Prelims Focus 9th August 2025

09/08/2025

134 3 minutes read

Nauru

In News: Pacific microstate Nauru, has a unique plan to fund its combat against climate change by way of selling “golden passports”.

The island republic of Nauru sits on a small plateau of phosphate rock within the moderately populated South Pacific.
It is the region’s third-smallest country by region (21 km²) after Vatican City and Monaco.
Unusually pure phosphate deposits — a key ingredient in fertiliser — soon made Nauru one of the wealthiest places, per capita, on this planet.
But these elements have long since dried up, and researchers these days estimate 80% of Nauru has been rendered uninhabitable by mining.
What little land Nauru has left is threatened via encroaching tides as the ocean levels are rising 1.5 times faster than global averages.
Nauru will eventually need to relocate 90% of its population and the primary segment of this mass relocation is envisioned to cost more than $60 million.

Bharat Forecast System

In News: Since 2013, over 5 billion sea stars have died alongside North America’s Pacific coast due to Sea Star Wasting Syndrome (SSWS). Scientists have now recognized the bacterium Vibrio Pectenicida as the purpose.

India has developed Bharat Forecast System (BharatFS), a complicated climate prediction model that improves extreme rainfall forecasting accuracy by 30% in comparison to in advance fashions.
BharatFS (Bharat Forecast System) is India’s most superior real-time international weather prediction version, developed via IITM-Pune in collaboration with NCMRWF-Noida and the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
It is a flagship manufactured from the “Make in India” initiative and helps the Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India) imaginative and prescient.
BharatFS uses the Triangular Cubic Octahedral (TCo) dynamical grid, enabling extremely-high horizontal spatial resolution of 6 km—the very best globally for operational real-time models.
This is a leap from the preceding GFS T1534 model (12 km resolution) and surpasses most leading international models that perform between 9–14 km.
Its stepped forward decision lets in distinctly localized forecasts, helping disaster management and agricultural decision-making right down to cluster-of-panchayat/village degree.

CATCH Grant Program

In News: The IndiaAI Independent Business Division (IBD), in collaboration with the National Cancer Grid (NCG), has launched the Cancer AI & Technology Challenge (CATCH) Grant Program to accelerate the development and deployment of innovative Artificial Intelligence (AI) solutions in cancer care across India. This initiative targets enhancing cancer screening, diagnostics, treatment support, patient engagement, operational efficiency, research, and data management within the oncology continuum.

Key Features of the CATCH Grant Program:

Funding: Up to ₹50 lakh per project for selected teams comprising technology innovators and clinical institutions. Successful pilot projects may also qualify for an additional scale-up grant of up to ₹1 crore to enable wider deployment across the NCG network or through national pathways. The grants are co-funded by IndiaAI and NCG.
Eligibility: The program is open to startups, health technology companies, academic institutions, and public or private hospitals. Joint applications from Clinical Leads (hospitals or clinicians) and Technical Leads (technology developers) are encouraged.
Objectives: To catalyze piloted deployment of AI solutions within the NCG hospital network with a focus on responsible AI development, clinical validation, and readiness for deployment in Indian healthcare contexts.
Selection: Up to 10 proposals will be selected for piloting based on technical maturity, feasibility, and alignment with healthcare delivery needs.
Application Process: Applications are accepted online through a portal hosted by IndiaAI and NCG, with the deadline for submission on September 2, 2025. An information webinar was held on August 21, 2025.
Impact: The program aims to bridge the gap between AI research and real-world clinical application by pairing AI innovators with NCG’s network of over 300 cancer centers, facilitating real-world validation and deployment in Indian hospitals.

MERITE Scheme

In News: The Union Cabinet has approved the implementation of the “Multidisciplinary Education and Research Improvement in Technical Education” (MERITE) Scheme with a total outlay of Rs 4,200 crore for the period 2025-26 to 2029-30. This Central Sector Scheme aims to transform technical education in India by enhancing quality, equity, and governance in 275 government and government-aided technical institutions including National Institutes of Technology (NITs), state engineering colleges, polytechnics, and affiliating technical universities.

Key points about the MERITE Scheme include:

Funding: Rs 4,200 crore total; Rs 2,100 crore will come as a World Bank loan, and the rest from the Indian Central Government.
Objectives: Boost multidisciplinary education, research, skill development, employability, innovation, and alignment with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
Beneficiaries: Approximately 7.5 lakh students across 275 institutions will benefit through improved infrastructure, digital access, curriculum modernization, and faculty training programs.
Implementation: Focuses primarily on government institutions with oversight and guidance from premier institutions such as IITs and IIMs, and regulatory bodies including AICTE and NBA.
Expected Outcomes: Enhanced employability and placement rates, multidisciplinary courses, research hubs, innovation labs, faculty development (including women empowerment), updated curricula aligned with industry needs, and improved governance and accreditation.