implication: Crashing waves or waterfalls on early Earth could have triggered the chemical reactions necessary for life, providing an alternative to the lightning-based Miller-Urey hypothesis.

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7. Caracal

Caracal: A rare caracal was recently spotted in Rajasthan's Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve, creating excitement among wildlife enthusiasts.

• About Caracal: its scientific name is Caracal caracal, also called “Siya Gosh” in India, meaning ‘Black Ear’ in Persian, a medium-sized, nocturnal wildcat.
• Distribution: Found in Middle East, Africa, and South Asia. In India, their population is estimated to be around 50, mainly in Rajasthan and Gujarat.

• Habitat: Adaptable to various environments, including grasslands, savannas, scrublands, forests, and rocky hills.
• Caracal Features:

o Fur and Colour: Short, dense fur ranging from tawny-brown to reddish-tan, with whitish underparts.

o Facial Features: Dark lines on the face and white spots around the eyes. Large, black pointed ears — their most distinctive feature.

o Hunting Skills: Exceptional hunters; can leap 2 meters into the air from a standstill to catch birds, can reach speeds of up to 50 mph (80 kph).

• Conservation Status:

o IUCN Red List: Least Concern.

o Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule I.

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