World’s First Ever Sub-1 Nanometre Chip Technology

Context: International Business Machines (IBM) has unveiled the world’s first sub-1 nanometre (0.7 nm/7 angstrom) semiconductor chip technology, marking a breakthrough in next-generation semiconductor manufacturing. 

About the Sub-1 Nanometre Chip Technology

• IBM introduced a revolutionary three-dimensional transistor architecture, called Nanostack, the industry's first known 3D nanosheet-based design capable of enabling chip technology below the 1 nm node. 

• The architecture vertically stacks and staggers transistors using 3D sequential integration, allowing nearly 100 billion transistors to be packed onto a fingernail-sized chip—almost twice the density of IBM’s 2 nm chip unveiled in 2021. 

• It also enables different material combinations within each stacked layer, allowing independent optimisation of speed, power efficiency, and performance. 

• IBM stated that the new technology could provide up to 50% higher performance or 70% greater energy efficiency than its 2 nm chips. 

• Researchers also demonstrated 40% SRAM scaling, improving memory density and supporting high-bandwidth AI workloads. 

• The technology extends semiconductor scaling into the angstrom era, where chip features approach atomic dimensions, and is expected to reach commercial production within the next five years.

Significance

• The breakthrough addresses the physical limits of conventional transistor scaling and demonstrates that continued semiconductor miniaturisation remains possible beyond the nanometre era. 

• Higher transistor density, improved energy efficiency, and enhanced computing performance could accelerate applications in generative AI, cloud computing, high-performance computing, advanced smartphones, data centres, communications equipment, transportation systems, and critical infrastructure. 

• The innovation also reinforces IBM’s leadership in semiconductor research and provides a roadmap for at least another decade of chip scaling, supporting the future of AI-driven computing.

MECON Limited Granted Miniratna Category-I Status

Context: The Ministry of Steel has granted Miniratna Category-I status to MECON Limited, recognising its strong financial performance and providing greater financial and operational autonomy to support its future growth and expansion.

About MECON Limited

• It is a Schedule 'A' Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE) under the administrative control of the Ministry of Steel. 

• Established in 1959 and headquartered in Ranchi, Jharkhand, it is one of India's premier engineering, consultancy, project management and contracting organisations. 

• The company has made significant contributions to the development of India's steel sector and has diversified its operations into mining, infrastructure, power, oil & gas, and other core sectors. 

• The company reported continuous profits during the last three financial years, recording a Profit Before Tax (PBT) of ₹77.62 crore (FY 2023-24, restated), ₹32.08 crore (FY 2024-25, restated) and ₹104.53 crore (FY 2025-26). 

• It also reported a positive net worth of ₹535.42 crore as on 31 March 2026, fulfilling the financial requirements for the status. 

Classification of CPSEs

• The government classifies Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) into three groups, i.e. Maharatna, Navratna, and Miniratna. 

• The main aim of assigning the “ratna” statuses to various CPSEs was to give operational freedom and decision-making power to the state-run entities. 

India’s First Private Point-in-Space (PinS) Instrument Approach Procedure 

Context: India has approved its first Private Point-in-Space (PinS) Instrument Approach Procedure for helicopter operations at Undavalli Heliport, Andhra Pradesh, marking a significant milestone in the country's aviation modernisation efforts. 

More on the News

• The procedure was developed by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and approved by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in accordance with ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs). 

• PinS (Point-in-Space) uses satellite-based navigation technology to enable helicopters to conduct safe and precise instrument approaches to heliports that lack conventional instrument landing infrastructure. 

• The system improves flight safety, operational efficiency and all-weather accessibility, particularly in adverse weather conditions and remote areas where ground-based navigation aids are unavailable. 

• The approval is expected to facilitate similar PinS procedures across India, benefiting emergency medical services, disaster relief, tourism, pilgrimage, offshore operations and regional connectivity. 

About PinS (Point-in-Space)

• PinS is a specialised instrument flight procedure designed specifically for helicopters, allowing them to navigate safely from the en-route phase to a defined point in space near a heliport using satellite-based navigation. 

• It enables Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operations even where conventional airport navigation infrastructure is unavailable. 

• It uses GNSS/satellite-based navigation to guide helicopters to a predefined point near a heliport, enabling operations where conventional instrument landing systems are unavailable. 

• PinS procedures are widely used internationally to improve the safety, reliability and accessibility of helicopter operations. 

Assam’s Borjuli Wetland Notified as Biodiversity Heritage Site for Wild Rice Conservation 

Context: The Borjuli Wild Rice Habitat in Sonitpur district, Assam, has been notified as a Biodiversity Heritage Site (BHS), marking a major milestone in the conservation of India's wild rice genetic resources. 

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• The recognition has been achieved under the NRAA-funded project titled “In-situ Conservation and Management of Wild Rice (Oryza rufipogon) in Sonitpur District of Assam.” 

• The project has been implemented since 2022 by ICAR–National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (ICAR-NBPGR) in collaboration with the Assam State Biodiversity Board. 

• The notification is expected to strengthen the long-term conservation of wild rice diversity and support climate-resilient agriculture and future crop improvement programmes. 

• Wild rice species are regarded as valuable genetic resources for developing climate-resilient, high-yielding and nutritionally superior rice varieties, thereby contributing to food and nutritional security. 

About Wild Rice (Oryza rufipogon)

• Oryza rufipogon is a wild relative and one of the primary progenitors of cultivated rice (Oryza sativa). 

• It serves as an important genetic reservoir for traits such as disease resistance, pest tolerance, climate resilience and stress adaptability. 

• Conservation of wild rice is crucial for maintaining genetic diversity and ensuring long-term sustainability of rice breeding programmes. 

About Biodiversity Heritage Sites (BHS)

• Biodiversity Heritage Sites are areas of unique ecological, biological or cultural significance notified under Section 37 of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002. 

• They are declared by State Governments in consultation with local bodies to conserve ecologically important habitats and biological resources.

Bukhman International Booker Prize

Context: The International Booker Prize for translated fiction will be renamed the Bukhman International Booker Prize from 2027 following a decade-long funding partnership between the Booker Prize Foundation and Bukhman Philanthropies. 

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• Bukhman Philanthropies, founded by Daria and Dmitri Bukhman, has committed funding for the prize for the next 10 years, providing about £1.4 million annually to support translated literature and the translation ecosystem. 

• With the new partnership, the winner's prize money will double from £50,000 to £100,000 (about ₹1.28 crore), to be shared equally between the author and translator. The shortlisted books will continue to receive £5,000 each. 

• The additional funding will support initiatives such as wider access to translated literature, library outreach programmes, prison reading initiatives, accessible editions (Braille and audio), and professional development opportunities for translators. 

• The announcement coincides with the 10th anniversary of the International Booker Prize in its current form, which has recognised 11 winners in 11 different languages since 2016.

About the Booker Prizes

• The Booker Prize was established in 1969, and is awarded annually to the best original novel written in English and published in the UK or Ireland. It is open to writers of any nationality.  

• The International Booker Prize is awarded annually to the best work of fiction translated into English and published in the UK or Ireland. The prize is shared equally between the author and translator. 

• It was introduced in 2005 as the Man Booker International Prize. Between 2005 and 2015, it was awarded biennially for an author's overall contribution to fiction. Since 2016, it has been awarded annually. 

• From 2027, the International Booker Prize will be renamed the Bukhman International Booker Prize following a 10-year funding partnership with Bukhman Philanthropies.

Indian Winners

• Booker Prize 

• V. S. Naipaul — In a Free State (1971)
• Salman Rushdie — Midnight’s Children (1981)
• Arundhati Roy — The God of Small Things (1997)
• Kiran Desai — The Inheritance of Loss (2006)
• Aravind Adiga — The White Tiger (2008)

• International Booker Prize

• o Geetanjali Shree, translated by Daisy Rockwell — Tomb of Sand (2022)
• o Banu Mushtaq, translated by Deepa Bhasthi — Heart Lamp (2025)