SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

MAJOR TOPICS FOR PRELIMS 2017

NEERAJ NACHIKETA
FACULTY OF S&T, E&E & DM
(VAJIRAM & RAVI, VISION IAS, BYJU IAS, ECOSYSTEM
IAS, PABULUM IAS, GUIDANCE IAS)
 HYDROGEN FUEL VEHICLES
HYDROGEN FUEL VEHICLES
Why in news?
Recently Toyota Motor North America, Inc. unveiled Project
Portal, a hydrogen fuel cell system designed for heavy-duty truck
use.
Advantages of hydrogen as a fuel
Hydrogen is the lightest element but it has the highest energy
content per unit weight of all fuels.
Its energy density is three times greater than that of petrol.
Hydrogen can be extracted from virtually any hydrogen-containing
compound, including both renewable and non-renewable resources
Waste products from hydrogen in vehicles are only water vapour
and warm air.

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 Challenges
Hydrogen, seldom found on its own in nature,
typically combines with oxygen and carbon.
Storing hydrogen a challenge because it
requires high pressures, low temperatures, or
chemical processes to be stored compactly.
Production cost of hydrogen fuel based
vehicles is high at present
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 FUEL CELL
A fuel cell uses the chemical energy of hydrogen
or another fuel to cleanly and efficiently produce
electricity. If hydrogen is the fuel, electricity,
water, and heat are the only products.
Fuel cells work like batteries, but they do not run
down or need recharging. They produce
electricity and heat as long as fuel is supplied.
Fuel-cell vehicles use a completely different
propulsion system from conventional vehicles
that can be two-three times more efficient.
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 Other Emerging Sources of Energy
OCEAN ENERGY
There are three subsets of this 24x7 energy
source waves (including up-down bob of the
water surface), tides and underwater currents.
For tidal energy- To harness it, difference of at-
least 16 feet between high and low tide is needed
which is a major impediment.
Waves generated by wind and currents could
contribute significantly to a carbon neutral
energy system but this is mainly at its
developmental stage.
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 COLD FUSION
Cold fusion describes a form of energy generated
when hydrogen interacts with various metals
like nickel and palladium. Excess heat is
generated by the interaction that can be used to
turn the turbine.
No radioactive materials are used in cold fusion
and cold fusion makes no radioactive waste.
The major challenge is to control the reaction.
But they are very small, relatively simple,
inexpensive and self-contained form of energy.
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 NEUTRINO PROJECT
Why in news?
National Green Tribunal suspended the Environmental Clearance
granted to the India-based Neutrino Observatory (INO)
About INO
India-based Neutrino Observatory (INO) is a particle physics
research project under construction to primarily study atmospheric
neutrinos in a 1,300 meters deep cave near Bodhi west hills
reserved forest near pottipuram village in Theni district, Tamil
Nadu.
After photons, neutrinos are the most abundant particles in the
universe. They are affected only by a weak sub-atomic force of
much shorter range, making it possible for them to pass great
distances through matter without being affected.

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 HYPERLOOP TECHNOLOGY
Why in News?
Recently two companies Hyperloop
Transportation Technologies (HTT) and
Hyperloop One (HO) have evinced interest to
develop hyperloop technology in India by
2021.
Presently such a system is being developed
between Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

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 Hyperloop
It was an idea of entrepreneur Elon Musk.
It is a system of magnetically levitating
capsules that are sent at high speeds through
low-pressure tubes.
It can have speeds even greater than
commercial air travel.
Linear Induction motors are used in it and
control its speed.
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 CHALLENGES
It requires heavy investments.
It may prove to be non-inclusive way of
transport as its cost of travel may be
prohibitive for the economically marginalized
people.
High-power consumption, accidents and
technical challenges have hampered its
progress

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 GSLV Mk III
GSLV Mk III is a three-stage heavy lift launch
vehicle developed by ISRO. The vehicle has
two solid strap-ons, a core liquid booster and
a cryogenic upper stage.
GSLV Mk III is designed to carry 4 ton class of
satellites into Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit
(GTO) or about 10 tons to Low Earth Orbit
(LEO), which is about twice the capability of
GSLV Mk II.
 The two strap-on motors of GSLV Mk III are located on
either side of its core liquid booster.
Designated as S200, each carries 205 tons of
composite solid propellant and their ignition results in
vehicle lift -off . S200s function for 140 seconds.
During strap-ons functioning phase, the two clustered
Vikas liquid Engines of L110 liquid core booster will
ignite 114 sec after lift -off to further augment the
thrust of the vehicle.
These two engines continue to function after the
separation of the strap-ons at about 140 seconds after
lift -off.
 The first experimental flight of LVM3, the LVM3-
X/CARE mission lifted off from Sriharikota on
December 18, 2014 and successfully tested the
atmospheric phase of flight.
Crew module Atmospheric Reentry Experiment
was also carried out in this flight. The module
reentered, deployed its parachutes as planned
and splashed down in the Bay of Bengal.
 GSAT-19
The first developmental flight of GSLV Mk III,
the GSLV-Mk III-D1 successfully placed GSAT-
19 satellite to a Geosynchronous Transfer
Orbit (GTO) on June 05, 2017 from SDSC SHA
GSLV-Mk III-D1 is the first developmental
flight, carrying 3136 kg GSAT-19 satellite to a
Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO).
 SOUTH ASIA SATELLITE
First South Asian satellite (GSAT-9), funded
entirely by India, has been launched recently
by ISRO. With this, India has placed itself
uniquely in space diplomacy by giving a boost
to neighborhood first policy.

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 About South Asia satellite
It is 2,230kg geosynchronous communications
and meteorology satellite, launched as a gift for
South Asian countries.
Its benefits include mapping natural resources,
telemedicine, IT connectivity, DTH connectivity,
more predictable weather forecasting and quick
response to natural disasters.
All the SAARC countries excluding Pakistan are
part of this project.
 Other important points
first Indian satellite to use an electric
propulsion
4th consecutive success of GSLV cryogenic
upper stage indicating better future capability
 COMMERCIALIZING ISRO PROJECTS
ISROs services are presently commercialized by Antrix
Corporation.
ISRO needs to scale up its capabilities in the commercial
market for space-based surveillance and communication
through integrated modules.
Till now, participation of firms like Godrej Aerospace, L&T
etc. has been limited to the supply of components and
systems for launches.
In light of global competition in space from companies like
Space X (Falcon 9 rocket) and Blue Origin (New Shephard
rocket), the step of commercializing its services is a
welcome step.

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 Antrix Corporation
It is a wholly owned Government of India Company that has
been given Miniratna status.
It is under the administrative control of the Department of
Space.
The current business activities of Antrix include
Provisioning of communication satellite transponders to various
users.
Providing launch services for customer satellites.
Data Marketing from Indian and foreign remote sensing
satellites.
Building and marketing of satellites and its sub-systems.
Establishing ground infrastructure for space applications.
Mission support services for satellites.

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 PSLV C 37

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Follow Concepts from Nachiketas S&T A
Complete Guide
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 The Indian role in LIGO

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 LISA PATHFINDER

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 JUNO MISSION OBJECTIVES
Determine how much water is in Jupiter's atmosphere,
which helps determine which planet formation theory is
correct (or if new theories are needed)
Look deep into Jupiter's atmosphere to measure
composition, temperature, cloud motions and other
properties
Map Jupiter's magnetic and gravity fields, revealing the
planet's deep structure
Explore and study Jupiter's magnetosphere near the
planet's poles, especially the auroras Jupiter's northern
and southern lights providing new insights about how the
planet's enormous magnetic force field affects its
atmosphere.

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 Mission Timeline
Launch - August 5, 2011
Deep Space Maneuvers - August/September
2012
Earth flyby gravity assist - October 2013
Jupiter arrival - July 2016
Spacecraft will orbit Jupiter for 20 months (37
orbits)
End of mission (deorbit into Jupiter) - February
2018

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 New Horizons: The First Mission to
the Pluto System and the Kuiper Belt

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 MISSION OBJECTIVE
The New Horizons mission is helping us
understand worlds at the edge of our solar
system by making the first reconnaissance of the
dwarf planet Pluto and by venturing deeper into
the distant, mysterious Kuiper Belt a relic of
solar system formation.
Sending a spacecraft on this long journey is
helping us to answer basic questions about the
surface properties, geology, interior makeup and
atmospheres on these bodies.

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 SOFIA (AIRBORNE NASA & GERMANY
DLR OBSERVATORY TO MAP GALAXY)

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 LAGRANGES POINTS

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Follow Current Aspects from Nachiketas
S&T A Complete Guide
NEW TECHNOLOGIES
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 DRDOs Robot to defuse
hazardous materials
DAKSHA

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 QUANTUM DOTS

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 Quantum dots are tiny particles or
nanocrystals of a semiconducting material
with diameters in the range of 2-10
nanometers (10-50 atoms).
They were first discovered in 1980.

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 QUANTUM DOTS APPLICATIONS
Quantum dots are particularly significant for
optical applications owing to their bright, pure
colours along with their ability to emit
rainbow of colours coupled with their high
efficiencies, longer lifetimes and high
extinction coefficient.
Examples include LEDs and solid state lighting,
displays and photovoltaics.

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 SUPERCOMPUTERS
FOREFRONT OF COMPUTING POWER
THOUSANDS OF MICRO-PROCESSORS
CONNECTED TO BUILD FASTEST
SUPERCOMPUTING FACILITY
CHINA IS THE LEADING COUNTRY FOLLOWED
BY THE USA.
INDIA: PARAM SERIES OF SUPERCOMPUTERS
BUILT BY C-DAC

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 IISc's supercomputer SahasraT adds
to Indian computing might
India's most-powerful supercomputer is now
housed in the city's Indian Institute of Science,
strengthening the country's position in the
global high-power computing race that is
currently led by China.

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 The system will help scientists in complex
weather climate modelling, molecular and
materials research and aerospace
engineering.
The SahasraT cost around $13 million (82.70
crore).

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 HUMANOIDS

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 Meet Lakshmi - India's First Banking
Robot, Who Made Her Debut In Chennai
Endearing, interactive and super fast with
data, India's first banking robot Lakshmi made
her debut in Chennai. Launched by City Union
Bank, the artificial intelligence powered robot
will be the first on-site bank helper.

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 Lakshmi, which took more than six months to
develop, can answer intelligently on more
than 125 subjects.

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 Sensitive financial information like account
details are displayed discreetly on the robot's
screen and not voiced.

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 MAGLEV TRAINS

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 PROJECT ASHALIM
LARGEST SOLAR POWER PLANT
BUILT IN NEGEV DESRT OF ISREAL
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 SOLAR POWERED IMPULSE

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 VIRTUAL REALITY

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 Follow S&T GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES
from Nachiketas S&T A Complete Guide
 BIOTECHNOLOGY

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 WORLDS FIRST CLONED
BUFFALO BY THE NDRI, KARNAL
GARIMA

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 PROJECT RESTORE & REVIVE:
HARVARD UNIVERSITY RESEARCH
TO REVIVE EXTINCT WOOLLY
MAMMOTH

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 GM MUSTARD
The GM mustard is modified so it is able to
absorb huge amounts of herbicide.
Usually, it is roundup but in this case it is
another one known as glufosinate, a known
neurotoxin.

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 LAST UNIVERSAL COMMON
ANCESTOR

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 CRISPR Cas9

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 3 PARENTS BABY (MITOCHONDRIAL
REPLACEMENT)

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 Cold Atom Laboratory (CAL)
NASA is planning to send an experimental
instrument called Cold Atom Laboratory (CAL) on
board SpaceX CRS-12 to International space
Station to create coldest spot known in the
universe.
Bose-Einstein Condensates
They are Superfluids a kind of fluid with zero
viscosity.
In this situation all atoms move without friction
as if they are all one solid substance.
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About Cold Atom Laboratory (CAL)
This ice chest-sized box has been developed by NASAs Jet
Propulsion Laboratory.
When atoms are cooled to such low temperatures, they
form a distinct form of matter called Bose-Einstein
condensate. In such state matter behave less like particles
and more like waves.
Observing atoms in Bose-Einstein condensate form in earth
is extremely difficult because of gravity which continuously
pulls the atoms towards the ground. This prevents atoms
from holding on to their wavelike form for longer period to
be observed.
However in space ultra-cold atoms can hold on to their
wave like forms longer because of no gravity.

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 UTILITIES OF THE EXPERIMENT
Studying these hyper-cold atoms will provide
new insights into dark matter and gravity.
Better understanding of super fluids may help
in more efficient transfer of energy.

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 SMALL SATURN MOON CAN SUSTAIN
LIFE: NASA
Why in News?
On April 2017, NASA claimed on the evidence
generated by Cassini Mission that Enceladus,
Saturns icy moon, contains the right
chemicals to support life.

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 Some other Mission in Space for
water
Curiosity Mars Rover discovered an ancient streambed that
existed amidst conditions favourable for life and water.
Mission Europa is in search for icy crystal, lakes on outer
cell of the Jupiter Moon Europa.
Dawn mission is currently studying Ceres for water, which
is the largest body in the asteroid belt between Mars and
Jupiter.
Juno mission will measure the assumption of water socked
up by the Jupiter planet.
Ganymede mission is in search of ice and water crystal in
between the crust and core of Ganymede (largest Moon of
Jupiter and in our solar system).

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 NASAS NEW FRONTIERS
PROGRAMME
The New Frontiers strategy is to explore the solar
system with frequent, medium-class spacecraft
missions that conduct high-quality, focused
scientific investigations designed to enhance our
understanding of the solar system.
This would be the fourth mission in the New
Frontiers portfolio. Its predecessors are the New
Horizons mission to Pluto, the Juno mission to
Jupiter, and OSIRIS-Rex.
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 SUPER PRESSURE BALLOON
TECHNOLOGY
Why in News?
NASA has successfully launched its stadium sized
super-pressure balloon from Wanaka, New Zealand
About Super Pressure Balloon Technology
The balloon is made from polyethylene film which is
stronger and more durable with a potential to float
continuously for 100 or more days in the southern
hemispheres mid-latitude band.
It also carries a payload (cosmic ray fluorescence
detector) weighing 2495 kg by International Extreme
Universe Space Observatory on a Super Pressure
Balloon (EUSO-SPB).
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 THE RACE TO DESTROY SPACE DEBRIS
Why in News?
In April 2017, various space agencies such as
NASA, European Space Agency in Washington
raised the concern regarding increasing space
debris.

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 What is Space Debris/Orbital Debris?
Space debris encompasses both natural
(meteoroid) and artificial (man-made)
particles. Meteoroids are in orbit about the
sun, while most artificial debris is in orbit
about the Earth. Hence, the latter is more
commonly referred to as orbital debris.

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 Kessler syndrome
The term is associated with Space Debris,
which used to describe a self-sustaining
cascading collision of space debris in LEO (Low
Earth Orbit).
 More on the issue
Space junk travels at speeds up to 30,000 km
an hour, which turns tiny pieces of orbital
debris into deadly shrapnel that can damage
satellites, space shuttles, space stations and
spacecraft with humans aboard.

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 Committee on the Peaceful Uses of
Outer Space
Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer
Space, and Inter-Agency Space Debris
Coordination Committee (IADC) advocates
Global mitigation measures takes many forms
; including preventing the creation of new
debris, designing satellites to withstand
impacts by small debris, and improving
operational procedures such as using orbital
regimes with less debris, and predicting and
avoiding collisions.
 Committee on the peaceful uses of
Outer space
It is an ad-hoc committee under United
Nation set up by the General Assembly in
1959 to govern the exploration and use of
space for the benefit of all humanity: for
peace, security and development.
The committee encouraging space research
programmes, and studying legal problems
arising from the exploration of outer space

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International Space debris Committee
It is an international governmental forum for
the worldwide coordination of activities
related to the issues of man-made and natural
debris in space to facilitate opportunities for
cooperation in space debris research, to
review the progress of ongoing cooperative
activities, and to identify debris mitigation
options.
 EXOPLANET: GJ 1132B
Why in News?
Recently, Astronomers detected an atmosphere around an Earth like planet known
as GJ 1132b, which is 1.4 times the size of earth and is at a distance of 39 light-
years from earth.
GJ 1132b orbits the red dwarf star GJ 1132 in the southern constellation Vela. The
parent star GJ 1132 is much smaller, cooler and dimmer than our Sun.
As per the astronomers this super-earth is cloaked in a thick layer of gases that are
either water or methane or a mixture of both and is tidally locked (also known as
gravitational locking or captured rotation) such that one side is always facing its
parent star.
It circles its parent star superfast, completing a single "year" in about 1.6 Earth
days.
This is the first time that an atmosphere has been detected around an Earth-like
planet.
This observation is made using telescope at the European Southern Observatory
in Chile.

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 YUEGONG-1
It is a Chinese project that simulates a Moon-like
environment - for a year, to test a life-support system
that may allow future astronauts to spend longer
periods of time in space.
It is an attempt to see how the Bio-regenerative Life
Support System (BLSS) works in a Moon-like
environment after a successful 105-day trial was
conducted in 2014.
The BLSS is a system where animals, plants and
microorganisms co-exist. Water and food can be
recycled in the system, creating an Earth-like
environment.

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 SURVEY OF INDIA
Why in News?
Survey of India launched a new web portal
called Nakshe on its 250th anniversary
recently.

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 About Nakshe portal
Topographic maps or Open Series Maps
(OSM) would be available for free download
on the Nakshe portal.
Maps would be available in pdf format on
1:50000 scale through Aadhar enabled user
authentication process. Aadhar is there to
make sure that only Indians are able to access
them.
 National Map policy
The New Policy envisages two series of maps- the
Defence Series Maps (DSMs) and the Open Series Maps
(OSMs).
The DSMs will be for exclusive use for defence forces
and authorized Government Departments. Their policy
would be determined by the Ministry of Defence.
Policy on OSMs will be the responsibility of Survey of
India/Department of Science and Technology.
OSMs can be disseminated by Survey of India through
an agreement for specific end use. The user can make
value addition to these maps and can share the
information after permission from the Survey of India.

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 About Survey of India
It is the principal mapping agency of India formed in
1767 headquartered in Dehradun.
It prepares map for both civilian and military purposes.
It is headed by Surveyor General of India.
It is the oldest scientific department in India
functioning under the Department of Science and
Technology.
It has been oriented to meet the needs of defense
forces, planners and scientists in the field of geo-
sciences, land and resource management.

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 Survey of India to re-measure Mt.
Everest
1855 - India became the first country under Sir
George Everest (Surveyor General of India) to
have declared the height of Mount Everest.
After the Earth Quake (2015) the Survey of India,
Ministry of Science and Technology with
Nepalese government has proposed to re-
measure Mount Everest.
Currently, its height is 8848m above sea level.
It will be measured using GPS with corrections
applied from a INDGEOID mathematical MODEL
developed recently.
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 Science Cities Scheme
It provides for setting up of Science Cities in all the
states of the country.
States desirous of setting up a Science City under this
Scheme have to provide land, share the cost of setting
up of facilities and maintain a corpus for its upkeep and
maintenance.
In case of approved projects, the time frame for
completion of the project as per the Scheme is about
54 months for Science Cities, 33 months for Regional
Science Centre and 27 months for Sub-Regional
Science Centre from the date of start of the project.

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 National Council of Science Museums
The Science Cities/Centres projects are taken
by NCSM:
Depending upon availability of resources.
Project handling capacity of NSCM.
Existing level of science centre activities in
that state.

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 Objectives for establishing Science Cities
To portray the growth of science and
technology and their applications in industry,
human welfare and environment.
To inculcate and sustain Scientific Awareness
& Scientific Temper.
Supporting curriculum based education at
school & college level by imparting teachers
training.
 National Council of Science Museums
Established in April 1978, it is an autonomous Organization under
the Ministry of Culture.
NCSM, headquartered in Kolkata, has its own network of 25 science
museums/centres in India.
Central Research & Training Laboratory (CRTL) in Kolkata, is the
Councils central hub for professional training, research and
development.
Today, NCSM forms the largest network of science centres and
museums in the world.
In 2011, NCSM has formed a fully owned non-profit company
called Creative Museum Designers for development of
museums and centres than science museums.
NSCM also conduct workshops, exhibitions, lectures, etc. to
popularize science and educate common people.

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 LI-FI
What is Li-Fi?
Li-Fi or Light Fidelity, also known as visible
light communications (VLC) is a super-quick
alternative to Wi-Fi.
Li-Fi utilizes visible light in place of radio
waves to bar data through the air.

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 EXPRESS WI-FI
Facebook's Express Wifi was recently launched in
India to solve India's internet connectivity
problem.
It will be a model for public Wi-Fi deployment to
enable people to connect their phones,
computers and other smart devices to the
Internet.
Unlike Internet.org, Express Wifi by Facebook
would not be a free Internet but would be
affordable. Customers would be able to purchase
data packs via digital vouchers
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 Free Basics
Facebooks first initiative for internet
connectivity was Internet.org (in partnership
with Reliance industries) which tried to solve
the problem of Internet access in India via
mobile data.
It was later renamed to Free Basics.

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 NEW WI-FI SYSTEM TO OFFER SUPER-
FAST CONNECTIVITY
Researchers and scientists of Edinburg University
have recently developed a Wi-Fi technology
based on Infrared rays.
The current Wi-Fi technology uses radio signals
with a frequency of 2.5 or 5 gigahertz. The new
system uses infrared light with wavelengths of
1,500 nanometres and higher.
The new technology has the potential to transfer
data with more than 40 Gigabits per second
(Gbit/s), which is 100 times faster than the
existing Wi-Fi technology.
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 DATA EXCLUSIVITY
What is it?
This refers to exclusive rights, granted over the
pharmaceutical test data submitted by companies to drug
regulatory authorities for obtain market authorisation. It
means that information concerning a drugs safety and
efficacy is kept confidential for a period of, say, five or ten
years.
It is a form of legal monopoly protection for a drug, over
and above the patent protections. This is given expressly to
compensate for the investment made during clinical trials.
It implied that regulators cannot approve a similar drug
with similar data for the next five years.

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 TRIPS plus measures
It means going beyond the TRIPS provisions. TRIPS plus
provisions are frequently pushed as a part of free trade
agreements between developed and developing countries.
Some such provisions are:
Data exclusivity - one of the most worrying demands in RCEP
negotiations (covered in detail in subsequent subsection)
Patent term extensions are given to compensate the company
for delays in processing patent applications. A patent term
extension will give another five-year monopoly to the
innovator company.
Many developed countries have even signed Anti-
Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) which establishes
international standards for IPR enforcement outside WTO and
WIPO.

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 PHARMA MISSION TO DEVELOP BIO-
PHARMACEUTICALS
Government has approved a programme for
development of bio pharmaceuticals through
industry-academia collaboration entailing investment
of Rs 1,500 crore for five years.
The programme will focus on development of specific
products such as vaccines, biotherapeutics, medical
devices and diagnostics.
The mission will be implemented by Biotechnology
Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) a
public sector undertaking of Department of
Biotechnology (DBT).

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 Bio-pharmaceutical
It is a biological macromolecule or cellular
component, such as a blood product, used as
a pharmaceutical.
It can be a protein (including antibodies),
nucleic acids (DNA, RNA) used for therapeutic
or in vivo diagnostic purposes.
The large majority of biopharmaceutical
products are pharmaceuticals that are
derived from life forms.

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 BIRAC
It is a not-for-profit company.
It acts as an industry-academia interface
agency to strengthen and empower the
emerging Biotech enterprise to undertake
strategic research and innovation, addressing
nationally relevant product development
needs.
All BIRAC employees are employed on a
contractual basis by the Central government.

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 Fovea
Why in News?
Indian scientists have found that a small
depression in the retina of eye called Fovea
plays a crucial role in helping humans read the
text, recognize faces, enjoy colours, focus on
computer screens, etc

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 About Fovea
The fovea is a specialized region that
dominates our visual perception which
provides more than half of the input from the
eyes to the visual cortex of the brain.
It is located near the optic nerve and is best
suited for fine task like reading.

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 However Fovea is unable to process rapidly
changing visual signals because of slow
response of its cone-photoreceptors than
cone-photoreceptors present in the
peripheral retina. This inability let the humans
see continuous motion in movies/flipbooks.
(Cone-photoreceptors are the neurons that
are frontline of the visual system).
 Understanding the functioning of Fovea helps
in correcting central vision loss like Macular
degeneration and design visual prosthetics
(Bionic eye).
Among the mammals, only humans and other
primates have Fovea. Some predatory birds
like Owls and few reptiles also have similar
structures.
 Note: Bionic Eye is a retinal implant which
interprets images captured by a miniature
video camera worn on a pair of glasses. It
mimics the function of the retina to restore
sight for those with severe vision loss.

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 DELTA RETROVIRUS
Delta retroviruses are types of retroviruses
that cause human B- or adult T-cell leukemia/
lymphoma, and bovine leukemia.
Retrovirus: A retrovirus is a virus whose genes
are encoded in RNA instead of DNA.

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 Retrovirus
The retrovirus genome needs to be reverse-transcribed
into DNA by an enzyme called reverse transcriptase
before it can be copied in the usual way.
Retroviruses are "retro" because they reverse the
direction of the normal gene copying process.
In most viruses, cells convert DNA into RNA which is
then made into proteins.
But in retroviruses, first, the viral RNA is transformed
into DNA. Then the cell can copy the DNA or transcribe
it back into RNA for viral protein replication.
 H1N1
Why in News?
Swine Flu has claimed more than 100 lives in
Maharashtra since January 2017.
Changing climate and the difference in
maximum and minimum temperatures in the
state is cited as one of the reasons for spread
of the virus. This is creating favourable
environment for virus to thrive.

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 About H1N1 (Also known as Swine
Flu)
It is a contagious respiratory disease caused by
Type A strains of the Swine Influenza virus which
enters body through inhalation of droplets or is
transferred from a contaminated surface to eyes,
nose or mouth.
The spread of virus is temperature dependent.
It is called swine flu because in the past, the
people who caught it had direct contact with
pigs.
 Causes/means of spread: When people who have it
cough or sneeze, they spray tiny drops of the virus into
the air. If anyone come in contact with these drops or
contaminated surface, one can catch H1N1 swine flu.
Symptoms: similar to most influenza infections: Sore
throat, cough, fever and chills, body ache, headache,
vomiting, nasal secretions, fatigue and acute
gastrointestinal symptoms like diarrhea.
Preventive measures: Maintaining oral and personal
hygiene, avoid eating pork and its products, wash
hands before eating, avoid crowded place and close
contact with sick people, etc.

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 Treatment: Antiviral drugs that are used to
treat seasonal flu also work against swine flu
like Oseltamivir (Tamiflu), Peramivir
(Rapivab), Zanamivir (Relenza). But these
must be taken under medical supervision.
 NASOFILTER
A team of IIT Delhi researchers was awarded the
Startups National Award 2017 by the Technology
Development Board for creating a promising new
technology to protect against air pollutants and
minimize the risk of respiratory diseases.
Nasofilters a Nano-respiratory filter can protect
against the finest particulate pollutants in the air
(clears upto 95% of them).
It is the cheapest nasal filter ever having a cost of
Rs 10 and is ready for commercialization.
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 Technology Development Board
It was constituted in 1996, under the
Technology Development Board Act, 1995, as
a statutory body.
It is headed by the Secretary of the
Department of Science and Technology.
It also provides equity capital or loans to
industrial concerns and financial assistance to
research and development institutions.

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 TARANG SANCHAR PORTAL FOR INFO
ON MOBILE TOWER RADIATION
Why in News?
The Telecom Department launched a portal
Tarang Sanchar Portal, that will allow people to
track radiation emitted from mobile towers
within a locality.
The portal will empower consumers to know
about the towers working in a particular area and
whether they are compliant to the
Electromagnetic field (EMF) emission norms
defined by the government.
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 NOVEL MOLECULE TO TREAT CANCER
- DISARIB
Why in news
A novel small molecule, designed and
synthesised by Indian researchers, has shown
promise in targeted killing of cancer cells.

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 The molecule - Disarib
The molecule (Disarib) works by binding itself to a
protein called BCL2, which suppresses the death
of cancerous cells while sparing normal cells.
While BCL2 protein is produced in excess in
cancer cells, its expression is almost undetectable
in normal cells. Hence, Disarib targets and kills
only cancer cells.
Unlike the FDA-approved BCL2 inhibitor ABT199,
Disarib showed better efficiency in killing cancer
cells. Also, compared with ABT199 inhibitor, the
small molecule did not cause any side effects.
 Issue
Expression of BCL2 is low in certain cancer cell
lines such as breast cancer, chronic
myelogenous leukemia and cervical cancer. So
the Disarib molecule would be ineffective in
these cancers.
 REVERSING DRUG RESISTANCE MADE
POSSIBLE
Why in news?
Indian Researchers have been able to reverse
antibiotic resistance in E. coli (Escherichia
coli).
They have unravelled the mechanism by which
hydrogen sulphide (H2S) gas produced by
bacteria protects them from antibiotics and
plays a key role in helping bacteria develop
drug resistance.

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 The mechanism of antibiotics
resistance
Antibiotics kill by increasing the levels of reactive
oxygen species (oxidative stress) inside bacterial cells.
So any mechanism (here H2S gas) that detoxifies or
counters reactive oxygen species generated by
antibiotics will reduce the efficacy of antibiotics.
The drug-resistant strains were naturally producing
more hydrogen sulphide compared with drug-sensitive
E. coli and by blocking/disabling the enzyme that
triggers the biosynthesis of hydrogen sulphide in
bacteria, the researchers, have been able to reverse
antibiotic resistance in E. coli bacteria.
 WILDLIFE DNA BANK
North India will get its first DNA bank for
wildlife when Indian Veterinary Research
Institute (IVRI) in Bareilly will collect DNA
samples of all wild animals by the year end.
At present, the Laboratory for the
Conservation of Endangered Species
(LaCONES) in Hyderabad is the only such
facility in the country.

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 DNA sequencing
Sequencing DNA means determining the order
of the four chemical building blocks - called
"bases" - that make up the DNA molecule. The
sequence tells scientists the kind of genetic
information that is carried in a particular DNA
segment.

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 SREP
CSIR - National Institute of Oceanography (CSIR-
NIO) (Goa) has developed a robotic platform called
Seabed Resident Event Profiler (SREP).
SREP is designed to track oceanic processes such as
upwelling that occurs regularly during monsoon
along the west coast of India and are important for
the ecosystem sustenance and fishery.
The SREP is particularly targeted at studies related to
monsoons, global climate and upwelling.

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 Upwelling
Upwelling is a phenomenon associated with
monsoons during which there is a migration of
deep sea oxygen minimum zone (OMZ)
towards the coast as shallow as 30 meters
occurs, apart from bringing of the nutrient
rich water to the surface and increasing the
biological productivity of the region.

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 XFEL (WORLD'S BIGGEST X-RAY
LASER) GENERATES FIRST X-RAY LASER
LIGHT
Why in news
European XFEL, the world's biggest X-ray laser
has generated its first beam of light.
The X-ray laser light was generated from an
electron beam from a superconducting linear
accelerator. In a 2.1 km long accelerator
tunnel, the electron pulses were strongly
accelerated and prepared for the later
generation of X-ray laser light.

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 About XFEL
The European XFEL is the largest and most
powerful of the five X-ray lasers worldwide,
with the ability to generate the short pulses of
hard X-ray light.
The X-ray light has a wavelength of 0.8
nanometre about 500 times shorter than
that of visible light.
 Possible Benefits
The achievable laser light wavelength corresponds to
the size of an atom, meaning that the X-rays can be
used to make pictures and films of the nanocosmos at
atomic resolution such as of biomolecules, from
which better understanding of the basis of illnesses or
the development of new therapies could be developed.
The facility will enable research into chemical
processes and catalytic techniques, with the goal of
improving their efficiency or making them more
environmentally friendly; materials research; or the
investigation of conditions similar to the interior of
planets.

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 CERN SEES INDICATIONS OF NEW
PHYSICS
The Large Hadron Collider experiment in CERN has shown a
sign that contradicts a basic assumption of the Standard
Model.
At the subatomic level, there are two types of processes
that have been compared by the physicists at LHC. One is
the decay of what is called a B meson into an excited K
meson and a pair of muons (muon-plus and muon-minus).
The other is where the B meson decays into K meson giving
an electron-positron pair.
According to the standard model, since the muons and
electrons are identical except for their masses, the rates of
these two reactions should be the same. However, the
carefully done experiment finds the rates are quite
different.
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 Meson
In particle physics, mesons are hadronic
subatomic particles composed of one quark and
one antiquark, bound together by the strong
interaction.
Muon
The muon is an elementary particle similar to
the electron, with an electric charge of 1 e and
a spin of 1/2, but with a much greater mass.
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FIVE NEW SUB-ATOMIC PARTICLES
Why in News?
In March 2017, Scientists of Large Hadron
Collider accelerator at CERN (European
Organization for Nuclear Research) found five
new sub-atomic particles.

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 More on the News
The newly discovered particles are high-energy
versions of the omega-c baryon, a particle made up of
two strange quarks and one charm quark
Omega-c-zero is a part of the same family of protons
and neutrons, the so-called baryons, because they
have three quarks, the fundamental building blocks of
matter.
These particle states are named, according to the
standard convention, Omega-c-zero (3000), Omega-c-
zero (3050), Omega-c-zero (3066), Omega-c-zero
(3090) and Omega-c-zero (3119). The numbers indicate
their masses in mega electronvolts (MeV).
 Paper Device Charged by Body
Movements
Why in News?
Scientists have developed a light-weight,
paper-based device that can harvest energy
from body movements to power sensors and
watches.
The finding is based on triboelectric nano-
generators (TENGs) system which makes the
energy through Triboelectrification.

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 What are TENGs?
Triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) is based on
organic material to convert mechanical energy
into electricity. It is a sensor that directly converts
a mechanical triggering into a self-generated
electric signal for detection of motion, vibration,
mechanical stimuli, physical touching, and
biological movement.
It can be applied to harvest all kinds of
mechanical energy available in our daily life, like
motion, walking, rotation, wind, automobile,
flowing water, etc.

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 BELLE II PROJECT
Why in News?
Recently, High Energy Accelerator Research
Organisation (KEK) successfully completed the
integration of 1400 tons Belle II detector with
SuperKEKB accelerator.
This experiment is being carried out at KEK
in Tsukuba, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan.

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 About Belle II Project
This experiment explores the mysteries of the
beginning of the universe by observing the
various elementary particles generated from
high energy electron-positron collisions.
The Belle II detector precisely measures
elementary particle interactions artificially
created with the upgraded SuperKEKB
accelerator. It will also provide measurements of
the direction and momenta of these newly
produced particles.
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 Main aim of the experiment is to find the
significant deviation from Standard Model
of particle physics and thus determine which
of the many proposed new theories best
describes world of elementary particles.
It is grand collaboration of 700 scientists from
23 countries including significant Indian
participation.
 BRABO ROBOT
Why in News?
TAL Manufacturing Solutions Ltd, a subsidiary of TATA
Motors Ltd. has unveiled India's first ever industrial robot
called 'BRABO', short for Bravo Robot.
Other than the motors and drives for the robo arm, which
are sourced from Italy, all the other parts of BRABO are
manufactured in India.
It is an Articulated robot, ie those Robots which have one
or more rotary joints allowing it to perform full range of
precise movements,.
Recently BRABO acquired CE (European Conformity)
certification that will enable TAL to export it to Europe and
the US.

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 Novel Graphene Electrical Conductor
Why in News?
Researchers from the Indian Institute of
Science (IISc), Bengaluru have experimentally
produced a new type of electrical conductor
that was theoretically predicted 20 years ago.

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 About the discovery
A single or a few layer thick graphene had shown
high electrical conductivity at room temperature.
The electric current path is along the zig-zag
edge(edge of honey comb lattice structure of
graphene) of the graphene layer.
Many groups over the world have been trying to
access these edges since the emergence of
graphene in 2004, but have been largely
unsuccessful because when current flows, it flows
through both the edge as well as the bulk.
 Graphene
It is extracted from graphite. Whereas graphite is
3D crystalline arrangement, graphene is a 2D
crystal only an atom thick.
Important properties
Very good conductor of electricity and heat
200 times stronger than steel
Very light
Perfectly transparent
Impermeable to gases
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 CROP PROTECTION: FIRING TO KEEP
THE STORM AT BAY
Why in news?
Orchid owners of Himachal Pradesh have,
recently, installed the anti-hail storm gun
through collective mobilisation of funds.

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 How does it work?
An anti-hail cannon is a shock wave generator intended
to disrupt the formation of hailstones in the
atmosphere in the beginning stage.
An explosive charge of acetylene gas and air is fired in
the lower chamber of the machine and the resulting
energy passes through the neck and develops a shock
wave.
The shock wave travels at the speed of sound through
cloud formations. It splits up the ice bearing layers of
the cloud and it is observed that it either comes down
as rain or a thin sleet that does not damage the fruit.
 Anti-doping rule violation statistics
This was launched by World Anti Doping
Agency (WADA) recently.
India followed the Russian Federation and
Italy in the chart, the same position as in the
reports of 2013 and 2014.

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 World Anti-Doping Agency
It is an international independent agency
established in 1999.
It is a Swiss private law Foundation whose seat is
in Lausanne, Switzerland
It is composed and funded equally by the sport
bodies and governments of the world.
WADA has also launched Anti-Doping
Administration & Management System (ADAMS)
for web based management of cases.
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Attack submarine

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 2 SCORPENE CLASS SUBMARINES
1) INS KALVARI
2) INS KHANDERI

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 KALVARI CLASS SUBMARINE
Why in news?
Indian navy successfully test fired an anti-ship
missile from INS Kalvari Submarine.
This anti-ship missile enhances submarines
ability to neutralize surface threats at
extended ranges.

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 PROJECT 75: Under this project, French
company DCNS will provides design and
technology to public sector Mazagon Docks
limited to make six Scorpene submarines.
These are expected to be commissioned by
2020.

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 INS Khanderi
Recently, INS Khanderi, second of the six Scorpene class
submarine was launched at Mazagon Dock Limited.
These submarines are equipped with air independent
propulsion system to allow submarine stay underwater
for longer duration. They are designed to operate in all
theatres, including the Tropics.
They are endowed with superior stealth features, precision
guided weapons and long range guided torpedoes.
These classes of submarines can undertake various types of
missions like anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare,
intelligence gathering, mine laying, area surveillance, etc.
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 About Scorpene class submarine
Indigenously built diesel powered Kalvari
submarine is first in the series of six Scorpene
class submarines.
These Scorpene class submarines are being
built by Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL) in
collaboration with Frances DCNS under the
Project 75.

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 TORPEDOS

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 The Dassault Rafale

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 ADVANCED LIGHT HELICOPTER
DHRUV

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 LIGHT COMBAT HELICOPTER

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 AIRBORNE EARLY WARNING &
CONTROL SYSTEM

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 CHEMICAL WEAPONS
Why in news?
A sarin gas attack in Syrias Idlib province killed
more than 80 people, including several
children.

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 What are chemical weapons?
Chemical weapons are specialised munitions
that deliver chemicals that inflict death or
injury on humans through chemical actions.
Some commonly used chemical weapons are
mustard gas, phosgene, chlorine, and the
nerve agents Sarin and VX.
 Those in news
Sarin: The UN had confirmed use of Sarin in
the deaths of hundreds in a rebel-held
Damascus suburb in 2013.
VX: nerve agent reportedly used in the
assassination of Kim Jong-nam, half-brother of
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un this
February.
International conventions and forums
against the use of chemical weapons
Geneva Protocol in 1925: The Convention was silent on the
production, storage and transfer of these chemicals.
Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) of 1993 plugged these
holes. It outlawed the production as well as stockpiling of chemical
weapons. 192 countries have so far agreed to be bound by it 4
UN states are not party: Israel, Egypt, North Korea and South
Sudan.
The CWC is administered by the Organisation for the Prohibition of
Chemical Weapons (OPCW), which won the Nobel Peace Prize in
2013.
The Australia Group (AG) is an informal forum of countries that,
through the harmonisation of export controls, seeks to ensure that
exports do not contribute to the development of chemical or
biological weapons.

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 THE MASSIVE ORDNANCE AIR BLAST
BOMB (MOAB)
A GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB)
bomb, nicknamed mother of all bombs, was
dropped on a tunnel complex of ISIS-Khorasan, a
regional affiliate of the terror group, in Achin
district of Afghanistans Nangarhar province.
It is also known as the mother of all bombs is
the largest non-nuclear bomb ever deployed in
combat by the United States. The GBU-43 is a
21,600 pound (9,797 kg) GPS-guided munition.
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 MOAB
It is a thermobaric weapon, which uses oxygen
from the surrounding air to generate an intense,
high-temperature blast wave that packs an
incredible amount of energy into a small,
localised area.
In comparison, most conventional bombs consist
of a mix of fuel and oxygen-generating
substances. Thermobaric weapons consist of
almost entirely 100% fuel, and rely on
atmospheric oxygen.
 KAVACH WALLS
Kavach (KVx) series laser walls, developed by Delhi-
based defence firm CRON Systems, will now be
deployed on the India-Pakistan border to detect
intrusions and relay information for action.
Till now laser wall were being used that was visible.
The terrain and alignments in the region was also a
problem.
Kavach series walls would be based on infrared array
which is invisible. It would be used for rivers and
unfenced marshy lands. It can also work in transparent
water and glass

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 BARAK MISSILES
Defence Acquisition Council has approved the
acquisition of Barak long range surface-to-air
missiles for Naval warships to enhance Indias
maritime capability in the Indian Ocean
region.

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 Other decisions
The DAC also cleared procurement of
Expendable Bathythermograph Systems, a
small torpedo-shaped device that holds a
temperature sensor and a transducer to
detect changes in water temperature, for the
Indian Navy which will be acquired from the
US.
 The missiles will be procured under Buy
global category from Rafael Advance
Defense Systems Limited of Israel.
Almost all ships of the navy will be equipped
with these missiles.

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About Defence Acquisition Council
It is headed by the Defence Minister.
It is a decision making body for the in principle
approval of Capital Acquisitions in the armed forces of
India.
The decision flowing from the Defence Acquisition
Council are to be implemented by the following three
Boards
Defence Procurement Board headed by the Defence
Secretary;
Defence Production Board headed by the Secretary
(Defence Production);
Defence Research & Development Board headed by the
Secretary (Defence Research & Development).
 PROJECT 15A
INS Chennai, an indigenously designed Guided
Missile Destroyer and a part of Project 15A,
commissioned last year was dedicated to the
service recently.
About Project 15A
The Kolkata class destroyers are follow-on of the
Delhi class destroyers (Project 15 INS Delhi, Mysore
and Mumbai) with enhanced stealth features.
The two preceeding destroyers to INS Chennai are INS
Kolkata and INS Kochi.

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 INLCU L51
Recently, indigenously developed surveillance ship
called INLCU L51, of the landing craft utility (LCU)
Mk IV Class project, has been commissioned into
Indian Navy.

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 SWATHI
Swathi is an indigenous mobile artillery locating
radar (WLR) handed over to army and developed by
DRDO. It has a range of 50 km, which brings all
artillery guns presently in service worldwide under
coverage.
 THAAD
Terminal high altitude area defence system
(THAAD) is an USAs missile defence system that is
designed to intercept and destroy short and
medium and intermediate range ballistic missiles.
Israels Iron Dome has a much shorter detection
range compared to the THAAD system.
 IAAMS
The first ever Integrated Automatic Aviation
Meteorological System (IAAMS) was recently unveiled
by Indian Navy at INS Rajali. It is a project of the Indian
Navy to modernize the meteorological infrastructure of
the nine Naval Air Stations (NAS).
 CCTNS
Sanjauli police station in Shimla, Himachal
Pradesh has become the first police post in
the country to be linked with Crime and
Criminal Tracking Network and Systems
(CCTNS).

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 About CCTNS
It was launched in 2009 in the aftermath of the 26/11
attack.
It aims to establish seamless connectivity among 15000
police stations of India.
CCTNS is a Mission Mode Project under the National e-
Governance Plan.
It will facilitate people in lodging online/offline complaints,
police verification of job applicants, tenants, character
verification and migrant labourer registration.
The data would be available to police district HQ or state
HQ, institutions like IB, CBI and the Central Police
Organizations.
 PUNE BIO-REFINERY
Indias first bio-refinery (producing ethanol
from variety of biomass like rice and wheat
straw etc.) was recently launched in Pune. This
would be a second generation biofuel plant. It
will also help in the production of bio-
fertilizers and bio-pesticides.

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INDIAS FIRST GIGABIT ENABLED CITY
Hyderabad has become Indias first Gigabit
enabled city (more than 1 Giga bit broadband
speed).
 GREYBALL
Uber used Greyball, a tool to systematically
deceive law enforcement officials in cities where
its service violated regulations. It allowed Uber
to show images of ghost Uber cars on the app
or show that no cars were available.
 IDEAS
Union Government is set to launch a scheme
IDEAS, or Innovations for Development of
Efficient and Affordable Systems, for students
from higher educational institutions to
volunteer to offer innovative, original and
practical solutions to problems facing the
country and win Rs 1 Crore.

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 SYNLIGHT
The Synlight experiment in Jlich, Germany
which consists 149 film projector spotlights
produces light about 10,000 times the
intensity of natural sunlight on Earth. It is
being developed as "the worlds largest
artificial sun in the hope that intense light
sources can be used to generate climate-
friendly fuel.
 PLASTIC DEGRADING FUNGUS
Scientists from the Chinese Academy of
Sciences have found a soil fungus called
Aspergillus tubingensis in Pakistan that eats
plastic. It secretes enzymes onto the surface
of the plastic, and these break the chemical
bonds between the plastic molecules, or
polymers.

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 POR B
The researchers from Boston University School
of Medicine have purified a protein called PorB
to provide a better vaccination response. It is
found on the exterior of bacteria (neisseria
meningidis).
 BIOBAG
An artificial womb/biobag to support critically
premature babies has been demonstrated
successfully in animals (lamb) for the first
time. It could radically improve outcomes for
babies born prematurely that cannot breathe,
feed or fight infection without medical help.
 EOTT
The Indian Railways will soon introduce End
of Train Telemetry (EoTT) equipment used to
establish communication between the
locomotive driver and the last wagon of the
train ensuring that the train is running with all
coaches/wagons as a complete unit.
 Dinesh Sharma Committee
The Centre has setup an inter-disciplinary
committee to recommend an action plan for
dealing with virtual currencies like bitcoins.
The committee will be Chaired by Dinesh
Sharma, Special Secretary, Department of
Economic Affairs.

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