s & t (dec 15)
TRANSCRIPT
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GS-III Module
Science & TechnologyPrelims-cum-Mains-2016
Current Affairs
VOLUME – 3
(December - 2015)
By
Dr. Ravi P. Agrahari(Scientist in IIT Delhi)
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[Science & Technology: Current corner by Dr. Ravi P. Agrahari]
Dr. Ravi P. Agrahari (PhD IIT Delhi) working as a scientist in IIT Delhi with the association of
Department of Science & Technology (GOI)2
Q.1 Discuss the strategy government should adopt to counter epidemics.
Ans. whenever there is an epidemics outbreak, the health apparatus is put to the test.
Most of the burden in tackling epidemics falls on the State since a majority of the
population flock to the Government Hospitals and Primary Health Centers as not many
can afford the huge costs of hospitalization in a private sector.
The foremost priority should be given to identifying the source of the outbreak such as
mosquito breeding points for dengue.
These sources should be destroyed and awareness programs should be taken up among
the public.
The health department should put in place protocols for all diseases.
Medical Colleges and hospitals should create an isolation ward to treat epidemic
outbreaks patients.
Further, another infectious disease ward should be created to quarantine patients with
deadly disease such as Ebola
The biotechnology and microbiology laboratories should be equipped to detect most of
the viral-borne disease.
Drug Control Department should also keep a close watch for epidemic outbreaks. The
stocks in pharmacies should be monitored on a monthly basis.
All pharmacies should be instructed to stock up anti-biotic and anti-inflammatory drugs
during the epidemic period.
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[Science & Technology: Current corner by Dr. Ravi P. Agrahari]
Dr. Ravi P. Agrahari (PhD IIT Delhi) working as a scientist in IIT Delhi with the association of
Department of Science & Technology (GOI)3
Q. 2 What is proton therapy? Explain.
Ans. Proton therapy or proton beam therapy is a medical procedure, a type of particle
therapy that uses a beam of protons to irradiate diseased tissue, most often in the
treatment of cancer. Proton therapy's chief advantage over other types of external
beam radiotherapy is that as a charged particle the dose is deposited over a narrow
range and there is minimal exit dose.
Proton therapy is a type of external beam radiotherapy that uses ionizing radiation. In
proton therapy, medical personnel use a particle accelerator to target a tumor with a
beam of protons. These charged particles damage the DNA of cells, ultimately killingthem or stopping their reproduction. Cancerous cells are particularly vulnerable to
attacks on DNA because of their high rate of division and their reduced abilities to repair
DNA damage.
Due to their relatively large mass, protons have little lateral side scatter in the tissue;
the beam does not broaden much, stays focused on the tumor shape and delivers only
low-dose side-effects to surrounding tissue. All protons of a given energy have a certain
range; very few protons penetrate beyond that distance. Furthermore, the dose
delivered to tissue is maximum just over the last few millimeters of the particle’s range;
this maximum is called the Bragg peak often referred to as the SOBP. The total radiation
dosage of the protons is called the spread-out Bragg peak (SOBP).
Physicians use protons to treat conditions in two broad categories:
Disease sites that respond well to higher doses of radiation, i.e., dose escalation.
In some instances, dose escalation has demonstrated a higher probability of
"cure" (i.e., local control) than conventional radiotherapy.
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[Science & Technology: Current corner by Dr. Ravi P. Agrahari]
Dr. Ravi P. Agrahari (PhD IIT Delhi) working as a scientist in IIT Delhi with the association of
Department of Science & Technology (GOI)4
The second broad classes are those treatments where proton therapy's increased
precision reduces unwanted side effects by lessening the dose to normal tissue.
Q.3. Do you think that polio has been eliminated from India? Suggest measures toeradicate it.
Ans. India has not reported a single case of polio caused by the wild polio virus (WPV)
since January 2012. It is important to note that it also received a polio-free certificate
from the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2014, after a nervous two-year wait to
establish that the country can indeed maintain its polio-free status.
The polio virus causes paralysis — medically known as an acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) —
which is characterized by sudden muscle weakness, and fever in one or more limbs. AFP
can occur due to many reasons, one of which is vaccine-linked.
If this is the case, then is India still a polio-free nation if vaccine-derived polio cases are
still being reported? Yes, because WHO certified ‘freeness’ only from WPV, a condition
which India still meets. Other cases of the same condition are called non-polio AFP.
Between January 2014 and March 2015, India reported four cases from four different
States, of vaccine-derived polio. This is not all. Until November this year, the country has
reported 36,968 cases of non-polio AFP. For those who follow the sector, this is neither
news nor surprising. There has been a surge of non-polio AFP since India eradicated
polio.
We may be polio-free but we are reporting the world’s largest number of NPAFP.
Realistically speaking, we need an urgent policy intervention to address NPAFP and
VDPV with the same urgency and political will with which we addressed the wild polio
virus cases.
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[Science & Technology: Current corner by Dr. Ravi P. Agrahari]
Dr. Ravi P. Agrahari (PhD IIT Delhi) working as a scientist in IIT Delhi with the association of
Department of Science & Technology (GOI)5
For now, unfortunately, the government is still basking in the glory of one of its rare
public health achievements since Independence and is patting itself on the back for
eradicating polio even while cases of flaccid paralysis have seen a serious resurgence.
Q.4 Explain Poly House technique. How is it beneficial for the farmers?
Ans. Green houses and poly houses are protected structures useful for cultivation of
certain crops. These structures are erected for protection of crops from adverse climatic
conditions and for growing crops irrespective of their growing season. Different types of
green houses and poly houses are used in temperate and tropical areas.
A polytunnel (also known as a poly house, hoop greenhouse or hoop house, or high
tunnel) is a tunnel made of polyethylene, usually semi-circular, square or elongated in
shape. The interior heats up because incoming solar radiation from the sun warms
plants, soil, and other things inside the building faster than heat can escape the
structure. Air warmed by the heat from hot interior surfaces is retained in the building
by the roof and wall. Temperature, humidity and ventilation can be controlled byequipment fixed in the polytunnel.
Polytunnel can be used to provide a higher temperature and/or humidity than that
which is available in the environment but can also protect crops from intense heat,
bright sunlight, strong winds, hailstones and cold waves. This allows fruits and
vegetables to be grown at times usually considered off season. Every factor influencing
a crop can be controlled in a polytunnel. Polytunnel are often used in floriculture and
nurseries as the economic value of flowers can justify their expense.
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[Science & Technology: Current corner by Dr. Ravi P. Agrahari]
Dr. Ravi P. Agrahari (PhD IIT Delhi) working as a scientist in IIT Delhi with the association of
Department of Science & Technology (GOI)6
High tech poly houses even have heating systems as well as soil heating systems to
purify the soil of unwanted viruses, bacteria etc.
In a tropical climate like India, a temperature is prone to soar above all normal levels. Insuch cases, foggers/misters are used to reduce the temperature. This does not enhance
the humidity levels in the poly house as the evaporated droplets are almost
immediately ventilated to open air.
If the developing countries try and develop a special program only for the farmers
especially in countries like India the migration rate of the rural population to urban
areas and the migration of farmers from Agri/horticulture to urban areas may be
reduced. This has a huge potential to improve the farming sector which has so far
proved to be the vitally important sector for any country to stabilize the economy. The
projects with small polytunnels used by each farmer in each village promoting
cultivation of vegetables for on season and off season would actually help to develop
the practice of moderating the market rate for the vegetable in long run round the year
and would eventually help cultivate at least for the needs of the nearest market thus
stabilizing the market rate. In India, the inability to grow tomato during rainy season
allows its price to soar during the monsoon. This is spotted as an ideal time to grow a
tomato in polytunnels providing the ideal climate for the crop.
Thus. The technique can solve the problem of farmers of developing countries.
Q.5 Write a short note on the commercial use of our launch vehicles.
Ans. The Indian space transportation program has grown from strength to strength with
the launching of sounding rockets in the 60
s to the development of heavy lift vehicles
for telecommunication satellites in the present decade. With the growing market
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[Science & Technology: Current corner by Dr. Ravi P. Agrahari]
Dr. Ravi P. Agrahari (PhD IIT Delhi) working as a scientist in IIT Delhi with the association of
Department of Science & Technology (GOI)7
confidence in Indian Space Research Organizations ability to reliably deliver payloads to
low Earth orbit with its Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, there is an inherent opportunity
for India to cater to the commercial market. The present work assesses the current
launch capacity of India in retrospect of international launches and provides India’s
outlook for the space transportation in the current decade. Launch capacity correlation
with the requirements of the Indian space program as well as the current space
transportation infrastructure has been considered to identify bottlenecks in catering to
the current national requirements alongside securing a greater market share in the
international launch market.
During the last couple of years, ISRO has won international attention with several
successful non-commercial and commercial launches by its reliable workhorse, the
PSLV. Also, ISRO has effectively showcased its capabilities to the rest of the world by
succeeding with its Moon and Mars programs, the latter still en route to Mars. On
the commercial front, ISRO is now offering reliable and economical space products
and services to various international customers.
During the last few years India has shown an interest in entering the global commercial
satellite launch market. The growing aspirations and needs of various smaller nations in
the 21st century to operate and make use of space systems provide opportunities for
India to expand its commercial base, as do the needs of various European, Asian, and
Latin American nations. Some reports predict a minimum growth of 15% in the
commercial launch market segment over the next few years. All this indicates that,
apart from the established satellite launching agencies, these customers could look for
newer and cheaper options for launching their satellites.
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[Science & Technology: Current corner by Dr. Ravi P. Agrahari]
Dr. Ravi P. Agrahari (PhD IIT Delhi) working as a scientist in IIT Delhi with the association of
Department of Science & Technology (GOI)8
There are some unconfirmed reports suggesting that that India provides launch services
at about 75% of the price charged by other agencies. Naturally, India could expect a
great future for itself in this field and the success of PSLV-C23 could be viewed as an
initiation of this process. However, now the time has come to move beyond projections
and wishful thinking and put in context India’s position in this sector within the
backdrop of global realities.
As the latest “State of the Satellite Industry” report published by the Satellite Industry
Association notes, overall satellite industry revenue was US$195.2 billion in 2013 and
US$188.8 billion during 2012. In general, during last five years the overall growth rate ofsatellite industry as a whole has been varying approximately between 5 to 15%.
Q.6 What is ILTEO? What is the significance of its new program of launching 8 new
observatories? Discuss
Ans. ILTEO stands for Indian Long-term ecological observatories. India is all set to open
eight more long-term ecological observatories (LTEO) to study the effects of climate
change. The program was launched at the climate conference CoP21 by Environment
Minister, Prakash Javadekar on December 7, 2015.
"India will be putting up 8 new observatories in eight different biomes. We fortunately
have a tremendous diversity in India. We have 17 percent of world's population, 17
percent of cattle population but we have only 2.5 percent of world's landmass but stillwe have eight percent of biodiversity in India",
As per the reports, these new observatories will be set up in Himalayas, Western Ghats,
from central India to sunder bans and from Jammu and Kashmir to Rajasthan and
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[Science & Technology: Current corner by Dr. Ravi P. Agrahari]
Dr. Ravi P. Agrahari (PhD IIT Delhi) working as a scientist in IIT Delhi with the association of
Department of Science & Technology (GOI)9
Gujarat. The setting up of these observatories will enable Indian scientists to join
international initiatives on the subject. The program will also enable the scientists to
provide empirical data on the effects of climate change in various parts of the country.
The focus of LTEO would be to pick up signals and patterns of how changes in climate
are affecting natural and closely associated human systems of agriculture and
pastoralist.
Officials have pointed out that India has been doing long-term ecological monitoring
only at one place in the country - a 50 hectare plot at Mudumalai which has been
monitored for over 30 years by Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore.
Q.7 Write a short note on NASA’s Cargo mission.
Ans. Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) are a series of contracts awarded by
NASA from 2008 –2016 for delivery of cargo and supplies to the International Space
Station (ISS) on commercially operated spacecraft. The first CRS contracts were signed
in 2008 and awarded $1.6 billion to Space for 12 cargo transport missions and $1.9
billion to Orbital Sciences for 8 missions, covering deliveries to 2016. In
2015, NASA extended the Phase 1 contracts by ordering an additional three resupply
flights from Space and one from Orbital Sciences. The second phase of contracts
solicited and proposed in 2014, known as CRS2 will cover transport flights from 2019
until 2024.
Space began flying resupply missions in 2012, using Dragon cargo spacecraft launched
on Falcon 9 rockets from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force
Station, Cape Canaveral, Florida. Orbital Sciences began deliveries in 2013
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[Science & Technology: Current corner by Dr. Ravi P. Agrahari]
Dr. Ravi P. Agrahari (PhD IIT Delhi) working as a scientist in IIT Delhi with the association of
Department of Science & Technology (GOI)10
using Cygnus spacecraft launched on the Antares rocket from Launch Pad 0A at the Mid-
Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS), Wallops Island, Virginia.
Phase 2 (CRS2) contracts were awarded in January 2016 to Orbital ATK, Sierra Nevada
Corporation, and Space, for cargo transport flights beginning in 2019 and expected to
last through 2024.
Q.8 The signing of the SU-35 deal between Russia and china has many reasons that
have accumulated since a long time. Comment.
Ans. Russia’s decision to export is highly capable Su-35 planes is expected to bolter
China’s military presence in the South China Sea.
It is also set to escalate military technology exchanges that would help Beijing and
Moscow develop cutting edge weapons. After protracted negotiations that lasted
several years, Russia finally relented to sell China, 24 Su-35 planes. In doing so, Moscow
overrode apprehensions that its panache for “reverse engineering” Russian weapons,
could hasten Beijing’s rise as a formidable competitor to Russia, in the global armsmarket. The 2 billion dollar deal means that transfer of technology, which Beijing badly
requires developing the next generation of weapons, is part of the contract.
Analysts say that geopolitics has played a major part in cementing the deal. Both Russia
and China are now strategically well aligned. Russia saw the toppling of an elected
government Ukraine, as an attempt by the Atlantic Alliance to dislodge it from
Sevastopol, the headquarters of its Black Sea fleet in Crimea. The Chinese are also waryof Washington’s growing presence in the western Pacific, following the “Asia Pivot”
doctrine of the Obama administration.
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[Science & Technology: Current corner by Dr. Ravi P. Agrahari]
Dr. Ravi P. Agrahari (PhD IIT Delhi) working as a scientist in IIT Delhi with the association of
Department of Science & Technology (GOI)11
Washington’s doctrinal shift would bolster the Pacific command, which would
accumulate nearly 60 percent of all US forces under the wings. Russian media reports
have concluded that growing tensions between China and the US over the South China
Sea clinched the S-35 deal, whose negotiations had commenced in 2008. The Chinese
felt the urgency of these planes as the battle readiness of its homegrown J-20 and J-31
stealth fighters — the eventual replacements for the Su-35 — were still a few years
away.
China will benefit from the purchase of the Russian jets in three ways. First, the
acquisition of 24 Su-35 planes would greatly extend China’s reach over the South China
Sea. Su-35 planes, capable of taking off from short runways, will cover a large footprint
if deployed from China’s newly developed artificial islands in the South China Sea.
Second, the Russian jets can effectively counter the U.S. F-35 stealth fighters. The Irbis-6
radars on the Su-35 can track the state-of-the art American jets nearly 90 kilometers
away.
Finally, China can acquire valuable radar and engine technology by inducting the Russian
jets.
Q.9 Write a short on " Albicetus ".
Ans. Researchers have identified a new species of whale that they are naming after the
mythic beast of Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick.
A lead researcher corrected a 90-year-old error and created a new branch of the sperm
whale family tree for the fossil. She and co-author, the Smithsonian’s curator of marine
mammal fossils, named the genus “albicetus”, meaning white whale.
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[Science & Technology: Current corner by Dr. Ravi P. Agrahari]
Dr. Ravi P. Agrahari (PhD IIT Delhi) working as a scientist in IIT Delhi with the association of
Department of Science & Technology (GOI)12
The fossil of the 15 million-year-old, newly named whale was pulled from the storage
shelves at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History for the first dedicated study
since 1925 — when a naturalist named Remington Kellogg put the bones with a bunch
of extinct walruses.
“This fossil is kind of this ashen white color, which is kind of unusual for fossils,” “To
have a big white sperm whale fossil — it just seemed appropriate.” They describe an
ancestor of Ishmael’s whales that looked very little like the sperm whales that range
oceans today, whose brows hold the largest brains on earth.
To start, the six-meter albicetus was smaller than its modern cousin, which can grow to
over 18 meters long. It also had a smaller version of the sperm whale’s signature
feature, the block-shaped head that cradles a spermaceti organ.
“But probably the biggest difference would be this really big, gnarly jaw full of these
huge teeth,” The teeth are roughly the same size as modern on sperm whales, who only
have teeth on their bottom jaw, meaning that proportional to the smaller albicetus,
“they were kind of comically huge in both their upper and lower jaws.”
Q.10 What do you understand by cislunar space? What is NASA's active human
exploration program in this space?
Ans. cislunar space is the area of space surrounding the moon.
As all good things must come to an end. NASA’s long stint in space with the
International Space Station (ISS) in low-Earth orbit will also touch the finish line in a
decade from now.
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[Science & Technology: Current corner by Dr. Ravi P. Agrahari]
Dr. Ravi P. Agrahari (PhD IIT Delhi) working as a scientist in IIT Delhi with the association of
Department of Science & Technology (GOI)13
The U.S. space agency will move up to the cislunar space — the area of space
surrounding the moon — for an ambitious human exploration program.
NASA is going to get out of ISS as quickly as they can. Whether it gets filled in by theprivate sector or not, NASA’s vision is they’re trying to move out.”
while addressing an advisory council meeting recently, announced that they will be
moving out of the ISS in low-Earth orbit and pursue cislunar space.
Increasing costs
The orbiting international laboratory, a research ground for many innovating tests and
some key science experiments, on astronauts in a the zero-gravity atmosphere that has
repercussions for the Earth is reported to become inoperative in either 2024 — or if
given another extension — till 2028 at the latest.
The program’s budget, about $3 billion annually, is projected to rise to nearly $4 billion
by 2020.
“NASA cannot afford both a robust space station program and an active human
exploration program in cislunar space,”
According to NASA, it would like to see the private space industry “take over” the low-
Earth orbit.
The ISS orbits Earth at about eight km per second. When decommissioned, NASA will
likely deorbit the spacecraft and Earth’s gravitational pull and atmosphere will break it
apart.
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[Science & Technology: Current corner by Dr. Ravi P. Agrahari]
Dr. Ravi P. Agrahari (PhD IIT Delhi) working as a scientist in IIT Delhi with the association of
Department of Science & Technology (GOI)14
Whatever is left over will likely fall into the Pacific Ocean. ,
Human ingenuity
The ISS, which U.S. President Barack Obama has extended through 2024, is a testament
to the ingenuity and boundless imagination of the human spirit. For 15 years,
humanity’s reach has extended beyond the Earth’s atmosphere.
Since 2000, human beings have been living continuously aboard the space station,
where they have been working off —the—Earth for the benefit of Earth, advancing
scientific knowledge, demonstrating new technologies and making research
breakthroughs.
Q.11 What are potential adverse impacts of GM Crops? Discuss.
Ans. Genetically modified crops have the potential to eliminate hunger and starvation in
millions of people, especially in developing countries because the genetic modification
can produce large amounts of foods that are more nutritious. Large quantities are
produced because genetically modified crops are more resistant to pests and drought.
They also contain greater amounts of nutrients, such as proteins and vitamins.
However, there are concerns about the safety of genetically modified crops. The
concerns are that they may contain allergenic substances due to the introduction of
new genes into crops. Another concern is that genetic engineering often involves the
use of antibiotic-resistance genes as "selectable markers" and this could lead to the
production of antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains that are resistant to available
antibiotics. This would create a serious public health problem. The genetically modified
crops might contain other toxic substances (such as enhanced amounts of heavy metals)
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[Science & Technology: Current corner by Dr. Ravi P. Agrahari]
Dr. Ravi P. Agrahari (PhD IIT Delhi) working as a scientist in IIT Delhi with the association of
Department of Science & Technology (GOI)15
and the crops might not be "substantially equivalent" to genome, proteome, and
metabolome compared with unmodified crops.
Another concern is that genetically modified crops may be less nutritious; for
example, they might contain lower amounts of phytoestrogens, which protect against
heart disease and cancer. The review of available literature indicates that the genetically
modified crops available in the market that is intended for human consumption are
generally safe; their consumption is not associated with serious health problems.
However, because of potential for exposure of a large segment of human population to
genetically modified foods, more research is needed to ensure that the genetically
modified foods are safe for human consumption.
Q.12 What are the side effects of colistin on human health? Discuss.
Ans. In recent years, antimicrobial (drug) resistance has become an increasingly
important health issue, forcing healthcare providers to rely on a dwindling selection of
drugs to fight infection among patients. Gram-negative bacteria, which
include Escherichia coli , Acinetobacter baumanni , Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella
pneumonia, and Enterobacter sp., are an especially dangerous group of pathogens,
because they are difficult to treat and have become increasingly resistant to currently
available antimicrobial drugs.
In situations where commonly used antibiotics are no longer effective, healthcare
providers are turning to some older antibiotics to treat drug-resistant bacterial
infections. Colistin, an antibiotic approved in the late 1950s for the treatment of acute
and chronic infections caused by certain sensitive strains of Gram-negative bacteria, is
one of these older antibiotics that is getting a second look.
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[Science & Technology: Current corner by Dr. Ravi P. Agrahari]
Dr. Ravi P. Agrahari (PhD IIT Delhi) working as a scientist in IIT Delhi with the association of
Department of Science & Technology (GOI)16
Side Effects
Stomach upset and itching may occur. If either of these effects persists or worsens, tell
your doctor or pharmacist promptly.
Remember that your doctor has prescribed this medication because he or she has
judged that the benefit to you is greater than the risk of side effects. Many people using
this medication do not have serious side effects.
Tell your doctor right away if you have any serious side effects, including:
numbness/tingling (especially of the arms/legs, around the mouth/tongue), strange
feeling on the skin of the arms/legs, mental/mood changes (such as confusion,
psychosis, seizures), difficulty walking, unsteadiness, slow/shallow/troubled
breathing, dizziness/feeling of spinning, unexplained fever, slurred speech,
muscle weakness, change in the amount of urine, red/pink urine.
Q.13 Trace out the development of PSLV in India.
Ans. The Polar Satellite Launch commonly known by its abbreviation PSLV is
an expendable launch system developed and operated by the Indian Space Research
Organization (ISRO).
PSLV was designed and developed in early the 1990s at Vikram sarabhai Space
Centre near Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. The inertial systems are developed by ISRO
Inertial Systems Unit (IISU) at Thiruvananthapuram. The liquid propulsion stages for the
second and fourth stages of PSLV as well as the reaction control systems are developed
by the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) at Mahendragiri near Tirunelveli, Tamil
Nadu. The solid propellant motors are processed at Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SHAR)
at Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh which also carries out launch operations.
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[Science & Technology: Current corner by Dr. Ravi P. Agrahari]
Dr. Ravi P. Agrahari (PhD IIT Delhi) working as a scientist in IIT Delhi with the association of
Department of Science & Technology (GOI)17
The PSLV was first launched on 20 September 1993. The first and second stages
performed as expected, but an attitude control problem led to the collision of the
second and third stages at separation, and the payload failed to reach orbit. After this
initial setback, the PSLV successfully completed its second mission in 1994. The fourth
launch of PSLV suffered a partial failure in 1997, leaving its payload in a lower than
planned orbit. Since then, the PSLV has launched 24 times with no further failures.
PSLV continues to support Indian and foreign satellite launches especially for low Earth
orbit (LEO) satellites. It has undergone several improvements with each subsequent
version, especially those involving thrust, efficiency as well as weight. In November
2013, it was used to launch the Mars Orbiter Mission, India's first interplanetary probe.
As of 2015 the PSLV has launched 93 satellites (36 Indian and 57 foreign satellites) into a
variety of orbits. In the year 2015, alone India successfully launched 17 foreign satellites
belonging to Canada, Indonesia, Singapore, the UK and the United States. Some notable
payloads launched by PSLV include India's first lunar probe Chandrayaan-1, India's first
interplanetary mission Mangalyaan (Mars orbiter) and India's first spaceobservatory Astrosat.
Q.14 Write a short note on the significance of Japan's asteroid probe.
Ans. A Japanese space probe successfully entered "target orbit" and is on its way to
rendezvousing with a far away asteroid, in a quest to study the origin of the solar
system.
Earlier in December 2015, the unmanned explorer, Hayabusa 2, passed by Earth to
harness the planet's gravitational pull in a bid to switch its orbital path to continue
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[Science & Technology: Current corner by Dr. Ravi P. Agrahari]
Dr. Ravi P. Agrahari (PhD IIT Delhi) working as a scientist in IIT Delhi with the association of
Department of Science & Technology (GOI)18
toward tiny Ryugu asteroid. "The Hayabusa 2 entered the target orbit to travel to the
asteroid.,"
Hayabusa 2 was launched a year ago aboard Japan's main H-IIA rocket from
Tanegashima Space Center for its six-year mission to bring back mineral samples from
the asteroid.
It is expected to reach Ryugu, named after a mythical castle in a Japanese folk tale, in
mid-2018 and spend around 18 months in the area.
It will also drop rover robots and a "landing package" that includes equipment for
surface observation.
If all goes well, soil samples will be returned to Earth in late 2020.
Analyzing the extra-terrestrial materials could help shed light on the birth of the solar
system 4.6 billion years ago and offer clues about what gave rise to life on Earth.
Q.15 critically analyse the nuclear deal with Japan.
Ans. The inking of a Memorandum of the Understanding between India and Japan on
civil nuclear energy is significant. Its significance goes beyond India-Japan bilateral
relations, as do its implications, not least of which is the mobilization of the much-
vaunted United States-India Nuclear Cooperation Approval and Nonproliferation
Enhancement Act.
The MoU signed by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart
Shinzo Abe was positioned as being about more than just commerce — “Japanese
private investments are also rising sharply and clean energy; but also a sign of mutual
confidence and partnership for a secure world.
PTI
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Dr. Ravi P. Agrahari (PhD IIT Delhi) working as a scientist in IIT Delhi with the association of
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With this signing of a MoU on civil the nuclear energy between Modi and Abe, two
bottlenecks could swiftly be removed.
First, India no longer has to choose between slightly obsolete Russian nuclear
technology and expensive European Pressurized Reactors from French manufacturer
Areva. The added option of American nuclear technology manufacturers and indeed
Japanese ones will mean competitively-priced nuclear reactors for India. With India’s
growing energy demand and drive towards green energy, nuclear power will play a huge
role in the years to come.
Secondly, Tokyo’s signing of a nuclear agreement with New Delhi also sends out the
message that Japan backs India’s membership in the dual-use technology denial regimes
— the Missile Technology Control Regime, the Wassenaar Arrangement, the Nuclear
Suppliers Group and the Australia Group. Membership of these groups, something India
has been chasing for a while, has clear benefits: Access to uranium for starters; decision-
making power on issues of export control and non-proliferation; and a boost to India’s
hopes of permanent membership in the UN Security Council.
However, there is another factor that must be borne in mind, and that is the Japanese
pro-nuclear lobby. After four years of intense protests in the wake of the Fukushima
reactor disaster, the reactor was finally restarted in August this year. The lobby is clearly
powerful, but despite a bullish pledge earlier this year that 2015 would be the year
reactors across the country are restarted, Abe knows that the Japanese public at large
will not stand for this.
Ultimately, the notion that the signing of the India-Japan nuclear deal is strongly linked
to keeping Japan’s nuclear manufacturers afloat is hard to shake. So too is the idea that
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Tokyo’s concerns about a nuclear deal with New Delhi liability, tracking etc. Have been
outweighed by its own economic concerns.
For better or worse, the deal has been signed.
Q.16 Discuss the significance of and implications of nanotechnology.
Ans. Nanotechnology is a topic that spans a range of science and engineering
disciplines. It takes place at on a tiny scale - larger than the level of atoms and
molecules, but within the range of 1-100 nanometers.
The nanometer scale is about a billionth of a meter and things this small can behave
quite weirdly. These unusual physical and chemical characteristics come about
because there is an increase in surface area compared to volume as particles get
smaller and also because they are subject to quantum effects. This means they can
behave in different ways and do not follow the same laws of physics that larger
objects do.
The implications of nanotechnology are wide-ranging and could include medicine,
military applications, computing and astronomy. Nanotechnology is being used
already in certain materials like self-cleaning glass, sunscreens, lipsticks and even
antibacterial socks.
Future applications for nanotechnology seem only to be limited by the creativity of
researchers. Nanotechnology may be used to deliver drugs to just the right place
inside the body. There are even scientists who think that nano foods could be used to
trick the body into feeling fuller for longer, stopping us from overeating.
Nanotechnology is quite a new branch of science and engineering and there has been
criticism from some groups who fear there may be risks to humans and the
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environment that we don't know about yet, for example tiny nanoparticles may be
toxic under certain circumstances.
Q.17 Write a short note Hubble telescope.
Ans. The Hubble Space Telescope (HST) is space a telescope that was launched into low
Earth orbit in 1990, and remains in operation. With a 2.4-meter (7.9 ft) mirror, Hubble's
four main instruments observe in the near ultraviolet, visible, and near infrared spectra.
The telescope is named after the astronomer Edwin Hubble.
Hubble's orbit outside the distortion of Earth's atmosphere allows it to take extremely
high-resolution images with negligible background light. Hubble has recorded some of
the most detailed visible-light images ever, allowing a deep view into space and time.
Many Hubble observations have led to breakthroughs in astrophysics, such as
accurately determining the rate of expansion of the universe.
Although not the first space telescope, Hubble is one of the largest and most versatile,
and is well known as both a vital research tool and a public relations boon
for astronomy. The HST was built by the United States space agency NASA, with
contributions from the European Space Agency, and is operated by the Space Telescope
Science Institute.
The telescope is still operating as of 2016 and may last until 2030 –2040.
Recently, The Hubble Space Telescope has captured the image of the first-ever
predicted supernova explosion that offers a unique opportunity for astronomers to test
how mass — especially that of mysterious dark matter — is distributed within a galaxy
cluster.
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Many stars end their lives with a bang, but only a few of these stellar explosions have
been caught in the act.
When they are, spotting them successfully has been down to pure luck — until now.
Recently, astronomers not only imaged a supernova in action, but saw it when and
where they had predicted it would be.
Q.18 The recent defense deal with Russia is a need of the hour. Comment.
Ans. After being in the dark for several years on India’s geopolitical canvas, Russia is
making an emphatic comeback as India’s trusted and strategic partner and is on course
to reclaiming the position as the top supplier of defense hardware.
This visit bridges the widening gulf between the two sides in recent times and plays a
role in reaffirming ties with India’s oldest strategic partner.
While both sides concluded 16 agreements across sectors, the most visible indicators of
the renewed vigor in the partnership are in the defense sector. Russia still accounts for
70 percent of Indian arsenal, but has in recent years been overtaken by Israel and the
U.S. as the biggest hardware suppliers on an annual basis. Russia, however, still is the
largest supplier due to spares and support for hardware in the inventory and the
committed liabilities for programs under way.
It is no coincidence that the country’s first major project under the government’s
ambitious ‘Make in India’ will be the production of Kamov-226T utility helicopters in
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India. Under the agreement, 200 Ka-226T helicopters will be built in India for which
Russian helicopters will partner with India’s Reliance group to execute the program.
“The Inter-Governmental Agreement on manufacture of Kamov 226 helicopter in India
is the first project for a major defense platform under the Make in India mission. It is
right with our most important defense partner,” and this deal was the need of the hour
because India needed defense deal to fulfill its defense demand and also this make in
India initiative will bring technology in India.
Q.19 What is genome sequencing? Discuss its significance in life sciences.Ans. Genome sequencing is figuring out the order of DNA nucleotides, or bases, in a
genome—the order of As, Cs, Gs, and Ts that make up an organism's DNA. The human
genome is made up of over 3 billion of these genetic letters.
Today, DNA sequencing on a large scale—the scale necessary for ambitious projects
such as sequencing an entire genome—is mostly done by high-tech machines. Much as
your eye scans a sequence of letters to read a sentence, these machines "read" a
sequence of DNA bases.
Sequencing the genome is an important step towards understanding it.
At the very least, the genome sequence will represent a valuable shortcut, helping
scientists find genes much more easily and quickly. A genome sequence does containsome clues about where genes are, even though scientists are just learning to interpret
these clues.
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Scientists also hope that being able to study the entire genome sequence will help them
understand how the genome as whole works—how genes work together to direct the
growth, development and maintenance of an entire organism.
Finally, genes account for less than 25 percent of the DNA in the genome, and so
knowing the entire genome sequence will help scientists study the parts of the genome
outside the genes. This includes the regulatory regions that control how genes are
turned on and off, as well as long stretches of "nonsense" or "junk" DNA—so called
because we don't yet know what, if anything, it does.
Q.20 Discuss the biological factors which state that juveniles should not be treated as
adults.
Ans.
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Dr. Ravi P. Agrahari (PhD IIT Delhi) working as a scientist in IIT Delhi with the association of
Department of Science & Technology (GOI)25
Recently, the RajyaSabha cleared the Juvenile Justice (Amendment) Bill that allows
juveniles between ages 16 and 18 years who are charged with heinous offences to be
tried as adults.
Neuroscience was conspicuously absent from this debate.
As per India’s Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act of 2000, the age of
understanding is fixed at 18 years. And so, legally, any individual beyond that age could
be held fully responsible for his actions. However, neuro scientific developments in the
past decade prove that brain development continues till the person is well into his
twenties.
In 2007, a study conducted at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), U.S.,
scanned the brains of nearly 1,000 healthy children between ages 3 and 18. Child and
adolescent psychiatrist Jay Giedd, who conducted the Magnetic Resonance Imaging
(MRI) scans and followed the actual physical changes in the adolescent brain, believes
that brain maturation peaks around the age of 25.
According to available neuro scientific data, the frontal lobe, especially the prefrontal
cortex, is among the last parts of the brain to fully mature. The frontal lobes are
responsible for impulse control, in charge of decision-making, judgment and emotions
— and therefore crucial when fixing “culpability” in the case of juvenile delinquency.
Further, we now know conclusively that teenagers tend to be impulsive and prone to
mood swings because the limbic system — which processes emotions — is still
developing.
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there is no valid, magic age which can work as a marker to define individuals as juveniles
or adults. “Neuroscience has shown that the brain continues to develop well into the
third decade of life. The 18 years cut-off is in itself an arbitrary number. Lowering this
age further does not have its basis in current science.
According to experts, adolescents get involved in risk-seeking behavior without thinking
of long-term consequences, which leads them to actually overstate rewards without
fully evaluating the risks. This is because the level of dopamine production changes
during adolescence. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter — a chemical produced by the
brain that helps link actions to rewards and/or punishments.
Q.21 Write in brief about ISRO's 2016 heavy missions.
Ans. The year 2016 is set to see the national space program slowly shift gears towards
large satellites, a heavy-lift launcher and improved Earth observation capabilities.
The ten-odd planned missions will be mostly bread-and-butter types with no major
explorations before Chandrayaan-2, now slated for 2017.
The Space agency will complete on priority the seven-satellite regional navigation loop,
IRNSS, in the first three months.
On the target later in the year is GSAT-11, which would be the heaviest Indian satellite
at four to five tones and packing many more transponders than normal; the biggest so
far was about 3.1 tones. Also planned to be tested is a matching launcher to lift
spacecraft like it to space: the GSLV-Mark III heavy-lifter with a limited version satellite.
Earth observation
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After a gap of about three years, a host of functional Earth observation (EO or remote-
sensing) satellites is lined up. They include new ones with improved views of Earth as
well as those to replace older ones that are in orbit.
Of these Cartosat-2C would sharpen the present imagery resolution from 0.8 meters to
0.6 meters and is aimed for the first half.
A new EO version called Scats at is planned, besides continuity missions Resourcesat-2A,
Oceansat-3 series; and Insat-3DR (on a GSLV), a replacement Met sat.
The old Cartosat-1 series satellites would be replaced.
About the navigation constellation IRNSS, “Immediately over the next three months
ISRO will launch the three navigational satellites IRNSS-1E, 1F and 1G. They come up
consecutively in January, February and March.
Over the next two years, the ISRO planned to do eight to nine missions a year with six
PSLV and two GSLV launches. Additionally, there could be at least one fully commercial
PSLV launch meant only for foreign satellites; this year, it did two fully commercial
launches - in July and December.
Heavier the communication satellites, GSAT-17 and 18 were planned to be flown
separately on procured Arianespace launchers.
Q.22 Suggest how a national policy for IPR should be drafted. What are the challenges
in drafting an IPR policy.
Ans. India needs to fashion a policy that will be in tune with global standards and at the
same time protect special Indian strengths. India should align its IPR laws with global
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standards. We need an integrated policy, taking a balanced the approach, the existing
laws — that seek to protect the rights and incentives of innovators on the one hand and
public interest on the other should remain. However it should also ensure legislative
changes to keep pace with economic and technological developments.
It is going to be an extremely challenging task to stick to that position. Of special
concern have been the developments in the pharma industry where India is facing
maximum pressures from extremely well funded lobbies set up by big pharma from the
U.S. and other developed countries (although it must be reiterated that pharma is not
the only area).
IPR challenges have to be met increasingly through political action and diplomacy. The
government needs to strengthen its decision-making process and boost the skills of its
negotiators. In this connection an important initiative of the NDA government has been
the setting up of an IPR think tank which among other tasks, will help in the formulation
of a National Intellectual Property Rights policy for the first. The draft paper is the firststep.
To reiterate, the main challenge is to eradicate even the faintest of suspicions that the
government is acting under external pressure. India does not have an IPR policy but it
has a strong legal foundation. Important precedents have been set especially in pharma-
related matters. Besides, there is a well functioning Patents office with sufficient
experience to grant patents and uphold consumer interests. From here a new, well
balanced policy should not be too difficult. Resisting the big lobbies which have the
support of the political establishments of developed countries is an entirely different
matter.
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Dr. Ravi P. Agrahari (PhD IIT Delhi) working as a scientist in IIT Delhi with the association of
Department of Science & Technology (GOI)29
Q.23 What is Natgrid? What is its significance for India? What are the challenges in
implementing the project? Discuss.
Ans. The National Intelligence Grid or NATGRID is the integrated intelligence grid
connecting databases of core security agencies of the Government of India to collect
comprehensive patterns of intelligence that can be readily accessed by intelligence
agencies. It was first proposed in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on Mumbai in
2008 and it is yet to establish.
The 26/11 attacks on Mumbai led to the exposure of several weaknesses in India's
intelligence gathering and action networks. NATGRID is part of the radical overhaul of
the security and intelligence apparatuses of India that was mooted by the then Home
Minister P. Chidambaram. The National Investigating Agency and the National Counter
Terrorism Centre are two organizations established in the aftermath of the Mumbai
attacks of 2008. Before the attacks, the American Lashkar operative David Coleman
Headley had visited India several times and done a recce of the places that came under
attack on 26/11. Despite having travelled to India several times and having returned to
the US through Pakistan or West Asia, his trips failed to raise the suspicion of Indian
agencies as they lacked a system that could reveal a pattern in his unusual travel
itineraries and trips to the country. It is argued that had a system like the NATGRID been
in place, Headley would have been apprehended well before the attacks.
NATGRID is an intelligence sharing network that collates data from the standalone
databases of the various agencies and ministries of the Indian government. It is a
counter terrorism measure that collects and collates a host of information from
government databases including tax and bank account details, credit card transactions,
visa and immigration records and itineraries of rail and air travel. This combined data
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will be made available to 11 central agencies, which are: Research and Analysis Wing,
the Intelligence Bureau, Central Bureau of Investigation, Financial intelligence
unit, Central Board of Direct Taxes, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, Enforcement
Directorate, Narcotics Control Bureau, Central Board of Excise and Customs and the
Directorate General of Central Excise Intelligence.
Unlike the NCTC and the NIA which are central organizations, the NATGRID is essentially
a tool that enables security agencies to locate and obtain relevant information on terror
suspects from pooled data of various organizations and services in the country. It will
help identify, capture and prosecute terrorists and help preempt terrorist plots.
NATGRID faced opposition on charges of possible violations of privacy and leakage of
confidential personal information. Its efficacy in preventing terror has also been
questioned given that no state agency or police force has access to its database thus
reducing chances of immediate, effective action. NATGRID claims to be protected by
several structural and procedural safeguards and oversight mechanisms including that
of external audits and technology safeguards.
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