CA - S&T - 230814

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1. Agriculture and use of technologies

Information Technology

Benefits of IT
o Weather modelling  timely information on weather forecasts and calamities.
o Market analytics  better market analysis; pricing; reduction of agricultural risks and
enhanced incomes; Facilitate online trading.
o R&D  better techniques for agricultural practices.
Government initiatives -
o Digital Mandi: collaboration of IIT Kanpur and BSNL provide current rates of crops
to farmers - choose suitable time and market to sell their crops for maximum profit.
o mKrishi: TCS mobile agro advisory system uses mobile phones; sensor technology to
let farmers send queries, receive information on microclimate, local Mandi
pricesseek expert advice and other information relevant to them in their local
language  supports text voice and pictures
o Kissan call center: Will solve farmers query on voice call or video conferencing.
o E choupal: Provides Internet access to rural farmers inform and empower them
improve the quality of agricultural goods and the quality of life of farmers.
o GIS (geographic information system): Used in precision farming, digital mapping,
analysis of the soil.decision-making what to plant and where to plant using
historical data and sampling
o GPS (global positioning system): Provides benefits in geo-fencing, mapmaking,
surveying.
o Drones: Mass data collection; land survey; seeds planting; using fertilizers and
pesticides; water irrigation.

Biotechnology
Benefits  GM Crops, yield optimization, nutrient enhancement, productivity enhancement in
animal husbandry, post-harvest management and food processing;
GM crops Maximize yield, optimize nutrient absorption and fertilizer usage; Hybrid
seeds;
o Crops more tolerant to abiotic stresses (cold, drought, salt, heat); Reduced reliance
on chemical pesticides (pest-resistant crops); Reduce post-harvest losses; bio
fortification (Vitamin ‘A’ enriched rice.)
Genetically modified pesticides: Pest resistant plants; Bt toxin produced by a bacterium
 Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt); Eg- Bt cotton;
Animal Husbandry: Fertilization of farm animals using selected sperm and eggs; food
processing – improving shelf life, taste and texture;
Recombinant growth hormone: Increase milk and meat production;
Marine biotechnology: Fish farming; Seaweed farming  produces fatty acids;
Forestry: Production of tree clones from tissue culture; Production of wood pulp for the
paper industry.
Environment- Bioremediation: Micro-organisms or enzymes to neutralize contaminants;
Water treatment

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Industrial processes: produce biodegradable plastics, bio-fuel, bio-fertilizers;

Artificial intelligence
Benefits  provide information of prevailing weather conditions temperature, rain, wind
speed, wind direction; solar radiation, control pests, monitor soil and growing conditions,
organize data for farmers, and improve food supply chain.
Application of artificial intelligence in Indian agriculture-
o Crop health monitoring  assessment of health of crop and early detection of crop
infestations.
o Microsoft, ICRISAT develop sowing application for farmers using AIsowing app
with personalized village advisory dashboard for Andhra Pradesh.
o Soil health monitoring: Soilsenslow cost smart soil monitoring system.
o Plantix app identifies potential defect and nutrient deficiency in soildone
through images from smart phones.
o Agriculture robotic and drone automate tasks for farmer’s increases efficiency
reduce manual labor.
o Supply chain efficiency understanding market demand and route of market 
encourage small farmer’s participation elimination of middle man.
o Jivabhumi  tech platform connecting farmers  with institutional buyers and
consumers.
o Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojna: Crop insurance estimation and assessmentpilot
study for estimation of crop yield at village level for speeding up claim settlement.
o AGRI-UDAAN: Food and agribusiness accelerator 3.0 focuses on catalyzing
scale-up stage food and agribusiness startups through rigorous mentoring, industry
networking and investor pitching.

Space Technology
Benefits  Satellite data provides vital information for cropping system analysis, which
includes crop area, cropping pattern, crop rotation, crop calendar, crop vigor and, soil type
; Uses crop area estimation; crop yield & production estimation; crop condition; deriving
basic soil information; cropping system studies; experimental crop insurance;
Initiatives:
o CAPE (Crop Acreage and Production Estimation) project.
o FASAL (Forecasting Agricultural Output using Space, Agro-meteorology and Land
based Observations).
o Horticulture- a programme called ‘Coordinated programme on Horticulture
Assessment & Management using geoiNformatics (CHAMAN)’ was launched in 2014.
o Agriculture Drought remote sensing based techniques for drought assessment of
crops.

Nanotechnology
Benefits  Nutrient abortion, enhanced productivity, soil fertility, sustainable agriculture;
pest management; post-harvest management;
o Nanofertilizers- product made with nanoparticles to improve nutrient efficiency.

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o Nanopesticides- plant protection products developed using nanotechnology to

enhance the efficacy and reduce the environmental load of pesticides
o Nanobiosensors- tools for the rapid and sensitive determination of pathogens,
diseases, genetic disorders, drug screening, and other in vitro diagnostics
applications.

2. Healthcare
Basics
Data management health information management across computerized systems 
storage, retrieval, sharing, and use of health care information, data, and knowledge for
communication and decision makingsecure exchange of health information between
consumers, providers, payers, and quality monitors.
Improve patient’s safety reducing medication errors, reducing adverse drug reactions,
and improving compliance to practice guidelines.

Information technology
Improve health care quality or effectiveness; Increase health care productivity or efficiency.
Prevent medical errors increase health care accuracy and procedural correctness.
Reduce health care costs; Access to affordable care;
Increase administrative efficiencies healthcare work processes; Decrease paperwork and
unproductive or idle work time.
Early detection of infectious disease outbreaks around the country.
Extend real-time communications of health informatics among health care professionals.
IT applications-
o Electronic physician’s orders and E-prescribing computer support to enter
physician orders including medication orders using a computer or mobile device
platform.
o Clinical decision support  provide decision making support provides the health
care professional with information and patient-specific information
o Bar code medication administration systems integrate electronic medication
records with bar code  to prevent medication error by ensuring that the right
patient receives the right medication.
o Patient electronic portals  secure online application -provides patients access to
their personal health information and 2-way electronic communication with their
care provider.
o Telemedicine use of telecommunication technologies to facilitate patient to
provider communication;
o Electronic medical records (EMRs)  digital versions of the paper charts in clinician
offices, clinics, and hospitals; used by providers for diagnosis and treatment.
o Patient data management system (PDMS): Systems that automatically retrieve data
from bedside medical equipment; data is then summarized and restructured to aid
healthcare providers in interpreting the data.

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o Remote patient monitoring It improves patient outcomes for certain chronic

conditions includingheart failure, stroke, COPD, asthma and hypertension.
o Electronic health record (EHR)  digital version of a patient's paper chart contain
patient's medical history, diagnoses, medications, treatment plans, immunization
dates, allergies, radiology images, and laboratory and test results.

Nanotechnology
Remote patient monitoring, molecular diagnosis, precise and controlled drug delivery,
regenerative tissue repair etc.
Remote patient monitoring: Monitoring patients outside clinic  home or in a remote
area increase access to care and decrease healthcare delivery costs.
Drugs:
o Accurate delivery of drugs in the body to the right location; e.g. for controlling the
infection drug doses are released on a fixed schedule.
o Nano bots -clear the blockage in arteries.
o Nano optics - increase in precision of pupil repair & laser eye surgeries.
Diabetic pads for regulating blood sugar; Nanoparticles for drug delivery to the brain;
NanoFlares – detection of cancer cells in the bloodstream; Pharmaceutical products 
sunscreen.

Biotechnology
Gene therapy, stem cell therapy, molecular diagnosis, development of new molecules and APIs,
vaccines development etc.
Recombinant DNA technology  mass production of safe and more effective therapeutic
drugs. E.g. Genetically Engineered Insulin;
Gene Therapy: correction of a gene defect that has been diagnosed in a child/embryo;
Transgenic animals: E.g. Transgenic rats, rabbits, pigs, sheep, cows and fish;  Study of
disease, vaccine testing;
Stem cell therapy: regenerative medicine, promotes the repair response of diseased,
dysfunctional or injured tissue; E.g. leukemia;
Monoclonal antibody (MAb): Particular protein molecules formed in the laboratory 
defense workers; Cloning: tissue repair; organ replacement;
Molecular diagnosis: early detection , understanding pathophysiology;
o Recombinant DNA technology; Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR); Enzyme Linked
Immuno-sorbent Assay (ELISA); PCR  Diagnosis of HIV; ELISA based on antigen-
antibody interaction.

Forum Learning Centre: Delhi - 2nd Floor, IAPL House, 19 Pusa Road, Karol Bagh, New Delhi - 110005 | Patna - 2nd floor, AG Palace, E Boring Canal
Road, Patna, Bihar 800001 | Hyderabad - 1st & 2nd Floor, SM Plaza, RTC X Rd, Indira Park Road, Jawahar Nagar, Hyderabad, Telangana 500020
9311740400 | https://academy.forumias.com | admissions@forumias.academy | helpdesk@forumias.academy