GARBH-INi Programme
- Context: The Union government recently presented the findings of the decade-long GARBH-INi programme at the India Habitat Centre in New Delhi.
- GARBH-INi (Interdisciplinary Group for Advanced Research on Birth Outcomes), supported by the Department of Biotechnology, is the largest pregnancy cohort study conducted in India.
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- It tracks more than 12,000 pregnant women to examine the causes of preterm births and identify genetic indicators that can help predict the likelihood of early delivery.
- The initiative aims to enhance maternal healthcare and lower neonatal mortality by developing indigenous, AI-based solutions.
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- In terms of implementation, Phase I began in 2015 with the enrollment of pregnant participants. Phase II, launched in 2021, followed their children through the critical first 1,000 days after birth.
- Garbhini-GA2 is an indigenous AI model created specifically for Indian women by IIT Madras and THSTI to precisely estimate fetal age.
- Additionally, GARBH-INi-DRISHTI serves as a data-sharing platform that offers access to biospecimens and clinical datasets for researchers working in the field of maternal and child health.
Current Facts
- Assam has become the first Indian State to float a tender for a group of earth-observation satellites that it says will strengthen disaster response along the flood-prone Brahmaputra valley and help survey the State’s borders.
LPG ATM- Context: India’s first fully automated LPG ATM, called the Bharatgas Insta LPG Machine, has been recently introduced in Gurugram.
- It has been developed by Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) as a pilot project under its Bharatgas initiative.
- The system operates as a round-the-clock, self-service kiosk where registered consumers can make digital payments and receive a filled LPG cylinder within 2–3 minutes.
- The machine supplies modern 15 kg fibre composite cylinders, which are lighter than traditional ones (about 31 kg).
- These cylinders are corrosion-resistant and semi-transparent, allowing users to easily check the gas level.
- This initiative offers an alternative method of LPG distribution and promotes technological advancement and innovation in the fuel retail sector.
Strategic Petroleum Reserves- Context: The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas informed the Rajya Sabha that India’s Strategic Petroleum Reserves (SPRs) are currently at 64% of their total capacity.
About Strategic Petroleum Reserves
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- These are massive reserves of crude oil stored underground to ensure energy security and for use during times of supply disruptions.
- This initiative emerged following the global oil crisis of 1973.
- These reserves are managed by Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserves Limited (ISPRL), a subsidiary operating under the Oil Industry Development Board (OIDB).
- This constitutes an integral part of India’s energy security strategy. Furthermore, it aligns with the objective of maintaining a reserve equivalent to 90 days of consumption, as recommended by the International Energy Agency (IEA).
Strategic Petroleum Reserves (SPRs) – Locations
- Phase-I: Located at Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh), and Mangaluru and Padur (Karnataka).
- Phase-II: Expansion works are planned for Chandikhol in Odisha and Padur in Karnataka.
Strategic Petroleum Reserves (SPRs) – Objective
- The SPRs aim to ensure energy security by providing a short-term buffer capable of meeting India’s crude oil requirements for approximately 9.5 days during emergency situations.
- This serves to safeguard the nation’s economy against global oil price fluctuations.
Current Facts- Where India stores its crude oil Existing Sites: Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh; Mangalore, Karnataka; Padur, Karnataka. Upcoming Sites: Chandikhol, Odisha; Padur (Extension), Karnataka.
