Sanjay Kumar Mishra will serve as a full-time member of EAC-PM

Context: 

Recently, the Union government appointed Sanjay Kumar Mishra as a full-time member of the new Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM).

More on the News

• On the same day, the government also appointed former Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba to the NITI Aayog as a full-time member.
• Sanjay Kumar Mishra is a 1984-batch Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer of the Income Tax cadre, he also led the Enforcement Directorate till September 15, 2023.

Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM)

• The EAC-PM is an ‘independent’ body constituted to give advice on economic and related issues to the Government of India, specifically to the Prime Minister.

Sepak Takraw World Cup 2025

Context: 

Recently, the Prime Minister of India congratulated the Indian contingent for displaying "phenomenal sporting excellence" at the Sepak Takraw World Cup 2025.

Sepak Takraw World Cup 2025 

• It was hosted by India from March 20 to March 25 at the prestigious Patliputra Indoor Stadium in Kankarbagh, Patna, Bihar.
• The Indian contingent won a total of 7 medals (1 gold, 1 silver, and 5 bronze), with the Men’s Regu team creating history by winning India's first-ever gold medal in the tournament’s history. 
• The first championships started in 2011 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.  

Sepak Takraw

• It is also known as the ‘Kick Volleyball’. It is commonly played among teams of two to four players on a court resembling a badminton court. 
• The word ‘Sepak’ is of Malay origin, used for ‘kick’ while the word ‘takraw’ is of Thai origin which means ‘muzzle’ or ‘woven rattan ball’.
• It is a combination of volleyball and footvolley as the players play this sport using only their feet, knees, shoulders, chest and head to touch the ball. 
• It is governed internationally by the International Speak Takraw Federation (ISTAF) formed in 1988, which also conducts tournaments worldwide.

Africa India Key Maritime Engagement (AIKEYME)

Context: 

Recently, the Indian Navy has announced a large-scale multinational exercise, ‘Africa India Key Maritime Engagement (AIKEYME), with 10 African countries.

More on the News

• Another cooperation initiative with Africa is the Indian Ocean Ship (IOS) Sagar, under which the offshore patrol vessel INS Sunayna will be deployed to the Southwest IOR from April 5 to May 8.
• IOS Sagar is an initiative towards continued cooperation with IOR nations.

AIKEYME

• AIKEYME exercise will be co-hosted by the Indian Navy and the Tanzania Peoples Defence Force from April 13 to 18 off the coast of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
• The AIKEYME exercise is planned over six days and will see the participation of Comoros, Maldives, Eritrea, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles and South Africa.
• The harbour phase of the exercise would include table-top and command-post exercises on piracy and information sharing, along with training on seamanship. 
• The sea phase comprises seamanship evolutions, search and rescue, visit board search and seizure, small-arms firing and helicopter operations.

Significance of the exercise

• It aims to strengthen maritime security and reinforce India’s role as a preferred security partner and first responder in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
• 'AIKEYME'—meaning 'Unity' in Sanskrit—is an initiative to enhance interoperability with their navies and maritime agencies.

Mycobacterium Tuberculosis

Context: 

The Union Minister of Science and Technology announced the completion of genome sequencing of 10,000 isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

More on the News

• The Union minister made this announcement during a summit held in New Delhi to mark World TB Day (24th March).
• The achievement marks a major stride in India's commitment to eradicating TB ahead of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) 2030 targets.
• The genome sequencing initiative is a key component of the Dare2eraD TB program (Data Driven Research to Eradicate TB), launched in 2022.
• A key component of the Dare2eraD TB program is the Indian Tuberculosis Genomic Surveillance (InTGS) Consortium, spearheaded by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), in collaboration with major clinical institutions.

Significance of Genome Sequencing

• India’s progress in genome sequencing, backed by continued investments in research and policy interventions, is expected to significantly bolster national and global efforts against TB. 
• This data will forge next-generation genomic tests for diagnosis and predictive models capable of identifying drug resistance mutations with better accuracy.
• This will help tailor treatment regimens according to individual need and will go a long way in addressing issues frequently associated with TB treatment such as treatment failure and relapse.