State PCS - Bihar (BPSC)

• 16 Jan 2026

GeM Excellence Event Held in Patna

Why in News? 

The Government e‑Marketplace (GeM) Excellence Event is being organised in Patna, Bihar in January 2026. 

Key Points 

• Purpose:  to connect local vendors, especially MSMEs, startups and self‑help groups, directly with the government procurement system. 
  • The programme enables Bihar’s local sellers to join the national government procurement ecosystem and expand their market reach. 
• Government e‑Marketplace (GeM): GeM is the government’s digital procurement platform, which facilitates transparent, efficient and inclusive procurement of goods and services by various government departments and agencies. 
• Opportunity for Growth: The event represents an opportunity for small and medium enterprises to increase their business, integrate with government buyers and contribute to local economic growth. 
• Significance for Public Procurement: Such events help strengthen the GeM ecosystem, encourage new vendors to join, and enhance transparency and competitiveness in public procurement processes.

Read More:  Government e‑Marketplace (GeM), MSMEs, Startups 

Gujarat to House India’s First State-Funded BSL-4 Lab for High-Risk Pathogens

Why in News? 

The foundation stone was laid for India’s first state-funded Biosafety Level 4 (BSL-4) laboratory in Gujarat. This facility marks a significant leap in India's decentralized high-containment research, previously limited to central government institutions.

Key Points: 

• Integrated Complex: The lab is designed as a multi-tier facility featuring BSL-4, BSL-3, and BSL-2 modules. 
• Animal Research: Crucially, it includes ABSL-3 and ABSL-4 (Animal Biosafety Level) modules, allowing scientists to study how deadly viruses interact with living organisms—a vital step in vaccine development. 
• Funding Model: Unlike India’s existing BSL-4 labs (such as the NIV in Pune), which are centrally funded by the ICMR, this is the first project of its kind to be financed and managed by a State Government. 
• Timeline: Planning for the high-containment hub began in mid-2022 following the lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic regarding local diagnostic self-reliance. 
• Pandemic Preparedness: The facility will allow Gujarat to identify and research "Disease X" or new viral outbreaks without having to send all samples to the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, thereby saving critical response time. 
• One Health Approach: By integrating Animal Biosafety (ABSL) modules, the lab supports the "One Health" framework, recognizing the link between human, animal, and environmental health in preventing zoonotic spillover.

Biosafety Levels (BSL) 

• BSL-1 & BSL-2: Handle moderate-risk agents (like E. coli or common flu) that cause mild disease in humans. 
• BSL-3: Deals with indigenous or exotic agents that may cause serious or potentially lethal disease through inhalation (e.g., Tuberculosis, SARS-CoV-2). 
• BSL-4 (High Containment): Reserved for the most dangerous and exotic agents that pose a high risk of life-threatening disease, have no known vaccine or treatment, and can be transmitted via aerosols.  
• Examples include Ebola, Marburg, and Nipah viruses. 

Read More:National Institute of Virology, One Health Approach