Mains Ready By December. Smash Mains & Smash PYQ Admissions Open
Talk to Mentor

Civilsdaily

GS Paper: GS3-15.Science and Technology- Developments and their Applications and Effects in Everyday Life.

  • Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT)

    In Chile’s dry Atacama Desert, stargazers are scanning the clear night skies to detect the existence of life on other planets and study so-called ‘dark energy’. Central to the race to peer into distant worlds is the GMT.

    Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT)

    ⦁ The GMT is a ground-based extremely large telescope under construction.
    ⦁ It is US-led in partnership with Australia, Brazil, and South Korea, with Chile as the host country.
    ⦁ It will consist of seven 8.4 m (27.6 ft) diameter primary segments, that will observe optical and near infrared (320–25000 nm) light.
    ⦁ It will have the resolving power of a 24.5 m (80.4 ft) primary mirror and collecting area equivalent to a 22.0 m (72.2 ft) one which is about 368 square meters.
    ⦁ It is expected to have a resolving power 10 times greater than the Hubble Space Telescope.

    UPSC 2022 countdown has begun! Get your personal guidance plan now! (Click here)

    Bakc2Basics: Hubble Space Telescope

    ⦁ The Hubble Space Telescope is a space telescope that was launched into low Earth orbit in 1990 and remains in operation.
    ⦁ It was not the first space telescope, but it is one of the largest and most versatile, renowned both as a vital research tool and as a public relations boon for astronomy.
    ⦁ It is said to be the “most significant advance in astronomy since Galileo’s telescope.
    ⦁ It captures images of deep space playing a major role in helping astronomers understand the universe by observing the most distant stars, galaxies and planets.

  • South Asia’s emerging digital transformation

    Context

    COVID-19 has forced South Asia to take a quantum leap in digitalisation, which will help shape its future prosperity.

    Spike in digitisation due to Covid

    • In India, COVID-19 accelerated the launch of the National Digital Health Mission, enhancing the accessibility and the efficiency of health-care services by creating a unique health ID for every citizen.
    • Pandemic accelerated South Asia’s embrace of e-commerce, boosted by digital payment systems.
    • Bangladesh alone witnessed an increase of 70-80% in online sales in 2020, generating $708.46 million in revenues.
    • Even smaller nations such as Nepal recording almost an 11% increase in broadband Internet users.

    The dangers of a digital divide

    • A wide digital divide persists in access and affordability, between and within the countries of South Asia.
    • Despite having the world’s second-largest online market, 50% of India’s population are without Internet with 59% for Bangladesh and 65% for Pakistan.
    • This divide could permanently put children out of school, place girls at risk of early marriage, and push poor children into child labour costing economies billions of dollars in future earnings.
    • Businesses too have paid a heavy price for the gap in digital solutions, whereby many South Asian firms failing to embrace e-commerce or other cloud-based technologies to survive the financial chaos of the novel coronavirus pandemic.

    Asian digitalisation

    • Digital transformation is a global imperative with the adoption of advanced technologies.
    • At the forefront of Asian digitalisation are countries such as Singapore, Japan, and South Korea recognised as global technological hubs.
    • The digital boom in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) economies is pushing a “common market” initiative, fostering regional economic integration and enhancing global competitiveness.
    • South Asia has also made significant strides in the adoption of digital technologies such as the Digital Bangladesh Vision 2021.

    How digitalisation can help South Asia?

    • The region still has a long way to go.
    • Jobs in e-commerce: E-commerce could drive the post-pandemic growth in South Asia, providing new business opportunities and access to larger markets.
    • In India, e-commerce could create a million jobs by 2030 and be worth $200 billion by 2026.
    • Growth driven by Fintech: Fintech could drive significant growth and reduce poverty by building financial inclusion.
    • Increase in productivity: A timely, inclusive, and sustainable digital transformation can not only bolster productivity and growth but also serve as a panacea for some of the region’s socio-economic divides.

    Steps need to be taken

    • To reap the dividends of digital transformation, South Asia needs to address legal, regulatory and policy gaps as well as boost digital skills.
    • Digital infrastructure: A robust digital infrastructure is a sine qua non and there exists a huge financing gap.
    • India alone needs an annual investment of $35 billion to be in the top five global digital economy.
    • Private-public partnership: Public-private partnership needs to be leveraged for the region’s digital infrastructure financing.
    • Regulatory roadblocks need to be addressed as e-commerce regulations are weak in South Asia.
    • Digital literacy: There would be no digital revolution without universal digital literacy.
    • Governments and businesses need to come together to revamp the education system to meet the demand for digital skills and online platforms.
    • Cybersecurity measures: The crossflow of data and personal information calls for stringent cybersecurity measures as many have experienced painful lessons in data privacy during the pandemic.
    • Digital Single Market Proposal: By addressing issues such as regulatory barriers on currency flows inhibiting online payment to transport-related constraints for cross-border e-commerce activities, South Asia can emulate the European Union’s Digital Single Market Proposal.
    • Collaboration: Concerted collaboration at all levels is needed to push South Asia out of stagnancy and towards a digital future of shared prosperity.
    • Partnership for digital revolution: During the pandemic, South Asian nations joined hands to collectively battle the crises by contributing towards a COVID-19 emergency fund, exchanging data and information on health surveillance, sharing research findings, and developing an online learning platform for health workers.
    • If the eight nations (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Maldives, Pakistan and Sri Lanka) can start walking the talk, partnership for a successful digital revolution is plausible.

    Conclusion

    A shared “digital vision” could place the region on the right track towards the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

  • The future of nuclear energy

    Context

    Bill Gates recently announced the decision to launch his own nuclear reactor with an eye on the possibility of exporting fast breeder reactors to power-hungry nations.

    About the Gates plan

    • TerraPower, the nuclear company founded by Mr. Gates, has just announced an agreement with private funders, including Warren Buffett, and the State of Wyoming, U.S. to site its Natrium fast reactor demonstration project there.
    • Moreover, since it falls within the “advanced” small modular reactor project of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the Department will subsidise the project to the extent of $80 million this year.
    •  Mr. Gates believes that the fast breeder reactors will replace the current reactors.
    • The DOE and other nuclear enthusiasts also believe that small, factory-built, modular reactors will be cheaper and safer, and will be so attractive to foreign buyers.

    The impact of Fukushima Daiichi accident on nuclear power situation

    • The Fukushima Daiichi accident in Japan on March 11, 2011 completely transformed the nuclear power situation.
    • Countries phased out nuclear power: As the global community turned its attention to strengthening nuclear safety, several countries opted to phase out nuclear power. 
    • The nuclear industry was at a standstill except in Russia, China and India.
    • Liability clause in India: Even in India, the expected installation of imported reactors did not materialise because of our liability law and the anti-nuclear protests in proposed locations.
    • India had to go in for more indigenous reactors to increase the nuclear component of its energy mix.

    Regaining place as a climate-friendly energy option

    • Two factors have contributed to the emergence of nuclear power as a climate-friendly energy option once again after the Fukushima Daiichi accident:-
    • 1) Intensive efforts to strengthen nuclear safety, and
    • 2) Threat of global warming is becoming ever more apparent.
    • Countries such as Japan and Germany reopened their reactors to produce energy.
    • Organisations such as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the International Energy Agency (IEA) recognise the ability of nuclear power to address major global challenges.

    Challenges ahead

    • Delay in adoption: Even as IPCC and IEA recognise the importance of nuclear power, it remains uncertain whether the value of this clean, reliable and sustainable source of energy will achieve its full potential any time soon.
    • Policy and financing framework issue: In some major markets, nuclear power lacks a favourable policy and financing framework that recognise its contributions to climate change mitigation and sustainable development.
    • Without such a framework, nuclear power will struggle to deliver on its full potential, even as the world remains as dependent on fossil fuels.

    Concerns with Gates plan

    • Proliferation risk: TerraPower announced in March that Natrium would be fuelled with uranium enriched to 20% U-235 rather than explosive plutonium.
    • The critics believe that there will be a rush to make 20% enriched uranium world wide.
    • The main objection to nuclear enrichment beyond a point in Iran arises from the fact that it would lead to weapon-grade uranium being available for them.
    • Facilitates the production of material used as nuclear explosives: The other objection being raised against is that the principal reason for preferring fast reactors is to gain the ability to breed plutonium.
    • That is surely what foreign customers will want.
    • The way it is configured, the reactor would make and reuse massive quantities of material that could also be used as nuclear explosives in warheads.
    • Focus on India and China: The opponents of TerraPower believe that India and China will be encouraged in their efforts to develop fast breeder reactors and may even want to buy them from Mr. Gates.
    • India’s fast breeder reactor, which is not subject to international inspections, is seen as capable of feeding the nuclear weapons capability of India.

    Conclusion

    With the threat of global warming due to climate change amplifying with each coming day, the world needs to take a serious relook at the adoption of nuclear technology.

    Back2Basics: What is a fast breeder reactor?

    • This special type of reactor is designed to extend the nuclear fuel supply for electric power generation.
    • Whereas a conventional nuclear reactor can use only the readily fissionable but more scarce isotope uranium-235 for fuel, a breeder reactor employs either uranium-238 or thorium, of which sizable quantities are available.
    • Uranium-238, for example, accounts for more than 99 percent of all naturally occurring uranium.
    • In breeders, approximately 70 percent of this isotope can be utilized for power production.
    • Conventional reactors, in contrast, can extract less than one percent of its energy.

    Natrium fast reactor demonstration project

    • Natrium nuclear power plants represent a significant advance over the light water reactor plants in use today.
    • The Natrium plant uses a sodium-cooled fast reactor as a heat source.
    • This heat from the reactor is carried by molten salt from inside the nuclear island to heat storage tanks outside the reactor building, where it is utilized as needed for generating electricity or industrial processes.
    • The net effect is that the overall plant can load follow, thus increasing the revenue and value of the plant while maintaining the optimum constant reactor power.
    • At the same time the cost of the overall plant is reduced since many of the systems outside of the nuclear island need not be nuclear safety grade.
    • The Natrium reactor enables these abilities because it operates in much higher temperature regimes than the light water reactor, thus pairing well to the temperature requirements of the molten salt heat transfer medium.

  • [pib] NAFED launches Fortified Rice Bran Oil

    The Department of Food and Public Distribution today E-launched “NAFED Fortified Rice Bran Oil”.

    Rice Bran Oil

    • Rice bran oil is the oil extracted from the hard outer brown layer of rice called chaff (rice husk).
    • It is known for its high smoke point of 232 °C (450 °F) and mild flavor, making it suitable for high-temperature cooking methods such as stir-frying and deep-frying.
    • It is popular as a cooking oil in the Indian subcontinent.
    • It has a composition similar to that of peanut oil, with 38% monounsaturated, 37% polyunsaturated, and 25% saturated fatty acids.
    • It is generally safe for consumption for most people when used in moderate amounts. However excessive usage of rice bran oil can lead to stomach discomfort.

    What is NAFED oil?

    • Rice Bran oil from NAFED will be fortified and it will be ensured that it will contain additional nutrients and vitamins.
    • This Rice bran oil will be marketed by NAFED (National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd).
    • According to the FSSAI, fortified oil can help a person fulfill 25-30% of the recommended dietary intake for vitamins A and D.
    • NAFED Fortified Rice Bran Oil will be available at all NAFED Stores and also on various online platforms.

    Benefits of the NAFED oil

    • This initiative will significantly reduce the country’s consumption dependence on imported edible oil in the future.
    • This will provide opportunities for Indian edible oil manufacturers further, and also will give an impetus to the Aatmnirbhar Bharat initiative.
    • It will provide easy access to NAFED branded high-quality rice bran oil, which will also give a boost to the indigenous oil manufacturing industry.

    Health benefits of rice bran oil

    • Rice Bran oil has multiple health benefits, including lowering cholesterol levels due to its low trans-fat content and high monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat contents.
    • It also acts as a booster and reduces the risk of cancer due to the high amount of Vitamin E it contains.
    • This oil is recommended by The American Heart Association and the World Health Organization (WHO) as one of the best substitutes for other edible oils.

    About NAFED

    • NAFED is an apex organization under the Ministry of Agriculture that deals with marketing cooperatives for agricultural produce in India.
    • It is registered under the Multi-State Co-operative Societies Act.
    • It was set up with the object to promote Cooperative marketing of agricultural produce to benefit the farmers.
    • Agricultural farmers are the main members of NAFED, who have the authority to say in the form of members of the General Body in the working of NAFED.

  • Lawsuit against 5G and the debate around

    A notable actor has filed a lawsuit in the Bombay High Court against the 5G telecom technology up-gradation, trial runs for which have started in India now.

    What is 5G technology?

    • 5G or fifth generation is the latest upgrade in the long-term evolution (LTE) mobile broadband networks.
    • It mainly works in 3 bands, namely low, mid and high-frequency spectrum — all of which have their own uses as well as limitations.

    Issues with the rollout

    • However, 5G and its rollout in many countries have been hampered due to fears over health concerns even some conspiracy theories as well, which have tried to link it with the coronavirus among other things.
    • The recent lawsuit is asking questions around the overall impact of 5G and low intensity radiofrequency (RF) electronic magnetic field (EMF) radiation on human health, and its environmental impact as well.
    • These concerns, while not yet proven, have been raised by various scientists before too.

    Arguments raised in the lawsuit

    • It has stated that the ‘radiation’ it will emit will be “extremely harmful and injurious to the health and safety of the people”.
    • While using wireless devices one is in a constant dilemma about “RF radiation from wire-free gadgets and network cell towers”.
    • There is sufficient reason to believe that the radiation is extremely harmful and injurious to the health and safety of the people.
    • It wants the concerned department to certify that 5G technology is safe for humans and also animals and birds.

    Why is 5G essential?

    • 5G promises to revolutionize mobile broadband and is a big generational leap over the existing 4G technology.
    • This new technology will be capable of not just ensuring fast internet on our phones, but also help power IoT (Internet of Things) networks to run connected cars and homes smarter.
    • It will also support the streaming of rich media.

    Rollout status in India

    • 5G has not yet been rolled out in India though some companies have been given a trial spectrum to test 5G technology in the country.
    • Once this is over, it is expected that networks will go live with the 5G bands by the end of this year.
    • The 5G rollout is expected to gather pace in the country by 2022.

    Fear around the impact of 5G radiation on human health

    • The claim is that the more powerful 5G waves will emit more radiation and cause harm to humans as well as other living beings.
    • Also, 5G will require more towers in order to ensure better connectivity, and since it will power more than just our smartphones, it will increase human exposure to such radiation in general.
    • This is an extension of the idea that cellular towers, which emit low-level RF-EMF radiation, are in general damaging our bodies.
    • But radiation from cellphone towers, mobile phones, WiFi routers is typically called non-ionizing radiation like radio waves, microwaves, and optical radiation.
    • RF fields have been classified by WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as possibly carcinogenic to humans (Group 2B).

    Layman understandings over such radiations

    • There’s no doubt that radiation at very high levels, also referred to as ionizing radiation, heats up our tissue and can eventually lead to cancer.
    • This applies to medical devices such as a CT-scan machine or X-ray machine, which emit high-level ionizing radiation.
    • That’s exactly why doctors don’t recommend that you go get a CT scan for every health issue because it does increase unnecessary exposure to radiation.
    • But there are increasing concerns that our smartphones, other WiFi-ready devices such as laptops, and mobile phone towers which also emit low-level RF radiation are damaging our bodies given the constant exposure.

    What WHO has to say?

    • On its page on 5G, the World Health Organization (WHO) says “no adverse health effect has been causally linked with exposure to wireless technologies.”
    • But it also states that “only a few studies have been carried out at the frequencies to be used by 5G.”
    • Given the growing concerns, the WHO is conducting “a health risk assessment from exposure to radio frequencies, covering the entire radiofrequency range, including 5G.”
    • This study will be published by 2022.

  • Emerging crisis of obtaining Helium in India

    India imports helium for its needs and with the U.S. appearing set to cut off exports of helium since 2021, the Indian industry stands to lose out heavily.

    Helium is not just for balloons but it is the key ingredient for India’s high technology and the most sophisticated medical diagnosis.

    Helium on Earth

    • Helium is a chemical element with the symbol He and atomic number 2.
    • It is a colourless, odourless, tasteless, non-toxic, inert, monatomic gas, the first in the noble gas group in the periodic table. Its boiling point is the lowest among all the elements.

    Its discovery

    • In 1906 a young Englishman by the name of Moris Travers arrived in Bangalore, to take up the position of the Director of Indian Institute of Science.
    • Travers extracted helium in small quantity by heating up monazite sand abundantly available in Kerala beach, in a pioneering effort.
    • Dutch physicist Kamerlingh Onnes liquefied Helium by cooling the gas to -270 degrees Celsius.
    • It is known that Onnes collected helium gas from the springs of Bath in Baden Baden, Germany for his liquefaction experiment.

    Helium in India

    • India’s Rajmahal volcanic basin is the storehouse of helium trapped for billions of years, since the very birth of our Earth from the Sun.
    • At present, researchers are mapping the Rajmahal basin extensively for future exploration and harnessing of helium.

    Why India needs Helium?

    • Every year, India imports helium worth Rs 55,000 crores from the U.S. to meet its needs.
    • Helium is used in medicine, scientific research, for blimp inflation, party balloons as well as having welding applications.
    • It finds many applications, mainly in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, in rockets and in nuclear reactors.

    US monopoly in Helium

    • The U.S. became the most important exporter of helium across the world.
    • It was soon realized that the U.S. was also the biggest storehouse of helium.
    • The US is now planning to switch off the export of helium from 2021.
    • Qatar is a possible exporter but acute political and diplomatic wrangles have made Qatar unreliable.

  • [pib] What is Artificial Photosynthesis?

    Scientists have found a method to mimic nature’s own process of reducing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, namely photosynthesis, to capture excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

    Artificial Photosynthesis

    • Artificial photosynthesis (AP) is a chemical process that mimics the natural process of photosynthesis to convert sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide into carbohydrates and oxygen.
    • The term artificial photosynthesis is commonly used to refer to any scheme for capturing and storing the energy from sunlight in the chemical bonds of fuel (a solar fuel).
    • Photocatalytic water splitting converts water into hydrogen and oxygen and is a major research topic of artificial photosynthesis.
    • Light-driven carbon dioxide reduction is another process studied that replicates natural carbon fixation.

    Try this PYQ:

    Which of the following adds/add carbon dioxide to the carbon cycle on the planet Earth?

    1. Volcanic action
    2. Respiration
    3. Photosynthesis
    4. Decay of organic matter

    Select the correct answer using the code given below:

    (a) 1 and 3 only

    (b) 2 only

    (c) 1, 2 and 4 only

    (d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

    Challenges in AP

    • Research on this topic includes the engineering of enzymes and photoautotrophic microorganisms for microbial biofuel and biohydrogen production from sunlight.
    • This AP harnesses solar energy and converts the captured carbon dioxide to carbon monoxide (CO), which can be used as a fuel for internal combustion engines.
    • In AP, scientists are essentially conducting the same fundamental process in natural photosynthesis but with simpler nanostructures.
    • However, there are plenty of hurdles to overcome as a successful catalyst to carry out AP.

    What have Indian researchers achieved?

    • Indian researchers have designed and fabricated an integrated catalytic system based on a metal-organic framework (MOF-808) comprising of a photosensitizer that can harness solar power and a catalytic centre that can eventually reduce CO2.
    • A photosensitizer is a molecule that absorbs light and transfers the electron from the incident light into another nearby molecule.
    • The scientists have immobilized a photosensitizer, which is a chemical called ruthenium bipyridyl complex ([Ru (bpy)2Cl2]) and a catalytic part which is another chemical called rhenium carbonyl complex ([Re(CO)5Cl]).
    • They have fabricated it inside the nano space of a metal-organic framework for artificial photosynthesis.

    Outcomes of the research

    • The developed catalyst exhibited excellent visible-light-driven CO2 reduction to CO with more than 99% selectivity.
    • The catalyst also oxidizes water to produce oxygen (O2).
    • The Photocatalytic assembly, when assessed for CO2 reduction under direct sunlight in a water medium without any additives, showed superior performance of CO production.
    • Being heterogeneous, the integrated catalytic assembly can be reused for several catalytic cycles without losing its activity.

    Back2Basics:  Photosynthesis

    • It is the process by which green plants and certain other organisms transform light energy into chemical energy.
    • It is a process used by plants and other organisms to convert light energy into chemical energy that, through cellular respiration, can later be released to fuel the organism’s metabolic activities.
    • This chemical energy is stored in carbohydrate molecules, such as sugars, which are synthesized from carbon dioxide and water – hence the name photosynthesis.

  • Imparting direction to science in India

    The article elaborates on the various aspect of the 5th Science Policy.

    Scientific publication from India and issues with it

    • From the report published by the National Science Foundation of the U.S. in December 2019, India was the third-largest publisher of peer-reviewed science and engineering journal articles and conference papers, with 135,788 articles in 2018.
    • This milestone was achieved through an average yearly growth rate of 10.73% from 2008, which was greater than China’s 7.81%.
    • However, China and the United States had about thrice and twice the number, respectively, of India’s publications.
    • Also, the publications from India are not impactful.
    • From the report, in the top 1% of the most cited publications from 2016 (called HCA, or Highly Cited Articles), India’s index score of 0.7 is lower than that of the U.S., China and the European Union.
    • An index score of 1 or more is considered good.
    • The inference for India is that the impact, and hence the citation of publications from India, should improve.

    Patents filed by India

    • The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) through their Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) is the primary channel of filing international patent applications.
    • In its report for 2019, WIPO says India filed a modest number of 2,053 patent applications.
    • Compared to the 58,990 applications filed by China and 57,840 by the U.S., India has a long way to go.
    • The Indian Government put in place the National Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Policy in 2016 to “stimulate a dynamic, vibrant and balanced intellectual property rights system”.
    • One of the objectives is human capital development.
    • The mission to foster innovation, replicate it at scale and commercialise it is a work in progress consequent to the policy.

    India’s Science Policies

    • There have been four science policies till now, after 1947, with the draft of the fifth policy having been released recently.
    • India’s first science policy adopted in 1958.
    • It led to the establishment of many research institutes and national laboratories, and by 1980.
    • The focus in the second science policy, Technology Policy Statement, in 1983, was technological self-reliance and to use technology to benefit all sections of the society.
    • The Science and Technology Policy 2003, the first science policy after the economic liberalisation of 1991, aimed to increase investment in research and development and brought it to 0.7%.
    • The Scientific and Engineering Research Board (SERB) was established to promote research.
    • In 2013, India’s science policy included Innovation in its scope and was called Science, Technology and Innovation Policy.
    • The focus was to be one of the top five global scientific leaders, which India achieved.

    What 5th science policy seeks to achieve

    • The draft of the Science, Technology and Innovation Policy 2020 (STIP2020)  has an ambitious vision to “double the number of full-time equivalent (FTE) researchers, Gross Domestic Expenditure on R&D (GERD) and private sector contribution to the GERD every 5 years” .
    • It also aims to “position India among the top three scientific superpowers in the next decade”.
    • It also defines strategies to improve funding for and participation in research. India’s Gross Domestic Expenditure on R&D (GERD) is currently around 0.6% of GDP.
    • This is quite low when compared to the investments by the U.S. and China which are greater than 2% and Israel’s GERD is more than 4%.
    • The policy seeks to define strategies that are “decentralized, evidence-informed, bottom-up, experts-driven, and inclusive”.

    Solutions to improve funding

    • STIP2020 defines solutions to improve funding thus: all States to fund research, multinational corporations to participate in research, fiscal incentives and support for innovation in medium and small scale enterprises.
    • The new measures should not become a pretext to absolve the Union and State governments of their primacy in funding research; the government should invest more into research.

    Other critical focus areas

    • 1) Other critical focal areas ar inclusion of under-represented groups of people in research.
    • 2) Support for indigenous knowledge systems.
    • 3) Using artificial intelligence.
    • 4) Reaching out to the Indian scientific diaspora for collaboration.
    • 5) Science diplomacy with partner countries.
    • 6) Setting up a strategic technology development fund to give impetus to research.

    Conclusion

    More specific directives and implementation with a scientific temper without engaging in hyperbole will be key to the policy’s success; and its success is important to us because, as Carl Sagan said, “we can do science, and with it we can improve our lives”.

  • 5G Technology and India’s preparedness

     

    The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has sought inputs from telcos and other industry experts on the sale and use of radiofrequency spectrum over the next 10 years, including the 5G bands.

    Try this PYQ:

    Q. In India, which of the following review the independent regulators in sectors like telecommunications, insurance, electricity, etc.?

    1. Ad Hoc Committees set up by the Parliament
    2. Parliamentary Department Related Standing Committees
    3. Finance Commission
    4. Financial Sector Legislative Reforms Commission
    5. NITI Aayog

    Select the correct answer using the code given below:

    (a) 1 and 2

    (b) 1, 3 and 4

    (c) 3, 4 and 5

    (d) 2 and 5

    What is 5G technology?

    • 5G or fifth generation is the latest upgrade in the long-term evolution (LTE) mobile broadband networks.
    • It mainly works in 3 bands, namely low, mid and high-frequency spectrum — all of which have their own uses as well as limitations.

    Three bands of 5G

    • The low band spectrum has shown great promise in terms of coverage and speed of internet and data exchange, the maximum speed is limited to 100 Mbps (Megabits per second).
    • This means that while telcos can use and install it for commercial cellphones users who may not have specific demands for very high-speed internet, the low band spectrum may not be optimal for specialised needs of the industry.
    • The mid-band spectrum, on the other hand, offers higher speeds compared to the low band but has limitations in terms of coverage area and penetration of signals.
    • Telcos and companies, which have taken the lead on 5G, have indicated that this band may be used by industries and specialised factory units for building captive networks that can be moulded into the needs of that particular industry.
    • The high-band spectrum offers the highest speed of all the three bands, but has extremely limited coverage and signal penetration strength.
    • Internet speeds in the high-band spectrum of 5G have been tested to be as high as 20 Gbps (gigabits per second), while, in most cases, the maximum internet data speed in 4G has been recorded at 1 Gbps.

    Where does India stand in the 5G technology race?

    • On par with the global players, India had, in 2018, planned to start 5G services as soon as possible, with an aim to capitalize on the better network speeds and strength that the technology promised.
    • Indian private telecom players have been urging the DoT to lay out a clear road map of spectrum allocation and 5G frequency bands so that they would be able to plan the rollout of their services accordingly.
    • One big hurdle, however, is the lack of flow of cash and adequate capital with some companies due to their AGR dues.

    Global progress on 5G

    • More than governments, global telecom companies have started building 5G networks and rolling it out to their customers on a trial basis.
    • In countries like the US, some companies have taken the lead when it comes to rolling out commercial 5G for their users.
    • A South Korean company, which had started researching on 5G technology way back in 2011, has, on the other hand, take the lead when it comes to building the hardware for 5G networks for several companies.

  • Progression to electric vehicles: Challenges and opportunities for India

    Article highlight India’s preparedness for the faster adoption of electric vehicles and steps taken by the government in this direction.

    Why electric mobility matters for India

    • It is important for India because such vehicles are sustainable and profitable in the long term.
    • Reducing dependence on crude oil will save the government money, reduce carbon emissions, and build domestic energy independence.
    • India’s transition to electric vehicles will allow us to fine-tune our infrastructure.
    • This will also influence India’s foreign policy as our energy security dependence will shift from West Asia to Latin America.
    • India imported 228.6 MT of crude oil worth $120 billion in 2018–19, which made it the third-largest oil importer in the world in terms of value.

    Government policies

    •  Under the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles and its updated (Fame 2) version, the government has allocated $1.3 billion in incentives.
    • A proposal for a $4.6 billion subsidy for battery makers has also been proposed by the NITI Aayog.
    • These policies are embedded with the vision to have 30% electric vehicles plying the roads by 2030.

    Developing domestic  battery manufacturing capacity

    • At present, India’s lithium-ion battery demand is fulfilled by imports from China, Vietnam, and Hong Kong.
    • In the last two years, India’s lithium imports have tripled from $384 mn to $1.2 bn.
    • With its policy intervention to support battery manufacturers by supplying lithium and cobalt, this industry is more likely to grow domestically to support India’s goal to switch to electric mobility.
    • In 2019, NALCO, Hindustan Copper Limited (HCL) and Mineral Exploration Corporation Ltd (MECL) formally signed a joint venture agreement to form Khanij Bidesh India Limited (KABIL) to scout for strategic mineral assets like lithium and cobalt abroad for commercial use and for supplying to meet the domestic requirement for battery manufacturers.
    • Developing domestic battery manufacturing capacity may fundamentally change India’s relationship with resource-rich Latin America as the government plans to buy overseas lithium reserves.
    • In Latin America, most of the production comes from Argentina, Chile, and Bolivia which holds about 80% of the explored lithium of the world.
    • Currently, India’s biggest trading partners in Latin America are Brazil, Mexico, and Venezuela, and majority of trade is concentrated on crude oil which includes 14%-20% of India’s total crude oil imports.
    • This may soon shift to lithium and cobalt.

    Conclusion

    The Indian government’s initiation to take the front seat in electric mobility and preemptive action to send a high-level delegation to have a precise understanding of the availability of lithium and possibilities of joint ventures will supply domestic markets and drive international markets.