🔆 DST Scientists Develop Electrolyte Additive for Safer & Affordable Aqueous Zinc-Ion Batteries

📍 Why in Focus?
Scientists at the Institute of Nano Science and Technology (INST), Mohali, an autonomous institute under the Department of Science & Technology (DST), have developed a novel electrolyte additive that significantly improves the performance and lifespan of Aqueous Zinc-Ion Batteries (AZIBs).

📍 Key Highlights:
✅ Researchers developed a new electrolyte additive BDIM (1,3-bis(1,3-dicarboxypropyl)-1H-imidazole-3-ium chloride) to enhance the stability of Aqueous Zinc-Ion Batteries (AZIBs).
✅ The additive suppresses hydrogen evolution, corrosion and zinc dendrite formation, improving battery safety, cycle life and charging performance.
✅ AZIBs are emerging as low-cost, safer and sustainable alternatives to Lithium-ion batteries, especially for grid-scale renewable energy storage.
✅ Scientists used advanced techniques such as Ultramicroelectrode (UME) and Fast-Scan Cyclic Voltammetry (FSCV) to study zinc deposition and interfacial charge-transfer mechanisms.
✅ The innovation can support renewable energy integration, backup power systems and sustainable energy infrastructure by reducing battery degradation and maintenance costs.

📍 Challenges / Issues / Implications:
✅ Commercialisation and large-scale manufacturing of advanced battery technologies.
✅ Reducing dependence on imported energy storage technologies and critical minerals.
✅ Scaling affordable, safe and efficient battery storage to support India’s clean energy transition.

✅ Mains Question (GS III | 150 Words):
“Discuss the significance of next-generation battery technologies such as Aqueous Zinc-Ion Batteries (AZIBs) in achieving India’s renewable energy and energy storage goals. Highlight the challenges in their commercial adoption.”

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10 CRORE FINE, 10 year jail & action within 3 months:
Govt cabinet clears 'Anti Paper Leak Bill'

The state of food security and nutrition in the world SOFI 2026 report

Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh to introduce The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026 in the Lok Sabha on Monday, July 27

According to the legislative business agenda, he will introduce a Bill to amend the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024

Article 39

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Rishikanta Singh Bags India's First Silver Medal At CWG 2026 In Men's 60Kg Weightlifting
Rishikanta Singh Chanambam secured India's first silver medal of the Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow. He set the Games record with a stunning 121kg lift in his snatch attempt and followed it up with a 143kg clean and jerk attempt to finish with 264kg in total.

🔆 CURRENT AFFAIRS – 25 JULY 2026

🔆 INTERNATIONAL

📍 Rome Declaration for an Unarmed and Disarming Peace
✅ Formally titled “Humanity at the Threshold: A Declaration on Artificial Intelligence and Nuclear Weapons”
✅ Calls for an international treaty banning autonomous AI systems from accessing nuclear launch systems
✅ Adopted at the Global Nobel Laureates Assembly held in Rome, Italy
✅ Inspired by Pope Leo XIV’s encyclical Magnifica Humanitas
✅ Guiding principles include Responsible AI, Nuclear Disarmament, Responsible Governance, Responsible Leadership and Preventing an AI Arms Race

📍 BRICS Science Academies Forum Meeting 2026
✅ Held at IIT Hyderabad
✅ Theme: “Harnessing Artificial Intelligence for Sustainable Development and Strengthening Global South Cooperation”
✅ Focused on Collective, Collaborative and Context-sensitive (3Cs) approaches to AI
✅ Priority areas include Healthcare, Climate Change, Agriculture, Disaster Management and Advanced Manufacturing

📍 President of India Visits Romania
✅ Marks the first Presidential visit to Romania in over three decades
✅ Capital: Bucharest
✅ Bordered by Ukraine, Moldova, Hungary, Serbia and Bulgaria
✅ Lies along the Black Sea
✅ Member of NATO

📍 3rd BRICS Ministerial Meeting on Disaster Risk Reduction
✅ Hosted by India in New Delhi
✅ Organised by National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) under the Ministry of Home Affairs
✅ Theme: “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”
✅ BRICS members adopted the BRICS Joint Statement on Disaster Risk Reduction
✅ Reaffirmed implementation of the BRICS Disaster Risk Reduction Work Plan (2025–2028)
✅ Focus on climate-smart infrastructure, innovative financing, emerging technologies and cross-border cooperation

📍 WHO Releases Global Road Safety Data
✅ Global road traffic deaths declined by 21% between 2011 and 2025
✅ Around 1.16 million people still die annually in road crashes
✅ Motorcyclists account for nearly one-third of global road deaths
✅ UN adopted a declaration to reduce road deaths and serious injuries by 50% by 2030
✅ WHO estimates road crashes cost countries nearly 3% of GDP

🔆 ECONOMY

📍 Index of Core Industries (ICI) Revised
✅ Base Year revised to 2022–23 from 2011–12
✅ Released monthly by the Office of Economic Adviser, Ministry of Commerce & Industry
✅ Iron Ore added as the 9th core sector
✅ Electricity now has the highest weight (30.932%)
✅ Combined weight of ICI in Index of Industrial Production (IIP) revised to 32.88%

📍 Banks’ Credit-Deposit Ratio Reaches 62-Year High
✅ Credit-Deposit (CD) Ratio reached 82.6% in Q1 FY2027
✅ Reported by the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE)
✅ Indicates loan growth is outpacing deposit growth
✅ Higher bank capital has strengthened lending capacity

🔆 AGRICULTURE

📍 India’s Cotton – ‘White Gold’
✅ India is the only country cultivating all four recognised cotton species
✅ Ranks 1st globally in acreage and 2nd in production and consumption
✅ Cotton production estimated at 290.91 lakh bales (2025–26)
✅ Domestic consumption reached 328 lakh bales
✅ Mission for Cotton Productivity targets 498 lakh bales by 2031
✅ Minimum Support Price (MSP) continues to support cotton farmers

🔆 SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

📍 Virtual Magnet Technology
✅ Developed by Vimag Labs, Bengaluru
✅ Replaces rare-earth permanent magnets in EV motors with copper coils and software-controlled magnetic fields
✅ Uses Virtual Magnet Synchronous Motor (VMSM) technology
✅ Eliminates dependence on rare-earth elements
✅ Challenges include higher energy losses, copper heating and reduced high-speed performance

📍 Maglev Trains
✅ High-speed trains operating through magnetic levitation
✅ Uses Electromagnetic Suspension (EMS) or Electrodynamic Suspension (EDS)
✅ Eliminates wheel-track contact, reducing friction and wear
✅ Achieves speeds of around 431 km/h
✅ Commercial operations currently limited to China, Japan and South Korea
✅ Major limitation is the high cost of dedicated guideway infrastructure

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25th July UPSC current affairs

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25th July editorial summary

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Q. Mobilizing capital at scale, rather than the mere availability of financial instruments, remains the primary hurdle for India’s climate adaptation and mitigation targets. Evaluate the statement in the context of recent RBI initiatives and the need for a comprehensive Climate Finance Taxonomy.

🔆 Virtual Magnet Technology (VMSM)

📍 Why in News?
✅ Bengaluru-based startup Vimag Labs has developed Virtual Magnet Technology, claiming to eliminate the need for rare-earth elements in Electric Vehicle (EV) motors.

📍 What is Virtual Magnet Technology?
✅ Uses a Virtual Magnet Synchronous Motor (VMSM) instead of the conventional Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor (PMSM).
✅ Replaces physical rare-earth permanent magnets (e.g., Neodymium) with copper coils.
✅ Creates a software-controlled magnetic field using power electronics and advanced algorithms.
✅ Features a brushless, slip-ring-free design built using steel and copper.

📍 How It Works
✅ Copper coils are continuously energized and regulated to dynamically generate a magnetic field.
✅ Real-time software control simulates the function of permanent magnets, eliminating dependence on rare-earth materials.

📍 Advantages
✅ Reduces dependence on rare-earth elements, improving supply-chain resilience.
✅ Supports Atmanirbhar Bharat by reducing import dependence.
✅ Uses widely available materials such as steel and copper.
✅ Potentially lowers geopolitical risks linked to rare-earth supply.

📍 Challenges
✅ Continuous current supply to copper coils causes core resistance losses and copper heating.
✅ Switching losses in power electronics reduce overall efficiency.
✅ Lower starting torque compared to permanent magnet motors.
✅ Constraints on achieving high speeds and peak EV performance due to electromagnet-based design.

📍 Prelims Pointer
✅ PMSM (Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor): Uses rare-earth permanent magnets embedded in the rotor.
✅ VMSM (Virtual Magnet Synchronous Motor): Uses software-controlled electromagnets (copper coils) to generate the magnetic field without rare-earth magnets.

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