Italian scientists have made a significant discovery by effectively "frozen" light, proving that it can behave like a supersolid, a rare form of matter that possesses both frictionless flow and a solid-like structure. 

• This achievement marks a significant achievement in the field of condensed matter physics.
• It builds upon earlier work by CNR scientist Danielle Sanvitto, who demonstrated over a decade ago that light could behave like a fluid.
• Sanvitto worked alongside Dimitrios Trypogeorgos from Italy’s National Research Council (CNR) and a team of researchers to create what they called a quantum “supersolid.”

What is a supersolid?

A supersolid is a special type of matter that flows like a liquid but has a solid-like structure. Until now, scientists had only seen this state in extremely cold gases. This new experiment proves that light can also behave this way.

Officials from the Ministry of External Affairs Randhir Jaiswal said that India sent the first tranche of assistance in Botswana in the wake of floods.

• The tranche comprised of 10 tons of essential medicines, surgical supplies, mosquito nets, water purifiers, among other things.
• Indian also sent a 6 bedded Dialysis Unit to Kiribati in the Pacific Islands.
• The consignment departed from Mundra Port for Tarawa, Kiribati.

In 2024, Gujarat State government has accomplished 95 percent of the NITI Aayog target for TB registration and successful outcomes in treatment, with a treatment success rate of 91 percent, according to an official release.

Details Disclosed For 2024, Gujarat was assigned a goal of 1,45,000 TB patients for identifying and registering.

Against this goal, 1,37,929 TB patients were identified and registered successfully. 

For patients that were registered, 1,24,581 patients who completed therapy registered a 90.52 percent completion rate.

Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) has launched the second ‘advanced frigate' on order for the Indian Navy, the country's Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced in a statement on 22 March.

• It has been named Tavasya and is the second warship of its kind to be launched by GSL
• Tavasya's sister ship, Triput, took to the water at the shipyard's facilities in July 2024.
• Both frigates are follow-on hulls to India's Talwar (Project 1135.6)-class guided-missile frigate programme.
• A contract to build these two frigates was awarded to GSL in January 2019.
• Triput was laid down in January 2021 while the keel for Tavasya was laid down in June the same year.
• Both Triput and Tavasya have been acquired under a 2016 intergovernmental agreement between New Delhi and Moscow.
• Under the agreement, India acquired a total of four frigates that derive their design from Russia's Admiral Grigorovich (Project 11356M) class.