Durand Line | National Science Day 2026 | Progress Toward an Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) Vaccine | Meningococcal Disease | INS Anjadip | State Innovation Mission (SIM)

Durand Line

International

In News

• Pakistan recently launched Operation Ghazab lil-Haq, a series of cross-border strikes against Afghan Taliban targets along the disputed Durand Line.

Durand Line

• • The 2,640 km Durand Line, drawn in 1893 by British diplomat Sir Mortimer Durand and Afghan Amir Abdur Rahman Khan, 

• It separates Pakistan from Afghanistan but splits Pashtun tribes. 

• • Afghanistan has never fully recognized it as a legitimate border, viewing it as a colonial imposition.
• Disputes over the line have fueled decades of tensions, including fencing efforts and militant crossovers.

National Science Day 2026

Science and Technology

Context

• National Science Day is celebrated every year on 28th February to commemorate the discovery of the ‘Raman Effect’ made by the physicist Sir C.V. Raman.

Sir C.V. Raman 

• • He was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1930 for the discovery of the Raman Effect.
  • The objective of the observation of National Science Day is to spread the message of the importance of science and its application among the people.

• Theme for 2026: “Women in Science: Catalyzing Viksit Bharat”

About C V Raman

• • He founded the Indian Journal of Physics in 1926.
  • He became the first Indian director of the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in 1933.
  • He established the Raman Research Institute in 1948.

• In 1954, the Government of India honored him with the Bharat Ratna.

Raman Effect

• When a beam of light passes through a transparent medium (such as a liquid or gas), a small fraction of the scattered light changes in wavelength.
• This change occurs due to the interaction of light with the vibrational and rotational energy levels of the molecules in the medium.

Progress Toward an Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) Vaccine

Health

In News

• Researchers are developing monoclonal antibodies that could prevent EBV infection.

Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV)

• • It is also known as Human Herpesvirus 4 (HHV-4).
  • It is one of the most common human viruses, infecting nearly 95% of the global population. 
  • It is a double-stranded DNA virus belonging to the herpesvirus family

• Highly Contagious: It primarily spreads through bodily fluids, especially saliva, earning it the nickname “the kissing disease”. It can also spread through blood transfusions and organ transplants.

Complications – While often harmless, EBV can lead to serious conditions: 

• Infectious Mononucleosis (Mono): Characterized by fever, sore throat, extreme fatigue, and swollen lymph nodes.
• Cancer (Oncogenic): Linked to several malignancies, including Burkitt’s lymphoma, Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
• Autoimmune Disorders: Recent research strongly links EBV to Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), and Rheumatoid Arthritis.
• Vaccine Research: As of early 2026, there is no approved vaccine for EBV, but researchers are making breakthroughs using monoclonal antibodies targeting viral proteins (gp42 and gp350).

Meningococcal Disease

Health

In News

• The Meghalaya government has sounded a high-level health alert after two Agniveer trainees at the Assam Regimental Centre in Shillong died from a suspected meningococcal infection.

Meningococcemia Infection

• • It is a severe, rapidly progressing disease caused by the bacterium Neisseria meningitides.
  • It leads to life-threatening meningitis (infection of the lining of the brain) or meningococcemia (blood poisoning).

• It infects meninges, the membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord to become inflamed.

Transmission

• • People spread meningococcal bacteria to other people by sharing respiratory and throat secretions (saliva or spit).
  • They are not as contagious as germs that cause the common cold or the flu.

• Symptoms: It includes high fever, severe headache, stiff neck, and a non-blanching rash.

• Treatment: It is treated with antibiotics.

INS Anjadip

Defence

In News

• INS Anjadip was formally commissioned into the Indian Navy.

INS Anjadip

• ‘Anjadip’, the third of eight ASW SWC (Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft), indigenously designed and built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata.
• The ASW-SWC corvettes are being built indigenously to replace the Navy’s aging Abhay-class vessels.
• It is engineered to act as a ‘Dolphin Hunter‘, focused on detection, tracking, and neutralisation of enemy submarines.

State Innovation Mission (SIM)

Government Initiatives

Context

• Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) under NITI Aayog, launched the first State Innovation Mission (SIM) in Tripura.

State Innovation Mission (SIM) 

• • It is launched by NITI Aayog under the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) 2.0. 
  • First Implementation: Tripura became the first state in India to launch its State Innovation Mission on February 26, 2026.

• Objective: To decentralise innovation by providing states with the tools to design their own innovation strategies, support local startups, and strengthen school-level innovation (via Atal Tinkering Labs).
• Significance: It promotes cooperative and competitive federalism by allowing states to lead innovation in their own unique socio-economic contexts