Day: 20 February 2026

The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), under the Ministry of Commerce and Industries, facilitated the export of 0.5 MT of GI-tagged Salem Sago from Salem, Tamil Nadu to Canada. This marked the first export consignment shipped directly by the GI Authorised User, SAGOSERVE, since the product received its Geographical Indication (GI) tag in March 2023.   Tamil Nadu is the largest producer of Tapioca Sago, also commonly known as Sabudhana. Salem has long been recognised as the hub of the country’s sago and starch industry. Sago…

India’s human spaceflight programme has achieved a key milestone with the successful qualification level load test of Drogue Parachute for Gaganyaan programme at Rail Track Rocket Sled (RTRS) facility of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) at Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory (TBRL), Chandigarh. RTRS is a specialized dynamic test facility being used extensively for high speed aerodynamic and ballistic evaluations.   The test was conducted on February 18, 2026 with Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, ISRO, Aerial Delivery Research and Development Establishment, DRDO alongside various TBRL’s dedicated teams. The RTRS dynamic…

A recent scientific study has revealed that coal mines in Jharkhand are offering valuable insights into Earth’s ancient past, helping researchers reconstruct ecosystems that existed millions of years ago. The findings, based on detailed analysis of fossil remains preserved within coal-bearing rock formations, indicate that the region once supported dense forests and diverse plant life. These deposits are part of the Gondwana sedimentary sequences, which date back to the Permian period, approximately 250–300 million years ago.   Scientists observed well-preserved fossilised flora, including ancient plant species that thrived in swampy,…

In a significant stride for sustainable energy storage, researchers have developed a novel cathode material that dramatically enhances the performance and stability of aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs). Aqueous zinc-ion batteries, which use water-based electrolytes, are hailed as safe, cost-effective, and environmentally benign contenders for storing energy from renewable sources like solar and wind. Zinc metal offers high theoretical capacity, abundant reserves and used directly as the anode. However, the development of high-capacity, long-lasting cathode materials has been a key challenge.   Researchers from the Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences…