CSE PRELIMS 2020: VALUE ADDITION SERIES SCIENCE & … · 1. Chang'e 4 Lunar probe Chinese lunar exploration mission-named after Chinese moon goddess to explore far side of the moon

CSE PRELIMS 2020:

VALUE ADDITION SERIES

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

1 | Science & Technology

S. No. Chapter Name Page No.

01. Space Technology 2-12

02. Biotechnology 13-16

03. IT and Telecommunications 17-17

04. Energy 18-18

05. Defence 19-19

06. Nanotechnology 20-21

07. Health and Diseases 22-22

08. Emerging Technology 23-24

09. Government Initiative and Schemes

25-26

10. Miscellaneous 27-28

LEARN, UNLEARN

& RE-LEARN


1. Chang'e 4 Lunar probe 2. Microsat-R and Kalamsat 3. GSAT-31 4. LOFAR TELESCOPE 5. BELLE-II EXPERIMENT 6. EMISAT 7. GAIA 8. GALE CRATER 9. GRAPES-3 10. LUNAR RECONNAISSANCE ORBITER

(LRO) 11. OSIRIX-REX 12. FIRST IMAGE OF BLACK HOLE 13. TITAN-SATURN 14. RISAT-2B 15. RISAT-2BR 16. STARLINK SATELLITE 17. ULTIMA THULE 18. APOLLO-15 MISSION 19. INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION 20. DRAGONFLY MISSION

21. NEW SPACE INDIA LIMITED 22. PUNCH MISSION 23. CHANDRAYAAN 2 24. HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE 25. INTERNATIONAL ASTRONAUTICAL

CONGRESS 26. INTERNATIONAL CHARTER ON

SPACE AND MAJOR DISASTERS. 27. OUMUAMUA 28. SPEKTR-RG 29. TESS 30. FEDOR (FINAL EXPERIMENTAL

DEMONSTRATION OBJECT RESEARCH)

31. SCISAT 32. LCROSS MISSION 33. SPECTROSCOPY 34. CARTOSAT-3 35. CHEOPS 36. GAGANYAAN MISSION 37. PROJECT NETRA

1. Chang'e 4 Lunar probe Chinese lunar exploration mission-named after Chinese moon goddess to explore far side of the moon. What is the Far side of the Moon/Dark Side of the Moon? Hemisphere of Moon facing away from Earth. Difference between the near and far side:

The near side - dark patterns, Far side-circular spots (craters).

Near side - thinner shell, Far side-thicker shell

Near side-noisy, Far side- quiet Purpose of the Chang’e-4 Probe: Astronomical observation, surveying the moon’s terrain, land form and mineral make-up, and study the environment of its far side. China has now joined the U.S. and the former USSR as the only countries to have made a “soft landing” on the moon.

01 Space Technology


2. Microsat-R and Kalamsat Microsat-R of DRDO and Kalamsat-developed by students and Space Kidz India launched by ISRO carried by a new variant of India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) rocket [PSLV C-44] Microsat-R:

Microsat-R is a military imaging satellite, weighing 130 kilograms and placed in low orbit for the first time.

Kalamsat:

a communication satellite having life span of two months named after Dr APJ Abdul Kalam

World’s lightest and first ever 3D-printed satellite weighing 1.2 kg and the first to use the rocket’s fourth stage as an orbital platform.

Source: Pib


3. GSAT- 31 Context: India’s latest communication satellite GSAT-31, launched from French Guiana. Features:

GSAT-31 - 40th communication satellite of India to replace the Insat 4 CR satellite, nearing the end of its life

Source: The Hindu

4. LOFAR-TELESCOPE Operated by ASTRON (Netherlands), it is a network of radio antennas in the Netherlands, Germany, the UK, France, Sweden, Poland, Ireland and Italy, all connected by high-speed fiber optic cables.


Context: Astronomers using LOFAR took a view at a segment of sky over the northern hemisphere, and found 300, 000 previously unseen light sources. Significance: The discovery of the new light sources may help in better understanding of the behaviour of space’s several phenomena 5. BELLE II EXPERIMENT

A particle accelerator experiment located in Tsukuba, Japan, designed to study violations of the Standard Model and dark matter. Context: The Universe was in fully symmetric state at the time of Big Bang, but with time there has been a growing asymmtery of matter and antimatter. This experiment studies on aspect of antisymmetric state and how the universe evolved to the present state. Indian Participation:

Belle-II has a significant Indian participation both on experimental and theoretical sides.

The highly sensitive particle detector, at the heart of Belle-II, has been built by Indian scientists with the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Mumbai. Many more institutions and scientific Organisations have participated

6. EMISAT Context: EMISAT along with 28 other satellites from different countries was launched by PSLV C-45 by ISRO. Features:

A powerful Electronic Intelligence/Surveillance Satellite — developed jointly by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and DRDO under Project KAUTILYA.

It is modelled after a famous Israeli spy satellite called SARAL (Satellite built by ISRO and CNES) and weighs around 436 kgs.

7. GAIA

A space observatory of the European Space Agency (ESA), launched in 2013 that will learn about origins and the evolution of the Milky Way, specifically by creating a 3D map.

Gaia is located at a Lagrange point, a gravitationally stable spot in the sun-Earth system, called L2 and also looks for asteroids all over the solar system.

8. GALE CRATER

Gale is a crater, and probable dry lake, on Mars near the northwestern part of the Aeolis quadrangle.


9. GRAPES - 3

It is designed to study cosmic rays.their origin, acceleration and propagation in galaxy and beyond, located at Ooty in Tamilnadu

The ‘Grapes-3 muon telescope’ is a sensitive instrument operated by the Cosmic Ray Laboratory (CRL) in Ooty, as a collaboration of several institutes and universities from Japan and India

10. LUNAR RECONNAISSANCE ORBITER (LRO) Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) is a NASA robotic spacecraft currently orbiting the Moon. Context: The spacecraft has observed water molecules moving around the dayside of the Moon. Significance: Lunar water can potentially be used by humans to make fuel or to use for radiation shielding or thermal management. 11. OSIRIX-REX OSIRIS-REx is an acronym for “Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security-Regolith Explorer.”The mission is to study asteroid 101955Bennu. Context: Evidence of water, particle plumes found on asteroid Bennu: NASA About Bennu:

It may contain unaltered material from the very beginning of our solar system, rich in carbon due to presence of carbon compounds.


12. FIRST IMAGE OF BLACK HOLE Context: On April 10, 2019, the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) collaboration showed the world the ‘unseeable’: the very first image of a black hole. About Black holes:

Black holes are unique objects found in outer space having extreme density and strong gravitational attraction.

Albert Einstein first predicted black holes in 1916 with his general theory of relativity.

Types: stellar, supermassive and intermediate black holes

Source: The Hindu

13. TITAN-SATURN Context: Lakes filled with liquid methane spotted on Saturn’s moon Titan by NASA’s Cassini.

Titan, like Earth have unique feature of liquid on their surface.

Titan’s lakes are filled with methane, chilled to the point where it becomes a liquid. About Titan:

Saturn has many moons and Titan is largest of them (second largest natural satellite in the solar system) and only moon known to have a dense atmosphere.

Only celestial body besides earth known to have liquid. 14. RISAT-2B Context: India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C46) successfully launched RISAT-2B satellite from Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR, Sriharikota


Details:

RISAT-2B - all weather radar imaging Earth observation satellite weighing about 615 kg,

Provides services in the field of Agriculture, Forestry and Disaster Management, surveillance and security and can collect imageries during rains, dust, clouds or darkness and during all seasons.

15. RISAT-2BR Context:

India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, in its fiftieth flight (PSLV-C48), successfully launched RISAT-2BR1.

It is a follow up to RISAT 2B. 16. STARLINK SATELLITE SpaceX has launched the first 60 satellites on Falcon 9 rocket, of its “Starlink” constellation, intended to provide the Internet from space, marking the beginning of deployment of a global internet mega constellation.Some of the new technology in satellite includes ion propulsion systems that run on krypton instead of the typical xenon fuel. 17. ULTIMA THULE

Context: NASA has found evidence of a unique mixture of methanol, water ice, and organic molecules on Ultima Thule’s surface — the farthest world ever explored by mankind.

About Ultima Thule: A 36 km long trans-Neptunian object located in the Kuiper belt and consists of a large, strangely flat lobe — nicknamed “Ultima” — connected to a smaller, somewhat rounder lobe dubbed “Thule” — at a juncture.

18. APOLLO-15 MISSION

Context: NASA is about to open some of the pristine samples and let geologists take a crack at them with new technology.It would mark the 50th anniversary of humanity’s first footsteps on the moon.Apollo 11 was the spaceflight that landed the first two people on the Moon.

About:

It was the fourth mission to land men on the Moon and was the first flight of the Lunar Roving Vehicle which astronauts used to explore the geology of the Hadley Rille/Apennine region.

Primary objectives- observe the lunar surface, survey and sample material and surface features.

19. INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION

Only fully functional space station in the Earth’s lower orbit

Its first component-launched 1998 and residents arrived -2000.

Partnership between European Space Agency, the United States (NASA), Japan (JAXA), Canada (CSA) and Russia (Roscosmos).

20. DRAGONFLY MISSION Context: NASA will fly a rotorcraft mission named Dragonfly on Saturn’s largest moon, Titan, in the 2030s.


About the Mission:

To be launched in 2026 and land in 2034 on "Shangri-La dune" to investigate the moon’s atmospheric and surface properties, subsurface ocean and liquid reservoir to find evidence of past or extant life.

21. NEW SPACE INDIA LIMITED Incorporated, as a wholly owned Government of India Company, under the administrative control of Department of Space (DOS) to commercially exploit the research and development work of ISRO Centres and constituent units of DOS. 22. PUNCH MISSION

“Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere”- to image regions beyond the Sun’s outer corona and understand the transition of particles from the Sun’s outer corona to the solar wind and will study Coronal Mass Ejections. 23. CHANDRAYAAN -2 India’s uncrewed lunar mission to get a better understanding of the Moon’s origin and evolution. It will target a completely unexplored section the “South Polar region”.The mission was considered a challenge as no space agency has ever soft landed on South Pole of the moon. Details:

launcher - GSLV- MK III.

Orbiter - Vikram and Rover - Pragyan

From orbit, instruments will create detailed three-dimensional maps of the surface, both to ascertain the safety of potential landing sites and To track the distributions of water molecules.The Vikram lander will serve as a listening station for seismic waves from moonquakes.


Source: isro.gov.in

24. HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE

Launched into low Earth orbit in 1990.

It features a 2.4-meter (7.9 ft) mirror and observes in the ultraviolet, visible, and near infrared regions of the electromagnetic spectrum

Built by NASA and European Space Agency. 25. INTERNATIONAL ASTRONAUTICAL CONGRESS

Biggest annual Space event in the world attracting more than 6000 participants, organised by International Astronautical Federation (IAF), International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) and the International Institute of Space Law (IISL).

Platform for knowledge sharing in astronautics, and broadening international cooperation, held annually.

Venue of the latest Congress is India.

Early Congress in India -1988 at Bangalore and 2007 at Hyderabad. 26. INTERNATIONAL CHARTER: ON SPACE AND MAJOR DISASTERS Context: India has received satellite data on its flood-hit regions from eight nations, including the US, China and Russia, as part of a multilateral mechanism Details:

It is a non-binding charter that combines Earth observation assets from different space agencies.

It was initiated by the Space Agencies of France and Europe after the UNISPACE III conference held in Vienna, Austria in 1999.

27. OUMUAMUA

Interstellar objects detected passing through the Solar System.

Its name in the native Hawaiian language means a messenger arriving from a great distance.


28. SPEKTR- RG

Spektr-RG (Russian for Spectrum + Röntgen + Gamma; also called Spectrum-X-Gamma, SRG, SXG) is Russian/German astrophysics space observator that will replace the Spektr-R, known as the “Russian Hubble”

It will enter an orbit around the Sun, at the L2 Lagrangian point. 29. TESS (TRANSITING EXOPLANET SURVEY SATELLITE)

NASA satellite, will monitor more than 200, 000 stars for temporary drops in brightness caused by planetary transits.

It hunts for exoplanets using the method known as Transit Photometry. 30. FINAL EXPERIMENTAL DEMONSTRATION OBJECT RESEARCH (FEDOR)

Built by Russia to assist space station astronauts and weighs 160 kg.

It copies human movements, to enable it to perform tasks that are risky for astronauts.

While Fedor is Russia’s first robot in space, other countries have previously sent theirs. 31. SCISAT: Canadian satellite, designed to make observations of the Earth’s atmosphere to help understand the depletion of the Earth’s ozone layer by looking at particles in the atmosphere as sunlight passes through them. 32. LUNAR CRATER OBSERVATION AND SENSING SATELLITE MISSION (LCROSS)

Robotic spacecraft operated by NASA, launched immediately after the discovery of lunar water by Chandrayaan-1.

Mission objective-explore the presence of water ice in a permanently shadowed crater.

It was successful in confirming water in the southern lunar crater Cabeus. 33. SPECTROSCOPY

ISRO released an image from Chandrayaan-2 showing measurements from the Moon, carried out by the instrument Imaging Infrared Spectrometer (IIRS).

Such studies make up a branch of physics called spectroscopy. Details:

Spectroscopy includes study of interaction between matter and electromagnetic radiation.

IIRS is designed to measure light from the lunar surface in narrow spectral channels (bands) and It splits and disperse reflected sunlight (and its emitted component) into these spectral bands

34. CARTOSAT Context: Cartosat-3 was flown by ISRO from PSLV C-47. Details:

An advanced earth imaging and mapping satellite to be placed in an orbit of 509 kms, will be able to pick up images of objects of size (25 cm) from its orbital perch about 509 km away. It is Nation's highest resolution civilian satellite ISRO has built so far.


Source: Pib

35. CHEOPS (CHaracterising ExOPlanets Satellite) Context: Blasted off from Kourou, French Guiana. Details:

European space telescope to determine the size of known extrasolar planets, estimate their mass, density, composition and formation

Life-three and a half-year. 36. GAGANYAAN MISSION Context: Space astronauts will start their training most likely in the third week of January. Details:

The Human Space Mission: targeted for December 2021.

GSLV Mk III launcher is ISRO’s heavy lift launcher for the mission.

The spacecraft will carry three people.In its maiden crewed mission, ISRO’S largely autonomous 3.7-tonne (8, 200 lb) capsule will orbit the Earth at 400 km altitude for up to seven days.

On January 22, 2020 ISRO announced Vyommitra, a Female Robot who will accompany other astronauts in the mission.

The space capsule will have life support and environmental control systems. 37. PROJECT NETRA

ISRO Project -early warning system in space to detect debris and other hazards to Indian satellites.

It will give India its own capability in space situational awareness (SSA).


1. DNA TECHNOLOGY (Use and

Application) REGULATION BILL 2. GENE EDITING 3. FOUNDATION DAY: DEPARTMENT

OF BIOTECHNOLOGY 4. CULTURED MEAT

5. MANAV: HUMAN ATLAS 6. MICRO RNA 7. SENESCENT CELLS 8. SEAWEED 9. INDIGEN PROJECT

1. DNA TECHNOLOGY (Use and Application) REGULATION BILL Context: The Lok Sabha passed a Bill that allows regulated use of DNA technology and to establish the identity of persons, including offenders, victims, suspects and undertrials, in connection with criminal and civil matters. Features of the Bill: The Bill provides for establishment of national and regional DNA data banks:

Every Bank will maintain the following indices: crime scene index, suspects’ or undertrials’ index, offenders’ index, missing persons’ index, and unknown deceased persons’ index.

It establishes a DNA Regulatory Board to superwise labs and provide advice on DNA data banks.

Every DNA laboratory that analyses a DNA sample to establish the identity of an individual, has to be accredited by the Board.

It provides for seeking the consent of individuals when DNA profiling is used in criminal investigations and for identifying missing persons.

Written consent is required for collecting samples. A Magistrate may order collection of samples.Consent not required for offences with penalty above seven years.

Profile of those suspects who have been absolved of crime or on court order or on Police report, their profiles must be removed.

National DNA data bank to be headed by Director. 2. GENE EDITING Genome editing, or genome engineering, or gene editing, is a type of genetic engineering in which DNA is inserted, deleted, modified or replaced in the genome of a living organism. Context:

He Jiankui, successfully altered the genes of twin girls born in November to prevent them from contracting HIV.

What is CRISPR/Cas 9? Tool for editing genomes, allows researchers to easily alter DNA sequences and modify gene function. It is an enzyme that acts like a pair of molecular scissors.

A dynamic, versatile tool that targets nearly any genomic location and can remove, add or alter specific DNA sequences in the genome of higher organisms.

02 Biotechnology


CAS-9 (CRISPR-associated protein 9) is an enzyme.

Advantages of Gene editing: The gene editing technology has several advantages/utility

Cancer treatment and Drug Research

Curing intergenerational diseases.

Meeting food security needs of the growing population (GM FOODCROPS) and addressing pest and nutrition challenges of Agriculture.

Reversing the factors that cause the body's natural decline at cellular level.

Disadvantages of Gene editing: Risks of off-target mutations (unintentional edits to the genomes) among others.

Altering one gene could affect other parts of the genome, which would then be passed down to future generations.

Issues of commercialisation of the gene industry, designer babies and challenges of regulation.

3. FOUNDATION DAY: DEPARTMENT OF BIOTECHNOLOGY Department of Biotechnology in the Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India, celebrated its 33rd Foundation Day with the theme as “Celebrating Biotechnology: Building Indian

as an Innovation Nation”. Several key missions launched under the umbrella mission named - Undertaking Nationally Relevant Technology Innovation (UNaTI), The missions include:

GARBH-ini - For Maternal and Child Health and develop prediction tools for preterm birth.

IndCEPI - To develop affordable vaccines for endemic diseases.

Development of Biofortified and Protein Rich wheat.

Mission on Antimicrobial Resistance

Clean Energy Mission


4. CULTURED MEAT Context: The country’s first project to research cell-based meat, also called clean meat, would be taken up at the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB). Details:

The National Research Centre on Meat, would partner with the CCMB in the pioneering work.

Cell-based meat is nutritionally equivalent to conventional animal meat.It's only difference lies in the method of production.

5. MANAV: HUMAN ATLAS It is a project funded by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), aims at creating a database network of all tissues in the human body from available scientific literature. Involves scientific skill development for science outreach along with handling big data. Programme will involve gaining better biological insights through physiological and molecular mapping, develop disease models through predictive computing and have a holistic analysis and finally drug discovery.

Source: dbtindia.gov.in

6. MICRO RNA Context: A team from the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS), Bengaluru, has found that the rich colour in fruits and leaves of plants are indirectly controlled by specific microRNAs — miR828 and miR858. About Micro RNA:

They are tiny regulators of gene expression, acting like switches.

They decide which protein should be made and how much in a given cell or tissue or an organism.l.

7. SENESCENT CELLS

One of the most significant biological processes behind aging is Cellular Senescence. To maintain health, most cells in the body continually divide to replace old and damaged tissue. But eventually cells age and stop dividing.These cells that stop dividing are called Senescent Cells


They are the opposite of stem cells: can never divide again.

New research finds that ageing, senescent cells stop producing nucleotides, the building block of DNA.

8. SEAWEED

Seaweed, or macroalgae, refers to several species of macroscopic, multicellular, marine algae. USES: Seaweeds are used as source of food and medicine, to generate oxygen benefiting hypoxic dead zones and in bioremediation Seaweeds also help mitigate climate change like;

“Ocean afforestation” - farming seaweed for carbon removal.

Seaweeds are used as animal feed, as fertilizer, compost, or to combat beach erosion.

Other uses- industrial products like production of bio yarn (a textile) and bioethanol.

Seaweed species such as kelps provide essential nursery habitat for fisheries and other marine species

9. INDIGEN PROJECT Context:

The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has finished conducting “whole-genome sequence” of a 1, 008 Indians as part of a programme called “IndiGen

Details:

Funded by- Department of Biotechnology which will sequence at least 10, 000 Indian genomes. The CSIR’s “IndiGen” project sought to include representatives from every State and diverse ethnicities. Every person whose genomes are sequenced would be given a report.

Anyone looking for a free mapping of their entire genome can sign up for “IndiGen”. Those who get their genes mapped will get a card and access to an app designed for the project.


1. SINO-INDIAN DIGITAL COLLABORATION PLAZA

2. FIRST SEMICONDUCTOR CHIP

3. 5-G TECHNOLOGY 4. FACIAL PAYMENT TECHNOLOGY

1. SINO-INDIAN DIGITAL COLLABORATION PLAZA (SIDCOP)

It is an initiative to bring Indian IT companies and Chinese enterprises closer to each other on a single AI enabled platform this is a partnership by National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) with Municipal Governments of Guiyang and Dalian

2. INDIA'S FIRST SEMICONDUCTOR CHIP

Context: Bengaluru-based fabless Semiconductor Company, Signalchip launched India’s first semiconductor chips for 4G/LTE and 5G NR modems.

Significance:

1. Data security and data sovereignty, besides the positive economic implications. 2. The combined multi-standard system-on-chip (SoC) can serve as a base station chipset for a wide

range of form factors from low-cost indoor small cells to high performance base stations. 3. With India having more than 1.1 billion mobile phones in use hence it will enable densification of

the network.

3. 5G-TECHNOLOGY

Context: South Korea will become the first country to commercially launch fifth-generation (5G) services.

Details: It offers 20-times faster data speeds than 4G long-term evolution (LTE) networks

Benefits of technology: Greater speed in the transmissions, a lower latency and a greater number of connected devices and the possibility of implementing virtual networks (network slicing).

4. FACIAL PAYMENT TECHNOLOGY

Context:

China has embraced facial payment technology.

About the technology: Under the facial payment technology, the customers simply make a purchase by posing in front of point-of-sale (POS) machines equipped with cameras, after linking an image of their face to a digital payment system or bank account.

03 IT & Telecommunications


1. POLYCRACK TECHNOLOGY 1. POLYCRACK TECHNOLOGY Context: India’s first Waste to energy plant using polycrack technology was Commissioned in Odisha. Details:

Indian Railways' first patented heterogenetic catalytic process, converts multiple feedstocks into hydrocarbon liquid fuels, gas, carbon as well as water.

The waste generated will become the feeder material for the waste to energy plant and in form of light diesel oil to be used to light furnaces.

04 Energy


1. HELICOPTER SATCOM SOLUTIONS 2. SOLID FUEL DUCTED RAMJET 1. HELICOPTER SATCOM SOLUTIONS Navratna Defence PSU Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) and Hughes India have entered into a Teaming Agreement for design, development, supply, installation, integration and commissioning of Satellite Communication solutions for helicopters under the Ministry of Defence. Significance: It will enable strategic users to get enabled with helicopter-based Satellite Communication links for real-time and assured communications using ISRO’s Ku band satellites. 2. SOLID FUEL DUCTED RAMJET (SFDR) Context: Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully flight tested the second indigenously developed ‘Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet (SFDR)’ propulsion based missile system from ITR, Chandipur, Odisha. Uses:

It will facilitate development of long-range air-to-air missiles in the country (ASTRA missile in case of India)

Ramjet uses the air as an oxidizer just like a jet engine, unlike conventional rockets.

05 Defence


1. UNNATI (UNISPACE

NANOTECHNOLOGY ASSEMBLY AND TRAINING)

2. BLACKEST OF ALL MATERIALS 3. SUPERCONDUCTORS

1. UNNATI (UNISPACE NANOTECHNOLOGY ASSEMBLY AND TRAINING) India announced a capacity building training programme UNNATI (UNispace Nanosatellite Assembly & Training by ISRO) on Nanosatellites development, during 50th anniversary of the first United Nations Conference on the Exploration and Peaceful uses of Outer Space (UNISPACE+50). The programme: Two theoretical modules

Module 1- participants taken through basics of satellite technology and

Module 2- nanosatellites.

The participants would be introduced to the design aspects, subsystems and functionality, configuration evolution and post-launch mission operations of a satellite

Module 3- consists of nanosatellite assembly, integration and testing. 2. BLACKEST OF ALL MATERIALS Context: Engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has created a material 10 times blacker than anything reported earlier. Details:

Made from vertically aligned Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs) grown on a surface of chlorine-etched aluminum foil(which captures more than 99.96% of any incoming light)

USES:

Optical blinders and space telescopes in spotting exo-planets. 3. SUPERCONDUCTORS Context: Scientists at the Indian Institute of Science (IISC) studied nanostructured materials as potential superconductors. About Superconductors:

Superconductivity-discovered by Heike Kamerlingh Onnes in 1911.

Conduct electricity or transport electrons with no resistance.

It is witnessed mostly in metals, semimetals and semiconductors.

06 Nanotechnology


Uses:

Transportation: Magnetically levitated trains

In Physics: Particle Accelerators

In Medical: Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

In Electronics: Sensors


1. CARBON QUANTUM DOTS 2. crAssphage

3. GLOBAL ANTI-MICROBIAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ESTABLISHMENT

1. CARBON QUANTUM DOTS

Context: A biomedical ‘dot’ to help detect cancer cells has been developed by a team of scientists in Assam.

Details:

A chemical process has been developed – which turns ‘dirty’ coal into a biomedical ‘dot’, from cheap, abundant, low-quality and high-sulphur coals.

Size- less than 10 nanometre.

Uses:

Diagnostic tools for bio-imaging primarily in detecting cancer cells and in chemicals sensing and in opto-electronics.

2. crAssphage

crAssphage (cross-assembly phage)- A bacteriophage (virus that infects bacteria), discovered in 2014.

It infects species of Bacteroides, a group that makes up 50% of gut bacteria

Mostly the relationship is mutually beneficial but can also be harmful(related with health issues such as diabetes and obesity)

3. GLOBAL ANTI-MICROBIAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ESTABLISHMENT

Context: India has joined the Global Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Research and Development (R&D) Hub as a new member. Details:

Launched in 2018 (71st session of the World Health Assembly, following a call from G20 Leaders in 2017)

Supports global priority setting and evidence-based decision-making on the allocation of resources for AMR R&D.

Its operation is supported through a Secretariat (Berlin) and financed through grants from the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the Federal Ministry of Health (BMG).

07 Health & Diseases


1. INDIA RANKS THIRD IN ARTIFICIAL

INTELLIGENCE 2. ATMOSPHERIC WATER GENERATOR

SAFE DRINKING WATER 3. ENDOBOT

4. QUANTUM SUPREMACY 5. CLOUD SEEDING 6. GOLDEN RICE 7. HYPERLOOP PROJECT

1. INDIA RANKS THIRD IN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE According to an analysis by research agency Itihaasa, India ranks third in the world in terms of high quality research publications in artificial intelligence (AI) but is at a significant distance from world leader China and USA(second) 2. ATMOSPHERIC WATER GENERATOR SAFE DRINKING WATER Context:

Bharat Electronics has unveiled its new product, the Atmospheric Water Generator (AWG), an innovative solution to meet the ever-increasing need for drinking water worldwide, at Aero India 2019.

Manufactured by BEL in collaboration with CSIR-IICT and MAITHRI, a start-up company based in Hyderabad.

3. ENDOBOT It is a robot to be marketed by an IIT Madras incubated startup, Solinas Integrity. It will check pipelines for leaks and other faults. 4. QUANTUM SUPREMACY Google’s quantum computer, named Sycamore, has claimed 'Quantum supremacy’. Quantum Computers:

Its idea has been around since the 1990s but actual machines have been around since 2011, most notably built by Canadian company D-Wave Systems. They work differently from classical computers.

Using principles of quantum mechanics, they can easily tackle computational problems that may be tough for the classical computers

Quantum Supremacy:

It refers to a Quantum Computer solving a problem that cannot be expected of a classical computer in normal lifetime. This relates to the speed at which a quantum computer performs.

08 Emerging Technology


5. CLOUD SEEDING

Context: Haryana Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, requesting him to “undertake cloud seeding plan to combat the air pollution engulfing Delhi and NCR”.

Details:

Cloud seeding is a kind of a weather modification technology to create artificial rainfall, works only when there are enough pre-existing clouds in the atmosphere that form around a particle 'nuclei'.

Clouds created by the iodides of silver or potassium, dry ice (solid carbon dioxide), or liquid propane.

The seeds can be delivered by plane or simply by spraying from the ground.

Source: The Hindu

6. GOLDEN RICE

Bangladesh could be on the verge of becoming the first country to approve plantation of this variety.

Developed by the Philippines-based International Rice Research Institute, using genetic engineering

Contains beta-carotene that is converted to Vitamin A needed by the body, and gives Golden colour.

It has a low shelf life of not more than 3 months and can be grown just like ordinary rice.

7. HYPERLOOP PROJECT

Context: The proposed Pune-Mumbai Hyperloop project, may be scrapped by the state government.

Details:

It is a proposed mode of passenger and freight transportation, first used to describe an open-source vactrain design released by a joint team from Tesla and SpaceX.

Hyperloop is a sealed tube or system of tubes through which a pod may travel free of air resistance or friction.


1. INDIAN SCIENCE CONGRESS 2. KNOWLEDGE INVOLVEMENT IN

RESEARCH ADVANCEMENT THROUGH NURTURING (KIRAN)

3. YUVA VIGYANI KARYAKRAM (YUVIKA)

4. INDIA INTERNATIONAL SCIENCE FESTIVAL

5. NATIONAL CHILDREN SCIENCE CONGRESS

6. OTHER INITIATIVE BY MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

1. INDIAN SCIENCE CONGRESS The Indian Science Congress Association (ISCA) owes its origin to the foresight and initiative of two British Chemists, namely, Professor J. L. Simonsen and Professor P.S. MacMahon. The first meeting - January 1914 at Asiatic Society, Calcutta. Context:

The 106th edition of Indian Science Congress was held in Jalandhar, Punjab.

Theme - FUTURE INDIA: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

2. KNOWLEDGE INVOLVEMENT IN RESEARCH ADVANCEMENT THROUGH NURTURING (KIRAN)

In the year 2014, the Department of Science & Technology (DST) reframed all the women specific programmes under one major scheme known as “KIRAN” for enhancing opportunities in research/technology, development/technology demonstration/self-employment etc.

It will provide support to Women Universities for state-of-the art facilities in Science & Technology.

Under the scheme, 20 Women Technology Parks have been established.

3. YUVIKA (YUVA VIGYANI KARYAKRAM)

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has launched a special programme for School Children called “Young Scientist Programme” aimed at imparting basic knowledge on Space Technology, Space Science and Space Applications to the younger ones.

About the Programme:

It will select 3 students each from each State/ Union Territory and those from rural areas would be given special weightage.

Those who have just finished 9th standard (in the academic year 2018-19) or those who have started 10th Std just now will be eligible for the programme.

09 Government Initiative & Schemes


INDIAN NATIONAL SCIENCE ACADEMY:

An apex body of Indian scientists representing all branches of science and technology established in 1935 and was known as the ‘National Institute of Sciences of India’ till 1970.

In 1968, it was designated as the adhering organisation in India to the International Council for Science (ICSU) on behalf of the Government of India.

H.Q- NEW DELHI 4. INDIA INTERNATIONAL SCIENCE FESTIVAL Context: Fifth edition- held at Kolkata in November 2019 to instill scientific temper among the masses, and showcase India’s contribution in the field of S&T over the years. About:

Theme (2019)- ‘RISEN India – Research, Innovation, and Science Empowering the Nation’.

Events held - Vaigyanika Science Literature Festiva, Women Scientists & Entrepreneurs Conclave.

Its an Annual event organised by the science and technology-related Ministries and Departments of the Government of India and Vijnana Bharati (Vibha)

5. NATIONAL CHILDREN SCIENCE CONGRESS

Programme of the National Council for Science and Technology Communication (NCSTC), Department of Science & Technology (DST), whose seeds were planted in Madhya Pradesh by an NGO called Gwalior Science Centre.

Theme - “Science, Technology and Innovation for a Clean, Green and Healthy Nation”.

Launched as a nationwide programme in 1993.

First Congress - Delhi(theme: “Know your Environment") 6. OTHER INITIATIVE BY MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Ministry of Science and Technology launches ‘UMMID’ initiative to tackle inherited genetic diseases of newborn babies

Union Minister launches “Green Crackers” developed by CSIR in a bid to curb air pollution


1. PERIODIC TABLE 2. POTASSIUM NITRATE

3. KILOGRAMS UPDATE 4. NOBEL PRIZES

1. PERIODIC TABLE @150 The United Nations General Assembly and UNESCO have decided to celebrate 2019 as the “International Year of the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements (IYPT2019)”. About Periodic Table:

The Periodic Table of Elements was written by Dmitri Ivanovich Mendeleev on 17th February 1869.

Mendeleev was not the first one to create a table of elements. Earliest efforts - Antoine Lavoisier (1789), who classified them in terms of their properties.

However, the proposal of Mendeleev was unique I.e. elements if arranged according to their atomic weights, exhibit an evident stepwise variation of properties.

2. POTASSIUM NITRATE Context: The Kolkata Police Special Task Force (STF) recovered 1000 kilograms of potassium nitrate (also nitrate or saltpeter) and used to make explosives. It contains potassium oxygen, and nitrogen. Uses:

It is soluble in water and used as a fertilizer as it contains all the macronutrients needed for the plants to grow, as gunpowder in explosives and in the food industry to preserve meat against microbial agents

It has medicinal applications also. 3. KILOGRAMS UPDATE Context:

A resolution to redefine four of the seven base units was passed by representatives of 60 countries at the General Conference on Weights and Measures (CGPM) of the International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM).

India became a member of the BIPM in 1957. 4. NOBEL PRIZES Chemistry:

Three scientists have won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their work developing lithium-ion batteries.

10 Miscellaneous


The prize went to Stanley Whittingham who developed the first functional lithium-ion battery in 1976, John B. Goodenough and Japan’s Akira Yoshino who made the first practical-use lithium-ion battery in 1985.

Medicine:

The Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine was awarded to three scientists, William G. Kaelin Jr., Sir Peter J. Ratcliffe and Gregg L. Semenza for Cell Engineering for discovery of how cells sense and adapt to oxygen availability.

Physics:

Awarded to three scientists for their contribution to the understanding of the evolution of the universe.

The award was shared between the three with one half going to James Peebles “for theoretical discoveries in physical cosmology” and the other half jointly to Michel Mayor and Didier Queloz “for the discovery of an exoplanet orbiting a solar-type star

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