PT - 365 - Updated-New (1) - Pages-113-147

Findings of the Report
Sustainable Development Solutions Network

• Top 5 countries were – Finland (topped • It has been operating since 2012 under the auspices of the UN
the list for fourth straight year), Iceland, Secretary-General.
Denmark, Switzerland, The Netherlands • SDSN mobilizes global scientific and technological expertise
and Sweden. to promote practical solutions for sustainable development,
• th
India ranked 139 out of the 149 including the implementation of the Sustainable
countries in the list, a Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Climate Agreement.
• SDSN is also publishing the annual SDG Index & Dashboards
slight improvement since last
th Global Report.
year(ranked 140 ).
• India’s neighbours: Pakistan (105th), Bangladesh (101st) and China (84th).
• Afghanistan was ranked the least happy country.
• However surprisingly, on an average there wasn’t a decline in well-being when measured by people’s
own evaluation of their lives.
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6. SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
6.1. BIOTECHNOLOGY
6.1.1. GENETICALLY MODIFIED (GM) FOOD CROPS
Why in News? Regulation of GMO levels in imported consumables
• It was initially with Genetic Engineering Appraisal
Food Safety and Standards Authority (FSSAI) said
Committee (GEAC) under the Union environment
that from March 1, imported consignments of ministry.
some of the major food crops will need to be • Its role in this was diluted with the enactment of the
accompanied with the “non-GM cum GM free Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and FSSAI was
certificate”. asked to take over approvals of imported goods.
More in News
Global regulation of GM food
• FSSAI also stated that the • Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex), a joint FAO/WHO
tolerance limit for “adventitious intergovernmental body, is responsible for developing the
presence” of genetically modified standards, codes of practice, guidelines and recommendations
that constitute the Codex Alimentarius, meaning the international
organisms (GMOs) at 1% will be
food code.
permissible in these imported o Codex principles do not have a binding effect on national
food crops consignments. legislation, but are referred to specifically in the Agreement on
o Adventitious presence refers the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures of the
to unintentional or incidental World Trade Organization (SPS Agreement), and WTO
presence of trace amounts of Members are encouraged to harmonize national standards
GM material in non-GM crops. with Codex standards.
o Many countries have set • Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, an environmental treaty legally
thresholds for labeling of binding for its Parties which took effect in 2003, regulates
“adventitious presence” of transboundary movements of Living Modified Organisms (LMOs).
GM foods are within the scope of the Protocol only if they contain
approved GM material in non-
LMOs that are capable of transferring or replicating genetic
GM crops, which ranges from material.
0.9-5 per cent.
What are Genetically Modified (GM) Food crops?
• According to WHO, GMOs are organisms in which the genetic material (DNA) has been altered in a way
that does not occur naturally by mating and/or natural recombination. Foods produced from or using GM
organisms are referred to as GM foods.
o For example, a GM crop can contain a gene that has been artificially inserted instead of the plant
acquiring it through pollination.
• Globally GM crops were commercially introduced in 1996. Crops such as corn, cotton, and soybean have
been engineered to resist insect pests and herbicides and are now planted widely in many parts of the
world.
• Bt cotton is the only GM crop that has been approved for commercial cultivation (in 2002) by the
Government of India.
o GM mustard Dhara Mustard Hybrid 11 (DMH 11) developed by Delhi University is pending for
commercial release.
o Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC), has allowed biosafety research field trials of two
new transgenic varieties of indigenously developed Bt Brinjal – namely Janak and BSS-793, containing
Bt Cry1Fa1 gene (Event 142) – in eight states during 2020-23 only after taking no-objection certificate
(NOC) from states concerned and confirmation of availability of isolated stretch of land for this
purpose.
ü These indigenous transgenic varieties of brinjal hybrids have been developed by the National
Institute for Plant Biotechnology, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).
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Related News
• Recently, genome editing technology - CRISPR Cas9 - has been used to change the colour of tomato to yellow and
improve its traits by a Kochi based firm.
• This demonstrates that genome editing can be used in the agricultural crops to improve traits without using GMO
technology.
6.1.2. GENOME MAPPING IN INDIAN OCEAN

Why in News? • Genome mapping refers to locating of a specific gene on a
India is set to kick off its first project to map particular region of a chromosome and also determining the
location of and relative distances between other genes on that
genomes in Indian Ocean.
chromosome.
About the Project o A chromosome is an organized package of DNA found in
the nucleus of the cell.
• CSIR-National Institute of • Proteome mapping is the study of protein properties on a large
Oceanography has been scale to obtain a global, integrated view of disease processes,
commissioned to conduct genome and cellular processes and networks at the protein level.
proteome mapping (micro nutrients) o It can identify the biogeochemistry of the organisms
present inside single-cell organisms in under varying ocean conditions.
the Indian Ocean.
o Aim is to sample water, sediments, planktons and various organisms in search of genomes and micro-
nutrients.
• One of the key objectives of the mission is to identify and characterise genes and proteins in ocean to
understand cellular level operations of organisms in ocean.
o It will also map genetic diversity of organisms, micronutrients and trace metals in them.
• Scientists will use next-generation sequencing (massive parallel sequencing of DNA fragments) and
Sanger sequencing techniques (single DNA fragment at a time) to extract genetic information of the
organisms they come across.
• Currently, only small fractions of the species in deep sea and polar oceans have been identified. Species
in oceans are much more difficult to record and evaluate than on land.
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Significance of the project
• Will strengthen research into commercial biotechnology applications like anticancer treatments etc.
• Will help to understand cellular biochemistry and response of ocean to climate change, nutrient stress,
increasing pollution etc.
6.2. IT & COMPUTER

6.2.1. NATIONAL STRATEGY ON
BLOCKCHAIN
Why in News?
Ministry of Electronics and Information and
Technology (MeitY) has released draft
National Strategy on Blockchain.
What is blockchain?
• A blockchain is essentially a digital

ledger of transactions (DLT) that is
duplicated and distributed across the
entire network of computer systems
on the blockchain.
o Blockchain is a specific type of DLT in which blocks
are linearly connected to each other. (This may not
be the case in other types of DLT.)
o Thus, all blockchains are DLT; however, all DLT
platforms are not blockchains.
• Each block in the chain contains a number of
transactions, and every time a new transaction occurs
on the blockchain, a record of that transaction is added
to every participant’s ledger.
• Copy of each transaction along with its hash is stored in
the ledger shared across all participants of the network.
• Blockchains create trust by acting as a shared database,
distributed across vast peer-to-peer networks that have
no single point of failure and no single source of truth,
implying that no individual entity can own a blockchain
network, and no single entity can modify the data stored
on it unilaterally without the consensus of its peers.
• Blockchain can be used in Permissioned and Permission
less models.
o Most of the first generation blockchains are
permissionless such as Bitcoin and Ethereum.
Permissionless blockchain systems are highly
transparent, as everyone can see all the transactions
on the ledger.
o Permissioned model has applications in various
domains such as healthcare, cyber security,
Governance, media, logistics & hospitality,
education, legal, energy, smart cities and so on.
• Salient properties of the Blockchain technology are user
anonymity, cryptography-based security, immutability
(i.e., an entry cannot be changed without recreating it),
shared read & write, accountability, transparency and
distributed ownership.
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• Blockchain was first introduced in the design and development of cryptocurrency, Bitcoin in 2009
allegedly by a Japanese entrepreneur named Satoshi Nakamoto.
6.2.2. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)

Why in news? Indo-U.S. Science and Technology Forum (IUSSTF)
• It was established under an agreement (March 2000).
Recently, U.S. India Artificial Intelligence
• It is an autonomous bilateral organization jointly funded by
(USIAI) was launched for working in the field both the Governments that promotes Science, Technology,
of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Engineering and Innovation through substantive interaction
among government, academia and industry.
More about News • It operates through two bilateral agreements: Indo-U.S.
Science and Technology Forum (IUSSTF) and United States-
• USIAI is an initiative of IUSSTF. India Science and Technology Endowment Fund (USISTEF).
• USIAI will serve as a platform to discuss o USISTEF seeks to support and foster joint applied R&D
opportunities, challenges, and barriers to generate public good through commercialization of
for bilateral AI R&D collaboration, jointly developed technology.
enabling AI innovation, share ideas for • The Department of Science & Technology, Governments of
developing an AI workforce and India and the U.S. Department of States are respective nodal
recommend modes and mechanisms for departments for IUSSTF.
catalyzing partnerships.
• It will provide
breakthrough solutions
in a range of sectors,
like agriculture, energy,
climate change,
affordable housing and
smart cities etc.
About Artificial Intelligence
• It is the branch of
computer science
concerned with making
computers mimic
human-like intelligence.
In contrast to normal
hardware and software,
AI enables a machine to
perceive and respond to
its changing
environment.
• AI has the potential to
boost the national
growth rate by 1.3% and
add $957 bn by 2035 to India’s economy.
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Steps taken for AI in India
• Personal Data Protection Bill, 2019 to tackle cyber threats and data security, It has been referred to
Standing committee.
o Also, India has adopted National Cyber Security Strategy 2020 for ensuring a safe, secured, trusted
and resilient cyber space.
• Centre of Excellence for Artificial Intelligence was established by National Informatics Center for
innovative new solutions in AI space, a gateway to test and develop solutions for projects undertaken at
central and state level.
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• INDIAai is the National AI Portal of India - a central hub for everything AI in India and beyond was joint
initiative of Ministry of Electronics and IT, National e-Governance Division and NASSCOM.
• National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) has started ‘Future Skills Prime
initiative’ which aims to foster an ecosystem that enhances India’s digital talent with the right set of skills
through remote and self-paced learning.
• India’s own AI-first compute infrastructure, AI Research, Analytics and knowledge Assimilation platform
(AIRAWAT) was developed to address issues of cloud computing for Big Data analytics with advanced AI
processing capabilities.
• To create a policy framework and to develop the ecosystem for Artificial Intelligence MeitY has constituted
four committees covering all the aspects of AI:
o Committee on platforms and data for AI
o Committee on Leveraging AI for identifying National Missions in Key Sectors
o Committee on Mapping Technological capabilities, Key policy enablers, Skilling, Re-skilling, R&D
o Committee on Cybersecurity, Safety, Legal and Ethical issues.
6.2.3 NON-FUNGIBLE TOKEN

Why in news?
Indian cryptocurrency exchange, WazirX has launched
a non-fungible tokens (NFT) marketplace for Indian
artists.
What are NFTs?
• An NFT is a digital object that can be a drawing,

animation, piece of music, photo, or video with a
certificate of authenticity created by blockchain
technology.
o In simple terms, NFT is a unique proof of
ownership over something you can't
usually hold in your hand — a piece of Fungibility
digital art, a digital coupon, maybe a Fungibility refers to an asset's ability to be exchanged with a
video clip. similar asset without sacrificing its value.
• For example, a Rs. 100 note is fungible, because if one
o For e.g. Twitter founder Jack Dorsey
person has a Rs.100 bill and another person also has a Rs.
can auction off an NFT for his first-ever
100 note, they could interchange the bill and the value
tweet for $2.9 million. does not change. A bitcoin is a fungible asset as well.
• The virtual object, which is actually a • NFTs are not fungible as they cannot be traded directly
computer file, can be exchanged or sold with each other because they are unique.
with its certificate.
• "Tokenizing" these assets allows them to
be bought, sold, and traded more efficiently
while reducing the probability of fraud.
• NFTs can also be used to represent people’s
identities, property rights, and more.
Characteristics of NFT
• All NFTs have a unique quality and a distinct

value from any other similar token.
o The metadata of each NFT is an
unalterable record that gives it the
certificate of authenticity.
• They are digitally rare.
• They must be sold or purchased as a whole as they cannot be divided unlike fungible tokens.
o For example, a plane ticket cannot be purchased and used partially — someone must buy it in full
because only a single person can use the seat.
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Importance
It seeks to solve the problem of
Ownership tracking, Value
storage, and Decentralisation.
• Monetisation: Artists,
musicians, influencers and
sports franchises are using
NFTs to monetise digital
goods that have previously
been cheap or free.
• Authenticity: Contemporary
artists can now archive their
collections through the
blockchain and have NFTs to
authenticate their works
and ensure no fakes exist in
the future.
o NFTs can still be copied,
of course, but only one
file has a certificate of
authenticity, which
cannot be replicated.
• Protecting intellectual property rights of Artisans: who can use NFTs to verify their original work.
6.2.4 SATELLITE BASED INTERNET CONNECTIVITY

Why in news?
Telecom Regulatory Authority of India released a Consultation Paper on Licensing Framework for Satellite-
based connectivity for low bit rate applications.
About Satellite based connectivity
• Rather than using an underground copper/fibre network, satellite based broadband connection operates
by sending and receiving broadband signal to a satellite in space.
• Satellite-based low-bit-rate connectivity is possible using Geo Stationary, Medium and Low Earth orbit
Satellites.
• Factors favouring development of Satellite based connectivity are Innovation of technologies (like AI,
cloud and big data), Smaller and cheaper satellites etc.
Satellite Connectivity Models
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Hybrid (LPWAN + Satellite) or Indirect Model Direct to Satellite Model
• In such architecture, each sensor and actuator in a • This type of architecture allows devices to
network may communicate with the satellite through directly communicate with the satellite without
an intermediate sink node, i.e., Low Power Wide-Area the need of any intermediate ground gateway.
Network (LPWAN) or LPWA gateway. • The satellite receives data from IoT devices and
• In LPWAN, a network server coordinates several transmits the data to the ground station nearest
gateways through a reliable backhaul and in turn to the device and the data gets stored in the
gateways interact through wireless links with application server for further processing.
potentially billions of low power devices.
Potential applications/use cases utilizing a satellite networking protocol
Remote health Internal security: Tracking Disaster management: Railways: Real-time geo-
services: patrol vehicles, monitoring Real-time delivery of alerts and geo- location of assets,
Ambulance and critical logistics supplies in location services in case of natural monitoring of safety
medical logistics remote areas, monitoring of calamities, emergency broadcast systems in the trains,
tracking in vessels at sea. alerts and SOS messaging, mission-critical
remote areas, monitoring and controlling remote communication etc.
live monitoring of forest fires and managing logistics of
patient’s vitals NDRF (National Disaster Response
etc. Force)/SDRF (State Disaster
Response Force) vehicles, boats, fire
engines, ambulances etc.
Supply-chain Fisheries Sensor-based Smart Agriculture: Smart Grids:
management: connectivity is used for Monitoring soil conditions for critical Remote transmission
Asset tracking, location and vessel inputs such as water, fertilizers and towers monitoring, load
vehicle fleet monitoring, maritime pesticides, etc.; Harvest prediction, distribution,
management, boundary alerts; Geo-fenced crop infestation/damage, yield, supply/demand
and cold-chain fishing zones, for monitoring severe weather prediction, etc.; management, Sensor-
management for the cold-chain of stored fish, Reaching out to remote villages, based applications for
food/medicines two-way emergency farmland Remote Industries and
etc. messaging system for Connected Healthcare,
distressed vessels, inclement Supervisory Control and
weather Data Acquisition (SCADA)
• Benefits associated with Satellite connectivity: Easier to deploy and wide coverage, Enabler for IoT
ecosystem, Stronger bandwidth capabilities, Boosting mobile broadband coverage in rural areas etc.
• Issues related to Satellite connectivity: High cost of services ($15-$20 per GB), Lack of enough domestic
satellite capacity, Worries over the accumulation of space debris in the LEO, Operational issues (poor
latency, disturbance in weather can affect signal and quality of internet) etc.
6.2.5 NEW INITIATIVES BY IPv6 • It’s a joint effort of Dept. of Telecommunication,

NATIONAL INTERNET Expert MeitY & community to promote adoption of IPv6.
EXCHANGE OF INDIA Panel (IP • The expert panel group has members from
Guru) government and private organizations,
Why in News? NIXI • To educate technical/non-technical people in
Academy India to learn and relearn technologies like IPv6.
The Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and
NIXI-IP- • It is a portal for the Internet community to
Information Technology (MeitY) and INDEX showcase the IPv6 adoption rate in India and
Chairman NIXI launched three initiatives across the world.
from NIXI for awareness and adoption of
IPv6 in India (refer infographic).
About Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6)
• It is the most recent version of the Internet
Protocol (IP).
• It is a communications protocol that provides
an identification and location system for
computers on networks and routes traffic
across the Internet known as IP address.
• Also, IPv6 is more secure and fast as compared
to IPv4.
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About National Internet Exchange of India
• It is a not-for-profit organization (section 8 of the Companies Act 2013), established in 2003.

• It acts as a neutral meeting point of the Internet service providers (ISPs) with the primary objective of
facilitating the exchange of domestic internet traffic between peering ISP members.
6.2.6. OTHER IMPORTANT NEWS

Quantum • Recently, ISRO demonstrated free-space QKD over 300 meter.
Key • Experiment is a major breakthrough towards ISRO’s goal of Satellite Based Quantum
Distribution Communication, where ISRO will demonstrate the technology between two Indian ground
(QKD) stations.
• QKD technology provides a secure method of communication that would not be vulnerable to
attacks from any amount of computational power
Sandes • It is an instant messaging platform launched by National Informatics Centre (NIC), Ministry of
Electronics and Information Technology.
o Initially it was open only to government officers, and now has been released for the common
public.
• It has an additional safety feature that allows a user to mark a message as confidential. This in turn
will make the recipient aware that the message should not be shared with others.
• It was launched as part of the government strategy to push for use of India-made software and
build an ecosystem of indigenously developed products.
Frontier • ‘Technology and Innovation Report 2021’ released by United Nations Conference on Trade and
technologies Development (UNCTAD), finds India as the top "over-performer" in terms of readiness in using,
adopting and adapting frontier technologies among developing countries.
o UNCTAD is a permanent intergovernmental body established by the United Nations General
Assembly in 1964.
o Other notable reports by UNCTAD: World Investment Report, Trade and Development Report.
• Frontier technologies” are a group of new technologies that take advantage of digitalization and
connectivity which enable them to combine to multiply their impacts.
o Frontier technologies include artificial intelligence, the internet of things, big data,
blockchain, fifth-generation mobile telephony, three-dimensional printing, robotics, drones,
gene-editing, nanotechnology and solar power — the ones that take advantage of
digitalisation and connectivity.
DearCry • It is a new family of ransomware, detected by Microsoft, attacking business email servers. It is
being used after an initial compromise of unpatched on-premises Exchange Servers.
o Ransomware is malware that employs encryption to hold a victim's information at ransom.
o Malware is the collective name for a number of malicious software variants, including viruses,
ransomware and spyware.
Spectrum • Spectrum refers to the radio frequencies that wireless signals travel over. The frequencies we use
Auction for wireless communication are a portion of the broader electromagnetic spectrum.
concluded • Portions of electromagnetic spectrum are grouped in “bands” and allocated to the mobile
industry and other sectors for communication over the airwaves.
• Spectrum is a sovereign asset and Department of Telecommunications is the custodian and
manager of spectrum and decides on the framework for spectrum allocation, licensing, and
pricing.
6.3. RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

6.3.1. AIM-PRIME (PROGRAM FOR RESEARCHERS ON INNOVATIONS, MARKET-
READINESS & ENTREPRENEURSHIP)
Why in News?
Recently, AIM-PRIME was launched by the NITI Aayog in collaboration with Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
(BMGF).
About AIM-PRIME
• It is an initiative to promote and support science-based deep-tech startups & ventures across India.
o This initiative builds on the foundation laid by Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) to support startups and
provides specialized services to transition research to industry.
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o It will be implemented by Venture Center - a non-profit technology business incubator.
o The program is catalyzed by the office of the Principal Scientific Advisor, and the Pune Knowledge
Cluster.
o The program is open to: About Atal Innovation Mission (AIM)
• It is NITI Aayog’s flagship initiative to promote a culture of
ü Technology developers
innovation and entrepreneurship in the country and was setup in
(early-stage deep tech 2016.
start-ups, and scientists/ • Objective:
engineers/ clinicians) with o To develop new programmes and policies for fostering
strong science-based deep innovation in different sectors of the economy
tech business ideas. o To provide platforms and collaboration opportunities for
ü The CEOs and Senior different stakeholders.
incubation managers of o Create an umbrella structure to oversee the innovation &
AIM Funded Atal entrepreneurship ecosystem of the country.
Incubation Centers that are • Initiatives under AIM: Atal Tinkering Lab, Atal Incubation Center,
Mentor India, Atal New India Challenge, Atal Community
supporting deep tech
Innovation Centre, Aatmanirbhar Bharat ARISE.
entrepreneurs.

DSIR-Promoting • Recently, awareness program for Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR) –
Innovations in PRISM was launched.
Individuals, o DSIR, part of Ministry of Science and Technology, carries out activities relating to
Startups and indigenous technology promotion, development, utilization and transfer.
MSMEs (DSIR- • PRISM is aimed at transforming an individual innovator into a successful technopreneur by
PRISM) scheme promoting, supporting, and funding implementable and commercially viable innovations
created for the society.
• Under PRISM, an innovator of Indian nationality is provided technical, strategic, and financial
assistance.
• It is implemented across various sectors from energy to healthcare to waste management and
others.
RESPOND • Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has announced that it will support eight joint
(Research research projects mooted by IIT-Delhi under its RESPOND programme.
Sponsored) • ISRO started the RESPOND programme in the 1970s, with the objective of encouraging
programme academia to participate and contribute in various Space related research activities.
• Under RESPOND, projects are taken up by Universities/Academic Institutions in the areas of
relevance to Space Programme.
6.4. SPACE TECHNOLOGY

6.4.1. HUMANS IN SPACE POLICY
Why in news?
The Department of Space has put up for public consultation, the draft "Humans in Space Policy for India --
2021" and guidelines and procedures for its implementation.
About the policy
• Applicability: The guidelines are applicable to activities presently postulated under Indian human space
program (IHSP) and for those activities which shall be defined and carried out in future in conjunction with
IHSP.
• Aim: It envisages undertaking demonstration of human spaceflight to LEO (low-earth orbit) in the short-
term and lay the foundation for a sustained exploration in the long run that will enable presence in LEO
and beyond.
Indian Human Spaceflight Programme(IHSP)
• IHSP was initiated in 2007 by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to develop the technology needed to
launch crewed orbital spacecraft into Low Earth orbit.
o Under it, first unmanned mission is planned in December 2021. Second unmanned flight is planned in 2022-23,
followed by human spaceflight demonstration (Gaganyaan).
• Gaganyaan has been designed to carry three Indian astronauts to the low earth orbit (an orbit of 300-400 km) for
a period of five to seven days.
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• It will take off on a GSLV Mk III
which is capable of launching
four-tonne satellites in the
Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit
(GTO).
o GSLV Mk III is configured as
a three stage vehicle: Two
solid strap-on motors; One
liquid core stage and a high
thrust cryogenic (mixture
of liquid oxygen and liquid
hydrogen) upper stage.
• Gaganyaan National Advisory
Council has been created with
members from different
institutions and industries to
deliberate on various aspects of
the mission.
• Gaganyaan includes a Space
Capsule Recovery Experiment
(SRE-2007), Crew module
Atmospheric Reentry
Experiment (CARE-2014), GSLV
Mk-III (2014), Reusable Launch Vehicle Technology Demonstrator (RLV-TD), Crew Escape System and Pad Abort
Test.
Types of Space Orbits

• Low Earth Orbit: It is normally at an altitude of less than 1000 km but could be as low as 160 km above Earth. LEO
satellites do not always have to follow a particular path around Earth in the same way – their plane can be tilted.
Thus, there are more available routes for satellites in LEO. LEO is a very commonly used orbit for satellite imaging,
as being near the surface allows it to take images of higher resolution.
o It is also the orbit used for the International Space Station (ISS). Satellites in this orbit travel at a speed of
around 7.8 km per second; and takes approximately 90 minutes to circle Earth, (ISS travels around Earth about
16 times a day).
• Geostationary orbits: Satellites in geostationary orbit (GEO) circle Earth above the equator from west to east
following Earth’s rotation at an altitude of 35,786 km by travelling at exactly the same rate as Earth. This makes
satellites in GEO appear to be ‘stationary’ over a fixed position. GEO is used by satellites that need to stay
constantly above one particular place over Earth, such as telecommunication satellites.
• Medium Earth orbit (MEO): It comprises a wide range of orbits anywhere between LEO and GEO. It is similar to
LEO in that it also does not need to take specific paths around Earth, and it is used by a variety of satellites with
many different applications. It is very commonly used by navigation satellites, like the European Galileo system.
• Polar orbit and Sun-synchronous orbit (SSO): Satellites in polar orbits usually travel past Earth from north to
south rather than from west to east, passing roughly over Earth's poles. Polar orbits are a type of low Earth orbit,
as they are at low altitudes between 200 to 1000 km.
o Sun-synchronous orbit (SSO) is a particular kind of polar orbit. Satellites in SSO, travelling over the polar
regions, are synchronous with the Sun. This means that the satellite always visits the same spot at the same
local time. Image series by these satellites are used to investigate how weather patterns emerge, to help
predict weather or storms; monitoring emergencies like forest fires or flooding; etc.
• Transfer orbits and geostationary transfer orbit (GTO): Transfer orbits are a special kind of orbit used to get
satellites from one orbit to another. Often, the satellites are instead placed on a transfer orbit: an orbit where, by
using relatively little energy from built-in motors, the satellite or spacecraft can move from one orbit to another.
o Geostationary Transfer Orbits are characterized by a low perigee (altitude of a few hundreds of kilometres)
and a high apogee (altitude typically identical to that of geostationary satellites).
• Lagrange points: Lagrange points, or L-points, allow for orbits that are much, much farther away (over a million
kilometres) and do not orbit Earth directly. These are specific points far out in space where the gravitational fields
of Earth and the Sun combine in such a way that spacecraft that orbit them remain stable and can thus be
‘anchored’ relative to Earth.
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6.4.2. GEO SPATIAL DATA
Why in news?
Recently, the Ministry of Science and Technology
released new guidelines for the Geo-Spatial
Sector in India, liberalising the policies governing
the acquisition and production of geo-spatial data.
About Geo-Spatial Data
• Geospatial data (also known as “spatial data”)
is used to describe data about objects, events,
or phenomena (man-made or natural) that
have a location on the surface of the earth. At
present, 80% of any data has a geo spatial
component.
o Examples include the location of a road,
an earthquake event, malnutrition among
children, or dynamic like a moving vehicle
or pedestrian, the spread of an infectious
disease etc.
• The two main types of geospatial data are
vector data and raster data.
o Vector Data: It uses geometric shapes to
show the location and shape of
geographic features. Points, lines and polygons can represent things like cities, roads and waterways.
Vector data is scalable, has small file sizes and ideal for depicting boundaries.
o Raster Data: It represents data through a digital image such a scanned map or photograph. It also
includes aerial and
satellite imagery.
Raster data uses a
cell-based format
called stair-stepping
to record data as
pixels or grids with
an image. Spatial
analysis depends
heavily on raster
datasets.
• Geospatial technology is
used to collect, analyse
and store geographic
information. It uses
software to map
geographic locations
while analysing the
impact of human
activity.
o Various forms of
geospatial
technology includes
Geographic
Information System
(GIS), Global
Positioning System (GPS), remote sensing, geofencing etc.
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6.4.3. NASA’S MARS 2020 PERSEVERANCE ROVER MISSION
Why in news?
Other missions to Mars
National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Till now 6 countries US, Russia, China, the EU, India and
(NASA) Perseverance Rover successfully touched UAE are successful to reach the Martian orbit.
down on Mars. • NASA
About NASA’s Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover mission o Viking spacecraft
o Odyssey spacecraft
• It is part of NASA's Mars Exploration Program, a o Curiosity rover
long-term effort of robotic exploration of the Red o Insight
Planet-Mars. o Reconnaissance Orbiter
o It was launched in July 2020. o MAVEN
o Mission seeks signs of ancient life and will o Phoenix
collect samples of rock and regolith (broken • EU
rock and soil) for possible return to Earth. o Mars Express
o ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (along with Russia)
• Perseverance rover will begin its two-year-long
o Beagle 2
investigation in Jezero Crater to assess the
• India: Mangalyaan
geology and past climate of the Red planet.
• UAE: Hope Mission
o The crater had its own river delta and was • China: Tianwen-1 (includes Zhurong rover).
filled with water nearly 3.5 billion years ago. • Russia: Fobos-Grunt
o Perseverance is also ferrying a helicopter
named Ingenuity, the first aircraft to attempt powered, controlled flight on another planet.
o It also includes most advanced astrobiology laboratory sent to Mars till date.
• Perseverance is intended to be the first part of a robotic sample return mission from Mars.
Why is Mars being explored?
• It is believed that four billion years ago environments on Venus, Earth and Mars were habitable.
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• Mars had a thick atmosphere, which enabled the stability of water on the surface of Mars, hence there is
a real possibility that microscopic life evolved on Mars.
• Mars is only about one-half the diameter of Earth, but both planets have roughly the same amount of dry
land surface area.
• Mars has volcanoes (Olympus Mons), canyons (Valles Marineris), and impact basins much like the ones
on the Earth.
• Mars is seen as only planet that humans can visit or inhabit in the long term.
o Mars is comparatively hospitable in terms of temperature, with an approximate range between 20
degrees C at the Equator to minus 125 degrees C at the poles.
o Venus and Mercury have extreme temperatures the average temperature is greater than 400 degree
C, or hotter than a cooking oven.
ü However, Astronomers recently discovered compelling evidence pointing to life floating in the
clouds of Venus.
o All planets in the outer solar system are made of gas that does not have silicates or rocks and are
very cold.
Comparison of Mars, Earth & Venus
Parameter Description
Atmosphere • Atmosphere of Mars has abundance of CO2 (95.32%).
(composition) • Atmosphere of Earth has abundance of Nitrogen (77%).
• Atmosphere of Venus has abundance of CO2 (96%).
Atmospheric pressure • Venus > Earth > Mars
Gravity • Earth (9.81 m/s²)> Venus (8.87 m/s²) > Mars (3.711 m/s²)
Length of Day • Venus> Mars > Earth
• Note: Length of the day of Earth (24 hours) & Mars (24 hours, 37 minutes) is nearly same.
Length of Year • Mars > Earth > Venus
Tilt of Axis • Venus> Mars > Earth
• Note: Tilt of axis of Earth (23.45 degrees) & Mars (25 degrees) is nearly same.
Satellites • Mars: 2 (Phobos and Deimos)
• Earth: 1 (Moon)
• Venus: No moons
6.4.4. SATELLITE LAUNCH VEHICLES BY ISRO

Why in News?
Recently, ISRO’s PSLV-C51 put Brazil’s Amazonia-1 and 18 other satellites into orbit.
More on News
• Out of 18 satellites, 4 are from new Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe)
and 14 from New Space India Limited (NSIL).
Satellite-Launch Vehicles Developed By ISRO
• India has two operational launchers: Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) and Geosynchronous Satellite
Launch Vehicle (GSLV).
• PSLV: It is the third generation launch vehicle of India. PSLV is a four-staged launch vehicle with
alternating solid and liquid stages.
o PSLV is designed mainly to deliver the “earth-observation” or “remote sensing” satellites with lift-
off mass of up to about 1750 Kg to Sun-Synchronous circular polar orbits of 600-900 Km altitude.
o PSLV is also used to launch the satellites of lower lift-off mass of up to about 1400 Kg to the elliptical
Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO).
ü During 1994-2017, the vehicle has launched 48 Indian satellites and 209 satellites for customers
from abroad.
ü Besides, the vehicle successfully launched two spacecraft – Chandrayaan-1 and Mars Orbiter
Spacecraft.
o PSLV is classified into its various versions like core alone version (PSLV-CA), PSLV-G or PSLV-XL
variants depending on the number of these strapon boosters.
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• GSLV: It is designed mainly to
deliver the communication
satellites to the highly
elliptical (typically 250 x
36000 Km) GTO. Two versions
of the GSLV:
o GSLV Mk-II: It is a three
stage vehicle with four
liquid strap-ons. First
stage using solid rocket
motor, second stage
using Liquid fuel and
Cryogenic Upper Stage
(CUS) forms the third
stage of GSLV Mk II.
ü It has the capability to
launch satellites of
liftoff mass of up to
2,200 kg to the GTO
and satellites of up to
5,000 kg lift-off mass
to the LEO (low earth
orbit).
o GSLV MK-III: It is a three
stage vehicle with an
indigenous cryogenic
upper stage engine (C25)
with two solid fuel strap-
on engines in the first
stage, a liquid propellant
core as second stage.
ü It has been designed
to carry heavier
communication satellites weighing up to 4000 kg into the Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit or
satellites weighing about 10,000 kg to LEO.
ü The indigenous cryogenic C25 engine helps to keep fuel loads on the rocket relatively low. India is
among six nations — apart from the US, Russia, France, Japan and China — to possess cryogenic
engine technology.
Other Vehicles used by ISRO
• Satellite Launch Vehicle-3 (SLV-3) was India's first experimental satellite launch vehicle, which was an all
solid, four stage vehicle capable of placing 40 kg class payloads in LEO.
• Augmented Satellite Launch Vehicle (ASLV) Programme was designed to augment the payload capacity
to 150 kg, thrice that of SLV-3, for Low Earth Orbits (LEO).
6.4.5. SPACE DEBRIS

Why in News?
The Kessler Syndrome
China has launched a robot prototype in April 2021 that • Also called the Kessler effect, is a scenario in
can scoop up debris left behind by other spacecraft which the density of objects in Low Earth Orbit
with a big net. (LEO) is high enough that collisions between
More on news objects could cause a cascade where each
collision generates space debris that increases
• The robot, NEO-01 will use a net to capture debris the likelihood of further collisions.
and then burn it with its electric propulsion • It may lead to a situation in which orbit would
system. become impassable in the long run.
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• It will also peer into deep space to observe small celestial bodies, paving the way for future technologies
capable of mining on asteroids.
About Space Debris
• Space debris encompasses both natural (meteoroid) and artificial (man-made) particles. Meteoroids are
in orbit about the sun, while most artificial debris is in orbit about the Earth which is commonly referred
to as orbital debris.
• Orbital debris is any man-made object in orbit about the Earth which no longer serves a useful function.
Such debris includes non-functional spacecraft, abandoned launch vehicle stages, mission-related debris
and fragmentation debris.
• Much of the debris is in low Earth orbit (within
2,000 km of Earth’s surface), though some debris
can be found in geostationary orbit (35,786 km
above the Equator).
• There are about 500,000 pieces of debris the size
of a marble or larger orbiting the Earth, travelling
at speeds up to 17,500 mph.
• International guidelines suggest removing
spacecrafts from low-Earth orbit within 25 years
of the end of their mission.
o However, only 60 percent of missions follow
the guidelines.
Strategies to Tackle Space Debris
• Mitigating Damage: Space debris is tracked by a
number of countries, including Germany, France,
the UK and the USA.
o ISRO has come up with ‘Project NETRA’ - an
early warning system in space to detect debris and other hazards to Indian satellites.
o Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology Delhi is working on a project titled “Orbit
computation of Resident Space Objects for Space Situational Awareness” to predict collision from
space debris.
• Avoiding future debris: Various space organisations have been working on reducing the amount of trash
by adopting better designs of rockets and other objects.
• Removal of the debris:
o End-of-Life Services by Astroscale Demonstration (Elsa-D), by Japan was launched to locate and
retrieve used satellites and other space junk.
o RemoveDebris is an EU research project to give in orbit demonstrations of cost-effective
technologies that can be used to observe, capture and dispose of space debris. It has performed key
technology demonstrations including:
ü Net capture: It involves a net that will be deployed at the target CubeSat.
ü Harpoon Capture: Which will be launched at a target plate made of “representative satellite panel
materials”
ü Vision-based navigation: Using cameras and LiDAR (light detection and ranging), the platform will
send data about the debris back to the ground for processing.
ü De-orbiting process: As it enters Earth’s atmosphere, the spacecraft will burn up, leaving no debris
behind.
International efforts to tackle Space debris
• Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee (IADC) Space Debris Mitigation Guidelines (2002).
o IADC is an international governmental forum for the worldwide coordination of activities related to the issues
of man-made and natural debris in space.
o ISRO is one among 13 member agencies of IADC.
• Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) concluded various international treaties (like Outer
Space Treaty, Liability Convention etc.) which deal with issues like liability for damage caused by space objects,
Prevention of harmful interference with space activities and registration of space activities etc.
o COPUOS was set up by UN General Assembly in 1959 to govern the exploration and use of space for the benefit
of all humanity.
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6.4.6. PINK MOON
Why in news?
The first super moon of
2021 has been named ‘Pink
Moon’ as per a naming
convention established in
USA.
More on news
• It is named after herb
moss pink, also called
creeping phlox, moss
phlox, or mountain
phlox, one of the
earliest spring flowers
appearing in the
United States.
• A book titled ‘Maine Farmer’s Almanac’ provides names for supermoon in each month of the year as they
occur.
About Supermoon
• The term "supermoon" was coined by astrologer Richard Nolle in 1979.
• The Moon orbits Earth in an ellipse which brings it closer to and farther from Earth as it goes around.
• The farthest point in this ellipse is called the apogee and the closest point is the perigee.
• Supermoon refers to either a new or full Moon that coincides with moon being at the perigee(the point
where moon is closest in its elliptical orbit around the Earth).
o New Moon is when Sun and Earth are on opposite sides of the Moon. A new moon is not visible due
to following reasons:
ü The alignment is such that it leaves the side of the Moon that faces Earth in darkness.
ü New Moon rises and sets around the same time as the Sun, bringing it closer to the Sun’s glare to
be seen with the naked eye.
o Full Moon is when the Sun and the Moon are aligned on opposite sides of Earth, and 100% of the
Moon's face is illuminated by the Sun.
• During a supermoon, that brightness can increase up to 30 percent as a result of the Moon being closer
to Earth.
• Other moon events:
o Micromoon is when a Full Moon or a New Moon coincides with apogee.
o Blood Moon
ü It refers to red colour of moon during the total lunar eclipse.
ü During the total lunar eclipse, the Earth comes in between the Sun and the Moon.
ü The red colour appears because the shorter wavelengths of sunlight are scattered by Earth’s
atmosphere and what reaches us is the longer wavelength red light.
o Whenever Sun, Earth and Moon are in alignment it is called a conjunction or Syzygy.
6.4.7. THE UNICORN–CLOSEST BLACK HOLE TO EARTH EVER DISCOVERED

Why in news?
Scientists have discovered the smallest-known black hole which is dubbed as 'the Unicorn’ in the Milky Way
galaxy and closest to the solar system.
More in news
• The black hole ‘Unicorn’ is roughly three times the mass of the sun.
• 'The Unicorn' falls into what the researchers called a ‘mass gap’ between the largest-known neutron stars
(around 2.2 times the mass of the sun) and what previously had been considered the smallest black holes
(around five times the sun's mass).
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• Its strong gravity
Evolution of a star
alters the shape of
• Red star: Fusion reaction stops in the core of a star when its Hydrogen gets
its companion star exhausted. Pressure of the core diminishes and core starts shrinking. Fusion takes
in a phenomenon place as some Hydrogen remains in the envelope/outer shell. It makes the star
known as tidal unstable. The star Expands and turns Red.
distortion, making it • Dwarf star: When mass of star < 1.44 times the mass of Sun (Chandra Shekhar limit),
elongated rather it ends up as a white dwarf.
than spherical and o The Red Giant Star loses its outer envelope and core shrinks into an extremely
causing its light to dense ball of matter due to gravitation. This leads to another set of fusion
change as it moves reaction where Helium fuses to form carbon. The fuel gets completely
along its orbital exhausted and the core shrinks under its own weight and becomes a white
dwarf.
path.
• Supernova: When mass of star > 1.44 times that of Sun, there remains enough
Black holes Helium in the core for fusion reaction. The outer envelope explodes causing
Supernova Explosion.
• A black hole is a • Neutron Star: When mass of the star is between 1.44 to 3 times that of Sun, it
place in space becomes a Neutron Star.
where gravity pulls • Black hole: When mass of the star is bigger than 3 times that of Sun, it becomes a
so much that even Black hole.
light cannot get out.
The gravity is so
strong because
matter has been
squeezed into a tiny
space. This can
happen when a star
is dying.
• They are invisible
and
electromagnetically
dark. Space
telescopes with
special tools can
help find black
holes. The
special tools
can see how
stars that are
very close to
black holes act
differently
than other
stars.
• Black holes
can be big or
small.
• There are
three
categories of
black holes
namely, stellar
black holes
(also called
unicorn),
supermassive black holes, and intermediate-mass black holes.
o There may be many stellar mass black holes in Milky Way.
130
Related News
• Magnetic field around a Black Hole has been observed for the first time.
• Astronomers have obtained a new view of the supermassive black hole at the center of galaxy M87 or Messier
87, some 55 million light years away from Earth.
o Images of polarized light were released by the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) collaboration, a network of
radio telescopes.
• Light becomes polarized when it goes through certain filters like, for instance, the lenses of polarized sunglasses,
or when it is emitted in hot regions of space that are magnetized, hence it suggests that presence of strong
magnetic fields around the black hole.
Related News
• Recently, NASA’s Hubble telescope discovered concentration of smaller black holes in globular cluster NGC 6397
instead of one super-massive blackhole.
o Hubble is the first major optical telescope to be placed in space to observe the most distant stars and galaxies
as well as the planets in our solar system.
• Globular clusters are extremely dense stellar systems, which host stars that are closely packed together. Roughly
spherical in shape, they contain hundreds of thousands, and sometimes millions, of stars.
o Globular clusters contain some of the oldest stars in a galaxy and are thought to have formed early in its
history.
o Studying those helps estimate age of the universe or figure out where the center of a galaxy lies.
6.4.8. SPACE HURRICANE About Auroras

• Auroras are caused by the interaction of
Why in News? energetic particles (electrons and
Recently, For the First Time, a 'Space Hurricane' was detected protons) of the solar wind with atoms
of the upper atmosphere. Aurora
over the North Pole.
occurs primarily in high latitudes of both
More on News hemispheres.
• Auroras in the Northern Hemisphere
• It ranged from 110 to 860 kilometres in altitude and are called aurora borealis, aurora
consisted of plasma with multiple spiral arms, swirling in polaris, or northern lights, and in the
an anticlockwise direction. Southern Hemisphere aurora australis,
• Centre of hurricane was almost still, similar to hurricanes or southern lights.
we see on Earth.
131
What is a Space Hurricane?
• It is a swirling mass of plasma and it rains electrons into ionosphere. This led to a huge, cyclone-shaped
aurora below the hurricane.
o Plasma is a hot ionized gas consisting of approximately equal numbers of positively charged ions and
negatively charged electrons. Plasma is the fourth state of matter (Solids, liquids and gases are other
three).
o Ionosphere stretches roughly 50 to 400 miles above Earth's surface, right at the edge of space.
• As per scientists, space hurricanes must be created by unusually large and rapid transfer of solar wind
energy and charged particles into the Earth's upper atmosphere.
• Significance: It will help in understanding important space weather effects like satellite drag, disturbances
in high frequency radio communications, and errors in over-the-horizon radar location, satellite navigation
and communication systems.
6.4.9. NOVEL TECHNIQUE FOR TRACKING CORONAL MASS EJECTIONS (CMES)

Why in News?
Recently, Scientists from Aryabhatta
Research Institute of observational sciences
(ARIES) have developed an algorithm, CMEs
Identification in Inner Solar Corona (CIISCO)
to detect and track CMEs in lower corona.
More on News
• The parameters determined by CIISCO are
useful to characterise these eruptions in
the lower corona, a region where the
properties of such eruptions are less
known.
• Technology will be used in Aditya-L1
India’s first solar mission.
o Implementation of CIISCO on the
Aditya-L1 data will provide new
insight into the CME properties in this less explored solar corona region.
About Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs)
• CME is a giant cloud of solar plasma drenched with magnetic field lines that is blown away from the Sun
often during strong, long-duration solar flares and filament eruptions.
o A CME contains particle radiation (mostly protons and electrons) and powerful magnetic fields. They
cause disruption of space weather and satellite failures, and power outages, etc.
• Computer Aided CME Tracking Software (CACTus) was used to detect and characterise such eruptions
automatically in the outer corona.
o However, this algorithm could not be applied to the inner corona observations due to the vast
acceleration experienced by these eruptions.
6.4.10. MISCELLANEOUS
Arktika-M • This is Russia’s first Arctic monitoring satellite to monitor the climate and environment in
the Arctic region.
• The Arctic has warmed more than twice as fast as the global average over the last three
decades.
• This opens up opportunities for huge oil and gas reserves that are being eyed by countries
including the United States, Russia, Canada etc.
P172+18 Quasar • Quasars are very luminous objects in faraway galaxies that emit jets at radio frequencies.
• Quasars give off enormous amounts of energy - they can be a trillion times brighter than
Sun.
• Quasars are believed to produce their energy from massive black holes in the center of
galaxies in which quasars are located.
132
• Because quasars are so bright, they drown out light from all other stars in same galaxy.
• Study of quasars can provide information about the early stages of the universe.
Martian • In 2004, NASA’s Opportunity rover found several small spheres on Mars, informally named
Blueberries Martian blueberries.
o Mineralogy study of these spheres found they were made of iron oxide compounds
called haematites (suggesting presence of water on Mars).
• A recent research on Jhuran formation in Gujarat suggests that haematite concretions in
this area resemble the ones on Mars.
• Jhuran formation is marked by first occurrence of ironstone band and last occurrence of
calcareous sandstone.
o Jhuran Formation is present in the offshore (GK-29A-1 well), Kutch mainland and Banni
graben.
o Age: Upper Jurassic (Agrovian –Neocomian).
James Webb • It is an orbiting infrared observatory which is planned to be launched in October 2021.
Space Telescope o It will complement discoveries of Hubble space telescope of NASA, with longer
wavelength coverage and improved sensitivity.
• It will study every phase in the history of Universe, ranging from Big Bang to the evolution
of our Solar System.
• It is an international collaboration between NASA, European Space Agency, and Canadian
Space Agency.
Devasthal Optical • It is a 3.6-m optical telescope at Devasthalin Nainital, Uttarakhand.
Telescope (DOT) • It is Asia’s largest fully steerable optical telescope.
• It was established by Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences, an
autonomous research institute under the Department of Science and Technology.
• Devasthal ("Abode of God") is a mountain peak near Dhana-chuli, which has the advantages
of having dark skies and excellent observing conditions.
Square Kilometer • SKAO Council held its maiden meeting and approved the establishment of the world’s
Array largest radio telescope.
Observatory o Unlike optical telescopes, radio telescopes can detect invisible gas and, therefore, they
(SKAO) can reveal areas of space that may be obscured by cosmic dust.
• The proposed telescope will be located in Africa and Australia whose operation,
maintenance and construction will be overseen by SKAO.
• SKAO is intergovernmental Organisation dedicated to radio astronomy and is
headquartered in the UK.
• Members of SKAO include Australia, Canada, China, India, Italy, New Zealand, South Africa,
Sweden, the Netherlands and the UK.
NASA-ISRO • Recently, ISRO has prepared the S-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) and shipped it to
Synthetic NASA for integration with L-band payload being developed by it.
Aperture Radar o SAR refers to a technique for producing fine-resolution images from a resolution-
(NISAR) limited radar system.
• NISAR is a joint Earth-observing mission between ISRO and NASA. It is the world’s first twin-
radar satellite mission.
o It will be launched in 2022 from the Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota into a
near-polar orbit
• For NISAR, NASA will provide one of the radars, high-rate communication subsystem, GPS
receivers and a payload data subsystem.
o ISRO will provide the spacecraft bus, a radar, launch vehicle and associated launch
services.
o It will be equipped with the largest reflector antenna ever launched by NASA.
• Significance
o It will track subtle changes in Earth’s surface, spotting warning signs of imminent
volcanic eruptions, monitor groundwater supplies and ice sheets melting rate etc.
o Can collect data day and night in any weather.
Sounding Rockets • Recently, ISRO launched Sounding rocket RH-560.
• Sounding Rockets are one or two stage solid propellant rockets used for probing the upper
atmospheric regions and for space research.
• They also serve as easily affordable platforms to test or prove prototypes of new
components or subsystems intended for use in launch vehicles and satellites.
• ISRO has developed a series of sounding rockets called Rohini series. Ex - RH-200, RH-300
(The number indicates the diameter of the rocket in mm).
133
o RH-560 aims to study attitudinal variations in the neutral winds and plasma dynamics
from Sriharikota spaceport.
Novel bacterial • Bacterial strains belonging to the family Methylobacteriaceae were isolated from different
strains locations aboard the ISS.
discovered at • New bacteria contains genes that fix nitrogen, dissolve phosphate and assimilate potassium
International — three nutrients important for plants to grow both on earth and space.
Space Station o New bacterial species has been found to bust stress that plants undergo in zero gravity in
(ISS) space.
• Discovery could help in space agriculture to meet the long-term food needs of astronauts
and space tourists to the moon or Mars.
6.5. HEALTH
6.5.1. RARE DISEASES
Why in news?
Ministry of Health & Family Welfare approved the National Policy for Rare Diseases(NPRD) 2021.
About Rare Diseases
• There is no universal or standard definition of rare disease but broadly defined as diseases that
infrequently occur in a population, and three indicators are used to identify— the total number of people
with the disease, its prevalence, and the availability/non-availability of treatment options.
o There is no standard definition of rare diseases in India.
• WHO defines rare disease as often debilitating lifelong disease or disorder with a prevalence of less than
10 per 10,000 people (or 1 per 1000 population). However, different countries have their own definitions
to suit their specific requirements.
• The term “Orphan diseases” is often used for these and drugs to treat them are called “Orphan drugs”.
o India is yet to have a legislation on the development of Orphan Drugs
• New diseases are discovered each year and added to the databases such as Orphanet
database maintained by the European Union that is freely accessible to everyone.
Key provisions of the Policy
Public Health and hospitals being a State subject, the Central
Government through the NPRD, would encourage & support the
States in their endeavour towards screening and prevention of rare
diseases. Major provisions of the policy include:
• Aim of the policy:
o To lower the incidence and prevalence of rare diseases
based on an integrated and comprehensive preventive
strategy.
o To enable access to affordable health care to patients of
rare diseases.
o To increase focus on indigenous research and local
production of medicines.
• Categorization of rare diseases in 3 groups:
o Group1: Disorders amenable to one-time curative
treatment.
o Group 2: Those requiring long term or lifelong treatment.
o Group 3: Diseases for which definitive treatment is available but challenges are to make optimal
patient selection for benefit, very high cost and lifelong therapy.
• Financial Support for treatment :
o The assistance of Rs 20 lakh to be provided by the Central government to patients suffering from rare
diseases under Group1 under the umbrella scheme of Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi(RAN).
ü RAN Scheme provides for financial assistance to patients, living below poverty line (BPL) and who are
suffering from major life threatening diseases, to receive medical treatment at any of the super
specialty Government hospitals / institutes.
134
o Beneficiaries for such financial assistance however would not be limited to BPL families, but
extended to about 40% of the population, who are eligible as per norms of Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya
Yojana, for their treatment in Government tertiary hospitals only.
o For diseases listed under Group 2, State Governments can
consider supporting patients of such rare diseases with
special diets or hormonal supplements or other relatively
low cost interventions.
• Alternate Funding mechanism: Provision for voluntary crowd-
funding for treatment through setting up a digital platform for
voluntary individual and corporate donors to contribute to the
treatment cost of patients of rare diseases especially those
under Group 3.
• Centres of Excellence and Nidan Kendras:
o Certain medical institutes will be certified as Centre of
Excellence and will be provided one-time financial support of
up to Rs. 5 crore for upgradation of screening and
diagnostics facilities.
o Nidan Kendras set up by Department of Biotechnology
(DBT) under Unique Methods of Management and
treatment of Inherited Disorders (UMMID) project will be
performing screening, genetic testing and counseling for
rare diseases.
ü Currently Nidan Kendras are supporting aspirational districts for screening of rare diseases.
• Creation of Database on rare diseases : A national hospital-based registry of rare diseases will be created
by ICMR to ensure adequate data and comprehensive definitions of such diseases are available for those
interested in research and development.
• Research & Development: Creation of an integrated research pipeline to start the development of new
drugs, repurposing the drugs and use of biosimilars (the reference medicine).
6.5.2. MALARIA
Why in News?
World Health
Organisation (WHO) and
partners recently
organised “Reaching
Zero” forum on malaria
elimination to celebrate
World Malaria Day (25th
April).
More on news
• This year’s theme

for the day
is “Reaching the
Zero Malaria
target.’’
• On this occasion,
WHO launched E-2025 initiative, under which group of 25 countries have been identified that have the
potential to stamp out malaria within a 5-year timeline. These countries will receive specialized support
and technical guidance as they work towards the target of zero malaria.
• Earlier, in 2017, WHO launched E-2020 initiative, to support 21 countries in their efforts to get to zero
malaria cases within the 2020 timeline.
• Malaria is a life-threatening disease caused by parasites that are transmitted to people through the bites
of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes. It is preventable and curable.
135
o Out of 5 malaria causing parasite species, Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax pose
greatest threat.
WHO Global technical strategy (GTS) for
Initiatives taken by India malaria 2016-2030 has following targets:
• National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme

(launched in 2003-04): It is an umbrella programme for the
prevention and control of six vector borne diseases
namely Malaria, dengue, chikungunya, Japanese
encephalitis, kala-azar and lymphatic filariasis.
• National Framework for Malaria Elimination (NFME) 2016–
2030 was launched in line with the WHO Global Technical
Strategy for Malaria 2016–2030 (GTS). The goals of NFME
are:
o Eliminate malaria (zero indigenous cases) throughout
the entire country by 2030; and
o Maintain malaria–free status in areas where malaria
transmission has been interrupted and
o prevent re-introduction of malaria.
• National Strategic Plan (NSP) for Malaria Elimination 2017-2022 was launched based on NFME which
specifies for phased elimination of Malaria. Specific objectives of NSP are:
o Achieve universal coverage of case detection and treatment services in endemic districts.
o Strengthen the surveillance system.
o An appropriate vector control intervention.
• WHO’s High Burden to High Impact (HBHI) strategy has been initiated in four high endemic states i.e.,
West Bengal, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh in July 2019.
o HBHI builds on the principle that no one should die from a disease that can be prevented and
diagnosed, and that is entirely curable with available treatments.
Related News
El Salvador certified as malaria-free
• Certification of malaria elimination is granted by WHO when a country has proven, beyond reasonable doubt, that
the chain of indigenous transmission has been interrupted nationwide for at least the previous 3 consecutive
years.
• Globally, a total of 38 countries and territories have reached this milestone.
• El Salvador has become the first country in Central America and the third in all Americas (Paraguay and Argentina
are other two) to get the malaria-free certificate from WHO in recent years.
6.5.3. REDUCING RISK OF ZOONOSES IN FOOD PRODUCTION

Why in news? World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE):
The guidelines to reduce the risk of transmission • It is an international organisation with 182 Member
of zoonotic pathogens to humans in food Countries (India is a member), which have given it a
production and marketing chains has been mandate to improve animal health and welfare
throughout the world.
prepared by the World Health Organisation
• It works to achieve the transparency of the global
(WHO), World Organisation for Animal Health
animal health situation including diseases transmissible
(OIE) and United Nations Environment to humans, to update and publish disease prevention
Programme (UNEP). and control methods, to ensure the sanitary safety of
What is zoonosis? world trade in animals and their products and to
strengthen national animal health systems.
• According to WHO, a zoonosis is an infectious
disease that jumps from a non-human animal to humans. (The transfer of pathogen from animal to human
has been explained in the infographic.)
• Zoonotic pathogens may be bacterial, viral, parasitic or fungal. They can spread to humans through direct
contact or through food, water and the environment.
• Zoonoses can cause disruptions in the production and trade of animal products for food and other uses.
• Causes of zoonosis: Climatic change, deforestation, animal adaptation and migration, vectors, lack of
hygiene, human- animal interface, pathogen mutation and factors leading to its adaptability, urbanisation,
laboratory escapes, etc. are some of the causes of zoonoses.
136
• Population at risk: Wild animal’s meat sellers, agricultural workers, and people living adjacent to
wilderness areas etc. face higher risk of zoonotic disease.
• Examples of zoonotic diseases: Japanese encephalitis (JE), Kyasanur forest disease (KFD), Nipah virus
infection, Ebola virus disease, Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) etc.
Key guidelines by WHO includes: Suspension of trade in wild animals, Strengthening the regulatory basis,
Conducting risk assessments, Strengthening animal health surveillance systems, food safety information
campaigns etc.
Measures taken to control zoonotic diseases:
• One health approach: The concept of ‘One Health’ recognised by WHO as health of human beings is
connected to health of animals and environment.
o The Ministry of Science and Technology has constituted a National Expert Group on One Health to
identify priority areas for better understanding of mechanism of virulence, infections and their
transmissions.
• Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP): It strengthens the disease surveillance in the country
by establishing a decentralized State based surveillance system for epidemic prone diseases to detect
the early warning signals so that timely and effective public health actions can be initiated.
• National Programme for Containment of Anti-Microbial Resistance: It carries out surveillance of
antimicrobial usage, strengthen infection control practices and promote rational use of antimicrobials
through Antimicrobial stewardship activities.
• Inter-Sectoral coordination for Prevention and Control of Zoonotic Diseases: It strengthens inter-sectoral
co-ordination between medical, veterinary, wildlife sector and various relevant stakeholders for
prevention and control of zoonotic diseases.
6.5.4. MEDICAL OXYGEN

Why in news? Oxygen Cylinders
India has been facing shortage of • Compressed oxygen and medical air cylinders are dedicated refillable
containers for holding oxygen/medical gases in a high-pressure, non-
medical oxygen (MO) at several liquid state.
locations amidst a massive surge in • They are fitted with a valve and a pressure regulator.
Covid-19 infections. • The cylinders can be made of steel, aluminium/alloy, carbon fibre or
other composite material and are available in various standard sizes.
• They contain a high purity of oxygen gas and no other types of gases are
allowed in the cylinder to prevent contamination.
137
About medical oxygen
• The term ‘medical oxygen’

means high-purity oxygen,
which is used by hospitals
and clinics in the treatment
of various illnesses that
cause oxygen saturation
levels in the body to drop.
• It generally comprises of
minimum 90% oxygen (O2)
with 5% nitrogen and 5%
argon.
• Medical grade oxygen is
highly concentrated and
can be obtained in several
ways:
o Liquifying air through a
process called
cryogenic distillation:
In this method Liquid
Medical Oxygen (LMO)
with 99.5% purity, is
manufactured in large
plants using cryogenic
distillation techniques
to compress
atmospheric air, feed it
into distillation columns
and get liquid oxygen (see infographic).
ü This LMO is then supplied to distributors where it undergoes a process of regasification to convert
the oxygen into gaseous form and fill it in cylinders.
o Oxygen concentrator: It is
an electrically powered Differences between Oxygen concentrators and Oxygen cylinders
medical device designed to Oxygen concentrators Oxygen cylinders
concentrate oxygen from Purity of O2 90-95 per cent pure 99.5 per cent pure
ambient air. supply
Operational Designed for continuous Require continuous
ü The device takes in
Lifespan operation and need just a refilling
surrounding air, filters it power source to draw in
through a sieve ambient air
(nitrogen-absorbing Suitability for Good enough for mild and Can be used for
zeolite membranes), COVID 19 moderate Covid-19 patients treating all types of
releases the nitrogen patients with oxygen saturation levels Covid-19 patients
back into the air, and of 85% or above, but not
works on the remaining advisable for ICU patients
oxygen. Rate of O2 Low-Moderate (5-10 litres of High (upto 25 litres of
ü Concentrators can be supply oxygen per minute) oxygen per minutes)
attached with multiple Portability Portable and lightweight Cylinders are bulky
and heavy
tubes to serve two
Temperature Need no special temperature Need cryogenic
patients at the same requirements for storing oxygen tankers for storage
time, but experts don’t and transportation of
recommend it due to LMO
risk of cross-infection. Cost More expensive than Less expensive but
o Pressure swing absorption effectiveness cylinders, but lower involve refilling and
(PSA) plants: A PSA oxygen operational cost in the long transportation costs
plant employs a technology run
that absorbs nitrogen from
138
ambient air to concentrate oxygen for supply to hospitals. They help hospitals become self-sufficient
in their requirement for medical oxygen while also reducing the burden on the national grid for supply
of medical oxygen.
ü They operate at near-ambient temperatures and use specific adsorbent materials (that trap a
substance on their surface) like zeolites, activated carbon, molecular sieves etc., to trap oxygen
at high pressure.
ü The oxygen that remains 92-95 per cent pure is compressed and fed into oxygen pipelines.
6.5.5. IMMUNISATION AGENDA 2030

Why in News?
Recently, global agencies like the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, GAVI and others have launched
the Immunisation Agenda 2030 (IA2030) during World Immunisation Week.
About IA2030
• The Immunization Agenda 2030 (IA2030) sets a global vision and strategy for vaccines and immunization
for the decade 2021–2030.
• IA2030 envisions “A world where everyone, everywhere, at every age, fully benefits from vaccines for
good health and well-being.”
• It is based on learnings from Global Vaccine Action Plan (GVAP) and aims to address the unmet targets of
the GVAP.
o The Global Vaccine Action Plan 2011–2020 (GVAP) was developed to realize the ambitions of the
Decade of Vaccines – that all individuals and communities enjoy lives free from vaccine-preventable
diseases through more equitable access to vaccines.
World Immunisation & Logistics Summit
• Recently, the Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare of India digitally participated in the two-day virtual
Summit, hosted by Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE).
• The summit was organised by the HOPE Consortium’ of UAE with a call to enhance collaboration in the world’s
approach to tackle COVID-19 and ensure a healthier future for all.
• About HOPE Consortium
o It is a UAE-based public-private partnership, launched in November, 2020.
o It envisages to provide a complete supply chain solution to address vaccine transport, demand planning,
sourcing, training, and digital technology infrastructure, and facilitate vaccine availability across the world.
o Abu Dhabi Ports has the Middle East’s largest capacities for cold chain and ultra-cold storage.
ü UAE will leverage its capabilities as an innovation epicenter serving the Middle East and wider world
through Abu Dhabi as a supply chain gateway connecting East and West.
139
6.5.6. INTENSIFIED MISSION INDRADHANUSH
Why in news?
Union Health Minister launched Intensified Mission Indradhanush 3.0.
About Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI)
• In 2014, Mission Indradhanush was launched to strengthen and re-energize the programme and achieve
full immunization coverage for all children and pregnant women at a rapid pace.
• Aim of IMI
o The focus of special drive was to improve immunisation coverage in select districts and cities to
ensure full immunisation to more than 90% by December 2018.
o Enhance political, administrative and financial commitment through advocacy with key ministries/
departments and stakeholders towards full immunization coverage for each child.
o Reach all children with all UIP vaccines due for the age as per the national immunization schedule in
the geographic area with focus on children up to 2 years of age and pregnant women. However,
vaccination will be provided to children up to 5 years of age.
o Sustain the gains made through Intensified Mission Indradhanush through routine immunization by
using IT based platforms for further planning and follow-up.
• In 2017, Intensified Mission Indradhanush was launched to further intensify the immunization programme.
• In 2019, IMI 2.0 launched to achieve targets of full immunization coverage in 272 districts in 27 States and
at block level (652 blocks) in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar among hard-to-reach and tribal populations.
• Focus of the IMI 3.0 will be the children and pregnant women who have missed their vaccine doses
during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• IMI is closely monitored at the district, state and central level at regular intervals. Further, it would be
reviewed by the Cabinet Secretary at the National level and will continue to be monitored at the highest
level under a special initiative ‘Proactive Governance and Timely Implementation (PRAGATI)’.
• Immunization Programme in India was introduced in 1978 as ‘Expanded Programme of Immunization’ (EPI) by the
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
• In 1985, the programme was modified as ‘Universal Immunization Programme’ (UIP) to be implemented in phased
manner to cover all districts in the country by 1989-90 with the one of largest health programme in the world.
• Under UIP, immunization is providing free of cost against 12 vaccine preventable diseases:
o Nationally against 9 diseases - Diphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus, Polio, Measles, Rubella, severe form of
Childhood Tuberculosis, Hepatitis B and Meningitis & Pneumonia caused by Hemophilus Influenza type B
o Sub-nationally against 3 diseases - Rotavirus diarrhoea, Pneumococcal Pneumonia and Japanese Encephalitis.
• UIP targets to vaccinate nearly 2.7 crore new-borns each year with all primary doses and an additional ~10 crore
children of 1- 5-year age with booster doses. In addition, nearly 3 crore pregnant mothers are targeted for TT
vaccination each year.
• The two major milestones of UIP have been the elimination of polio in 2014 and maternal and neonatal tetanus
elimination in 2015.
• Despite being operational for many years, UIP has been able to fully immunize only 65% children in the first year
of their life.
6.5.7. INTEGRATED HEALTH INFORMATION PLATFORM (IHIP)

Why in news? Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP)
Minister of Health & Family Welfare launched • IDSP was launched in 2004 with World Bank assistance.
Integrated Health Information Platform (IHIP). • It aims to strengthen/maintain decentralized laboratory-
based IT enabled disease surveillance system for
More on news epidemic prone diseases to monitor disease trends and to
detect and respond to outbreaks in early rising phase
• IHIP is a web-enabled near-real-time through trained Rapid Response Team.
electronic information system to provide
state-of-the-art single operating picture with geospatial information for managing disease outbreaks and
related resources.
• IHIP is the next generation highly refined version of Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP).
• It is world's biggest online disease surveillance platform and is in sync with the National Digital Health
Mission (NDHM).
140
o NDHM is a voluntary healthcare programme that aims to reduce the gap among stakeholders such as
doctors, hospitals, citizens etc by connecting them in an integrated digital health infrastructure

Trachoma • Gambia has become second African state to eliminate Trachoma, after Ghana.
• Trachoma is a neglected tropical disease and the leading infectious cause of blindness
worldwide.
• It is caused by repeated infection of the eye with the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis.
• It is contagious, spreading through contact with the eyes, eyelids, and nose or throat secretions
of infected people.
• WHO has set a target for global elimination of trachoma by 2030.India eliminated trachoma in
2017.
Anaemia • AMB strategy was launched in 2018 with the objective of reducing anaemia prevalence among
Mukt Bharat children, adolescents and women in reproductive age group.
(AMB) • Intervention under AMB includes giving prophylactic Iron folic acid supplementation,
Deworming, Behaviour change communication programme etc.
• Anaemia is a condition in which the number of red blood cells or their oxygen-carrying capacity
is insufficient to meet physiologic needs.
o Iron deficiency is the most common cause of anaemia.
Acute • Year's first AES case has been reported in Bihar.
Encephalitis • AES is characterized by an acute onset of fever and clinical neurological manifestation that
Syndrome includes mental confusion, disorientation, delirium, or coma.
(AES) • It is caused by several different viruses, bacteria, fungus, parasites, spirochetes, chemicals/
toxins etc.
• It predominantly affects the population below 15 years.
• Locally called ‘chamkibukhar’, AES usually surfaces during summer in the flood-prone districts
of north Bihar.
Guinea Ebola • This marks the first time this disease has been reported in the country since the end of
outbreak devastating West Africa Ebola outbreak in 2016.
• Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) is a rare and deadly disease in people and non-human primates.
• The viruses that cause EVD are located mainly in sub-Saharan Africa.
• People can get EVD through direct contact with an infected animal (bat or non-human primate)
or a sick or dead person infected with Ebola virus.
• U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Ebola vaccine rVSV-ZEBOV (tradename
“Ervebo”) for the prevention of EVD.
Pneumococcal • Serum Institute of India to start supplying 1st made-in-India PCV to Centre.
Conjugate • Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine acts against potentially fatal pneumococcal infections, include
Vaccine (PCV) any illness caused by pneumococcal bacteria such as pneumonia, septicaemia and meningitis.
• Conjugate vaccine is a substance that is composed of a polysaccharide (complex sugars on the
surface of bacteria) antigen fused (conjugated) to a carrier molecule. This enhances the stability
and the effectiveness of the vaccine.
141
o In most conjugate vaccines, the polysaccharide is attached to diphtheria or tetanus toxoid
protein.
o The immune system recognises these proteins very easily that helps to generate a stronger
immune response to the polysaccharide.
• PCVs for pneumococcal can potentially reduce the dependence on antibiotics by nearly 50 fifty
percent per year.
• PCV can have side effects ranging from fever, loss of appetite to headache, fussiness
Ketoprofen • Recently, Bangladesh banned painkiller ketoprofen.
• Ketoprofen is painkiller which is used widely to treat the cattle.
• Diclofenac and ketoprofen are Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) which are the
primary threats to the vultures of South Asia and responsible for the catastrophic 99.9% declines
of white-rumped vultures in the region.
• In India, diclofenac drug was banned by the Drug Controller General of India in 2006.
6.6. DEFENCE
Arjun Main • Recently, Prime Minister handed over indigenously developed MBT to Indian army.
Battle Tank • Project was initiated by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in 1972 with the
(MBT) (Mk- Combat Vehicles Research and Development Establishment (CVRDE) as its lead laboratory.
1a) • Arjun MBT Mk-1A is a weapon platform with superior firepower, high mobility, excellent
protection and crew comfort.
• It also has a computer-controlled integrated fire control system with stabilised sighting that works
in all lighting conditions.
PYTHON-5 • India's indigenous Light Combat Aircraft, Tejas, has added the fifth generation Python-5 Air-to-Air
Missile (AAM) to its weapons capability.
o The Python-5 is the second AAM of Israeli origin to be integrated on the Tejas fighter.
o It is an infra-red guided missile with a range of at least 20km.
• The first missile was the Beyond Visual Range (BVR) AAM Derby which is a radar-guided weapon
with a range of over 50km.
‘Helina’ and • Helina (the Army version) and Dhruvastra (IAF version), are third-generation anti-tank guided
‘Dhruvastra’ missiles.
successfully • The system has all-weather day-and-night capability and can defeat battle tanks with conventional
test fired armour as well as with explosive reactive armour.
• These have been designed and developed indigenously by the Defence Research and Development
Organisation.
NanoSniffer • India has developed the world's first micro-sensor based explosive trace detector (ETD), using a
micro-electromechanical system (MEMS), called NanoSniffer.
• It can accurately detect a wide range of military, commercial, and home-made explosives threats.
• It provides trace detection of nano-gram quantity of explosives & delivers result in seconds.
6.7. ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

6.7.1. NATIONAL HYDROGEN ENERGY
MISSION
Why in news?
Recently, the National Hydrogen Energy Mission was
formally announced in the Union budget for 2020-21.
About the mission
• The mission emphasizes on generating hydrogen from

green power resources (known as green hydrogen)
and enabling its commercial use.
• Major activities envisaged under the mission include:
o Creating volumes and infrastructure;
o Demonstrations in niche applications (including for
transport, industry);
o Goal-oriented Research & Development;
142
o Facilitative policy support; and
o Putting in place a robust
framework for standards and
regulations for hydrogen
technologies.
Benefits of using Green Hydrogen Energy
• Clean source of energy: Hydrogen is

about two to three times as efficient
as burning petrol.
• Potential to transform
transportation: Hydrogen can be used
for both fuel cell and internal
combustion engines and is being seen as a direct replacement of fossil fuels.
• Channelizing renewable energy: Renewable energy that cannot be stored or used by the grid can be
channeled to produce hydrogen. Hydrogen can act as an energy storage option, which would be essential
to meet intermittencies (of renewable energy) in the future.
• Hydrogen FCEV
(Fuel cell electric
vehicles) are better
in comparison to
Battery electric
vehicles: Hydrogen
FCEV enables a
refueling time of
just five minutes,
compared to 30-45
minutes charging
for a BEV (Battery
electric vehicles).
o This also has
the potential
to reduce
India’s demand
for rare earth
minerals that
are used in the manufacturing of batteries for electric vehicles.
Related News
Hydrogen Roundtable
• A Hydrogen Roundtable titled “Hydrogen Economy- the Indian Dialogue-2021” was organised by Energy Forum
(TEF) (an independent think tank) and Federation of Indian Petroleum Industry (FIPI) (an apex Society of entities
in the hydrocarbon sector that acts as an industry interface with Government and regulatory authorities) under
the aegis of Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.
• The objective of the Roundtable is to understand the progress of Hydrogen ecosystem across continents and
contribute to creating synchrony among the thinktanks, Governments and the industry to join forces for
developing innovative and sustainable technologies at attractive costs.
India H2 Alliance (IH2A)
• It is an alliance of energy and industrial firms led by Chart Industries and Reliance Industries Ltd.
• The alliance will aid the government efforts towards:
o Development of National Hydrogen Policy and Roadmap by 2030
o Creation of a National Hydrogen Taskforce and Mission in PPP format
o Creating a National Hydrogen Fund, and
o Developing Hydrogen-linked capacities covering hydrogen production, storage and distribution, industrial
use cases, transport use cases and standards.
• This includes work on building hydrogen economy and supply chain in India with focus on blue and green hydrogen
production and storage.
• The alliance will collaborate with private sector partners, the government and the public.
143
• Recently researchers at IITD have successfully split water by a process known as Sulphur-Iodine (SI)
thermochemical hydrogen cycle to generate low-cost, clean hydrogen fuel for industrial consumption.
o Cycle consists of chemical reactions whose net reactant is water and net products are hydrogen and oxygen.
• It might prove favorable for the commercial production of hydrogen on a large scale.
6.7.2. ALUMINIUM-AIR BATTERIES

Why in News?
Recently, Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. entered into a joint venture with Israel-based battery technology startup
Phinergy to develop aluminium-air technology-based battery systems for electric vehicles and stationary
storage, as well as hydrogen storage solutions.
Apart from aluminium-air, other metal–air batteries that have been extensively studied are sodium (Na)–air,
potassium (K)–air, zinc (Zn)–air, magnesium (Mg)–air etc.
• Benefits of Aluminium-air batteries over Lithium-ion batteries.
o Significantly cheaper, lighter and more energy-dense alternative.
o Expected to offer much greater range of 400 km or more per battery compared to lithium-ion
batteries (150-200 kilometres) per full charge.
o Unlike other batteries, aluminium plate in an aluminium-air battery can be recycled and traded directly
for industrial uses.
• One of the key downsides of aluminium-air batteries is that they cannot be recharged like lithium-ion
batteries.
144
6.8. MISCELLANEOUS
6.8.1. LARGE HADRON COLLIDER BEAUTY EXPERIMENT (LHCB)
Why in news?
Researchers at University of Zurich and European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) have found new
results at Large Hadron Collider beauty (LHCb) experiment.
About Large Hadron Collider beauty experiment (LHCb)
• The LHCb experiment is one of the four large experiments at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN in
Geneva.
• It is designed to study decays of particles containing a beauty quark, the quark with the highest mass
forming bound states.
o Beauty quarks are produced during the collision of high-energy proton beams in the Large Hadron
Collider the particle accelerator at CERN.
ü Quark are elementary subatomic particles that interact by means of the strong force and are
believed to be among the
About CERN
fundamental constituents
• European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) is one of the
of matter.
world's largest centres for scientific research uses complex
ü There are six types of scientific instruments to study the basic constituents of matter –
quarks that differ from fundamental particles.
one another in their mass • Here, subatomic particles are made to collide together at close to
and charge characteristics, the speed of light and their interaction is studied to provide insights
that are grouped in three into the fundamental laws of nature.
pairs: up and down, charm • The instruments used at CERN are like
and strange, and top and o accelerators to boost beams of particles to high energies
bottom. before the beams are made to collide with each other
ü Beauty quarks (bottom o detectors to observe and record the results of these collisions.
• It is founded in 1954, the Franco-Swiss border near Geneva.
quark) are much heavier
• Currently CERN have 23 member states, while India is an associate
than the up and down
member state.
quarks and particles • Japan, Russian Federation, United States of America, European
containing b quarks are Union and UNESCO currently have Observer status.
also unusually long-lived,
which make them very useful to physicists looking for physics beyond the standard mode.
• As per Standard Model the decay process involves the conversion of a beauty quark into a strange quark
with the production of an electron and anti-electron or a muon and anti-muon.
o Electrons are the subatomic particles that orbit the nucleus of an atom and generally negative in
charge. While anti-electron is positively charged also called as positron.
o Muon is elementary subatomic particle similar to the electron but 207 times heavier. It has two forms,
the negatively charged muon and its positively charged anti-muon.
• But results at LHCb show anomalies in decaying process than standard model with new fundamental
force in addition to four fundamental ones.
o Four fundamental forces of standard model are Gravity, electromagnetism, weak nuclear
interactions responsible for radioactivity and strong nuclear forces that hold matter together.
• This anomalies in result gives hint of the possible existence of a hypothetical particle called a leptoquark
has appeared as an unexpected difference in how beauty quarks decay to create electrons or muons.
Large Hadron Collider (LHC)
• It is the world’s largest and most powerful particle accelerator at CERN’s accelerator complex.
• The LHC consists of a 27-kilometre ring of superconducting magnets with a number of accelerating
structures to boost the energy of the particles along the way.
• The beams inside the LHC are made to collide at four locations around the accelerator ring, corresponding
to the positions of four particle detectors ATLAS, CMS, ALICE and LHCb.
• The project was officially approved in 1997, and construction began on a 16.5-mile-long (27 kilometers) ring
that passed beneath the French-Swiss border capable of accelerating particles up to 99.99 percent the
speed of light and smashing them together.
145
• In 2012, the researchers at the LHC announced the discovery of the Higgs boson, particle named after
physicist Peter Higgs.
o Hoggs boson is an elementary particle gain their mass from a fundamental field (Higgs field) through
its interactions.

Vigyan Jyoti • Programme now spreads to 100 districts in 2nd phase.
programme • Vigyan Jyoti programme aims to promote STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and
Mathematics) learning among girl students and to inspire them towards STEM careers by
creating a level-playing field for meritorious girls from grades 9 to 12 to pursue STEM in their
higher education.
o It was launched by Department of Science & Technology in collaboration with IBM in
2019.
• The program provides a scholarship, visit to nearby scientific institutions, science camps,
lecturers from eminent women scientists, and career counselling.
o It had been running in 50 Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNV) and has now been
expanded to 50 more JNVs for the year 2021-22.
Kalam Program • This scheme is being implemented by Ministry of Education.
for Intellectual • The objective of the scheme include:
Property Literacy o Creating awareness regarding Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) in Higher Education
and Awareness Institutions (HEIs),
(KAPILA) scheme o Enabling of IP protection of inventions originating from faculty and students of HEIs,
o Training program on IPR for faculty and students of HEIs and sensitization and
development of vibrant IP filing system.
TECHNOGRAHIS • An Enrolment Module for TECHNOGRAHIS has been launched by Ministry of Housing and
Urban Affairs (MoHUA).
• TECHNOGRAHIS are students from IITs, NITs, engineering, planning and architecture
colleges, faculty members etc.
• These students will visit Live Laboratories at six Light House Projects (LHPs) sites for
learning, consultation, generation of ideas and solutions, experimentation, innovation, and
technical awareness.
o LHPs are model housing projects with houses built with shortlisted alternate technology
suitable to the geo-climatic and hazard conditions of the region.
National • The awards were given by the Technology Development Board (TDB).
Technology • Every year, TDB seeks applications for NTA for commercialization of technologies under
Awards (NTA) three categories:
2020 o National Award for successful Commercialization of Indigenous Technology
o National Award for MSMEs
o National Award for Technology Start-ups
• TDB is a statutory body, under Department of Science of Technology,
• TDB provides financial assistance to Indian industrial concerns and other agencies,
attempting development and commercial application of indigenous technology, or adapting
imported technology to wider domestic applications.
o Since its inception, TDB has funded more than 300 companies for commercialization of
technologies. The notable are Bharat Biotech International Limited, Reva Electric Car
Company Tata Motors etc.
Einsteinium • Scientists have reported some of the properties of element 99 in periodic table called
“Einsteinium”, named after Albert Einstein.
o It was discovered in 1952 in the debris of the first hydrogen bomb.
• Because of difficulty in creating, short half-life of all its isotopes and of its radioactive
nature, scientists were not able to perform experiment on it.
• Studying its atomic arrangement may prove useful for nuclear power production and
radiopharmaceuticals.
Cadmium (Cd) • It is a new Lead-free material which can efficiently convert waste heat to power small home
doped Silver equipment and automobiles.
Antimony • It is based on thermoelectric energy conversion that allows generation of electrical voltage
Telluride when one end of a material is heated while keeping the other side cold.
(AgSbTe2) o Most efficient thermoelectric materials developed by scientists so far use Lead (Pb) as a
major constituent element, restricting their use for mass-market applications.
146

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Findings of the Report

Sustainable Development Solutions Network

6.1.2. GENOME MAPPING IN INDIAN OCEAN

6.2. IT & COMPUTER

• A blockchain is essentially a digital

6.2.2. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)

6.2.3 NON-FUNGIBLE TOKEN

• An NFT is a digital object that can be a drawing,

• All NFTs have a unique quality and a distinct

6.2.4 SATELLITE BASED INTERNET CONNECTIVITY

6.2.5 NEW INITIATIVES BY IPv6 • It’s a joint effort of Dept. of Telecommunication,

• It is a not-for-profit organization (section 8 of the Companies Act 2013), established in 2003.

6.2.6. OTHER IMPORTANT NEWS

6.3. RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

6.3.2. OTHER IMPORTANT NEWS

6.4. SPACE TECHNOLOGY

Types of Space Orbits

6.4.4. SATELLITE LAUNCH VEHICLES BY ISRO

6.4.5. SPACE DEBRIS

6.4.7. THE UNICORN–CLOSEST BLACK HOLE TO EARTH EVER DISCOVERED

6.4.8. SPACE HURRICANE About Auroras

6.4.9. NOVEL TECHNIQUE FOR TRACKING CORONAL MASS EJECTIONS (CMES)

• This year’s theme

• National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme

6.5.3. REDUCING RISK OF ZOONOSES IN FOOD PRODUCTION

6.5.4. MEDICAL OXYGEN

• The term ‘medical oxygen’

6.5.5. IMMUNISATION AGENDA 2030

6.5.7. INTEGRATED HEALTH INFORMATION PLATFORM (IHIP)

6.5.8. OTHER IMPORTANT NEWS

6.7. ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

• The mission emphasizes on generating hydrogen from

• Clean source of energy: Hydrogen is

6.7.2. ALUMINIUM-AIR BATTERIES

6.8.2. OTHER IMPORTANT NEWS

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