Daily Current Affairs — September 13, 2026

Scientists from the National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI) and G B Pant University have successfully produced a calf of the Badri cattle breed using Ovum Pick-Up and In Vitro Fertilization (OPU-IVF) technology. This marks a significant milestone in the conservation of indigenous livestock through advanced reproductive biotechnology.

The Badri cattle, also known as 'Pahadi', is the first certified cattle breed of Uttarakhand and is designated as the state animal. These are small, hardy animals well-adapted to the hilly terrains of the Himalayas. They are primarily reared for milk, manure, and bullock power. A unique feature is their diet, which consists of medicinal herbs and shrubs, resulting in milk with high organic value and medicinal properties. The average milk yield is approximately 632 kg per lactation.

The application of OPU-IVF technology allows for the rapid multiplication of genetically superior indigenous breeds. This is crucial for biodiversity conservation and enhancing the livelihoods of mountain communities. By preserving the Badri breed, India strengthens its National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources (NBAGR) database and ensures food security in climate-vulnerable regions.

India has achieved a Guinness World Record for constructing the World’s Longest Steel Slag Road at Raigarh, Chhattisgarh. This development highlights India's commitment to Waste-to-Wealth initiatives and sustainable infrastructure development.

Steel slag is an industrial byproduct generated during steel manufacturing in Electric Arc Furnaces (EAF) or Basic Oxygen Furnaces (BOF). Chemically, it consists of calcium, magnesium, manganese, and aluminium silicates. It serves as a superior alternative to natural aggregates due to its high crushing strength and anti-skid capacity. Furthermore, it can treat acidic mine discharges and improve soil pH for better crop yields.

Utilizing steel slag in road construction reduces the dependency on natural stone mining, thereby lowering the carbon footprint of infrastructure projects. It aligns with the Circular Economy goals of the Indian government. The success in Raigarh paves the way for nationwide adoption of green highways, potentially saving billions in material costs while solving industrial waste disposal challenges.

A three-day Table Top Exercise (TTX) under the Colombo Security Conclave (CSC) was recently concluded at the Eastern Naval Command in Visakhapatnam. This exercise aimed to enhance interoperability among member nations to tackle maritime security challenges.

The CSC is a regional security framework established in 2020, evolving from a trilateral meeting between India, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives. It now includes Mauritius, Bangladesh, and Seychelles as full members. The conclave operates on five pillars: Maritime Safety, Counter-Terrorism, Combating Transnational Crime, Cyber Security, and Humanitarian Assistance/Disaster Relief (HADR). Its permanent secretariat is located in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

The CSC serves as a vital platform for India's SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) vision. By institutionalizing security cooperation in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), the CSC helps counter non-traditional threats and ensures the safety of critical sea lanes. The inclusion of Seychelles and Bangladesh signifies the growing relevance of this bloc in the Indo-Pacific architecture.

The Prime Minister recently showcased the Ramanathaswamy Temple of Tamil Nadu as a backdrop during a BRICS summit meeting, emphasizing India's rich cultural heritage. This temple is a cornerstone of the Char Dham pilgrimage and a masterpiece of Dravidian architecture.

Located on Rameswaram Island, the temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is unique for being the only Shiva temple among the four Char Dham shrines (the others being Badrinath, Puri, and Dwarka). Historically, the first stone structure was built by Chola kings in the 12th century, with later expansions by the Pandya dynasty and Vijayanagar rulers. It boasts the longest corridor among all Hindu temples in India, measuring 197m (E-W) and 133m (S-N).

The temple represents the cultural synthesis of India, housing one of the 12 Jyothirlingas and being the only one located in South India. Its architectural grandeur, featuring 22 holy wells and massive gopurams, makes it a major hub for religious tourism. Promoting such sites on international platforms like BRICS enhances India's soft power and 'Vikas bhi, Virasat bhi' (Development with Heritage) narrative.

Member countries of SAWEN recently adopted the 'Kathmandu Declaration' to intensify regional cooperation against illegal wildlife trade and transnational organized crime. This comes amid rising concerns over poaching in the South Asian biodiversity hotspots.

SAWEN is an intergovernmental law enforcement support body launched in 2011. It comprises eight countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Its primary objective is to harmonize laws and policies concerning the conservation of wild fauna and flora. The secretariat is based in Kathmandu, Nepal, and it operates through a General Assembly and an Executive Committee.

South Asia is a major source and transit point for illegal wildlife products. SAWEN facilitates information sharing and capacity building among member states to dismantle criminal networks. The Kathmandu Declaration strengthens the institutional response, ensuring that national action plans are aligned with international standards like CITES, thereby protecting endangered species like the Tiger and One-horned Rhino.

The West Bengal government is planning to relocate a tigress from Bihar to the Buxa Tiger Reserve (BTR) to revive the local tiger population. This relocation is part of a larger conservation strategy to restore the predator-prey balance in the North Bengal landscape.

Located in the Alipurduar district, Buxa lies within the Indo-Malayan biodiversity region. Its northern boundary is shared with Bhutan, and its eastern boundary with Assam (demarcated by the Sankosh River). The reserve encompasses Terai, Bhabar, and sub-Himalayan ecosystems. Major rivers flowing through it include the Raidak, Sankosh, and Jayanti. It is characterized by 'Moist Tropical Forests' and supports over 150 orchid species.

Buxa serves as a critical trans-boundary corridor for elephants and tigers moving between India and Bhutan. The successful reintroduction of tigers will enhance the ecological integrity of the Buxa-Phibsoo (Bhutan) corridor. This project mirrors the success of the Panna Tiger Reserve and aims to boost eco-tourism and biodiversity in the Eastern Himalayas.

Researchers have identified a new species of clam, named Deltachion ravenshaw, from the sandy intertidal stretches of the Devi estuary in Puri, Odisha. This discovery adds to the known malacological diversity of India's eastern coast.

The species belongs to the Donacidae family (order Veneroida). While most Deltachion species are strictly marine, D. ravenshaw was found in brackish waters, indicating a unique adaptation to fluctuating salinity. It is small (approx. 6.9 mm) with an elongated triangular shell and a lattice-like pattern created by intersecting radial ribs. Currently, 12 Donacidae species are recorded in India, with 7 found in Odisha.

The discovery of D. ravenshaw in an estuarine environment highlights the ecological complexity of the Devi estuary. Such findings are crucial for Coastal Zone Management and understanding how bivalves respond to environmental stressors. It also underscores the need for continued taxonomic research in India's less-explored intertidal zones.

Anthropic's Claude AI has been utilized to formalize Fermat’s Last Theorem using the Lean programming language. This represents a significant leap in using Artificial Intelligence to verify complex mathematical proofs that have historically challenged human intellect.

Proposed by Pierre de Fermat in 1637, the theorem states that the equation x^n + y^n = z^n has no integer solutions for n > 2. It remained unsolved for over 350 years until Andrew Wiles provided a proof in 1995. Wiles' proof relied on the modularity theorem for elliptic curves. The recent formalization in Lean (a proof assistant) ensures the logical consistency of the proof through machine verification.

The use of AI in formalizing mathematical theorems marks the beginning of a new era in computational mathematics. It reduces the risk of human error in peer-reviewing complex proofs and could lead to the resolution of other long-standing conjectures like the Riemann Hypothesis. This synergy between Number Theory and Computer Science is pivotal for future cryptographic advancements.

The Hasdeo River has been in the news due to recent tragic drowning incidents during the picnic season and ongoing debates regarding coal mining in the Hasdeo Arand forest region. The river is a lifeline for the central districts of Chhattisgarh.

The Hasdeo is a major tributary of the Mahanadi River. It originates from a lake near Ambikapur in the Surguja district and flows for 333 km before joining the Mahanadi near Akaltara. Its basin includes the Hasdeo Arand, the largest unfragmented forest landscape in Central India. Key tributaries include the Gej and Ahiran. The Hasdeo Bango Dam is a critical multipurpose project on this river.

The river is vital for hydroelectric power and irrigation in Chhattisgarh. However, the conflict between industrial mining and ecological conservation in the Hasdeo basin remains a significant policy challenge. Protecting the Hasdeo Arand is essential for maintaining the regional water table and the habitat of indigenous tribes and wildlife.

Houthi rebels have reportedly captured Mayun Island (also known as Perim Island), situated in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. This move has raised global alarms regarding the security of international shipping lanes in the Red Sea.

Mayun is a volcanic island belonging to Yemen, located at the southern entrance of the Red Sea. It effectively splits the Bab el-Mandeb Strait into two channels. Historically, it was a British coaling station. Its strategic value lies in its ability to control the maritime traffic flowing through the Suez Canal, which connects the Mediterranean to the Arabian Sea.

Control over Mayun Island gives any force the power to disrupt global energy supplies and trade. The militarization of this island by non-state actors poses a direct threat to the freedom of navigation. International naval task forces may need to increase their presence to ensure the stability of this vital maritime chokepoint.