Space
Matsya-6000 test boosts Samudrayaan
▪ India’s first manned ocean mission, Samudrayaan, has progressed significantly.
▪ ISRO successfully tested the personnel sphere of the Matsya-6000 submersible.
▪ Key Features of Matsya-6000 Sphere
✓ Material: Titanium-alloy
✓ Crew Capacity: 3 members
✓ Maximum Depth: 6,000 metres underwater
▪ For the first time in India, high-penetration Electron Beam Welding (EBW) was used.
New Discoveries in Science and Technology
Genome-Edited Rice Varieties
▪ India has over 500 traditional rice varieties that can withstand drought and climate change.
▪ These improved rice varieties have been named ‘DRR Dhan 100 (Kamala)’ and ‘Pusa DST Rice 1’.
▪ These varieties are considered climate-smart and climate-resilient. India has become the first country in the world to develop genome-edited or GE rice varieties.
▪ The first variety, DRR Dhan 100 Kamala, derived from Samba Mahsuri, matures 15-20 days earlier and yields 25% more production
▪ The second variety, Pusa DST Rice 1, is salinity and alkalinity tolerant and yields 30% higher
production under saline conditions.
