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Contents
1. BIOTECHNOLOGY ___________________________________________________________________ 6
1.1. Introduction__________________________________________________________________________ 6
1.1.1. About Biotechnology ______________________________________________________________________ 6
1.1.2. Applications of Biotechnology _______________________________________________________________ 6
1.1.3. Status of Biotechnology Sector in India ________________________________________________________ 7
1.1.4. Challenges Facing Biotech Sector _____________________________________________________________ 7
1.2. National Biotechnology Development Strategy (NBDS) 2015-2020 _____________________________ 7
1.3. Recent Issues and Debates in Biotech _____________________________________________________ 8
1.3.1. Food Vs Fuel _____________________________________________________________________________ 8
1.3.2. GM Crops and Related Issues________________________________________________________________ 9
1.3.3. GM Mustard (DMH-11) ____________________________________________________________________ 9
1.4. Human DNA Profiling Bill ______________________________________________________________ 10
1.5. Gene Editing ________________________________________________________________________ 11
1.6. Germline Editing _____________________________________________________________________ 12
1.7. Human Genome Project-Write (HGP-Write)_______________________________________________ 13
1.8. Ayurvadic Prakriti to get Genetic proof___________________________________________________ 15
1.9. Opogenetics and Clarity _______________________________________________________________ 15
1.10. Touch DNA_________________________________________________________________________ 16
1.11. Synthetic Organism__________________________________________________________________ 16
1.12. Gene Database Project _______________________________________________________________ 17
2. Nanotechnology ___________________________________________________________________ 19
2.1. Introduction_________________________________________________________________________ 19
2.1.1. What is nanotechnology? _________________________________________________________________ 19
2.1.2. Applications ____________________________________________________________________________ 19
2.1.3. Current Issues with Nanotechnology _________________________________________________________ 20
2.1.4. Evolution ______________________________________________________________________________ 21
2.1.5. Major stakeholders ______________________________________________________________________ 21
2.2. Draft Guidelines for Safe Handling of Nanomaterials _______________________________________ 21
2.3. Graphene ___________________________________________________________________________ 22
2.4. Nano Technology and Superbugs _______________________________________________________ 23
2.5. Carbon Nanotubes ___________________________________________________________________ 23
3. ROBOTICS ________________________________________________________________________ 25
3.1. Applications_________________________________________________________________________ 25
3.2. Major Issues ________________________________________________________________________ 26
3.3. Unmanned Ariel Vehicles: Regulatory Issues ______________________________________________ 27
3.3.1. About UAVs ____________________________________________________________________________ 27
3.3.2. Draft Guidelines for Civil UAV ______________________________________________________________ 27
6. IPR ______________________________________________________________________________ 48
6.1. Introduction_________________________________________________________________________ 48
6.1.1. What is IPR? ____________________________________________________________________________ 48
6.1.2. Types of IPR ____________________________________________________________________________ 48
6.2. National IPR Policy 2016_______________________________________________________________ 49
6.3. International Agreements and Bodies____________________________________________________ 50
6.4. IPR Issues in India ____________________________________________________________________ 51
6.4.1. IPR Issues Between India and the US _________________________________________________________ 51
6.4.2. Issue of Patents and Indian Generic Medicine__________________________________________________ 51
6.5. Bioprospecting and Biopiracy __________________________________________________________ 52
6.6. Copyright Infringement: Govt. Policy and Measures ________________________________________ 53
6.7. International Intellectual Property Index And India ________________________________________ 53
6.8. Right to Photocopy ___________________________________________________________________ 54
6.9. Open Resource Licensing ______________________________________________________________ 55
7. CONTRIBUTION OF INDIANS AND INDIGENIZATION OF TECHNOLOGY ______________________ 57
7.1. Contributions of Sir Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman _______________________________________ 57
8. HEALTH __________________________________________________________________________ 65
8.1. Zika Virus ___________________________________________________________________________ 65
8.2. Experimental Medicines _______________________________________________________________ 66
8.2.1. Clinical Trials in India-Ethical and Legal Issues __________________________________________________ 66
8.3. Hypoxia and Frostbites ________________________________________________________________ 67
8.4. Anti-Microbial Resistance _____________________________________________________________ 67
8.4.1. Anti-Microbial Resistance Fund _____________________________________________________________ 68
8.5. India's Red Line Campaign on Antibiotics _________________________________________________ 68
8.6. Ban on Combination Drugs_____________________________________________________________ 69
8.7. Organ Donation in India _______________________________________________________________ 69
8.8. Quercetin ___________________________________________________________________________ 70
8.9. Potassium Bromate___________________________________________________________________ 71
8.10. Blue Light Emitted by LED is Harmful ___________________________________________________ 71
8.11. Yaws Free Status for India ____________________________________________________________ 71
8.12. Charge Syndrome ___________________________________________________________________ 72
8.13. Need for an HPV Vaccine _____________________________________________________________ 72
8.14. Made-in-India Leprosy Vaccine ________________________________________________________ 73
8.15. Bedaquiline ________________________________________________________________________ 73
8.16. Photodynamic Therapy ______________________________________________________________ 74
9. SOME RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN FIELD OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ___________________ 76
9.1. 'LI-FI' Led Light Bulbs to Transmit Gigabit-Level Wireless Data________________________________ 76
9.2. Development of Artificial Liver Tissue by 3-D Printing_______________________________________ 76
9.3. Bio-Ink for 3D Printing ________________________________________________________________ 77
9.4. HVDC Technology ____________________________________________________________________ 77
9.5. Artificial Intelligence __________________________________________________________________ 78
9.6. Smart Grid __________________________________________________________________________ 80
9.7. Microgrid ___________________________________________________________________________ 80
9.8. Augmented Reality (AR) _______________________________________________________________ 81
9.8.1. Difference between Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality _______________________________________ 81
9.8.2. Applications of Augmented Reality __________________________________________________________ 81
Biotechnology is the use of biological processes, organisms, or systems to manufacture products intended to
improve the quality of human life. The science of biotechnology can be broken down into sub-disciplines called
red, white, green, and blue:
Red biotechnology It involves medical processes such as getting organisms to produce new drugs, or
using stem cells to regenerate damaged human tissues and perhaps re-grow entire organs.
White (also called gray) biotechnology: It involves industrial processes such as the production of new
chemicals or the development of new fuels for vehicles.
Green biotechnology: It applies to agriculture and involves such processes as the development of pest-
resistant crops or the accelerated evolution of disease-resistant animals.
Blue biotechnology: It encompasses processes in marine and aquatic environments, such as controlling the
proliferation of noxious water-borne organisms.
Bt Cotton is genetically modified cotton. This Golden Rice Bt Brinjal is also genetically modified
variety of cotton contains cry1Ac gene contains beta cotton. This variety of brinjal contains
obtained from Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) carotene genes which cry1Ac gene obtained from Bt (Bacillus
bacteria. This gene incorporation makes the help in synthesis of thuringiensis) bacteria. This gene
cotton toxic to bollworms. Thus preventing vitamin A. incorporation makes the brinjal toxic
cotton plant damage which leads to greater to lepidopteron insects (particularly
production. fruit and shoot borer).
Gene therapy: It involves correction of a genetic defect involves delivery of a normal gene into the
individual or embryo to take over the function of and compensate for the non-functional gene. This way
hereditary disease such as parkinsons disease could be treated effectively.
Pharmacogenomics: This technology helps in analysing how genetic makeup affects an individual's
response to drugs.
Stem cell therapy: It is also known as regenerative medicine which Oil Zappers are microbes that feed
promotes the reparative response of diseased, dysfunctional or on hydrocarbon compounds present
injured tissue using stem cells or their derivatives. in crude OIL and the hazardous
Bioremediation: It is a waste management technique in which hydrocarbon waste generated by OIL
microorganisms (e.g., bacteria, fungi), plants (termed refineries, known as OIL Sludge and
phytoremediation), or biological enzymes are used to consume and converts them into harmless CO2 and
break down environmental pollutants, in order to clean a polluted water.
site. Example: oil zappers.
Bio-fuels: These are kind of fuels that are derived from living organisms such as plants and their by-
products, microbes or animal waste. Two most common bio-fuels are bio-ethanol produced by
Strategy
To build a skilled workforce and improve research facilities in basic, disciplinary and inter-disciplinary
streams of scientific studies.
Nurturing innovation, translational capacity and entrepreneurship.
Ensuring a transparent, efficient and globally best Regulatory system and communication strategy.
Creating a technology development and translation network across the country with global partnership.
NBDS is a major step towards a new era of science-driven, society relevant innovation and
entrepreneurship.
NBDS provides the impetus for building indigenous capabilities in health, food and environment. It also lays
the foundation for offering research support to biotech industries through launching of major PPP programs
and spearheaded new frontiers of biotech research.
There is a need to enhance our own capacity to comply with our commitments and to enable our flow of
resources. Investments need to be strengthened to promote innovation and R&D for development of
affordable products for Indian and global market.
However challenges need to be overcome to reap the benefits of biotechnology and make it play a crucial
role in Indias sustainable and inclusive development story.
Debate: Should the farmland for food crops be diverted to produce bio-fuel crops such as jatropha?
For fuel:
Bio-fuels are promising alternative to fossil fuels and can help achieve our energy requirements.
Bio-fuels are more environment friendly causing less pollution. This feature raises their value especially
in this era of global warming and climate change.
These alternative fuel sources could help stabilize oil prices apart from providing employment to
millions.
Against fuel:
Growing crops capable of producing bio-fuels requires large tracts of land. This means lesser land
remains to grow food crops to meet food security situation.
Also lesser land will remain available for grazing animals.
Bio-fuel crops requires relatively large amount of water for irrigation apart from causing greater risk of
soil erosion.
For Food:
Food safety and security could be better tackled.
Situation of hunger and mal-nutrition could also be better managed.
More food crops production would mean less price and this would benefit poor the most.
Against Food:
Growing bio-fuels is more profitable and thus could help small and marginalized farmers.
Bio-fuels could act as an alternative to surplus food grains crop production.
Conclusion
The debate should not be either or or but how a balance could be achieved in meeting both of our needs.
We need to increase our food crops productivity and spend more on R&D so that better solutions could be
found. One such example could be culturing bacterium capable of producing ethanol. Also in the short run,
waste land could be turned to produce bio-fuel based crops.
Introduction
GM crops are plants used in agriculture, the DNA of which has been modified using genetic engineering
techniques. This gene modification is done to achieve:
Resistance to certain pests, disease, environmental conditions such as drought, flood, etc.
Or to increase nutritional value or productivity of the crop.
The answer to future lies in biotechnological advancements. However safety and health must not be
compromised. The concerns over their (GM crops) perceived risks should be addressed by following
internationally accepted procedures for assessing safety parameters. ICAR, which is involved in developing
useful products and technologies in this field, must contribute to the public discourse and provide clarity on
this sensitive issue.
Most of the issues are a result of perceived fear and management of public perception is required so that
myths sway away and reason and rationality is restored.
Introduction
To improve yields, hybridisation is a potential technique. Hybrid variety of a crop is obtained by crossing of
two genetically diverse plants of same species and it can give higher yields than their parents.
But mustard cannot be naturally hybridised because it is a self-pollinating plant having both male and
female reproductive parts in a single flower. But researchers have created hybridised mustard using GM
technology.
The GM hybridised mustard, as it is claimed, gives up to 30% more yield than the present best varieties.
Researchers have used barnase / barstar technology for genetic modification. A barnase gene is isolated
from a soil bacterium called Bacillus amyloliquefaciens. The gene can code for a protein that impairs the
pollen production in a plant making it male-sterile.
This male-sterile variety is crossed with a parent variety having a gene called barstar to block the action of
barnase gene. The resulting variety, having both foreign genes, is a fertile plant and it can increase yield of
the crop.
Increase in mustard yield could help in increasing domestic production and cut imports.
The use of GM technology through Bt cotton has increased the countrys cotton production by more than
2 times since it was first planted in 2002. The same could be achieved for GM mustard.
Objection
Cotton is largely a non-food crop whereas mustard is the largest edible oil yielding crop.
There are concerns related to health, environment and economy of the farmers.
Way forward
GM Mustard is one of the promising technologies to improve mustard yield in India, which is almost
stagnant since the last two decades. However safety and risk assessment need to be done so that informed
decision could be taken without compromising the safety and health of the humans and their environment.
A key committee, tasked with assessing all the available evidence so far on the plants suitability for Indian
soil and risks posed to health and ecology has given a favourable assessment on the tests done so far on
GM mustard.
The GEAC has approved the subcommittees report.
Privacy: Critics say the Bill does not have adequate safeguards against the collection and storage of more
intrusive information such as allergies, susceptibility to diseases, etc and its misuse. The Bill does not say
who can access the database, and does not provide a guarantee that it would not be used for anything
other than the specified purpose.
However, the counter argument is that a very limited information is proposed to be stored, just 17 sets of
numbers out of billions that can tell nothing about the individual except to act as a unique identifier. DNA
will be collected from a very small proportion of people, mainly those in conflict of law.
Misuse of Data: In most countries, the DNA database is used only for criminal investigations, but Indias bill
allows for a lot more. For examples, it can be used to identify victims of accidents or disasters, to identify
missing persons, and for civil disputes. The bill even allows the creation of population statistics,
identification research, parental disputes, issues relating to reproductive technologies and migration. These
provisions could one day allow the government to push civilians to provide DNA data.
Reliability Issue: There are some circumstances when even DNA data may not be reliable. for instance, if a
person has had blood transfusion or a bone marrow transplant, they will have someone elses DNA in their
body for some time. There are also cases of DNA chimeras, where one individual may possess multiple
genomes. Other times, DNA data recovered from a crime scene may not be enough to produce a correct
match for the algorithms.
Consent Issue: The bill does not clarify under what circumstances someones DNA will be collected for the
database with or without consent.
On data collection and deletion: When DNA data are collected, the person will also have to provide their
name, gender, address, and their caste. Further, it does not set a limit to how long someones DNA will kept
on record.
Way forward
There is need to move from eyewitness evidence to forensic evidence, of which DNA is an integral part.
Currently, capabilities are limited and proposed law would help to create the infrastructure, including trained
manpower, to facilitate DNA testing in our country.
What is CRISPR/Cas9?
How it works?
Crispr scans the genome looking for the right location and then uses the Cas9 protein as molecular scissors
to snip through the DNA.
Cas9 endonuclease - guide RNAs direct it to a particular sequence to be edited.
When Cas9 cuts the target sequence, the cell repairs the damage by replacing the original sequence with an
altered version.
Unlike other gene-editing methods, it is cheap, quick, easy, safer and more accurate to use because it relies
on RNADNA base pairing, rather than the engineering of proteins that bind particular DNA sequences.
Recently the scientists at Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, China, developed a new gene editing technology
known as the CRISPR/Cas9 system.
What is it?
Germ line refers to the egg and sperm, which combine to form an embryo.
Germline editing is a genome- editing technology that can, in principle, be developed to make specific and
targeted genetic alterations in embryos, which will be carried by all the cells of a resulting child and passed
on to his/her offspring, a part of the human gene pool.
All other techniques of genome editing currently in various stages of clinical development focus on
modifying the genetic material of somatic cells, such as T cells (a type of white blood cell).
These are not designed to affect sperm or eggs.
Benefits of germline editing
By editing the DNA of egg and sperm or the embryo itself, it could be possible to correct disease genes and
pass those genetic fixes on to future generations.
It might also be possible to install genes that offer lifelong protection against infection.
Issues with germline editing
Some argue that we do not understand the operations of the genome enough to make long-lasting changes
to it. Altering one gene could have unforeseen and widespread effects on other part of the genome, which
would then be passed down to future generations.
Many consider genome alterations to be unethical, advocating that we should let nature run its course.
Additionally, genetic modifications initially directed at curing diseases could eventually become a tool for
selecting for desired characteristics such as intelligence and attractiveness.
Additionally, the project will develop enabling tools of broad applicability throughout biomedical research, such
as:
Computational tools, which allow the redesign of any genome, followed by compilation and testing of the
redesigned code in silico before hitting the print button
Phenotypic screening platforms such as organoid cultures, which allow characterization of performance of
synthetic DNA and variants of unknown significance
Cheaper, more accurate and longer DNA synthesis and assembly.
Targeted delivery to specific cell types or systemically throughout multiple organ systems.
Benefits to India
The potential benefits of HGP-write to India include providing new solutions to diseases like malaria,
dengue and chikungunya.
One of the strategies against combating these deadly diseases could be to introduce sterile mosquitoes into
the environment, incapable of producing offspring after mating with their wild type mates and/or by
building pathogen resistance in mosquitoes, both by genome engineering.
Tools generated through HGP-write may aid this process by making synthetic vector genomes incapable of
hosting the parasite and/or the virus.
Vaccine development: One can accelerate the process tremendously by producing viruses synthetically and
then use those for vaccine development.
This, in addition to saving lives, can add to our economy, where India is already an acknowledged world
leader.
Big projects require large funding and its better for India to share the cost and risks (technical, scientific
and financial) with other countries in executing such large projects.
Additionally, projects like HGP-write will provide Indian scientists access to knowledge and expertise of a
renowned group of global thought leaders.
Way forward
India should not to shy away from participating in science-led activities but to do it correctly from the
beginning within a transparent policy framework.
India did not participate in HGP-read but a large number of scientific discoveries that originated in India in
the last decade owe their success to the availability of a reference human genome sequence.
As per Ayurveda the Prakrati or the constitution of a person is based on three important characteristics called
doshas which are :
Vata- controls very basic body processes such as cell division, the heart, breathing, and the mind
Pitta- control hormones and the digestive system
Kapha- helps to keep up strength and immunity and to control growth.
In Ayurveda, a persons treatment is based on her Prakriti which contains the particular variations of Vata, Pitta
and Kapha for a particular individual.
Recently a team of Indian scientists are trying to connect the relation between genes and Prakriti of a
particular individual.
Scientists are looking at principal components of variation and three of the most common variations could
be Vata, Pitta and Kapha.
With this, the researchers can conclude that Indias traditional medicine has a genetic basis and in a way is
personalized medicine.
Personalized medicine is an innovative approach to disease prevention and treatment that takes into
account differences in people's genes, environments and lifestyles.
What is Optogenetics?
Use of optogenetics
It has potential to treat disease like Parkinsons disease.
It can also be used to cure blindness.
Nanotechnologies are the design, characterisation, production and application of structures, devices and
systems by controlling shape and size on a nanometre scale. At this scale, the general physical, chemical,
electrical, biological and optical properties of a material start behaving in a unique and peculiar way, i.e. the
follow the laws of quantum physics which is very different from the laws of Newtonian physics we see and feel.
This uniqueness and peculiarity opens up new vistas for enquiry and applications.
2.1.2. APPLICATIONS
Medical field
Disease Diagnosis: Nano medicine has resulted in formation of Nano scale diagnostic device which are
more efficient & able to detect cancer, bacterial, viral infection. When blood or any tissue sample made to
pass through it one such device is known as lab-on-a-chip, Biochip, DNAchip etc.
Drug Delivery: Nanotechnology can be used in the formation of Nano size drug which will help in lower
overall drug consumption & side effect by depositing active agent at specific places in body.
Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment: Nanotechnology can locate & eliminate cancer cell using gold Nano cells.
Nano cells are targeted to cancer cell by tagging or attaching antibodies to Nano cell surface.
Tissue Engineering: Nanotechnology can help to repair damage tissue through tissue engineering, making
use of biodegradable polymer such as polycaprolactone coated with collagen to promote cell to cell
attachment or the wound healing process.
Medical Nanorobot: Nanorobotics is a technique of creating machine or robot close to microscopic scale,
nanometre. These Nano size robot can navigate the human body, transport important molecule,
manipulate microscopic object and communicate with physician by way of miniature sensor .These
computer controlled nanorobot can be used in cancer detection & treatment.
Superbugs and anti-microbial resistance: Nanotechnology holds the key to stopping antibiotic-resistant
bacteria and the deadly infections they cause.
Defence
Agriculture
Food processing industry can get better packaging, presentation with least waste and minimum moisture
flow and growth of bacteria. This industry provides backward linkages with agriculture.
In mechanization of agriculture, nano engineered material in automotive products.
Soil health can be maintained by neutralizing harmful chemical or biological agents. Bio indicators can be
used to detect the bio magnification of pesticides and fertilizers.
Anti-bacterial products such as nanosilver when used as a materials preserver maintain its ability to reduce
odour-causing bacteria longer and require smaller quantities than other silver preservatives.
Insect pests management through the formulations of nanomaterials-based pesticides and insecticides
Enhancement of agricultural productivity using bio-conjugated nanoparticles (encapsulation) for slow
release of nutrients and water
Construction
Nanomolecular structures to make asphalt and concrete more robust to water seepage
Heat-resistant nanomaterials to block ultraviolet and infrared radiation
Nanomaterials for cheaper and durable housing, surfaces, coatings, glues, concrete, and heat and light
exclusion
Self-cleaning surfaces (e.g., windows, mirrors, toilets) with bioactive coatings
Energy
Novel hydrogen storage systems based on carbon nanotubes and other lightweight nanomaterials
Photovoltaic cells and organic light-emitting devices based on quantum dots
Carbon nanotubes in composite film coatings for solar cells
Nanocatalysts for hydrogen generation
Governance issues
The boundary-crossing nature of nanotechnology has given rise to several issues. Because materials at the
nano-scale are not confined to one particular scientific field or industrial sector, nanotechnology is expected to
have an impact that crosses many existing disciplinary and institutional boundaries. Thus, the question here is
how particular countries, groups, or actors can facilitate the responsible development of nanotechnology.
Another major challenge that nanotechnology has raised across the world is the potential risk of
nanotechnology to human health and the environment due to the size of the nano particles.
Ethical consequences
For instance nanotechnology may be used in warfare, may invade peoples privacy, or may impinge on the
relationship between human beings and technology.
A developing country such as India may struggle to find quality human resource, esp. in an emerging field which
requires cutting edge research.
However, the thrust came with the launch of Programme on Nanomaterials: Science and Devices in 2000 by
the Department of Science and Technology.
Subsequently, the National Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Initiative (NSTI) was launched in October, 2001
under the aegis of the Department of Science and Technology of the Ministry of Science. The motive of
launching NSTI in 2001 was to create research infrastructure and promote basic research in nanoscience and
nanotechnology.
The Eleventh Five-Year Plan (2007-2012) categorically mentioned projects to create high value and large
impact on socio-economic delivery involving nano material and nano devices in health and disease. The
generous Eleventh Five Year Plan Budget allocation of Rs. 1000 crore was earmarked for the Nano Mission
when it was launched in 2007/
Accordingly, on 3 May 2007, a Mission on Nano Science and Technology (Nano Mission) was launched by the
DST to foster, promote and develop all aspects of nanoscience and nanotechnology which have the potential to
benefit the country.
12th FYP
The Union Cabinet gave its clearance for the continuation of the NSTM in its second phase in the 12th plan
period at a cost of Rs. 650 crores. Announcing the Cabinet decision, an official statement noted that as a result
of the efforts led by the mission, India has moved from the fourth to the third position in the world in terms of
scientific publications in nano-science and technology.
The Nano mission, in this new phase, will make greater effort to promote application-oriented R&D so that
some useful products, processes and technologies also emerge. It will be steered by a Nano Mission Council
chaired by an eminent scientist.
Department of Biotechnology (DBT): The DBT is basically active in the area of nano biotechnology R&D. In the
period around 2007, the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) initiated a programme on Nano biotechnology.
Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DeITy): The DeITy has established Centre for Materials
for Electronics Technology (C-MET) at Pune, Hyderabad and Trissur. These centres are involved in
nanotechnology R&D activities, particularly in nanomaterials.
Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP): DIPP established a Nano-Manufacturing Technology
Centre (NMTC) and Academy of Excellence for Advanced Manufacturing Technology (AEAMT) at the Central
Manufacturing Technology Institute (CMTI) in Bangalore.
Way forward
Nano science has its own risks and the real issue is no clear definition on them. Thus these draft lines has taken
baby steps and wait for further studies over it. It is important to address potential risks from emerging
technologies like nanotechnology, while promoting their development.
Thus t the government should be taking on board different stakeholders including the public and incorporating
societal concerns. Government has to celebrate the potentialities yet simultaneously acknowledging the
vulnerabilities of nano tech.
2.3. GRAPHENE
What is Graphene?
Graphene form of carbon consisting of
planar sheets (2D structure) which are one
atom thick, with the atoms arranged in a
honeycomb-shaped lattice.
According to recent research, Graphene-
coated solar panels can produce electricity
from rain drops. This will increase
efficiency of solar panels.
Rain water contains salts which in turn
contains positive and negative ions. These
positive and negative ions are used to
generate electricity.
Properties of Graphene
Stronger than the steel.
Good conductor of heat and electricity.
Applications
Paints and coatings, lubricants, oils and functional fluids,
capacitors and batteries, thermal management applications,
display materials and packaging, solar cells, inks and 3D-
printers materials and films
To Recreate Bones
Scientists at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru
suggests that 3D Blocks of graphene composites can be
Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are an allotrope of carbon- they are cylindrical hollow fibers, comprised of a
single sheet of pure graphite (a hexagonal lattice of carbon), having a diameter of 0.7 to 50 nanometers
with lengths generally in the range of 10s of microns.
Being a hollow tube comprised entirely of carbon, they are also extremely light weight.
They have novel properties that make them potentially useful in a wide variety of applications in
nanotechnology, electronics, optics and other fields of materials science.
Carbon fibers are fibers about 510 micrometres in diameter and composed mostly of carbon atoms. Some
important properties of carbon fiber are- high stiffness, high tensile strength, low weight, high chemical
resistance, high temperature tolerance and low thermal expansion. These make them very popular in
aerospace, civil engineering, military and sports.
Carbon nanotubes, being at the nano scale have enhanced all these properties of carbon fiber. They are
used as additives in various structural materials, often mixed with carbon fiber to improve these properties.
They are used in golf clubs, car accessories, aerospace vehicles, etc.
Structural composites made of carbon fiber (or glass fiber) and a thermoset (e.g.epoxide) have been
improved quite substantially by the introduction of carbon nanotubes.
Stiffness and strength of materials used in load bearing applications is key as they reduce the mass and
dimensions of the materials..
CNTs are dispersed homogenously through the metal, with strong interfacial adhesion between the CNTs
and the metallic matrix.
CNT metal matrix composites have excellent electrical properties and are used as reinforcement to metals
in order to enhance their electrical properties.
Carbon nanotubes have extremely high thermal conductivity that allows metal matrix carbon nanotubes to
be used for thermal management.
The thermal properties of CNT metal matrix composites can be improved based on the distribution and
bonding of CNTs with the matrix.
CNT metal matrix composites production is economically viable
Composite coatings have an increase in their corrosion resistance when CNT is added to them
Metal matrix composites have high thermal conductivity and low coefficient of thermal expansion.
The applications of CNT metal matrix composites in different manufacturing industries are listed below:
Electronic packaging industry: Solders and heat sinks for thermal management
Automobile industry: gears, break shoes, piston rings and cylinder liners
Sports industry: badminton and tennis rackets and light weight bicycles
Space applications: structural radiators and high gain antenna boom
Aerospace industry: landing gears and aircraft brakes
MEMS and sensors battery and energy storage: hydrogen storage materials, micro-beams and micro-gears,
anodes and anode coatings.
Robots can be used to farming on a large scale, with efficiency and in lesser time. Helps in extensive
farming.
Robots make it possible to do agriculture in rugged, harsh terrain areas. It makes farming a child's play like
remote controlled farming.
Robots makes ploughing, sowing, harvesting and thrashing faster and accurate. Robotics can make farming
systematic, ordered and efficient.
Robots can be used in weeding out pests, unwanted herbs. No need to use chemical pesticide, herbicide.
Making farmers life more comfortable, avoiding intense sunlight and harsh weather.
Robots can be used in preventing the attack of wild stray animals. Effective monitoring of the crop using
drone.
Space robotics
Application of robots in space is usually done for unmanned missions into areas where it is not possible to
send humans due to technological constrains in bringing them back, or in high risk missions.
Other areas include to explore alien terrain, autonomous navigation of space crafts etc.
ISRO's Chandrayan and Mangalyan missions had robots to carry out experiments and explore the terrain.
Recently, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has sent a proposal to the Central government for
carrying out an unmanned mission to space.
Electric Mobility
With the coming up of Google's driverless cars and RFID tagged number plates, robotics opens possibilities
hitherto unexplored such as new approaches to traffic control, intelligent, environmentally sound and
integrated urban mobility solutions.
Disaster management
Drones are especially useful in this regard. Also drones have various other applications, some of them
include
Delivering food packets in flood area.
Surveying of election booths
Security and Defense
Surveillance of street in night, Maoist areas, national borders, high building or mountains unapproachable.
Defense applications, such as reconnaissance, search and rescue operations.
Medical applications
Robotically-assisted surgery was developed to overcome the limitations of minimally-invasive surgical
procedures and to enhance the capabilities of surgeons performing open surgery by enhancing precision
and the tasks performed. Such a surgery was first performed in AIIMS in 2010, and is now done on a regular
basis.
Its use has been extended in a wide spectrum of diseases in the field of Urology and other specialties.
Conclusion
Develop an ecosystem concomitant to advances in robotics, i.e. implementing the Electronic and
Semiconductor Policy, 2012, developing human resource in universities and improving quality and quantity
in STEM fields and bridging the lagging gender ratio in the same.
Reducing import duties on robotics consumables and spreading awareness among the masses.
At the same time, regulation on the sector should focus on equity by taking care not to further the digital
divide, provide an enabling environment for the masses to quickly adapt such technologies, and upgrade
their skills so that they do not face loss of jobs due to automation.
However, the impact can be very diverse, and it is better if we look at net gain for the economy as a whole
rather than in one industry. Also, the nature of change itself is difficult to predict.
Background
UAVs since their inception into the Indian military in the mid-90s, are now being used by civilian government
agencies, public and private sector entities, lending institutions for the purposes of law and order, planning,
data gathering, monitoring.
Privacy issues: Drones with cameras are big threat to individual privacy.
Security issues: Terrorists can acquire them to survey the sensitive areas and planning their attack. They
can also interfere with Aviation.
Safety issues: If they are flying in civilian areas then any malfunctioning can make them fall on anyone,
which can cause serious injuries.
Legal issues: Drones with cameras pose many legal issues as they can be used to record events that are
private.
Recently, Draft guidelines for civil UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) operations were announced by the DGCA
(directorate general of civil aviation). The draft guidelines recently issued call for the requirement of UAOP
(unmanned aircraft operator permit) for all UAV operators as well as a UIN (unique identification number) for
all UAVs.
Companies use big data to better understand and target customers by bringing together data from their
own transactions as well as social media data and even weather predictions.
Businesses optimize their processes by tracking and analyzing their supply chain delivery routes and
combine that data this with live traffic updates. Others use machine data to optimize the service cycles of
their equipment and predict potential faults.
Cloud computing is very important in BIG data analytics due to its application sharing and cost effective
properties.
This technology will help in current genomic data storage and analysis.
To head towards sustainable livelihood and development, such analyses with respect to agriculture
including plants and animals are crucial.
90% of the data in the world today has been created in the last two years alone.
4.4. AQUILA
Thus there is a need of sound cooperation between the centre and states. Moreover,
All the stakeholders i.e. states, local governments and people must be taken along and awareness about
the project be increased to reduce resistance by people.
Besides, we should also come up with a robust PPP policy which facilitates single easy exit and negotiations
during and after the execution of projects.
We can allow private sector to generate revenue from extra capacity. For instance, if the private company
builds up the fibre network and 50 per cent of it is used by BharatNet, it can make money the way it wants
from the remaining unutilised 50 per cent.
BBNL must be provided with greater autonomy and flexibility.
There is a requirement for National policy for Optical Fibre. Policies that can be adopted by the Government:
Government should mandate every new building to have provision for OFC in design plan like it is required
in case of other amenities - electricity, water pipeline.
industry and the government will have to work together in increasing supply of bandwidth in the country
Government should open with private players for rolling out OFC across country
A GSAT is a series of geosynchronous satellite placed in geosynchronous orbit, with an orbital period the
same as the Earth's rotation period.
Such a satellite returns to the same position in the sky after each day.
A special case of geosynchronous satellite is the geostationary satellite, which has a geostationary orbit a
circular orbit directly above the Earth's
equator.
Geosynchronous satellites have the
advantage of remaining permanently in
the same area of the sky, as viewed from
a particular location on Earth
Geostationary satellites have the special
property of remaining permanently fixed
in exactly the same position in the sky,
meaning that ground-based antennas do
not need to track them but can remain
fixed in one direction. Such satellites are
often used for communication purposes.
GSAT-18
GSAT-18, India's latest communications satellite, was launched successfully from Kourou in French Guiana
in South America
This Indian satellite has a design life of 15 years.
GSAT-15 carries a total of 48 communication transponders.
5.2. ADITYA
What is it?
It is Indias first dedicated scientific mission to study the sun.
A joint venture between ISRO and physicists from leading institutes of the country.
The mission aims to put a heavy satellite into what is called a halo orbit around a point between the Sun
and the Earth. This point is at a distance of about 1.5 million km from the earth.
Importance of mission
Help in understand the origin of solar storms and also for
constraining how the storms evolve and what path they
take
Help us to understand the corona and solar winds impact
on environment
Will yield information for space weather prediction and a
possibility of Indians developing their own space weather
prediction models.
ISROs planning to add another spacecraft under Aditya to
observe the sun from a different stable orbital position
called L5.
Adding another orientation viz L1 and L5 would provide more clarity.
Older L1 sun missions by US and Japan could not yield much result/information.
5.3. NAVIC
With the successful launch of IRNSS 1G, India has successfully put into all the seven navigation satellites
into orbit. This positioning system of India is called NAVIC.
Launched by PSLV-C33 rocket from
Sriharikota.
Life span is 12 years.
Accuracy better than GPS.
This will provide position information
service to users across the country and the
region, extending up to an area of 1,500 km.
Features of NAVIC
The fully deployed NAVIC system consists of
3 satellites in GEO orbit and 4 satellites in
GSO orbit. The full system comprises of 9
satellites including 2 on the ground as stand
by.
The NAVIC would provide two services, with
the Standard Positioning Service open for
civilian use, and the Restricted Service (an
encrypted one) for authorized use.
The system is intended to provide an
absolute position of accuracy of better that
10 m throughout Indian landmass and
better than 20 m in the India Ocean as well as a region extending approximately 1500 km around India.
It will reduce Indias dependence on foreign navigation systems such as US GPS. This is significant as foreign
controlled navigation services may not be available during hostile situations as happened to Indian military
during the Kargil War.
About RLV-TD
The cost of access to space is the major deterrent in space exploration and space utilization. RLV is the
solution to achieve low cost, reliable and on-demand space access.
RLV-TD is part of a series of technology demonstration missions that have been considered as a first step
towards realizing a Two Stage To Orbit (TSTO) fully re-usable vehicle.
The configuration of RLV-TD is similar to that of an aircraft and combines the complexity of both launch
vehicles and aircraft.
A Winged RLV-TD has been configured to act as a flying test bed to evaluate technologies like hypersonic
flight, autonomous landing, powered cruise flight and hypersonic flight using air-breathing propulsion.
These technologies will be developed in phases through a
series of experimental flights. The first in the series of
experimental flights is the hypersonic flight experiment
(HEX) followed by the landing experiment (LEX), return
flight experiment (REX) and scramjet propulsion
experiment (SPEX).
Objectives of RLV-TD
Hypersonic aero thermodynamic characterisation
of wing body
Evaluation of autonomous Navigation, Guidance
and Control (NGC) schemes
Integrated flight management
Thermal Protection System Evaluation
Functions of NISAR:
Observe and take measurements of some of the planet's most complex processes, including ecosystem
disturbances, ice-sheet collapse, and natural hazards such as earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanoes and
landslides.
To Predict changes in Earths topography
To create the worlds largest freely available remote sensing data set
2014 Mars Orbiter Mission (Mangalyaan) where NASAs navigational expertise in deep space trajectory and
maneuverability aided the mission
5.10. CASPOL
Why in News?
Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), have developed the ceramic-polymer hybrid (CASPOL) that could
protect public transport systems and poor men residing in thatched homes from fire accidents.
The water-based ready-to-coat product was originally developed to protect the rockets from high
temperature and fire to which they are exposed during the initial moments of launch.
Potential applications of Caspol
Caspol can withstand up to 800 degree Celsius. Seats in automobiles, public transport system and seat
cushions of railway coaches can be made fireproof when Caspol is applied.
Besides its ability to protect against fire and high temperature, Caspol can also make surfaces waterproof.
According to NASA strong solar winds likely played a key role in the transition of the Martian climate from
an early, warm and wet environment that might have supported life to the cold, arid planet Mars.
NASAs Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) mission data has enabled researchers to
determine the rate at which the Martian atmosphere currently is losing gas to space via stripping by the
solar wind.
Ancient regions on Mars bear signs of abundant water such as features resembling valleys carved by rivers
and mineral deposits that only form in the presence of liquid water.
The solar wind is a stream of energized, charged particles, primarily electrons and protons, flowing outward
from the Sun, through the solar system at speeds as high as 900 km/s and at a temperature of 1 million
degrees (Celsius).
It is made of plasma, 4th state of matter. Its particles can escape the Sun's gravity because of their high
energy.
They collide with the magnetic field of the Earth and cause it to change its shape. The particles then leak
through the magnetic field of the Earth, particularly near the north and south poles
The effects of solar winds on the earth that are visible to naked eye are the Aurora Borealis (the Northern
lights) at the North Pole and the Aurora Australis ( the Southern Lights) at the South Pole.
Astronauts and cosmonauts suffer serious radiation related health conditions if they are caught in the path
of solar winds.
Radiation from solar winds is known to cause chromosome damage and cancer, and these conditions may
be fatal for humans in outer space.
Radio and television communication and satellite based internet services are disrupted by solar winds.
Military satellites are the affected the worst by solar winds.
Geomagnetic storms caused by solar winds are very strong and can destabilize or destroy power grids.
They also affect all navigation and communication systems especially for vessels at sea. Aircraft
communications and instruments in the aircraft will be susceptible to faulty functioning during geomagnetic
storms.
The fiery tail seen attached to comets is the effect of solar winds visible to the naked eye.
5.11.2. CUBSATS
Smartphones and other consumer electronics provide a wealth of ready-made technologies that can enable a
CubeSat to perform many of the functions of a satellite.
Other advantages
A nanosat of CubeSat dimensions might cost $150,000-1m, rather than $200m-1 billion for a full-sized one.
Ease of construction and less time required to build.
Once their orbits decay and they burn up on re-entering the atmosphere.
Because of their size, multiple CubeSats can be launched as secondary payloads along with a large, primary
spacecraft. This makes them ideal platforms for high-risk, experimental payloads and technology
demonstration missions.
Propulsion in Cubsats?
A CubeSat cannot carry conventional rocket fuel because of safety issues, therefore scientists have developed
two methods of maneuverability. These are:
1. Using ion drives: An ion drive accelerates charged particles derived from a liquid propellant to very high
speeds. This creates thrust more efficiently than ejecting heated vapour, but without the explosive chemical
reactions of a conventional rocket.
2. Using light: A photonic laser thruster that uses the principle that light exerts pressure when it hits
something.
A team of scientists from the NASA, the Mars Society What is a Space Bound Programme?
Australia and the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany,
Lucknow, will mount an expedition to Ladakh this August. Spaceward bound is an educational
program developed at NASA Ames.
The aim is to study the similarities of certain parts of the
The objective of this programme is for
regions topography and microbial life to Martian the participating scientific researchers,
surroundings. educators and students to visit the
This is the first time India is part of a Spaceward Bound remote and extreme environments in
Programme. different parts of the world and conduct
Some of the factors that played a role in selection Ladakh the astrobiological experiments, make
region were: observations and learn about the origin,
Availability of several astrobiologically interesting sustenance and adaptation of the living
features with same region and coverable distance, such organism within such biospheres.
Previous Spacebound experiments have
as: cold high altitude desert soil, hot springs,
been conducted in Mohave Desert, USA,
permafrosts, glaciers, saline paleo-lakes.
Nambian Desert, Antarctica, etc.
Low human habitation
High altitude environment for conducting human
dexterity and performance based test.
High altitude clear skies for astronomy and astrophotography.
India offers a variety of location that could be of interest to an astrobiologist such as
Ladakh, Jammu &Kashmir
Kutch, Gujarat
Lonar Crater lake and Western Deccan Trap Region
5.11.7. PLANET 9
Astronomers have claimed that the mysterious Planet 9 may have Kuiper belt is a region of the solar
been stolen from its original star by our Sun some 4.5 billion years system beyond the orbit of Neptune,
ago, possibly making it the first exoplanet to be discovered inside believed to contain many comets,
the solar system. asteroids, and other small bodies
Planet Nine is a hypothetical large planet in the far outer Solar made largely of ice.
Why in news?
Following its historic first-ever flyby of Pluto, NASAs New Horizons mission will now fly onward to an object
deeper in the Kuiper Belt, known as 2014 MU69.
2014 MU69 is considered one of the early building blocks of the solar system
Why in news?
NASAs Juno spacecraft has successfully entered into the orbit of Jupiter and started orbiting it.
Salient features
Why in News?
Pictures from the NASAs Dawn Mission show permanently shadowed regions on Ceres.
The permanently shadowed regions do not receive direct sunlight and are identified as extremely cold.
They have been cold enough to trap water ice for billions of years.
The pictures indicate that water could exist in these shadowed craters even today.
The goal of the Dawn Mission is to characterize the conditions and processes of the earliest history of the
giant proplanet Vesta and the dwarf planet Ceres.
In March, 2015, Dawn Spacecraft became first probe to orbit the two solar bodies.
It explored the giant proplanet Vesta in 2011-2012. Now, it is studying Ceres.
Ceres is a dwarf planet, the only one located in the inner circle of the solar system, rest all are located on
the outer edges.
It is the largest object in the asteroid belt.
Seven objectives
IPR Awareness - To create public awareness about the economic, social and cultural benefts of IPRs among
all sections of society.
Generation of IPRs - To stimulate the generation of IPRs.
Legal and Legislative Framework - To have strong and effective IPR laws, which balance the interests of
rights owners with larger public interest.
Administration and Management - To modernize and strengthen service oriented IPR administration.
Commercialization of IPR - Get value for IPRs through commercialization.
Enforcement and Adjudication - To strengthen the enforcement and adjudicatory mechanisms for
combating IPR infringements.
Human Capital Development - To strengthen and expand human resources, institutions and capacities for
teaching, training, research and skill building in IPRs.
Key features
Department of industrial policy and promotion (DIPP) will be the nodal agency for all IPR issues.
Films, music, industrial drawings will also come under the ambit of copyright.
Existing IPR laws will be reviewed to remove any inconsistencies and make them in accordance with present
time and future needs.
Less empowered groups of IP owners such as artisans, weavers and farmers will be provided financial
support by offering them IP friendly loans.
Trademark offices to be modernised, and the aim is to reduce the time taken for examination and
registration to just 1 month by 2017.
It proposes to establish IP Promotion and Development Council which will oversee opening of IP Promotion
and Development Units in all states in order to create a single window system for promotion, awareness
and utilization of IP in the country.
1st time patent fee waiver and a support system for MSMEs. This will boost innovation in the sector. Also an
effective loan guarantee scheme to be created to encourage start-ups.
The policy to be reviewed every 5 years in consultation with all the stakeholders.
Limitations
The policy is based on the premise that more IPRs mean more innovation. However there is little research
that backs this assumption.
The Policy aims to push IPRs as a marketable financial asset, promote innovation and entrepreneurship,
while protecting public interest including ensuring the availability of essential and life-saving drugs at
affordable prices.
The new IPR policy introduced with a slogan of Creative India, Innovative India is largely a step in the right
direction. However to obtain the best outcome the challenges and limitations needs to be suitable
addressed.
India is a member of CBD (Convention on Biodiversity) and as a mark of its ratification, India enacted the
Biodiversity Act of 2002.
Autonomous bodies such as National biodiversity authority, state biodiversity boards and biodiversity
management committees have been constituted to regulate access to biological resources and associated
traditional knowledge to ensure equitable sharing of benefits arising out of their use.
Traditional knowledge digital library: It is a database that documents traditional knowledge and makes it
available in the public domain.
Way forward
It is evident that India is on the right path when it comes to protecting its national interest in its biodiversity
and traditional knowledge, while granting access on a case-by-case basis.
The issue of benefit sharing is tantamount, and India must now adopt a balanced approach to safeguard its
genetic resources while promoting much needed growth in the biotechnology sector.
This could be achieved by formulating a comprehensive National Bioprospecting Policy which suitably
addresses issues related to intellectual property rights, tenure of land and natural resources, R&D,
conservation and protection of biodiversity.
India is experiencing rampant copyright infringement in the case Penal Provisions of the Copyright Act
of music, books and movies as well as other products. Section 63 deals with offence of
The online media being a significant participant of copyright infringement. It provides that any
infringement. person who knowingly infringes
copyright or is party to it may be
Common Copyright Infringements punished with imprisonment and fine.
Making infringing copies for sale or hire or selling or letting them The minimum imprisonment is of 6
for hire. months (extendable up to 3 years) and a
fine up to Rs. 3 lakhs.
Permitting any place for the performance of works in public
Section 63-A deals with repeat offences
where such performance amount to copyright infringement.
and provides for a higher fine and
Distributing infringing copies for the purpose of trade or to such imprisonment for a repeat offenders.
an extent that is harmful to the interest of the owner of Section 65 deals with the possession of
copyright; plates for the purposes of making
Public exhibition of infringing copies by way of trade. infringing copies.
Importation of infringing copies into India. Section 65-A deals with digital rights
management.
Positives of the Government Initiative
Awareness campaigns are expected to sensitize the public about intellectual property rights.
The new IPR policy puts a legal framework in place for the IPR regime.
It has also reduced the time taken by govt. to approve a trademark from about a year to a month by 2017.
Loopholes
The recent approach by the government of stronger penalising of copyright infringement is a misguided
one.
Piracy is being exclusively viewed as destructive force and its productive aspect such as sharing of
knowledge has been totally neglected.
Moreover, the root cause of media piracy i.e. the global pricing problem (high prices for media goods, low
incomes and cheap digital technologies) is not being considered.
Way Forward
Even these international agreements provide for domestic legislation to permit reproductions for specific
purposes, as long as they do not conflict with normal exploitation of the works or unreasonably prejudice the
rights-holder.
Pros
Knowledge and education will become accessible and affordable. It is very crucial for India as still about
1/5th of its population lies below poverty line and 1/4th is illiterate.
Free access to knowledge will boost creativity and innovation.
Source of livelihood to people working in photocopy shops.
Cons
No limitation on photocopying if the material is prescribed in the course of instruction.
This judgment is in conflict with earlier judgment related to copyright and reproduction of such work. This
shows that the interpretation of the statute is subjective.
It can result in the loss of revenue to the book owner as well as publishers.
It can play a spoilsport to the investment environment and ease of doing business in India.
It can result in escalation of disputes to international level such as WTO.
Way Forward
The judgment will have far reaching consequences as far as equitable access to knowledge is concerned.
A change of wavelength exhibited by some of the radiation scattered in a medium. The effect is specific to the
molecules which cause it, and so can be used in spectroscopic analysis.
Chemical Industry
To study catalysts
To monitor chemical
purity in petro chemical
industry
Control of polymerisation
reaction
To study nonparticles
To develop microelectronics devices and novel photovoltaic cells.
Biomedical Application
Why in news?
103rd Indian Science congress in Mysuru was organized with the focal theme Science and Technology for
Indigenous Development in India.
It has been prepared by Technology Information, Forecasting and Assessment Council, (TIFAC)
The Aim of this Technology Vision Document 2035 is to ensure the Security, Enhancing of Prosperity, and
Enhancing Identity of every Indian.
It also identifies twelve (12) prerogatives- (six for meeting individual needs and six for the collective needs) that
should be available to each and every Indian. These are:
It categorizes technologies into a six-fold classification from an Indian perspective which is as follows:
Technology Leadership niche technologies in which we have core competencies, skilled manpower,
infrastructure and a traditional knowledge base eg., Nuclear Energy, Space Science.
Technology Independence strategic technologies that we would have to develop on our own as they may
not be obtainable from elsewhere eg. Defence sector.
Technology Innovation linking disparate technologies together or making a breakthrough in one
technology and applying it to another eg. solar cells patterned on chlorophyll based synthetic pathway are a
potent future source of renewable energy.
Technology Adoption obtain technologies from elsewhere, modify them according to local needs and
reduce dependence on other sources eg., foreign collaboration in the sectors of rainwater harvesting, agri-
biotech, desalination, energy efficient buildings.
Technology Constraints areas where technology is threatening and problematic i.e. having a negative
social or environmental impact because of serious legal and ethical issues eg., Genetically Modified(GM)
Crops.
The Vision Document gives a Call to Action to all the key stakeholders
Technical Education Institutions engage in advanced research on a large scale leading to path-breaking
innovations.
Government enhances financial support from current 1% to long-envisaged 2% of the GDP.
Full-time equivalent Scientists in the core research sector should increase.
Private Sector Participation and Investment in evolving technologies that is readily deployable and is
translatable from lab to field thereby increasing efficiency in terms of technology and economic returns.
Academia-Intelligentsia-Industry connect is established via idea exchange, innovative curricula design,
based on the needs of the industry, industry-sponsored student internships and research fellowships inter
alia.
Creation of a Research Ecosystem to achieve translation of research to technology product/process by
integrating students, researchers and entrepreneurs.
President of India has launched Impacting Research Innovation and Technology (Imprint) India - a joint
initiative of Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and Indian Institute of Science (IISc).
Imprint India seeks to develop a road map for research to solve major engineering and technology
challenges in 10 technology domains relevant for the country.
The move will motivate technical institutions to conduct research in areas where the country is heavily
dependent on foreign technology. These include health care, information and communication technology,
energy, sustainable habitat, nano-technology hardware, water resources and river systems, advanced
materials, manufacturing, security & defence, and environment & climate
In this natural uranium fuelled pressurised heavy water reactors (PHWR) produce electricity while generating
plutonium-239 as by-product.
In the second stage, fast breeder reactors (FBRs) would use a mixed oxide (MOX) fuel made
from plutonium-239, recovered by reprocessing spent fuel from the first stage, and natural uranium.
In the second stage, fast breeder reactors (FBRs) would use a mixed oxide (MOX) fuel made
from plutonium-239, recovered by reprocessing spent fuel from the first stage, and natural uranium.
In FBRs, plutonium-239 undergoes fission to produce energy, while the uranium-238 present in the mixed
oxide fuel transmutes to additional plutonium-239.
Thus, the Stage II FBRs are designed to "breed" more fuel than they consume.
A Stage III reactor or an advanced nuclear power system involves a self-sustaining series of thorium-232-
uranium-233 fuelled reactors.
This would be a thermal breeder reactor, which in principle can be refuelled after its initial fuel charge using
only naturally occurring thorium.
According to the three-stage programme, Indian nuclear energy could grow to about 10 GW through
PHWRs fuelled by domestic uranium, and the growth above that would have to come from FBRs till about
50GW.
The third stage is to be deployed only after this capacity has been achieved.
Full exploitation of Indias domestic thorium reserves will likely not occur until after the year 2050.
Benefits:
According to government INO will be the agent of transforming physics of this kind in India and will make a
global impact. The outcome of this investment will be extraordinary and long term.
Understanding the particle will help scientists pick the correct theory beyond the standard model of particle
physics and address the problem of matter-antimatter asymmetry of the universe.
Research on neutrino particle would be path breaking in the field of science and will help in knowing more
about the universe.
An important outcome of the project will be training young researchers in large-scale experimental science.
It can play a role in nuclear non-proliferation through the remote monitoring of nuclear reactors. Using
Neutrino detectors, the plutonium content can be monitored remotely and can be used to detect any
pilferage.
Study of Geoneutrinos might help creating an earthquake warning system. This field of science is called
Neutrino Tomography.
About SRSAM
India began developing a multi-tiered Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) system in 1999, after the end of the
Kargil War in reaction to Pakistans growing missile arsenal.
A consortium of 40 Indian companies were involved in the development of the missile defense shield.
Indias BMD shield is a two-tiered defense system
Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) of the Ministry of Earth Sciences was recently
presented with the National Geoscience Award for developing the Ocean Forecast and Information System.
About Ocean State Forecast Services
It provides information on the following parameters:
Height, direction and period (of both wind waves and swell waves).
Sea surface currents.
Sea surface temperature.
Mixed Layer Depth (the well mixed upper layer of the sea).
Depth of the 20 degree isotherm (measure of the depth of the thermocline).
Astronomical tides.
Wind speed and direction.
Oil-spill trajectory.
Forecast is available accurately based on a real time data for Indian Ocean & also separately for the
following regions: Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal, Northern Indian Ocean, Southern Indian Ocean, Red Sea,
Persian Gulf and South China Sea
The forecast services have also been extended to Maldives, Sri Lanka and Seychelles in collaboration with
the Regional Integrated Multi-Hazard Early Warning System for Africa and Asia.
Uses
The users can take appropriate informed decisions based on the forecast sea state conditions, saving life
and property.
Help traditional fishermen & those operating in high seas.
Help high tech oil exploration for executing operations on seas.
Help port activities like entry and exit of vessels.
Boost recreational tourism at the sea side, including the operations of sea planes
Better management during contingencies like search and rescue operations, oil spills, cyclones etc.
Countries Affected
Cycle of Spread
Affected People
The clinical trial industry in India has great potential to become the most favourable destination in the
world. However to achieve this a balance needs to be maintained between provision of facilitatory
environment to CROs and protection of the participating subjects.
There is a need to establish a policy framework for the Indian CT industry to provide for easy access to
affordable drugs developed through adaptive clinical trials and create a regulatory environment capable of
ensuring the conduct of clinical trials without violation of humanitarian ethics and other social norms.
This way benefit maximization and risk minimization could be achieved.
Hypoxia: It is a condition in which the body or a region of the body is deprived of adequate oxygen supply.
Frostbites: It is an injury that is caused by exposure of parts of your body to temperatures below freezing
point. The cold causes freezing of your skin and underlying tissues. The fingers, toes and feet are most
commonly affected but other extremities including the nose, ears, and the cheeks can also develop
frostbite.
Hypothermia: It is a potentially dangerous drop in body temperature, usually caused by prolonged
exposure to cold temperatures.
High-altitude pulmonary edema: It is a medical condition in which excess fluid develops in the lungs, either
in the lung tissue itself or in the space normally used for gas exchange.
High-altitude cerebral edema: It is a medical condition in which the brain swells with fluid because of the
physiological effects of traveling to a high altitude.
National Network division of NOTTO would function as apex centre for All India activities of coordination
and networking for procurement and distribution of Organs and Tissues and registry of Organs and Tissues
Donation and Transplantation in the country.
Low organ donation in India: The number of people pledging to donate their organs or relatives allowing for it is
still very less. Reasons:
Religious beliefs such as concept of afterlife, honouring the dead, etc.
Other issues:
It is important to realize that organs cannot be stored but can only be transported in special solutions and
sterile ice to be transplanted into suitable recipients.
A green corridor is a special route, where all the street signals between the hospital where the organ is
harvested and the hospital where it is to be transplanted are manually operated to avoid red
signals.Combined with media campaigns, such successful examples can go a long way in encouraging
people to come forwards to donate organs.
8.8. QUERCETIN
Why in news?
IISc Bangalore concluded study on quercetin
recently and found it to be extremely useful for
cancer patients.
What is it?
Quercetin is a flavonoid (plant pigment)
commonly found in fruits and vegetables,
especially onions, citrus, and apples.
The primary benefit of quercetin is that it
possesses potent antioxidants. Antioxidants fight against free radicals - chemically reactive compounds that
damage cell membranes and DNA and also cause cell death.
What is yaws?
Yaws is a chronic infection that affects mainly the skin, bone and cartilage.
The disease occurs mainly in poor communities in warm, humid, tropical areas
It affects mainly children below 15 years of age.
It is caused by the bacterium - Treponema pallidumm and transmitted by skin contact.
Yaws occurs in overcrowded communities, with limited access to basic amenities, such as water and
sanitation, as well as health care.
Scientists from the Delhi-based CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology are a step closer to
bringing hope to children born with CHARGE syndrome.
The results of a study were published recently in the journal Human Molecular Genetics.
It is a rare disorder in which multiple life-threatening problems such as deafness and blindness, heart
defects, genital problems and growth retardation and facial bone and nerve defects that cause breathing
and swallowing difficulties.
A mutation in the CHD7 gene is responsible for 60-70 per cent of all CHARGE defects. The expression of the
gene peaks in the early stages of embryo development, starting from 2-4 cells.
There is a high death rate in the very first year in children born with CHARGE.
About 1 in 20,000 people in the world, and an estimated 50,000 in India alone, are born with CHARGE
syndrome.
The team IGIB studied the fertilised egg of a zebrafish to better understand the CHARGE syndrome.
Following fertilization, zebrafish embryos are transparent. This allows scientists to observe the inside of the
embryo and watch in real time how various organs develop.
Since most organs begin forming in the first 24-36 hours and are fully formed within five days, it allows
researchers to study the development of an organism from egg to maturity.
An RNA injected into a one-cell embryo interferes with the making of the CHD7 protein, thus producing a
zebrafish embryo with very similar problems as the human babies with CHARGE syndrome.
The researchers found that the CHD7 protein causes CHARGE syndrome by modifying a second gene
sox10.
Though CHARGE syndrome is extremely complex with multiple defects, reducing the sox10 protein in
CHARGE patients may go a long way in reducing their suffering and improve their chances of survival.
8.15. BEDAQUILINE
Why in news?
On World Tuberculosis Day (24th March), Union Health Minister launched Bedaquiline new drug for Drug
Resistant TB - as part of the national programme.
The drug will be introduced in 104 districts across five States.
What is Bedaquiline?
Bedaquiline is a bactericidal drug that belongs to a new class of antibiotics (diarylquinolines).
Although the drug is active against many different bacteria, it has been registered specifically for the
treatment of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, MDR-TB.
It specifically targets Mycobacterial ATP synthase, an enzyme essential for the supply of energy to
Mycobacterium tuberculosis and most other mycobacteria.
In next three years, India will see some 34,000 megawatt (Mw) of power being transported over long
distances, primarily to the northern and the southern regions.
This will be made possible through setting up of large trunk transmission HVDC lines.
What is HVDC?
High-voltage direct current (HVDC) is a technology developed to increase the efficiency of power
transmission over long distances by using Direct current transmission at high voltage.
Background and Technology
Power stations generate alternating current (AC) and most power lines carry AC that oscillates with 50 or 60
cycles per second, whether for the high, medium or low-voltage distribution grid.
Power also reaches consumers in homes, industries and offices as AC.
Direct current doesn't oscillate, so less energy is lost during transmission using DC.
The current is changed in a converter station and transmitted to the receiving point by an overhead line or
cable.
It is then restored to AC in another converter station and injected into the receiving AC network.
A 2,000-km long DC transmission line at 800 kV loses about 5 percent of its power, while the power losses in
an AC line of similar voltage are about twice as high.
Why HVDC demand is increasing?
Rising energy needs.
Less electricity is lost in transmission than with conventional AC technology.
Requires fewer transmission lines, meaning that less land has to be cleared.
9.7. MICROGRID
A microgrid is a local energy grid with control capability, which means it can disconnect from the traditional grid
and operate autonomously.
To understand how a microgrid works, we first have to understand how the grid works.
The grid connects homes, businesses
and other buildings to central power
sources, which allow us to use
appliances, heating/cooling systems and
electronics.
But this interconnectedness means that
when part of the grid needs to be
repaired, everyone is affected.
This is where a microgrid can help. A
microgrid generally operates while
connected to the grid, but importantly,
it can break off and operate on its own
using local energy generation in times of
crisis like storms or power outages, or
for other reasons.
A microgrid can be powered by distributed generators, batteries, and/or renewable resources like solar
panels. Depending on how its fueled and how its requirements are managed, a microgrid might run
indefinitely.
How does Microgrid connect to the grid?
A microgrid connects to the grid at a point of common coupling that maintains voltage at the same level as
the main grid unless there is some sort of problem on the grid or other reason to disconnect.
A switch can separate the microgrid from the main grid automatically or manually, and it then functions
independently.
A microgrid not only provides backup for the grid in case of emergencies, but can also be used to cut costs,
or connect to a local resource that is too small or unreliable for traditional grid use.
A microgrid allows communities to be more energy independent and, in some cases, more environmentally
friendly.
In AR, users continue to be in touch with the real In VR, the user is isolated from the real world while
world while interacting with virtual objects around immersed in a world that is completely fabricated.
them.
With AR, users are able to interact with virtual VR is usually achieved by the wearing of a VR helmet or
contents in the real world, and are able to goggles similar to the Oculus Rift.
distinguish between the two.
9.9. TINTORANG
Why in news? Stains basic use is to impart
A science start-up, incubated at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) has colour to tissues or cells and they
built the world's first food-grade DNA/RNA stain. also facilitate microscopic study
and identification, which is of
Why important?
great importance for researchers.
Traditionally from crop improvement and food testing to forensic
applications, carcinogenic and toxic nucleic acid stains are used by biologists and genome experts.
Organic electrodes have their building blocks as molecules which being larger than atoms are easier to work
with.
Low cost
Better mechanical flexibility
Broad spectral usability.
Including TRANSPARENT BARRIERS would prevent moisture and oxygen entry from reaching sensitive
organic electronic devices.
Therefore a combination of transparent organic electrode and barrier could be a boon for solar industry in
terms of cost and flexibility of devices.
9.11. XENOTRANSPLANTS
Why in news?
A pig's heart has been kept healthy and beating inside a baboon's abdomen for over two years, setting a
new world record, and suggesting that cross-species transplants are closer than ever.
Scientists say that the research can be extended to human's heart as the Pig heart is most similar to human
heart.
Xenotransplantation is when living cells, tissues or organs are transplanted between species.
9.13. BIO-GLASS
Why in news?
Scientists from Imperial College London in the UK and University of Milano-Bicocca in Italy have developed
a bio-glass material that mimics the shock-absorbing and load bearing qualities of real cartilage.
The material can also mimic cartilage and encourage it to re-grow, which will be helpful in damaged
cartilage replacements between discs in vertebrae.
The bio-glass consists of silica and a plastic or polymer called polycaprolactone.
Features
It can be made in a biodegradable ink form, enabling the researchers to 3D print it into structures that
are tiny, biodegradable scaffolds.
It also displays self-healing properties when it gets damaged, which could make it a more resilient and
reliable implant. When implanted, the combination of the structure, stiffness and chemistry of the bio-glass
would encourage cartilage cells to grow through microscopic pores.
Thus it has the potential to encourage cartilage cells to grow in the knees, which was not possible till now.
Over time the scaffold would degrade safely in the body, leaving new cartilage in its place that has similar
mechanical properties to the original cartilage.
Bioglass also finds application in drug delivery, as antibacterial agent, as remineralization element and in
bone tissue engineering.
Despite the genetic changes, the altered rice plants still rely primarily on their usual form of photosynthesis.
To get them to switch over completely, researchers need to engineer the plants to produce specialized cells
in a precise arrangement: one set of cells to capture the carbon dioxide, surrounding another set of cells
that concentrate it. Thats the distinctive wreath anatomy found in the leaves of C4 plants.
However, scientists still dont know all the genes involved in producing these cells and suspect that they
could number in the dozens.
Using conventional breeding to manipulate more than one or two genes is a difficult but with new genome
editing methods that allow scientists to precisely modify parts of plant genomes could help solve the
problem.
Once scientists solve the C4 puzzle in a plant such as rice, they hope, the method can be extended to
dramatically increase production of many other crops, including wheat, potatoes, tomatoes, apples, and
soybeans.
10.5. PETRIFICATION
A 20-million-year-old fossilized tree, discovered in Himachal Pradesh.
Petrification is the process by which organic material is converted into a fossil through the replacement of
the original material and the filling of the original pore spaces with minerals.
It requires a minimum of about 10,000 years to take place.
Related Information:
International Seabed Authority (ISA)
The International Seabed Authority is an autonomous international organization established under the
1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the 1994 Agreement relating to the
Implementation of Part XI of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
The Authority, which has its headquarters in Kingston, Jamaica, came into existence on 16 November 1994,
upon the entry into force of the 1982 Convention.
It was established to organize, regulate and control all mineral-related activities in the international seabed
area beyond the limits of national jurisdiction, an area underlying most of the worlds oceans.
Polymetallic nodules (manganese nodules)
These are small potato-sized (from millimetres to tens of centimetres in diameter) lumps of material
precipitated from seawater and sediment pore water at slow rates over millions of years and occur mainly
on the deep-seafloor.
They contain approximately 24% manganese, compared to 35 to 55% manganese in land ore bodies, so
they do not offer solid economics as a manganese source, but they also contain iron (14%), copper (>1%),
nickel (>1%), and cobalt (0.25%).
The last three metals together, can make up to 3 wt. %.
Apart from these metals, nodules include trace amounts of molybdenum, platinum and other base metals.
10.8. LUCA
Why in News?
About LUCA
What is it?
PAVA stands for Pelargonic Acid Vanillyl Amide. It is also called Nonivamide.
It is an organic compound characteristically found in natural chilli pepper.
On the Scoville scale (the degree to measure the power of chilli), PAVA is categorised as above peak.
It has the ability temporarily but severely irritate and paralyse humans.
1. What do you understand by Standard Positioning Systems and `Precision Positioning Systems in the GPS
era? Discuss the advantages India perceives from its ambitious IRNSS programme employing just seven
satellites.
2. What are the areas of prohibitive labour that can be sustainably managed by robots? Discuss the initiatives
that can propel research in premier research institutes for substantive and gainful innovation.
3. Discuss the advantages and security implications of cloud hosting of servers vis-a-vis in-house machine-
based hosting for government businesses.
4. Indias Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL), which has a database containing formatted information
on more than 2 million medicinal formulations is proving a powerful weapon in the countrys fight
against erroneous patents. Discuss the pros and cons of making this database publicly available under open-
source licensing.
2014
1. Can overuse and the availability of antibiotics without doctors prescription, the contributors to the
emergence of drug-resistant diseases in India? What are the available mechanisms for monitoring and
control? Critically discuss the various issues involved.
2. Scientific research in Indian universities is declining, because a career in science is not as attractive as our
business operations, engineering or administration, and the universities are becoming consumer oriented.
Critically comment.
3. In a globalised world, intellectual property rights assume significance and are a source of litigation. Broadly
distinguish between the terms copyrights, patents and trade secrets.
2013
1. Bring out the circumstances in 2005 which forced amendment to section 3(d) in the India n Patent Law,
1970. Discuss how it has been utilized by Supreme court in its judgment rejecting Novartis patent
application for Glivec. Discuss briefly the pros and cons of the decision.
2. What do you understand by fixed dose drug combinations (FDCs)? Discuss their merits and demerits.
3. What do you understand by Umpire decision review in cricket? Discuss its various components. Explain how
silicon tape on the edge of a bat may fool the system?
4. (a) What is a digital signature? What does its authentication mean? Give various salient built-in features of
a digital signature.
(b) How does the 3D printing technology work? List out the advantages and disadvantages of the
technology.
5. (a) What is an FRP composite material? How are they manufactured? Discuss their application in aviation
and automobile industries.
(b) What do you understand by Run-of-river hydroelectricity project? How is it different from any other
hydroelectricity project?
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