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Subject: Basic Sciences

  • 5G revolution and challenges

    5G revolution Context

    • Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently announced that 5G revolution deployment in India will commence sooner than expected.

    What is 5G technology?

    • 5G or fifth generation revolution  is the latest upgrade in the long-term evolution (LTE) mobile broadband networks.
    • 5G enables a new kind of network that is designed to connect virtually everyone and everything together including machines, objects, and devices.
    • It’s a unified platform which is much more capable than previous mobile services with more capacity, lower latency, faster data delivery rate and better utilisation of spectrum.

    How it evolved from 1G to 5G?

    • 1G: Launched in the 1980s. Analog radio signals and supported only voice calls.
    • 2G: Launched in the 1990s. Uses digital radio signals and supported both voice and data transmission with a Bandwidth (BW) of 64 Kbps.
    • 3G: Launched in the 2000s. With a speed of 1 Mbps to 2 Mbps it has the ability to transmit telephone signal including digitized voice, video calls and conferencing.
    • 4G: With a peak speed of 100 Mbps-1 Gbps it also enables 3D virtual reality.
    • 5G: with a speed of more than 1Gbps, it is capable of connecting entire world without limits.

    5G revolutionSalient features

    • Capability: 5G will provide much faster mobile broadband service as compared to the previous versions and will provide support to previous services like mission critical communication and the massive Internet Of Things (IoT).
    • Upgraded LTE: 5G is the latest upgrade in the long-term evolution (LTE) mobile broadband networks.
    • Speed: With peak delivering rate of up to 20 Gbps and an average of 100Mbps, it will be much faster as compared to its predecessors. The speed increment is partly achieved partly by using higher-frequency radio waves than previous networks.
    • Capacity: There will be up to 100 x increase in traffic capacity and network efficiency.
    • Spectrum usage: Will provide better usage for every bit of spectrum, from low bands below 1 GHz to high bands.
    • Latency: It’s expected to have lower latency with better instantaneous, real-time access of the data. The 5G, like 4G LTE, also uses Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) but the new 5G NR (New Radio) air interface will enhance OFDM and provide better flexibility in data delivery.


    5G revolutionApplications of 5G technology

    • High-Speed mobile network: 5G will revolutionize the mobile experience with supercharged wireless network. Compared to conventional mobile transmission technologies, voice and high-speed data can be simultaneously transferred efficiently in 5G.
    • Entertainment and multimedia: 5G can provide 120 frames per second, high resolution and higher dynamic range video streaming without interruption. Audiovisual experience will be rewritten after the implementation of the latest technologies powered by 5G wireless. Augmented Reality and virtual Reality services will be better experienced over 5G.
    • Internet of Things: IoT applications collects huge amount of data from millions of devices and sensors and thus requires an efficient network for data collection, processing, transmission, control and real-time analytics which 5G network is a better candidate.

    Interesting facts about 5G

    According to researchers, about 1.5 billion people will have access to 5G by 2024.

    It may not seem like it at present, however, 5G will cover about 40% of the world.

    The security risks introduced BY 5G

    • Increased attack surface: With millions and even billions more connected devices, 5G makes it possible for larger and more dangerous attacks. Current and future vulnerabilities of the existing internet infrastructure are only exacerbated. The risk of more sophisticated botnets, privacy violations, and faster data extraction can escalate with 5G.
    • More IoT, more problems: IoT devices are inherently insecure; security is often not built-in by design. Each insecure IoT device on an organization’s networks represents another potential hole that an attacker can expose.
    • Decreased network visibility: With 5G, our networks will only expand and become more usable by mobile users and devices. This means much more network traffic to manage. But without a robust wide area network (WAN) security solution like Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) in place, companies may not be able to gain the network traffic visibility required to identify abnormalities or attacks.
    • Increased supply chain and software vulnerabilities: Currently and for the foreseeable future, 5G supply chains are limited. Vulnerabilities exist — particularly as devices are rushed to market — increasing the potential for faulty and insecure components. Compared to traditional mobile networks, 5G is also more reliant on software, which elevates the risk of exploitation of the network infrastructure.

    Challenges in rolling out 5G

    • Enabling critical infrastructures: 5G will require a fundamental change to the core architecture of the communication system. The major flaw of data transfer using 5G is that it can’t carry data over longer distances. Hence, even 5G technology needs to be augmented to enable infrastructure.
    • Financial liability on consumers: For transition from 4G to 5G technology, one has to upgrade to the latest cellular technology, thereby creating financial liability on consumers.
    • Capital Inadequacy: Lack of flow of cash and adequate capital with the suitable telecom companies (like Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea) is delaying the 5G spectrum allocation.

    Way forward

    • India should not miss the opportunity and should proactively work to deploy 5G technology. We should focus on strengthening our cyber infrastructure.
    • 5G start-ups that enable this design and manufacturing capabilities should be promoted. This will spur leaps in the coverage, capacity and density of wireless networks.

    Conclusion

    • The recent recommendation of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India to the government to develop a national road map for India to implement 5G in the best possible manner should include cyber security concerns.

    Mains question

    Q. 5G is already transforming and enhancing connectivity. In this context Discuss India’s preparedness and cybersecurity challenges that needs to be taken care of for earlier roll out of 5G.

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  • What is National Automated Fingerprint Identification System (NAFIS)?

    The Union Home Minister has inaugurated the National Automated Fingerprint Identification System (NAFIS).

    What is NAFIS?

    • NAFIS is developed by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) at the Central Fingerprint Bureau (CFPB) in New Delhi.
    • The project is a country-wide searchable database of crime- and criminal-related fingerprints.
    • The web-based application functions as a central information repository by consolidating fingerprint data from all states and Union Territories.
    • In April this year, Madhya Pradesh became the first state in the country to identify a deceased person through NAFIS.

    Utility of NAFIS

    • It enables law enforcement agencies to upload, trace, and retrieve data from the database in real time on a 24×7 basis.
    • It would help in the quick and easy disposal of cases with the help of a centralised fingerprint database.

    How does it work?

    • NAFIS assigns a unique 10-digit National Fingerprint Number (NFN) to each person arrested for a crime.
    • This unique ID will be used for the person’s lifetime, and different crimes registered under different FIRs will be linked to the same NFN.
    • The 2020 report states that the ID’s first two digits will be that of the state code in which the person arrested for a crime is registered, followed by a sequence number.
    • By automating the collection, storage, and matching of fingerprints, along with digitizing the records of fingerprint data, NAFIS will provide the much-needed unique identifier for every arrested person.
    • It will be included in the CCTNS (Crime and Criminal Tracking Network & Systems) database as both are connected at the backend.

    Is this the first time that such an automation project is being attempted?

    • Upon the recommendations of the National Police Commission in 1986, the Central Fingerprint Bureau first began to automate the fingerprint database.
    • It began with digitizing the existing manual records through India’s first Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFI) in 1992, called Fingerprint Analysis & Criminal Tracing System (FACTS 1.0).
    • The latest iteration, FACTS 5.0, which was upgraded in 2007, was considered to have “outlived its shelf life”, according to a 2018 report by the NCRB and thus needed to be replaced by NAFIS.

    Since when has India relied on fingerprinting as a crime-fighting tool?

    • A system of fingerprinting identification first emerged in colonial India, where it was tested before it spread to Europe and beyond.
    • At first, it was used by British colonial officials for administrative rather than criminal purposes.
    • William Herschel, the chief administrator of the Hooghly district of Bengal, from the late-middle 1800s onwards, used fingerprinting to reduce fraud and forgeries.
    • It then aimed to ensure that the correct person was receiving government pensions, signing land transfer deeds, and mortgage bonds.
    • Anthropometry, the measurement of physical features of the body, was used by officials in India but was soon replaced with a system of fingerprints.

     

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  • Dvorak Technique of Weather Forecasting

    Recently, the American meteorologist Vernon Dvorak passed away at the age of 100 who pioneered the widely used Dvorak Technique.

    Who was Vernon Dvorak?

    • Dvorak was an American meteorologist best credited for developing the Dvorak (read as Do-rak) technique in the early 1970s.
    • The technique helps forecast the tropical storm.
    • His technique has saved the lives of millions of people across the world and will continue to do so.

    What is the Dvorak technique?

    • The Dvorak technique was first developed in 1969 and tested for observing storms in the northwest Pacific Ocean.
    • Forecasters used the available satellite images obtained from polar orbiting satellites to examine the features of the developing tropical storms (hurricanes, cyclones and typhoons).
    • During day time, images in the visible spectrum were used while at night, the ocean would be observed using infrared images.
    • It was a cloud pattern recognition technique based on a concept model of the development and decay of the tropical cyclone.

    Why is technique still widely in use?

    • Unlike land, ocean observations in the 1970s were sparse.
    • Today, there continues to be an improved network of land-based meteorological observations, either in the form of taking manual observations, installing automatic weather stations or automatic rain gauges.
    • On the other hand, ocean observations still remain limited.
    • There are many vast regions across the four oceans that have not been fully examined with meteorological instruments.
    • Ocean observations are mostly taken by deploying buoys or dedicated ships, but the number of observations from the seas is still not sufficient across the world.
    • That is why meteorologists have had to depend more on satellite-based imageries, and combine it with the available ocean-data at the time of forecasting the intensity and wind speed of the tropical cyclones.

     

     

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  • Scientists remain sceptical about how Liquid Nano Urea benefits crops

    Liquid Nano Urea, a fertilizer patented and sold by the Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Ltd. (IFFCO), has been approved by the government for commercial use because of its potential to substantially reduce the import bill, but several experts have questioned the science underlying its efficacy.

    What is Liquid Nano Urea (LNU)?

    • Urea is chemical nitrogen fertiliser, white in colour, which artificially provides nitrogen, a major nutrient required by plants.
    • LNU is essentially urea in the form of a nanoparticle.
    • It is sprayed directly on the leaves and gets absorbed by the plant.
    • Fertilisers in nano form provide a targeted supply of nutrients to crops, as they are absorbed by the stomata, pores found on the epidermis of leaves.
    • According to IFFCO, liquid nano urea contains 4 per cent total nitrogen (w/v) evenly dispersed in water.
    • The size of a nano nitrogen particle varies from 20-50 nm. (A nanometre is equal to a billionth of a metre.)

    Using LNU

    • The liquid nano urea produced by IFFCO Limited comes in a half-litre bottle priced at Rs 240, and carries no burden of subsidy currently.
    • By contrast, a farmer pays around Rs 300 for a 50-kg bag of heavily subsidised urea.
    • According to IFFCO, a bottle of the nano urea can effectively replace at least one bag of urea.

    How efficient is LNU?

    • While conventional urea has an efficiency of about 25 per cent, the efficiency of liquid nano urea can be as high as 85-90 per cent.
    • Conventional urea fails to have the desired impact on crops as it is often applied incorrectly, and the nitrogen in it is vaporized or lost as a gas.
    • A lot of nitrogen is also washed away during irrigation.
    • Liquid nano urea has a shelf life of a year, and farmers need not be worried about “caking” when it comes in contact with moisture.

    Significance of LNU

    • This patented product is expected to not only substitute imported urea, but to also produce better results in farms.
    • Apart from reducing the country’s subsidy bill, it is aimed at reducing the unbalanced and indiscriminate use of conventional urea.
    • It will help increase crop productivity, and reduce soil, water, and air pollution.

    Why in news now?

    • Plants need nitrogen to make protein and they source almost all of it from soil bacteria which live in a plant’s roots and have the ability to break down atmospheric nitrogen, or that from chemicals such as urea into a form usable by plants.
    • Chemically packaged urea is 46% nitrogen, which means a 45-kg sack contains about 20 kg of nitrogen.
    • Contrastingly, nano urea sold in 500-ml bottles has only 4% nitrogen (or around 20 g).
    • How this can compensate for the kilograms of nitrogen normally required puzzles scientists.

     

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  • What causes Rainbow Clouds (Cloud Iridescence)?

    Last week, pictures of an unusually-shaped rainbow cloud that appeared over China were widely shared on social media.

    What is the news?

    • The cloud in question resembles a pileus cloud.
    • Such phenomenon of bright colours appearing on a cloud is called cloud iridescence.

    What is a Pileus Cloud?

    • A pileus cloud is usually formed over a cumulus or cumulonimbus cloud.
    • It is formed when the base cloud pushes a moist current of air upwards and the water vapour from the current condenses to somewhat resemble wave-like crests, or umbrellas.
    • In popular western culture, it is called as an “accessory cloud” that is “rather like a cloud haircut”.
    • A pileus cloud is transient in nature and lasts barely for a few minutes, making it difficult, and at the same time, exciting, to spot.

    What is cloud iridescence?

    • Cloud iridescence or Irisation is an optical phenomenon that mostly occurs in wave-like clouds, including pileus and Altocumulus lenticularis.
    • Iridescence in clouds means the appearance of colours on clouds, which can either be in the form of parallel bands like in a rainbow, or mingled in patches.
    • In ancient Greek mythology, Iris is the goddess of rainbow. “Irisation”, the phenomenon of rainbow-like colours in clouds, is derived from her name.

    What is a photometeor?

    • Iridescence of clouds is a photometeor.
    • It is an optical phenomenon produced by the reflection, refraction, diffraction or interference of sunlight.

    What causes cloud iridescence?

    • In pileus clouds, small water droplets or ice crystals, usually of a similar size, diffract the sunlight falling on them.
    • The thinness of the cloud ensures more exposure to sunlight for each water droplet or ice crystal.
    • To ensure its wave crest-like appearance, water droplets or ice crystals in these clouds are always moving – droplets form at one side of the cloud and evaporate from the other end – and hence these clouds remain small and thin since the droplets have no way of combining and growing in size.
    • In its International Cloud Atlas, the World Meteorological Organisation says that iridescence or Irisation is caused by diffraction within 10 degrees from the sun.
    • Beyond ten degrees and up till about 40 degrees, interference of light is the main cause of iridescence.

     

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  • Cervavac: India’s first indigenously developed Vaccine for Cervical Cancer

    Cervavax

    Union Minister of Science and Technology has announced the scientific completion of Cervavac, India’s first indigenously developed quadrivalent human papillomavirus (qHPV) vaccine for the prevention of cervical cancer.

    What is Cervavac?

    • Cervavac was developed by the Pune-based Serum Institute of India in coordination with the Department of Biotechnology (DBT).
    • The project to develop the vaccine was implemented by the then secretary of the DBT, Dr. M K Bhan in 2011.
    • Since then, 30 meetings of scientific advisory groups and site visits conducted by DBT have helped review the scientific merit of the entire journey to develop the vaccine.
    • Cervavac received market authorisation approval from the Drug Controller General of India on July 12 this year.

    What is so unique about Cervavac?

    • HPV vaccines are given in two doses and data has shown that the antibodies that develop after both are administered can last up to six or seven years.
    • Unlike Covid vaccines, booster shots may not be required for the cervical cancer vaccine.
    • Until now, the HPV vaccines available in India were produced by foreign manufacturers at an approximate cost of Rs 2,000 to Rs 3,500 per dose.
    • Cervavac is likely to be significantly cheaper, slated to cost approximately Rs 200 to 400.
    • It has also demonstrated a robust antibody response that is nearly 1,000 times higher than the baseline against all targeted HPV types and in all dose and age groups.

    Significance of the vaccine

    • Despite being largely preventable, cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer among women globally, according to the WHO.
    • In 2018, an estimated 57000 women were diagnosed with the disease and it accounted for 311,000 deaths across the world.

    How common is cervical cancer in India?

    • India accounts for about a fifth of the global burden of cervical cancer, with 1.23 lakh cases and around 67,000 deaths per year.
    • Almost all cervical cancer cases are linked to certain strains of human papillomavirus (HPV), a common virus that is transmitted through sexual contact.
    • The body’s immune system usually gets rid of the HPV infection naturally within two years.
    • However, in a small percentage of people, the virus can linger over time and turn some normal cells into abnormal cells and then cancer.

    How dangerous is cervical cancer?

    • Cervical cancer is preventable if detected early and managed effectively.
    • Screening and vaccination are two powerful tools that are available for preventing cervical cancer.
    • Still, there is little awareness among women about the prevention of this cancer and less than 10% of Indian women get screened.
    • All women aged 30-49 must get screened for cervical cancer even if they have no symptoms and get their adolescent daughters vaccinated with the HPV vaccine.

    What are the challenges?

    • The biggest task will be in allocating adequate resources and manpower for vaccinating the massive demographic of adolescent girls aged between 9 and 15, to ensure that they are protected from HPV early.
    • There is a huge need for stepping up awareness about the disease and the vaccine in the community.
    • Unlike Covid and the vaccination programme, there is very little awareness about cervical cancer.
    • Overall awareness and screening are very low in the community and that is a concern.
    • Since this is a preventable disease and hence a huge awareness programme is required

    Way forward

    • School-based vaccination programmes might work effectively.
    • Currently, none exist and therefore planning will have to be done along those lines.
    • Those accessing public health programmes will get the vaccine free of cost at government-aided schools.
    • However concerted efforts will have to be made to ensure the involvement of private healthcare facilities and NGOs towards an effective rollout.

     

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  • Edible coating to prolong shelf life of fruits and vegetables

    A team of researchers at the IIT — Guwahati has developed an edible coating using marine alga that coated on vegetables and fruits, substantially extends their shelf-life.

    Dunaliella tertiolecta: The Edible coating

    • The team used a mix of an extract of a marine microalga called Dunaliella tertiolecta and polysaccharides to produce it.
    • The microalga is known for its antioxidant properties and has various bioactive compounds such as carotenoids and proteins.
    • It is also used to produce algal oil, a non-animal source of omega-3 fatty acid and is considered a good source of biofuel.
    • After the oil is extracted, the residue is usually discarded.
    • The researchers used extracts from this residue in formulating their film, in combination with chitosan, which is a carbohydrate.
    • It also has antimicrobial and antifungal properties and can be made into an edible film.

    Benefits of this Edible coating

    • The films displayed superior antioxidant activity, thermal stability, mechanical strength, total phenolic content and water vapour barrier property.
    • They also had excellent UV-Vis light-blocking properties.
    • The researchers also tested the biosafety of these coatings.

    Why is it viable?

    • The new coatings can be mass-produced.
    • They are very stable to light, heat, and temperature up to 40C, edible, and can be safely eaten as part of the product formulation and do not add unfavourable properties to it.
    • They retain texture, colour, appearance, flavour and nutritional value.
    • The material can be either directly coated on the vegetables and fruits or made into a vegetable storage pouch.
    • In both cases, the shelf-life of the vegetables can be extended.
    • It is a simple dip coating technique with no significant cost added to the post-harvest processing.

    Economic significance of Edible coating

    • According to the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, between 4.6 and 15.9 per cent of fruits and vegetables go waste post-harvest, partly due to poor storage conditions.
    • In fact, post-harvest loss in certain produce items like potato, onion, and tomato could even be as high as 19%, which results in high prices for this highly consumed commodity.

     

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  • Scientific temper

    Context

    • India has not produced any Nobel Prize winner in science in the last 85 years — largely because of the lack of a scientific environment in the country.

    What is scientific temper?

    • Jawaharlal Nehru coined the term ‘scientific temper’; he defines it as an attitude of logical and rational thinking. An individual is considered to have scientific temper if she employs the scientific method when making decisions.

    Why it is important?

    • Scientific temper is very important for bringing forth a progressive society. It is free from superstitions. Irrational practices in developing the nation are in all aspects like political, economic and social.

    Its components

    • The vital parts of scientific temper are discussion, argument, and analysis. Various elements like fairness, equality, and democracy. The most important characteristic of a scientific temper is: – untiring search for truth with an open mind and spirit of inquiry.

    Constitutional mandate of scientific temper

    • In 1976, the Government of India reemphasised its commitment to cultivate scientific temper through a constitutional amendment (Article 51A).
    • Article 51A in the 42nd Amendment of the Constitution in 1976 says “It shall be the duty of every citizen of Indian to develop the scientific temper, humanism and the spirit of enquiry and reform.”

    Importance of scientific temper in nation building

    • Formation of public policy: Scientific temperament can become a part of the policy formation and plan through analyzing the performance of our nations, especially all the hardships and shortfalls that occurred in the past years.
    • Self -Reliance: There is a relationship between scientific temperament and becoming self-reliant. Our country is becoming self-reliant with the available technology and industrial infrastructure.
    • Quality education: It will help the children to assimilate the knowledge acquired through the practical observations in a scientific framework; thus, laying down a basis for the growth of a scientific perspective in the children.

    scientific temperChallenges before scientific temper

    • Political unwillingness: Most of the policymakers and the politicians to increase their vote banks include the stagnant ideologies and beliefs of the people in their public policies, and the government tends to give away in the popular public opinion rather than try to improve their thinking by including a more scientific approach to the various societal problems.
    • Prevalent orthodoxy: In India, people still have an orthodox ideology and will not adhere to the scientifically obtained solutions.
    • Low budget: Even after seventy years of independence, Indian Scientists are working on tight budgets, and they don’t have resources like other nations for conducting scientific research.
    • Pseudoscience: Pseudoscience is everywhere, whether in denying the science of climate change or the evolution theory that explains the secret of diversity that we see around us.

    Value addition / case study / Innovation

    An IIT Kanpur alumni Mr.Arvind Gupta tries to inculcate a spirit of inquiry among children through toys made from inexpensive everyday items.


    What can be done?

    • Directional efforts: Activities focused on school children can be undertaken like nature walks, visit to museums etc. ‘Science Express’, a collaborative effort of Ministry of railways and Ministry of Environment & Forests & Climate Change, is a progressive step because it provides a platform that can expose children and common people in far-flung areas of the country to scientific aspects of our everday life.
    • Policy initiatives: Children’s Science Congress organized by National Council for Science & Technology Communication (NCSTC) is a good way to encourage scientific temper in children.
    • Public initiative: Civil Society organizations like, Kerala Sastra Sahitya Parishad (KSSP) and Delhi Science Forum, which are People’s Science Movement, can also go a long way in boosting scientific temper amongst the community.
    • From Sensationalism to Sensible Science Journalism:The media must monitor the content to discourage and limit superstition and blind belief.
    • Scientific journalism: Science communicators do the critical job of bridging the gap between science, society, and policymakers. Science journalism should be promoted at the university level. Science agencies should fund science communication activities in their domains.
    • From Exclusive to Inclusive Science: Inequitable participation concerning gender and social diversity must be eliminated. The ‘open source science’ or ‘open science’ movement includes, at the core, open access, open data, open-source, and available standards that offer unfettered dissemination of scientific discourse.
    • Open science: Government has a significant role in facilitating open science and promoting and preserving a free-thinking, open-minded society.

    Conclusion

    • Let’s hope that someday all cultures free themselves from the shackles of blind faith  with science likely to play a major hand in this endeavour. Unto a similar goal, we should celebrate India’s constitutional provision for the scientific temper and vigorously safeguard it.

    Mains question

    Q. The shrinking space for scientific temper in India today is worrisome for some reasons. Do you think so? Identify these reasons and suggest way forward for scientific future of India.

    Discuss the importance of scientific temper, what kind of public culture is needed to advance it? 10 Marks

    Q.4 Explain why superstitious beliefs and practices abound in India. In this context, discuss the importance of inculcating scientific temper to remove superstitions. (10 Marks)

     

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  • Vertical Launch Short Range Surface-to-Air Missile (VL-SRSAM)

    The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Indian Navy has successfully flight-tested the indigenously developed Vertical Launch Short Range Surface-to-Air Missile (VL-SRSAM) from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur off the coast of Odisha.

    What is Vertical Launch Short Range Surface-to-Air Missile (VLSRSAM) ?

    • VL-SRSAM has been designed and developed jointly by three facilities of the DRDO for deployment of Indian Naval warships.
    • The missile has the capability of neutralising various aerial threats at close ranges including sea-skimming targets.
    • The tactic of sea skimming is used by various anti-ship missiles and some fighter jets to avoid being detected by the radars onboard warships.
    • For this, these assets fly as close as possible to sea surface and thus are difficult to detect and neutralise.

    Features of VL-SRSAM

    • The missile has been designed to strike at the high-speed airborne targets at the range of 40 to 50 km and at an altitude of around 15 km.
    • Its design is based on Astra missile which is a Beyond Visual Range Air to Air missile.
    • Two key features of the VL-SRSAM are cruciform wings and thrust vectoring.
    • The cruciform wings are four small wings arranged like a cross on four sides and give the projective a stable aerodynamic posture.
    • The thrust vectoring is an ability to change the direction of the thrust from its engine control the angular velocity and the attitude of the missile.
    • VL-SRSAM is a canisterised system, which means it is stored and operated from specially designed compartments.
    • In the canister, the inside environment is controlled, thus making its transport and storage easier and improving the shelf life of weapons

    Strategic significance of the missile

    • The launch was conducted from a vertical launcher against an electronic target at a very low altitude.
    • The flight path of the vehicle along with health parameters was monitored using a number of tracking instruments deployed by ITR, Chandipur.
    • The successful testing of these systems was crucial for future launches of the missile from Indian Naval Ships.

     

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  • Journey towards innovation

    Context

    • Senior scientist Nallathamby Kalaiselvi was appointed the director general of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), on Saturday, August 6, 2022. This makes her the first woman to head the largest research and development organisation in India, which runs 38 laboratories and institutes, 39 outreach centres, and three innovation centres. 

    What is CSIR?

    • The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, abbreviated as CSIR, was established by the Government of India in September 1942 as an autonomous body that has emerged as the largest research and development organisation in India.
    • CSIR covers a wide spectrum of science and technology – from oceanography, geophysics, chemicals, drugs, genomics, biotechnology and nanotechnology to mining, aeronautics, instrumentation, environmental engineering and information technology.

    Who established it?

    • Dr Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar
    • He was the Founder Director (and later first Director-General) of CSIR who is credited with establishing twelve national laboratories. He played a significant role in the building of post-independent Science and Technology infrastructure and in the formulation of India’s S & T policies

    CSIR’s Vision

    • “Pursue science which strives for global impact, technology that enables innovation – driven industry and nurture trans-disciplinary leadership thereby catalyzing inclusive economic development for the people of India”

    Why CSIR is important?

    • Innovation: Regarding intellectual property, the CSIR has over 2971 patents filed internationally with 1592 patents filed in India. Since its inception in 1942 over 14000 patents have been granted worldwide. It was awarded the National Intellectual Property Award in 2018 by the India Patent Office.
    • Pandemic handling: CSIR identified the unmet needs, assessed its strengths and capabilities for addressing the pandemic and adopted a multi-pronged strategy of working on diagnostics, surveillance, drugs, hospital assistive devices, personal protective equipment and supply chain and logistics. This strategy is now beginning to yield exciting solutions.

    Contribution of CSIR

    Strategic Sector

    • Head-Up-Display (HUD) In high-tech areas, CSIR-NAL made significant contribution by developing indigenous Head-Up- display(HUD) for Indian Light Combat Aircraft, Tejas. HUD aids the pilot in flying the aircraft and in critical flight maneuvers including weapon aiming.
    • Design and Development of Indigenous Gyrotron: Addressing the challenges of technology denial:Design and development of indigenous gyrotron for nuclear fusion reactor has been accomplished.

    Energy & Environment

    • Solar Tree: On July 22nda solar tree designed by CSIR- CMERI lab in Durgapur was  launched which occupies minimum space to produce clean power.
    • Wax Deoiling Technology:Technology developed for recovery of wax developed in collaboration with Engineers India Limited (EIL) and Numaligarh Refinery Ltd., (NRL). Country’s largest wax producing (50,000 metric ton) plant has been commissioned at NRL with investment of over Rs 600 crore.

    Value added Agriculture

    • Medicinal and Aromatic Plants:Enhanced cultivation of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants in the country brought about through development of new varieties and agro-technologies.
    • Samba Mahsuri Rice Variety – Bacterial Blight Resistant:CSIR has in collaboration with DRR (ICAR) and DBT part funding developed an improved bacterial blight resistant Samba Mahsuri variety.
    • Rice Cultivar (Muktashree) for Arsenic Contaminated Areas:A rice variety has been developed which restricts assimilation of Arsenic within permissible limit. The variety has been released to farmers of West Bengal.
    • White-fly resistant Cotton variety:Developed a transgenic cotton line which is resistant to whiteflies. It is expected to render it commercially cultivable in 10 years, after due regulatory clearances.

    Healthcare

    • JD Vaccine for Farm Animals:Vaccine developed and commercialized for Johne’s disease affecting Sheep, Goat, Cow and Buffalo so as to immunize them and increase milk and meat production.
    • Plasma Gelsolin Diagnostic Kit for Premature Births, and Sepsis related Deaths:A new kit is being developed to diagnose pre-mature birth and sepsis.
    • Genomics and other omics technologies for Enabling Medical Decision – GOMED: Genetic diseases, though are individually rare, cumulatively affect a large number of individuals. A programme called GOMED (Genomics and other omics technologies for Enabling Medical Decision) has been developed by the CSIR which provides a platform of disease genomics to solve clinical problems.

      Food & Nutrition

    • Ksheer-scanner: The Ksheer Scanner, a new technological invention by CSIR-CEERI detects the level of milk adulteration and adulterants in 45 seconds at the cost of 10 paise,
    • Double-Fortified Salt:Salt fortified with iodine and iron having improved properties developed and tested for addressing anaemia in people. To be launched in the market soon.
    • Anti-obesity DAG Oil:Oil enriched with Diacylglycerol (DAG) instead of conventional triacylglycerol (TAG) developed. To be launched in the market soon.

    Water

    • Aquifer Mapping of Water Scarce Areas: Heliborne transient electromagnetic and surface magnetic technique based aquifer mapping carried out in six different geological locations in Rajasthan (2), Bihar, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu.
    • Understanding the Special Properties of the Ganga Water:Assessment of Water Quality & Sediment Analysis of Ganga from different parts being done.

    Some of the challenges faced for sustainable growth of R&D in India are

    • Low research professionals: India has an estimated full-time equivalent R&D professional strength of only 150 professionals per million, compared to that of other countries.
    • Low investment: Indian research is mostly skewed towards basic research and lacks in application oriented R&D. The vast majority of organizations would rather go for quick acquisition of technology rather than invest in internal R&D.
    • IPR enforcement: Inadequate enforcement of intellectual property rights (IPR). While India has improved its IPR regime, the protection of intellectual property remains weak in some areas owing to inadequate laws and ineffective enforcement.

    Some positive suggestions to improve innovation

    • Embrace technology: Technologies, such as machine learning, can be used to improve R&D decision-making. Documents need to be filed throughout the R&D process, for example, and the process could be automated to free up employees to do more complex tasks.
    • Invest in innovation hubs: Companies that invest in innovation hubs expand talent and relationships with local universities and startups can support a two-way learning process and faster innovation cycles.
    • Promoting startups: Most radical innovations are coming from startups and more of them are needed. Tilting higher education towards science and encouraging more students to take degrees in science-based subjects can provide the people needed for R&D.

    Conclusion

    India is a strong contender in the field of Global R&D. For India to derive maximum growth and sustainability of R&D, its R&D fundamentals have to be strong and excellent.

    Mains question

    Q.Culture of innovation is needed in national growth in this context discuss what is IPR regime? How CSIR has helped to consolidate it?

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