News in Shorts: 17 November 2025

Precision Biotherapeutics

Context: The Department of Biotechnology has listed precision biotherapeutics as one of six focus areas under the Biotechnology for Economy, Environment, and Employment policy.

• Precision biotherapeutics enable predictive, preventive, and personalized healthcare models.

What are Precision Biotherapeutics?

• It refers to medical interventions (drugs, gene therapies, cell therapies, or biologics) designed specifically for an individual’s genetic, molecular, or cellular makeup.
• It brings together genetic science, molecular biology, and data analytics to design therapies that identify and rectify the cause of illness.
• Key Technologies Involved
• • Genomic & Proteomic Analysis: Identifies genetic mutations and protein dysfunctions driving disease.
  • Gene Editing Therapies: Tools like CRISPR directly correct disease-causing genes.
  • mRNA & Nucleic Acid Therapeutics: Use RNA to produce or suppress specific proteins.
  • Monoclonal Antibodies & Biologics: Engineered molecules that bind precisely to disease targets.
  • AI-Driven Drug Discovery: Predicts molecular interactions to accelerate targeted therapy development.

Why Does India Need Precision Biotherapeutics?

• High Disease Burden: Noncommunicable Diseases dominate India’s mortality statistics.
• Genetic Diversity: India’s population has tremendous genomic variation, making foreign-tested drugs less effective in many cases.
• Local Genomic Initiatives: Programmes like IndiGen and GenomeIndia enable population-specific research.
• Shift To Preventive Care: Precision medicine can enable predictive, personalised, and long-term cost-effective care.

Operation SOUTHERN SPEAR

Context: The U.S. announced Operation SOUTHERN SPEAR amid rising tensions in Latin American waters, following increased naval deployments and strikes on suspected narco-terrorist vessels.

About Operation SOUTHERN SPEAR

• Operation SOUTHERN SPEAR is a  military initiative targeting drug-linked armed groups in the Western Hemisphere.
• Objective: The operation aims to remove narco-terrorists, strengthen homeland security, and curb drug flows into the United States.
• Region of Operation: It is expected to operate across the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific, where U.S. naval and air assets are already active in anti-drug missions.
• Current Military Actions: Since September, U.S. forces have struck around 20 vessels, resulting in at least 76 fatalities, according to official data.

What is Narco-Terrorism?

• Narco-terrorism refers to the use of drug trafficking to fund, support, or conduct violent activities, often involving armed criminal groups or insurgent networks.
• Impact: It fuels organized crime, destabilizes governments, finances extremist violence, and contributes to large-scale drug inflows that threaten public health and national security

Colombo Security Conclave (CSC)

Context: India’s National Security Advisor Ajit Doval has invited Bangladesh’s interim NSA Khalilur Rahman to New Delhi amid ongoing India-Bangladesh tensions for Colombo Security Conclave (CSC).

About Colombo Security Conclave (CSC)

• The CSC is a regional security cooperation platform focused on enhancing maritime and transnational security among Indian Ocean Region countries.
• Origin: It was originally a trilateral maritime security group between India, Sri Lanka, Maldives established in 2011.
  • It was revived and expanded in 2020 to include Mauritius as a full member and Bangladesh and Seychelles as observers
• Objectives
  • Strengthen collaboration on maritime security, counterterrorism, cybersecurity, and humanitarian assistance.
  • Promote intelligence sharing and coordinated responses to regional threats.
  • Enhance collective capabilities through joint exercises, training, and institutional frameworks.
• Significance: The visit signals a crucial diplomatic opening to stabilise India-Bangladesh ties while strengthening regional security cooperation through the Colombo Security Conclave

Devmogra Mata Temple

Context: Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Devmogra Mata Temple on Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas, offering prayers and highlighting its deep cultural significance for tribal communities.

About Devmogra Mata Temple

• It is an important cultural and spiritual centre for the tribal communities of the Satpuda region, reflecting centuries-old traditions and beliefs.
• Location: The temple is situated on a hill near Rajpipla in Gujarat and attracts devotees from neighbouring states including Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan.
• Deity: Dev Mogra—also known as Devmogra or Yaah Devmogi is revered as the Kuldevi (clan goddess) of various tribal groups across the Satpuda belt.
• Cultural Significance: The temple preserves tribal heritage through rituals, oral traditions, and nature-based worship, serving as a living link between communities, their ancestors, and their ecological surroundings.
• Major Festival: The annual Mahashivratri fair is the temple’s largest gathering, marked by traditional dances, music, and offerings such as the symbolic Hijari basket containing rice, flowers, and sacred items.

Man-Portable Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (MP-AUVs)

Context: DRDO has developed next-generation man-portable autonomous underwater vehicles to strengthen India’s naval mine-detection and countermeasure capabilities, marking a major technological milestone.

About Man-Portable Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (MP-AUVs)

• The MP-AUVs are compact autonomous underwater platforms designed specifically for naval mine-countermeasure operations.
• Developed by: DRDO’s Naval Science & Technological Laboratory (NSTL)
  • NSTL, Visakhapatnam undertakes research and development of naval weapons and related systems (underwater mines, torpedoes, fire control, etc.)
• Key Features
  • The vehicles carry Side Scan Sonar and underwater cameras as primary payloads to detect and map mine-like objects with high precision.
  • Integrated deep learning-based target recognition algorithms allow autonomous identification and classification, reducing operator workload and mission duration.
  • A resilient underwater acoustic communication system enables data sharing between multiple AUVs, improving coordination and situational awareness.
• Significance: The MP-AUV system enhances the Navy’s rapid-response capability for mine warfare, lowers operational risk to personnel, and provides an intelligent, network-enabled solution with a minimal logistical footprint.

Electronics Development Fund

Context: The Electronics Development Fund (EDF), launched in 2016, serves as a strategic initiative to boost India’s innovation ecosystem in electronics, nano-electronics, and information technology.

Objective of EDF

• Promoting Innovation: EDF aims to boost research, design, and development capabilities in emerging electronic technologies.
• Strengthening ESDM Sector: The fund supports the growth of Electronics System Design and Manufacturing (ESDM), a key component of the Make in India vision.

Fund of Funds Structure

• Indirect Investment Model: EDF does not fund startups directly; instead, it invests in professionally managed Daughter Funds such as angel funds and venture capital firms.
• Domestic IP Focus: These funds in turn invest in early-stage enterprises working on indigenous product design, components, and core technologies.
• Market-Responsive Allocation: Investments are decided based on sector needs and fund capacity, ensuring flexibility and risk-sharing
• Nodal Agency : The fund is implemented by the Ministry of Electronics & IT (MeitY).

What are Daughter Funds ? 

• Daughter Funds are SEBI-registered investment funds that receive capital from a larger fund called the Mother Fund (or Fund of Funds).
• These daughter funds then invest this money into target businesses such as startups,  Firms developing new technologies etc.

Paraguay

Context: India and Paraguay held their first Joint Commission Meeting in Asunción, reviewing bilateral ties and identifying priority sectors for future cooperation.

About India–Paraguay Relations

• India–Paraguay relations are expanding through structured dialogue covering trade, technology, security, energy, education, and development cooperation.
• Both nations aim to deepen collaboration in agriculture, renewable energy, cyber security, water management, space, and investment facilitation.

About Paraguay

• Paraguay is a landlocked country in Central South America, bordered by Brazil, Argentina, and Bolivia, with Asunción as its capital and largest city.
• Geography: It covers 406,752 sq. km and is divided by the Paraguay River into the fertile Eastern (Paranena) Region and the dry Western (Chaco) Region.
• Water bodies: The country’s relief includes rolling hills, subtropical forests, and low mountains, with Cerro Pero (842 m) marked as the highest peak.
• Major Waterbodies: Paraguay, Paraná, and Pilcomayo form over 75% of national borders.
  • Lake Ypoa and Lake Vera, surrounded by extensive wetlands and marshlands.

OPAL Laser

Context: India launched its first indigenous high-precision OPAL diode laser at ESTIC 2025, marking a major advancement in quantum-grade hardware for secure communication and computing.

About the OPAL Laser

• Intro: The OPAL laser is a high-precision, compact diode laser developed as a foundational tool for India’s emerging quantum technologies, including communication and computing.
• Developed By: It has been created by Prenishq Pvt Ltd, a startup from IIT Delhi, supported by the National Quantum Mission (NQM) and allied innovation hubs.
• Key Features
  • It provides exceptional beam quality, superior stability, and long-term reliability.
  • The system covers a wide wavelength range from ultraviolet to near-infrared.
  • Integrated driver electronics ensure temperature-controlled, stable output with low power consumption.
  • Compact, lightweight design with free-space or fiber-coupled output enables seamless plug-and-play use.
  • Low cost of ownership and minimal maintenance increase accessibility for research facilities.
• Applications
  • Enables quantum-encrypted communication and quantum-safe financial transactions.
  • Supports photonic quantum computing, advanced scientific research, and higher-education laboratories.
  • Assists in experiments requiring precise wavelength control and power stability across diverse environmental conditions.

About Emerging Science, Technology and Innovation Conclave (ESTIC) 2025

• ESTIC 2025 is a national platform to promote collaboration between scientists, industries, and policymakers in driving innovation-led economic growth organised at Bharat Mandapan, New Delhi.
• Focus Areas: It focused on advanced technologies, sustainable innovation, and fostering a knowledge-powered Bharat through research and technological convergence

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