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SciNtech November

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Content
Microscopy to nanoscopy

Light revolution

Mirrors could replace air conditioning

Air pollution lowers crop yield: study

ISRO rushes to clarify on GSLV Mark III launch

All set to put unmanned crew module into orbit

Achievements in Space Science

Philae conquers comet 67P

Philae 'sniffs' organic molecules on comet

Comets may have brought key chemicals to Earth to kick-start life

All you need to know about the Rosetta mission

Countries meet to discuss action plan against antimicrobial resistanc

New class of potent antimalarial drugs found

Black hole producing mysterious particles, says NASA

Amid Ebola crisis, West Africa fears Lassa fever outbreak

10

Solar eclipse to test European electricity grids in March 2015, says

10

UK group to send unmanned robotic landing module to moon

11

HPV vaccination crucial to reducing cervical cancer, says study

11

Notes by vineetpunnoose on www.kiwipaper.com

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Content
Nano materials in cancer therapy

11

European Space Agency satellite uses gravity map to track ocean curre

12

Diagnosis in 'Digital India'

12

WHO raises alarm over three new cases of cross-border transmission of

14

Blood from Ebola survivors should be used to treat disease: WHO

15

Obesity to blame for half a million cancers a year: WHO agency

15

What next after Mars?

16

Space debris: ISRO chief raises concern over satellites' safety

17

GSLV Mark-III set for partial test flight

18

Cometary quest

18

Why do our scientists not speak out?

19

New drug to replace antibiotics

20

Ambitious neutrino project awaits PMO approval

20

China launches new remote sensing satellite

21

China completes first return mission to moon

21

Web is command centre for terror: U.K. spy chief

22

Antarctic ice thicker than previously thought: study

22

Drug-resistant malaria: replaying an Asia Pacific nightmare?

22

Notes by vineetpunnoose on www.kiwipaper.com

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Content
HPV option to prevent preterm births dangerous --Dr Harsh Vardhan

Dep

24

Cyber Security Violations

24

Dr Harsh Vardhan says Vision S&T 2020 on Cards "Recent Decisions by PM have

26

Role of El Nino in heat build-up in Indian Ocean

26

Notes by vineetpunnoose on www.kiwipaper.com

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Microscopy to nanoscopy

Fri, Nov 28, 2014

nanoscopy, Frontline, microscopy, science & tech, Nobel Prize,

ACCORDING to a fundamental principle of optics, commonly known as the "diffraction

limit", two points of an object cannot be distinguished as separate if they are closer
than about half the wavelength of the light being used to observe them. The visible
range of the electromagnetic spectrum extends from a wavelength of 700 nanometres
(a billionth of a metre, or 10 -9 m) at the red end to 400 nm at the blue end. an optical
microscope cannot yield a resolution better than about 0.2 micrometre (a millionth of
a metre, or 10 -6 m) corresponding to the shortest wavelength in the visible range.
For nearly the whole of the 20th century, it was believed that optical microscopy could
not do any better because of this theoretical limit on the maximum resolution of 0.2
micrometre that was attainable So, while the contours of some of a cells' organelles,
such as mitochondria, could be discerned, it was not possible to discern smaller objects
such as interactions between individual protein molecules in the cells.
Eric Betzig, Stefan W. Hell and William E. Moerner have been awarded the year's
Chemistry Nobel Prize for inventing methods that help in circumventing the limit of a
conventional microscope to achieve much finer resolutions.
The electron microscope, which is another important instrument that biologists use to
study organisms, uses an electron beam instead of light as the probe, and the wavelength
of electrons (in accordance with quantum theory) in a typical electron microscope is
as small as 5 picometres (thousandth of a billionth of a metre, or 10 -12 m). But, owing
to distortions at the edges of images caused by the magnetic lenses used, the resolution
is far worse than the electron wavelength though it is still three orders of magnitude
better than an optical microscope. However, the preparatory measures required in
electron microscopy eventually kill the cell itself. So an electron microscope mostly
cannot see a working cell.
Fluorescence microscopy In fluorescence microscopy, the technique that Hell was using
in his work at Turku, scientists use fluorescent molecules to image parts of the cell. For
instance, fluorescent antibodies are used to couple specifically to cellular DNA
(deoxyribonucleic acid). To do this, antibodies are excited with a brief light pulse,
making them glow for a while, and when they couple to the DNA they will radiate from
where the molecule is located in the cell nucleus. But this technique only allowed them
to locate clusters of molecules, such as entangled strands of DNA. The resolution was
not good enough to discern the individual strands.

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Light revolution

Fri, Nov 14, 2014

LEDs, Frontline, science & tech, Nobel Prize,

THE above could well be the words of Isamu Akasaki, Hiroshi Amano and Shuji
Nakamura, whose path-breaking invention of blue light-emitting diodes (LEDs) enabled
the creation of white light in a new way and opened the way for the development of a
new energy-efficient and environment-friendly light source
succeeded in producing bright blue light from gallium nitride (GaN)-based semiconductors,
it brought about a revolution in lighting technology. LEDs that produced green and red
light had been around for several years, but LEDs that could produce the remaining
primary colour, blue, had posed a serious technological challenge for nearly three
decades Only a combination of the three primary colours--red, green and blue--can result
in the white light needed for lighting purposes.
LED-based lighting systems are now ubiquitous. The older incandescent and fluorescent
light sources are fast giving way to the LED-based white light sources in homes, shops
and offices though cost still remains a major factor, and LEDs already form the basis
for most of the electronic devices we use--mobile phones, tablets, laptops, computer
monitors, television sets, car dashboards and luminous advertising billboards--in which
they are the backlighting sources that shine light on their liquid crystal display (LCD)
systems.
An LED is basically a semiconductor light source that consists of a number of layered
semiconductor materials. In an LED, electricity is directly converted into light quanta
(photons) by the phenomenon of electroluminescence. (Electroluminescence is, in fact,
generally observed only in semiconductor materials.) This results in increased efficiency
of the light generation compared with other light sources, where most of the electrical
input gets converted into heat and only a small amount into light. In incandescent light
bulbs and halogen lamps, electric current heats up a filament to a degree that it begins
to glow and emit light. In fluorescent lamps (including compact fluorescent lamps, or
CFLs), the current produces a gas discharge that results in both heat and light. Fluorescent
lamps also contain the undesirable toxic element mercury whose atoms get excited by
the discharge and emit light.
LEDs require less power to emit light than familiar light sources. They are also constantly
being improved to obtain greater efficiency. Efficiency for lamps is measured in terms
of luminous flux (measured in units called lumens) per watt of electrical power input.
R&D efforts in this direction have achieved a record output of 300 lumens/watt (which
represents about 50 per cent efficiency in converting electricity into light) for LEDs
compared with 16 lm/W for ordinary incandescent bulbs and 70 lm/W for fluorescent
lamps (Figure 1). Also, while ordinary light bulbs can last for about 1,000 hours and

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fluorescent lamps for about 10,000 hours, LEDs can last for as long as 100,000 hours.
As the press release points out, about one-fourth of world's electricity consumption is
for lighting, so energy-efficient LEDs will contribute greatly towards saving the world's
energy and material resources.
Electroluminescence was first observed in 1907 in the semiconductor material silicon
carbide (SiC), which is also known as carborundum At low voltages, the material glowed
yellow and changed colour as the applied voltage was increased.
An LED is basically what is known as a p-n junction in the parlance of electronics. A
p-n junction forms the elementary "building block" of most electronic devices such as
diodes, transistors, solar cells and integrated circuits. They are the active sites where
the quantum electronic action of the device happens. For example, the common transistor
is a "bipolar junction" device consisting of two p-n junctions in series, in the form n-p-n
or p-n-p.
With the achievements of both these groups, the gates were opened for the development
of efficient blue LEDs and their application on a commercial scale. The teams have
continued to work on blue LEDs, aiming for higher efficiencies, increased versatility
and wider applications. In 1995-96, both groups succeeded in inventing the blue laser
in which the blue LED, of the size of a grain of sand, forms a crucial component. While
a blue LED only produces dispersed blue light, a blue laser emits a sharp focussed
beam. Since blue light has a very short wavelength, it can be packed much tighter than
infrared light and therefore can store four times more information. This increased storage
capacity of blue (and UV) lasers has resulted in the development of "blu-ray" discs,
which can store high-definition video and have longer playback times, and better laser
printers.
White light LEDs for lighting can be produced in two different ways. The way that is
currently employed involves using a blue LED to excite a phosphor-coated lamp so
that it shines in red and green. When all three colours combine, white light is produced.
The other way, which is somewhat in the future, is to construct a lamp out of three
LEDs (red, green and blue) and let the eye do the work of perceiving it as white light.
This technology will also result in flexible light sources with dynamic colour tuning
and control by computers so that colours and intensity can be varied as needed over a
vast range.

Mirrors could replace air conditioning

Fri, Nov 28, 2014

The Hindu, science & tech, air conditioners,

A mirror that sends heat into the frigid expanse of space has been designed by scientists
to replace air-conditioning units that keep buildings cool on Earth.

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Researchers believe the mirror could slash the amount of energy used to control air
temperatures in business premises and shopping centres by doing away with power-hungry
cooling systems.
In a rooftop comparison of the device in Stanford, California, scientists found that while
a surface painted black reached 60degC more than ambient temperature in sunlight, and
bare aluminium reached 40degC more, the mirror was up to 5degC cooler than the surrounding
air temperature.
it works as a thermal radiator. When the mirror is warmed up, it releases heat at a
specific wavelength of infrared light that passes easily through the atmosphere and out
into space.
To make anything cool requires what engineers call a heat sink: somewhere to dump
unwanted heat. The heat sink has to be cooler than the object that needs cooling or it
will not do its job
The mirror is built from several layers of wafer-thin materials. The first layer is reflective
silver. On top of this are alternating layers of silicon dioxide and hafnium oxide. These
layers improve the reflectivity, but also turn the mirror into a thermal radiator. When
silicon dioxide heats up, it radiates the heat as infrared light at a wavelength of around
10 micrometres. Since there is very little in the atmosphere that absorbs at that wavelength,
the heat passes straight out to space.

Air pollution lowers crop yield: study

Tue, Nov 4, 2014

Air pollution, The Hindu, agriculture, science & tech,

averaged over India, yields in 2010 were up to 36% lower for wheat than they otherwise
would have been, absent climate and pollutant emissions trends, with some densely
populated States experiencing 50% relative yield losses
They found that much of the drop in yield came from air pollution caused by fine
particles like soot as well as ozone generated by sunlight acting on emissions of precursor
molecules.
There was substantial variation across States in the relative impacts produced by climatic
factors and air pollution on crop yields.
In Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, wheat yields were about half of what they otherwise
could have been, with air pollution responsible over two-thirds of the drop. Wheat
yields in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Bihar and Jharkhand too had been
greatly reduced by air pollutants, according to the paper.
However, there was little or no impact from either a changing climate or pollution on

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wheat yields in Punjab or Haryana, although their rice yields had been affected. Rice
yields have been lowered in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Jharkhand and West
Bengal by 15 per cent or more.

ISRO rushes to clarify on GSLV Mark III launch

Sat, Nov 29, 2014

GSLV Mark III, science & tech, ISRO, space, Businessline,

he launch of India's heaviest rocket, the GSLV Mark III, the Indian Space Research
Organisation today rushed to clarify that the impending launch will be an experimental
one, with only a dummy cryogenic engine.
The rocket launch that will take place from here sometime between December 15 and
20, is meant to test how the first two (lower) parts of the rocket behaves during its flight
through the atmosphere, and the efficacy of the systems meant to enable the come-back
of the chamber that will one day carry Indian astronauts.
The GSLV MK III rocket has been in the works for about 15 years and, as officials
stressed, is not an extension of the 'regular' GSLV rocket. The MK III is an entirely
new rocket and will be used in future satellites of 4 tonnes in weight to 36,000 KM
above the earth.
But on the way back, the ability of the 'crew module' to re-enter the atmosphere without
getting burnt out in the heat caused by the friction while re-entry, will also be assessed.
The re-entry is crucial, to human flights. As an object approaches 80 km above the
earth, or the 'sensitive atmosphere' the friction between the object and the atmosphere
can heat the object to some 1600 degrees Celsius.
The crew module is designed to withstand such high temperatures and to prevent the
heat from reaching inside.
The upper, cryogenic stage, dummy in this rocket, gets cut off at 126 km altitude and
begins to fall back along with the crew module, which is placed on the top, usually the
home of a satellite.
Between 126 km and 80 km, engineers will practically steer the crew module's fall.
At 80 km, the atmosphere takes over. From then, the engineers can only check the speed
of the falling object, which they do first by firing small rockets on the module in the
reverse direction, and later by opening three parachutes one after the other.

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All set to put unmanned crew module into orbit

Tue, Nov 25, 2014

The Hindu, science & tech, ISRO, space, unmanned crew module,

There is frenetic activity at Sriharikota for the maiden lift-off of India's newest and the
biggest launch vehicle in December, which will put an unmanned crew module into
orbit.
The mission is a stepping stone to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)
ultimately sending astronauts into space in the module.

Achievements in Space Science

Wed, Nov 26, 2014

PIB, science & tech, ISRO, space,

The details of the major achievements made in the field of space during the last one
year (since November 2013) are given below:
(i) Successful launch of India's first interplanetary spacecraft, Mars Orbiter onboard
Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle PSLV-C25
(ii) Successful launch of the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV-D5)
with an indigenous cryogenic engine & stage
(iii) Successful launch of Indian navigational satellite IRNSS-1B, the second satellite
in the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) onboard PSLV-C24 on
April 04, 2014 and IRNSS-1C, the third satellite of IRNSS onboard PSLV-C26
(iv) PSLV-C23 successfully launched French Earth Observation Satellite SPOT-7 along
with four small satellites viz. AISAT (Germany), NLS 7.1 & 7.2 (Canada) and VELOX-1
(Singapore)
(i) Mars Orbiter Mission has benefitted the country by (1) technological up-gradation
of the country in the area of space technology (2) providing excellent opportunities in
planetary research for the scientific community of the country and enthuse the younger
generation.
(ii) GSLV-D5 flight has benefitted the country by achieving self-reliance in launching
2000 kg class communication satellites into Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit. GSAT-14
satellite has benefitted the country by augmenting the satellite communication infrastructure
in the country with addition of 12 transponders.
(iii) IRNSS is a constellation of seven satellites and currently three satellites (IRNSS-1A,
1B & 1C) are in orbit. With the planned completion of constellation, IRNSS will benefit
the country by providing positioning services with an absolute position accuracy of

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better than 20 meters over Indian Land Mass and a region extending to about 1500 Kms
around India.
(iv) The successful launch of French satellite SPOT-7 along with four other foreign
satellites has benefitted the country by enhancing the reliability and commercial prospects
of India's PSLV in the global market.
(v) The future space programme to be undertaken by ISRO envisages development of
advanced launch vehicle systems including next generation GSLV MkIII, earth
observational satellites with improved resolution (Resourcesat-2A, Cartosat-2E,
Cartosat-3), advanced communication satellite (GSAT-11, GSAT-15, 16, 17, 18 & 19,
GSAT-6), completion of IRNSS constellation (IRNSS-1D,1E,1F & 1G), development
of critical technologies for space transportation system and satellites for space science
and planetary exploration purposes, including Astrosat, Chandrayaan-2 & Aditya-1

Philae conquers comet 67P

Wed, Nov 12, 2014

Philae, Rosetta, The Hindu, science & tech, space,

The agency said it received a signal from the 100-kilogram Philae lander after it touched
down just after 1600 GMT on Wednesday on the icy surface of the comet named
67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko.
The landing on the speeding comet marks the highlight of the decade-long Rosetta
spacecraft's mission to study comets and learn more about the origins of these celestial
bodies.
Scientists hope the lander, equipped with 10 instruments, will unlock the secrets of
comets -- primordial clusters of ice and dust that may have helped sow life on Earth.
The landing capped a 6.4 billion-kilometer journey by the European Space Agency's
Rosetta spacecraft, launched a decade ago to study the four-kilometer-wide
67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko comet.

Philae 'sniffs' organic molecules on comet

Wed, Nov 19, 2014

Philae, comet, The Hindu, rosetta, science & tech,

Scientists confirmed that the European comet lander Philae had 'sniffed' organic
molecules on 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko containing carbon elements, a basis of life
on Earth, before its primary battery ran out and it shut down.
Philae landed on the comet after a 10-year journey through space aboard the Rosetta
spacecraft on a mission to unlock details about how planets and maybe even how life
evolved.

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It wrapped up its 57-hour mission on the comet's surface on Saturday after radioing
back data from a series of experiments as its battery ran out.
Dr. Spohn said MUPUS could be used again if enough sunlight gets through to reload
Philae's batteries, which the scientists hope may happen as the comet approaches the
sun.

Comets may have brought key chemicals to Earth to kick-start life

Thu, Nov 27, 2014

Philae, Rosetta, Down to Earth, science & tech, Comets,

Philae lander's mission ended early--within two weeks of landing on Comet

67P/Churymov-Gerasimenko--after its batteries ran out. But it has managed to deliver
a "full set of results" about the comet before going into hibernation in the early hours
of November 15.
According to their preliminary assessment, they have detected what might be complex
carbon compounds on the surface of the comet. This supports a view that comets may
have brought key chemicals to Earth to kick-start life, according to ESA.

All you need to know about the Rosetta mission

Thu, Nov 13, 2014

Rosetta, Philae probe, The Hindu, science & tech,

The European Space Agency on Wednesday successfully landed the Philae probe on
comet 67P/Churyumov--Gerasimenko. The audacious landing attempt is the climax of
a decade-long mission to link up with the giant ball of dust and ice
Aug. 6, 2014 - Rosetta swings alongside comet 67P/Churyumov--Gerasimenko somewhere
between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.
Nov. 12, 2014 - The probe releases the Philae lander toward the comet's surface.

Countries meet to discuss action plan against antimicrobial resistanc

Thu, Nov 13, 2014

tuberculosis, antibiotics, Down to Earth, malaria, science & tech,

Antimicrobial resistance is caused by the overuse or misuse of antibiotics, antivirals

and other medicines.
WHO recommends, among other measures, efforts to change the behaviour of physicians,
pharmacists and patients towards responsible use of antimicrobials, stricter regulation
of over-the-counter and Internet sales of antibiotics and developing new generation
antimicrobials at affordable prices.

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While medicines represent 30 to 40 per cent of total health expenditure, countries do
not invest in improving their use. If just one per cent of the medicines budget was spent
on improving the use of drugs, we would see a big impact in resistance rate,
countries like Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar where antimicrobial resistance to the most
effective medicines has made it difficult to treat malaria. Patients from low- and
middle-income countries who suffer from drug-resistant TB are unable to afford second
line medicines for treatment.

New class of potent antimalarial drugs found

Wed, Nov 26, 2014

malaria, The Hindu, science & tech, health,

The new compounds, known as pyrazoleamides, were effective against Plasmodium

falciparum as well as Plasmodium vivax , the two most prevalent parasite species
causing human malaria,
Globally, there were about 207 million malaria cases and some 627,000 deaths in 2012,
according the World Health Organization's estimates.
"Many of the existing antimalarial drugs stop working because of resistance development,
[and] so it is essential to feed the pipeline with new antimalarial drugs through discovery
and development,"
An added attractive feature of the new compounds was their activity against the mature
sexual stages of P. falciparum, the paper noted. The parasite's male and female forms
mate after being ingested by a blood-feeding mosquito. Inhibiting the production of
those sexual stages would help prevent onward transmission of the parasite by mosquitoes.

Black hole producing mysterious particles, says NASA

Sat, Nov 15, 2014

black hole, Down to Earth, neutrinos, science & tech, space,

A new study has now revealed that the giant black hole at the centre of the Milky Way
may be producing some mysterious particles. The emission of these particles, known
as neutrinos, may contribute to the understanding of the source of high-energy cosmic
rays in the space as figuring out where high-energy neutrinos come from is one of the
biggest problems in astrophysics today.
Neutrinos are tiny particles that carry no charge and interact very weakly with electrons
and protons. Unlike light or charged particles, neutrinos can emerge from deep within
their cosmic sources and travel across the universe without being absorbed by intervening
matter.

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The Earth is constantly bombarded with neutrinos from the sun. However, neutrinos
from beyond the solar system can be millions or billions of times more energetic.

Amid Ebola crisis, West Africa fears Lassa fever outbreak

Wed, Nov 5, 2014

Ebola, Lassa fever, Down to Earth, science & tech,

The health workers are now worried that resources to fight Lassa fever are inadequate
as most of the infrastructure and human resources are already overstretched with Ebola.
A major challenge in detecting and treating the disease is that several infectious diseases
endemic in the region--including malaria, typhoid fever, and Lassa fever--mimic the
initial symptoms of Ebola virus disease. Patients infected with these diseases will often
need emergency care. Their doctors and nurses may see no reason not to suspect Ebola
and see no need to take protective measures.
Lassa fever is a serious viral disease that affects the blood, liver and spleen, and similar
to the fever caused by Ebola (a viral disease believed to be harboured by fruit bats) and
Marburg viruses.
A Lassa outbreak, however, is caused by rats. The rodents carry the disease into homes
and food stores, especially in the dry season running from November to April. The
disease, like Ebola, has a fatality rate of 70 per cent and needs people to be treated in
isolation. Although the fever is a treatable condition unlike Ebola viral disease, its
symptoms are varied and nonspecific, therefore making clinical diagnosis difficult. The
disease is treated with a drug Ribavirin.

Solar eclipse to test European electricity grids in March 2015, says

Tue, Nov 11, 2014

Down to Earth, science & tech, solar eclipse,

European electricity grids will have to prepare for an almost total solar eclipse over
northern Europe in March 2015, considering their increased dependence on solar power
production. Grids will be required to adjust to the changes in power outputs during the
eclipse, according to French power grid operator RTE.
The passage of this shadow will considerably reduce photovoltaic power production
solar generation sites will experience the impact of the eclipse only for a short duration
as the eclipse will move from one place to another across Europe.

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UK group to send unmanned robotic landing module to moon

Thu, Nov 20, 2014

Lunar Mission, Down to Earth, science & tech, UK, Lunar Mission one, space,

The project, Lunar Mission One, aims to raise PS500m for the project from donations
by the public
With an aim to use robotic technology to understand the origins and evolution of the
moon and the Earth, a British group has decided to send an unmanned robotic landing
module to the South Pole of the Moon - an area unexplored by previous moon missions.
The mission will use drill down to a depth of a least 20 metre, 10 times deeper than
any mission has ever drilled and potentially as deep as 100m. By doing this, the mission
claims, to access lunar rock dating back up to 4.5 billion years to discover the geological
composition of the moon and the relationship it shares with other planets.
The mission aims to improve scientific understanding of the early solar system, the
formation of the planet and the conditions that led life on Earth.
The project also wants to launch a global education project that will inspire new
generation of children and young people get excited about space, science, engineering
and technology

HPV vaccination crucial to reducing cervical cancer, says study

Thu, Nov 13, 2014

Down to Earth, cervical cancer, science & tech, HPV, health,

A study conducted in the United States has shown a connection between vaccination
for human papillomavirus (HPV) and cases of cervical cancer. US states that had high
vaccination rates for HPV reported fewer cases of cervical cancer and deaths from the
disease.
It showed that HPV vaccination--which can protect against cervical, anal, vaginal, and
vulvar cancers--was lower among girls living in states with higher cervical cancer
mortality rates and vice versa.

Nano materials in cancer therapy

Wed, Nov 12, 2014

The Hindu, science & tech, health, nano particles, cancer,

In spite of many advances in cancer treatment, one of the biggest challenges is to ensure
that normal cells do not get damaged while destroying malignant tumours.
In the case of most therapies, either oral or intravenous, the drug gets distributed
throughout the body. As a result, higher dosages are required, which makes the treatment

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expensive.
To overcome the problems faced in current treatment methods, scientists are trying to
take advantage of the increased proliferation activity of cancer cells by adopting targeted
therapy through the use of nano materials without causing much harm to a non-cancerous
tissue.
have synthesised iron oxide nanoparticles and attached a drug called photo-sensitiser
and a peptide to provide targeted photodynamic therapy.
In this type of therapy, a photo-sensitiser is used along with a specific wavelength of
light to kill cancer cells. On exposure to light, the photo-sensitiser releases free radicals
that kill the cancer cells.
While photodynamic therapy would be useful in treating cancers of the skin, neck, head
and mouth, they were trying to seek endoscopic treatment modalities for cancers of
organs inside the body.

European Space Agency satellite uses gravity map to track ocean curre

Wed, Nov 26, 2014

Down to Earth, science & tech, gravity map, ocean currents,

The Gravity field and steady-state Ocean Circulation Explorer, or GOCE, measured
the minute changes in Earth's gravitational pull which varies at different places due to
the uneven distribution of mass inside the planet.
This data was used to create a geoid or "a hypothetical global ocean at rest". It is the
shape the oceans would take in absence of winds or tides.
The result shows the mean dynamic topography of the ocean surface, showing higherand lower-than-average water levels. Based on this map, ocean currents and their speeds
were calculated and validated using in situ buoys."
The new ocean current speed map is of particular interest to UNESCO's Intergovernmental
Oceanographic Commission, which supports the international cooperation and the
understanding and management of oceans and coastal areas

Diagnosis in 'Digital India'

Mon, Nov 24, 2014

Digital India, The Hindu, science & tech, health,

Digitisation is aimed at improving health care delivery, quality and safety, and also
facilitating the measurement of quality and safety metrics. Doctors in the U.S. now
routinely use templates and pick-lists to help them navigate the complexities of medical
documentation, billing and quality reporting requirements. But complex human-computer

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interactions in busy and chaotic clinical settings can also lead doctors to miss critical
information. Humans become more reliant on technology and less likely to communicate
face-to-face. We do know that basic clinical interactions with patients often suffer when
attention is diverted to the computer so much.
In the U.S. alone, 1 in 20 adults are estimated to be misdiagnosed annually in outpatient
settings. The numbers are likely to be higher in India. Errors in diagnosis of several
common diseases have been well described. Many of these diseases are common in
India, including infections, cancers and cardiovascular conditions. Both problems in
clinical judgment such as failing to gather or synthesise history, a physical exam or test
data appropriately, as well as healthcare system flaws such as a lack of record or data
availability, problems with communication or coordinating care, and insufficient access
to specialists, can all contribute to misdiagnosis.
Reducing misdiagnosis in the future 'Digital India' will remain a challenge without a
national body or movement to coordinate patient safety initiatives related to misdiagnosis
and strengthening the overall health system. Amid antiquated manual record-keeping
systems, there is limited access to diagnostic testing resources and a severe paucity of
qualified primary-care providers and specialists. Layering technology on top of these
problems won't produce better patient outcomes unless we address the underlying
fundamental problems related to workflow and processes.
Indian medical training traditionally lays greater emphasis on basic clinical examination
and history-taking skills, but this might change with digitisation. To maintain physician
skill levels, we must use technology to create a learning system where we learn from
our mistakes. For example, a general lack of insight into their own diagnosis errors and
overconfidence is common among physicians. Currently, there is an absence of effective
feedback mechanisms on diagnosis-related performance from hospitals, colleagues or
patients. We don't have a culture of transparency and learning to reduce misdiagnosis,
an area in which even U.S. hospitals lag behind. Technology can make things more
transparent as long we are prepared to handle this transparency.
The path forward So what else is needed in the path forward to reduce misdiagnosis in
'Digital India'? As measurement is the first step to improvement, we must raise
awareness of this problem and support health systems research to measure and understand
misdiagnosis. We could leverage technology to enable better measurement if we build
a culture of transparency and learning. This groundwork could help develop effective
strategies to address doctors' thinking and behaviours as well as address health system
flaws, some of which we already know. We could prioritise high-risk areas that can be
improved with relatively minor investments, including strengthening primary and
emergency care systems. We will need a lot more than 4.1 per cent of GDP to be spent
on health care to do that.
The vision of 'Digital India' by the current government is inspiring but in a resource-starved

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setting, setting up a robust and reliable health information technology can be challenging.
Policy agenda should first focus on developing and implementing safe and reliable
information technology that works all the time. Second, India must develop the workforce
and clinical practices required to use this technology correctly and completely. Other
countries offer several examples of successes and failures in health IT; we must learn
from them rather than reinvent the wheel. Finally, India must leverage technology to
improve safety of the health-care system, rather than allowing it to become a distraction,
With a new government working on a new national health policy and a health innovation
fund, it must recognise the role low-cost health IT innovations could play in improving
diagnostic accuracy, including many that would be useful for rural India.

WHO raises alarm over three new cases of cross-border transmission of

Tue, Nov 18, 2014

polio, pakistan, Down to Earth, science & tech,

Expressing concern over continuing cross-border spread of wild poliovirus, the

International Health Regulations (IHR) Emergency Committee [2] of WHO has said
that the situation still constitutes a public health emergency.
"The risk of new international spread from Pakistan was assessed to have increased
substantively since 31 July 2014, as cases have escalated during the current high
transmission season and there has been no significant improvement in the underlying
factors that are driving transmission in the country," he risk of spread from the other
nine currently infected states--Afghanistan, Cameroon, Syria, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia,
Israel, Nigeria, Somalia and Syrian Arab Republic--appears to have declined. Only two
states Somalia (I case) and Afghanistan (7 cases, most of which were due to imported
virus) have reported new cases since July 31.
The committee has issued additional precautionary measures to be implemented by
Pakistan. These include restricting international travel from the country by persons who
do not have documentation of appropriate polio vaccination and administration of
vaccine to people who need to travel urgently.
According to the WHO press release [5] , the IHR committee recommended that Pakistan,
Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea and the Syrian Arab Republic should ensure that all
residents and long-term visitors receive a dose of oral polio vaccine (OPV) or inactivated
poliovirus vaccine (IPV) between four weeks and 12 months prior to international
travel.
And ensure that those undertaking urgent travel (i.e. within four weeks), who have not
received a dose of OPV or IPV in the previous four weeks to 12 months, receive a dose
of polio vaccine at least by the time of departure as this will still provide benefit,
particularly for frequent travellers.

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Blood from Ebola survivors should be used to treat disease: WHO

Thu, Nov 6, 2014

Ebola, Down to Earth, science & tech,

Antibodies from the blood of patients who have recovered could be transferred to those
who are suffering from the viral disease
The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced that the blood of patients who
have recovered from Ebola should be used to treat the deadly disease in the absence of
a clinically-proven drug or vaccine.The logic behind the proposal is that the antibodies
produced in the blood of patients to fight off the Ebola virus could be transferred from
a survivor to a sick patient to boost their immunity, says a BBC report.
According to BBC, drug trials started in the US this week and will be extended to
centres in the UK, Mali and Gambia soon. WHO said that if the drugs proved safe, they
would be used in West Africa immediately
It has, however, warned that the outbreak is still not under control. Incidence of the
disease continues to rise in Sierra Leone, while it is stable in Guinea, the first country
in West Africa to report Ebola.

Obesity to blame for half a million cancers a year: WHO agency

Wed, Nov 26, 2014

obesity, science & tech, health, Businessline, cancer,

Some half a million cases of cancer a year are due to people being overweight or obese,
and the problem is particularly acute in North America,
high body mass index (BMI) has now become a major cancer risk factor, responsible
for some 3.6 per cent, or 481,000, of new cancer cases in 2012.
The number of cancers linked to obesity and overweight is expected to rise globally
along with economic development
the findings underlined the importance of helping people maintain a healthy weight to
reduce their risk of developing a wide range of cancers, and of helping developing
countries avoid the problems currently faced by wealthier ones.
napshot * Almost a quarter of cancers in America are obesity-linked * High BMI linked
to bowel, kidney, breast and other cancers * Proportion of cancers due to overweight
is higher in women * Global problem likely to grow with economic development
Having a high BMI -- a person's weight in kilograms divided by the square of their
height in metres -- increases the risk of developing cancers of the oesophagus, colon,
rectum, kidney, pancreas, gallbladder, postmenopausal breast, ovary and endometrium.

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A BMI score of 25 or more is classed as overweight, while 30 or more is obese.

For postmenopausal breast cancer, for example - the most common women's cancer
worldwide - the findings suggest that 10 per cent of cases could be prevented by not
being overweight.

What next after Mars?

Tue, Nov 4, 2014

science & tech, ISRO, space, Businessline, MARS,

More importantly India became the first nation to reach the orbit of Mars in its maiden
attempt. At a relatively small price -- $74 million -- this is the cheapest interplanetary
mission ever to be undertaken, making this an incredible feat of determination, focus
and clever engineering by the folks at ISRO, where I too have had the honour of serving.
It is true that space missions have strong geopolitical undertones (who can forget the
race between the Americans and the Russians?) even while they are ostensibly important
scientific missions.
While earlier it was more about defence needs, today the context is more the
commercialisation of space rather than just militarisation.
Future missions will likely be more collaborative, and public-private partnership is the
name of the game as interplanetary colonisation becomes the next step in building a
scientific frontier.
Musk has even predicted that in as little as 10 years, humans will land on Mars with or
without NASA.
ISRO sees a bigger role for the private sector in the space programme and is working
out a business model for larger participation from the private sector so that it can focus
better on new developments and research. Nearly 400 companies are currently making
several elements of a launch vehicle, including fabrication, testing and assembling. In
operational programmes such as PSLV and GSLV, the industry has taken higher
responsibility in integrating the satellites.
ISRO is best placed to facilitate India's digital mandate -- provide connectivity to every
Indian by connecting all of India's over 6,00,000 villages. This seems tailor-made for
ISRO. Of the 4 billion people in the world who don't have access to the internet, almost
one-fourth or a billion are in India alone. This one billion has never experienced the
magic of the internet. Vast stretches do not have access to reliable internet connectivity,
much less adequate broadband. Just imagine the extent to which India would progress
if these people could be connected to the rest through always-on, high speed, broadband
connection? In a knowledge economy such as India's, keeping a billion people out of
the loop is a sacrilege that deserves urgent attention.

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Poor network connectivity due to limited spectrum and an insatiable thirst for mobile
connectivity by India's teeming millions has meant that there is no discernible difference
between 2G and 3G speeds. The laws of a free market economy dictate that the best
services will always go to where the maximum revenues are -- and for the foreseeable
future that will be in urban India.
ISRO can play a pivotal role in making broadband availability truly ubiquitous by being
the third (and much needed) partner to terrestrial networks (wireline and wireless).
Already ISRO's satellites provide mobile companies much needed cellular backhaul
services -- a necessary and cost effective technology helping operators around India
extend their reach.
Interestingly, ISRO is also hard at work to help with India's financial inclusion by
linking India's villages to bank branches and ATMs through a VSAT network (an area
that terrestrial operators usually circumvent as it's not financially or logistically feasible).
As India gets ready to embrace 4G (also known as LTE) connectivity, ISRO is best
suited to enable this. Space spectrum is best suited to provide all-weather and high
throughput connectivity that today's applications demand and similarly satellite spectrum
has improved from narrow S and C bands to Ku and now Ka band spectrum. So, with
the introduction of 4G services, ISRO could see new opportunities in mobile backhaul
that was just not feasible in a GSM environment.
But this will require new technologies that ISRO may not immediately have access to.
A new range of international satellites deployed in Europe and America now provide
up to 100 Gbps of throughput (using the latest Ka band spectrum) which would be
approximately 100 times that of a typical Ku band satellite (that ISRO currently operates).
ISRO needs to develop or outright buy or lease and operate one such satellite to provide
an enhanced level of broadband connectivity. Time to deploy -- a few months at best.
And the costs would be a small fraction of what a terrestrial network would entail
(typically $500 million would be the cost of the satellite). Existing ground-stations can
easily use this spectrum and redeploy it for end-user use.
satellite-enabled broadband can come to the rescue. Whether it's C , Ku or Ka band,
India can more effectively utilise its 'space spectrum' to bridge the deficit and more
importantly, ensure digital inclusion and connectivity for its large, unconnected population
and regions. ISRO can play the key role.

Space debris: ISRO chief raises concern over satellites' safety

Tue, Nov 11, 2014

science & tech, Space debris, space, Businessline,

raised concern over the safety of satellites due to space debris and batted for a
comprehensive space policy for the country.

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"What happens to the various types of satellites after their work is over. This is a new
area of study.
The ISRO chief said policies related to different aspects such as space and remote
sharing of remote sensing data was in place, but there was a need to have an overall
policy.
In the country, we have a policy on satellite, we have a SATCOM policy. We have a
policy on remote centre data dissemination. An overall space law for the country is
what we are trying to evolve

GSLV Mark-III set for partial test flight

Sun, Nov 2, 2014

GSLV Mark III, The Hindu, science & tech, ISRO, space,

GSLV Mark-III, the bigger and better space vehicle that will enable larger national
communication satellites to be launched from India,
The landmark test flight will lead to a "future workhorse vehicle that will stay with us
for many years,"
For the December flight, "the [solid-fuelled] strap-ons and the liquid core are active
but the cryogenic engines will not be ignited. The propellants will be simulated."
Mark-III can have its first full developmental flight -- carrying a full satellite of about
3,500 kg - only when the cryogenic stage is qualified; that could take two to three years.
ISRO now depends on costly foreign launchers to put its 3-tonne communication
satellites into space.
If a couple of developmental flights succeed, then we should be able to launch from
India communication satellites weighing 3.5 tonnes to 4 tonnes and which can carry
more transponders and more power

Cometary quest

Sat, Nov 15, 2014

Philae, comet, Rosetta, The Hindu, science & tech, space,

Separating from the Rosetta mother craft, Philae made history on Wednesday by
becoming the first probe to carry out a soft landing on a comet. But mission managers
of the European Space Agency (ESA) have since found to their dismay that the landing
did not go as planned. It is getting only a fraction of the sunlight its solar arrays need
to recharge batteries. This comet is a two-lobed agglomeration of ice, dust and bits of
rock that some have likened to a rubber duck. Even identifying a suitable landing site
on it was not easy.

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Even before the landing took place, the plan was that the lander's primary science
mission would last only about two and a half days. The hope, however, was that with
enough sunlight to recharge its batteries, scientific activities could carry on till March
next year. That extension of the lander's science mission is now in doubt. It was in
August this year that Rosetta and Philae, which left Earth ten years back, rendezvoused
with their cometary target. The intense scientific scrutiny that Rosetta and Philae provide
will further humankind's understanding about the evolution of the solar system. They
might provide clues too about whether comets brought water and organic molecules to
Earth, creating conditions for the emergence of life.

Why do our scientists not speak out?

Wed, Nov 12, 2014

The Hindu, science & tech,

Why is it incorrect to use mythology as proof that modern science was known to, and
used by our ancestors millennia ago? Because we need proof. Science proceeds through
logic, analysis of data, repeatability, falsifiability, proof and prediction. If one claims
that the Harappan community were adept at city planning and architecture, we accept
it since we see proof through archaeology and excavations. That the sages Baudhayana
and Apasthamba discovered power series expansions in mathematics or came out with
the "Pythagoras Theorem" before Pythagoras, we accept it because they left behind
their writings which we use and find correct. The physicians Susruta and Charaka ,
who left behind texts (the latter so ably translated from the original Sanskrit into today's
English and medical terms by Professor M.S. Valiathan) which give us proof of the
practice and how applicable and successful many of their suggestions are.
three varieties of scientists in India. One type is too embarrassed to react. The second
type is indifferent to any view aired by public persons, and who are comfortable in their
labs as long as research funds flow uninterrupted. And the third type of scientists who
go around giving speeches in schools and colleges on such "mumbo-jumbo" in their
zeal to "recover our great Indian heritage."
What are the factors and causes behind this triad of reactions, and how do they compare
with those in other countries, say the U.K. or the U.S.? Unlike there, science and higher
education here are supported essentially by the government, often to the point of what
the curricula should contain. Directors and Vice Chancellors are government appointees.
The career graph of academics and scientists, their salaries and such too are largely
government-determined. Research grants for science, technology, medicine, agriculture,
social sciences -- all are sarkar funded. Just as in over 80 other countries across the
globe, our science academies, at the national and regional level, too are supported by
the governments, unlike those in U.K. and U.S., which do not depend solely on their
governments. Given this "he who pays calls the tunes" type atmosphere, speaking out

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becomes a hesitant act. Note too that it does not matter which party or ideology the
government belongs to; intellectual freedom is curtailed either suo motu or by
hidden/perceived pressure.

New drug to replace antibiotics

Thu, Nov 6, 2014

antibiotics, science & tech, Businessline,

In a breakthrough, scientists have developed the first effective alternative to antibiotics

that may aid the fight against drug-resistant infections.
The treatment attacks infections in an entirely different way from conventional drugs
and, unlike them, exclusively targets the Staphylococcus bacteria responsible for MRSA,
and leaves other microbes unaffected.
The approach is inspired by naturally occurring viruses that attack bacteria using
enzymes called endolysins.
Endolysins exist in nature, but we've made a modified version that combines the bit
that is best at binding to the bacteria with another bit that is best at killing it
Conventional antibiotics need to reach the inside of the cell to work, and part of the
reason they are becoming less effective is that certain strains of bacteria, such as MRSA,
have evolved impenetrable membranes.
By contrast, endolysins target basic building blocks on the outside of bacterial cells
that are unlikely to change as infections genetically mutate over time.
About 80 per cent of gonorrhoea infections are resistant to frontline drugs, and
multidrug-resistant salmonella, tuberculosis and E coli are regarded as significant
threats.

Ambitious neutrino project awaits PMO approval

Mon, Nov 10, 2014

science & tech, Businessline, Neutrino,

India's ambitious project intending to study the properties of atmospheric neutrinos

through an underground lab in Theni district of Tamil Nadu at a total cost of Rs 1,500
crore is awaiting a final nod from the Prime Minister's office.
Christened 'India-based Neutrino Observatory' by the Department of Atomic Energy,
the project will study atmospheric neutrinos some 1,300 metres below the ground near
Pottipuram village of Theni district and is expected to provide precise measurement of
neutrino mixing parameters.

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The proposed INO comprises two underground laboratory caverns with a rock cover
of more than 1000 metre all around to house detectors and control equipment, for which
a two-km access tunnel would be driven under a mountain, according to the INO website.

China launches new remote sensing satellite

Sat, Nov 15, 2014

Yaogan, remote sensing satellite, science & tech, Businessline, China,

The satellite Yaogan-23 will mainly be used for scientific experiments, natural resource
surveys, crop yield estimates and disaster relief, state--run Xinhua news agency reported.
It was carried by a Long March--2C rocket, marking the 198th mission for the Long
March rocket family.
China launched the first satellite in the "Yaogan" series, Yaogan--1, in 2006.
The new satellite was put in orbit amid plans announced by China on November 10 to
launch around 120 more applied satellites to "accommodate economic and social needs".
China will launch about 70 remote sensing satellites to detect the near--Earth space
environment and predict extreme events and also launch about 20 communication
satellites to meet communication demand in national security and public services, he
said.
In addition, China will launch about 30 navigation satellites to provide accurate and
reliable global positioning and navigation services, he added.

China completes first return mission to moon

Sat, Nov 1, 2014

science & tech, space, Businessline, China, lunar ,

China today successfully completed its first return mission to the moon with its unmanned
orbiter landing back on Earth, becoming only the third country in the world to do so
after the former Soviet Union and the US accomplished the feat about 40 years ago.
In the latest step forward for its space programme, the test lunar orbiter landed in
Siziwang Banner of China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region early this morning
over a week after it was launched to test its ability to go to the lunar orbit and return to
Earth.
The high speed led to a lot of friction between the orbiter and air and high temperatures
on the craft's exterior, generating an ion sheath that cut off contact between ground
command and the orbiter.
To help it slow down, the craft is designed to "bounce" off the edge of the atmosphere,

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before re-entering again.

The orbiter obtained data and validating re-entry technology such as the heat shield
and trajectory design for a future landing on the moon by Chang'e-5 to be launched
around 2017.

Web is command centre for terror: U.K. spy chief

Tue, Nov 4, 2014

terrorism, The Hindu, science & tech, internet,

The new head of Britain's electronic eavesdropping agency said U.S.-based social
media have become the command and control network of choice for terrorists and
criminals and that tech companies are in denial about its misuse.
IS extremists use messaging services like Facebook and Twitter to reach their peers
with ease. He said spy agencies need to have greater support from the U.S. technology
companies which dominate the Web in order to fight militants and those who host
material about violent extremism and child exploitation.
While terror propaganda is not new on the Internet, authorities say the rise of the IS
group and the proliferation of al-Qaida offshoots has multiplied its message, reaching
an even broader audience through its sophistication and familiarity with the media.

Antarctic ice thicker than previously thought: study

Wed, Nov 26, 2014

Antarctica, The Hindu, science & tech, climate change,

the sea ice fringing the vast continent is thicker than previous thought.
They survey discovered ice thickness average between 1.4m and 5.5m, with a maximum
ice thickness of 16m. Scientists also discovered that 76 per cent of the mapped ice was
'deformed' -- meaning that huge slabs of ice have crashed into each other to create
larger, denser bodies of ice.
The findings will provide a starting point to further work to discover how ice thickness,
as well as extent, is changing. Previously, measurements of Antarctic ice thickness
were hindered by technological constraints.

Drug-resistant malaria: replaying an Asia Pacific nightmare?

Wed, Nov 5, 2014

malaria, The Hindu, drug resistance, science & tech,

Some 40 years ago in Southeast Asia, malaria began to develop resistance to chloroquine,
the drug that for years had helped keep the disease at bay. Before long, resistance to
chloroquine had spread into India, and then went on to ravage Africa before setting off

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a global malaria outbreak.

resistance to artemisinin -- the current mainstay of malaria treatment worldwide -- is
emerging in precisely the same part of the world as chloroquine lost its potency.
identification of resistant parasites in eastern Myanmar, more than 1,000 kilometres
away from 'ground zero' in Cambodia, has heightened concerns that India may be
next.
Since 2005, India's front line of defence against malaria has been artemisinin combination
therapies, which combine the fast-acting qualities of artemisinin with one of several
longer-lasting drugs. Should artemisinin fail, malaria could resurge: India would likely
not only serve as a springboard for a new global malaria crisis, but the country's people
and health system would take a body blow. Sickness and deaths would multiply.
India has built up a vast health infrastructure at primary, secondary and tertiary care
levels. Its strengths are a well-developed administrative system, good technical skills
in multiple fields, including malaria, and a remarkable network of public health institutions
for research, training and diagnostics.
But a rapidly growing population and near-static levels of public health expenditure
have left the public health system fragile. The problems are particularly acute in remote
areas far from the major cities, where inadequate access to health care places a
disproportionate burden on the poor, women and ethnic minorities.
What is certain is the fact that in poor communities, malaria is a debilitating affliction,
trapping its victims in a vicious downward cycle of poverty, sickness, loss of income
and more poverty.
so the focus of the malaria effort must be to ensure that resistant parasites do not break
out of the handful of countries where, for now, they are known to be located.
India, besides playing a leading role in a host of regional and global initiatives, is deeply
involved in the work of the newly formed Asia Pacific Malaria Leaders Alliance, which
brings together heads of government committed to battling malaria, with the Manila-based
Asian Development Bank as its secretariat.
Asia must launch an urgent all-out offensive against the disease and against resistance
-- or risk suffering the same nightmare and its consequences as 40 years ago.

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HPV option to prevent preterm births dangerous --Dr Harsh Vardhan

Dep

Sun, Nov 23, 2014

PIB, science & tech, HPV,

research into preterm (also known as "premature") births into high gear so that India
is first in developing a treatment line that is failsafe as well as safe for mothers.
The introduction of the product patent regime in the country is an incentive to be quick
on the draw with original panacea for ailments.
Dr Harsh Vardhan regretted that some giant multinational pharmaceutical companies
are trying to influence public opinion by advocating the use of Human Pappiloma Virus
(HPV) vaccines to prevent preterm births.
Our mother and child programme is more holistic and oriented to building up a society
full of happy families where a child gets maximum chance for growth and future
contribution to society."
Globally, more than 15 million preterm births are recorded, of which 1.1 million die
of complications. Admitting that India has the highest rate of deaths of children under
five years -3.6 lakh per year
poverty leading to inadequate nourishment, paucity of institutional birth centres,
inadequate reach of government health programmes and a host of other problems
constitute a larger worry.

Cyber Security Violations

Fri, Nov 28, 2014

Cyber Security, PIB, science & tech,

the cyber space is anonymous and borderless and has become very sophisticated and
complex with the technological innovations and inclusion of different type of devices
and services
the Government has released the "National Cyber Security Policy-2013" on 02.07.2013,
for public use and implementation by all relevant stakeholders.
ims at facilitating creation of secure computing environment and enabling adequate
trust and confidence in electronic transactions and also guiding stakeholders' actions
for protection of cyber space.
(ii) Government has setup National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre
(NCIIPC) to protect the critical information infrastructure in the country.
(iii) Action has been initiated to set up a centre for tracking all the compromised systems

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connected on the Internet in the country and clean them on online basis so that the
infection does not carry forward.
(iv) All government websites are to be hosted on infrastructure of National Informatics
Centre (NIC), ERNET India or any other secure infrastructure service provider in the
country.
(v) All major websites are being monitored regularly to detect malicious activities.
(vi) All Central Government Ministries / Departments and State / Union Territory
Governments have been advised to conduct security auditing of entire Information
Technology infrastructure.
The auditing of the websites and applications is to be conducted on a regular basis after
hosting also. CERT-In provides necessary expertise to audit IT infrastructure of critical
and other ICT sectors.
(vii) Indian Computer Emergency Response (CERT-In) has empanelled a total no. of
45 security auditors to carry out security audit of the IT infrastructure of Government,
Public and Private sector organizations.
(viii) Close watch is kept to scan malicious activities on the important networks in the
Government, Public and Service Providers.
(ix) All the Ministries/ Departments of Central Government and State Governments
have been asked to implement the Crisis Management Plan (CMP) to counter cyber
attacks and cyber terrorism.
(x) The National Watch and Alert System - Indian Computer Emergency Response
(CERT-In) team is working 24/7 and scanning the cyber space in the country.
(xi) Cyber Security mock drills are being regularly conducted to prepare the organizations
to detect, mitigate and prevent cyber incidence.
(xii) Sectoral CERTs have been functioning in the areas of Defence and Finance for
catering to critical domains.
(xiii) Information Sharing and Analysis Centres (ISACs) for financial services has been
set up at Institute for Development and Research in Banking Technology (IDRBT).
(xiv) India has been recognized as Certificate Issuing Nation in the area of cyber security
under Common Criteria Recognition Arrangement (CCRA). Under this arrangement,
the certificates issued by India will be recognized internationally. This recognition will
help country to setup chain of test centres for testing of Information Technology (IT)
products with respect to cyber security.

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Government has initiated Information Security Education and Awareness (ISEA) project
with the aim to develop human resource in the area of Information Security at various
levels (
National Skill Development Agency (NSDA) has initiated certificate / vocational level
training courses related to Cyber Security under Skill Development Initiative Scheme
(SDIS) by including a Cyber Security Modules into existing courses
Through these courses, around 1.09 Lakhs professionals will be imparted training in
Cyber Security. Further, Government has set up R.C. Bose Centre for Cryptology and
Information Security at Indian Statistical Institute (ISI),
With the increase in the proliferation of Information Technology and related services
there is a rise in number of cyber security violations. The trend in increase in cyber
security violations is similar to that worldwide.

Dr Harsh Vardhan says Vision S&T 2020 on Cards "Recent Decisions by PM have Mon, Nov 17, 2014
vision s&t 2020, PIB, science & tech,

India of the future will depend on her own R&D to build helicopters, transport aircraft
and submarines for the all-important defence sector."
world governments and media have been totally overwhelmed by Prime Minister Modi's
decisions on defence self-reliance. "We are presently the world's biggest importer of
defence equipment.
The "Make in India" project of the Prime Minister is therefore not empty rhetoric. He
is seriously interested in reviving what was an old, discarded slogan into a "doable"
project.

Role of El Nino in heat build-up in Indian Ocean

Wed, Nov 12, 2014

El Nino, The Hindu, science & tech,

The Indian Ocean has been warming at a rate faster than thought before (1.2 deg C
during the past century). It is also the largest consistent contributor to the global ocean
warming trends. Recent studies show that a warm Indian Ocean can in turn modulate
the Pacific conditions including the El Nino events. So basically, such large warming
over the Indian Ocean has implications on the global climate.
The warming is significantly so large that it may alter the monsoon circulation, monsoon
rainfall over the ocean and land, marine food webs and fisheries (western Indian Ocean
is one of the most productive oceans) and global climate including the El Nino.

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A recent study focused on the causes for this warming and found that it was mainly
due to El Nino events, which are getting stronger and more frequent during recent
decades, possibly due to a changing climate. These El Nino events weaken the summer
westerly (blowing from west to east) winds over the Indian Ocean. Winds have the
effect of cooling the sea surface. Strong winds cause evaporation and loss of latent heat
from the ocean leading to cooling. When the winds are weakened the opposite happens
-- the ocean warms.
The study found that the ocean atmospheric phenomenon -- the El Nino, and its influence
on the Walker Circulation were responsible for periodic weakening of monsoon westerlies
and led to abnormally high summer sea surface temperatures in the western Indian
Ocean. Walker Circulation represents the zonal (east-west) circulation over the tropics.
In the Pacific, the trade winds blow from east to west. This is because of the low pressure
in the west and high pressure in the east, which drives these winds. This is linked to
the warm waters over the west Pacific and cool waters over the east Pacific. In the upper
atmosphere, this trade wind circulation is completed by winds blowing from west to
east.
During summer, this Pacific cell is linked to the monsoon westerlies in the Indian Ocean.
During an El Nino, due to warm waters in the east and cool waters in the west, the
pressure systems also change, reversing (shifting) the Walker circulation. The wind
direction reverses and the whole circulatory system shifts eastward leaving only weak
surface westerlies in the western Indian Ocean. This results in ocean warming in the
Western Indian Ocean.

Notes by vineetpunnoose on www.kiwipaper.com

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