💥Join UPSC 2027,2028 Mentorship (August Batch) + XFactor Notes & Microthemes PDF
Talk to Mentor

Civilsdaily

Login

Subject: Science and Technology

  • ClassGPT: How AI is reshaping campuses

    Introduction

    Artificial Intelligence (AI), particularly generative models like ChatGPT and Gemini, has become both a boon and a challenge in higher education. Students increasingly rely on AI for assignments, summaries, coding, and even emails, while faculty members grapple with maintaining originality, academic honesty, and critical thinking. With AI growing faster than existing regulatory or pedagogical frameworks, Indian institutions are experimenting with varied approaches, ranging from outright bans to integration into curricula. The choices made today will determine not just the future of learning but also India’s knowledge economy and workforce readiness.

    The Changing Landscape of Education with AI

    How widespread is AI usage among students and teachers

    1. IIT Delhi Survey (2024): Four out of five students admitted to using AI, often several times a week. One in ten subscribed to premium versions.
    2. Faculty usage: 77% of surveyed teachers used AI for summarising papers, creating slides, or drafting communication.
    3. Student motivations: Simplification of concepts, summarisation of material, mind maps, and scenario simulations.
    4. Concerns: Errors in math, flawed debugging, weak context handling.

    The integrity dilemma in classrooms

    1. Blurred lines: Students question whether using AI counts as “cheating” or “time-saving.”
    2. Academic honesty: IIT Delhi’s committee recommended rewriting plagiarism policies to require disclosure of AI use.
    3. Critical thinking loss: Faculty fear students may accept AI answers as “Truth” without questioning them.

    Institutional responses in India

    • Policy innovations:
      1. IIT Delhi – integration of AI/ML in curricula, AI workshops, campus-wide licenses.
      2. IIIT Delhi – shifted evaluation to 90% exams, 10% assignments.
      3. IIM Ranchi – evaluation rubric for responsible AI integration.
      4. Shiv Nadar University – five-level “Gen AI Assessment Scale” from prohibition to responsible autonomy.
      5. Ashoka University – AI literacy courses, foundation modules, ethics of AI curriculum.
      6. Strict resistance: Some universities (Delhi University’s Dept. of Education) enforce “No AI” policies, insisting on handwritten assignments.
    • Pedagogical experiments with AI
      1. Classroom integration: AI tools are increasingly used to automate routine tasks like code generation, freeing classroom time for higher-order problem-solving.
      2. Assessment innovation: Institutions are shifting towards interactive methods such as AI-assisted viva voce, project-based evaluation, and scenario testing to ensure genuine understanding.
      3. Ethics in curriculum: Courses on “Ethics of AI” and AI literacy modules are being introduced to sensitise students towards responsible and transparent usage.
      4. Balanced usage: AI is deployed after core concepts are taught, ensuring students retain critical thinking and do not outsource judgment entirely.

    Global responses and comparative perspectives

    1. USA: Princeton provides ChatGPT licenses; Oxford mandates disclosure but allows professors to decide; assignments redesigned to integrate AI.
    2. Australia: TEQSA guidelines legitimise AI but require mandatory disclosure; oral exams and viva voce are making a comeback.
    3. UK: Universities pilot TeacherMatic to ensure sector-wide learning models.

    Conclusion

    Generative AI has irreversibly entered the Indian classroom. The challenge is not whether to allow or ban it but how to regulate, integrate, and ethically harness it. From IITs’ committees to global universities’ adaptive models, the world is learning that AI can either weaken critical thinking or be a catalyst for higher-order learning. For India, the stakes are especially high: with its demographic dividend and growing tech economy, how students learn today will define the nation’s competitiveness tomorrow.

    Value Addition

    Real-Time Usage of AI in Education

    1. Adaptive Learning Platforms : AI customises lesson plans, adjusting pace and difficulty based on student performance, ensuring personalised learning outcomes.
    2. Automated Assessment and Feedback : AI evaluates tests, essays, coding tasks, and provides instant feedback, saving teacher time and helping students improve faster.
    3. Language Translation and Accessibility : Real-time translation, speech-to-text, and text-to-speech tools remove linguistic barriers, supporting multilingual and differently-abled learners.
    4. AI-Powered Virtual Tutors : Chatbots and digital assistants are available 24×7 to clarify doubts, simulate problem-solving, and provide personalised tutoring.
    5. Plagiarism and Academic Integrity Checks : AI tools detect plagiarism and even AI-generated content, ensuring transparency and originality in student submissions.
    6. Immersive Learning with AI + AR/VR : Virtual labs and simulations powered by AI allow safe, hands-on learning in science, medicine, and engineering.
    7. Administrative Automation : AI automates attendance, timetabling, grading records, and performance monitoring, reducing non-teaching workload for faculty.
    8. Industry 4.0 Skill Development : AI-based coding assistants, real-time debugging, and project simulators prepare students for jobs in data science, robotics, and emerging tech.

    PYQ Relevance

    [UPSC 2023]  Introduce the concept of Artificial Intelligence (AI). How does AI help clinical diagnosis? Do you perceive any threat to privacy of the individual in the use of AI in the healthcare?

    Linkage: AI’s growing role in education parallels its use in healthcare, where it aids efficiency but raises ethical and privacy concerns. Just as AI in clinical diagnosis demands accuracy, transparency, and accountability, AI in classrooms requires disclosure, integrity, and critical oversight. Both contexts highlight the larger governance challenge of balancing innovation with responsibility.

  • Kulasekarapattinam Launch Complex

    Why in the News?

    ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan announced that the upcoming rocket launching site at Kulasekarapattinam (Tamil Nadu) will handle 20–25 satellite launches annually.

    Kulasekarapattinam Launch Complex

    About Kulasekarapattinam Spaceport:

    • Location: Coastal hamlet near Tiruchendur, Thoothukudi district, Tamil Nadu; inaugurated by PM in February 2024.
    • Second Spaceport: India’s second spaceport after Satish Dhawan Space Centre (Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, 1971).
    • Capacity: Can handle 20–25 launches annually, including 24 launches using a Mobile Launch Structure.
    • Focus: Dedicated to Small Satellite Launch Vehicles (SSLVs), with capacity to launch rockets up to 500 kg.
    • Facilities: About 35 facilities including launch pad, rocket integration units, ground range, checkout systems, and Mobile Launch Structure with onboard checkout computers.

    Advantages offered by Kulasekarapattinam Spaceport:

    • Direct Southward Launches: Location allows launches into the Indian Ocean without crossing landmasses; ensures more safety from debris fall.
    • No Dogleg Manoeuvre: Unlike Sriharikota, no detour is needed to avoid Sri Lanka, saving fuel.
    • Efficient Trajectory: Improves efficiency for satellites in Sun-Synchronous Polar Orbits (SSPOs).
    • Payload Advantage: SSLVs from Kulasekarapattinam can place ~300 kg into SSPO, higher than from Sriharikota.
    • Decongestion: Reduces pressure on Sriharikota, which will focus on larger PSLV, GSLV, and Gaganyaan launches.
    • Commercial Boost: Strengthens India’s role in the global small-satellite launch market, enhancing space economy.
    • Strategic Advantage: Near-equator position provides benefits for certain orbital paths.
    [UPSC 2008] ISRO successfully conducted a rocket test using cryogenic engines in the year 2007. Where is the test-stand used for the purpose, located?

    Options: (a) Balasore (b) Thiruvananthapuram (c) Mahendragiri* (d) Karwar

     

  • With Sci-Hub gone, will the ‘One Nation, One Subscription’ scheme step up?

    Introduction

    The blocking of Sci-Hub in India marks a turning point in the battle between corporate publishers and the principle of open knowledge. At the heart of the issue lies the paradox of publicly funded research locked behind exorbitant paywalls. The government’s One Nation One Subscription (ONOS) scheme, with an allocation of ₹6,000 crore, aims to democratize access to 13,000 journals for research institutions. Yet, concerns remain about its cost-effectiveness, inclusivity, and long-term sustainability.

    Why is this issue in the news?

    • The Delhi High Court’s verdict against Sci-Hub is a landmark moment because:
    • For the first time in India, the judiciary has formally sided with publishers in the long-drawn copyright battle.
    • It stands in sharp contrast with the reality that research is funded by public money but monetized by private publishers with 30%+ profit margins.
    • The problem is enormous: lakhs of rupees per journal subscription make access unaffordable for many institutions, forcing dependence on Sci-Hub earlier.
    • The government’s ONOS initiative is the first large-scale attempt to address structural inequities in knowledge access, but doubts persist about its ability to replace shadow libraries.

    The Distinctive Nature of Scientific Publishing

    1. No royalties for authors: Researchers and peer reviewers are unpaid, unlike musicians or filmmakers.
    2. Publicly funded research: Much of Indian science is taxpayer-funded, yet access is privatized.
    3. Exorbitant subscriptions: Institutions pay lakhs for a single journal. Publishers justify costs via “quality control” but enjoy 30%+ profit margins, raising concerns of rent-seeking.

    The Global Controversy Around Sci-Hub

    1. Copyright infringement: Courts in the U.S., Europe, and now India have ruled against Sci-Hub.
    2. Essential access tool: For countless researchers, Sci-Hub was the only means to access knowledge, especially outside elite universities.
    3. Contempt charges: Alexandra Elbakyan allegedly violated court orders by running Sci-Net, a mirror service.
    4. Declining relevance: Technical unreliability and growing open-access alternatives are reducing its utility.

    The Vision of One Nation, One Subscription

    1. Government-led subscription: Outlay of ₹6,000 crore (2023–2026) for bulk access to 13,000 journals.
    2. Phase I focus: All public institutions; Phase II may include private ones.
    3. Equal access: Seeks to eliminate inequities between elite and smaller research centres.
    4. Limitations: Independent researchers and those at private centres remain excluded until Phase II.

    ONOS in the Context of Global Open-Access Movements

    1. Global open-access movement: Over half of papers are already open access through preprints and repositories.
    2. U.S. policy (2026): All federally funded research must be open.
    3. EU Horizon Europe: Similar open-access mandate.
    4. India’s challenge: At a time when the world moves toward open access, ONOS risks becoming an expensive detour.

    Structural Flaws in Scholarly Publishing

    1. Dependence on foreign publishers: ONOS continues India’s reliance on Western journals.
    2. Copyright transfer: Indian researchers must still give away rights to their work.
    3. Pay-to-publish dilemma: Funds freed at institutions may shift to open-access journals, but may ignore institutional repositories.
    4. Need for rights retention: Policies like Harvard/MIT (mandatory deposit in repositories) could empower Indian researchers.

    Conclusion

    The Sci-Hub ban highlights the persistent inequities in access to scientific knowledge. While ONOS is a step forward, it risks being a band-aid solution unless paired with deeper reforms: indigenous publishing capacity, national repositories, and copyright retention policies. India must not merely manage the symptoms of an exploitative system but must cure the disease by reclaiming knowledge as a public good.

    Value Addition

    Knowledge as a Public Good

    • Publicly funded research must be accessible to all because it is financed by taxpayers.
    • Blocking access (through high subscription fees or court orders) creates an elitist knowledge economy.
    • UN and UNESCO treat knowledge access as a pillar of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 4: Quality Education, SDG 9: Innovation).

    Economic Dimension

    • Global publishers enjoy 30%+ profit margins, while Indian institutions pay lakhs per journal subscription, draining public funds.
    • ONOS at ₹6,000 crore (2023–2026) represents bulk negotiation power by the state, saving scattered institutional expenditure.
    • Issue of dependency on foreign publishers persists, highlighting the need for indigenous publishing ecosystems.

    Global Comparisons

    • U.S. (2026 mandate): All federally funded research must be openly accessible.
    • EU’s Horizon Europe: Immediate open access to publications funded under the programme.
    • Plan S (Europe, 2018): Publicly funded research must be published in open-access journals.
    • India risks being out of sync if it over-invests in subscriptions while others move to free access models.

    Technology and Governance

    • ONOS = India’s experiment in e-governance for knowledge.
    • Needs to integrate institutional repositories, preprint servers, and rights retention policies (like Harvard/MIT) to empower researchers.
    • Can be linked with the Digital India mission, showing tech-driven democratization of services.

    Ethical Dimension

    • Applied Ethics of Technology: Corporate profits vs. collective social welfare.
    • Moral dilemma: Should intellectual property rights override public access to life-saving or path-breaking research?
    • Covid-19 demonstrated that open-access collaboration saved lives by accelerating vaccine and drug development.

    PYQ Relevance

    [UPSC 2024] ‘’What is the present world scenario of Intellectual Property Rights? Although India is second in the world to file patents, still only a few have been commercialized. Explain the reasons behind this less commercialization.”

    Linkage: The Sci-Hub ban and ONOS scheme reflect how IPR in scientific publishing creates barriers to access despite research being publicly funded. Globally, publishers extract high profits through restrictive copyright, mirroring the broader challenge of IPR becoming a tool of rent-seeking rather than innovation. India’s weak indigenous publishing ecosystem and overdependence on foreign journals parallel the problem of low commercialization of patents—both highlight the gap between innovation output and practical accessibility/utility.

  • SpaceX’s Starship completes critical test flight

    Why in the News?

    SpaceX’s Starship has completed its first fully successful test flight after a series of failures.

    SpaceX’s Starship completes critical test flight

    About SpaceX Starship:

    • Design: A two-stage heavy-lift launch vehicle built to carry crew and cargo to Earth orbit, the Moon, Mars, and beyond.
    • Developer: SpaceX, founded by Elon Musk, with the vision of enabling interplanetary travel and colonisation.
    • Size: Nearly 120 metres tall with booster, making it the largest rocket ever built and flown. Taller than Saturn V (111 m) and India’s Qutub Minar (72.5 m).
    • Historic Test Flight: On 27 August 2025, achieved its first fully successful flight. Booster splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico, spacecraft reached the Indian Ocean.
    • Role in NASA Missions: Critical to Artemis Program for returning humans to the Moon and later missions to Mars.
    • Long-term Goal: Make Starship fully and rapidly reusable, cutting costs and redefining space travel.

    Key Features of Starship:

    • Two-Stage Rocket System:
      • Super Heavy booster powered by 33 Raptor engines generating 74 meganewtons of thrust, nearly double NASA’s SLS and twice Saturn V.
      • Engines burn liquid oxygen and methane, enabling deep-space use and Mars resource utilisation.
      • Booster fully reusable, capable of atmospheric re-entry and recovery.
      • Six Raptor engines and four landing fins, designed for full reusability on long-duration missions.
    • Payload Capacity: Can carry up to 150 tonnes to Low-Earth Orbit and over 100 tonnes to the Moon and Mars, more than all soft-landed lunar payloads combined.
    • Cost Reduction Potential: Estimated to deliver 100 tonnes of cargo to Mars for ~$50 million, compared to NASA Shuttle’s $1.5 billion per launch with far less payload.
    [UPSC 2025] Consider the following space missions:

    I. Axiom-4 II. SpaDeX III. Gaganyaan

    How many of the space missions given above encourage and support microgravity research?

    Options: (a) Only one (b) Only two (c) All the three* (d) None

     

  • Samudrayaan Mission

    Why in the News?

    Two Indian aquanauts dived over 5,000 m in the Atlantic aboard French vessel Nautile, as part of India’s Samudrayaan Mission.

    What is Deep Ocean Mission (DOM)?

    • Approved: 2021 by the Union Cabinet, with a budget of ₹4,077 crore for 5 years.
    • Aim: Explore, conserve, and sustainably use deep-ocean resources to support India’s Blue Economy.
    • Six Components:
      • Develop technologies for deep-sea mining, submersibles, and robotics.
      • Ocean climate change advisory service with observations + predictive models.
      • Deep-sea biodiversity exploration and conservation.
      • Surveys for polymetallic nodules and minerals.
      • Energy & freshwater extraction technologies from oceans.
      • Advanced Marine Station for ocean biology & engineering → to bridge research & industry.

    About Samudrayaan Mission:

    • Nature: India’s first crewed deep-sea exploration mission.
    • Objective: To send 3 humans up to 6,000 m depth into the central Indian Ocean by 2027.
    • Vehicle: Crewed submersible Matsya-6000 (fish-shaped, 2.1 m personal sphere).
      • Capacity: 3 aquanauts.
      • Endurance: 12 hours normal + 96 hours emergency life support.
      • Material: Titanium alloy sphere (80 mm thickness) to withstand ~600x atmospheric pressure.
    • Coordinating Agency: National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), Ministry of Earth Sciences.
    • Strategic Significance: Will place India among a select group of countries (US, Russia, China, Japan, France) with human deep-sea exploration capability.

    Progress made so far:

    • Aquanaut Training: Discussed above.
    • Matsya-6000 Development:
      • Successfully wet tested in Feb 2025.
      • Titanium alloy sphere fabrication ongoing at ISRO using electron beam welding.
      • Initial steel test sphere used for 500 m trials.
    • Technology Development:
      • Indigenous acoustic telephone built for underwater communication (works in open ocean after initial failures).
      • Life-support systems designed to maintain 20% oxygen and scrub CO₂.
    • Next Steps:
      • Human test dive at 500 m depth planned before full 6,000 m mission.
      • Full Samudrayaan launch targeted by 2027.
    [UPSC 2021] Consider the following statements:

    1.The Global Ocean Commission grants licenses for seabed exploration and mining in international waters.

    2.India has received licenses for seabed mineral exploration in international waters.

    3. ‘Rare earth minerals’ are present on the seafloor in international waters.

    Which of the statements given above are correct?

    Options:(a) 1 and 2 only (b) 2 and 3 only* (c) 1 and 3 only (d) 1, 2, and 3

     

  • [pib] India hosts 3GPP RAN Working Group Meetings on 6G Standardization

    Why in the News?

    The Telecommunications Standards Development Society (TSDI) of India has hosted the 3GPP Radio Access Networks (RAN1–RAN5) Working Group Meetings focusing on 6G standardization for the first time, in Bengaluru.

    About 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project):

    • Overview: Global body established in 1998 for mobile telecom standards (2G → 6G).
    • Partners: Collaboration of ARIB (Japan), ATIS (USA), CCSA (China), ETSI (Europe), TSDSI (India), TTA (South Korea), and TTC (Japan).
    • Output: Publishes technical specifications, forming the global benchmark for telecom operators, equipment makers, and regulators.
    • Focus Areas:
      1. RAN (Radio Access Network) – towers & radios connecting users to the network.
      2. Core Network – switching, routing, internet connectivity.
      3. Services & System Aspects – apps, charging, security.

    What is RAN (Radio Access Network)?

    • Definition: The wireless part of a mobile network that links user devices (phones, IoT) to the core network using radio waves.
    • Components:
      • Base Stations (Node B in 3G, eNodeB in 4G, gNodeB in 5G).
      • Antennas & radios.
      • Controllers (e.g., RNC in 3G).
    • Functions:
      • Transmits & receives radio signals.
      • Allocates spectrum.
      • Manages coverage, speed, call/data quality, and handovers.
    • Importance: Defines network performance (speed, latency, capacity).
    • 3GPP RAN Working Groups (RAN1–RAN5): Develop physical layer, radio protocols, performance testing, ensuring smooth migration from 4G → 5G → 6G.

    Back2Basics:  Evolution of Mobile Standards

    • 3G (UMTS – Universal Mobile Telecommunications System): Introduced in early 2000s; based on WCDMA; enabled video calls, MMS, and mobile internet (up to 2 Mbps).
    • 4G (LTE – Long-Term Evolution): All-IP, OFDMA-based; provided high-speed broadband (hundreds of Mbps), VoLTE, and seamless video streaming.
    • 5G (NR – New Radio): Flexible OFDM-based; delivers ultra-high speeds (Gbps), ultra-low latency, supports IoT, automation, AR/VR, and network slicing.
    • 6G (Sixth Generation – under research): Expected by ~2030; aims for terabit-class speeds, AI-native networking, holographic communication, and satellite–terrestrial integration.

     

    [UPSC 2019] With reference to communication technologies, what is/are the difference / differences between LTE (Long-Term Evolution) and VoLTE (Voice over Long-Term Evolution)?

    1. LTE ‘is commonly marketed as 3G and VoLTE is commonly marketed as advanced 3G.

    2. LTE is data-only technology and VoLTE is voice-only technology.

    Select the correct answer using the code given below.

    Options: (a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2*

     

  • Discovery of Rare Quadruple Star System with Brown Dwarfs

    Why in the News?

    Scientists have identified UPM J1040−3551 AabBab, a rare quadruple star system with two brown dwarfs orbiting two red dwarfs.

    Discovery of Rare Quadruple Star System with Brown Dwarfs

    About UPM J1040−3551 AabBab:

    • Overview: Newly discovered quadruple star system in the Milky Way.
    • Composition: Two cold T-type brown dwarfs orbiting a pair of young red dwarf stars.
    • Uniqueness: First known system of its kind; extremely rare as brown dwarfs usually exist alone, with less than 5% chance of companions.
    • Significance: Offers new insights into the formation and evolution of low-mass stars and sub-stellar objects.

    What are Brown Dwarfs?

    • Overview: Celestial objects between stars and planets in characteristics.
    • Formation: Form like stars from collapsing gas and dust but lack sufficient mass for sustained hydrogen fusion.
    • Nickname: Often called “failed stars” due to absence of sustained nuclear fusion.
    • Mass Range: Can reach up to about 70 times the mass of Jupiter.
    • Atmosphere: Similar to gas giants like Jupiter and Saturn, with molecules and water vapor clouds.
    • Detection: Very faint and cold; usually identified in multiple-star systems where brighter stars help estimate their properties.
    • Astronomical Importance: Help define the boundary between stars and planets; provide clues to conditions necessary for stellar and planetary formation.
    • Cosmological Role: Studying their abundance and distribution aids in understanding mass distribution in the universe and connections to dark matter.
    [UPSC 2024] Consider the following statements:

    Statement-I: Giant stars live much longer than dwarf stars.

    Statement-II: Compared to dwarf stars, giant stars have a greater rate of nuclear reactions.

    Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

    Options: (a) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II explains Statement-I

    (b) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, but Statement-II does not explain Statement-I

    (c) Statement-I is correct, but Statement-II is incorrect

    (d) Statement-I is incorrect, but Statement-II is correct*

     

  • First Human Case of New World Screwworm in US

    Why in the News?

    The US authorities have reported the first human case of the flesh-eating parasite, the New World screwworm.

    About New World Screwworm (Cochliomyia hominivorax):

    • Overview: Called “man-eater” larvae in Latin; South America and the Caribbean.
    • Larval Stage: Eggs hatch into maggots that burrow into wounds of warm-blooded animals (including humans) and feed on living flesh in a screw-like motion.
    • Life Cycle: After feeding, larvae fall to soil, pupate, and emerge as adult Blue-grey blowfly.
    • Human Infestation (Myiasis): Causes painful non-healing wounds, bleeding, foul odour, sensation of movement; may lead to sepsis or death if untreated.
    • Eradication in USA: Eliminated in 1966 using Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) by mass release of sterile males.

    Current Spread and Concerns:

    • Recent Outbreaks: Detected in Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Honduras.
    • Cause of Spread: Likely linked to movement of infested cattle across regions.
    • Possible Weakness in SIT: Current strain of sterilized flies may be less effective than earlier strains.
    • New Human Case: First travel-associated screwworm myiasis reported in the United States in 2025.
    • Livestock Threat: Serious danger to cattle industry; risk of animal suffering and economic loss.
    • Biosecurity Risk: Reemergence could undo decades of eradication efforts if uncontrolled.
    [UPSC 2017] Consider the following statements:

    1. In tropical regions, Zika virus disease is transmitted by the same mosquito that transmits dengue.

    2. Sexual transmission of Zika virus disease is possible.

    Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

    Options: (a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2* (d) Neither 1 nor 2

     

  • What is the Air Drop Test (ADT-1) conducted by ISRO?

    Why in the News?

    ISRO has successfully conducted IADT-1, a key milestone for India’s maiden human spaceflight mission, Gaganyaan.

    What is the Air Drop Test (ADT-1) conducted by ISRO?

    About Air Drop Test (ADT-1):

    • Test Setup: A dummy crew module weighing nearly 5 tonnes was dropped from an Indian Air Force Chinook helicopter at an altitude of about 3 km.
    • Purpose: To test the parachute-based deceleration system that will slow the crew module during re-entry and ensure a safe splashdown.
    • Parachute Sequence: Parachutes deployed in order — first drogue chutes, followed by three main parachutes — slowing the capsule to about 8 metres per second before landing.
    • Outcome: The touchdown matched expectations, successfully validating the design for human re-entry and landing.

    Roadmap for Gaganyaan:

    • Objective: The ultimate goal is to send Indian astronauts to low-earth orbit on a human-rated LVM3 rocket.
    • Validation Tests: A series of safety validation tests are planned before the crewed mission.
    • Crew Escape System (CES): Already tested with TV-D1 in October 2023; TV-D2 will demonstrate a more complex abort scenario.
    • First Uncrewed Mission (G1): Will carry the humanoid robot Vyommitra to simulate astronaut operations.
    • Parallel Trials: Multiple air drop tests and subsystem validations, including parachute trials and life-support system checks, will continue.
    • Key Technologies: Critical systems under development include the Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS), the Integrated Vehicle Health Management System (IVHMS), and a strengthened human-rated LVM3 rocket.
    • Timeline: The first human spaceflight (H1) is currently targeted for 2027, though delays are possible due to complexity in human-rating systems.

    Long-term Goals:

    • Foundation: Gaganyaan marks the beginning of India’s long-term human spaceflight programme.
    • Space Station: The GoI has announced the Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS) to be established by 2035.
    • Lunar Mission: India aims to achieve a crewed lunar landing by 2040.
    • Critical Technologies: Capabilities such as in-orbit docking, demonstrated by the SpaDeX mission in 2025, will be essential for future missions.
    [UPSC 2025] Consider the following space missions:

    I. Axiom-4 II. SpaDeX III. Gaganyaan

    How many of the space missions given above encourage and support microgravity research?

    Options:

    (a) Only one (b) Only two (c) All the three* (d) None

     

  • Asgard Archaea and the Evolution of Complex Cells

    Why in the News?

    Recent research by IISc on Asgard archaea — the closest living relatives of eukaryotes — has shed new light on how simple prokaryotic cells evolved into complex eukaryotic cells with nuclei, cytoskeletons, and organelles.

    About Asgard Archaea:

    • Nature: Tiny microbes living in deep-sea mud and extreme environments.
    • Evolutionary Link: Closest relatives of eukaryotic cells (plants, animals, humans).
    • Importance: Help explain how simple prokaryotic cells (bacteria/archaea) evolved into complex eukaryotic cells.
    • Significance: Considered the “missing link” in the origin of complex life.

    Findings from Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Study:

    • Focus: Scientists studied a subgroup called Odinarchaeota.
    • Discovery: Found two FtsZ genes (most microbes have one) and a tubulin-like gene.
      • FtsZ1: Works like bacterial proteins → forms straight filaments and attaches to cell membranes.
      • FtsZ2: Builds spiral structures but needs helper proteins to stick to membranes.
    • Division of Labour: Cooperation of FtsZ1 and FtsZ2 shows early signs of cellular specialisation.
    • Clue for Evolution: Suggests Asgard microbes were already experimenting with primitive “cytoskeleton” systems, paving way for complex cells.
    [UPSC 2012] Which one of the following sets of elements was primarily responsible for the origin of life on the Earth?

    Options:

    (a) Hydrogen, Oxygen, Sodium

    (b) Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen*

    (c) Oxygen, Calcium, Phosphorus

    (d) Carbon, Hydrogen, Potassium