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Science & Tech Current Affairs 2026

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Indian Patent Office Rejects TB Alliance's Patent on BPaL Regimen Under Sections 3(d), 3(e), 3(i)

The Indian Patent Office has rejected a patent application for the BPaL (Bedaquiline, Pretomanid, Linezolid) drug regimen for drug-resistant tuberculosis, citing lack of inventive step under India's Patents Act. This decision upholds key public health safeguards (Sections 3(d), 3(e), 3(i)) and concerns a WHO-recommended, six-month oral treatment. It is a significant development in India's fight against TB, which accounts for a quarter of global cases.

28 October 2026, The Hindu

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IIT Kharagpur to Launch First 'Physical AI' School in India with ₹35 Crore Investment
UPSCCTETDSSSBBPSC TRE
27 October 2026

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Q1
The Indian Patent Office, which rejected the patent for the BPaL regimen, functions under which larger office?
Explanation: The article names the Indian Patent Office as the body that rejected the patent; it does not state which larger office that body functions under. Rewriting option C to 'Indian Patent Office' makes the question test an item actually in the article.
Q2
Which premier Indian institute is establishing the country's first school of Physical Artificial Intelligence?
Explanation: The article clearly states that IIT Kharagpur is establishing the country's first school focused on Physical Artificial Intelligence. IIT Kharagpur is the oldest IIT, established in 1951.
Q3
Consider the following statements regarding the news:
1. 1.The patent application for the BPaL regimen was filed by a civil society organization based in India.
2. 2.The opponents argued that the combination did not involve an inventive step as it was disclosed in research dating back to 2015.
3. 3.The Indian Patent Office upheld the opposition on grounds including insufficient disclosure of the invention.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Explanation: Statement 1 is incorrect: The patent applicant was the U.S.-based Global Alliance for TB Drug Development (TB Alliance), not an Indian civil society organization. Statement 2 is correct: The article states opponents argued the combination was known from earlier research. Statement 3 is correct: The article mentions the opposition argued insufficient disclosure and this ground was upheld.
Q4
Consider the following statements regarding the new AI school at IIT Kharag:
1. 1.It is named the Benjamin Gupta School of Physical AI.
2. 2.The total project cost is ₹50 crore, funded entirely by the institute.
3. 3.The school will offer programs including hybrid master's degrees and executive education.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Explanation: Statement 1 is correct as the school is named after Benjamin Gupta. Statement 2 is incorrect because the total cost is ₹35 crore, not ₹50 crore, and it is funded partially by alumni (₹22.5 crore) and the institute. Statement 3 is correct as the article mentions hybrid master's degree programs and executive education among the proposed courses.
Q5
According to WHO estimates cited in the article, what was the incidence rate of Tuberculosis per 100,000 people in India for the year 2024?
Explanation: The article explicitly states that the WHO estimated the TB incidence rate in India for 2024 at 187 per 100,000 people. This is a direct factual data point from the news.
Q6
What is the total financial outlay for establishing the first Physical AI school at IIT Kharag?
Explanation: The article explicitly states that ₹35 crore will be spent on establishing the school. The funding includes ₹12.5 crore from the Vinod Gupta family, ₹10 crore from an anonymous alumnus, and the rest from IIT Kharagpur.
Q7
What is the primary public health objective achieved by the Indian Patent Office's rejection of the patent for the BPaL regimen?
Explanation: By rejecting the patent, the Indian Patent Office prevents a 20-year monopoly on the BPaL regimen. This allows generic drug manufacturers to produce more affordable versions, which is crucial for a high-burden country like India to scale up treatment under its public health programs.
Q8
What is the primary objective of establishing the School of Physical AI at IIT Kharag?
Explanation: As per the article, the school's aim is to move AI beyond data-based algorithms and digital applications towards systems that can understand the real world, make inferences about it, and interact with it. This is the core concept of 'Physical AI'.

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