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GS Paper: GS3-17.Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, Robotics, Nano-technology, Bio-technology and issues relating to Intellectual Property Rights.

  • Christmas-Star Conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter

    After nearly 400 years, Saturn and Jupiter – the two largest planets in our solar system – will be brought closest in the night sky by an astronomical event called the “great conjunction” and popularly referred to as the “Christmas Star”.

    Try this PYQ:

    What is a coma, in the context of Astronomy?

    (a) Bright half of material on the comet

    (b) Long tail of dust

    (c) Two asteroids orbiting each other

    (d) Two planets orbiting each other

    What are the Conjunctions?

    • A conjunction is not unique to Saturn and Jupiter however, it is the name given to any event where planets or asteroids appear to be very close together in the sky when viewed from the Earth.
    • In June 2005 for instance, as a result of the “spectacular” conjunction, Mercury, Venus and Saturn appeared so close together in the sky that the patch of sky where the three planets were could be covered by a thumb.
    • Astronomers use the word “great” for the conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn because of the planets’ sizes.

    The “Great Conjunction”

    • It happens once in about 20 years because of the time each of the planets takes to orbit around the Sun.
    • Jupiter takes roughly 12 years to complete one lap around the Sun and Saturn takes 30 years.
    • This is because Saturn has a larger orbit and moves more slowly because it is not as strongly influenced by the Sun’s gravitational force as planets that are closer to the Sun.
    • As the two planets move along their orbits, every two decades, Jupiter catches up with Saturn resulting in what astronomers call the great conjunction.

    A ‘rare alignment’

    • Jupiter and Saturn are bright planets and can be typically seen with the naked eye even from cities.
    • But during conjunction, they appear to be close to each other, which is what makes the event noteworthy.
    • The event will coincide with the winter solstice (shortest day of the year in terms of hours of sunlight received) in the Northern Hemisphere and summer solstice in the Southern Hemisphere.
    • This year, however, the event is rare because the planets will come the closest to each other in nearly four centuries; in what astronomer Henry Throop described is a result of a “rare alignment” of the planets.

  • CMS-01 Satellite launched by ISRO

    The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully placed into a transfer orbit India’s 42nd communications satellite, CMS-01, carried onboard the PSLV-C50.

    CMS-01

    • It is a communications satellite envisaged for providing services in extended C Band of the frequency spectrum and its coverage will include the Indian mainland and the Andaman & Nicobar and Lakshadweep islands, the ISRO.
    • The satellite is expected to have a life of over seven years.
    • It was injected precisely into its pre-defined sub- geostationary transfer orbit (GTO).
    • CMS-01 is considered to be a replacement of the aged satellite GSAT-12. It provides services like tele-education, tele-medicine, disaster management support and Satellite Internet access.

    What is GTO?

    • A geosynchronous transfer orbit or geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) is a type of geocentric orbit.
    • Satellites which are destined for geosynchronous (GSO) or geostationary orbit (GEO) are (almost) always put into a GTO as an intermediate step for reaching their final orbit.
    • A GTO is highly elliptic.
    • Its perigee (closest point to Earth) is typically as high as low Earth orbit (LEO), while its apogee (furthest point from Earth) is as high as geostationary (or equally, a geosynchronous) orbit.

  • Chang’e 5 returns to Earth carrying moon rocks

    A Chinese lunar capsule has returned to Earth with the first fresh samples of rock and debris from the moon in more than 40 years.

    Try this PYQ:

    Q.What do you understand by the term Aitken basin:

    (a) It is a desert in the southern Chile which is known to be the only location on earth where no rainfall takes place

    (b) It is an impact crater on the far side of the Moon

    (c) It is a Pacific coast basin, which is known to house large amounts of oil and gas

    (d) It is a deep hyper saline anoxic basin where no aquatic animals are found

    Chang’e-5 Probe

    • The Chang’e-5 probe, named after the mythical Chinese moon goddess, aims to shovel up lunar rocks and soil to help scientists learn about the moon’s origins, formation and volcanic activity on its surface.
    • The goal of the mission is to land in the Mons Rumker region of the moon, where it will operate for one lunar day, which is two weeks long.
    • It will collect 2 kg of surface material from a previously unexplored area known as Oceanus Procellarum — or “Ocean of Storms” — which consist of vast lava plain.
    • The original mission, planned for 2017, was delayed due to an engine failure in China’s Long March 5 launch rocket.

    A big achievement

    • The successful mission was the latest breakthrough for China’s increasingly ambitious space programme that includes a robotic mission to Mars and plans for a permanent orbiting space station.
    • This return marked China’s third successful lunar landing but the only one to lift off again from the moon.
    • It also marked the first time scientists have obtained fresh samples of lunar rocks since the former Soviet Union’s Luna 24 robot probe in 1976.

    Significance of the mission

    • Rocks found on the Moon are older than any that have been found on Earth and therefore they are valuable in providing information about the Earth and the Moon’s shared history.
    • Lunar samples can help to unravel some important questions in lunar science and astronomy, including the Moon’s age, its formation, the similarities and differences between the Earth and the Moon’s geologic features.
    • For instance, the shape, size, arrangement and composition of individual grains and crystals in a rock can tell scientists about its history, while the radioactive clock can tell them the rock’s age.
    • Further, tiny cracks in rocks can tell them about the radiation history of the Sun in the last 100,000 years.

  • Galaxy NGC 6240

    NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory shared the images of Galaxy NGC 6240 that contains two supermassive Black Holes in the process of merging.

    From astronomers to general space enthusiasts, black holes are a topic of interest for many. If you’re someone who spends a lot of their time researching facts about this region of space-time or watching videos on the same, then you must check out this news.

    Galaxy NGC 6240

    • The black holes, located in Galaxy NGC 6240 are 3,000 light-years apart and they will drift together to form a larger black hole millions of years from now.
    • As per a blog post by the observatory, the merging process began some 30 million years ago
    • The pairs of massive black holes in the process of merging are expected to be the most powerful sources of gravitational waves in the Universe.
    • Seen as the bright ‘dots’ near the centre of this image, the black holes are just 3,000 light-years apart.

    About Chandra X-ray Observatory

    • It is a telescope specially designed to detect X-ray emissions from very hot regions of the universe such as exploded stars, clusters of galaxies, and matter around black holes.
    • Orbiting at 139,000 km in space, the telescope was launched aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia during STS-93 by NASA in 1999.

  • Hydroponics: the art of soil-less farming

    This newscard is an excerpt from the original article published in TH.

    Many questions related to agricultural techniques are being asked in the Prelims. UPSC has done away with traditional crop-related questions for the past two years. 

    For example, see this question from CSP 2020:

    Q.What are the advantages of fertigation in agriculture?

    1. Controlling the alkalinity of irrigation water is possible.
      2. Efficient application of Rock Phosphate and all other phosphatic fertilizers is possible.
      3. Increased availability of nutrients to plants is possible.
      4. Reduction in the leaching of chemical nutrients is possible.

    Select the correct answer using the code given below:
    (a) 1, 2 and 3 only

    (b) 1,2 and 4 only

    (c) 1,3 and 4 only

    (d) 2, 3 and 4 only

    What is hydroponics?

    Hydroponics is the cultivation of plants without using soil.

    • Hydroponic flowers, herbs, and vegetables are planted in inert growing media and supplied with nutrient-rich solutions, oxygen, and water.
    • This system fosters rapid growth, stronger yields, and superior quality.
    • When a plant is grown in soil, its roots are perpetually searching for the necessary nutrition to support the plant.
    • If a plant’s root system is exposed directly to water and nutrition, the plant does not have to exert any energy in sustaining itself.
    • The energy the roots would have expended acquiring food and water can be redirected into the plant’s maturation. As a result, leaf growth flourishes as does the blooming of fruits and flowers.

    Why Hydroponics?

    • Plants sustain themselves by a process called photosynthesis. But they do not need soil to photosynthesize.
    • They need the soil to supply them with water and nutrients.
    • When nutrients are dissolved in water they can be applied directly to the plant’s root system by flooding, misting, or immersion.
    • Hydroponic innovations have proven direct exposure to nutrient-filled water can be a more effective and versatile method of growth than traditional irrigation.

    How does hydroponics work?

    • Hydroponic systems work by allowing minute control over environmental conditions like temperature and pH balance and maximized exposure to nutrients and water.
    • It administers nutrient solutions tailored to the needs of the particular plant being grown.
    • They allow you to control exactly how much light the plants receive and for how long.
    • pH levels can be monitored and adjusted. In a highly customized and controlled environment, plant growth accelerates.

    Components of Hydroponics

    To maintain a flourishing hydroponic system, we need to become acquainted with a few components that make it run efficiently.

    (1) Growing media

    • Hydroponic plants are often grown in inert media that support the plant’s weight and anchor its root structure.
    • Growing media is the substitute for soil, however, it does not provide any independent nutrition to the plant.
    • Instead, this porous media retains moisture and nutrients from the nutrient solution which it then delivers to the plant.

    (2) Air stones and air pumps

    • Plants that are submerged in water can quickly drown if the water is not sufficiently aerated. Air stones disperse tiny bubbles of dissolved oxygen throughout your nutrient solution reservoir.
    • These bubbles also help evenly distribute the dissolved nutrients in the solution. Air stones do not generate oxygen on their own.
    • They need to be attached to an external air pump via opaque food grade plastic tubing

    (3) Net pots

    • Net pots are mesh planters that hold hydroponic plants. The latticed material allows roots to grow out of the sides and bottom of the pot, giving greater exposure to oxygen and nutrients.
    • Net pots also provide superior drainage compared to traditional clay or plastic pots.

    Benefits

    By controlling the environment of the plant in hydroponics, many risk factors are reduced:

    • Plants grown in gardens and fields are introduced to a host of variables that negatively impact their health and growth. Fungus in the soil can spread diseases to plants.
    • Wildlife like rabbits can plunder ripening vegetables from your garden.
    • Pests like locusts can descend on crops and obliterate them in an afternoon. Hydroponic systems end the unpredictability of growing plants outdoors and in the earth.
    • Without the mechanical resistance of the soil, seedlings can mature much faster.
    • By eliminating pesticides, hydroponics produces much healthier and high-quality fruits and vegetables. Without obstacles, plants are free to grow vigorously and rapidly.

    Various limitations

    • A hydroponic system isn’t cheap
    • Constant monitoring is required
    • Micro-organisms that are water-based can creep in rather easily
    • Growing a hydroponic garden demands an expertise
    • Production is limited compared to field conditions
    • If a disease appears, all plants in the system will be affected
    • Without soil to serve as a buffer if the system fails plant death will occur rapidly

  • How epigenetics alters inherited genetics’ message

    Researchers have found the cause of vision impairment due to ageing as the accumulation of “epigenetic noise” that disrupts gene expression patterns leading to changes in inherent DNA function

    Genetics is an all-time favourite of UPSC. Every year you can find a question in prelims. Try this one from CSP 2020:

     

    Q.Consider the following statements:

    1. Genetic changes can be introduced in the cells that produce eggs or sperms of a prospective parent
    2. A person’s genome can be edited before birth at the early embryonic stage.
    3. Human-induced pluripotent stem cells can be injected into the embryo of a pig.

    Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

    (a) 1 only

    (b) 2 and 3 only

    (c) 2 only

    (d) 1, 2 and 3

    What is Epigenetics?

    • Epigenetics is the study of how your behaviours and environment can cause changes that affect the way your genes work.
    • Unlike genetic changes, epigenetic changes are reversible and do not change your DNA sequence, but they can change how your body reads a DNA sequence.
    • Environmental stimuli can cause genes to be turned off or turned on.
    • This determines a cell’s specialization (e.g., skin cell, blood cell, hair cell, liver cells, etc.) as a fetus develops into a baby through gene expression (active) or silencing (dormant); and nurture.
    • This normal epigenetic control on our genes can get altered during normal ageing, stress and disease conditions.

    Cellular regulators

    • The functioning of cells and tissues in our body are controlled by thousands of proteins that regulate various cellular functions.
    • These proteins are in turn encoded by the respective genes which are a part of our genome or the cellular DNA.
    • Any minor or major changes to our inherited DNA (addition or mutation) can result in altered protein production, which in turn leads to defective cellular functions.
    • This forms the basis for many heritable genetic disorders affecting mankind.

    A trigger for various inactivities

    • Apart from DNA or protein sequence level alterations, there are other biochemical changes that influence and dictate if a gene should be active or inactive in a given cell type.
    • For example, the gene that encodes for the insulin protein is present in the exact form, in every cell of the body.
    • However, it is allowed to express only in the insulin-secreting beta cells of the pancreas and is kept inactive in the rest of the cells of the body.
    • This phenomenon is tightly regulated by a combination of regulatory proteins that changes the expressivity of the gene.
    • Also, the histone proteins that bind the DNA and help to compactly wrap it inside the chromosomes can undergo chemical modifications such as methylations and acetylations on different lysine amino acids within the protein.
    • These modifications both on the DNA and its associated proteins alter the chromosomal conformations and regulate gene expression.
    • These changes can either unwind the DNA and allow gene expression or can compact the DNA and render the genes in the region inactive or silent.

    Epigenetics and the human eye

    • The human (and mammalian) eye is a remarkable organ in the course of evolution which has allowed us to “see” the external world clearly and in colour.
    • Earlier forms, such as microbes and plants, reacted to light in other ways (for absorption and use, such as photosynthesis).
    • The front part of the human eye (cornea, lens and the vitreous humour gel) is transparent, colourless and helps focus the incoming light into the retina, helping us see colour.
    • It is the retina that sends the message to the brain.
    • Its main component, called the retinal ganglion cells (RGC) are the ones that help in this process of sending the message in the form of electrical signals, called neurons or nerve cells.
    • Thus, RGCs are the ones that convert optics into electronics.

  • Species in news: Myristica Swamp Treefrog

    Myristica swamp treefrog, a rare arboreal (living on trees) species endemic to the Western Ghats has been recorded for the first time in Kerala’s Thrissur district.

    Again, a stand-alone peculiar species is in the news. Make a special note here. Usually, note the species and its habitat location (IUCN status if available), in the purview of a generic prelims question.

    Myristica Swamp Treefrog

    • It bears the scientific name Mercurana myristicapalustris.
    • The frog was first spotted in 2013 in the Myristica swamps of Arippa, near the Kulathupuzha Reserve Forest, in the western foothills of Agasthyamalai, in Kollam district.
    • Unlike the Myristica swamp treefrog found in the foothills of the Agasthyamalai, these frogs were found to be active throughout June and early July.

    Unique traits

    • These frogs are rare and elusive for the reason that they are arboreal and active only for a few weeks during their breeding season.
    • During this season, there is a large aggregation of males that descend from the high canopy of the trees.
    • The breeding season, unlike for other frogs, starts in the pre-monsoon season (May) and ends before the monsoon becomes fully active in June.
    • Before the end of the breeding season, the female frogs along with their male counterparts descend on the forest floor. The female digs the mud and lays eggs in shallow burrows in mud.
    • After breeding and egg-laying, they retreat back to the high canopies of the tree and remain elusive till next breeding season.

  • Plasmodium Ovale and Other types of Malaria

    A not very common type of malaria, Plasmodium Ovale, has been identified in a jawan in Kerala.

    Try this PYQ:

    Q. Widespread resistance of malarial parasite to drugs like chloroquine has prompted attempts to develop a malarial vaccine to combat malaria.

    Why is it difficult to develop an effective malaria vaccine?

    (a) Malaria is caused by several species of Plasmodium

    (b) Man does not develop immunity to malaria during natural infection

    (c) Vaccines can be developed only against bacteria

    (d) Man is only an intermediate host and not the definitive host

    What is Malaria?

    • Malaria is caused by the bite of the female Anopheles mosquito if the mosquito itself is infected with a malarial parasite.
    • There are five kinds of malarial parasites — Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium vivax (the commonest ones), Plasmodium malariae, Plasmodium ovale and Plasmodium knowlesi.
    • Therefore, to say that someone has contracted the Plasmodium ovale type of malaria means that the person has been infected by that particular parasite.
    • Malaria is treated with prescription drugs to kill the parasite. Chloroquine is the preferred treatment for any parasite that is sensitive to the drug.

    Plasmodium Ovale

    • P ovale rarely causes severe illness and there is no need for panic.
    • Symptoms include fever for 48 hours, headache and nausea, and the treatment modality is the same as it is for a person infected with P vivax.
    • P ovale is no more dangerous than getting a viral infection.
    • It is termed ovale as about 20% of the parasitised cells are oval in shape.

    Burden of Malaria in India

    • In 2018, the National Vector-borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP) estimated that approximately 5 lakh people suffered from malaria.
    • 63% of the cases were of Plasmodium falciparum.
    • The recent World Malaria Report 2020 said cases in India dropped from about 20 million in 2000 to about 5.6 million in 2019.

  • Narrow Band-Internet of Things (NB-IoT)

    In a first, BSNL launches world’s largest NB-IoT to provide connectivity for millions of unconnected machines, sensors and industrial IoT devices across the country.

    What is NB-IoT?

    • NB-IoT is a Low Power Wide Area (LPWA) technology that works virtually anywhere.
    • It will connect many more devices to the Internet of Things and make many new applications a reality.
    • It is optimized for applications that need to communicate small amounts of data over long periods of time.
    • Since it operates in licensed spectrum, it is secure and reliable providing guaranteed quality of service.
    • It connects devices more simply and efficiently on already established mobile networks and handles small amounts of fairly infrequent 2‑way data, securely and reliably.

    And the best is, it provides-

    • very low power consumption
    • excellent extended range in buildings and underground
    • easy deployment into the existing cellular network architecture
    • network security & reliability
    • lower component cost

    Back2Basics: Internet of Things (IoT)

    • The IoT describes the network of physical objects—“things”—that are embedded with sensors, software, and other technologies for the purpose of connecting and exchanging data with other devices and systems over the Internet.
    • The definition of the IoT has evolved due to the convergence of multiple technologies, real-time analytics, AI, sensors, and embedded systems.
    • In the consumer market, IoT technology is most synonymous with products pertaining to the concept of the “smart home”, including devices and appliances.
    • It supports one or more common ecosystems and can be controlled via devices associated with that ecosystem, such as smartphones and smart speakers e.g. Alexa.

    Remember this PYQ?

    When the alarm of your smartphone rings in the morning, you wake up and tap it to stop the alarm which causes your geyser to be switched on automatically. The smart mirror in your bathroom shows the day’s weather and also indicates the level of water in your overhead tank. After you take some groceries from your refrigerator for making breakfast, it recognises the shortage of stock in it and places an order for the supply of fresh grocery items. When You step out of your house and lock the door, all lights, fans, geysers and AC machines get switched off automatically. On your way to office, your car warns you about traffic congestion ahead and suggests an alternative route, and if you are late for a meeting, it sends a message to your office accordingly.

    In the context of emerging communication technologies, which one of the following terms best applies to the above scenario?

    (a) Border Gateway Protocol

    (b) Internet of Things

    (c) Internet Protocol

    (d) Virtual Private Network

    Also read:

    [Burning Issue] Internet of Things (IoT)

  • The rise of the AI economy

    Artificial Intelligence (AI) has the potential to transform the Indian economy. In the last few years, India made significant progress in its adoption. However, there are several areas India need to focus on to make the most of what AI offers.

    AI adoption and capacity building in India

    • NITI Aayog’s national strategy for AI envisages ‘AI for all’ for inclusive growth.
    • NITI Aayog identifies healthcare, agriculture, education, smart cities and infrastructure, and smart mobility and transportation as focus areas for AI-led solutions for social impact.
    • The Telangana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra governments, among others, have announced policies and strategies for AI adoption.
    • Technology companies have established AI centres of excellence to create solutions for global clients.
    • India has a thriving AI start-up ecosystem.
    • Our talent pool in AI/ML (Machine Learning) is fast-growing, with over 5,00,000 people working on these technologies at present.

    AI will boost Indian economy

    • Nasscom believes that data and AI will contribute $450 billion-$500 billion to India’s GDP by 2025, which is around 10% of the government’s aspiration of a $5 trillion economy.
    • The growing AI economy will create employment opportunity by creating an estimated over 20 million technical roles.
    • AI can create not just niche solutions to specific problems that banks and other service providers are deploying, such as speeding up loan application processing or improving customer service; it can also provide solutions for better governance and social impact.
    •  AI can create not just niche solutions to specific problems that banks and other service providers are deploying, such as speeding up loan application processing or improving customer service; it can also provide solutions for better governance and social impact.

    Way forward: Focus on 3 areas

    1)Talent development

    • In 2019, we nearly doubled our AI workforce to 72,000 from 40,000 the year before.
    • However, the demand continues to outpace the supply.
    • That means our efforts to develop talent must pick up speed.

    2) Policies around data

    • Without data, there cannot be AI.
    • However, we need a balanced approach in the way we harness and utilise data.
    • We need a robust legal framework that governs data and serves as the base for the ethical use of AI.

    3) Providing the right amount of training data

    • Though the use of digital technologies has gone up, the level of digitisation continues to be low.
    • This poses a big challenge for organisations in finding the right amount of training data to run AI/ML algorithms, which in turn affects the accuracy of the results.
    • Then there is the problem of availability of clean datasets.
    • Organisations need to invest in data management frameworks that will clean their data before they are analysed, thus vastly improving the outcomes of AI models.

    Consider the question “What is Artificial Intelligence? How it could help in providing a boost to the India economy?”

    Conclusion

    The future for AI looks promising but to convert the potential into reality, India will need better strategies around talent development, stronger policies for data usage and governance, and more investments in creating a technology infrastructure that can truly leverage AI.