GS Paper: GS3-16.Achievements of Indians in Science & Technology

Why in the News?

The Indian Navy has commissioned INS Ikshak, the third Survey Vessel (Large) (SVL) and the first to be based at the Southern Naval Command, at Naval Base Kochi.

About INS Ikshak:

• Overview: It is the third vessel of the Survey Vessel (Large) [SVL] class and the first to be based at the Southern Naval Command.
• Series Lineage: Third ship in the SVL series, following INS Sandhayak and INS Nirdeshak, replacing older Sandhayak-class vessels.
• Builder & Origin: Constructed by Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) Ltd., Kolkata, under Aatmanirbhar Bharat, with over 80% indigenous content sourced from Indian MSMEs.
• Name Meaning: Means ‘Guide’ in Sanskrit – symbolising its role in charting unexplored waters and strengthening maritime safety in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
• Mission Role: Designed primarily for hydrographic surveys but also configured for Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations and can serve as a hospital ship during crises.

Key Features:

• Dimensions & Displacement: 110 m long, 16 m wide, 3,400-ton displacement, with crew capacity of ~231 personnel.
• Propulsion & Speed: Powered by twin main engines and twin-shaft configuration; achieves 14 knots cruising speed, 18 knots maximum.
• Survey Systems: Equipped with multi-beam echo sounder, Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV), Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV), four Survey Motor Boats (SMBs), and advanced oceanographic sensors for coastal and deep-water mapping.
• Aviation Facility: Features a helicopter deck, extending its range, reconnaissance, and operational versatility.
• Dual Role Capability: Convertible for HADR and medical missions, enhancing naval disaster-response capability.
• Gender-Inclusive Design: India’s first survey vessel with dedicated accommodation for women officers and sailors.

Why in the News?

The Government of India has announced the Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar as Padma-style national awards for excellence in science, technology, and innovation.

About Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar (RVP):

• Establishment: Instituted in January 2024 as India’s national Padma-style award for science and technology excellence, recognising scientists, technologists, and innovators of Indian origin, in India or abroad.
• Purpose: Created to replace legacy awards like the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize, ensuring transparency, inclusivity, and broader scientific domain coverage.
• Governing Authority: Administered by the Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar Committee (RVPC), chaired by the Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) to the Government of India, comprising 17 members from major science ministries and research councils.
• Award Calendar:
  • Announcement: Every May 11 on National Technology Day.
  • Conferment: Every August 23 on National Space Day at Rashtrapati Bhavan, by the President of India.

• Award Categories:

1. 1. Vigyan Ratna (VR): For lifetime achievement; up to 3 awards annually.
   2. Vigyan Shri (VS): For distinguished contributions; up to 25 awards.
   3. Vigyan Yuva – Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar (VY-SSB): For scientists under 45 years; up to 25 awards.
   4. Vigyan Team (VT): For collaborative research groups (≥ 3 members); up to 3 awards.

Coverage & Eligibility:

• Scientific Domains: Thirteen fields including physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics, medicine, engineering, agriculture, space science, and innovation.
• Eligibility: Open to Indian citizens and Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs); self-nominations not permitted only institutional, departmental, or peer nominations accepted.
• Award Components: Each recipient receives a Sanad signed by the President, a medallion, and a citation booklet; posthumous awards transferred to next of kin.

Why in the News?

The Raman Research Institute (RRI), Bengaluru team has mastered the Leggett–Garg Inequality (LGI)–based quantum randomness certification technique.

What is Quantum Randomness?

• Overview: Quantum randomness means true unpredictability, results that even nature or science cannot predetermine. They arise from the laws of quantum physics, not from computer programs or hidden causes.
• Ordinary Computers: In normal computers, random numbers come from formulas called pseudorandom generators. They look random but can be predicted if someone knows the starting point (the “seed”).
• Quantum Systems: In quantum physics, when you measure something tiny, like the spin of an electron or the path of a light particle (photon), the result is decided only at the moment of measurement. No one, not even nature, “knows” the answer before that.
• Why it Matters: True randomness is important for data security, safe online transactions, scientific research, and encryption, where predictability can lead to hacking or errors.

What has RRI achieved?

• Discovery: Scientists at the Raman Research Institute (RRI), Bengaluru, led by Prof. Urbasi Sinha, have found a way to create and verify true quantum randomness using a regular cloud-based IBM quantum computer.
• Why it’s Important: Earlier, proving quantum randomness needed expensive lab equipment. Now it can be done remotely and cheaply, accessible to anyone with internet and quantum cloud access.
• How it Works: The RRI team used just one qubit (the quantum version of a computer bit) to show that the randomness came from quantum effects, not from hardware noise or computer errors.
• Key Finding: This demonstrates that even imperfect quantum computers can still generate trustworthy and verifiable random numbers, a capability that classical computers cannot achieve.

What is the Leggett–Garg Inequality (LGI)–Based Test?

• Basic Idea: The Leggett–Garg Inequality (LGI) is a scientific test that checks whether something behaves like everyday objects (predictable) or like quantum systems (unpredictable).
• How it was Used: The RRI scientists measured one qubit at three different times to see if its behavior followed normal physics or quantum rules.
• Two Conditions Checked:
  • LGI Violation – confirmed the qubit was behaving in a truly quantum way.
  • No Signalling in Time – ensured that each measurement was independent and not influenced by the previous one.
• Result: Meeting both tests proved that the numbers generated were certified as truly random, coming purely from quantum physics, not from any background noise or interference.

Real-life Applications:

• Cybersecurity: Such randomness can make unbreakable encryption keys, protecting sensitive data from hackers.
• Cloud Computing: People using quantum computers online can now access trusted random numbers for research or secure systems anywhere in the world.
• Testing Quantum Machines: Helps scientists check the quality of quantum computers, since randomness shows how genuinely quantum the machine is.
• Better Science: Used in simulations, artificial intelligence, and data analysis where unpredictability makes results more reliable.
• Big Scientific Message: Confirms that the quantum world is truly uncertain, proving one of the most fascinating truths of modern science, that randomness is built into nature itself.

Why in the News?

The Finance Ministry has approved the establishment of Maitri II, India’s newest Antarctic research station, to be built in eastern Antarctica by January 2029.

About Maitri II Research Station:

• Objective: Advance research in climatology, glaciology, seismology, biology, and atmospheric sciences while maintaining eco-compliance.
• Overview: India’s upcoming 4th Antarctic base, to be completed by January 2029 near Schirmacher Oasis, eastern Antarctica, replacing the aging Maitri (1989) which will operate as a summer camp.
• Implementing Agency: Executed by National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR), Goa under the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES); estimated cost ₹2,000 crore.
• Design & Technology: Features AI-enabled systems, automated sensors, solar and wind power, and upgraded modular accommodation with strict environmental standards.
• Construction Phases: Prefabrication in India → shipment via Cape Town → transport to Indian Barrier (120 km from Maitri) → on-site assembly during Antarctic summer.

Key Laws & Treaties governing Polar Expeditions:

• India Antarctica Act 2022: Implements the Antarctica Treaty (1959); creates Central Committee on Antarctica Governance; bans mining, nuclear activity, non-native species; introduces permit system and Antarctica Fund; severe penalties (up to 20 years).
• Antarctica Treaty (1959): 54 members (India joined 1983); ensures peaceful scientific use, bans territorial claims and military activity, upholds environmental cooperation.
• Madrid Protocol (1991): Declares Antarctica a “natural reserve for peace and science”; forbids mineral extraction; mandates Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA).
• Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR, 1982): Conserves Antarctic marine biodiversity, regulates fishing and resource use to maintain ecosystem balance.

Why in the News?

The Indian Army has initiated procurement of ‘Saksham’, an indigenously developed Counter-Unmanned Aerial System (CUAS) Grid, to enhance airspace security and counter emerging aerial threats.

About Saksham Counter-Unmanned Aerial System (CUAS) Grid:

• Overview: Indigenous counter-drone system developed by the Indian Army with BEL, Ghaziabad, to detect, track, identify, and neutralise unmanned aerial threats.
• Purpose: Secures the Tactical Battlefield Space (TBS) or Air Littoral—airspace up to 3,000 m (10,000 ft) against low-altitude drones.
• Origin: Conceived after Operation Sindoor, which revealed gaps in air defence.
• Acronym: SAKSHAM – Situational Awareness for Kinetic Soft & Hard Kill Assets Management; a Command-and-Control (C2) platform integrating sensors, weapons, and AI analytics to create a Recognised UAS Picture (RUASP).
• Procurement: Approved under Fast Track Procurement (FTP); aligns with Atmanirbhar Bharat and the Army’s Decade of Transformation (2023–2032).

Key Features:

• Detection & Tracking: Continuous surveillance via radar, radio-frequency, and electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) sensors.
• AI-Enabled Prediction: Uses AI to forecast hostile activity and suggest counter-responses.
• Sensor–Weapon Fusion: Integrates jammers, directed-energy systems, and kinetic interceptors for unified action.
• Automated Command Support: Provides real-time decision aids for threat prioritisation.
• 3-D Airspace Visualisation: Displays dynamic views of friendly and hostile assets.
• Network Integration: Runs on the Army Data Network (ADN) and links with Akashteer Air Defence Control for unified airspace management.
• Mobility & Modularity: Compact, scalable, and rapidly deployable across terrains.
• Indigenous Focus: Fully designed and produced in India, demonstrating advanced self-reliant defence capability.

Why in the News?

The DRDO is preparing for the maiden test of the “Dhvani” hypersonic missile.

About the Dhvani Missile and Its Features

• Overview: The Dhvani hypersonic missile is being developed by India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) as part of its advanced hypersonic weapons programme.
• Type: It is designed as a Hypersonic Glide Vehicle (HGV) — a next-generation missile system capable of travelling at hypersonic speeds (beyond Mach 5 or over 7,400 km/h) while performing sharp maneuvers at high altitudes.
• Range and Speed:
  • Expected operational range: 6,000–10,000 km, potentially doubling the reach of India’s Agni-V ICBM.
  • Speed: Exceeds Mach 5, making interception nearly impossible with current missile defence systems.
• Flight Mechanism:
  • Launched to extreme altitudes before entering a glide phase in the atmosphere at hypersonic speeds.
  • The glide vehicle can change direction mid-course, allowing unpredictable trajectories that evade radar and anti-missile systems.
• Design and Engineering:
  • Length: ~9 metres; Width: ~2.5 metres.
  • Blended Wing-Body Configuration: Enhances lift and stability while reducing aerodynamic drag.
  • Thermal Protection System: Uses ultra-high-temperature ceramic composites capable of withstanding 2,000–3,000°C during re-entry.
  • Stealth Features: Angled surfaces and smooth contours minimise radar cross-section, making it virtually undetectable to enemy radars.
• Development Heritage:
  • Builds upon DRDO’s success with the Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle (HSTDV), which validated India’s scramjet propulsion and heat-resistant materials.
  • Represents the transition from technology demonstrator to operational weapon system, signalling India’s arrival in the hypersonic era.

Comparison with Global Hypersonic Systems:

Strategic Significance for India:

• Global Standing: Positions India alongside the U.S., Russia, and China in the exclusive club of hypersonic powers, showcasing its advanced defence R&D capacity.
• Regional Deterrence: Creates a technological and strategic edge over Pakistan and provides a credible counterbalance to China’s hypersonic arsenal.
• Survivability and Precision: The missile’s speed, stealth, and maneuverability make interception nearly impossible while enabling pinpoint strikes on both land and sea targets.
• Indigenous Achievement: Developed entirely through Indian expertise, aligning with the Atmanirbhar Bharat vision in critical defence technologies.
• Force Multiplier: Strengthens India’s nuclear deterrent and strategic triad, ensuring readiness for long-range precision and deterrence missions.