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GS Paper: GS3

  • Innovations in Biotechnology and Medical Sciences

  • International Space Agencies – Missions and Discoveries

    Why Everyone has interest in Martian System exploration?

    1. Mars has long been the subject of human fascination. Early telescopic observations revealed color changes on the surface that were originally attributed to seasonal vegetation as well as apparent linear features that were ascribed to intelligent design.
    2. Telescopic observations found Mars’ two moons, Phobos and Deimos, the polar ice caps, and the feature now known as Olympus Mons, the solar system’s tallest mountain.
    3. These discoveries piqued further interest in the study and exploration of the red planet.
    4. Mars is a rocky planet, like Earth, that formed around the same time, yet with only half the diameter of Earth, and a far thinner atmosphere, it has a cold and desert-like surface.
    5. It is notable, however, that although the planet has only one quarter of the surface area of the Earth, it has about the same land area, since only one quarter of the surface area of the Earth is land.

    NASA's Journey to Mars infographic

    Then, How Mars Journey has started?

    NASA’s Mars Odyssey orbiter entered Mars orbit in 2001. Odyssey’s Gamma Ray Spectrometer detected significant amounts of hydrogen on Mars,thought to be contained in large deposits of water ice.

    The Mars Express mission of the European Space Agency (ESA) reached Mars in 2003. It carried the Beagle 2 lander, which was not heard from after being released and was declared lost in February 2004.

    In early 2004 the Mars Express Planetary Fourier Spectrometer team announced the orbiter had detected methane in the Martian atmosphere. ESA announced in June 2006 the discovery of aurorae on Mars.

    In January 2004, the NASA twin Mars Exploration Rovers named Spirit (MER-A) and Opportunity (MER-B) landed on the surface of Mars. Both have met or exceeded all their targets.

    On March 10, 2006, the NASA Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) probe arrived in orbit to conduct a two-year science survey.

    The orbiter began mapping the Martian terrain and weather to find suitable landing sites for upcoming lander missions. The MRO snapped the first image of a series of active avalanches near the planet’s north pole.

    The Mars Science Laboratory mission was launched on November 26, 2011 and it delivered the Curiosity rover, on the surface of Mars on August 6, 2012 UTC.

    The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) on November 5, 2013. It was successfully inserted into Mars orbit on 24 September 2014.

     

     

    Wow, so finally did we find water?

    New findings from NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) provide the strongest evidence yet that liquid water flows intermittently on present-day Mars.

    Using an imaging spectrometer on MRO, researchers detected signatures of hydrated minerals on slopes where mysterious streaks are seen on the Red Planet.

    They darken and appear to flow down steep slopes during warm seasons, and then fade in cooler seasons. They appear in several locations on Mars when temperatures are above min0us 10 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 23 Celsius), and disappear at colder times.

    It appears to confirm that water is flowing today on the surface of Mars.These downhill flows, known as recurring slope lineae (RSL), often have been described as possibly related to liquid water.

    The new findings of hydrated salts on the slopes point to what that relationship may be to these dark features. The hydrated salts would lower the freezing point of a liquid brine, just as salt on roads here on Earth causes ice and snow to melt more rapidly.

    Scientists say it’s likely a shallow subsurface flow, with enough water wicking to the surface to explain the darkening.

     

     What are the Garni crater on Mars?

    Dark narrow streaks called recurring slope lineae emanating out of the walls of Garni crater on Mars. The dark streaks here are up to few hundred meters in length.

    The spectral signatures as caused by hydrated minerals called perchlorates. The hydrated salts most consistent with the chemical signatures are likely a mixture of magnesium perchlorate, magnesium chlorate and sodium perchlorate.

    On Earth, naturally produced perchlorates are concentrated in deserts, and some types of perchlorates can be used as rocket propellant.

     

    What a Contribution by MRO in this enigmatical mission!!

    NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) has been examining Mars since 2006 with its six science instruments.

    The ability of MRO to observe for multiple Mars years with a payload able to see the fine detail of these features has enabled findings such as these:

    first identifying the puzzling seasonal streaks and now making a big step towards explaining what they are?

    The new findings are more proof that the mysterious lines he first saw darkening Martian slopes five years ago are, indeed, present-day water.

    The discovery is the latest of many breakthroughs by NASA’s Mars missions

    It took multiple spacecraft over several years to solve this mystery, and now we know there is liquid water on the surface of this cold, desert planet.It seems that the more we study Mars, the more we learn how life could be supported and where there are resources to support life in the future.

    Then, Mars is more habitable than previously thought so, Can we go to Mars for living really? Yes probably. Because NASA is planning for it by 2030.

    Published with inputs from Arun

     

  • Promoting Science and Technology – Missions,Policies & Schemes

    Technology Vision 2035 – Putting science to Use

    The Prime Minister unveiled the ‘Technology Vision Document 2035’ while inaugurating the 103rd Indian Science Congress on  January 3,  2016. Let’s take a glance at it

    <The document is dedicated to late Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, former President of India.>

    India2035header

    What is Technology Vision 2035?

    • The document foresees the technologies required for fulfilling the needs of India 2035
    • This is a vision of where India and its citizens should be in 2035 and how technology should help achieve this
    • Twelve Sectoral Technology roadmaps are being prepared by the Technology Information, Forecasting and Assessment Council, (TIFAC)

    Which are the 12 sectors?

    • Education
    • Medical Sciences & Healthcare
    • Food and Agriculture
    • Water
    • Energy
    • Environment
    • Habitat
    • Transportation
    • Infrastructure
    • Manufacturing
    • Materials
    • Information and Communication Technology

    The prime aim of the vision document

    • To ensure the security of every Indian, enhancing their prosperity and identity
    • This is stated in the document as “Our Aspiration” or “Vision Statement” in all languages of the 8th Schedule of the Constitution
    • The Vision document also identifies 12 prerogatives – (six for meeting individual needs and six for collective needs) that should be available to each and every Indian

    ISCPrerogatives

    How technologies could map to assure prerogatives?

    • Those are readily deployable
    • Those that needs to be moved from Lab to Field
    • Those that require targeted Research
    • Those that are still in Imagination

    What type of technologies are expected in future?

    • Technologies could come about as a result of curiosity driven or paradigm – shattering ‘Blue-sky’ Research like Internet of Things, Wearable Technology, Synthetic Biology, Brain computer Interface, Bioprinting and regenerative medicine
    • Precision agriculture and robotic farming, vertical farming, interactive foods, autonomous vehicles, Bioluminescence, 3D printing of buildings, earthquake prediction, weather modification technologies, green mining etc <Here, UPSC has great scope to ask questions, as we know 3D printing technology was asked in 2013 Mains >

    What is Bioluminescence?

    Bioluminescent creatures are found throughout marine habitats, from the ocean surface to the deep sea floor.
    Bioluminescent creatures are found throughout marine habitats, from the ocean surface to the deep sea floor.
    • Bioluminescence is the production and emission of light by a living organism
    • The light emitted by a bioluminescent organism is produced by energy released from chemical reactions occurring inside (or ejected by) the organism

    What are the challenges in the field of Technology?

    • Guaranteeing nutritional security and eliminating female and child anaemia
    • Ensuring universal eco-friendly waste management
    • Taking the railway to Leh and Tawang
    • Understanding national climate patterns and adapting to them
    • Ensuring location independent electoral and financial empowerment

    Then! Are there any ways to overcome these challenges?

    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.

    Which 3 key activities were identified as a part of the ‘Call to Action’?

    • Knowledge creation – It says India cannot afford not to be in the forefront of the knowledge revolution, either applied or pure
    • Ecosystem design for innovation and development
    • Technology deployment by launching certain national missions involving specific targets, defined timelines requiring only a few carefully defined identified players

     

    Source - PIB Features | Pic - Vision 2035

  • Inland Waterways

    National Waterways Bill 2015: Time to take to Water

     

    The approval of the National Waterways Bill, 2015, by both Houses of Parliament clears the decks for increasing the use of India’s extensive network of rivers, canals and other water stretches for transport. Let’s see this in brief.

    Under bill, 106 additional inland waterways will be added to the list of national waterways, taking the number to 111

    Under Entry 24 of the Union List of the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution, the central govt can make laws on shipping and navigation on inland waterways which are classified as national waterways by Parliament by law

    Let’s see background of Inland Waterway Transport

    <Why Govt has cleared decks for National waterways?>

    • Inland Water Transport is considered as the most cost effective and economical mode of transport from the point of view of fuel efficiency
    • One horse power can carry 4000 Kg load in water whereas, it can carry 150 Kg and 500 Kg by road and rail respectively
    • Further in a study as highlighted by the World Bank, 1 litre of fuel can move 105 ton-Km by inland water transport, whereas the same amount of fuel can move only 85 ton-Km by rail and 24 ton-Km by road
    • Studies have shown that emission from container vessels range from 32-36 gCO2 per ton-Km while those of road transport vehicles (heavy duty vehicles) range from 51-91gCO2 per ton-km.(Environment friendly)
    • Many countries in Europe and elsewhere carry over 40% of their passenger and freight traffic through water. But in India this proportion is only 3.5 per cent
    • Inland water transport’s share in the country’s total transport sector is less than 0.4%
    • This is partly because of the inability to shift cargo between modes of transport without disruption

    Let’s learn about five existing and one proposed waterway

     

    1. Allahabad-Haldia Stretch of the Ganga Bhagirathi-Hooghly River
    2. Sadiya-Dhubri Stretch of Brahmaputra River
    3. Kollam-Kottapuram Stretch of West Coast Canal and Champakara and Udyogmandal Canals
    4. Kakinada-Puducherry Stretch of Canals and the Kaluvelly Tank
      Bhadrachalam-Rajahmundry Stretch of River Godavari and Wazirabad-Vijayawada Stretch of River Krishna
    5. Talcher-Dhamra Stretch of Rivers, Geonkhali-Charbatia Stretch of East Coast Canal, Charbatia-Dhamra Stretch of Matai River and Mahanadi Delta Rivers
    6. This is a proposed national waterway b/w Lakhipur and bhanga of the Barak river

    What are the Benefits of inland waterways?

    • Recognised as fuel efficient, cost effective and environment friendly mode of transport, especially for bulk goods, hazardous goods and over dimensional cargos
    • Reduces time, cost of transportation of goods and cargos, as well as congestion and accidents on highways
    • Immense potential for domestic cargo transportation as well as for cruise, tourism and passenger traffic.
    • Systematic development will open up progressive economic and transport opportunities in the country
    • Open up considerable investment and business opportunities in the areas like water-based tourism, construction and operation of terminals, creation of storage accommodation, and provision of other facilities required for smooth water-based navigation
    • Help to generate millions of new jobs

    Are there any limitations/ problems to implement this national waterway project?
    If any, How to solve those limitations?

    • India’s water channels will need to have adequate width, depth and air clearance. Many rivers are seasonal, with water flows declining sharply after the monsoon
    • Navigating such rivers in the lean season may, therefore, require regular and extensive dredging and desilting
    • Higher water salinity, especially in the coastal regions and estuaries, and constant inflow of silt in the rivers can also be problematic
    • Water highways will require more river ports with their support infrastructure – road and rail connections, warehouses and other services
    • Heavy investment will be needed also to procure equipment, including dredgers, shipping vessels and barges of different sizes

    What are the sources of funding and finances?

    • Financial approval of the competent authority for each waterway would be taken based on outcome of techno-economic feasibility studies, that are being undertaken by the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI)
    • IWAI will develop the feasible stretch of National Waterways for shipping and navigation purpose through mobilization of financial resources
    • Govt will explore multiple sources of finance, including market borrowings and tapping the National Clean Energy Fund (NCEF) and the Central Roads Fund  (CRF)

    <The National Clean Energy Fund (NCEF) is a fund created in 2010-11 using the carbon tax – clean energy cess – for funding research and innovative projects in clean energy technologies of public sector or private sector entities, upto the extent of 40% of the total project cost. The Fund is designed as a non lapsable fund under Public Accounts>

    <Central Road Fund (CRF) is a non-lapsable fund created under Section 6 of the Central Road Fund Act, 2000 out of a cess/tax imposed by Union Govt on consumption of Petrol and High Speed Diesel to develop and maintain National Highways, State roads (particularly those of economic importance and which provides inter-state connectivity), rural roads, railway under/over bridges etc.> 

    To know what is cess, how it is different from tax and surcharge, click here

    1. Private participation in infrastructure is needed – but will be possible only if such ventures become economically viable. For this, they will require adequate and assured 2-way traffic
    2. But the traffic in bulk goods, such as coal, minerals, food grain, fertiliser and similar other commodities is often unidirectional, compelling the vessels to return empty or under-loaded. This aspect will need to be weighed and addressed
      Published with inputs from Arun

  • Rural Distress, Farmer Suicides, Drought Measures

  • Net Neutrality & The Debate Around It

  • Black Money – Domestic and International Efforts

    Are there any provisions in UN which can help us chase black money?

    United Nations Convention Against Corruption

    Yes, there are a few. And they might help us get black money back in India. Let’s look at the history of such negotiations to learn more about them and hone your understanding for Probable questions for IAS Mains.

    1. Tough negotiations on this subject in Vienna, Austria, in 2003 was a vital part of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC).
    2. The first breakthrough came when the group established asset recovery as a “fundamental principle” of the convention.
    3. Then it was only a matter of laying a framework, in both civil and criminal law, for tracing, freezing, forfeiting and returning funds obtained through corrupt activities.
    4. What did the convention accomplish? Legal obstacles should be tackled with international cooperation rather than by domestic laws.
    5. Some of the relevant provisions of the convention are crucial to the question of recovery of assets.
    6. It provides that each state party shall take such measures as may be necessary to permit its competent authorities to give effect to an order of confiscation issued by a court of another state party.They are also required to share information with the competent authorities of another state, when necessary, to investigate, claim and recover proceeds of offences.

    The UN, through its Office on Drugs and Crime, which leads the fight against illicit drugs and international crime, has been given the responsibility to implement the convention, particularly its assets recovery provisions.

    Refining India’s approach

    1. In the case of India, difficulties may have arisen not in establishing that the sums amassed abroad belong to India, but in proving that the assets were illegally obtained.
    2. There is a need of domestic management and disposal of seized and confiscated assets and the management of the return and disposal of assets recovered in the context of international corruption cases.

  • Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act

  • Cashless Society – Digital Payments, Demonetization, etc.

    In this article we will explain what Cashless economy is, what are the major advantages of cashless economy and what challenges India will face in moving towards a cashless economy.

    • What is a cashless economy?
    • Benefits of Cashless economy
    • Challenges in making India a cashless economy
    • Steps taken by RBI and Government to discourage use of cash
    • What else needs to be done?

    Introduction

    India continues to be driven by the use of cash; less than 5% of all payments happen electronically however the finance minister, in 2016 budget speech, talked about the idea of making India a cashless society, with the aim of curbing the flow of black money.

    Even the RBI has also recently unveiled unveiled a document — “Payments and Settlement Systems in India: Vision 2018” — setting out a plan to encourage electronic payments and to enable India to move towards a cashless society or economy in the medium and long term.

    What is a cashless economy and where does India stand?

    • A cashless economy is one in which all the transactions are done using cards or digital means. The circulation of physical currency is minimal.
    • India uses too much cash for transactions. The ratio of cash to gross domestic product is one of the highest in the world—12.42% in 2014, compared with 9.47% in China or 4% in Brazil.
    • Less than 5% of all payments happen electronically
    • The number of currency notes in circulation is also far higher than in other large economies. India had 76.47 billion currency notes in circulation in 2012-13 compared with 34.5 billion in the US.
    • Some studies show that cash dominates even in malls, which are visited by people who are likely to have credit cards, so it is no surprise that cash dominates in other markets as well.

    source

    Benefits of Cashless economy

    • Reduced instances of tax avoidance because it is financial institutions based economy where transaction trails are left.
    • It will curb generation of black money
    • Will reduce real estate prices because of curbs on black money as most of black money is invested in Real estate prices which inflates the prices of Real estate markets
    • In Financial year 2015, RBI spent Rs 27 billion on just the activity of currency issuance and management. This could be avoided if we become cashless society.
    • It will pave way for universal availability of banking services to all as no physical infrastructure is needed other than digital.
    • There will be greater efficiency in welfare programmes as money is wired directly into the accounts of recipients. Thus once money is transferred directly into a beneficiary’s bank account, the entire process becomes transparent. Payments can be easily traced and collected, and corruption will automatically drop, so people will no longer have to pay to collect what is rightfully theirs.
    • There will be efficiency gains as transaction costs across the economy should also come down.
    • 1 in 7 notes is supposed to be fake, which has a huge negative impact on economy, by going cashless, that can be avoided.
    • Hygiene – Soiled, tobacco stained notes full of germs are a norm in India. There are many such incidents in our life where we knowingly or unknowingly give and take germs in the form of rupee notes. This could be avoided if we move towards Cashless economy.
    • In a cashless economy there will be no problem of soiled notes or counterfeit currency
    • Reduced costs of operating ATMs.
    • Speed and satisfaction of operations for customers, no delays and queues, no interactions with bank staff required.
    • A Moody’s report pegged the impact of electronic transactions to 0.8% increase in GDP for emerging markets and 0.3% increase for developed markets because of increased velocity of money

    An increased use of credit cards instead of cash would primarily enable a more detailed record of all the transactions which take place in the society, allowing more transparency in business operations and money transfers.

    This will eventually have the following chain effect:

    1. Improvement in credit access and financial inclusion, which will benefit the growth of SMEs in the medium/long run.
    2. Reduce tax avoidance and money laundering thanks to the higher traceability of all the transactions.
    3. The increased use of credit cards will definitely reduce the amount of cash that people will carry and as a consequence, reduce the risk and the cost associated with that.

    Challenges in making India a cashless economy

    • Availability of internet connection and financial literacy.
    • Though bank accounts have been opened through Jan Dhan Yojana, most of them are lying un operational. Unless people start operating bank accounts cashless economy is not possible.
    • There is also vested interest in not moving towards cashless economy.
    • India is dominated by small retailers. They don’t have enough resources to invest in electronic payment infrastructure.
    • The perception of consumers also sometimes acts a barrier. The benefit of cashless transactions is not evident to even those who have credit cards. Cash, on the other hand, is perceived to be the fastest way of transacting for 82% of credit card users. It is universally believed that having cash helps you negotiate better.
    • Most card and cash users fear that they will be charged more if they use cards. Further, non-users of credit cards are not aware of the benefits of credit cards.
    • Indian banks are making it difficult for digital wallets issued by private sector companies to be used on the respective bank websites. It could be restrictions on using bank accounts to refill digital wallets or a lack of access to payment gateways. Regulators will have to take a tough stand against such rent-seeking behaviour by the banks.

    Steps taken by RBI and Government to discourage use of cash

    • Licensing of Payment banks
    • Government is also promoting mobile wallets.Mobile wallet allows users to instantly send money, pay bills, recharge mobiles, book movie tickets, send physical and e-gifts both online and offline. Recently, the RBI had issued certain guidelines that allow the users to increase their limit to Rs 1,00,000 based on a certain KYC verification
    • Promotion of e-commerce by liberalizing the FDI norms for this sector.
    • Government has also launched UPI which will make Electronic transaction much simpler and faster.
    • Government has also withdrawn surcharge, service charge on cards and digital payments

    What else needs to be done?

    • Open Bank accounts and ensure they are operationalized.
    • Abolishment of government fees on credit card transactions; reduction of interchange fee on card transactions; increase in taxes on ATM withdrawals.
    • Tax rebates for consumers and for merchants who adopt electronic payments.
    • Making Electronic payment infrastructure completely safe and secure so that incidents of Cyber crimes could be minimized and people develop faith in electronic payment system.
    • Create a culture of saving and faith in financial system among the rural poor.
    • The Reserve Bank of India too will have to come to terms with a few issues, from figuring out what digital payments across borders means for its capital controls to how the new modes of payment affect key monetary variables such as the velocity of money.
    • RBI will also have to shed some of its conservatism, part of which is because it has often seen itself as the protector of banking interests rather than overall financial development.
    • The regulators also need to keep a sharp eye on any potential restrictive practices that banks may indulge in to maintain their current dominance over the lucrative payments business.

    Though it will take time for moving towards a complete cashless economy, efforts should be made to convert urban areas as cashless areas. As 70% of India’s GDP comes from urban areas if government can convert that into cashless it will be a huge gain. Therefore different trajectories need to be planned for migration to cashless for those having bank account and for those not having.

    References:

  • Food Safety Standards – FSSAI, food fortification, etc.

    Food Safety Regulations in India and the Way Forward

    From junk food bans to street food regulations, FSSAI has been in news all the year round and most notoriously for the Maggie ban! UPSC does not necessarily goes for the most hot topic in news which is the Maggie ban in this context but this whole episode opens up a hitherto unknown organisation to us – The FSSAI.

    And what must a worthy IAS aspirant do? Study the ins and outs of this organisation – food safety regulations – its latest victories and controversies! And that’s not it, one more reason which makes this topic important is the declaration of the World Health Day’s 2015 theme – Food Safety.

    So, what all have been the cases of FSSAI activism this year? For starters, these guys banned junk food in Delhi school canteens!

    1. Acting on a public interest writ petition, the Delhi HC had earlier directed FSSAI to regulate sale of foods high in salt, fats and sugar in and around 50 metres of schools.
    2. Court also directed CBSE to consider including the adherence to these guidelines while giving affiliation to the schools.
    3. The draft guidelines suggested creation of a canteen policy and education program to inform students and parents of link between ‘High in fats, salt & sugar’ (HFSS) foods and non-communicable diseases like obesity, hypertension, diabetes etc.

    But what was the need to do this? Glad you wondered!

    A study published in the noted medical journal Lancet says India is just behind US and China in this global hazard list of top 10 countries with highest number of obese people.

    Fair enough, what about the street food that we devour?

    This is where CSE came in and presented a case for regulation on the street food. They want the agencies to:

    1. Strengthen the implementation and enforcement of the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSS) .
    2. Improve food testing laboratory infrastructure and skills.
    3. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) should set maximum residual limits for antibiotic residues in chicken etc.
    4. Set a national level disease surveillance and public alert system.

     

    All this is well and fine but you probably still want to know what happened with the Maggi case? More particularly, what was the issue with MSG (Ajinomoto)!

    Here’s all that we could find on the MSG/ Ajinimoto issue. UPSC Might not ask a direct question but can probably check you on a quick objective (IAS 2016) or you can use this as a quick criticism point on FSSAI’s propensity to escalate issues!

    Some major criticisms that came in the way of FSSAI:

    1. It is time we wake up and work on a science-based approach and move forward rapidly.
    2. If we have periodical evaluation in aviation for pilots, why not for analysts who test our food?
    3. Ideally, scientists should be involved in monitoring at every stage, including sampling protocols, setting standards, and testing and simulation.
    4. The state labs are short of analytical personnel and ill-equipped to perform to capacity as compared to private labs which are approved by FSSAI.

     

    Published with inputs from Sumer.