 Science and Technology- Developments and their Applications and Effects in

Everyday Life.
 Achievements of Indians in Science & Technology; Indigenization of
Technology and Developing New Technology.
 Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, Robotics, Nano-
technology, Bio-technology and issues relating to Intellectual Property Rights.

Theme/Topic PYQs
Indians – Achievements,  work of ‘Bose-Einstein Statistics’ done by
Indigenous Technologies Prof. Satyendra Nath Bose and show how it
revolutionized the field of Physics. (2018)
Science in everyday life /  How is science interwoven in our life ? ;
Technologies in news Technology and Agriculture (2020) [Static]
 Technology and its utilization in the
pandemic (2020) [Major Current]
 3-D printing (2013)
 FDCs ; Merits and demerits;
IT
Space  India’s plan to have its own space station; its
benefits (2019)
 India has achieved remarkable successes in
unmanned space missions including the
Chandrayaan and Mars Orbitter Mission, but
has not ventured into manned space
mission, both in terms of technology and
logistics? (2017)
 India’s acievements in Space tech field..
How it helped in socio-economic
development. (2016)
 SPS, PPS in IRNSS (2015)
Computers
Robotics  Robotics (2015)
Nano-Technology  Nanotech ; its applications in health sector;
(2020) [Static]
  Nanotechnology as key tech; applications;
Govt policy; (2016)
Biotechnology  Why so much activity in biotech field? About
Biopharma (2018) [Static + Major Current]
 Stem Cell Therapy , its used [Current]
 Anti-biotic resistance (2014)
IPR  How is the government of India protecting
traditional knowledge of medicine from
patenting by pharmaceutical companies?
(2019)
 TKDL [Simple Conceptual Question]
[Conceptual understanding of IPR required]
(2015)
 In a globalised world, intellectual property
rights assume significance and are a source
of litigation. Broadly distinguish between
the terms – copyrights, patents and trade
secrets.(2014)
 Sec 3(d) of Patent Act (2013)
Misc./ Bouncers  Umpire Decision Review system (2013)
 FRP composite material (2013)
 Growth and development of nuclear science
and technology in India. Advantages of fast
breeder reactor. (2017)
 Dismal Scientific research in India (2014)

Common Points for S&T

Definitions
 Artificial intelligence is the simulation of human intelligence processes by
machines, especially computer systems.
 Big data is a term applied to data sets whose size or type is beyond the
ability of traditional relational databases to capture, manage and process
the data with low latency.
 Blockchain is a digital, immutable, distributed ledger that chronologically
records transactions in near real time. It is a series of data linked
 together, where every single trans is linked to the chain using
cryptographic principles in batches, making blocks.
 Cryptocurrency is a medium of exchange, created and stored
electronically in the blockchain, using encryption techniques to control
the creation of monetary units and to verify the transfer of funds.
 A robot is a machine—especially one programmable by a computer—
capable of carrying out a complex series of actions automatically. Robots
can be guided by an external control device or the control may be
embedded within. Robotics are multipurpose machines with memory &
mechanism to execute various functions automatically, with intention to
substitute for humans and replicate human actions.
 Nanotech is the science, enginnering, technology conducted at nano-
scale (1-100nm).
 Biotechnology is area of biology that uses living processes, organisms or
systems to manufacture products or technology to improve the quality of
human life. It includes disciplines like molecular modelling, bioinformatic,
bio-simulation, genomic, clinical information etc.
IT and Computers
Topics
 AI
 Big Data
 Drones
 Blockchain, Crypto
 Quantum Tech
 Supercomputers

A] Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence is the simulation of human intelligence processes by
machines, especially computer systems.

Key Technologies in AI
1. Biometrics — statistical analysis of people's physical and behavioural
characteristics. It is used to identify individual.
2. Natural Language Processing — To work with text as humans do. Ex chat bots.
3. Machine Learning — To Improve performance w/o specific instruction. Ex Big
Data.

Economic potential of AI:

1. Can add 15% of current gross value added to India’s economy in 2035.
2. AI software market will reach USD 126 billion by 2025, up from USD 10.1
billion in 2018.
3. India stood at 9th position in terms of number of experts working in AI field.
Applications of AI

1. Healthcare: Drug discovery, AI assisted surgery, fitness wearable.

 Eg - AI-powered smartphone-based anthropometry tool that empower
health workers to screen low-birth-weight babies without any specialised
equipment.
  NIRAMAI, a startup, has developed an early-stage breast cancer detection
system using a portable, non-invasive, non-contact AI-based device.

2. Agriculture: Use of AI in PM Fasal Bima Yojana — it helped

 ↑ productivity make agriculture remunerative by ensuring high prices for
farmers.
 Ex Aibono [stabilise crop yield via AI based solution], Sat sure India [predict
future yields].

3. Manufacturing:
 Demand forecasting
 data processing
 Inventory optimization
 Fail safe [using AI algorithms to identify signatures of failure much before
equipment actually fails].

4. Education
 Pedagogical upgrades
 feedback for quick & real time analysis of performance
 teaching assistance ( Eg – recent NISHTHA Programme)
 smart content.

5. Energy: Energy system modeling and forecasting to decrease unpredictability

and increase efficiency in power balancing and usage.

6. Environment: Smart Home & cities using sustainable building design with
automatic switch On & Off.

7. Aiding Differently Abled: Lip reading, Sign language interpretation.

8. Tool to overcome physical limitations of capital and labour.

9. Intelligent automation i.e. ability to automate complex physical world tasks.

10. Innovation diffusion i.e. propelling innovations through the economy.

11. Governance –
 Researchers from IIT Madras are looking to use AI to predict the risk of
expectant mothers dropping out of healthcare programmes, to improve
targeted interventions and increase positive healthcare outcomes for
mothers and infants.
 AI based Crowd management: 1100 CCTV cameras were installed for the
‘Prayagraj Kumbha Mela’ in 2019, AI based processing of crowd
management.

Concerns associated with AI

1. Prejudices -> amplified when used in large scale(Eg - healthcare in the USA
was found to discriminate against black people)
2. The blackbox nature of AI and its ‘self-learning’ ability make it difficult to
justify its decisions and in apportioning liability for errors.
 3. Lack transparency , user is unaware that they are dealing with a chatbot or
an automated decision-making system (this awareness being key to build
trust with the user)
4. Safety and robustness – challenge - especially in high risk prone applications;
5. Unequal access to AI powered applications for marginalized populations can
further accentuate digital divide. (have’s vs have not’s)
6. Ethical concerns from the use of AI: usage of AI for malicious intent for e.g.
deep fakes, AI system enabled targeted propaganda, leading to social
discord.
7. AI systems leading to job loss due to automation
8. AI systems are susceptible to attack such as manipulation of data being used
to train the AI, manipulation of system to respond incorrectly to specific
inputs, security issues of mass surveillance
9. Privacy risks: Eg. AI for cancer screening needs consideration for the
patient’s privacy in its design.
10.Data Colonialism
11.Accountability: If AI fails at its assigned task, someone should be made
responsible for it. Ex anti-terrorism facial recognition program revoked
driver’s license of an innocent man when it confused him for another driver.

Steps Taken
1. National Strategy for AI -
 NITI Aayog has identified five areas where AI can be useful
 established cloud computing platform AIRAWAT (AI Research, Analytics
and Knowledge Assimilation Platform).

2. Center of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence (CoE in AI) by National Informatics

Centre (NIC) to provide platform for innovative new solutions in AI space.

3. India joined GPAI [Global Partnership on AI] as a founding member.

4. National Artificial Intelligence Mission
Way forward: Towards responsible AI
1. Ethics Guidelines for Trustworthy AI released by the High Level Expert Group
in the European Union.
2. United States of America has Principles for the Stewardship of AI
Applications.
3. Singapore has a Model AI Governance Framework.
4. Role of government:
 Regulatory interventions towards creating a trusted AI ecosystem.
 Policy interventions to enable a responsible AI adoption.
 Awareness and capacity building on responsible AI in the public
sector.
 Facilitate alignment of procurement mechanisms with responsible AI
principles.
5. Role of private sector: Adhering to standards, compliance frameworks,
research and development etc.
6. Niti Aayog’s 3-pronged approach on AI.
a. Undertaking AI projects in various areas - health, Agriculture, education.
b. Crafting the national strategy for building vibrant AI ecosystem.
c. Collaborating with various experts and stakeholders.
7. Asilomar AI Principles: With it 23 guidelines on R&D of AI, states could refer
it as source of guiding light.
Best Practices
Japan Model: Japan is focusing on moving from the “Industry 4.0” paradigm to
“Society 5.0” through the development of AI for delivering public services.

France Model: government is planning to support AI startups through data

availability, public spending and talent reskilling.

Conclusion - A study by EY & NASCCOM found that by 2022, 46% of workforce will
be engaged in entirely new jobs that do not exist today. If any countries wait to
establish an AI strategy, it is unlikely that they would be able to match up to the
current momentum. Therefore, need of the hour is to develop policy framework
that will help set up a vibrant AI ecosystem in India.
Few Additional Dimensions Related to AI:
 Big Data
Big data is a term applied to data sets whose size or type is beyond the ability of
traditional relational databases to capture, manage and process the data with low
latency.

Potential of Big Data

1. NASSCOM -> India’s big data market will be a $16 billion industry by 2025, with
a 32% share of the global market.

Benefits of Big Data

1. Improves decision making: Allows businesses to analyse information
immediately.

2. Protects company and client information: As it can immediately detect

irregularities in any business network, thus help evade cybercrimes & enhance
security of the n/w.

3. Enables effective marketing: It keeps us informed about marketing trends ,

right marketing method
4. Facilitates cost and time reduction: streamlining processes and improving
operational efficiency.
5. Better product designing

Application of Big Data

1. Banking: Big data brings big insights banking data, creditor/debtor data etc.
Eg- Recent Eco Survey Advocated use of Big Data to improve operations in
banking like NPA recovery etc

2. Education: Identify at-risk students, make sure students making adequate

progress, implement better system for evaluation.

3. Government: Economic Survey 2017 shed new perspectives on flow of goods,

and migration in the country using Big Data.

4. Health Care: Optimise treatment, predict diseases & map person’s genetic
profile.

5. Manufacturing: boost quality and output while minimising waste -> way to stay
ahead in competition.

6. Agriculture: Seed selection, identification of crop disease, precision agriculture.

7. National Security: Analysis of fund transfer/emails/web accounts can enhance

our preparedness to tackle emergent situations such as rioting and terrorism.

Steps Taken
1. National Data and Analytics Platform: By Niti Aayog in collaboration with
private players.

2. Open Data Policy: to encourage sharing information b/w departments and

ministries.

3. Govt. Policies: Government is collecting Data through its initiative like Aadhaar,
DigiLocker and Digital India mission for better and targeted delivery of services.
4. National Data Sharing and Accessibility Policy (NDSAP) 2012: aims to provide
an enabling provision for open access to the data generated by various GoI
entities.

5. Project Insight: Launched by GoI in 2017 to catch tax evaders by leveraging

data mining techniques.

6. CAG launched Big Data Management Policy in 2016 for creating Data Analytics
Centre.

Challenges
1. Lack of data Scientists: India has less than 10% of data scientists available
globally as against US which has over 40% data scientists.
2. Privacy issue: as big data can do profiling by linking hidden connections b/w
data.
3. Infrastructure: To manage volume & velocity of data, India lack efficient data
collection & management.
4. Security issues due to outsourcing.
5. Availability of quality data: Most of the data in the development sector is yet
to be digitised.
6. Ethics of big data: Lack of proper data management may lead to misuse of
private data raising ethical concerns.

Way Forward :
Big Data Initiative Programme by Dept of S&T to promote :

1. Talent Pool: to groom talent & develop strong training curriculum to advance
analytical depth.
2. Collaborate: so to share best practices to scale analytics organisations.
3. Value Creation:
4. Capability Development: by investing in long term skills and capabilities.
Internet of Things
Internet is a worldwide system of computer networks – a network of networks in
which users at any one computer can get information from any other computer (if
they have permission).

Status of IoT in India

1. The Department of Electronics & Information Technology targets to create an
IoT industry in India of $15 billion by 2020.
2. It has been assumed that India would have a share of 5-6% of global IoT
industry.

Application of IoT
1. Smart Life: Alarm Clock-Coffee Maker Connection, IoT & Google’s Driverless Car
etc.
2. Smart Governance: Smart cities.
3. Smart Agriculture: Using IoT to monitor soil moisture, earth density and pests
and create an online update mechanism for farmers to enable precision farming
operations.
4. Smart Water: Detect quality of water, provide real time information on
leakages.

5. Smart Environment: Using IoT monitoring CO2 emissions by factories and

vehicles.
6. Smart Waste Management: Using IoT to assist Swachh Bharat Mission which
inform the municipal workers when trash containers are full.
7. Smart Safety: Use of IoT in wearable device for women, child and old people to
ensure safety in public.

Initiatives
1. Department of Telecom came out with a machine-to-machine (M2M) roadmap
to put regulators, industry agencies that develop standards, users and
manufacturers on the same page.
2. Department of Electronics & Information Technology (DeitY), in its draft policy,
targets to create an IoT industry in India of $15 billion by 2020.
3. Telecom Standards Society of India is working on India-relevant standards with
respect to the sector.

Concerns
1. Privacy: IoT devices collect and share personal data in real-time, thus raising
concerns on protecting personal information.
2. Government surveillance: There is growing concern about the potential for
increased government surveillance and a resulting encroachment of civil rights to
suppress dissent or marginalise communities.
3. Huge cost: annual cost of cybercrime is over $1 trillion.
4. Cybercrime: IOT is capable of processing the tremendous amount of real-time
data, it is possible for hackers and miscreants from accessing and manipulating
those data.
5. Data Management.
6. Internet Connectivity: slow internet connection is still a challenge in Ind.

WF IoT will continue to evolve in the coming months and one can expect
significant growth in the long run. However, reliable internet connectivity and
overall supporting infrastructure will be a key prerequisite for this growth. If
things fall into place, IoT has the potential to provide substantial benefits.
 Quantum Computing
Quantum computing studies computation systems that make direct use of
quantum-mechanical phenomena to perform operations on data.
Quantum Computer v. Traditional Computer
1. Classical computers process information in a binary format, called bits [0 or 1]
while Quantum computers use logical units called quantum bits, or qubits.
2. While the bits in a classical computer all operate independently from one
another, in a quantum computer, the status of one qubit effects the status of all
the other qubits in the system, so they can all work together to achieve a
solution.

Status in India
1. There are no quantum computers in India.

2. Budget 2020 announced largest science mission - Nat Mission on Quantum

Tech & Applications (NM-QTA) under DST with outlay of ₹8000 crore over a
period 5 years.

3. In 2018, the Department of Science & Technology unveiled a programme called

Quantum-Enabled Science & Technology (QuEST) to accelerate research on
Quantum computing.

Application
Significance of quantum technology: Wide range of potential applications
1. Next-gen computing: In 2019, Google’s quantum computer did a calculation
in less than four minutes that would take the world’s most powerful
computer 10,000 years to do.
2. Driving Industrial Revolution 4.0: Driving developments in Artificial
intelligence and machine learning.
3. Rapid developments in Computational Chemistry: Faster drug discovery,
new material development etc.
4. Cybersecurity & Cryptography:
 5. Furthering Financial Modelling: Eg. Easing and expanding ‘Monte Carlo’
simulations, Algorithmic trading etc.
6. Logistics Optimisation
7. Weather Forecasting

Challenges:
1. Disruptive potential: Eg. Employing quantum computers for cryptocurrency
mining could lead to price crashes.
2. Misuse: By hackers.
3. Monopolising quantum supremacy: A handful of companies can dominate
quantum future.
4. Strategic: China already developed an optical quantum computer Jiuzhang
2.0 and tested quantum encrypted communication technology.
Initiatives for development of quantum technology:
1. The European organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN) to deploy Quantum
Computers to power their research.
2. India announced (Budget 2020-21) Rs.8000 crore National Mission on
Quantum Technologies and Applications.
3. Technology Innovation Hub (TIH) has been set up at Indian Institute of
Science Education and Research (IISER) Pune.

Way forward:
1. India shall enhance institutional and financial pooling to develop quantum
technology base.
2. Coordinate global efforts to develop a regulatory framework for quantum
computing before it becomes widely available.
 Blockchain
Blockchain is a digital, immutable, distributed ledger that chronologically records
transactions in near real time. It is a series of data linked together, where every
single trans is linked to the chain using cryptographic principles in batches,
making blocks.
How Block-chain works?
The blocks are connected to each other and have unique identifier codes (hashes)
that connect them to previous and subsequent blocks. This forms a blockchain,
usually in the form of a continuous ledger of transactions.
Others:

1. Immutable & Transparent: Transactions in public ledger confirmed by n/w

before being added as block.
2. Decentralised n/w: hence no single point of failure.
Challenges

Other Challenges :
1. High processing power.
2. Large energy consumption.
3. Cryptojacking: malware that hides on device &steals its computing resources to
mine cryptocurrency like Bitcoin.
4. Complex Tech: can be misused for exclusion & exploitation of vulnerable pop
wrt data & anti-competitive action.

Application
1. Governance:
 Check corruption, ↑ transparency and efficiency;
 Digitisation of land records & registry;
 Voting.

2. Healthcare:
  Provide secure system for exchanging electronic health records, drugs,
organs, etc.
 By putting licenses on blockchain, fraudulent doctors can be prevented
from practising.

3. Education: student & teacher certificates can be maintained on block chain. It

can simplify certificate attestation and verification.

4. Financial Services: Most of the banks and financial inst exploring blockchain
tech like Central Banks Digital Currency proj cos –
 Faster & cheaper settlements;
 Transparent;
 No intermediary;
 WB Bondi; (Bond)
 Anti-ML.

Initiatives
1. Niti proposed ‘India Chain’ - specific blockchain sys meant for India’s public
record.
2. AP adopted blockchain tech for mapping land records & streamlining vehicle
reg.
 Cryptocurrency
Cryptocurrency is a medium of exchange, created and stored electronically in the
blockchain, using encryption techniques to control the creation of monetary units
and to verify the transfer of funds.
Advantages of cryptocurrencies:
1. High economic enthusiasm: Cryptocurrency market value more than $2.5
trillion, grew over 500% amidst pandemic, attracts huge venture funding.
2. Efficient financial system: Removes intermediaries.
3. Ease of cross-border transactions: No added cost-compliance burden.
4. Scope for innovation: Eg. Financial inclusion through micropayments
options.
5. Bridging infrastructure gap: As there are 1.7 billion unbanked people
worldwide.
6. Furthering free market competition in monetary aspects.
Concerns regarding cryptocurrencies:
1. Extreme volatility: Eg. Bitcoin price fell by 47% in first 6 months of 2021.
2. No underlying asset/value: Market price purely determined by demand.
3. Problems in regulation: China has clamped down on its cryptocurrency
industry, creating price and structural uncertainties.
4. Environmental concerns: Bitcoin production is estimated to generate
between 22 and 22.9 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions a year.
5. Lack of monetary checks: As their liquidity cannot be controlled by Central
banks in response to macroeconomic challenges like financial crisis or high
inflation.
6. Technology threats: Eg. Development of quantum computing in crypto-
mining can cause price crash.
7. Illicit funding: For activities including terrorism, money laundering etc.
8. Proliferation of illegal businesses: Eg. Fake crypto businesses.
9. Lack of global standards: No policy consensus on regulation of
cryptocurrencies.
10.Case study – Lessons from El Salvador’s adoption of bitcoin as legal tender
  Purchasing power of economy plummeted, over-dependence on
remittances, fuelled macro-economic instability etc.
11.Loss of sovereignty: Over monetary space.
12.Risk of regulatory assault: As China in 2021 or blanket ban in India in 2018.
13.Cyber risk: Of theft, privacy etc.
Evolving crypto-currency policies in India
1. RBI banned cryptocurrency in 2018.
2. Inter-ministerial committee report in 2019 recommended banning of private
cryptocurrencies.
3. In 2020, Supreme Court struck down the 2018 RBI circular proscribing any
services to cryptocurrency players.
4. The Cryptocurrency and Regulation of Official Digital Currency Bill, 2021:
Introduced to create an official digital currency and simultaneously ban all
private cryptos.
5. Ideas of cryptocurrencies as an asset.
Way forward:
1. Regulation with freedom: Eg. UK, Singapore and Japan that have allowed
space for cryptos to operate under a regulatory radar but without
recognising them as legal tender.
2. Cryptocurrency as asset: Tech-based regulation can build on the India stack
that makes KYC relatively easy.
3. Lead role in setting global standards.
4. Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and Foreign Exchange
Management Act (FEMA) in India.
5. Innovation with sovereign-backed cryptocurrencies, digital currencies etc.
Supercomputers
A supercomputer is a computer that performs at or near the currently highest
operational rate for computers.
The computing Performance of a supercomputer is measured in FLOPS (that is
floating-point operations per second) instead of MIPS (million instructions per
second).
The supercomputer consists of tens of thousands of processors which can perform
billions and trillions of calculations per second.
Supercomputers in India
According to recent list, there are three supercomputers in India - PARAM Siddhi-
AI, Pratyush, and Mihir.
The National Supercomputing Mission
 Launched in 2015, the ambitious Rs 4,500-crore project is led jointly by the
Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and Department of
Science and Technology.
 The mission aims at creating a powerful supercomputing capability for the
country and offer powerful computational facilities to boost research.
 The Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (CDAC) and Indian
Institute of Science (IISc) were entrusted to spreadhead the seven-year
mission, ending in 2022.
 A National Knowledge Network (NKN), a grid, will connect 70
supercomputers across 75 research institutions with over a thousand
researchers using this facility.
Policy challenges:
1. Multiple Agencies Involved
2. Funding gap
3. Import Dependence
4. Technology capacity gap: Eg. Fabrication technology.
5. Lack of mechanism to involve private sector in the ambit.
Way forward: New policy streamlining institutional set up and expanding the
vision.
 Disruptive Technologies
Disruptive technology is an innovation that significantly alters the way that
consumers, industries, or businesses operate. A disruptive technology sweeps
away the systems or habits it replaces because it has attributes that are
recognizably superior.
 Space Technology
Ind’s space programme has seen a steady growth from a modest beginning in the
1960s. ISRO started work independently in 1960s in Thumba [Kerala] in a church,
later came under D/o Space. ISRO superseded Indian National Committee for
Space Research (INCOSPAR) estd. in 1962.

ISRO Growth and Success

1. Satellite Communication: a. Communication & Broadcasting —

Formal satellite prog. started in 1983
with Aryabhatta as ISRO’s 1st satellite
launched by USSR in 1975. In 1980,
Rohini became 1st satellite to be
placed in orbit by an Indian-made
launch vehicle, SLV-3.
INSAT/GSAT [1983]
b. Earth Observation - IRS [1988] -
Resourcesat 2A, Cartosat, Oceansat,
Scatsat [diff names unlike INSAT
depend on specific purpose] - survey
of natural res, mineral prospecting,
cartography,oceanography.

c. Satellite aided navigation —

IRNSS/NAVIC
[During Kargil War, US withdrew GPS
and Ind realised need of indigenous
navigation].

2. Launch Vehicles [rockets]: 2 Types a. Expendable LV [non-reusable] - 4

[SHAR - Satish Dhawan High Altitude
range, Sriharikota, Pulicat Lake →
Coriolis force].
stages: SLV-3, ASLV [Augmented SLV =
booster], PSLV in 1993 [workhorse of
ISRO - most reliable], GSLV in 2001
[Mk I, II, III] - improved capacity, can
put heavier satellites.

b. Reusable LV - RLV-TD [Tech

Demonstrator], Vyomnauts (India’s
Astronauts will be called Vyomnauts)

c. Sounding rockets - used for

atmospheric measurement in TERLS
 [Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launch
Station - magnetic equator passes
through KE].

3. Astronomy & Space Prog a. Chandrayaan I in 2008.

b. MOM [2014] - not China.
c. Astrosat for study of deep universe
[2016]
d. Aditya [2018]
e. Ground Observatory [Udaipur]

4. Other Achievements a. Indigenous Technological

Development.
b. ISRO launched record 104 satellites
in one mission.
c. Advance space mission at a very low
cost.
d. Evolving commercial capability -
ANTRIX.
e. No compromise on quality.
f. Chandrayaan-II was a mission led by
women scientist.

Why ISRO Successful :

Factors that contributed to the success of ISRO:

1. Autonomy:
 The Space Commission is a fully empowered body.
 It has the authority to make all financial and administrative decisions,
barring those that are exceptional or of very high financial value.
 These go to the Prime Minister.
2. Less political interference: PM is the minister of space, ensures there is no
interference from politicians or other vested interests.
 This structure also helps in keeping out the bureaucracy.
 3. Professional management: Isro is managed by professionals, with all
functional decisions being made by them.
 Even the secretary to GoI is a space professional.
4. Capital: Human capital, spread of technical education etc.
5. Location: Not headqautered in Delhi -> Far from politicking, bureaucratic turf
battles and power-and-money culture of Delhi.
6. Culture of collaboration: Within and outside the country.
7. Democratic work culture: Upholding openness and freedom of speech.
 Discussion, dialogue and dedication

Challenges

1. Demand is greater than what ISRO can supply –

 over a third of transponders are leased from foreign satellites.
 bottleneck issues of ISRO where it has only 2 launch pads and 1 vehicle
assembly.

2. The time gap between 2 launch is very large for ISRO which needs to be bridged
especially in the light of intense competition bought by private entities.

3. India’s share of global space market is just 2% ($7 bl/$350 bl).

 Limited commercialisation: Ltd to launch of small satellites. Real
commercialisation begins when country able to launch big satellites, heavy
payloads and Reusable LV.

4. Lack of pvt investment:

 Completely state dominated, no level playing field and lot of entry barriers
to pvt. players → Draft Space activities bill try to address same.
 Tough competition from pvt companies like Space X.
 New space startups need enabling ecosystem.

5. No Nat legislation to ensure growth and investment.

6. Weak IPR Regime: This demotivate countries to invest in innovation.

7. R&D Funding: very less.
 DRAFT SPACE ACTIVITIES BILL 2017

1. Objective is to promote and regulate space activities of Ind.

2. Est a mechanism to authorise and licence space activities.
3. Liability clause and risk sharing mechanism.
4. Encourage pvt sector participation.

Steps taken

1. Young scientist prog and samvaad with students.

2. Space Tech Incubation centre at NIT.
3. UNNATI - Capacity building prog.
4. New Space Ind Ltd: new commercial arm.

Way forward

1. Smart innovation & efforts needed to reduce the total mission cost. Hence,
there is emphasis on developing reusable launch vehicles to sustain these efforts.
2. Improving Launch frequency: ISRO to bring accountability & effectiveness set
target of launching 18 per yr.
3. Increasing total number of satellites in space — essential to meet its national
objectives. Currently it has around 40 satellites and require nearly 90 satellites.
4. Facilitating entry of private players: the combine force of both sectors could
hasten Ind’s growth in space sector & so is its capacity to address socio-economic
issues.
Private Sector in Space Activities

1. Bridge Demand-Supply Gap: To meet demand gap, Ind need to launch 18-20
satellites every yr. With ltd manpower with ISRO, private sector can play imp.
role to meet global req.

2. Getting latest innovations and trends

3. Freeing up resources: Large chunk of ISRO’s manpower is involved in

manufacturing and launch vehicles, so involvement of private sector would
allow ISRO to devote more time to core research, deep-space missions etc.

4. Reducing dependence on taxpayer’s money: Privatising space sector will

allow eco contribution from private sector and will reduce dependence on
funds from govt.

5. Job creation: Creation of new jobs in high-skilled-labour market in private

space industry.

6. Handling contingency: By diversifying the space activities, we hedge risk &

secure our space capability esp when space warfare is new normal.

7. Meeting India-centric needs: Private-sector help is needed to cater rapidly

changing technological scenarios and to contribute to digitalisation.

Steps

1. Atma-Nirbhar-Bharat [self-reliant Ind Mission]:

Govt. under it emphasised on role for private sector in India’s space prog:
a. Level playing field provided to private companies in satellites, launches and
space-based services.
b. Predictable policy and regulatory environment to private players.
c. Private sector allowed to use ISRO facilities to improve their capacities. ISRO,
recently opened up its facilities for private players to build polar satellite launch
vehicle.
d. There will be liberal geo-spatial data policy for providing remote-sensing
data to tech-entrepreneurs.

2. ISRO, recently identified set of 17 technologies [spacesuit, inflatable

habitats, food & medicine] and invited researchers to develop these locally at
lower costs for its Gaganyaan mission.

3. New Space India Ltd was founded in 2019 by Dept of Space to bridge gap
b/w ISRO and private sector and facilitate transfer of ISRO technologies to
industry.

4. Draft Space Activities Bill, 2017: talked about participation of private sector
agencies in space activities in Ind.

5. ISRO has set up a Space Technology Park in Bengaluru where range of

facilities has been set up for use by industry.

6. ISRO providing mentorship to private players esp startups to realise potential

of space industry.

Concerns

1. Security and strategic concerns: critical and sensitive info may fall into the
wrong hands.
2. Highly risky business: involve negative returns and failures. Very few
companies may have the appetite to bear the cost of such for failures.

Way Forward :

1. Creating a separate Space Commerce body: independent of ISRO or as

autonomous dept within ISRO, for leveraging commercial space in Ind.
2. Promoting startups: help creating an ecosystem to promote space culture.
3. Est Think-tank constituting distinguished experts in space field.
Indian Space Association (ISpA)

Context: Prime Minister launched the ISpA on October 11, 2021.

Indian Space Association (ISpA) is the apex industry body created to be the
collective voice of the Indian space industry.

ISpA will undertake policy advocacy and engage with all stakeholders in the
Indian space domain, including the government and its agencies to make India
self-reliant and technologically advanced so as to enable India to become a
leading player in the global space arena.

Significance of Indian Space Association (ISpA)

1. Ease of Doing Business and Policy Stability: Advocacy for easy
Availability, Accessibility, Affordability and Efficient Utilization of Space
Resources.

2. Encourage and Facilitate all Space Domain Activities: Fostering

Awareness and Promotion of
 Communications: Satellite-based Communication Services
including Satellite Broadband Connectivity.
 Design, Manufacture, Launch, Operate and R&D: Satellites;
Launch Vehicles; Payloads; Ground & Space Control Systems; and,
Testing & Scientific Equipment.
 Applications and Services: Space-based Navigation; Geospatial &
Remote Sensing; Situational Awareness; Space Infrastructure
Security and Protection; Scientific Explorations; Astronomy; Testing
& Certification; and, Others.
 Capacity Building: Awareness, Education, Knowledge Sharing and
Skilling.

3. Promote and Collaborate: Technology, Infrastructure, Investments, and

Innovation.
4. International Partnerships:
  Enhance and Strengthen Co-operation of International partners
with Indian Space Industry.
 Engage with global institutions on Space related issues including
policy matters.

5. Prioritising start-ups: ISpA excited the interest of tech start-ups, who are
keen to leverage its facilities to spread their wings..
6. Space tourism, for which a market may emerge in future.

Important ISRO Space Missions

Lunar Missions

Chandrayaan 1
 First Indian lunar probe.
 Launched by the Indian Space Research Organisation in October 2008, and
operated until August 2009.
 Included a lunar orbiter and an impactor.
 Results:
o Chandrayaan's NASA Instrument Moon Mineralogy Mapper has
confirmed the magma ocean hypothesis, meaning that the Moon
was once completely molten.
o The terrain mapping camera on board Chandrayaan-1, produced
more than 70,000 three dimensional images and, has recorded
images of the landing site of U.S. spacecraft Apollo 15.
o Provided high-resolution spectral data on the mineralogy of the
Moon.
o Data on lunar polar areas.
 o Lunar water discovery: From mass spectra readings. (Later
confirmed by NASA).
o Lunar caves, lunar tectonism etc.

Chandrayaan 2
 Second lunar exploration mission developed by ISRO.
 It consists of a lunar orbiter, and also included the Vikram lander, and the
Pragyan lunar rover, all of which were developed in India.
 The main scientific objective is to map and study the variations in lunar
surface composition, as well as the location and abundance of lunar water.
 The lander crashed when it deviated from its intended trajectory while
attempting to land on 6 September 2019.
 According to a failure analysis report submitted to ISRO, the crash was
caused by a software glitch.
 ISRO will re-attempt a landing in 2022 with Chandrayaan-3.

Chandrayaan-3
 A re-attempt to demonstrate the landing capabilities.
 Proposed in partnership with Japan for 2024.

Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM)

 India’s first interplanetary mission.

 The Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM), also called Mangalyaan is a space probe
orbiting Mars since 24 September 2014.
 The mission is a "technology demonstrator" project to develop the
technologies for designing, planning, management, and operations of an
interplanetary mission.
 5 instruments
o For Atmospheric studies:
1. Lyman-Alpha Photometer (LAP) – a photometer that
measures the relative abundance of deuterium and hydrogen
from Lyman-alpha emissions in the upper atmosphere.
 Measuring the deuterium/hydrogen ratio will allow an
estimation of the amount of water loss to outer space.
2. Methane Sensor for Mars (MSM).
o For Particle environment studies:
 3. Mars Exospheric Neutral Composition Analyser (MENCA) – is
a quadrupole mass analyser capable of analysing the neutral
composition of particles in the range of 1–300 amu (atomic
mass unit) with unit mass resolution.
o For Surface imaging studies:
1. Thermal Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (TIS) – TIS measures
the thermal emission and can be operated during both day
and night.
2. Mars Colour Camera (MCC).

Gaganyaan
 Gaganyaan is an Indian crewed orbital spacecraft intended to be the
formative spacecraft of the Indian Human Spaceflight Programme.
 The spacecraft is being designed to carry three people, and a planned
upgraded version will be equipped with rendezvous and docking capability.
 Capsule will orbit the Earth at 400 km altitude for up to seven days with a
two or three-person crew on board.
 The first crewed mission was originally planned to be launched on ISRO's
GSLV Mk III in December 2021, but this has since been delayed to no
earlier than 2023.
1. Challenges before Gaganyaan module:
1. All elements and sub-systems require careful verification and
validation for human rating.
2. Environmental hazards: Eg. Danger of radiation.
3. Microgravity: Astronauts often tend to loose their orientation,
vision, muscle strength, bone density etc.
4. Meeting physiological and metabolic requirements.
5. Life support systems.
6. Artificial atmosphere.
7. Launch escape system: Space flight requires much higher velocities
than air transportation.
8. Re-entry and recovery: Withstanding high temperatures of
thousands of degrees.
 9. Space unit development

EOS-3 – Failed
1. GSLV rocked failed to put the satellite into orbit due to a “technical
anomaly” in the cryogenic upper stage
2. Fourth failure of the GSLV rocket in its 14 launches.
3. Part of geo imaging or Earth observation satellite.

Aditya-L1

1. Aditya-L1 is a planned coronagraphy spacecraft to study solar

atmosphere.
2. First dedicated Indian mission to observe Sun.
3. It will be inserted in a halo orbit around the L1 point between Earth and
Sun where it will study solar atmosphere, solar magnetic storms and it's
impact on environment around Earth.

NISAR – NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar

 Joint project between NASA and ISRO to co-develop and launch a dual-
frequency synthetic aperture radar on an Earth observation satellite.
 The satellite will be the first radar imaging satellite to use dual
frequencies.
 It will be used for remote sensing, to observe and understand natural
processes on Earth.
 For example, its left-facing instruments will study the Antarctic cryosphere.

Global Missions

Artemis Accords
 The Artemis Accords are an international agreement between
governments participating in the Artemis Program, an American-led
effort to return humans to the Moon by 2024, with the ultimate goal of
expanding space exploration.
 They are explicitly grounded in the United Nations Outer Space Treaty of
1967.
 Signatories of Artemis Accords: 14
 o Australia, Canada, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, the United Arab
Emirates, the United Kingdom, the United States, Ukraine, South
Korea, New Zealand, Brazil, Poland and Mexico.
 Concerns:
o China has proposed its own version of a permanent lunar base.
o Russia said the accords were too US-centric.
o India’s priorities: Presently pushing towards human spaceflight
missions, which is having close collaboration with Russia.
o Impact on indigenous programs like Chandrayaan 3.
 Way forward: The accords form a natural extension of the Quad’s Critical
and Emerging Technologies Working Group.
o Leading integration into global space supply chain.

Space start ups

“There should be ‘no space’ between common man and space technology” –
PM Narendra Modi

Significance of space start ups:

1. Ability to foster a thriving ecosystem of entrepreneurs and private

businesses. Eg. Emulating the success in IT sector.
2. India’s low share in space economy: India accounts for only about 2% of
the $360 billion global space economy.
3. Global trend: Companies like SpaceX, Virgin Galactic, Blue Origin and
Arianespace have revolutionised the space sector in Western countries.
4. Demographic and talent opportunity before India.

Steps taken to promote space start ups:

1. In 2020, the Department of Space released the draft for a new ‘Spacecom
Policy’ to allow and promote private participation in the field of space-
based secured communication.
2. In 2021, ISRO released Chandrayaan-2 data on the completion of two
years of operation of the orbiter to engage academia, students and other
stakeholders with the scientific community and analyse data for future
developments.
 3. Setting up of New Space India Limited (NSIL) with a mandate to mass-
produce and manufacture small satellite launch vehicles (SSLVs) and
polar satellite launch vehicles (PSLVs) in partnership with the private
sector through technology transfer.
4. Creation of the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation
Centre (IN-SPACe) to act as a single-window, independent nodal agency
between ISRO and private entities to utilise India’s space resources
efficiently.
5. NITI Aayog’s Atal Innovation Mission, in collaboration with ISRO and
CBSE, has recently launched ATL Space Challenge 2021.
6. A new Indian Space Association has been created to function as the
advisory and advocacy group for the Space industry.

Space start ups examples:

1. Digantara: It is an Indian private company working to secure long-term
space flight safety by developing space debris tracking and monitoring
services.
2. Bellatrix Aerospace: Headquartered in Bangalore, it is an Indian private
aerospace manufacturer and small satellite company.
3. Tathya Earth: The company leverages deep learning algorithms for
satellite imagery and maritime data to identify important real-time trends
in the global economy.

Challenges before space start ups:

1. Low global space business value chain integration.
2. High dependence on public sector.
3. Brain drain.
4. Policy bottlenecks.
5. Absence of statutory regulation framework.
6. Capital and research intensive for building core capabilities.

Way forward:
1. Legal reforms: Bring in transparent laws and institutional framework for
regulation of space industry.
  Upholding principles of Outer Space Treaty, United Nations
resolution, the Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of
States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, etc.
2. Division of space activities into upstream and downstream space blocks
– Streamline supply chain management.
3. Single window license system.
4. Clarity on insurance and indemnification provisions.

Militarisation and weaponisation of space (Internal Security Topic)

The weaponisation of the space refers to the placing of space-based devices in

the orbit that have destructive capabilities.

Militarisation of the space refers to using of the space to support the ground, sea
and air based military operations.

The assets such as early warning communication system, navigation, command

and control, monitoring and surveillance, secure communication and
broadcasting for the purpose of intelligence gathering, verification, coordinating
an attack are being developed, placed in space in order to assist the ground
infrastructure of military.

History of weaponization of space:

1. Space had been used extensively for nuclear testing during the 1950s and
1960s.
2. Cold war era: The USSR and the US had started deploying military satellites
by late 1960s for communication, reconnaissance, imaging and monitoring
ballistic weapons.
 Anti-satellite weapons also developed during the period.
 1980s: US’s Strategic Defence Initiative also known as Stars Wars
program.
3. Space technologies extensively used during Gulf was in 1991. The war is
also known as the ‘First Space War.’
4. Rising Sino-US competition:
 China successfully conducted an ASAT Test in 2007.
  US responded next year by firing a standard ABM as an ASAT to
destroy one of its ageing satellites.
5. Expanding ambit:
 Israel has recently made operational its antiballistic missile having
capability of exo-atmospheric interception.
 India -

India in the new space world order:

1. India has always maintained a pacifist approach towards the space security
and constantly emphasized on the peaceful and mutual use of the space
while opposing the weaponization and militarisation of space.
2. Paradigm shift – Early 2000s in backdrop of Kargil War: Indian scientific
community and the defence establishment started consolidating the
existing framework of the space technologies to fine tune its strategic and
tactical plans in the lines of the USA and European countries.
3. China’s rising weaponization: Eg. ASAT testing in 2007.

India toward militarisation and weaponisation of space

1. India launched RISAT-2 a spy satellite, developed by Israeli Aerospace
Industries as its first step towards the military exploration of space in 2009.
2. India launched RISAT-1 in 2012 with total indigenous efforts having 24X7
all-weather capability thus giving India the ability of continuous
surveillance.
3. So far, 15+ operational Indian Remote Sensing (IRS) Satellites having
military applications.
 CARTOSAT-2 satellite takes black and white pictures of the earth in
the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum.
 CARTOSAT-2A has been specifically designed to cater the strategic
and tactic needs of the Indian Armed Forces.
 GSAT-6 was the second strategic satellite that was placed by the
India to provide secure communication to the Indian Armed Forces.
 GSAT-7 is being used by the Indian Navy for real time
communications with its submarines, aircrafts and warships.
 GSAT-7A commonly known as ‘angry bird’ was launched in 2018 as
communication satellite for the Indian Air Force which is also used
by Indian Army Aviation Corps.
  Mission Shakti – In 2019, India had become the fourth country after
United States, Russia and China to conduct Anti Satellite missile test.
 It was reported that India has adapted its missile defence
interceptor known as Prithvi Defense Vehicle Mark-II into the
ASAT weapon hereby making India the third country after the
USA and China to have achieved and demonstrated the
capability for a direct ascent kinetic kill.

Reason for India’s move to test the ASAT missile

1. India’s bittersweet experience with respect to global nuclear order.
2. The global episode of Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty taught India that
Countries that intend to take advantage of any scientific development
consolidate those development first and later on gain a leverage while
establishing international regimes or laws that suit their needs in the best
way.
3. China possess a major threat to the security interest of India.
4. India has projected its power in the space by testing ASAT missile.

United Nations response to the weaponization of space

1. India has evaded international criticism by positioning of the target in the
LEO as well as not violating any international law in this exercise.
2. Technical issue: No consensus amongst the experts regarding the
definition of the space debris and its impact.
 Indian ASAT test was deliberately conducted at LEO so as not create
dangerous space debris because at LEO space debris gets dissipated
as it drifts towards the earth’s atmosphere.
3. Difference in stance: The countries while agreeing on one hand to maintain
space as common heritage of mankind, tend to differ with one other when
it comes to gaining asymmetric advantage by exploring and exploiting
space.
4. Partial Nuclear Ban Treaty of 1963 and Outer Space Treaty in 1967 was
signed to avoid the threat of nuclear weapon to space by preventing
detonation of nuclear devices in the space.
 Features: Exploration of the outer space for the benefit of the
mankind and not to place any weapons in the outer space.
5. United Nations General Assembly in 1981 proposed Prevention of an Arms
Race in Outer Space (PAROS) Treaty in order to preserve space only for
 beneficial and peaceful use by means of imposing prohibition on the use
of space weapons.
 However, the same was vetoed by the USA and China.
6. In 2006 the UN once again proposed Space Preservation Treaty against use
of all kinds of space weapon after preserving the rights of the states self
defence, however, it was vetoed by the USA.
7. The two resolutions passed by the UN in December 2014 to prevent arms
race in the outer space was also opposed by the US along with the other
states.
8. The US being a prominent actor in the space has always opposed any move
made by the UN in order to protect the weaponisation of the space as the
same would not be in the best interest of the US military space programs.
 The US has in fact argued that existing framework of multilateral
arms control regime is sufficient and there is no need to address the
threat that does not even exist.
9. Alternative proposals made by the European Union as well as the joint
proposal of the Russia and China which seeks ban on the weaponisation of
the space has also failed due to the lack consensus owing to the
ambiguities in the definitions and scope of space weapons.

Major concerns associated with weaponization/militarisation of space

1. Space is getting congested: The space may be infinite but the orbit that can
be used for placing satellites that rely on them for trajectory is limited.
 The defunct satellites, rocket stages and its fragments further add to
the congestion all of which makes a space debris.
2. Source of international tensions: The arms race for the domination of the
outer space has created an environment of suspicion, uncertainty,
miscalculation, competition and aggressive deployment of the satellites
between the states that can lead to a full-fledged war if a slightest
misunderstanding arises.
3. Monopolising space: There are also concerns that powerful and developed
states such as the US may reserve an orbital slot thus monopolising the
already diminishing orbital slots.
Way forward: Building capacities while stressing on need for global treaty on de-
weaponisation and de-militarisation of space.
Robotics
A robot is a machine—especially one programmable by a computer—capable of
carrying out a complex series of actions automatically. Robots can be guided by
an external control device or the control may be embedded within.
Robotics are multipurpose machines with memory & mechanism to execute
various functions automatically, with intention to substitute for humans and
replicate human actions.

India has only three robots for every 10,000 workers, but domestic robotics
industry is growing at an exponential rate.

Applications
1. Military Robots: application range from transport to search & rescue and
attack. Ex - D9T Panda of Israel.
2. Industrial Robots: welding, painting, assembly, packaging, labelling.
3. Cobots: where human & robot work in close proximity.
4. AgRobots: use of robot in agriculture & deals with AI assisted precision
agriculture & drone usage.
5. Medical Robots: used in surgery as it requires extreme precision and delicacy.
6. Environment: Cleanup of contaminated areas, such as toxic waste or nuclear
facilities. Ex Bandicoot to clean sewers.
7. Others: kitchen automation like Flippy (burgers), sports field line marking,
domestic help.

Pros/Advantages
 Replaced humans in performing
repetitive, monotonous and
dangerous tasks -> ↑human
productivity ; (process of
creative destruction)
 use of Industrial robots by Tata
motors reduced their workforce
Cons/Disadvantages/Challenges in
adoption
 Directly contributes to
unemployment as they replace
humans – especially unskilled
and semi-skilled. [Link this with
employment and skill related
data]
 by 20% and at the same time inc
their turnover by by 250%.
 Complement & Push GoI
initiatives like Make in India.
 Ethical concerns wrt use of
robots for military purpose.
 aggravate the problem of
sedentary lifestyle & thus
contributes to lifestyle diseases
like obesity, Hypertension.
 High cost of adoption: Min cost
to deploy robot is ₹5 lakh for
entry-level robots.
 Low adoption rate: India still
lags Japan, US and Germany
when it comes to robotics
adoption. As per IFR, Ind has 3
robots per 10000 workers
against 189 in China.
 Unavailability of skilled talent to
manufacture robots.
 Cost and procurement of
required hardware and other
electronic components to build
a robot is very high.

Way forward :

1. AICRA Tech Startup Programme — act as incubation environment for startups

working on robotics and robotic process automation (RPA) in India to expand the
entire industry with increased urgency.
2. The next level of automation will be unlocked when machine learning abilities
and artificial intelligence become smart enough to deploy RPA intelligently.
 Nano-technology
Nanotech is the science, enginnering, technology conducted at nano-scale (1-
100nm)

Applications :
o Medical
 Disease diagnosis : using nano-scale diagnostic device (lab on a
chip device)
 Drug delivery – through nanosize drug -> ↓drug consumption
+ ↑efficiency
 Cancer diagnosis- can locate and eliminate cancer cell using
gold nano cells.
 Tissue engineering - to repair damaged tissue.
 Medical nano-robot – navigate human body, transport imp.
Molecule, communicate via miniature sensor.
 Dealing with super bugs and anti-microbial resistance.
o Agriculture :
 Mechanization – nano-enginnered material in automated
products.
 Soil Health – can be maintained by neutralizing harmful
chemicals or biological agents.
 Nanocapsules : for delivery of pesticides, fertilizers, vaccines
more efficiently.
 Nanosensors – for identifying and detecting animal and plant
pathogens.
 FPI – better packaging, presentation with least waste; flavor
enhancement, gelation and viscosifying agents; remove
pathogens selectively. Anti-bacterial products like nano-silver
can be used as material preserver.
o Defence
 Intelligence gathering – by using difficult to detect
sensors/cameras etc.
 Possible supplement to traditional weaponry for close combat
situations.
 Precision guiding tools.
 o Wasteland Treatment and remediation –
 nano-membranes for water purification, desalinization etc.
 detection of contaminants and pathogens
 catalytic degradation (TiO2 nanoparticles)
o Construction
 To make asphalt and concrete more robust
 Heat resistant NM to block UV, IR radiation.
 Self cleaning surfaces with bioactive coatings.
 Durable housing, coatings, glues etc.
o Energy
 Novel Hydrogen storage system- based on carbon nanotubes
 Photovoltaic cells and OLED based on quantum dots
 Carbon NT for solar cell film coatings.
 Nanocatalysts for hydrogen generation.

Concerns Regarding NT :

o Toxicity and env. Impact – process of mfg. nano-devices generates

waste dangerous to human health coz of its extremely small size; NPs
can be released in air and can easily penetrate in plants which make
them deoxygenated.
o Societal implications – NT could create nanodivide (gap b/w those
who have NT and those who don’t)
o Intl’ Governance Issues - as NT has no boundaries; Exports of Rare
Earth materials may be hit, especially harming developing countries.
o Skill development, capacity building – especially in developing
countries – to reap full benefits.
o Regulatory challenges :
 Standardisation and uniformity regarding definition, toxicity
limit, testing etc.
 Who should be regulator – self-regulation/independent expert
body etc.
 Capacity building – lack of regulatory capacity, info asymmetry,
inter-agency coordination, overlapping roles and mandates
 Keep pace with Intl’ developments
 Excessive regulation could stifle growth.
Way forward :
o Regulatory regime for emerging NT – should be dynamic, which is
reviewed , revisited with time; Flexible IPR Regime.
o Proper channel of communication amongst key stakeholders
o Inter-agency coordination – important – for filling gaps and removing
overlaps

Draft Guidelines on Safe Handling of Nanomaterials under Nano Mission (under

DST) is a welcome step.
 Biotechnology
Biotechnology is area of biology that uses living processes, organisms or systems
to manufacture products or technology to improve the quality of human life. It
includes disciplines like molecular modelling, bioinformatic, bio-simulation,
genomic, clinical information etc.

Techniques of Biotechnology
1. Genetic Engineering: Alteration of chemistry of DNA & RNA to introduce host
organism to change phenotype of host.
2. Chemical Engineering: Maintenance of sterile ambience to enable growth of
desired microbe or eukarytic cell in large quantities for manufacture of
biotechnology products like vaccine, drugs, beverages, enzymes, etc.
Bioinformatics: It is application of biology in terms of molecules & then organising
the information on a large scale.

Biotech Industry in India

1. India is among top 12 destinations for biotechnology in the world, with approx.
2% share in the global Biotechnology industry.
2. Indian biotechnology sector has crossed the $ 3 billion milestones and is
growing at the rate of more than 30% over the last few years.
3. Bio-pharmaceutical sector accounts for largest share of biotech industry in
India with a share of 55% of total revenues, followed by bio-agri with 22% market
share (2018).
4. India has emerged as a leading destination for clinical trials, contract research
and manufacturing activities owing to the growth in the bio-services sector.
5. Biotech has potential to generate $5 Billion in revenue and creating 1 million
jobs.
6. India is reorganised as mega biodiversity country & biotechnology offers
opportunities to convert our biological resources into economic wealth &
employment opportunities.
Applications

1. Food Security: It help make crops more productive and tolerant of other stress
like pest, insect etc helping to feed the next billion people.
 Ex Bt Brinjal & Bt Cotton. Foods can also deliver enhanced nutrition, such
as Golden Rice (by IRRI) with additional vitamin A.

2. Climate Change Adaptation: It help produce crops that are resistant to the
effects of CC, help farmers convert to no-till practices and develop solutions that
decrease carbon-based fertilizers.

3. Tackling Disease: Usage of stem cell therapy offers new solution to various
disease.

4. Bioenergy: Fuels like Bioethanol & biodiesels are derived from living organisms
such as plants and their by-products, microbes or animal waste.
5. Livestock Improvement: Tech like embryo transfer tech improve productivity of
livestock and also used for development of affordable new gen vaccines against a
plethora of animal diseases.
6. Waste Management: via techniques like bioremediation.

Govt Measures
Indian Govt seeks to create a $100 billion biotech industry by 2025. It has
launched various programs to harness available human and unlimited biodiversity
resources.

1. National Biotechnology Development Strategy 2015-2020 (NBDS):

Aim to estd. India as a world class bio manufacturing hub. The Mission will be
implemented by Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC).

a. Launching 4 Major Missions – Healthcare, Food and Nutrition, Clean Energy

and Education.
b. Create infra for R&D and empower India’s human by creating a Life Sciences
and Biotechnology Education Council.
c. Creating a Tech Development and Translation n/w across the country with
global partnership.

2. National Biopharma Mission: Industry-Academia Collaborative Mission for

accelerating research to early development for bio-pharma. WB assisted
INNOVATE IN INDIA (i3) prog under it aims to create enabling ecosystem to
promote entrepreneurship and indigenous manufacturing in the sector.

3. Promotion of Biotechnology in North Eastern Region of Ind: DBT in 2009-10

set up NE region-Biotechnology Program Management Cell (NER-BPMC).

Challenges :

1. Low R&D: Only 0.67% of GDP compared to mature biotechnology economies

such as Japan and US (3%) but also in comparison to emerging economies like
China (2%).

2. IPR regime: two main issues

 a. Sec 3(d) of Patents Act, 2005 - sets higher standard for patentability than
mandated by TRIPS. India's stricter standards for patents discourages
innovation and dampens foreign investment. (Prevents Evergreening)
b. Compulsory Licensing Issue - Gives govt power to suspend a patent in
times of health emergencies. Although India has used this option only once,
the industry feels that such regulations keep investors clear of Indian
markets.

3. Lack of Marketisation: Majority of resources runs out before marketisation

phase, the funding for which is mostly provided by venture capitalists. This gap
has a huge impact in commercialisation of innovative ideas.

4. Public awareness: We’re unaware of potential of Bio-tech in improving our

lives.

5. Less Lucrative: number and quality of jobs offered by this sector is presently
lesser than the work force supply available.

6. Regulatory Authority: Biotech Regulatory Auth of Ind Bill is pending in

Parliament which seek to regulate use of biotech products like GMOs.

WF :

1. Strategic Road Map: for competitive areas and identification of industry-based

R&D.
2. Ecosystem of innovation: Universities shall evolve an ecosystem in which
scientists, innovators and future entrepreneurs could be nurtured.
3. Collaboration b/w govt and industry: Govt needs to come tog with biopharma
industry and chalk out a middle ground that recognises value of innovation and
does not hurt its investment attractiveness.
4. Building human capital: Need for development of specialised human resources
along with increasing the number and quality of jobs offered by this sector.
5. Funding Mechanism: Govt can build a mechanism where funding can be
provided for select innovative ideas based on their national importance.
6. Extending Reach: Need for extending reach of biotech investigations to other
fields of study as well such as improving other streams of vaccines and plant
varieties.
 Intellectual Property Rights
IPR are rights given to person over creation of their mind. It give creator an
exclusive right over use of creation over a certain period of time. It includes
copyright and related rights; trademarks; GI; industrial designs; new varieties of
plants; layout-designs of integrated circuit; trade secrets and test data.

Types
1. Copyrights & a. The rights given to authors of literary & artistic works,
related rights books, writing, composition, computer prog.
b. Software cant be patented in India unlike US but
copyrights are available.
c. Under India's copyright laws, copyright protection
given for definite period
d. They are protected w/o making a registration if
country is signatory of Bern Convention.
e. Bern Convention (Based on Bern convention 1886)
intro concept that copyright exist moment work is fixed
rather than requiring registration. Ind is signatory to Bern
Convention.

2. Industrial a. Trademark & GI: Protection of distinctive signs

Property
i. Trade Mark - visual symbol: sign, name, device, label,
numerals used by one undertaking on goods or services
to distinguish it from other similar goods or services.
It should be capable of being represented graphically
(that is in paper form).

ii. GI - unique identity attached to a particular product

prod in particular geographical location. Both natural &
man- made [industrial & agri].
It is not a patent and merely a indicator that this product
originated from this region. One can manufacture same
prod but can't name.
 Ex - one can't stop someone from producing Kanchipuram
Saree however one can't claim it is kanchi saree if not
produced using same tech and in same region.

iii. While trademark is individual right, GI is a community

right.
iv. Indefinite protection (subj to law if require periodic
renewal).
v. Based on Paris Convention, 1883.

b. Patents/Industrial Designs/Trade Secrets:

i. Patents - recognition of invention & exclusive rights
granted to inventor wrt to prod & marketing. They are of
2 types viz.

a] Product patent: right to produce product & right to

authorise other to produce;
b] Process patent: inventor sole right reg processing
method.

ii. Trade Secrets - info regarding process, formula etc. It

provides competitive edge to enterprise.
iii. Given for a finite period.
iv. Indian law give patent protection for 20 yrs.

3. Trade Dress Design or outlook of a product i.e. Coco Cola bottle can't
be copy of Pepsi bottle.
Legal and Institutional Framework
World
1. WTO TRIPS: Part of Agreements concluding Uruguay Round of GATT
negotiations. It sets out the minimum standards of protection to be provided by
each member.

2. Under WIPO, 5 agreements signed — a] Nice - Intl classification of goods

&services for purposes of registration of marks; b] Vienna - Intl classification of
figurative elements of marks; c] Locarno - Intl classification for industrial design;
d] Paris - Convention for Protection of Industrial Prop and e] Berne - Convention
for Protection of Literary & Artistic Works.

3. Article 27 of Universal Declaration of Human Rights provides for the right to

benefit from the protection of moral and material interests resulting from
authorship of scientific, literary or artistic productions.

India :

India amended Patent Act 2005 to make it TRIPS compliant by allowing product
patent. Before that India followed 'process patenting' i.e. only method is
patented not product. Thus, anybody can make product using diff technique i.e.
legally allowed reverse engineering which prov thrust to our Bio-Pharma
Industry (Originally in 1911 act prov product patent but later amended in 1970s).

1. Pre-requisites of Patent in India: It should be completely new i.e. set novelty

standards; Non-obviousness and Industrial applicability.

2. Section 3 (d) list products which aren't patendable and says mere discovery of a
new form of a non-substance which doesnt result in enhancement of known-
efficacy of that substance or new use for a non-substance which are non-
patendable. Hence, it is against ever-greening of patent unlike US which allows
secondary patent.

3. Section 84 (1): It deals with compulsory licensing. GoI grant CL if fulfil 3

conditions viz. a] Can be granted after 3 yrsfrom date of grant of patent if needs
of public not satisfied; b] If it is not available at an affordable price; c] If patented
product is not manufactured in country to the fullest extension possible. India
only once granted the compulsory licensing.

4. Voluntary Licensing: Branded company voluntary allow other manufacturer to

make a product. Advantage of VL over CL is better price is offered to company
unlike royalty in case of CL which is not enough.

5. Our patent regime allows pre & post-grant legislation however it doesnt allow
'Data Exclusivity' which refers to protection of clinical trial data req to be
submitted to a regulatory agency to prove safety & efficacy of a new drug, and
prevention of generic drug manufacture from relying on this data in thereon
application.

6. Foreign Work: Copyrights of work mentioned in WIPO [Berne Convention] are

protected in India as if such work is Indian work (giving same protection). They’re
governed by copyrights act & IT act.

7. Designs: law on industrial designs are governed by Designs Act, 2000 under
DIPP, Ministry of Commerce and industry.

8. Geographical Indications: GI are governed under Geographical Indications of

Goods Act 1999 under DIPP, Ministry of Commerce and industry.

9. Traditional Knowledge: Traditional Knowledge Digital Library created to

safeguard & bring together traditional knowledge at one platform through
collaboration b/w CSIR & Department of Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani,
Siddha and Homeopathy (AYUSH).

10. DPIIT is the nodal agency for all IPR issues while Cell for IPR Promotion &
Management (CIPAM) under DPIIT is single point of reference for implementation
of the objectives of National IPR Policy.
Issues with IPR Policy

1. Equates IPR generation as Innovation.

2. Overemphasise on commercialisation of IPR to get value backfire for startups
as it increases cost of production.
3. It does not allow patent to be granted to inventions involving new forms of a
known substance unless it differs significantly in properties with regard to
efficacy.
4. Foreign investors are concerned with misuse of CL as it allows grant of patent
without the consent of creator. It acted as major roadblock in finalisation of Ind-
EU FTA ties.
5. Enforcement of the Copyright act is weak, and piracy of copyrighted materials
is high.

Way Forward

1. National Intellectual Property Rights Policy [NIPRP]: lays future roadmap for
IPR in India with an objective to commercialise IPR & strengthening IPR laws, as
well as capacity building in terms of human resource so to realise goal of
“Creative India; Innovative India
2. Similar to Niti Aayog’s Atal Innovation Mission, a cohesive national strategy for
innovation needs to be articulated.
 Miscellaneous

Nuclear Technology

Basics:

1. Important minerals used for generation of nuclear energy are uranium and
thorium.
2. Uranium deposits occur in the Dharwar rocks. Geographically, uranium ores are
known to occur in several locations along the Singbhum Copper belt.
3. Atomic Energy Commission was established in 1948, progress could be made
only after establishment of the Atomic Energy Institute at Trombay in 1954 which
was renamed as the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre in 1967.
4. Boiling water reactor
5. Fast Breeder Reactor [Kalpakkam]. BHAVINI [PSU] - FBR.
6. Advanced Heavy water reactor [Thorium power reactor in development stage -
India thorium resource can fulfil Ind’s power needs for 250 yrs+.
India’s 3 stage Nuclear Programme

1. Stage 1 - Pressurised Heavy Water Reactor (PHWR)

a. PHWRs are fuelled by natural uranium, and light water reactors, which produce
plutonium incidentally to their prime purpose of electricity generation.
b. Heavy water is used as moderator and coolant.
c. U-238 → Plutonium-239 + Heat

2. Stage 2 - Plutonium fuelled Fast Breeder Reactor

a. It uses fast neutron reactors burning plutonium-239 with the blanket around
the core having uranium as well as thorium, so that further plutonium (ideally
high-fissile Pu) is produced as well as U-233.

3. Stage 3 - Advanced Heavy Water Reactors (AHWRs)

a. It will burn thorium-plutonium fuels in such a manner that breeds U-233 which
can eventually be used as a self-sustaining fissile driver for a fleet of breeding
AHWRs.
b. An alternative stage 3 is molten salt breeder reactors (MSBR), which are firming
up as an option for eventual large-scale deployment.

Need :

1. Cheaper Source of Energy: Per unit power gen is cheaper [1 kg of uranium gen
more energy compared to 1 kg coal].
2. Energy security: Nuclear energy has potential to provide large scale of
electricity generation that itself would help lift standard of living for millions of
pop.
3. Less impact on climate: Nuclear reactors do not produce GHG like power plants
using coal and, therefore, can inc electricity generation without contributing to
CC.
4. Replacing conventional energy resources: Inc share of nuclear power in the
Indian energy mix will help diminish reliance on fossil fuels and replace
conventional coal based energy plants.
5. Continuous supply of electricity: Provide steady supply of electricity cos unlike
solar & wind power sources, nuclear plants can operate when there is no sun or
wind and are not affected by fluctuations in water availability like HEP.
6. Nuclear Energy and Foreign Policy Nexus: Plays substantial role in the
formation of bilateral relations among nations. Ex 2008 Indo-US nuclear
agreement did not just support Ind’s domestic power plants but strengthened
Indo-US bilateral relations while giving Ind recognition of being a responsible
nuclear weapon state with strong non-proliferation credentials.
Challenges

1. Uranium contamination of ground water: A study has found uranium

contamination in groundwater from aquifers in 16 Indian states. Ex most of wells
tested in RJ and GJ had more uranium than WHO’s recommended limit of 30 μg/L.
2. Purity of Uranium: In comparison to world occurrences, uranium deposits in
Ind are mostly of low-grade (less than 0.15% U).
3. Shift towards Renewable energy: This has often been cited as a factor that
calls for a shift away from nuclear fuel.
4. Anti-nuclear protests: Following 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan, pop
around proposed Indian Nuclear power plant sites launched protests.
 Ex Protests in Jaitapur protests and Mithi Virdi.
 Germany with most sophisticated tech decided to phase out nuclear prog.
5. Syncing with foreign players: Ind’s current manufacturing capability only
covers the supply chain for 700 MW pressurised heavy-water reactor (PHWR)
with foreign reactors inevitably requiring foreign supplier agreements. Engaging
with foreign suppliers means dealing with problems of capacity, queued bookings
and uncertainty.
6. Manpower needs: India currently faces a shortfall in nuclear scientists and
engineers.
7. Other Issues: Prob on land acquisition, rehabilitation & resettlement of
affected persons, reserve forest/tiger sanctuary locations, socio-political issues,
public consensus, etc.

Way Forward:

1. Ensure maintenance of the skills base.

2. Maintain continued effective safety regulation.
3. Foster progress on facilities for waste disposal and management must be given
serious consideration.
4. maintain and reinforce international non-proliferation arrangements.
Nuclear Fusion

Nuclear fusion is a reaction in which two or more atomic nuclei are combined to
form one or more different atomic nuclei and subatomic particles (neutrons or
protons).

The difference in mass between the reactants and products is manifested as

either the release or the absorption of energy.

Advantages of nuclear energy:

1. Abundant energy: Fusion can release nearly four million times more energy
than a chemical reaction such as the burning of coal, oil or gas and four
times as much as nuclear fission reactions.
2. Sustainability: Deuterium can be distilled from all forms of water; lithium
availability can fuel powerplants for foreseeable future.
3. No CO₂: Its major by-product is helium: an inert, non-toxic gas.
4. No long-lived radioactive waste
5. Limited risk of proliferation: Fusion doesn't employ fissile materials like
uranium and plutonium.
6. No risk of meltdown: A Fukushima-type nuclear accident is not possible in
a tokamak fusion device.
7. Cost: The power output of the kind of fusion reactor that is envisaged for
the second half of this century will be similar to that of a fission reactor.

Challenges before nuclear fusion as an energy source:

1. Technology limitations: Yet to mature to be useful in large scale.
2. Scaling down the sun: As artificial uses heavier isotopes of hydrogen, major
part of output energy is neutron streams which can create
a. Radiation damage to structures;
b. Radioactive waste;
c. Need for biological shielding; and
d. Potential for the production of weapons-grade plutonium 239.
3. Tritium fuel cannot be fully replenished: Implies a perpetual dependence
on fission reactors.
4. Huge parasitic power consumption: Consume a good chunk of the very
power that they produce.
5. Weapons proliferation is still possible.
Way forward:
1. Active funding and research collaborations: Eg. ITER Tokomak project holds
promises of nuclear fusion technology for future.
2. Demonstrate the integrated operation of technologies for a fusion power
plant.
3. Develop safety standards and protocols.
Drone regulation
Context: The Ministry of Civil Aviation or MoCA, in August 2021, notified the Drone
Rules 2021 with an aim to strike a balance between safety and operability of
drones.
A drone is an unmanned aircraft. Drones are more formally known as unmanned
aerial vehicles (UAVs) or unmanned aircraft systems.
Essentially, a drone is a flying robot that can be remotely controlled or fly
autonomously using software-controlled flight plans in its embedded systems, that
work in conjunction with onboard sensors and a global positioning system (GPS).
Potential
According to FICCI, India's drone and counter-drone market potential would be
over $40 billion by 2030, with defence and homeland security accounting for half
of it.
Additionally, India will have more than 5,000 certified drone pilots (commercial and
military) by 2025.
Key highlights of the Drone Rules, 2021
1. Applicability: The new Drone Rules 2021, will apply to
 anybody who owns, possesses, or is involved in the leasing,
exporting, transferring, or maintaining an unmanned aircraft system
in India;
 All unmanned aircraft systems that are registered in India.
 all unmanned aircraft systems that are already operating in or above
India.
2. Wider scope: In case of an unmanned aircraft system with maximum all-
up-weight more than 500 kilogram, the provisions of the Aircraft Rules,
1937 shall apply.
 Earlier legal regime governed drones only up to 300 kilogram.
3. Five weight categories:

 Certain exemptions to nano and micro drones and for making it

easier to operate these kinds of drones.
 Eg. No type certificate shall be required for operating a nano
drone.
4. Digital sky platform: Single window for approvals to be generated
automatically.
5. Compliances reduced and simplified: Reduce the number of compliances
from 25 to 5.
  Eg. A type certificate will be required only for operating drones in
India and will not be required for manufacturing or importing a
drone.
6. Safety measures ensured:
 ‘No Permission – No Takeoff’ (NPNT) hardware and firmware;
 Real-time tracking beacon that communicates the drone’s location,
altitude, speed and unique identification number;
 Geo-fencing capability, which will restrict the movement of drone
within a defined airspace.
 The State government, Union Territory administration or law
enforcement agency has also been given the power to temporarily
prohibit drone flights in a specified area (red zone) for a period not
exceeding 96 hours in case of an emergency.
7. The Drone Rules have also laid down the eligibility criteria and procedure
for obtaining a remote pilot license and for getting permission to set up a
Remote Pilot Training Organisation.
8. Boost to R&D: R&D drones will not be required to obtain a type certificate,
unique identification number, prior permission and remote pilot licence if
the drones are being operated within a green zone.
9. A framework for developing corridors for freight delivery by unmanned
aircraft systems will be formulated.
10.An Unmanned Aircraft Systems Promotion Council will also be established
to facilitate the country's drone-friendly regulatory system.
11.Drone activities by foreign-owned firms registered in India are not
restricted.
Significance of the Drone Rules 2021
1. The liberalised regime for civilian drones mark a clear shift in policy.
2. Streamline the registration procedure and emphasises the notion of light-
touch monitoring.
3. Promoting ease of doing business in the sector by reducing the number of
clearances and compliance requirements.
4. Balance between commercial and national security interests.
5. Focus on the development of counter-drone technologies to meet the
threat presented by rogue drones.
6. Paves way for business application of drones like for deliveries.
7. R&D promotion.
Important Institutions
Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO)
About DRDO
 DRDO is India’s leading R&D defence organization. It was established in 1958.
 The organization is under the administration of the Defence Ministry.
 The main objective - provide the Indian defence with an alternative source
of high-end equipment apart from the international arms market.
Major projects the organization has delivered in the past years:
1. AGNI Ballistic Missiles: Capable of carrying a nuclear warhead, the AGNI
Missiles are one of the most advanced missiles in the world.
 AGNI 5 has a range of 5000-6000 km and can hit its target with a CEP
of just 10 metres.
2. BRAHMOS: Developed in partnership with Russia, this is the world’s fastest
anti-ship cruise missile to date. It can travel at a speed of Mach 2.8- Mach
3.0.
3. TEJAS: Generation 4 Light Combat Aircraft.
4. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs): The organization has successfully
developed two UAVs by the names – LAKSHAYA and NISHANT.
5. INSAS: The INSAS rifle is one of the most widely used rifles in the Indian Army.
6. SAGARIKA: The K-15 SAGARIKA is a ballistic missile which can be launched
from a submarine with a range of 750 km.
7. INS ARIHANT: Indigenously developed by the DRDO, ARIHANT is a class of
nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines.
8. Dhruv Helicopters: Built on the lines of the Tejas, the Dhruv Helicopters are
a range of Advanced Light Helicopters (ALH).
9. NIRBHAY: The NIRBHAY is DRDO’s subsonic cruise missile which can be
launched under every weather condition.
10.Civilian project: Eg. Bio Toilets.
Limitations of DRDO:
1. India continuing to remain overly import dependent for its defence
requirements. Current self-reliance capability hovers around 30-35%.
2. Constant delays: DRDO has consistently been shifting the timeline for all
projects, ranging from rifles to aircraft.
3. Private industry remains mired in bureaucratic processes.
Council of Scientific and Industrial Research
CSIR was established by the Government of India in September 1942 as an
autonomous body that has emerged as the largest research and development
organisation in India.
Contributions in pandemic management:
CSIR achievements
1. Developed India's first synthetic drug, methaqualone in 1950.
2. Developed first Indian tractor Swaraj in 1967 completely based on
indigenous know-how.
3. First to analyse genetic diversity of the indigenous Andamanese tribes and
to establish their origin out of Africa 60,000 years ago.
4. Designed India's first ever parallel processing computer, Flosolver.
5. Rejuvenated India's one-hundred-year-old refinery at Digboi using the most
modern molecular distillation technology.
6. Design of 14 seater plane 'SARAS'.
7. Established first ever in the world 'Traditional Knowledge Digital Library'
accessible in five international languages, English, German, French, Japanese
and Spanish.
8. Successfully challenged the grant of patent in the US for use of haldi
(turmeric) for wound healing and neem as insecticide.
9. In 2009, completed the sequencing of the Human Genome.
10.In 2020, initiated clinical trials to evaluate Sepsivac's efficacy to reduce
mortality rate in COVID-19 patients.
Achievements of Indians in Science & Technology
C V Raman (1888-1970)
1. Raman effect: Change in the wavelength of light that occurs when a light
beam is deflected by molecules.
 Basis of atomic/molecular spectroscopy.
2. Work in the acoustics of musical instruments: Theory of transverse vibration
of the bowed strings, based on the superposition of velocities.
 First to investigate the harmonic nature of the sound of Indian drums.
3. Raman and his student Nagendra Nath provided the correct theoretical
explanation for the acousto-optic effect (Light Scattering by sound waves).
4. Work on spectroscopic behaviour of crystals including diamond, labradorite,
pearly field spar, agate, opal and pearls.
5. Raman and his student Suri Bhagavantam discovered that the photons of
light carry angular momentum in quantum terms, photons possess a
property called spin.
6. Colour of sea: Blue colour not from the sky or due to suspended matter in
the water, but dur to molecular diffraction.
7. Honours and Awards:
 Raman was appointed a fellow of the Royal Society in his career (1924)
and knighted in 1928.
 In 1930, he won the Nobel Prize in Physics for his work on scattering
of light.
 In 1954, he was awarded the Bharat Ratna.
 National Science Day celebrated each year to commemorate the
discovery of the Raman effect on 28th February.
Homi Jehangir Bhabha (1909-1966)
1. Bhabha, widely regarded as the father of India's nuclear science program
2. Bhabha scattering: Bhabha published a paper in 1935, performing the first
calculation to determine the cross section of electron-positron scattering.
3. Bhabha conducted research , made a breakthrough in the cosmic radiation’s
understanding by working on the cascade theory of electron showers.
4. In 1941, Bhabha was elected Fellow of the Royal Society.
5. He established the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research in Mumbai,
becoming their director in 1945.
6. Bhabha become the first chairperson of India’s Atomic Energy Commission
in 1948.
 First atomic reactant was operated in Mumbai in 1956.
7. He was absolutely against India manufacturing atomic bombs even if the
country had enough resources to do so.

Vikram Ambalal Sarabhai (1963-1971)

1. Dr. Sarabhai was considered as the Father of the Indian space program;
2. He was a great institution builder and established or helped to establish a
large number of institutions in diverse fields.
3. He was instrumental in establishing the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL)
in Ahmedabad : after returning from Cambridge to an independent India in
1947,
4. He was also Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission.
5. He along with other Ahmedabad-based industrialists played a major role in
the creation of the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad.
6. Some of the most well-known institutions established by Dr. Sarabhai are:
 Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), Ahmedabad
 Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Ahmedabad
 Community Science Centre, Ahmedabad
 Darpan Academy for Performing Arts, Ahmedabad (along with his
wife)
  Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Thiruvananthapuramm
 Space Applications Centre, Ahmedabad (This institution came into
existence after merging six institutions/centres established by
Sarabhai)
 Faster Breeder Test Reactor (FBTR), Kalpakkam
 Varaiable Energy Cyclotron Project, Calcutta
 Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL), Hyderabad
 Uranium Corporation of India Limited (UCIL), Jaduguda, Bihar
7. Contributions to Indian Space Program:
 In establishment of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO).
 We must be second to none in the application of advanced
technologies to the real problems of man and society.
 Establishment of Thumba rocket launch centre near
Thiruvananthapuram on the coast of the Arabian Sea.
 Dr. Sarabhai started a project for the fabrication and launch of an
Indian Satellite.
 As a result, the first Indian satellite, Aryabhata, was put in orbit in 1975
from a Russian Cosmodrome.

Srinivasa Ramanujan (1887-1920)

1. Srinivasa Ramanujan’s birth anniversary on December 22 is commemorated
as National Mathematics Day.
2. He was the second Indian to be included as a Fellow of the Royal Society
(fellowship of the world’s most respected and famous scientists) in 1918.
3. He never had any formal training in mathematics. Most of his mathematics
discoveries were based on sheer intuition, and most of them were proved
to be right much later.
4. Ramanujan compiled around 3,900 results consisting of equations and
identities.
 One of his most treasured findings was his infinite series for pi. This
series forms the basis of many algorithms we use today.
 5. He discovered a long list of new ideas to solve many challenging
mathematical problems, which gave a significant impetus to the
development of game theory.
6. He elaborately described the mock theta function, which is a concept in the
realm of modular form in mathematics.
7. 1729 is known as the Ramanujan number. This is the smallest number that
can be expressed in two different ways as it is the sum of these two cubes.

Sir M Visvesvaraya (1861-1962)

1. Every year September 15 is celebrated as Engineers’ Day in India to
commemorate one of India’s finest engineers, M. Visvesvaraya.
2. He was instrumental in designing and patenting a system of automatic weir
floodgates in 1903.
3. Sir M V was the architect of the Great Krishna Raja Sagara Dam in Mysuru.
This is one of the major contributions of Vishweshwaraiah to Karnataka and
to the nearby states.
4. He designed a flood protection system for the city of Hyderabad by Mussi
River.
5. He is the one who designed a plan for road construction between Tirumala
& Tirupati.
6. Sir M V played a key role in developing a system to protect Vishakapatnam
port from sea erosion.
7. He was responsible for founding the Mysore soap factory, the Mysore Iron &
steel works (Bhadravathi), Sri Jayachamarajendra Polytechnic Institute, The
Bangalore Agricultural University, and the State Bank of Mysore.
8. He has served as the Diwan of the State of Mysore.
9. Sir M V has served as the Chief Engineer of Mysore State in 1909 and as the
Diwan of the princely state of Mysore in 1912, a position he held for seven
years. As the Diwan, he made an immense contribution towards the overall
development of the state.
10.He also commissioned several new Railway lines in Mysore state.
 11.Sir Visheshwaraiah had designed and carried out the waterworks for the
Municipality of Sukkur in 1895. He is also credited with the development of
the Block System which would prevent the wasteful flow of water in dams.
12.Sir MV was awarded an Honorary Membership of London Institution of Civil
Engineers for an unbroken 50 years.
13.He was an Engineer who had planned the Indian Economy in 1934.
14.In 1955, he was awarded Independent India’s Greatest Honor, The Bharath
Ratna for his impeccable work in the fields of Engineering and education.

C N R Rao
1. In 2014, the Government of India presented him with Bharat Ratna, the
highest civilian award in India, making him the third scientist after C.V.
Raman and A. P. J. Abdul Kalam to receive the award.
2. Prof. Rao is one of the world’s foremost solid state and materials chemists.
He has contributed to the development of the field over five decades.
3. His work on transition metal oxides has led to basic understanding of novel
phenomena and the relationship between materials properties and the
structural chemistry of these materials.
4. He was one the first to synthesise 123 cuprate, the first liquid nitrogen-
temperature superconductor in 1987.
5. He was also the first to synthesize Y junction carbon nanotubes in the mid-
1990s.
6. His work has led to a systematic study of compositionally controlled metal-
insulator transitions.
7. Such studies have had a profound impact in application fields such as
colossal magneto resistance and high temperature superconductivity.
8. He has made immense contributions to nanomaterials over the last two
decades, besides his work on hybrid materials.
S&T Policy in India
Background:
1. Scientific Policy Resolution 1958: India’s first major science policy.
2. Technology Policy Statement 1983: Focussed on technological self-reliance
through promotion and development of indigenous technologies.
3. Science and Technology Policy 2003: To keep up the pace with science and
technology, to stay competitive in an increasingly globalised world and to
meet the primary goal of equitable and sustainable development.
Science, Technology and Innovation Policy 2013
1. Promoting the spread of scientific temper amongst all sections of society.
2. Making careers in science, research and innovation attractive enough for
talented and bright minds.
3. Establishing the world-class infrastructure for R&D for gaining global
leadership in some select frontier areas of science.
4. Positioning India among the top five global scientific powers by 2020.
5. Increasing the share of global scientific publications from 3.5% to over 7%
and quadrupling the number of papers in top 1% journals from the current
levels.
6. Raising Gross Expenditure in Research and Development (GERD) to 2% from
the present 1% of the GDP by 2020.
7. Increasing the number of Full Time Equivalent (FTE) of R&D personnel in
India by at least 66% of the present strength in 5 years.
8. Creating an environment for enhanced private sector participation in R &D.
9. Creating a robust national innovation system.
10.Modifying IPR policy to provide for marching rights for social good when
supported by public funds and for co-sharing IPRs generated under PPP.
Draft Science, Technology, Innovation Policy 2020
1. Establishment of a National STI Observatory that will act as a central
repository for all kinds of data related to and generated from the STI
ecosystem.
2. A future-looking, all-encompassing Open Science Framework will be built to
provide access to scientific data, information, knowledge, and resources to
 everyone in the country and all who are engaging with the Indian STI
ecosystem on an equal partnership basis.
3. Strategies to improve STI education making it inclusive at all levels and more
connected with the economy and society.
4. Create a fit for purpose, accountable research ecosystem promoting
translational as well as foundational research in India in alignment with
global standards.
5. The policy envisions strengthening of the overall innovative ecosystem,
fostering Science & Technology (S&T)- enabled entrepreneurship, and
improving participation of the grassroots levels in the research and
innovation ecosystem.
6. The policy will promote technology self-reliance and indigenization to
achieve the larger goal of “Atmanirbhar Bharat”.
7. An India-centric Equity & Inclusion (E&I) charter will be developed for
tackling all forms of discrimination, exclusions and inequalities in STI leading
to the development of an institutional mechanism.
8. A decentralized institutional mechanism balancing top-down and bottom-up
approaches, focussing on administrative and financial management,
research governance, data and regulatory frameworks and system
interconnectedness, will be formulated for a robust STI Governance.
Promoting Science and Technology – Missions, Policies & Schemes
Technology Vision 2035 – Putting science to Use
Atal Innovation Mission
 Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog is Government of India’s flagship
initiative to promote a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship in the
country.
 Towards this end AIM has taken a holistic approach to ensure creation of a
problem-solving innovative mindset in schools and creating an ecosystem of
entrepreneurship in universities, research institutions, private and MSME
sector.