SNIPPETS 14 JANUARY 2026

Nipah Virus: Zoonotic RNA virus (transmitted from animals to humans), belonging to the family Paramyxoviridae, genus Henipaviru+ It is closely related to Hendra Virus (HeV)+First identified: 1998–1999 outbreak in Malaysia and Singapore+ Transmission: Animal-to-human, Human-to-human+ Symptoms: Fever, headache, drowsiness, disorientation, mental confusion+ Diagnosis and Treatment: Diagnosed via RT-PCR from body fluids or serological tests+ No specific antiviral treatment or vaccine is currently available

Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV): ISRO’s PSLV-C62 mission suffered a failure due to an anomaly in its third stage (PS3) +PSLV is India’s third-generation orbital launch vehicle+ designed primarily to place satellites into Polar and Sun-Synchronous Orbits, and known globally as ISRO’s workhorse rocket+ It is developed and operated by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)+PSLV: Key Stages:PS1: First Stage (Powerful liftoff stage),PS2: Second Stage (Control and stability stage),PS3: Third Stage (High-speed booster),PS4: Fourth Stage (Precision stage)

Greenwald Limit: It is a theoretical density ceiling for plasma in a tokamak (fusion reactor), beyond which the plasma becomes unstable and collapses+ It links the maximum safe plasma density to the plasma current and size of the reactor +China’s EAST fusion reactor has achieved stable plasma densities up to 65% beyond the Greenwald limit, a long-standing barrier in nuclear fusion research.

India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC): A multi-modal connectivity project, formalized by an MoU signed between India, the European Union, France, Germany, Italy, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and the US at the G20 Summit (2023) in New Delhi+ Objective: Developing infrastructure of ports, railways, roads, sea lines and pipelines to enhance trade between India, the Arabian Peninsula, the Mediterranean region, and Europe