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

  • IIT-B develops One-time Programmable Memory

    IIT Bombay researchers have developed a “memory technology” that can, in principle, revolutionise Indian industry and the many applications that need semiconductor chips, such as in the defence sector, automobiles and future aspirations in cell phone manufacturing.

    One-time Programmable Memory

    • Hard disks, flash memory, etc, are examples of memory technology.
    • There is also another form of memory called the one-time programmable memory (OTP) where the memory is written once, stored for a lifetime, and retrieved and used many times.
    • This finds varied uses, one of which is in correcting faulty chips that have been mass produced for specific applications.

    Its utility

    • For instance, think of a chip that helps read off the temperature.
    • Due to a manufacturing defect, the chip may read 100 degree Celsius as 101 degree Celsius.
    • This “offset” of 1 degree may be corrected by storing the error correction parameter in the OTP memory.
    • This is done uniquely for each chip and once stored, the memory corrects the chip’s output for its lifetime.
    • OTP memories are also used for other purposes, mainly three: chip identity, secure information storage and chip calibration for error correction.

    How does it work?

    • To store the correction value, the researchers used eight memory cells, each of which would store one “bit” (that is a value of zero or one).
    • Each of the memory cells consist of an ultrathin silicon dioxide layer which is 10-15 atomic layers thick.
    • This is deposited uniformly over a dinner plate–sized eight-inch silicon wafer to form millions of nanoscale capacitors.
    • The pristine silicon dioxide layer is insulating, passing a very low current [which in digital electronics is read as a “0”].
    • A nanoscale lightning is generated of 3.3 volts to blow the capacitor, leading to a short circuit that produced high current [this is a “1”].
    • Thus, the OTP memory remembers either the “0” state or “1” state through its lifetime.

    Benefits offered

    • The group has successfully demonstrated CMOS 180-nanometre–based, production-ready, eight-bit memory technology.
    • These include successful operation between minus 40 degrees C to 125 degrees C and reliability to ensure excess of 95% yield on eight-bit memories.

    Significance

    • A large fraction of manufactured chips may need to be discarded for faults that can be corrected using this technology.
    • This technology is the first indigenous semiconductor memory technology adoption to manufacturing at 180-nanometre node.
    • Thus, this is a major national milestone for semiconductor innovation.

     

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  • India scores 46th rank in the Global Innovation Index 2021

    India has climbed 2 spots and has been ranked 46th by the World Intellectual Property Organization in the Global Innovation Index 2021 rankings.

    Global Innovation Index

    • The Global Innovation Index (GII) is an annual ranking of countries by their capacity for, and success in, innovation.
    • It is published by Cornell University, INSEAD, and the World Intellectual Property Organization, in partnership with other organizations and institutions.
    • It is based on both subjective and objective data derived from several sources, including the International Telecommunication Union, the World Bank and the World Economic Forum.
    • The index was started in 2007 by INSEAD and World Business, a British magazine. It was created by Prof. Soumitra Dutta.

    Components of GII

    • The GII is computed by taking a simple average of the scores in two sub-indices, the Innovation Input Index and Innovation Output Index, which are composed of five and two pillars respectively.

    India’s performance

    • India has been on a rising trajectory, over the past several years in the Global Innovation Index (GII), from a rank of 81 in 2015 to 46 in 2021.
    • India attributed its improved performance due to the pivotal role played by the Department of Atomic Energy, the Department of Science and Technology, the Department of Biotechnology and the Department of Space.

    Global scenario

    • Switzerland topped the league table, followed by Sweden, the US and the UK.
    • Among Asian economies, South Korea jumped to the fifth position, up from 10 last year.
    • China was in the 12th position.

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  • What is Absorption Spectroscopy?

    Researchers from IIT Madras and IISER Kolkata have developed a method to detect minute quantities of chemicals in solution using Absorption Spectroscopy.

    Note: These days there has been a rise in questions from biology (rather cell biology in particular).

    Absorption Spectroscopy

    • Absorption spectroscopy is a tool to detect the presence of elements in a medium.
    • Light is shone on the sample, and after it passes through the sample is examined using a spectroscope.
    • Dark lines are seen in the observed spectrum of the light passed through the substance, which correspond to the wavelengths of light absorbed by the intervening substance and are characteristic of the elements present in it.
    • In usual methods, about a cubic centimeter of the sample is needed to do this experiment.
    • In the method developed here, minute amounts of dissolved substances can be detected easily.
    • Usually in absorption spectroscopy, the principle used is that light because of its wavelike nature, shows diffraction patterns, that is, dark and light fringes, when it scatters off any object.

    Studying small objects

    • A related concept called the Abbe criterion sets a natural limit on the size of the object being studied.
    • According to this criterion, the size of the observed object has to be at least of the order of the wavelength of the light being shone on it.
    • If one wants to perform absorption spectroscopy using visible light, namely, blue, green and red, the wavelengths [of these colours] are about 400 nm, 500 nm and 600 nm, respectively.

    What has Indian researchers achieved?

    • In the method used by the researchers here, tiny, nano-sized particles that can absorb light being shone on them and re-emit red, blue and green light were employed.
    • The particles emit electric fields that are analogous to how a tiny magnet would give off magnetic lines of force – this is called a dipole, and the particle is like a tiny mobile phone’s antenna.
    • This dipole generates an electromagnetic field depending upon the quantum properties of the erbium dopants in the glass.
    • The absorption leaves a gap in the reflected light, which is what is observed and used to analyse the nature of the absorbing material.

    Applications of this technology

    • There are many potential applications.
    • Small molecules almost ten-millionth of an mm in diameter can be detected while these pass the emission region of the glass particle.
    • The future is to use it to measure individual molecules, see absorption spectroscopy of a single DNA or protein molecule.

    Try this

    Q.Which of the following statements are correct regarding the general difference between plant and animal cells?

    1. Plant cells have cellulose cell walls whilst animal cells do not.
    2. Plant cells do not have plasma membranes unlike animal cells which do.
    3. Mature plant cell has one large vacuole whilst an animal cell has many small vacuoles.

    Select the correct answer using the code given below:

    (a) 1 and 2 only

    (b) 2 and 3 only

    (c) 1 and 3 only

    (d) 1, 2 and 3

    [wpdiscuz-feedback id=”zkyreycvm5″ question=”Please leave a feedback on this” opened=”1″]Answer this PYQ here: [/wpdiscuz-feedback]

  • What is lightning, and how does it strike?

    With the monsoon making a slow revival over several parts of India, except the northwest region, there is a rise in lightning-linked deaths.

    What is lightning?

    • Lightning is a very rapid — and massive — discharge of electricity in the atmosphere, some of which is directed towards the Earth’s surface.
    • These discharges are generated in giant moisture-bearing clouds that are 10-12 km tall.
    • The base of these clouds typically lies within 1-2 km of the Earth’s surface, while their top is 12-13 km away.
    • Temperatures towards the top of these clouds are in the range of minus 35 to minus 45 degrees Celsius.

    How does it strike?

    • As water vapour moves upward in the cloud, the falling temperature causes it to condense.
    • Heat is generated in the process, which pushes the molecules of water further up.
    • As they move to temperatures below zero degrees Celsius, the water droplets change into small ice crystals. They continue to move up, gathering mass — until they are so heavy that they start to fall to Earth.
    • This leads to a system in which, simultaneously, smaller ice crystals are moving up and bigger crystals are coming down.
    • Collisions follow and trigger the release of electrons — a process that is very similar to the generation of sparks of electricity.
    • As the moving free electrons cause more collisions and more electrons, a chain reaction ensues.
    • This process results in a situation in which the top layer of the cloud gets positively charged, while the middle layer is negatively charged.

    Making of the thunder

    • The electrical potential difference between the two layers is huge — of the order of a billion to 10 billion volts.
    • In very little time, a massive current, of the order of 100,000 to a million amperes, starts to flow between the layers.
    • An enormous amount of heat is produced, and this leads to the heating of the air column between the two layers of the cloud.
    • This heat gives the air column a reddish appearance during lightning. As the heated air column expands, it produces shock waves that result in thunder.

    How does this current reach the Earth from the cloud?

    • While the Earth is a good conductor of electricity, it is electrically neutral.
    • However, in comparison to the middle layer of the cloud, it becomes positively charged.
    • As a result, about 15%-20% of the current gets directed towards the Earth as well.
    • It is this flow of current that results in damage to life and property on Earth.
    • There is a greater probability of lightning striking tall objects such as trees, towers or buildings.
    • Once it is about 80-100 m from the surface, lightning tends to change course towards these taller objects.
    • This happens because air is a poor conductor of electricity, and electrons that are travelling through air seek both a better conductor and the shortest route to the relatively positively charged Earth’s surface.

    What precautions should be taken against lightning?

    • Lightning rarely hits people directly — but such strikes are almost always fatal.
    • People are most commonly struck by what are called “ground currents”.
    • The electrical energy, after hitting a large object (such as a tree) on Earth, spreads laterally on the ground for some distance, and people in this area receive electrical shocks.
    • It becomes more dangerous if the ground is wet (which it frequently is because of the accompanying rain), or if there is metal or other conducting material on it.
    • Water is a conductor, and many people are struck by lightning while standing in flooded paddy fields.
    • For the reasons given above, taking shelter under a tree is dangerous. Lying flat on the ground too can increase risks.
    • People should move indoors in a storm; however, even indoors, they should avoid touching electrical fittings, wires, metal, and water.

    Answer this PYQ in the comment box:

    Q.During a thunderstorm, the thunder in the skies is produced by the:

    1. meeting of cumulonimbus clouds in the sky
    2. lightning that separates the nimbus clouds
    3. violent upward movement of air and water particles

    Select the correct option using the codes given below (CSP 2011):

    (a) 1 only

    (b) 2 and 3 only

    (c) 1 and 3 only

    (d) None of the above

  • What is a Bitcoin Hardware Wallet and how it works?

    Last week, Twitter CEO announced his payments firm Square would soon build a hardware wallet to store bitcoin.

    Bitcoin Hardware Wallet

    • The wallet will be a type of plug-in device, much like a USB pen drive that stores, manages and secures a user’s crypto assets.
    • Each digital asset is linked to a cryptographic password called a ‘private key’ to allow users to access it.
    • This key safeguards cryptocurrencies from theft and unauthorized access.
    • The asset owner, with the help of a secure hardware wallet, can access the private key to buy and sell crypto assets from anywhere.
    • Most hardware wallets allow users to manage multiple accounts; some even allow users to connect to their Google or Facebook accounts.
    • Popular hardware wallets include Trezor, Ledger, KeepKey and Prokey.

    How is it different from a software wallet?

    • Cryptocurrency keys can be stored in two kinds of wallets – software and hardware.
    • Software wallets are like smartphone apps that digitally store private keys.
    • Most software wallets don’t charge users to store private keys but may collect a commission for trading via the app.
    • These wallets can be vulnerable to malware.
    • Hardware wallets and physical devices act like cold storage for confidential keys. The passwords are protected by a PIN, making it difficult for hackers to extract private keys as the information is not exposed to the Internet.

    The upsides of a hardware wallet

    • Hardware wallets are said to be convenient as they can be connected to trading exchanges to complete transactions.
    • Hardware wallets are often stored in a protected microcontroller and cannot be transferred out of the device, making them secure.
    • Their isolation from the Internet also mitigates the risk of the assets being compromised. Moreover, it does not rely on any third-party app.

    Limitations

    • Since the wallet is in physical form, the device could be stolen or destroyed.
    • They could be used by malicious actors to steal confidential data.
    • The device can also be expensive as compared to software wallets.
    • Some hardware wallets can also have complex features, making it difficult for first-timers to understand.

    Answer this PYQ in the comment box:

    Q.With reference to “Blockchain Technology”, consider the following statements:

    1. It is a public ledger that everyone can inspect but which no single user controls.
    2. The structure and design of block chain is such that all the data in it are about crypto currency only.
    3. Applications that depend on basic features of blockchain can be developed without anybody’s permission.

    Which of the statement given above is/are correct?

    (a) 1 only

    (b) 2 only

    (b) 1 and 2 only

    (d) 1 and 3

    Back2Basics: Cryptocurrencies

    • A cryptocurrency is a digital asset designed to work as a medium of exchange wherein individual coin ownership records are stored in a ledger existing in a form of a computerized database.
    • It uses strong cryptography to secure transaction records, control the creation of additional coins, and verify the transfer of coin ownership.
    • It typically does not exist in physical form (like paper money) and is typically not issued by a central authority.
    • Cryptocurrencies typically use decentralized control as opposed to centralized digital currency and central banking systems.

  • 2020 Millennium Technology Prize  

    The 2020 Millennium Technology Prize has been awarded to Shankar Balasubramanian and David Klenerman, for their development of revolutionary Next-generation DNA sequencing techniques.

    About Millennium Technology Prize

    • The Millennium Technology Prize is one of the world’s largest technology prizes.
    • It is awarded once every two years by Technology Academy Finland, an independent fund established by Finnish industry and the Finnish state in partnership.

    What is next-generation DNA sequencing?

    • Next-generation sequencing (NGS) is a massively parallel sequencing technology that offers ultra-high throughput, scalability, and speed.
    • The technology is used to determine the order of nucleotides in entire genomes or targeted regions of DNA or RNA.
    • These technologies allow for sequencing of DNA and RNA much more quickly and cheaply than the previously used sequencing.
    • NGS has revolutionized the biological sciences, allowing labs to perform a wide variety of applications and study biological systems at a level never before possible.
    • More than a million base pairs can be sequenced, which translates to hundreds of genes or even the whole genome of an organism.
    • This is made possible by simultaneously sequencing hundreds of pieces of DNA at the same time.

    What is sequencing, btw?

    • DNA (or RNA, in some viruses), the genetic material of life forms, is made of four bases (A, T, G and C; with U replacing T in the case of RNA).
    • A chromosome is the duplex of a long linear chain of these – and in the DNA sequence is information – the blueprint of life.
    • Life famously can replicate, and DNA replicates when an enzyme, DNA polymerase, synthesises a complementary strand using an existing DNA strand as the template.
    • The breakthrough idea of Balasubramanian and Klenerman was to sequence DNA (or RNA) using this process of strand synthesis.
    • They cleverly modified their ATGC bases so that each shone with a different colour.
    • When copied, the “coloured” copy of DNA could be deciphered from the colours alone, using miniature optical and electronic devices.

    What about the cost of all this sequencing?

    • When the Human Genome Project delivered the first, near-complete sequence of our genome, the cost was estimated to have been 3 billion dollars.
    • As all our chromosomes together have 3 billion base pairs, it becomes an easy calculation – One dollar per sequenced base.
    • By the year 2020, NGS technologies has pushed the price for sequencing to a few thousands of rupees.

    Back2Basics:

    What is the Human Genome Project?

  • Anti-methanogenic feed supplement ‘Harit Dhara’

    An Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) institute has developed an anti-methanogenic feed supplement ‘Harit Dhara’.

    Harit Dhara

    • Harit Dhara is prepared using condensed and hydrolysable tannin-rich plant-based sources abundantly available in the country.
    • It changes the composition of the volatile fatty acids that are the end-products of rumen fermentation (along with hydrogen and CO2).
    • It roughly costs Rs 6/kg and it is to be fed only to animals aged above three months having fully functional rumen.
    • When given to bovines and sheep, it not only cuts down their methane emissions by 17-20%.
    • It also results in higher milk production and body weight gain.

    Why it is significant?

    • Belching cattle, buffaloes, sheep and goats in India emit an estimated 9.25 million tonnes (mt) to 14.2 mt of methane annually, out of a global total of 90 mt-plus from livestock.
    • And given methane’s global warming potential – 25 times of carbon dioxide (CO2) over 100 years, making it a more potent greenhouse gas – that’s cause for concern.
    • An average lactating cow or buffalo in India emits around 200 litres of methane per day, while it is 85-95 litres for young growing heifers and 20-25 litres for adult sheep.
    • Feeding Harit Dhara can reduce these by a fifth.

    How is methane produced by the cattles?

    • Methane is produced by animals having rumen, the first of their four stomachs where the plant material they eat – cellulose, fibre, starch and sugars – gets fermented or broken down by microorganisms prior to further digestion and nutrient absorption.
    • Carbohydrate fermentation leads to the production of CO2 and hydrogen.
    • These are used as substrate by archaea – microbes in the rumen with structure similar to bacteria – to produce methane, which the animals then expel through burping.
    • Harit Dhara acts by decreasing the population of protozoa microbes in the rumen, responsible for hydrogen production and making it available to the archaea for reduction of CO2 to methane.
    • Tropical plants containing tannins – bitter and astringent chemical compounds – are known to suppress or remove protozoa from the rumen.

    Need for India

    • The 2019 Livestock Census showed India’s cattle population at 193.46 million, along with 109.85 million buffaloes, 148.88 million goats and 74.26 million sheep.
    • Being largely fed on agricultural residues – wheat/paddy straw and maize, sorghum or bajra stover – ruminants in India tend to produce 50-100% higher methane than their industrialized country counterparts.

    Answer this PYQ in the comment box:

    Q.Consider the following:

    1. Carbon monoxide
    2. Methane
    3. Ozone
    4. Sulphur dioxide

    Which of the above are released into atmosphere due to the burning of crop/biomass residue?

    (a) 1 and 2 only

    (b) 2, 3 and 4 only

    (c) 1 and 4 only

    (d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

    Back2Basics: CO2 equivalents

    • Each greenhouse gas (GHG) has a different global warming potential (GWP) and persists for a different length of time in the atmosphere.
    • The three main greenhouse gases (along with water vapour) and their 100-year global warming potential (GWP) compared to carbon dioxide are:

    1 x – carbon dioxide (CO2)

    25 x – methane (CH4) – I.e. Releasing 1 kg of CH4into the atmosphere is about equivalent to releasing 25 kg of CO2

    298 x – nitrous oxide (N2O)

    • Water vapour is not considered to be a cause of man-made global warming because it does not persist in the atmosphere for more than a few days.
    • There are other greenhouse gases which have far greater global warming potential (GWP) but are much less prevalent. These are sulphur hexafluoride (SF6), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), and perfluorocarbons (PFCs).
    • There are a wide variety of uses for SF6, HFCs, and PFCs but they have been most commonly used as refrigerants and for fire suppression.
    • Many of these compounds also have a depleting effect on ozone in the upper atmosphere.

  • [pib] What are Gamma Ray Burst (GRB) Explosion?

    The emission from the most notable Gamma Ray Burst (GRB) explosion away from 4.5 billion light-years has been traced by Indian researchers.

    What are GRB Explosions?

    • GRBs are immensely energetic explosions that have been observed in distant galaxies.
    • They are the brightest and most energetic electromagnetic events known to occur in the universe.
    • Bursts can last from ten milliseconds to several hours.
    • After an initial flash of gamma rays, a longer-lived “afterglow” is usually emitted at longer wavelengths (X-ray, ultraviolet, optical, infrared, microwave and radio).
    • The intense radiation of most observed GRBs is thought to be released during a supernova or superluminous supernova as a high-mass star implodes to form a neutron star or a black hole.

    What makes GRB special?

    • The explosions are both extremely energetic (a typical burst releases as much energy in a few seconds as the Sun will in its entire 10-billion-year lifetime) and extremely rare.
    • All observed GRBs have originated from outside the Milky Way galaxy, although a related class of phenomena, soft gamma repeater flares, are associated with magnetars within the Milky Way.
    • It has been hypothesized that a gamma-ray burst in the Milky Way, pointing directly towards the Earth, could cause a mass extinction event.

    Answer this PYQ in the comment box:

    Q.Which of the following is/are cited by the scientists as evidence/evidences for the continued expansion of universe? (CSP 2012)
    1. Detection of microwaves in space
    2. Observation of red shift phenomenon in space
    3. Movement of asteroids in space
    4. Occurrence of supernova explosions in space
    Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

    (a) 1 and 2 only

    (b) 2 only

    (c) 1, 3 and 4

    (d) None of the above can be cited as evidence.

  • India’s investment in research unsatisfactory: UNESCO report

    While India has made ‘solid progress’ towards the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets concerning the industry, infrastructure, and innovation, the country’s investment in research remains unsatisfactory, the UNESCO Science Report has observed. UNESCO Science Report.

    This newscard provides useful data about India’s expenditure on R&D and its adequacy.

    UNESCO Science Report

    • The UNESCO Science Report is a global monitoring report published regularly by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
    • Every five years, this report maps the latest trends and developments in national and regional policy landscapes, against the backdrop of shifting socio-economic, geopolitical and environmental realities.

    Data on research funding in India

    • India has one of the lowest GERD/GDP ratios among the BRICS nations, according to the report.
    • The gross domestic expenditure on research (GERD) has been stagnant at 0.7% of the GDP for years, although, in absolute terms, research expenditure has increased.

    Why flag such slowdown?

    • India’s research intensity has been declining since 2014.
    • The Science and Technology Policy of 2003 fixed the threshold of devoting 2% of GDP to research and development (R&D) by 2007.
    • This target date was set back to 2018 in the new Science, Technology and Innovation Policy (2013) then again to 2022 by the Economic Advisory Council of the Prime Minister.
    • In 2020, the task force drafting the country’s new Science and Technology Policy recommended pushing back the target date to a more realistic 2030.

    Rise of private enterprises

    • R&D in the government sector has been in steady decline since 2015, whereas the share of private business enterprises in it has shot up to 42%.
    • While in theory this is a positive trend, the R&D is focused primarily on sectors such as pharmaceuticals, automotive, and information technology.
    • Even in these industries, it is concentrated in a small number of firms, the report said.
    • It further noted that investment in R&D by foreign multinationals is on the rise, accounting for as much as 16% of private-sector investment in R&D in 2019.
    • The report noted that the majority of the software-related patents were being bagged by MNCs operating from Indian soil, while pharma patents were obtained mostly by domestic firms.

    Few successes to count

    • On the bright side is the encouraging increase in scientific publications by Indian researchers on cutting-edge technologies.
    • Total publications have risen from 80,458 in 2011 to 1.61 lakh in 2019.
    • Indian researchers are publishing between 1.5 and 1.8 times the global average on green technologies, complementing the government’s push to expand green energy sources.
    • But then again, patenting by domestic corporations, research institutes, universities, and individuals remain low in India.

    Key suggestions

    • The UNESCO Science Report underscores the need for ‘policy bridges’ for fostering a more effective interaction between foreign and local research firms.
    • Given the large number of multinational corporations now engaged in R&D, it is imperative that the host economy benefits from this activity the report said.
    • It also called for improved linkages between the start-up ecosystem and manufacturers to push technological development in sectors where India enjoys a global presence.

  • [pib] India’s First Indigenous Tumour Antigen SPAG9

    The National Institute of Immunology (NII) has received a trademark for India’s First Indigenous Tumor Antigen SPAG9.

    About SPAG9

    • India’s first indigenous tumor antigen SPAG9 was discovered by Dr Anil Suri in 1998 who is heading the Cancer Research Program at NII.
    • In a recent development, the SPAG9 antigen has received the trademark ASPAGNII-TM.
    • Currently, ASPAGNIITM is being used in dendritic cell (DC) based immunotherapy in cervical, ovarian cancer and will also be used in breast cancer.

    What is immunotherapy?

    • Immunotherapy is a new approach that exploits the body’s inner capability to put up a fight against cancer.
    • With this approach, either the immune system is given a boost, or the T cells are “trained’’ to identify recalcitrant cancer cells and kill them.
    • In this personalized intervention, those patients expressing SPAG9 protein can be treated with DC-based vaccine approach.
    • In DC-based vaccine, patient’s cells called monocytes from their blood are collected and modified into what are called dendritic cells.
    • These dendritic cells are primed with ASPAGNIITM and are injected back to the patient to help the ‘fighter’ cells, or T-cells, in the body to kill the cancer cells.

    Why need such therapy?

    • DC-based immunotherapy is safe, affordable and can promote antitumor immune responses and prolonged survival of cancer patients.
    • The ASPAGNIITM is a true example of translational cancer research and the Atmanirbhar Bharat spirit.
    • This will be a real morale boost in affordable, personalized, and indigenous products for cancer treatment.

    Answer this PYQ in the comment box:

    Q.‘RNA Interference (RNAi)’ technology has gained popularity in the last few years. why?

    1. It is used in developing gene silencing therapies
    2. It can be used in developing therapies for the treatment of cancer
    3. It can be used to developer hormone replacement therapies
    4. It can be used to produce crop plants that are resistant to viral pathogens

    Select the correct answer using the code given below.

    a) 1, 2 and 4

    b) 2 and 3

    c) 1 and 3

    d) 1 and 4 only

    The burden of cancer in India

    • Cancer kills 8.51 lakh people in India every year (International Agency for Research on Cancer, 2020).
    • As per World Health Organization (WHO), one in 10 Indians will develop cancer during their lifetime, and one in 15 will die of cancer.