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Subject: Science and Technology

  • Radio lights from Sun’s Corona

    A group of India scientists have recently discovered tiny flashes of radio light emanating from all over the Sun, which they say could help in explaining the long-pending coronal heating problem.

    Possible prelim question:

    The Murchison Widefield Array (MWA) Telescope recently seen in news is a landmark in observing: Gravitational Waves/Black Holes/Sun’s Corona/ etc..

    What is Sun’s Corona?

    • The corona is the outermost part of the Sun’s atmosphere. It is the aura of plasma that surrounds the Sun and other stars.
    • The Sun’s corona extends millions of kilometres into outer space and is most easily seen during a total solar eclipse, but it is also observable with a coronagraph.
    • Spectroscopy measurements indicate strong ionization in the corona and a plasma temperature in excess of 1000000 Kelvin much hotter than the surface of the Sun.

    Radio lights observed

    • These radio lights or signals result from beams of electrons accelerated in the aftermath of a magnetic explosion on the Sun.
    • While the magnetic explosions are not yet observable, these weak radio flashes are ‘smoking guns’ or the evidence for the same.
    • Hence it brought the researchers closer to explaining the coronal heating problem.

    Their significance

    • These observations are the strongest evidence till date that the tiny magnetic explosions originally referred to as ‘nanoflares’ by eminent American solar astrophysicist Eugene Parker.
    • It is the possible phenomena that could be heating up the corona (the aura of plasma that surrounds the sun and other stars).

    The Murchison Widefield Array (MWA)

    • The phenomenon of coronal heating has been known for the last 70 years, the availability of cutting edge data from the Murchison Widefield Array (MWA) radio telescope proved to be a game-changer.
    • The MWA is a low-frequency radio telescope, located at the Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory (MRO) in Western Australia.
    • The MWA has been developed by an international collaboration, including partners from Australia, New Zealand, Japan, China, India, Canada and the United States.

    Solving the mystery

    • The strength of the magnetic fields varies a lot from one place on the surface of the Sun to another, by more than a factor of 1,000.
    • But the corona is hot everywhere. So, this heating process has to work all over the corona, even in regions of weak magnetic fields.
    • Until now, the process of how this magnetic energy is deposited in the corona had remained a mystery.

  • THAAD defence system

    China has issued a statement reiterating its long-standing objections to the presence of the US THAAD missile defence system in South Korea.

    Try this question from CSP 2018:

    Q. What is “Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD)”, sometimes seen in the news?

    (a) An Israeli radar system

    (b) India’s indigenous anti-missile programme

    (c) An American anti-missile system

    (d) A defence collaboration between Japan and South Korea

    What is THAAD?

    • THAAD is an acronym for Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, a transportable, ground-based missile defence system.
    • It is coupled with space-based and ground-based surveillance stations, which transfer data about the incoming missile and informs the THAAD interceptor missile of the threat type classification.
    • THAAD is alarmed about incoming missiles by space-based satellites with infrared sensors.
    • This anti-ballistic missile defence system has been designed and manufactured by the US company Lockheed Martin. South Korea is not the only country with the THAAD missile defence system.
    • It has been previously deployed in the UAE, Guam, Israel and Romania.

    The South Korea-China controversy over THAAD

    • In South Korea, the THAAD missile defence system is operated by the US army stationed in the country.
    • The US had previously announced that the deployment of this missile defence system was a countermeasure against potential attacks by North Korea, particularly after the country had engaged in testing ballistic missiles.
    • In 2017, matters escalated in the Korean Peninsula after North Korea test-fired a few missiles in the direction of US bases in Japan.
    • Following this incident, the US amended its plans and moved the systems to its army base in Osan, South Korea while the final deployment site was being prepared.
    • These moves by the US and by extension, South Korea, particularly angered China.

    China’s reservations against THAAD

    • China’s opposition has little to do with the missiles itself and is more about the system’s inbuilt advanced radar systems that could track China’s actions.
    • The controversy also has much to do with the geopolitics and complex conflicts in East Asia, with the US having a presence in the region particularly through its many military bases in Japan and South Korea.
    • According to some observers of East Asia, China believes the US exerts influence over South Korea and Japan and may interfere with Beijing’s long-term military, diplomatic and economic interests in the region.
    • The US and South Korea have consistently maintained that these missiles are only to counter potential threats by North Korea.
    • South Korea also issued a statement saying the number of missiles had not increased but had only been replaced with newer versions.

  • Starman Suits in Demo-2 Mission

    NASA’s SpaceX Demo-2 test flight has now been rescheduled for May 31, due to weather conditions. Apart from the test flight itself, what’s getting attention are the spacesuits that the astronauts will wear while travelling in the SpaceX capsule, called Crew Dragon.

    Try this question from CSP 2014:

    Q. Which of the following pair is/are correctly matched?

    Spacecraft Purpose
    1. Cassini-Huygens Orbiting the Venus and transmitting data to the Earth
    2. Messenger Mapping and investigating the Mercury
    3. Voyager 1 and 2 Exploring the outer solar system

    Select the correct answer using the code given below.

    a) 1 only

    b) 2 and 3 only

    c) 1 and 3 only

    d) 1, 2 and 3

    The SpaceX spacesuit

    • The so-called “Starman suits” the astronauts will wear on the Demo-2 mission have been designed by a famous Hollywood costume designer.
    • The SpaceX spacesuits are different from other spacesuits typically worn by astronauts because of their sleek design and are being described as resembling a tuxedo.
    • These spacesuits are meant to be lighter and more flexible, are equipped with touchscreen gloves, have vents that allow astronauts to be cooler while maintaining pressure inside the suit, and have an incorporated helmet and visor.
    • The helmets of these suits are 3D printed with touchscreen-sensitive gloves and the suit is all in one piece, customised for the wearer.

    How are launch-and-entry spacesuits different from EMUs?

    • The SpaceX suits are only meant to be worn inside the space shuttle and are not suitable for carrying out spacewalks.
    • Spacesuits for spacewalks, called Extravehicular Mobility Units (EMUs), are heavier than launch-entry suits (LES) and are already present aboard the ISS.
    • While inside the spacecraft, the atmosphere can be controlled, to explore and work in space, humans require that they take their environment with them because there are atmospheric pressure and no oxygen to sustain life.
    • Such spacesuits – EMUs — are worn for spacewalks or extravehicular activities (EVA) conducted outside a space shuttle.
    • These provide astronauts with oxygen supply and protect them against extreme temperatures, radiation and space dust.

    Back2Basics

    Demo-2 Mission by SpaceX

  • Species in news: Super mushroom “Cordyceps militaris”

    A university in Assam has developed a fungal powder to help people boost their immunity to disease.

    Try this question from CSP 2019:

    Q.) Recently, there was a growing awareness in our country about the importance of Himalayan nettle (Girardinia diversifolia) because it is found to be a sustainable source of

    (a) anti-malarial drug

    (b) bio-diesel

    (c) pulp for paper industry

    (d) textile fibre

    A similar question related to Cordyceps militaris can be asked. UPSC may ask whether it is a Fungi, Algae, a Moss or a Lichen.

    Cordyceps militaris

    • The powder is from a parasitic but rare “super mushroom” called Cordyceps militaris.
    • The militaris underwent powdering through lyophilisation or freeze-drying at –80°C.
    • The earth has more than 400 species of Cordyceps, a fungus parasitic on insects as well as other fungi.
    • Often referred to as a super mushroom, Cordyceps known for its anti-ageing, anti-viral, energy and immunity-boosting effect.
    • Natural Cordyceps is hard to get and if dried, costs at least ₹8 lakh per kg.

  • What is the FAITH’ Trial?

    With the number of COVID-19 patients rising in India, a pharma company has announced a new randomized study to test the combined efficacy of two antiviral drugs under the ‘FAITH Trials’.

    Misleading names: One may get confused over the names given to these clinical trials. The name ‘FAITH’ and ‘Solidarity’ appear more like a judicial trial or some Human Rights violation related trials. UPSC can knock such areas in prelims.

    FAITH Trials

    • The two drugs: Favipiravir and Umifenovir will be tried as a potential COVID-19 treatment strategy.
    • This new combination clinical trial will be called FAITH – (FA vipiravir plus Um I fenovir (efficacy and safety) Trial in Indian Hospital setting).
    • The two antiviral drugs have different mechanisms of action, and their combination may demonstrate improved treatment efficacy by effectively tackling high viral loads in patients during the early stages of the disease.
    • This trial offers a comprehensive antiviral cover on pre-entry and post-entry life-cycle of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

    Dosages under the trial

    • Patients taking the drug will receive Faviprivir 1800 mg bid and Umifenovir 800 mg bid on Day 1.
    • Thereafter, they will receive Faviprivir 800mg bid and Unifenovir 800mg bid for the remaining course of treatment.
    • Duration of treatment will be 14 days and patients will be discharged after clinical cure and two consecutive negative tests.
    • While one group will be receiving Favipiravir and Umifenovir (with standard supportive care), the other group will receive Favipiravir along with standard supportive care.

    Other trials in news: The Solidarity Trial

    • “Solidarity” is an international initiative for clinical trials launched by the WHO, along with partners, to help find an effective treatment for Covid-19.
    • It was originally supposed to look at four drugs or drug combinations: Remdesivir, HCQ, Ritonavir/Lopinavir and Lopinavir/Ritonavir/Interferon beta 1a.
    • Now with HCQ trial enrolment stalled for at least the next few weeks, the Solidarity trial will proceed with the other three arms.

  • R&D: Path to self-reliant India

    What does it take to be self-reliant? (Hint: R&D!) This is the question this article tries to answer.  After independence, we had a good start in R&D. But what went wrong? What was the role played by globalisation? Did the globalisation deliver on its promise of technology transfer? And finally, what lies on the way forward for India? This article answers all such question.

    What went wrong: historical perspective

    • India chose the path of self-reliance in state-run heavy industries and strategic sectors after independence.
    • In the decades following independence, this choice of self-reliance had placed India ahead of most developing countries.
    • In the 1970s and 80s, however, India did not modernise these industries to climb higher up the technological ladder.
    • The private sector, which had backed the state-run core sector approach in its Bombay Plan, stayed content with near-monopoly conditions in non-core sectors in a protected market.
    • Little effort was made to modernise light industries or develop contemporary consumer products.
    • India’s industrial ecosystem was thus characterised by low productivity, poor quality and low technology, and was globally uncompetitive.

    What did India lose in the ‘lost decades’?

    • India completely missed out on the ‘third industrial revolution’.
    • Third industrial revolution comprised electronic goods, microprocessors, personal computers, mobile phones and decentralised manufacturing and global value chains during the so-called lost decade(s).
    • Today, India is the world’s second-largest smartphone market.
    • However, it does not make any of these phones itself.
    • India manufactures only a small fraction of solar photovoltaic cells and modules currently used, with ambitious future targets.

    What happened to ‘self-reliance’ after India embraced globalisation?

    • At the turn of the millennium, when India embarked on liberalisation, privatisation and globalisation.
    • So, the very concept of self-reliance was rubbished.
    • This happened in the belief that it was like reinventing the things already invented and wasting money on it.
    • And when advanced technologies could simply be bought from anywhere at lower costs. 
    • Two related ideas have prevailed since then, and neither delivered the desired results.

    So, what are these two basic ideas?

    1. Unsuitability of PSUs in the globalised world

    • The first idea was that public sector undertakings (PSUs) are, by definition, inefficient and sluggish for the competitive globalised scenario.
    • No effort was made to engender either real autonomy or a transition to new technological directions.
    • Instead, PSUs with capability and scale were undermined or abandoned, along with many nascent research and development (R&D) efforts, for instance, in photovoltaics, semiconductors and advanced materials.

    So, what was the result of this attitude towards PSUs?

    • The private sector displayed little interest in these heavy industries and showed no appetite for technology upgradation.
    • With entry of foreign corporations, most Indian private companies retreated into technology imports or collaborations.
    • Even today, most R&D in India is conducted by PSUs.
    • And much of the smaller but rising proportion of private sector R&D is by foreign corporations in information technology and biotechnology/pharma.
    • Conclusion: Given the disinclination of most of the private sector towards R&D and high-tech manufacturing, significant government reinvestment in PSUs and R&D is essential for self-reliance.

    2. Foreign companies were expected to bring new technologies in India

    • The second idea was that inviting foreign direct investment and manufacturing by foreign majors would bring new technologies into India’s industrial ecosystem.
    • This was thought to obviate the need for indigenous efforts towards self-reliance.

    So, what happened on the ground?

    • But mere setting up of manufacturing facilities in India is no guarantee of absorption of technologies.
    • There is no evidence from any sector that this has taken place or has even been attempted.
    • The fact is, foreign majors jealously guard commercially significant or strategic technologies in off-shore manufacturing bases.
    • Conclusion: The key problem of self-reliance is therefore neither external finance nor domestic off-shore manufacturing, but resolute indigenous endeavour including R&D.

    Let’s look at experience of other Asian countries towards self-reliance

    Three models emerge from Asian countries.

    1. Focus on technology and industries

    •  Japan’s post-war success, was seen as a template by some countries to follow.
    • These include countries like South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore and Hong Kong
    • These countries took huge technological and industrial strides in the 1970s and 80s.
    • South Korea emerged as a global powerhouse in manufacturing, but also in indigenously developed technologies.
    • Taiwan developed technologies and manufacturing capacities in robotics and micro-processors.
    • While Singapore and Hong Kong adapted advanced technologies in niche areas.
    • These self-reliant capabilities were enabled, among other factors, by planned state investments in R&D including basic research (3-5% of GDP), technology and policy support to private corporations, infrastructure and, importantly, education and skill development (4-6% of GDP).

    2. Focus on off-shore manufacturing and not on self-reliance

    • Countries like Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam have focused on off-shore manufacturing lower down the value chain and without the thrust on self-reliance.
    • This is useful for job creation but is an unsuitable model for a country of India’s size and aspirations.

    3. China: Transition from low-end manufacturing to dominant role in supply chains

    • China is, of course, unique in scale and in its determination to become a superpower not just geopolitically but also in self-reliant S&T and industrial capability.
    • China advanced purposefully from low-end mass manufacturing to a dominant role in global supply chains.
    • It has now decided on shifting to advanced manufacturing.
    • It has set itself a target of becoming a world leader by 2035 in 5G, supercomputing, Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), autonomous vehicles, biotech/pharma and other technologies of the ‘fourth industrial revolution’.

    Way forward for India

    • India may well have missed the bus in many of technologies in which the U.S., Europe and China have established perhaps insurmountable leads.
    • Yet, self-reliant capabilities in electric and fuel cell vehicles, electricity storage systems, solar cells and modules, aircraft including UAVs, AI, robotics and automation, biotech/pharma and others are well within reach.
    • Large-scale concerted endeavours would, however, be required, since self-reliance will not happen by itself.
    • State-funded R&D, including in basic research, by PSUs and research institutions and universities needs to be scaled-up significantly, well above the dismal 1% of GDP currently.
    • Upgraded and reoriented PSUs would also be crucial given their distinctive place in the ecosystem.
    • Private sector delivery-oriented R&D could also be supported, linked to meaningful participation in manufacturing at appropriate levels of the supply chain.
    • India’s meagre public expenditure on education needs to be substantially ramped up including in skill development.

    Consider the question “The path to the self-reliance of any country goes through robust capabilities in the R&D. Comment”

    Conclusion

    Self-reliance would need a paradigm shift in our approach toward many things. First and foremost is the R&D. Potential of the PSUs has to be tapped to their fullest in the realms of R&D. The second area of focus should be education. These two areas are the key to achieve self-reliance and should be the focus of policymakers.

    Back2Basics: Bombay Plan

    • The Bombay plan was a set of proposal of a small group of influential business leaders in Bombay for the development of the post-independence economy of India.
    • This plan was published in two parts or volume- first in 1944 and second in 1945.
    • The prime objectives of the plan were to achieve a balanced economy and to raise the standard of living of the masses of the population rapidly by doubling the present per capita income within a period of 15 years from the time the plan goes into operation.

     

  • China’s Mars Mission: Tianwen-1

    China’s space program is now slated to achieve a new milestone. In July, the country will launch its first Mars mission, the ‘Tianwen-1’, which is expected to land on the Red Planet’s surface in the first quarter of 2021.

    UPSC may ask an MCQ asking: Which of the following is/are the space missions related to Mars? It may throw up 4-5 options (which we all get confused at after few months) like Cassini , InSight , Messanger, Voyager etc.

    Tianwen-1 Mission

    • The mission is named after the ancient Chinese poem ‘Questions to Heaven’, the Tianwen-1.
    • It is an all-in-one orbiter; lander and rover will search the Martian surface for water, ice, investigate soil characteristics, and study the atmosphere, among completing other objectives.
    • It will carry 13 payloads (seven orbiters and six rovers) that will explore the planet.
    • It will be the first to place ground-penetrating radar on the Martian surface, which will be able to study local geology, as well as rock, ice, and dirt distribution.
    • China’s previous ‘Yinghuo-1’ Mars mission, which had piggybacked on a Russian spacecraft, had failed after it could not leave the Earth’s orbit and disintegrated over the Pacific Ocean in 2012.

    Why all are curious about Mars exploration?

    • After the Moon, the most number of space missions in the Solar System has been to Mars.
    • Despite being starkly different in many ways, the Red Planet has several Earth-like features– such as clouds, polar ice caps, canyons, volcanoes, and seasonal weather patterns.
    • For ages, scientists have wondered whether Mars can support life.
    • In the past few years, Mars missions have been able to discover the possible presence of liquid water on the planet, either in the subsurface today or at some point in its past.
    • This has made space explorers more curious about whether the planet can sustain life.
    • Newer NASA missions have since transitioned from their earlier strategy of “Follow the Water” to “Seek Signs of Life”.

    Back2Basics: Various missions on Mars

    • The USSR in 1971 became the first country to carry out a Mars landing– its ‘Mars 3’ lander being able to transmit data for 20 seconds from the Martian surface before failing.
    • The country made it’s second and Mars landing two years later in 1973.
    • The second country to reach Mars’s surface, the US, holds the record for the most number of Mars landings.
    • Since 1976, it has achieved 8 successful Mars landings, the latest being the ‘InSight’ in 2019 (launched in 2018).
    • India and the European Space Agency have been able to place their spacecraft in Mars’s orbit.
    • India’s Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) or ‘Mangalyaan’ was able to do so in September 2014, almost a year after its launch from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Andhra Pradesh.
    • The Chinese mission now is expected to take off around the same time when NASA is launching its own Mars mission– the ambitious ‘Perseverance’ which aims to collect Martian samples and bring them back.

  • Festivals in news: Kheer Bhawani Mela

    In the UT of Jammu and Kashmir, the Annual Kheer Bhawani Mela in Tulmulla village of Ganderbal district has been cancelled by its religious trust.

    Match the pair based question can be asked from festivals as such. Recently, the following festivals were in the news: Ambubachi Mela, Thrisoor Puram, Meru Jatara, Nagoba Jatara etc.

    Try this:

    Q. Consider the following pairs:

    Traditions                                            Communities

    1. Chaliha Sahib Festival              —          Sindhis

    2. Nanda Raj Jaat Yatra                —          Gonds

    3. Wari-Warkari                               —          Santhals

    Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched ? (CSP 2017)

    (a) 1 only

    (b) 2 and 3 only

    (c) 1 and 3 only

    (d) None of the above

    Kheer Bhawani Mela

    • The festival witnesses lakhs of Hindu pilgrims from across the country largely the Kashmiri Pandit Community, who throngs the famous Ragyna Devi Temple which is popularly known as “Mata Kheer Bhawani”.
    • The festival falls on the auspicious day of “Zeshta Ashtami”.
    • The term kheer refers to rice pudding that is offered in the spring to propitiate the Goddess, which became part of the name of the temple.
    • The devotees have been asked to cooperate with the authorities and perform the worship of the Goddess at their homes only.
    • However, the holy rituals and Aarti of the Deity will be conducted as per the tradition which will be shared with the devotees via social media.

    Significance

    • Kheer Bhawani Mela is one of the biggest religious functions of Kashmiri Pandit Community.
    • It is believed and rather has been seen that the colour of the water in the spring around the Kheer Bhawani Temple changes its colour with the change in the circumstances of the Kashmir valley.

  • CoAST India (Collaboration/Covid Action Support Group) Platform

    India Observatory has come up with a GIS-enabled dashboard called CoAST India to monitor migrants in India.

    Here, UPSC may create an illusion on:

    India Observatory – open-source database (misleading name): It may be asked in relation to some ISRO project.

    CoAST India – COVID related info (again misleading): UPSC may ask it in context to Cyclone Warning Systems.

    CoAST India

    • The platform is a map reflecting the movement of migrants in real-time on their long journeys, often on foot, along with facilities and relief organisations on their routes.
    • It is a collaboration with Anand-based Forest Ecological Security (FES) as its main nodal point.
    • It draws information from 55 organisations on the ground, mostly in villages, and aims to make such data available so that it would enable governments and small local civil society groups to be of assistance.
    • The map matches time and spatial data, on administrative facilities in the area, transportation and healthcare facilities of an area and summaries, on the fly, in real-time of people passing by.

    Features of the portal

    Four elements are sought to be brought together in this portal:

    • Location of migrants and vulnerable people, their specific needs,
    • Location of key infrastructure on the way which can double up as a rest-centre, or
    • Quarantine space and location of relief and
    • Rehabilitation providing NGOs and civil society organisations

    About India Observatory

    • The Foundation for Ecological Security (FES), an NGO working on conserving natural resources at the grassroots, has brought together a unique ecosystem of tools – open data platform India Observatory – to help understand the status of local-level resources and facilitate the action plans for conserving them.
    • The data made available on India Observatory platform has been pooled from various sources and dates as far back as the 1960s.
    • India Observatory was set up in December 2019, with FES focused on ecological issues about forests, water bodies, conservation, etc. that needed “a bird’s eye view or a satellite’s vision”.
    • It is a research unit at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE).

  • Rail adukku pathiram Utensils of Tamil Nadu

    The rail adukku pathiram a traditional set of kitchen utensils in Tamil Nadu has become the gathered attention of all over the past few days.

    The traditional ‘rail adukku pathiram’ set of utensils are very unique in itself. However, one must note that it does NOT carry any GI tag and is completely out of use. Still, there is a possibility of it being asked in match the pair type questions asking – Q) Which among the following artefacts from Tamil Nadu carries a GI Tag?

    Rail adukku pathiram

    • The rail adukku pathiram consists of 14 vessels of different sizes, neatly placed in a compact manner inside the largest container.
    • The vessels were earlier used by families to carry groceries and cook food during train journeys.
    • These vessels were used to cook food for a mini-wedding. The interesting aspect is the compact size and easy to carry.
    • It has two vessels to cook vegetables, a sippal plate to boil rice, a frying pan, a sombu, a bronze pot to carry water and vessels of varying sizes to cook food.
    • Many in Tamil Nadu had forgotten about the existence of these multi-layered vessels until a video surfaced online recently.