1. Shree Jagannath Temple Trademark Rights
The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) in Puri, Odisha, made history by becoming the first shrine in India to secure formal trademark protection.
- What is protected: The temple obtained wordmark registrations for two sacred terms—"Ananda Bajara" (the dining area where Mahaprasad is distributed) and "Patitapabana" (the deity's form visible from outside the main gate). It also secured logomark registration for the Nilachakra, the sacred eight-spoked metal wheel at the top of the shrine.
- The Goal: To prevent commercial exploitation, imitation, and unauthorized use of the temple's centuries-old cultural and religious symbols.
2. Novartis India Launches Pluvicto
In a major milestone for precision oncology in India, Novartis announced the launch of Pluvicto (lutetium (177Lu) vipivotide tetraxetan).
- The Science: It is the country's first regulatory authority-approved radioligand therapy tailored for patients with Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen (PSMA)-positive metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC).
- How it works: It acts like a guided missile, delivering targeted radiation directly to the cancerous cells while protecting surrounding healthy tissues. This is crucial since nearly 50% of prostate cancer cases in India are diagnosed at an advanced, metastatic stage.
3. Maiden Test Flight of "Made in India" C295
The Tata-Airbus consortium successfully completed the maiden test flight of the first locally assembled Airbus C295 military transport aircraft.
- Location: The test flight took off from the Final Assembly Line (FAL) facility in Vadodara, Gujarat.
- Significance: This marks the first time a private sector company has manufactured and assembled a military transport aircraft completely on Indian soil, breaking the long-standing state monopoly in defense aviation. It is part of a massive deal to replace the Indian Air Force's aging Avro-748 fleet.
4. State Restrictions on Herbicide Paraquat
The Telangana government issued a strict 60-day temporary ban on the manufacturing, sale, stocking, and usage of the highly toxic non-selective herbicide Paraquat Dichloride under the Insecticides Act, 1968.
- "First State": While Telangana's latest sweeping ban has drawn significant attention due to rising farmer safety and accidental poisoning concerns, Kerala was the first state in India to strictly ban the sale and use of Paraquat back in 2019. Following Telangana's move, other states like Andhra Pradesh have also begun rolling out similar temporary bans to mitigate health risks given that the chemical has no known medical antidote.
